STORY DESTINATION

Where does your story begin? Every writer has to draw on their life experiences when creating something someone else wants to read. Everything that you encounter in life can be brought into your story. Were you picked on in school? What emotions did that stir up inside of you? Were you prom queen? Did you lose someone you love?

We are all so different yet so alike. If you can tap into the human experience and convey it to reader’s in a way that makes them tap into it, you have an opportunity to help them interpret life by using the gift of words.

Your story begins at home, takes flight somewhere in the middle and ends wherever you decide. Here’s to your destination. I hope your journey to it is worth writing about.

[Via http://ninidee.wordpress.com]

Christmas Pictures

This past weekend my niece visited for Thanksgiving.  She is such a sweet girl and I enjoyed taking pictures. She is a great subject!

My frustrations right now is that the pictures are not sharp. I am not sure if it is user error of the lens. I have joined a photography forum and I am learning a lot. Hopefully I can figure out the sharpness issue.

Next week, I have two photo shoots with a 21 month old and 6 month old. We will see how they turn out!

[Via http://simplemomentsinlife.wordpress.com]

The other three letter word nobody wants to be called...

Not FAT….I’m talking about getting OLD.  It’s funny how we fight it, but we’re all getting a little older every day.  Regardless of what skin care or vitamins you take, you’ll still get older…if you’re lucky.

My birthday’s coming up and I always get reflective at this time.  It’s a great age for that.   (ssh…I’ll never tell).  It’s like I’m standing on a time line where I can turn my head one way and glance  back at my life’s memories and then turn my head the other way and look forward to new ones.   The realist in me knows that I need to take each day as it comes and live it to the fullest, because sometimes we don’t have as many years left as we hope for.  My sister-in-law, JoAnn, died at the age of 44.  I’m learning (at my ripe old age) to live in the NOW, but with plans for my golden years.

I think about all the times I’ve said, “just kill me before I turn 90.”  My friends and family laugh when I say this, but they usually nod and agree that getting old is tough.  We all have stories about aging parents, grandparents or relatives and we hate to see them suffer, especially when they become incoherent.  It’s sad to see anyone’s life end with such little dignity.

I was in this reflective mood as I was putting away our fine china, which we used for our Thanksgiving feast.  It’s a lovely set which was handed down from my husband’s late grandmother, Jane.  Each piece is in beautiful shape and still gleams, as if it was brand new.  Obviously, it was handled with care through the years and I am honored that the set made its way into our home.

Grandma Jane was an interesting lady who told us wonderful stories about going to a speakeasy and the Great Depression.  She was petite and had blue sparkly eyes that lit up when she spoke.  When her husband was alive, they decided that he may die first and they sold their house and bought an assisted living condo.  He didn’t want her to struggle after he died.   It was perfect for them.  They were able to have the freedom of living on their own, as well as the security of having someone nearby, just in case.  The facility had a large cafeteria, which doubled as a meeting place and Jane liked to play cards with the other residents.   Also, they were in walking distance of a 24 hour store and they could take a shuttle bus on day trips.  I loved visiting them with my daughter (who was an infant at the time).

Now, they had the right idea about getting old.  It’s going to happen — plan for it.  Don’t be too proud to accept help when you need it and be realistic — you’ll need an alternative way of getting around.  Grandma Jane died not too long after her husband did.  I still think it was more of a broken heart, since they were inseparable when he was alive.  It was sad to see her go since I would’ve liked my kids to get to know her.  This is why I make sure my kids get to know their living grandparents.

My parents live a few thousand miles away and each time we visit, I see more signs of aging.  My mom walks a lot slower and she seems to have shrunk.  My dad’s memory is diminishing and each time, he tells the same story as if it was the first time.   It’s sad, but I know it’s part of life and the good news is that they are still with us.  We can still hug them and love them.  We can still listen to old stories (and pretend we’ve never heard them).  My dad loves to sit outside and breathe in the air from his trees as he listens to music on the radio.  My mom’s eyes light up when she tells me about a story she wrote — she’s a very creative writer.

My kids are also getting to know my husband’s dad, who lives near us.  He’s a self-described ‘dinosaur’ and a Godly man.  I  know that I am blessed to still have my parents and my father-in-law still around.  My kids never met their grandma on my husband’s side.  She died when she was only 59 years old and her death was sudden.

Instead of thinking of old age as doom and gloom, I choose to look at it as a blessing.  No one knows how long they will live and each year is a blessing.  I appreciate it more now, after JoAnn’s death.  Now, I pray that I get old.  I want to be like Grandma Jane and tell stories of my youth.  I want to be like my mom and continue to write stories.  I want to be like my dad, who appreciates music and soft breezes.  I want to be like my father-in-law, who finds humor in getting old.

Just like the fine china,  I will “handle with care” and hope that my eyes are still sparkling for the next generation.  This birthday, I will be happy that I’m one year older and have an amazing family and friends to share my life with right now.

[Via http://magwunderlich.wordpress.com]

Boyles Bunch

It is always a joy to be with the Boyles!  I have watched half of their children come through my Sunday School class at the church we attend together.  I am amazed at how much they all they grown and changed! 

