Crash

I was tired, sunburned, bored, and ready to go home. Standing on a small farm to market road in Texas after a week of horseback riding a hard twenty miles each day. I was seventeen and on this road ride with my family, close family friends, and friends that we only see on this ride each year.

We had a wagon pulled by two white mules named Ass and Hole. I didn't name them, lest someone become offended. I'm just telling you that was their names. They were wild and fun much like my hairdo after 5 days on horseback and bathing in water holes with snakes. The two fifteen year old Jasons were sitting in the wagon watching the horses, mules, and ice chests while the adults went into the small bar to relax and celebrate the end of the ride.

I went into the bar with my parents looking forward to the air conditioning, the music, the pool tables, the FUN. I sat there, disappointed at the lack of excitement,  in the dark, quiet bar with a lot of tired adults. I got up to head outside to sit with the boys in the wagon.

So, I'm standing on the side of this farm to market road, an intersection of two small highways really. I saw one car coming toward me and patiently waited my turn to cross. A few seconds later, I see another car with his blinker on indicating a turn in my direction at the stop sign. Having forgotten the first car momentarily, I had the thought that I should hurry and cross so Blinker Dude can turn. I'm sure that he'll be annoyed at my slowness in crossing. So as not to annoy Blinker Dude I begin skipping across the street. I'm immediately reminded again of the first car because I hear brakes squealing and find myself lying on the street spinning on  my back. The thought I'm having now is 'I'm okay! I'm okay! I have to hurry and get up so they'll know I'm not dead. I bet they are scared and think I'm dead. I would be if I were in their place. I have to get up so they know I'm not dead."

All of this happens in the span of twenty or thirty minutes. In reality, only a few seconds have passed. I jump up as quickly as I can, throwing my hands in the air and screaming "I'm okay! I'm okay!"

On the side of the road is the small car that hit me having been driving at least 55 mph. In the car driving was a teen aged girl with her mother in the passenger seat. The driver was placated by my admissions of good health while the mother was.......no other phrase comes to mind but "FREAKED OUT", unable to let go of the trauma that just occurred to this out of town girl skipping across a highway, understandably so as I look back now as an adult.

The scenes that follow involve my dad calmly jogging out of the bar, my mother sprinting out of the bar, my dad restraining my mother, my mother fighting my dad, my dad yelling at her "She's OKAY! LOOK AT HER! SHE'S OKAY!", the other mother about to cry, the driver bored, waiting for her mother to finally admit that its time to go, ambulances, police, and two fifteen year old boys laughing because they missed the entire thing but saw me run back to the wagon in chest high weeds and I fell down.

More scenes that follow are the late night drive home with four people in a single cab pick up truck pulling a horse trailer with no brake lights, my dad getting pulled over, my dad going to jail due to an outstanding speeding ticket forgotten years ago, my mother, brother, and I waiting all night long in the police station parking lot hot, tired, sunburned, and cranky with a trailer loaded down with horses and camping gear.


Crash

Okay so this was a little different. I procured this word from Lance at My blog can beat up your blog The goal is to look at the word, think about the memory it evokes and write about that experience. Then, link back with your story in the comments.

Your word is Change

Luxury Soaps

Is there anything more luxurious than hand made soaps, mildly scented, softly lathered and creamy?

Fur undies, maybe but I don't know where to get those and even if I could, I wouldn't wear fur down there........It would make my butt look big.

I buy Caldrea hand soap and lotion from a little shop here in Gainesville called Bella Matiz. Check out their facebook page here Bella Matiz.

They come in wonderful scents like Sea Salt Neroli, Lavender Pine, Basil Blue Sage, and more. All of their products are earth friendly and biodegradable, as well as being scented with essential oils. They even have products for laundry, kitchen counters, dishes, and babies. The scent I currently have in my kitchen at work is Sandalwood Riceflower. My favorite one, they don't make anymore, is Green Tea Patchouli.

The prompt for this post happened when I went to the kitchen to wash my hands and make myself and my darling husband a RVL shake for breakfast. I love the warm water really steamy as I'm a summer girl and its frigidly cold here in north Texas. I think its probably gonna snow, maybe get icy, maybe a blizzard. Its 60 degrees out..... brrrrrrrr.....Okay, maybe its just the shake. Nevertheless, I really do enjoy the really warm water. Its not so friendly on the hands though. They need a little lotion. Okay, a lot of lotion. My husband likes it when I rub his back because it rubs and scratches at the same time..I wan't trying to be scratchy...

So, I went in there to get some lotion and I came back to the front and he said "Man, I HATE the smell of that soap!!" I said "Its my hand lotion." He said "I HATE the smell of that hand lotion. Can't you find some that's more neutral smelling with no scent or some that smells like chicken wings?"

Since I love Caldrea, I'm going to write them a letter and tell them they need to institute of line of Man friendly scents like chicken wings or dog's breath or fish bait or man toots. I know the last one seems like I went a little too far. But, I know men...and I don't think I went too far at all. I think I probably didn't go quite as far as I could have.

Here's one of the products from the new line:

Okay, maybe that was a little too far.

But, I don't think so. I probably could have gone much further....but, since I'm lady, I won't.





Summer Purse

When my son was about 10 or 11 he was on the swim team in our area. Our area only had a swim team for one summer. It was a great summer with a winning team, the Red River Racers. Before that, my son had played some t-ball, some coach pitch, a little b-ball. He is VERY big for his age. He was also very non-competitive..

Because he was so big, coaches would drool when they saw him. They almost begged him to be on their teams. He always said yes because he is also very social. The lure of playing with other boys was his siren song. His job in basketball ended up being to just stand in front of the goal and hold his arms up. "Don't do anything else!"

 Well, that's not fun so that didn't last long.

He became a little chubby. So, when another homeschool mom started talking swim team, I immediately signed him up. He could swim since he was 2, but this summer I thought it would be great for him to get out from in front of the video games, interact with other kids, clean up his stroke, and maybe lose a little baby fat. I did not care at all if he ever won a race.

Every morning, he got in the water, swam a few leisurely laps and played dolphin with another kid. Oh yeah, he would also walk the lane pretending to swim with his arms. So, they put him in the slow lane. Then every Saturday he would go to a swim meet, somewhere far away and leisurely swim a few laps while the other kids churned up the water. Needless to say he was always last. He was a huge frustration to his teammates, but Jake didn't even notice. He had a great time hanging out at the pool with his friends, running around, and enjoying snacks.