Emily’s sister and husband came and joined the fun and we had fun running around together~

[Via http://lillianprincephotography.wordpress.com]

"IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS"....

MR. & MRS. SANTA IN BOOTH 17

GIRLS SWEATERS IN BOOTH 23

HUGE ARRAY OF LADIES GLOVES & SILVER PURSE IN BOOTH 20

[Via http://junkinjudy.wordpress.com]

Time for a cup of tea and a sit down

Annie is home from school today, she had a bad cough yesterday and this morning but it has settled down by this afternoon and she moved from sick and happy to play quietly to bored and aggravating.

So I gave her two options

1. do your speech therapy homework

2. clean out your bedroom.

Guess which she chose?

Yes that is all of Annie’s belongings from her bedroom tipped out on my loungeroom floor.

Now Annie had helped me do the same thing to Heidi’s room earlier in the week so she had a fair idea what was about to happen. Toys were going to be sorted and culled, so were books and clothing.

Things were complicated by Annie’s tendency to hoard everything and anything, from empty wrappers saved for the precious barcode to old boxes holding a single piece of paper which embodies some precious memory, everything is kept. I tried to involve Annie in the sorting and culling process but she keeps wandering off, I’ve gotten to the stage now where I am just ruthlessly going through and doing it by myself. If nothing else Annie will learn that when Mummy says it is time to clean your room you damn well better be involved if you care about the end result.

And as friends who I have helped move house will attest, I am ruthless when it comes to cleaning, sorting and culling. Annie should know this by know as each year we do a big clean out and cull of our toys just before the madness of Christmas sees and influx of new toys.

Things I have noticed from cleaning Annie’s room, so far I have filled double the amount of rubbish bags that I did with Heidi’s room and I’m still only half way through. However I’m giving away far less of Annie’s clothing, toys and books because they can all be handed on to Heidi.

It was back in May that we turned our study into a bedroom for Annie and my husband, who it must be noted is a hoarder also, said he would finish cleaning out the wardrobe another day. That day never happened, so now I am cleaning all his things out and he will learn the same lesson as Annie is learning, if you leave it to me, I am ruthless.

I’ve also found dead (thankfully) cockroaches in Annie’s room. Something I did not find at all in Heidi’s room. I think this may relate to Annie’s hoarding of food wrappers.

And in good news we found her iPod which has been missing these many months. It was stuck between her wardrobe doors and could only be seen if you stood inside the empty wardrobe and closed the doors. So that will hopefully be a silver lining to the shock of mummy’s ruthless culling of stuff from the bedroom.

Now does anyone have some spare underbed storage boxes I could steal? Or does anyone want some pre-loved cloth pullups?

[Via http://leechbabe.wordpress.com]

Give Thanks

For years, I have coveted over a platter that hangs in my friend’s kitchen.  Her young child’s precious handprint forms a turkey in the center with the words “Give Thanks” cascading over the top of the dish.

 

I have always loved that memento and vowed someday I would take my children to a “paint your own pottery” place to create the same platter with them.

 

Truth be told, I don’t have patience for paint your own pottery places.  Those places drain the life out of me.  There’s way too many color choices and way too many breakables lying about for my four year old to literally act like a bull in a china shop.  Therefore, my inability to make stupid decisions paired with my “You break it; you buy it” fear has kept me away.  I simply avoid the scene entirely and we find other ways to let our creative juices flow without shattering dishes along with our self-esteem.

 

Then, last week Allana, Emmalynn and I attended a birthday party at You Do the Dishes in New Tampa.  My girls were thrilled to paint a small figurine and begged me to paint more.  Finally, I felt the inspiration to paint a handprint turkey platter.  The timing was perfect.  The staff was so helpful and hands-on that my anxiety over perfectionism and colors was greatly reduced.

 

Ready to gobble up more fun, the girls were so excited to paint a dish for Mommy.  I couldn’t believe what angels sat before me.  Allana picked the colors without hesitation and Emmalynn avoided knocking over shelves of pottery.  Plus, the supportive staff helped make our handprint project a success.

 

A few days later, our turkey handprint platter was ready.  I couldn’t wait to see how it came out!  I finally possessed my own precious timeless piece to hang in my kitchen.

 

And then, my heart sank.  A large crack appeared down the center of the platter.  My precious turkey dish was now trash.

 

I began to feel sorry myself and whined about not having a turkey platter for Thanksgiving.  I had waited years for this dish and now it seemed I was the real turkey.

 

The owner explained that occasionally the heat in the kiln will causes pieces to crack and she reassured me I could make another at no additional cost.

 

Even though I could easily make another, could I replicate the whole experience?  Would my children be as willing and well-behaved as before?

 

Then, I realized how ridiculously shallow I sounded.  It’s just a dish.

 

I should be thankful that my children have hands to make turkey handprints.

I should be thankful that I can even afford to make this dish when other families lack food for their dishes.

I should be thankful that I have a car to drive to pottery place and a home for us and all our belongings.

I should be thankful that I have two healthy children and be grateful for every moment we spend together even when they drive my crazy.

I should be thankful for my health and my husband’s health.

 

From this experience, I was grateful for my cracked dish and the lesson in humility it gave me.  Like the dish, my life is not perfect but it’s full of many blessings.  So, for my husband, my two beautiful girls, the occasional cracked dish, the handprints and marker murals on walls and the many other messy blessings in my life…

 

I give thanks.

[Via http://deniseisrundmt.com]

Places NOT to hit on people

Ok…So I had plans to sleep today, and damn, I was doing so god damn good until I got a call from work, “Wanna work until 11, lol!?” I was like…well, sleeping isn’t making me money…So I went in, But You have to understand I work everyday…and like 9 hours a day.

Today at like 10 at night a man came in with his daughter, he pulled me to the side away from his daughter, He said, “I wanted to make sure I got the most beautiful person in the store to help me, can you help me pick out foundation for my daughter?” I said, “Sure.”

We go over to the make up and I was like, “Well ivory seems to fit, you want it a tad darker than your own skin complexion.” Ha. Ivory was a tad darker than her…You live in Pa, you will NEVER see the sun, and you will be translucent. I wasn’t exactly sure though, for I’ve only ever picked out foundation for my skin, I am dark.

I ask a lighter cashier to help them out.

I go to do some reshop, and this guy…follows me back, and this just made me feel sick. He said, “My wife committed suicide a while ago, and I haven’t been with a woman in a while, and you were just so nice.”

WTF. WTTTFFFFFF. He just said he wanted to have sex with me. THAT pisses me the fuck off, but I felt bad for him. I said, “I am so sorry.” I turn away from him to finish my reshop. He continues!!! “Are you dating anyone?” I said, “Actually, yes, he goes to school with me, We’ve been together forever, I wish you well sir.” It’s not true, but like, I’m not about to tell some freak I’m single…HE CONFUCKINGTINUES!

“My daughter needs a mother to help her with things.” Um, want me to punch you in the face, I don’t want to mother your fucking child, she’s 14. WTF I’m only 4 years older than her, and even if you showed me a poor, freezing, cute child I’d punch it in the face, I don’t want kids, and I don’t want to mother your fucking mistake. How dare you use your kid to get laid.

I said, “I think you are doing wonderfully with her, she seems like a great kid.” I proceeded by giving him a hug, that guy seemed so sad.

This fucker…continues. “I have 2 babies at home, and I just haven’t been able to date.” Ohhhhhh, ok now I get it, sooo you thought because you can pick up chips and a dvd player in the same store, you could get a date here too?? At this point I said, “I’m sorry, I need to get back to work, have a nice night with your daughter.”

FUCKKKKK. Why can’t my sexy manager ask me to bend over for him!?!? It’s always fucking freaks that want sex.

[Via http://spazztasticallyuntitled.wordpress.com]

little insurgents

November 20th was the anniversary of the 1910 Mexican Revolution, not to be confused with the 1810 Mexican War of Independence. (And yes, it does make one wonder what’s in store for 2010.) On Monday the banks and schools had the day off, but San Miguel waited for Friday to celebrate the actual holiday with a raucous ear-splitting parade of bands. However, the best event was on the previous day when the smaller children dressed up as revolutionaries and had their own parade. I’m here to tell you there’s really not much cuter than a little insurgent.

So here’s the deal. I took far too many photographs to post here, and these are seriously irresistible little Zapatistas that you really should see, so I’ve set up a separate blog just for them. That’s two blogs for the price of one (twice as free). Starting today, you can go here for your daily fix.

A Zapatista a day keeps the doctor away.

[Via http://denizenblog.wordpress.com]

That was original...

Ok, this is not Domestic Goddess kind of stuff, but it’s just so damned funny, I had to share.

I have two children whom I love more than anything else on this planet.  They are the most precious gifts I have ever had the privilege of receiving.  They are exactly one week shy of being three years apart.  They are best friends one minute and mortal enemies the next.  Last year we bought our son a double bed and sometimes on weekends they like to have ’sleepovers’ and camp together in his bed.  It’s fun for them, kind of like a mini-vacation.

So tonite I tell them if they wanna do a sleepover, I”m cool with it.  As long as I don’t hear a lot of racket coming from them and they actually go to sleep.  Fat chance.  I hear some noise, and then I hear my daughter start crying and calling me.  I go  upstairs to see what the commotion is and she’s upset because my boy has called her a name.  What name did he call her? Nothing that I’ve ever heard, I think it’s his own original creation.

“Mom, Spencer called me a….(sniff sniff) he called me a ….(more sniffing for theatrical/drama purposes) butt crack.’

“You called her a what??”

‘But mom she was…”

“It doesn’t matter what she was doing.  I never want to hear that come from either one of you.  If I do, you will be getting your mouth washed out with soap.  Am I clear?”

“yes, ma’am.’

Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep a straight face when you’re scolding someone for doing something,  but it’s so freaking funny and you don’t want them to see that, because it’s encouraging the behavior?  Yeah, it’s really tough, hence a post about name calling on a domestic blog.

A little peek into my life.  I promptly removed my daughter back to her own bed and came downstairs to a lovely, wonderful waiting glass of Cabernet. Aaah.  That’s better.