At one meet, he came up and asked me if I had any duct tape in my bag.
"No, why would I have duct tape?"
"My shoe broke and I want to fix it." It was  $2 flip flop from Walmart. The glue came loose so the strap came off.
I said "Oh Jake, that's okay, I got those at Wal-Mart. I'll just get you some more when we leave. Just go barefoot for now." So, I took his shoe and pressed the strap back onto the sole. Hmmmmm...that worked. Hey, it might hold. So I didn't go to Wal-Mart for more flip flops.
They lasted 2 more meets.

Then....the last meet.

Jake is swimming and......wait.....what is he doing? Oh My Gosh!!! He's actually competing! All the other parents are cheering for him. I'm screaming. Another dad is looking at me and says "Did you SEE that??????" "YES!!!" and he won. It was greatness...

A little later, he asks me for tape. Of course I don't have tape. So, I say "Just don't worry about it, right now. I promise we'll stop after the meet." He walks away. I don't see him again for about 30 minutes  and he has masking tape holding his shoe together. Its taped up like only a child can do. I laugh because I know he's been making the rounds asking other parents in a strange town if they have any tape. He must do this because his mother is negligent and doesn't carry tape around after she buys $2 shoes for her son and then makes him wear them even after he's told her they're dysfunctional.

ahhhh...tomato/tomotto

negligent/thrifty

So, I'm laughing at his redneckedness, but I'm also proud of his win so for a celebration lunch we stop at Chick-Fil-A, his choice. Now, we live out in the country, in a small town. We do not have a Chick-Fil-A. For this meet, we were in a big city. A city big enough for an indoor natatorium. My town is so small, I don't think the majority of people in it even know what the WORD natatorium is! That may sound mean. Come to my town and you'll see.

So, we're walking across the crowded parking lot on a Saturday afternoon. Him, in his taped up flip flops, and me carrying that very stylish handbag in the picture above. I bought it specifically for the summer. It was quite stylish in the day. Its a leather hobo bag with inlaid little jewels on either side of the handle. Its light in color and perfect for summer.

As we walk across the lot, Jake says to me very disdainfully..."We look like a couple of rednecks walking in here."
"WHAT??? Speak for yourself mr tape up man......How do you figure we look like rednecks? I, myself, am looking very stylish. Thank you very much."

"Well, my shoes have tape on them.... and you're carrying that PURSE!"

Does this make me a bad mom? I don't think so. It makes me laugh. Anything that makes me laugh can't be bad for my child....can it?

I just found that purse in my closet. That's what reminded me of that story......I think I'll start carrying it again. But, its fall so it probably WILL look rednecky...I think I will just keep it and carry it to his wedding.

That will make me laugh....so it must not be bad...right?

The Exotic Lands of Forestburg, TX

This is linked to Soulemama's This Moment  a single moment from the week. No words, just a photo to capture the moment. Here's mine from this week.

Tiny, Little Photos

So, just a little bit ago I told you about the new look of my blog.
I know what you're thinking...Yes! I DO know what you're thinking. You're thinking baby sea otters are cute.

See?? I told you! You think they're cute, huh? Don't question the scope of my mad skills!

You're also thinking that my blog is super cute but you are squinting at my tiny little photos wondering what they are. Yeah, yeah, I know. They are super tiny. So, since its raining and I'm feeling a bit "bloggy" today, I'm going to share with you what they are.

They're not nearly as cute as baby sea otters but they are my family so I like em!

That's The Robbie's!

This is my baby, Jake, and me at his first "gig"! It was very exciting. He's gonna be famous. Watch for it. In addition to mind reading, I can tell the future. Great things are coming your way, watch for it! :)

And this is my stepson Robbie and his girlfriend, Misty. Check it out......Their names are Robbie and Misty....and OUR names are Robbie and Misty.....I like to call us Robbie and Misty squared!!
You already saw a picture of him up top with his dad. But, he looks so much nicer here. They aren't engaged yet.....but, I'm told, soon. Can't wait! She has a super cool job with NASA!! He is a chef.....but works as a valet. He could have his own Food Network show..instead of Cake Boss, his could be The Car Parking Cook!

I'm thinking that TV show execs should hire me.......

The last one is my lab Harley. I'm not posting that one. For some reason that picture is huge. I'll have to post that one on another day. Maybe with a pic of my other lab, Festus.

I know what you're thinking...... You're scrolling back up to the top thinking how cute baby sea otters are. You're wondering if your husband will let you have one. Then, you're thinking...'I wonder what they eat.'

I know, I know...Its okay. They ARE dang cute...So, I will tell you, cause I know these things....

They eat cake. Chocolate cake. You're welcome.

New Look!

Hey! Ya'll check out my new look!!

What do ya think??

I just figured out how to change the look of my blog. Whew!! It was a little rough, I won't lie. It probably isn't rough at all for more gadgety girls. Its really funny, because we didn't even have a computer until about 1998. Even then, all I could really do on it was check e-mail and play solitaire. Thanks Mr Gates!!!
I was busy riding horses, going to parties, raising a boy, riding horses...Oh yeah, well I rode a lot of horses. Sometimes we had parties on horseback!!!!

Fun times.

Now, I clean pools, and blog, and occasionally ride horses, pray for my almost grown boy, clean pools, pray for my almost grown boy....Oh yeah, well, he's 19....I pray for him A LOT!!! He's a good boy...as far as I know. :)

and a blogger!

A few of my friends Nicki and Tiffany have really cool blogs. Check them out here 400 Things and Rockin C.

I've been coveting their cool looking blogs for awhile. I'd still like to make a few changes but for today, I'm just thrilled that I have this super cool new look. I used Shabby Blogs for the background and header. The best part is that it was all FREE!!! You can check it out by grabbing the button on the side or at the top left corner. It is a super cool site with tutorials and everything.

Leave a comment please and tell me what you think. You won't hurt my feelings if you have constructive criticism. I would LOVE IT!

It will hurt my feelings, however, if you just leave a comment saying "You're fat!" Soooo, if THAT'S what you're thinking then just keep that little tidbit to yourself please! :)

Donate To Cancer?

Notice the title of my post is "Donate To Cancer?" and not "Donate to find a CURE for cancer?"

Its kind of funny. Every time I go to Tom Thumb, they always have a "cause" you can donate to. I like that about them but its usually not a cause I would support.  The grocery stores have a lot of kids working there and sometimes they will say "Would you like to donate a dollar to cancer?"

Um...No.....I don't want to give cancer any money, thank you very much! I think cancer does enough damage without any extra financial support!! :)

I kid, but we all know cancer is serious business. It literally is serious BUSINESS. I typically don't donate money to support "cancer awareness" (Come on! Seriously. The CDC reports that in 2010 the cancer rate was one in two for people having the disease. Are we not really aware yet?? I think we are all aware.) or even "a cure for cancer". I always feel self concious about having to say no publicly. I feel like everyone in the store will gasp and turn and look at me in horror. Then their shock will turn to scorn and they will give me the stink eye as I slink out of the store because they think I'm a greedy republican that hates babies, the homeless, and people with cancer. But, really the reason I don't donate money to them is its really just a donation to drug companies.