[Via http://1domesticgoddess.wordpress.com]

Romanian Orphans NEED your HELP! (17 yr old)

If you think of life as like a big pie, you can try to hold the whole pie and kill yourself trying to keep it, or you can slice it up and give some to the people around you, and you still have plenty left for yourself. Money is like manure; it’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around encouraging young things to grow.My name is Zoë and I am seventeen. I live in New York but I have the undying need to get out there and help change this world! I will be going to Romania for a month or two (Depending on how much money I have..!) to care for orphans.

 

The orphan problem in Romania is rampant. Orphanages are very understaffed, and that’s where volunteers come in! Oftentimes an orphanage is just a building filled with hundreds of babies and children, who are forced to lie in cots all day and night because nobody is there to care for them. Please help me make a huge difference in their lives by bringing them the love and care they need to survive.

This is the exact program I will be doing, if you’d like more information.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

CLICK HERE TO HELP ME …Any little thing helps! I will send a personal thank you to everyone who helps (…If anyone helps!) and will keep you updated on my trip…When I will be leaving, and, if you want, I can send you pictures once I am back home from the adventure! (Of course if you don’t want to be bothered that’s fine too!)

[Via http://wegottobefree.wordpress.com]

Updates on my children

Well, it has been a long time since I’ve written anything here.  I am seriously hoping to change that for a variety of reasons that I’ll get into eventually…but not right now.

I’ve got two children, a four-year-old and a two-year-old.  They are almost exactly two years apart.  Our son is the oldest; he’s smart as a whip, but speech delayed.  Our daughter is the baby; she’s also speech delayed and she has seizures.  We’ve been through a lot with both, trying to get them caught up and to determine what’s going on with our daughter’s health.

Our son has been in special education for a while now; this is his second year.  He’s now talking up a storm and is really coming along very, very well.  His teacher is now preparing him to go to non-special education kindergarten next year.  We are so thrilled to see how well he is doing!

Our daughter is also doing very well – she has physical, occupational, and speech therapies (each one once a week) and is walking better, paying more attention to people and things around her, and so forth.  She also attends a preschool program at a local church.  We are working on the process to get her into the same school program that has helped her brother so much, but as with any agency like a public school, there is tons of paperwork, meetings/evaluations/hoops…etc.  We think she’s going to start in January…

She continues to have seizures.  In fact, they’ve increased recently, which is disturbing to say the least.   Her doctors are now taking her off one medication and trying another.  I just hope tht it helps her and that she doesn’t suffer from any of the major side effects; the last drug made her incredibly hyperactive, which affected her ability to work with the therapists, focus in preschool, or pay any attention to anyone.  It also seems to have dampened her emotional response to things, because now that she is being weaned off of it, she giggles more and responds more normally emotionally overall.

All in all, things are looking up all around.  I want more answers in terms of my daughter’s health, but I am learning to be grateful for smaller things as they come…

The Marvelous Land of Oz

Author: L. Frank Baum
Publishing Date: 1904
Publisher: Reilly & Britton
Pages: 294

This is the first sequel to the original Wizard of Oz.  It starts off with some unknown characters: Tip and the person he created, Jack Pumpkin-head.  They travel to Oz to meet with the Scarecrow.  Oz is taken over by some girls and a journey through the land begins to take shape.  They go to meet with the Tinsman, emperor of the Winkies for help.  Other new characters in their journey include  the Highly Magnified Woggle-bug, a Saw-horse , and a Gump.  The return leads to a surprise with Mombi, but I won’t spoil it in this review.

It’s a nice story, but not as captivating as the original.  Still, it’s a nice book.  I give it a 2 out of 3.

 

20 Reasons & Ways to Kick Morning’s

Morning should be really lucky that it’s not a human being, because if it was, there is no doubt that it would get its ass kicked regularly!  Oh Morning, how you are unloved by many, especially by me! 

For some, Morning is a dawn of a new day and hope for a fresh start.  However to others, myself included, it’s a big old bully who likes to play mean jokes.  Well I’ve come to tell you Morning, the jokes on you!  I’m going to give you the top 20 reasons why I would kick your ass and 20 ways how I’d do it.

Dear Morning, if you were a person:

(1) I would sumo-wrestle you to the ground for waking me up at the crack of dawn.  _________________________________________________________

(2) I would karate chop you in the back of your neck for biting me with a cold chill as soon as I open my eyes to the first ray of light.  _________________________________________________________

(3) I would throw bleached water balloons at you for making me wake up from the best dream ever to change dirty diapers.  Trust me, waking up to sh*t is never a good thing.  _________________________________________________________

(4) I would force feed you salty toe jam for inviting construction workers to jack hammer the pavement right in front of my bedroom window.  _________________________________________________________

(5) I would scotch tape your wrists and ankles together for reminding bill collectors that I haven’t paid my overdue balances. _________________________________________________________

(6) I would clobber you with a bag full of nickels for sending Jehovah’s Witnesses to my door before I’ve wiped the crud out of my eyes.  _________________________________________________________

(7) I would pinch you with crab claws for hiding my keys just as I’m rushing out the door.  _________________________________________________________

(8) I would punch you in the face for dragging me into the heart of rush hour traffic.

_________________________________________________________

(9) I would run over your toes with a tricycle for inviting the guy in the suit & bowtie to come over and sell me bean pies and incense.  _________________________________________________________

(10) I would horse whip you with Shaniqua’s bad weave for telling the homeless lady that I have spare change. 

_________________________________________________________

(11) I would clip you up with clown shoes for supporting McDonald’s decision to stop serving pancakes after a certain time. 

_________________________________________________________

(12) I would stick you with push pins for cooling off my waffles before the steam finishes rising from my chicken wings.

_________________________________________________________

(13) I would slap you like a two-bit hoe for signaling the lady with the bad breath to come over and talk to me.  _________________________________________________________

(14) I would violently blame you for Starbucks running out of espresso shots.

_________________________________________________________

(15) I would kick you in the shin with steel-toed boots for convincing the school crossing guard to take her job way too seriously.  Now she’s stopping traffic and giving out tickets like a traffic cop.

_________________________________________________________

(16) I would put freshly chewed gum in your hair for being just as rowdy as those bad ass kids on the metro bus.

_________________________________________________________

(17) I would cannon-ball dive on your forehead for hiding all the coffee in the cafeteria.

_________________________________________________________

(18) I would put you in a headlock for advising my supervisor to call an 8am staff meeting. 

_________________________________________________________

(19) I would ram you in the stomach like a raging bull for drinking all the water from the water cooler just as soon as my mouth feels like I’ve swallowed a carton full of cotton.

_________________________________________________________

(20) I would douse you with llama spit for directing the senior choir to sing off pitch during the entire church service. 

_________________________________________________________

I’m sure, Morning, if I had a little more time to sleep on it, without you interrupting me, I could think of 20 more reasons to kick your ass.  But if you aren’t scared by now, then you are a bad mamma jamma!  At any rate, I need to put my head on my desk now so I can steal a moment away from Afternoon.  Afternoon is my friend, unlike you. 

Before I go I’ll leave you with this: I better not catch your ass out on the street.  If I do, you’d better run in the opposite direction.  I have no doubt that I would pummel you.  All it takes is a little creativity and  effort.  And I’m smart enough to know that 90% of any effort is getting started! 

So Morning, now that night is upon us, I would advise that you sleep with one eye open. 

 

Quote of the week:   “I may be drunk now but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly.”

Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mrhollywood2009

Kate Gosselin’s Body Language and Abusing Jon in the Travel Store Shows Why He Said He Despised Kate! Her Behavior Was Despicable!

Kate abusing Jon while Mady looks on

You cannot keep abusing and abusing and abusing a person and expect nothing to happen to them. I am not giving Jon a free pass for his bad behavior in the past. But after seeing how Kate severely and consistently abused and humiliated him without letting up on last night’s episode when they were in the Travel Store it is obvious that Jon’s emotional damn broke, It is obvious to me that his bad behavior was clearly an act of rebellion against Kate and her horrible abuse.

JON GETTING ABUSED AND HUMILIATED IN FRONT OF THE KIDS AT THE TRAVEL STORE

In last night’s episode, Kate and the kids are all sitting on the floor in a Travel Store getting ready for their trip somewhere. They were filling out some passport cards and for the first time we see a happy little Mady. Jon, standing, says in his usual mumbled low voice “ That is what will happen if I had to show my passport in Korea.” Kate snarkily retorts with an edge to her voice, “ You were a lot younger then.” Jon still standing, turns to her and says in a regular modulated voice ( NOT in a loud voice referring to the documents ) “you put Korea and its South Korea, They are two different countries.”

Then Kate, in her most obnoxious, bitchy vocal tone says “Hello are you just not.. “She turns around to look up at him from the floor and verbally abuses him with name calling saying “ are you not NUTS?” “the whole Triple A just heard where we are going !“ ( This comment is once again indication of Kate’s deluded self and her narcissism that they whole world or whole store in this case revolves around her. Nobody was paying attention to her or her family in the store. They were too busy doing their own thing.) She continues to bitch. And abuse “ Everyone heard us.. Good one Jon ( in a nasty snarky sarcastic tone)

MADT STICKS UP FOR DADDY

Then we see something very significant. Mady has now gone over too Jon’s side as he is being bitched at. She obviously knows what is coming and what we see next is amazing from a body language standpoint. She stands next to him with a serious expression and pushes her stomach forward as far as it will go and leans her body forward as if she is literally “puffing herself up” physically to protect daddy from mommy’ s verbal wrath of hell. It is as though she is making herself physically bigger in a subconscious little girl attempt to protect her daddy. She stands straight and her feet are close together as if to indicate” I’m here daddy and I’ m standing up for you.” It was the only touching thing about the segment.

KATE CONTINUES AND CONTINUES AND CONTINUES TO ABUSE

Then we see Jon meekly apologize as he says “I‘m sorry.” But Kate doesn’t even acknowledge his apology. Instead, she continues her verbal abuse towards Jon and in a mean, school maarm, admonishing tone says, “Did you not hear when I announced we were not saying where we were going!”

In a meek, defeated voice Jon says, “ No I wasn’t here,” He apologizes again as he says “I’m sorry” for the second time. Kate continues to ignore his apology and what Kate does next is HORRIBLE. Now we see her emotionally abusing the children by humiliating their father in their presence and talkinga bout him as though he was a non person and wasn;t even there. If she talks smack about Jon to the kids when he is there can you imagine what she says to them when he isn’t there. She is turning these kids against their father and we have just seen how she does it.