I think the drug companies already have plenty of money. A lot of that money goes to research more drugs, which is good. Don't get me wrong. I would love it if a drug company came out with a drug that actually cured ANY disease, forget cancer, just ANY one of the diseases that are on the rise right now. My real problem with donating money to these causes is that they don't fund any "natural cures" and believe me....There are some out there that claim to be an actual CURE!!! We just don't know about them all because there's no money to be made in natural cures! So no one researches it.

Since no one is researching it, the FDA can't approve it. If the FDA doesn't approve it, then it can't be sold to the consumer. Nor does the consumer even know about it, because the makers of herbs and vitamins can't afford to put commercials on tv. Even if they could afford commercials, they couldn't say their herbs cure cancer because the FDA hasn't approved it. And if the FDA doesn't approve it............Oh yeah, we're back where we started.

I know that sounds all "conspiracy theory" but its true. We are all brainwashed by the drug companies. Just watch tv for 30 minutes and count how many drug commercials you see. According to FoodMatters and The Gerson Institute, high dose vitamin c IV therapy is an actual cure for cancer...........

ponder that for just a moment.

Its important. 1 in 2 people get cancer. How many people are in your family.

So ponder another moment.

I posted this information about a week ago. You can read that Here if you're so inclined. It seems that no one is believing me. I posted it on facebook and not one person commented on it. This is big news!! You can post a picture of a dog licking his butthole and you'll have twenty people respond. Cure for Cancer and *cricket, cricket*! Its amazing. I think one of three things is happening; 1) people are so brainwashed by the drug companies, they think a natural cure is just bogus so they don't even want to hear about it. or 2) They think if it were really true, they would have already heard about it by now. or 3) If there really was a cure for cancer the FDA would've approved it already. Yeah, we already reviewed that. Lets not do that again. Whatever the reason, I'm making it my mission to get the truth out about natural disease prevention and cures.

Which brings me back to my original point. I don't donate money to those causes because the groups that the money goes to don't donate to research "natural" cures and preventions. While I think those group's hearts are in the right place, I don't think the "researchers" getting the money are actually interested in the "cure". I think what they are interested in is a "cure that can make their company some money".

If those groups would divvy their money up and give even half of their money to "natural" research, I would be in whole-heartedly.

But, also as an aside, I have to say, that a lot of companies are cashing in on "cancer awareness" There are lots of companies that sell "cancer awareness" merchandise. You can buy all kinds of "pink" things to raise cancer awareness...but, so what? Like I already said, I think we're all aware by now. Not only that, some cosmetics and personal care companies claim their products to be natural, herbal, and organic with some of the proceeds going to fund cancer research. All the while no one is regulating them. They can just slap a label on their products and no one checks to make sure they are what they are claiming. In fact, a lot of them contain chemicals that actually CAUSES cancer, so buyer beware, if you're trying to do a good deed. You can learn more about this at Campaign For Safe Cosmetics. 

*sigh*  Its just all about the money.

I pray for those with cancer and any other disease for that matter. My heart goes out to them. Truly. I think people hear the word cancer and immediately just grasp at the first treatment they hear, which sadly is Chemo and Radiation. I know there are some who have had those treatments and have lived to tell the tale. But, there are just as many who don't make it. I've also talked to some truly amazing people who were literally at death's door and cured themselves naturally. Even AFTER the doctors told them they would be dead soon. They are still with us today, decades later!

So, because of them and my family, I will continue my campaign to "Raise Awareness For Natural Cures"..... I need a ribbon!! I wonder what color it should be?

An Average Day Of Spouses Together In The Workplace

Do you ever sit around the house or work or wheretheheckever and think how romantic it would be if you and your darling husband had a little business and could build a fortune, an empire, a life, really?

I know deep down, every now and then, you think....'How great would THAT be?'

Or do you wonder if you two lovebirds can pull it off?

Well, I'm going to tell you how great it is. I'm going to give you a glimpse into my day and you can judge for yourself.

Oh, I forgot to tell you this little tidbit. It's crucial to my story, in fact. Without it.....it just sounds like the odd musings of a crazy woman who may or may not have enjoyed a "special brownie". (I didn't by the way...GAH!!!)

Oh yeah! The tidbit....My husband and I own Pearson Pools, your one stop pool shop together. Biz is a teensy bit slow right now being that its now Sept. So, I'm at the store more than usual.

So, here's the glimpse. This....from today.....


Robbie: *making phone calls, working on getting the right parts for the pool builder.*

Me: *on my laptop checking facebook. I already made coffee so I take a well deserved break....Dangit!!! Facebook changed again. Freaking facebook! I have no idea what I'm doing. Okay, work needs to be done anyway.... I think I need some tea*

Robbie: *looking at my computer to see what I'm doing. He tells me we need to log some stuff into the computer for billing.*

Me: Okay! I'll do it in a little bit. (I hate when my son says this by the way. Where did he get THAT from? His dad. Yeah, must be his dad.) Because I'm busy right now doing some very important work and stop looking at my computer! I hate when you monitor me. *continue pinning some freaking awesome stuff on Pinterest*

We get three deliveries all in a row. Because I have to do EVERYTHING, I go and open the back door so they can get in. I continue pinning. Oh yeah! I forgot I had tea!! :)

Robbie: *talking to the drivers, signing invoices, writing checks ( by the way...I didn't get a check...Hey! what am I working for anyways???) making out a deposit for me to take to the bank.*

Me: *I see it.......Oh My Gosh!!! That is the funniest thing I think I've ever seen!!!!! It is a zombie garden gnome covered in blood and one of its little eyeballs is hanging out of its socket! I know...right?? I start snickering.*

Robbie: * In a Charlie Brown grown up voice* Wonh Wonh Wonh, filter...

Me: thinking ' Be cool! He's fixing to get pissed. Don't laugh, Don't laugh...I know, I'll turn around and pretend that I have to go to the bathroom.' So, I do. I turn around to head to the bathroom...I'm halfway there. I'm gonna make it!!! Then...

Robbie: Hey! Did you hear me? Wonh Wonh Wonh filter...

Me: Yes....BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  I lost it, Man down, Man down!

Robbie: What the hell??? What are you laughing at?