One of the kids ask Kate , off camera “Why are you upset?” She answers , in front of Jon mind you, as though he is a non person “ Cuz your father just made an announcement in front of everyone that he wasn’t supposed to.” Now this is a huge exaggeration! Jon did not stand up in front of the whole store and in a loud stentorian voice make “an announcement” everyone as she said. That is not true, She is in essence lying to these children about what their dad did.

She is delusional. He did NOT make an announcement He just said to put South Korea on the card, not just Korea, He was justified in what he said, They are two different countries. He wasn’t there to hear HER RULES, He innocently said what needed to be done and for that he was abused and humiliated in front of the kids and made to feel like a piece of garbage. He was abused, humiliated and emasculated and wrongly made to look bad in the eyes of his kids when he did nothing wrong!.

Then Jon says” I’m sorry “ once again, now for the third time in a mumbled humiliated tone, But Kate doesn’t let up. Instead of moving on, she continues to contort her face into a mean expression as Jon looks down at his paper in embarrassment. Then she continues to verbally abuse him as she says in front of all 8 kids mind you,“I don’t know what planet you are on,” said in a LOUD voice for ALL to hear.

Then we see something even sadder. Mady, still by her dadys side makes a symbolic gesture, several times, where she has her finger under her eye and flicks her finger away as if she is symbolically wiping away a tear. Mind you, she is not crying, although she has a serious facial expression. But her bosy language , in is saying “ I’m crying for you, daddy. I feel sorry for you daddy.” It was so sad to see. It was also sad to see a shot of little Colin and his all serious face as he looked away trying to ignore the whole abusive mess.

Next we see Jon walk away with head handing down in shame and humiliation with shoulders hunched, looking at the ground.

KATES REFLECTION ON THE COUCH- DENIAL, MINIMIZATION, AND JUSTIFICATION OF HER HORRIFIC ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR
Next, we hear Kate voice over saying, “Seriously I couldn’t believe it. Isn’t it amazing that 8 kids don’t say where we are going but one adult does!” Then we see a shot of Kate sitting alone on the couch where she says in a montone after the TLC producer questions her about what happened “ I don’t thing I handled that that wel” DUH!! It was obviously tha Kate;s remark was a spin statement to show the audience that she is admitting her mistakes – that she is not perfect, so she can be forgiven for her outburst. It is TLC’s attempt to try to rebuld her image and get her ready for her for new solo show.

Then we hear Kate minimize her ugly horrific abusive condescending behavior towards Jon as she says with a lack of remorse of her face or in her voice, “It happened as she sighs loudly What can I say! Then this abusive and self righteous, self absorbed woman says in her attemopt to justificy her ehhregious actions, “We didn’t end up going so what can I say..”

KATE’S CONSTANT ABUSE AND LACK OF RESPECT FOR JON MADE HIM REBEL TO THE EXTREME

You can say a lot Kate! For starters, you can say I’m sorry to Jon for beating the crap over him for nothing and you can you are sorry to the kids for making their dad look like a jerk to them. You can also say goodby to any of the fans you had left and to anyone else who say this episode . Who would ever think of watching you on you own show when we have seen you up close and personal. Jon did nothing wrong. You ripped the hell out of him and in front of your kids, That is bad parentiung, Thjat is poor judgment . You didn’t just do this once you did it a lot, Who wants to watch a show with a bad parent who is an abuser? Not me and not my readers and not anyone they tell about you. That is for sure,

ALGEBRA 101 AS IT APPLIES TO KATE GOSSELIN

Ands for ALL you Kate lovers you accuse me of being a KATE HATER , I have a message for you. Until I analyzed last night’s episode, I told you I didn’t HATE KATE and that I only hated Hitler and Stalin and sociopaths and child and animal abusers. The operative word on my list is “ABUSERS”. So if you go back to when you were taking Algebra 101 and recall the “associative property you will see how it applied here. To refresh your memory, if A=B and B= C then A=C . So to apply it in Kate’s case. If I HATE ABUSERS(A=B) and KATE IS AN ABUSER (B=C) THEN I MUST HATE KATE BECAUSE SHE IS AN ABUSER ()A=C)

Yes, after seeing this abuse in light of all that we know about these two, I can say without a doubt that I HATE KATE GOSSELIN’S ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR, herself righteousness , her narcissim, her minimizing, her justifying her horrific behavior, and her abusing those children by allowing them to see how horribly she abuses their father in his presence.

If ANY of you BLIND in denial bleeding heart Kate defenders and Kate lovers ever write me after seeing this episode, I will re-direct you to watch this episode along with every other episode she has abused Jon, the kids, or both, Now, knowing what we know about the Kate and Jon situation don’t even think about writing me a love note in defense of Kate.

If you do I will know that you are only identifying with Kate because a. you may be in denial b. you are not the brightest crayon in the pack c. you may be an abuser and identify with her to justify your own guilt in abusing others, d. you are a victim in that have a lot of kids and your husband left you with the kids so you identify with Kate as the victim she isn’t but the victim image you created about her in your own mind or e. you have collapsed your own issues with the womanizer in your life cheating on you with Jon and pity poor Kate.