Me: A bloody gnome! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! *in the bathroom...because I'm still trying to pull that off, laughing so hard, tears have sprung. OMG, that's funny!*

Robbie: Wonh Wonh Wonh *I really have no idea what he's saying. It has something to with me not working or wasting time or some such nonsense.*

Me: *I try hard to play it straight. Okay....I'm focused. No really! I'm trying hard!!!* Okay, I'm listening. What is it? *then......Oh NO! I turn my head and there, staring at me with his one good eye is the bloody gnome! I can't help it! Its right THERE just enticing me to look at him. Again...more giggles. I can't stop.*

Robbie: Oh My God!!! *So he stomps off. Well as much as a man with a cane and a scooter can stomp.*

The scooter is fun too by the way. But, I digress.

Robbie: Okay, I'm going to the bathroom while you do some work. His isn't an act. He really had to go in case you were wondering.

Me: Okay. *so I enter a new customer into the billing program. And........I'm sure I did something else productive. I know I must've. It FELT like I did.....hmmmm....don't worry. I know that I must have worked my ass off. Then, Oh not again! I happen to look over at my laptop........Again...Uncontrollable laughter. Tears streaming down my face. I decide that I've got to shut down my laptop before Robbie gets back or I'm gonna be in real trouble. I'm still trying to pull myself together and Ken the mailman walks in. He asks "What's funny?"

and I'm all "Nothing.....A bloody gnome! BWAHAHAHAHA!" and he's all "WHAAAAAAT?"
and I'm all "Its nothing really. I don't know why it's funny. BWAHAHAHAHA" He wants to see it, but my computer is all shut down and then Robbie scoots up (on. his. scooter. GAH!) and he's all "Its not funny."

Me: Yes, it is. You didn't look at it.

Ken: Its probably irritating when someone else doesn't think its funny too, huh?

Me: No! Its funnier.

Then, they start talking about baseball. The Rangers are up by four in case you were wondering.

At some point in there, I jump in Robbie's lap and we zip around one time on the scooter.

Okay. I have to get some work done. I leave and clean a couple pools. I won't bore you with the details. I pick up lunch for Robbie, Jake, and me. We have Taco Casa. I only eat frijoles because I've given up sugar. Its going well in case you wondered about that.

I've lost 4 pounds!!!!

Melanie calls the store a million and thirty times because Robbie didn't answer right away. He's all frazzled so I leave to clean more pools.

While I'm driving, I make some phone calls to some peeps about Monavie business. That's going well too in case you were wondering.

And I call Melanie to tell her about the bloody gnome. (even now, it makes me giggle!)

I text her the link with a message to open it. She texts back "Hahahaha"

I clean some pools and on my way back I call Melanie and someone else answers "Melanie's phone." and I'm all "Is Melanie there??" and the unknown answerer says "Shes busy. Are you almost here?"
And I'm like..."What the hell? I don't know where you are....Where are you?" And the unknown answerer says "HERE!!! Are you almost HERE???"

Me:........Is this Robbie?????
Then Melanie says "Hey."

Me: Are you at the store????? Was that Robbie???? OMG! I thought that was Zane! (her son)

Have I mentioned that we've been married for 21 years?

So, I hang up, call Robbie and tell him about the mix up lest he thinks me rude. or nuts. but he probably already thinks I'm nuts.

When I get there, Melanie's in Robbie's scooter working a crossword puzzle while Robbie is playing computer backgammon.

Then, we lock up the store and head home to live happily ever after where I fight with the dvd player all night. However, the dvd player doesn't care if I look at gnomes all day.

Here's a picture of the funniest gnome on the planet. He's quite mischievous. He is a gnome after all.....and a zombie gnome at that. I dont' think there's such a thing as a respectable zombie gnome. Although I'm sure his mother just thinks he's cute. You be the judge....

Whew! What a day!!! I feel like I accomplished quite a bit. It was very PRO-ductive! I did a little pool business, a little Monavie business, a little keeping up with ma homies on facebook, a little blogging, and a little pinning. A full (no, I didn't say a  FOOL) day! And  my honey and I are still alive and well.

That pretty much sums up an average day at Pearson Pools your one stop pool shop. Although, I left out the part where Robbie inserts the word "boobies" every chance he can squeeze it in.

The word, not the....Well, you get it.

disclaimer: No zombies, gnomes, or boobies were hurt in the making of this blog. The zombie gnome is for sale if you'd like to purchase him to welcome folks into your garden or just to have around the table at dinnertime for a low, low price of $49 at this site bloody gnomes R Us

A New Interest

set aside, a photo by mistypearson@rocketmail.com on Flickr.

I titled this post, A new interest. I probably should have entitled it a New Pinterest!!! Its crazy how addictive that site is.

Its basically an online bulletin board. I didn't think it would be that fun. But, it really is. I'm still learning about it. Since I got my laptop and my Sprint HotSpot, I've put some things aside. I don't WANT to put them aside.....But, I'm soooooo addicted to this thing!!!!

I feel bad about it, too! Look at what I've put aside! (Well, in my defense, while they are ASIDE, they are right next to me!!! So, they are right at my fingertips in a moments notice. Also, in my defense, I actually knitted 2 rows today on my scarf. At that rate, I'll have it finished and ready for a Christmas present in the year 2030! )

Well, I haven't really put aside God either. But, I am about a week behind in my Connect With God book. Its kind of a daily devotional. Then, look at that beautiful scarf I'm knitting. What you cant see is that is cashmere! Its very expensive and luxurious. However, I must say, I thought it would be way more fun to work with than it really is. Cashmere is like trying to knit thread. I think knitting kite string would be easier! I once read about a lady who knits her dogs hair which sounds kinda icky. I don't know why it would be icky, though. I mean, who thought of shearing sheep or goats and making their hair into clothing?? How can a beloved pet be any different? But, what I find really icky is the lady that knits her own hair into her projects.  EEEEEEEEWWWWW! She said she likes to leave a little bit of herself into her creations. Uh......why not leave a little blood on it? Why not poop on it when you're done with it?


Too far?

Yeah, I kinda thought so.

I really went astray there anyway, sooooooo I should probably get back to the topic.


Pinterest!!! Its fun! You should check it out!

Click on the Follow Me On Pinterest. When you get on there. Set yourself up and go to the help section first thing and learn how to do it. Its easy.



     

Free Giveaway!!

My friend Nicki is giving away one of these Lilla Rose hair clips! They are super neat and very pretty. I'm trying to win one and in my attempt to do this, you also have the opportunity to win one!!!!

How cool is that? All you have to do is go to her blog 400 Things and follow the directions!

Moving In To The Future, Baby!!!

This is really cool!!!! I can now blog from home!! So you'll be seeing way more of me! Yay, you!! :)


Before, I had to blog from work. Boooo, me!

If you've been reading my blog any length of time, or if you just know me, you'll know that my husband and I work together. That's a blessing and a curse at the same time. Its nice to build a future both emotionally and financially together. But, typically the man has a need to be the boss. And we ladies all know that that's never true! :b

Its our job to make our men believe they are the boss. :)

Anyway, I live out in the country and for years we had dial up internet service. Man! Remember that??? What a barbaric way to live! That's roughing it I tell ya. We finally just gave it up. We decided to just use the high speed at work and use our smart phones to check facebook and such. It's not really conducive to blogging though.

My last phone recently died and I got a new Sprint Evo 4G phone. OH, that's a super cool phone! One of the perks of that particular phone is the Sprint HotSpot. For a $20/month fee, you can turn your phone into a wireless router! Oh.My.Gosh!!!

Well, it didn't really mean anything to me until yesterday when I bought myself one of them there fancy, newfangled things called a laptop!

It's a brand new world out there for me!! I can't wait to share with you all the healthy, downhome things I come across.

I'm feeling pretty with it. Pretty on top of things. Pretty gadgety.

Now.....I just have to figure out what pinterest is............

Circle of Life

Its been a while since my last post as you know. We've been through quite a bit. I went to Salt Lake City. That was fun!! It was for a Monavie convention. I love those!! They have the best speakers! We heard Rex Crain and Chris Gardner, the guy who the movie Pursuit of Happyness was based on. He was amazing. Then of course, you can absolutely not go to Salt Lake City and not go to the fun little piano bar, The Tavernacle. I love the mountains. I love that downtown is very artsy, western, and ecclectic. I love that there are organic cafes and they sell organics even in the little convenience stores!! So much different from Texas where the only salad dressing choices are Ranch, Bacon Ranch, Homestyle Ranch, or Thousand Island! Everything you order is fried and comes with Ranch dressing!

Then, we've been absolutely crazy busy with the pool store, Pearson Pools, you're one stop pool shop!! We moved to a newer, bigger location on a main street in town and man oh man has it been a good move! We've hired some new people and business is great! Not to mention that the weather this year has been super nutty. We've had hard freezes, high winds, and record setting heat this summer. That causes a lot of pools to need more chemicals and extra work. Cha-ching!!!!

In the midst of all that, Robbie's dad was diagnosed with cancer in February. He was vibrant and healthy one minute and the next he was in the ER coughing up blood. The docs said he was coughing blood because he had pneumonia. Whew! Then, they came back and said he had pneumonia because he has small cell lung cancer caused from smoking! He hadn't smoked in 25 years!!! He went through chemo and radiation. We tried to get him to do some nutritional stuff but the chemo really took a hard toll...... He just passed away 2 weeks ago. Then, the funeral.

His passing was kinda nice. Its the way I want to go when my time comes. He was at home surrounded by family and a minister. That's it. It was peaceful and sweet. As the minister said in the funeral "We are all going to be where he is at some point in our lives." I'd like to be surrounded by people who love me to see me into my next "phase" in life.

During this same time a friend of mine has a daughter that is having a baby soon. the daughter has decided that she wants to have a home birth. Okay, cool. She wants the home birth to be at my friends house. Okay....cool. She wants it to be in my friends bathtub. Okay.......did you know there was once a goat and a chicken in that bathtub?....cool.

Well, that all got me thinking about the circle of life. A home birth...a home death...life is short....

I was thinking about all this after the funeral. We had to close up our store both for the death and then for the funeral. We then had to come back to the store afterward. There were some of those little stuffed looking pretzel bites in the parking lot. I wondered if they fell out of my son's truck. He's 18 and doesn't give a flying flip about my need to make him healthy. Since he started earning his own money and driving himself around he is now the junk food king of Cooke County, Texas. It doesn't matter to him one iota when I tell him how dangerous that is. Ahhhh, to be 18 and the smartest person in the world again!!! :) I was picking up those pretzels getting ready to throw them in the dumpster. As I was picking them up, I was thinking about all this and the friends new baby about to arrive and the whole circle of life thing. How life continues and the earth still spins no matter what is happening in our little sphere. No matter who is no longer with us, the rest of the world is still continuing to grow and change. Then I had a realization about myself.............






I throw like a girl!

Skin Care Product Review

For my entire life from adolescence on, I have had problems with my skin. Its always been dry and flaky and prone to breakouts at the same time. As you can imagine, that can be very frustrating for a teenaged girl!!!

Over the years I kept thinking I was getting a "handle" on it. (farm girl term) But never really did. I tried all sorts of torturous things in the name of beautiful skin, facials (By the way, if you live in or near the Gainesville, TX area, you HAVE to at some point in your life go see Nancy Dresser!!! She is the BEST!), acid peels (those caused a raging case of fever blisters and about 3 days of seeping, blistery skin!! I don't recommend them), multiple products, and I even went to a dermatologist and he prescribed regularly taking antibiotics!!!!!!!! Craziness!!!

Then, as I got a little older even, I still had the same problems only old lady hormonal issues kicked in causing my skin to look all dried out and my hair to start falling out even!! I was becoming one of those bitter old ladies!

Then........

I read Dr Perricone's book

Can you hear the angels singing right now?

Oh, they are. Believe me!!!!!!!

The first thing I did was change my diet. If you read in a woman's magazine from a nutritionist that diet doesn't affect your skin, don't believe her. She's full of hooey! On another side note, you can read opinions about everything from 5 different nutritionists and get 5 fully different opinions! My advice is to research on your own and eat whole foods that God intended for you to put in your body. We weren't wonderfully made to chow down on pesticides, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals!

Dr Perricone has this plan he calls the 3 Day Facelift and then another one he calls the 28 Day Facelift. You should check them out. It really made a HUGE difference in my skin and hair!

As I was reading his book and started to really feel good (By the way, my body feels wonderful, too!!!!) I started thinking about his skin care line. I haven't tried it, but let me just warn you that its WAY expensive!

Bummer?

NO!!!!
I'll tell you why...

Derma E makes a cream of DMAE, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and Vitamin C Ester for a heckuva lot less. That's the same stuff Dr Perricone recommends! At the health food store, I've gotten it for about $25. From my health food co-op in town, I get it for around $11.  Dr Perricone sells it for HUNDREDS!

Hmmmmm...*weighing.....$11.....$hundreds.....hmmmmm*  $11 for me thanks!!!! :)

I also found another company called DHC. You can  go to their website here http://www.dhccare.com/. Its a company from Japan.

Man, Japan..... Can you believe the trouble they're having in Japan? Awful, with all the earthquakes and now all the radiation. MMMMM. Horrible.

I hope buying these Japanese products are helpful to the people of Japan.

Anyway, skin care.