Here is a reality check blind Kate lover, Kate is not a victim, She is not to be pities, She is a mean (in her daughter Mady’s words) and horrible abuser! Watch this episode over and over and over again until you finally get it! This is only one segment in one episode. Cnayou imagine close to a dozen yearsof this abuse? Put yourself in Jon;s shoes for a moment. How would you feel if everything you said was minimized, ridiculed and you were yelled at and made to feel like a non person in front of your kids.> You would HATE it! You would find it DESPICABLE, especially of you had a steady diet of this!

NO WONDER JON SAID TO CHRIS COUOMO HE DESPISED KATE AS HER ACTIONS TOWARDS HIM ARE DISPICABLE!

.Now we know whey he said to Chris Coumo on 20/20 in his first interview “ I DESPISE Kate” He was just speaking his truth and being candid. After seeing this episode there is no downt in anyone;s mind and if the Kate Lovers took off their blinders they would see “Kate IS DISPICABLE!” Especially when you see what she has done to Jon.

Jon had been in denial for way to long and finally came out with a vengeance and went off the deep end. But she ripped his testicles off with each cut and nasty comment. She made him feel low and awful bout himself about himself until the damn finally broke.

How could any man feel like a man or feel sexual or achieve an erection after being so humiliated and abused day in and day out. What we saw were little snippits of his abuse like in this episode. Think about a ten years of this abuse. It would make any man or woman if it was done to a woman feel impotent and non sexual, non attractive, and unwanted. It wouold destroy anyone;s self esteem.

So Jon wanted to see if he still worked down below and if being with someone else could remedy his impotent feelings. And guess what? Someone else showed him that he was still a man and he still worked down below. Then Jon tried another and another and yet another “ sexual “band aid” as he discovered that he was no doubt not only just working down there, he was working pretty well. So he wanted to make up for lost time. Unfortunately his immaturity surfaced and he ended up hurting a lot of people. You can’t use a woman to see if you work sexually and then discard her like a used Klenex. I am not justifying Jon;; cheating. But I can certainly understand what lead him to stray- Kate;s emasculation of him

TLC’S ROLE IN STANDING BY AND WATCHING THIS HORRIBLE ABUSE

After seeing this episerode Jon should sue TLC fo their negligence and in being a part of the abuse. Why didn’t they step up? Why did they let this happen for so long? I will tell you? Ratings! They threw Jon under the bus for ratings. They sadistically allowed filming of abuse – Kate repeatedly abusing Jon.

What if Kate would have taken a belt and beat the crap out of one of the kids? Would they have filmed that and aired it ? Would they air another episode of Kate abusing the kids only this time showing her giving a kid a black eye or breaking off one’s arms?

Or would they have put a stop to it and called 9ll or Child Protective services? Would they let that happen for ratings? That is exactly what they did with Jon. They showed him with his verbally abused black eyes and verbally abused arms torn off! Jon was humiliated. They showed that, They showed an abused and broken man. I used to respect TLC, but not anymore. I am repulsed that they allowed this to happen.

I hope that the Learning Channel learns form their own behavior and never allows such abuse to take place on the air again. It is NOT entertaining. It is upsetting. I am upset and millions of viewers are upset as well. They deserve to be sued by Jon just for allowing Kate to abuse him and filming it. The show is about the Kids growing up not about Jon being abused, It was unnecessary to show. Jon deserves all the money he is suing them for.

And for TLC to give this abusive bitch Kate a show its even more unconscionable. They are rewarding the Abuser. We have seen the real Kate Gosselin and no image makeover or spin can change it. www.drlillianglass.com

Preparing Our Children for Life on Their Own

By: Delana S

Whether your son or daughter has 6 years of school left or just 2 months, you may want to look at several ways you can help him/her prepare for life on his own.  There are several things you can do while  in your home country, others you can try right where you are, and there are also ideas for sending your child on short trips on his own.  Take the time now to set some goals for things you want to try this summer and in the upcoming school year.  According to Anne-Christine Marttinen, “International children are not children who belong everywhere.  They are children who know where they belong.”  As you seek to prepare your children (at whatever age they are) consider your own answers to the following questions.

1.  What do your kids need to know about their passport country, including relatives and others who live there? Ideas:  Share family stories and family history.  Have relatives send not only people pictures, but also magazines, news clippings, etc.  Share about the voting process.  While in your home country, visit some historical sites together, learn about national leaders and current affairs as well.  At age 12 our son began staying two weeks longer than us (or going two weeks earlier) to the US.  He flew as an unaccompanied minor with an escort. This allowed him to prepare some for independence. At 14 ½, he flew as an adult to the states and stayed for 2 months with grandparents.  He also took his first dual credit course at a community college.  These are some ways to aid in transitions.