They have this mild soap that I use. Oh!! And they have a deep cleaning oil. Its weird, I know, to think about putting oil on your face when you're trying to clean it but it really works great! You put this oil on to help remove the makeup and debris and then use this soap. Some skin care distributors will try to tell you not to use soap. That its drying. Don't believe them! That may be true of some soaps but not this one. The name of the soap is Mild Soap. And don't forget the Deep Cleaning Oil. Then, as the final step in my skin care regime is the Derma E. My skin has never looked so good!! Its soft, glowing, and younger looking.

I just read in my latest DHC catalog that we're supposed to be toning as well. I never do that, but I'm thinking of starting. They say it reduces wrinkles......Okay, you had me at wrinkles! I'm in... :)

They also have a peptide night cream that looks very similar to what Dr Perricone is peddling. I'm dying to try that as well!! I'll be ordering some in the next day or so. I'll let you know.

Also, as another side benefit, anti-oxidants in your diet are a natural sunscreen!! I work outside and never get burned. I am developing a really nice tan though. But. No burning.

Give it a try and report back!!

By the way, if you decide to try the DHC products tell them that I sent you! When you refer your friends they send you gift certificates for free products. OH!!! One other thing I forgot to tell you about this company that I love so much is with every order you get to pick out 4 free samples! Also, every month they send you a catalog with even more free samples!

Here's what the Derma E looks like:

Etiquette

Okay. So here's what's been going on with me.

We moved our store. Its been great for business. We are in a building with more visibility. Hooray. Biz has been good so far.

We got a puppy. Just yesterday. It was stupid of me. The puppy is only 4 weeks old. 4 weeks is too young to separate from its mommy and little puppy siblings. The puppy cries all the time. She sleeps. She eats. And cries. Alot. In the middle of the night. I'm sleepy.

Also, I've been on facebook. I'm going to have to limit my time on there, seriously. Just the other day, for instance, a friend I went to high school with got into some kind of argument about religion. I can't really be sure because the original status updater apparently deleted the thread before I saw what was going on. But, apparently feelings were hurt and she unfriended a lot of people and it was very sad. The few of us who know her felt for her and know that she has a good heart.

Since then, I updated my status about the muslims who are protesting the hearings about "The Radicalization Of Muslims" My argument is that the protesters are defending the terrorists. I won't get into the whole argument as its irrelevant to this entry. A dear friends daughter is either ignorant of what's going on or didn't understand what I was trying to say and made an argument of her own. Two other friends that know my thoughts chimed in to help enlighten her. Another dear friend of ours jumped in with his own argument as he's very sensitive of the subject as his wife is Muslim and is not a terrorist or a supporter of terrorism. I explained to him that I was not talking about all Muslims, only the protesters.

Enter my previously hurt high school friend. She came in with guns a blazin, telling us to quit fighting on fb!!!! Uh...... what??? I explained to her that we weren't fighting, we were discussing and everyone else agreed. She then retracted her fighting stance and said she was just looking out for feelings that may have been hurt in the process insulting another friend that was part of her original scuffle that led to all the "unfriending". I reminded her that all the people on that thread were real friends whose opinions I valued greatly!! Again, she backed off.

Since then, she updated her own status to say that she was never again going post anything "touchy" or personal, only mundane, ordinary life things and stated that we should all follow suit. In addition to that, "it would be really cool if the people selling stuff would get their own page and if anyone wanted their crap they could go to that page, because I'm tired of seeing it."

silence.........

Okay. That's where we have a problem. I tried to say it nicely but peace can't be had.

Everyone's facebook page is their own. It is the Status Updater's page NOT the reader of the status!!! When someone posts something, we have options. We can like it. We can ignore it if we dislike it. We can "unfriend" them if we strongly dislike it. And we can comment on it if we find it interesting.

Really.

Those really are the only options one has in that situation. What isn't an option is taking it upon oneself to police everyone else's facebook page.

If you don't like it, refer to the above and see what your options are!!! :)

They Really Don't Know!!!!

This is a Public Service Announcement.

I'm creating a united front against discrimination of plumbers and their butt cracks everywhere! Who's with me? Come on!! Its a legitimate organization! Plumbers have been discriminated against long enough! Its time to stop the hate!

Really?

You don't care?

:(

*sigh*

I'm trying really hard to bring this issue to the forefront of people's minds. Its not working out so great. To be fair, I just started this movement right this minute. But, its been a whole minute and I'm not feeling any love.

What? You want to know why I've become so passionate about this hot button issue? Well, let me just tell you. You'll be mortified at the treatment these poor plumbers are subjected to. And don't be fooled into thinking that it can't happen to you. It can!! I know, because it happened to me just yesterday!

Here's the whole sordid, sad story:

Yesterday, I'm hanging out at our pool store (Pearson Pools in Gainesville, TX....Your One Stop Pool Shop! a little subtle advertising if you will) and one of our customers walks in with his automatic cleaner. We've done some work for him and his wife over the years and they're a very nice older, distinguished couple. He's a judge here in town.

Last week, SHE came in and brought her automatic cleaner in claiming that something wasn't working right and could I please go out to her car and help her bring it in. "Sure!" I say and go out and immediately diagnose that the hose is completely busted and needs to be replaced. So, we order them a new hose, call 'em up to tell them that we have it when they are ready to pick it up.

I know.... I'm getting to it.

Sometimes a story needs a little back story to set it up. So, just hang in with me. Here's where it gets good.

So, yesterday HE walks in, again dragging the whole cleaner in with him. When we tell him that he didn't need to bring it in, he claims that he did because he can't get a nut loose to remove the hose (as a little aside...he was turning it the wrong way. tee-hee! that's why we're in business!). He wants to know if I can help him get the old hose off and the new hose on. Again..."Sure!" I say.

Well, I don't know if you have a pool or if you've ever tried to put those hoses on the cleaner. But, they are really stiff.

Okay. I need to back up in the story for just a minute to tell you that last week here in Gainesville, TX, home of Pearson Pools, your one stop pool shop!!!  (That's not what I wanted to tell you but that was pretty good, huh? :) It was frigid here. This week the temps have been in the 70s and 80s....aaahhhhh! wonderful!!!
So, I've been wearing shorts all week. And Robbie's been riding his new Harley trike (I got him that for his birthday/Christmas present. Aren't I the good wife?) Night before last, I had no clean shorts (or underwear for that matter). So, I put in a load to wash before bed. When I got up the next morning I completely forgot to put them in the dryer!! I got up, had my delicious RVL shake, a cup of tea, checked my facebook, and got caught up in the world of news and weather. All of a sudden......"Crap!!! I forgot about my clothes!! Oh well, I'll put them in the dryer and Robbie can head in to the store, Pearson Pools, your one stop pool shop!

Too much? Okay, I'll stop.

Anyway, Robbie can head in on his motorcycle while I let my clothes finish drying and then I'll drive the truck in a little while." Good plan!

So, he goes out and it won't freaking start!! It has a brand new motor by the way!

So, now I have to hurry and get dressed so I can take him to work to open the store on time. Since my shorts (and underwear!) are not dry...I put on some jeans. I can't tell you how much this pains me. I've been really enjoying the shorts!

So, now I'm wearing jeans. Really cute, size 5 (yay!!) Cruel Girl jeans......

Okay, now back to the judge.

I'm working hard trying hard to get that stiff hose back on his cleaner. I work and work and finally....Yes!! its fixed! I give him all the spare parts, load it into his shiny, black, fancy car and send him on his way. I go about the rest of my day, cleaining pools, cleaning filters and doing all the work that goes along with being your one stop pool shop.

At the end of the day, I come in and my darling husband of 20 years says "Oh yeah!! I forgot to tell you! When the judge was here and you were bent over his cleaner, your butt crack was showing."


*GASP!!!!!*

WHAT??!!?!?!?

"Well......did it look plumber-y?" In the back of my mind, I was kinda hoping he was going to say "No baby. It was SEXY!!" Did he say that? Remember earlier when I said I got him a Harley for his birthday?

His response..."yeah, kinda..."


Oh my gosh.... this is soooooo bad! sooooooo embarassing!!!  I can never again see the judge. I just can't. He'll have to find someone else to take care of his pool problems... I'll have to run away and hide.

But, no. Instead, I'll start a PAC! Plumber's Ass Crack awareness group. I'll wear my butt crack with pride!! (I'm not yet, but I'm working on it....) and I'll stand up with all the other plumber butt cracks and NOT be ashamed!!!!! so, when you see us under your kitchen sink, behind your toilet, and bent over your automatic pool cleaners don't snicker at us.....just say "Hey! did you know your crack is showing?"


I think I might still really just run away. Maybe I'll run away to some tropical locale where butt cracks ARE sexy.

I still hope mine won't look "plumber-y"..........

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Ive been a little slow on the blogging, what with the holidays and all. This one is going to be short because Im typing from my phone. We've been off work for a few days and we dont have a computer in the house. It doesnt matter because when we did it was just dial up. We live out in the country, which is cool and all but there is a trade off with some things. For instance, we dont get food delivery and every errand is "a trip into town". Come on you country people! You know what Im talkin bout!

Before we moved here we also lived in the country about an hour and a half away in Westminster, Tx. While we we were buying this house we lived in Lewisville for 2 mos and with my MIL for 2 weeks. What an adventure! But the gun thing is that we LIVED in town. That felt quite luxurious! We had lots of food delivery. One time, I was driving home from work at the McKinney YMCA and called my husband to order dinner. We ordered from a place that hung a flyer on our door! When he ordered, the guy said "You sure have been ordering a lot" To which my husband replied "We're from the country". The guy said "oh! We'll have it there within 30 minutes". :)

That was the last time I had food delivered directly to my door. Now I'M the food delivery person! But thats okay! Its a trade off remember? I get to live in a lot of people's dream! Its not fancy, but its off the road. Its quiet. We raise a lot of our own food. We have a big front porch great for rocking. Animals runnimlng around AND even better......we can afford it!

This New Year reflect on YOUR many blessings! And make 2011 your most successful ever!

Cancer Awareness?

I just have to say, I'm sick of "cancer awareness" !!!!!!!

Really, I'm sick of cancer!!! I know how that sounds so let me say, No! I do not have cancer! Nor am I uncompassionate to those that have suffered the disease.

But, every time I turn around someone is posting on facebook about cancer awareness. "97% won't re-post" about cancer awareness, as if you don't re-post, you don't care about cancer patients. Football players are wearing pink shoes in honor of breast cancer awareness. Races are being run in the name of cancer awareness, and the list goes on endlessly

I absolutely DO CARE about cancer and those with it!!! But, the thing is...we already know how to prevent cancer. We ALL DO!!!! We just elect not to do those things. I mean, GEEEESH!!! by now, seriously, are we not aware????
The CDC said in the 1960's that the rate of cancer was 1 in 300. Well, sure, back then maybe cancer awareness was needed. I mean...1 in 300. Wow, probably very few people even KNEW someone with cancer. It was a big, scary deal. But, over the years, the cancer rate has risen. Now, in 2010, the CDC says the cancer rate is 1 in 2...

Let that sink in  for just a minute...... 1 in 2..........




1... in... 2. Its an even bigger, scarier deal!

So it seems to me that we are all aware. And what is all this awareness actually accomplishing? The cancer rate continues to rise and people are still out wearing their pink shirts all in the name of awareness. But, what I want to know is, how is wearing a pink ribbon going to prevent me or my friends from getting the disease? Does anyone have an answer for that? Does anyone ever even ask that question?

I don't think so. It makes us feel like we're doing some good if we're out "fighting cancer". But, really how are we fighting it? By raising money for pharmaceutical research? Pharmaceuticals don't prevent anything. Nor are they proven to be the most effective treatment for anything. Do you know that the biggest cause of death is "pharmaceuticals as prescribed" Okay, now ponder THAT for just a moment....

"As prescribed" Not, as in overdose or mixed with other drugs, or mismanaged by the patients....... "as prescribed"!!!!

So...... Why, why, why are we busting our butts to raise money or "awareness" (because from what I can see those two are synonomous right now in this regard) for that?

Why, why, why is there not "awareness" for the death rate of "pharmaceuticals as prescribed"?

Why is there no "awareness" for the fact that eating lots of fruits and vegetables truly IS cancer prevention.

See, I told you we already know how to cure cancer. Don't do the things that cause cancer. Don't smoke. See, you already knew that didn't you? Don't spend hours out in the sun in the middle of the day. I bet you knew that already too! Don't inhale asbestos. I'm not saying anything new there either. Eat your fruits and veggies. Your mom has been telling you that your whole life!

You can prevent 70-90% of ALL disease just by eating 9-13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. That is from the USDA. It used to be 2-3 servings but with our politicized and industrialized farming practices they had to increase it to 9-13 due to the lack of nutrients in our food. But, that's a HUGE discussion for another day.

So basically you have a choice.  You can consume high amounts of anti-oxidants and live a healthy lifestyle and not only prevent cancer but all disease. The only side effects of that are looking and feeling better.

OR....

You can continue to eat the junk being sold in stores and restaraunts as "food" and pin all your hopes and dreams on cancer research and a "pill" that will prevent cancer. The side effects of current cancer treatments are loss of hair, loss of weight, killing your immune system, death, etc.

hmmmmmmm....I wonder which I will choose?

Did you also know that there really are all natural cancer treatments that have no side effects that are proven to work? One of them is The Gerson Therapy. In a nutshell, its high dose vitamin C IV therapy.
But, you're doctor (even if he believes it) can't legally administer this therapy. Legally, your doctor can only prescribe surgery, chemo, and radiation for cancer treatment. They can only legally prescribe those treatments even though there is statistical proof that natural therapies work better than the conventional therapies.

Cancer is continuing to rise, people are still out trying to "make a difference" but nothing is helping.
Its actually getting worse!!!! So, this is me calling for a new cancer awareness campaign.

Prevent cancer!!!!! Eat 9-13 servings of fruits and vegetables. Eat real, whole foods instead something from a box or a window. Drink tea. Don't smoke!!! Stay out of the sun (I'm still unsure about sunscreen. I've heard reports of the chemicals in that being worse than the sun! Your best bet is to just go out for a little while and then find some shade, preferrably a nice hammock with a book and drink ). Drink in moderation. Exercise. Pray. Laugh often and love a lot.

Doesn't that seem simple? Much better than running a race to give your money for a pill that likely will do more harm than good anyway! I'm not saying don't go run the race. For sure, go run, hang out with your best friends and lend support to your cancer surviving warriors. But, just be "aware" of what you're actually raising money for and how it would be more effective.

Now, that you're "aware" go spread the word.........

Conservative vs Eco Friendly

I was listening to the news yesterday and heard all day about the uproar in New York about whether people on food stamps should be allowed to buy junk food. I say "Heck no!!"

'Wait a minute' you might be thinking. 'Arent you a conservative? You actually WANT government to dictate people's choices? Isnt that contradictory?'

No. And I'll tell you why.

If the government is paying for your food, then they get to tell you what you can buy with it. Its like telling your kids "You live in my house, you live by my rules." There is incentive there to get up, stand on your own two feet and make your own decisions. If someone on food stamps REALLY wants a Coke then they should think to themselves 'What can I do to earn $1.50 to buy myself a Coke?' Instead of 'I wish someone would give me money for a Coke. Stupid government wont let me have one.'

Anyway, you can see how my conservative thinking applies to this situation. Which brings up something else. How does someone reconcile their conservatism with their yoga mat weilding, herbal tea drinking, raw milk buying, organic gardening self?

This is a good question, I think, because it seems you are expected to be one or the other. Thats simple too. I care about our environment because its a greater reflection of our bodies. I'm all about improving my family's health and helping other people do the same. If the environment I live in is toxic, then its likely that my body will be toxic as well. Do you know they have found jet fuel in breast milk??

And you dont have to be "a liberal, environmental kook" to care about the environment. Its just common sense really. For instance, I use phosphate free detergents because phosphates kill toads. I'm on a mission to "Save The Toads!" because toads eat grasshoppers. Grasshoppers eat my garden and I dont want pesticides on my family's food. The toads help me do that. I dont need the governments help with that. I just want them to leave me alone and stay out of my way while I do it.

I BELIEVE!

I BELIEVE:

1. that a person doesn't need to spend the rest of their life in pain, on meds, tired, grumpy, diseased, sleepless, and in constant need of a doctor's advice.

2. that karma is a real presence and whatever energy you send out comes right back to you.

3. a healthy diet takes care of all the problems listed in #1.

4. the crippled stool is the cadillac of the pooping stool! -- Sorry! I stole that one from Larry The Cable Guy. But I do think of that every time I go into the restroom anymore. :)

5. that when you need something, you just have to ask for it, believe you will get it and you really will. I've tested this theory out repeatedly myself. It really works!!!

6. prayer works

7. the government can't fix all our personal problems, nor should it attempt to do so. If a person is struggling, they need to pray for an answer. When the answer presents itself in the form of an opportunity, the person should jump on it. I've found that prayers are usually answered in that way. You have to put forth a little effort.

8. nothing is free

9. people should make the Golden Rule, the rule they govern their lives around.

10. family is more important than ANYTHING else and all activities and endeavors should be simply to make a better life for the family.

11. marriage is a lifelong commitment, not a mate du jour!

12. raising a child is a commitment, not something to make you feel fulfilled until you get a job!!

13. more people should pay attention to their own health and stop eating artificial food like substances.

14. everyone needs a little slack sometimes.

15. everyone needs to sit still and be quiet sometimes and just listen.  Lets start right now!!! shhhhhhhhh.......



 Peace and Joy be with you now!     : v )

It's not about you!!!

This just happened and I feel I can tell you.

My 17 year old son would be mortified, but he's 17 and thinks blogging is lame and probably will never read this anyway. And, hey, it's my blog I can write what I want.

He was in a play recently and no one that he invited came to see it. Well, except for me of course. But, then I wasn't technically invited. I just showed up as a mom will do.

He was very hurt that none of his friends came to see it. I mean,  break a mama's heart HURT!
I explained to him that maybe his friends legitimately had things to do and really just couldn't make it. I know I've been there before. I want to support a friend's endeavor and get busy and forget or have to cancel. I usually don't give these things an extra thought. I don't because I truly mean nothing by not showing up.

I've come to notice this in people; and my son's problem really just brought it home for me. I was speaking at a Monavie home tasting about a year or so ago and the hostess invited lots of people. At the time of the tasting, her house was packed with people. It was a great turnout but she was beside herself with hurt feelings because none of the people she personally invited showed up. I told her that it was okay. She had a great turnout and it's a team effort, yada yada. She would have none of it and told me that she would NEVER, EVER invite people to her home again!!!! And then she promptly quit her Monavie business! That was her first and last tasting.....sad.

That is just one example. I've seen many more. It's sad because what happens is that when you quit because you take those things personally you allow someone else to decide your future!

THAT is no joke! You've then allowed that person to steal your dreams.

What I want to say is don't let that happen!!! I've found myself in those situations as well. I never have a good turnout when I try to host jewelry parties. Other people get hundreds of dollars in free jewelry for hosting a party and my own family won't even show up. I understand that it can be hurtful. But, it's not about you. Or me.....It's about them. They may have had a legitimate emergency. They may have forgotten. They may have no money and don't want to be embarassed by that fact so instead just stay home. You just never know.

So, if you don't reek or aren't a boorish, obnoxious boob, relax and realize you can't control anyone else's actions. You can only control your own actions.  Others can't MAKE you feel ANY emotion. Only you have power over you. So don't let anyone take that from you. God gave you gifts, talents, and a light that shines and he expects you to use them. I promise he didn't send anyone to take them from you. You allow them to be taken from you all on your own.

As I spoke to my son about his heartache, I learned that he made new friends in the cast from the play. Rejoice in the positive! Own yourself. Follow your own path, regardless whether anyone follows you.