2. How are you preparing your kids for social and practical living? Do they know how to go about making friends?  Do they know how to turn down inappropriate invitations?  Things to teach: calling emergency services, using a pay phone, laws for cycling and driving, using currency (including sales tax information), using or not using credit/debit cards or checks, opening a bank account, using an ATM, making appointments (doctor, dentist, barber), using unfamiliar household appliances (dishwasher, dryer), managing a budget, knowing how often to schedule certain things (physical check-up, dental, eye exams, car maintenance), preparing copies of personal health history.  As for their social needs, do they know currently popular movies, TV shows, music, slang (or colloquialisms), national sports (incl. info on various teams)?

3.  What kind of Spiritual Development preparation do they need? Do they know how to have a quiet time, what camps or retreats might they be able to attend, are there some churches you can visit together near where they will go to college?  Perhaps some of this can be done on a visit home a year or two before graduation.  Do they know about various denominations and what they teach?  Do they know about Mormons and JW’s and other groups that twist or add to the Word and aggressively proselytize?  Some of these things can be introduced while overseas or on visits home.

4.  What about decision-making? Do your kids know how you make decisions?  Do you flip a coin?  Do you list the pros and cons?  Do you seek God in prayer and His Word?  Have you involved them in your decision-making processes so that they can learn first hand how to do this?  This is something that must be taught.  We have to make a point to include our kids in these decisions.

5.  What do we do to prepare are kids for health/safety issues? It was mentioned above that they need to know about appointments and emergency numbers.  They should also know simple-first aid, CPR, what to do in case of fire or electrical shock, what to do in case of natural disasters, etc.  We have been teaching our children (little-by-little in age appropriate ways) about sex.  What we had not realized until one visit home was to what extent (and with what vocabulary) an average 9-12 year old knows today.  There were issues and items that our friend’s 5th grade boy was being confronted with by very promiscuous girls, which we would have never imagined.  We would be doing our kids a grave injustice if we didn’t prepare them for confronting this.  Some of our kids won’t confront it so intensely until college, but some of you may be putting your children in a public or private school on home leave.  Prior to that time make sure you talk with your kids about these issues as well.  Find out from friends and educators what to expect before you go.

 

7 Things "Good Parents" Do (That Screw Kids Up for Life)

I was in the process of writing about screwed up kids when I stumbled upon this and since we MUST know about this, I will repost this piece and write my own later: ‘It seems like it’s close to impossible to raise a normal child these days, what with the violent video games and the 4chan and the childhood obesity. But if the latest research is to be believed, even the good stuff we thought we were doing for our kids is ruining them…’
-By Cezary Jan Strusiewicz -see list at Cracked

Change

Its something that happens to all of us. We may not notice it, but it happens. It can be good or bad. I had the chance to go to a Prayer meeting at my church on Tuesday night. I was quite nervous to go at first. I didn’t know what to expect or if I would know anyone there. I’m so glad that I went! Not only did it make me feel closer to other church members and our pastor, but it totally brought me closer to God. It was like a super intimate worship time between God and myself..I got lost in the powerful presence of the Lord in that place. It has forever changed me.

Change has been something on my mind a lot lately. Some of it my decision but some of it forced upon me. On Halloween, I was given an intervention of sorts by family. I was listening to them tell me some pretty horrible things about myself. None of which were actually true–and I know that in my heart. One of the things that struck me, though, was that I’m not the same person I was 4 years ago. You’re absolutely right! I’m not the same person i was 4 years ago! Its called growth and change..I think that I would be a pretty sad person if I hadn’t changed in that amount of time. Many many things have happened since then!

One of the biggest things is that I now have a true relationship with Christ. Not just a surface level one, a real, to the heart, loving relationship. That right there completely changes a person forever! My eyes have been opened to some very real things and all of it is because of the love, grace and mercy of God. It has not all been good things but I’m coming to realize that God has a plan for all of us.

God gave us free will. He could have MADE us love him and accept him but he didn’t. He CHOSE to give us the choice to follow Him. Here in lies our sin and failures. I believe that when things happen to us, good or bad, it is a result of our free will combined with God’s plan. He knew us before we were even made. He knows what He wants for us. He knows that we are in a war every day of our lives. He doesn’t ask much from us in return. Sometimes when I’m troubled and thinking that I cannot carry on the way I’m going or through whatever it is that I’m going through, I picture Jesus carrying the cross and being crucified. He went through all of that for us! HE ENDURED FOR ME! Wow! that makes me step back and think..I can handle this!

I have changed. I see things differently, I treat people differently. I am different. I love my family and my children with all my heart but if I don’t put God first and love Him, then what am I showing my kids? God doesn’t love us “when he has time for it” or “only on Sundays”. He loves us all the time even when we go against His word and honor. Even when we sin against him, he still opens his arms to us and welcomes us back in with open and loving arms. Now how many people can say they can do that? Without any judgement or critizims or anything of that nature. Just as Jesus did when he walked this earth? Its something that we can strive for. I’m striving for it. Life can truely be better when you keep your eyes on the Lord.

So yes, I have changed. My priorties have changed. Maybe people don’t understand it. “Your kids should come first”.. Well yes, in a way they do, when it comes to earthly things, they come first. I’ve been getting up really really early in the morning to have meditation time with God. This is really hard for me because my children are terrible sleepers. But I prayed and asked for the energy to do it and guess what? it happened! God wants to talk with me every morning at 530am.  That gives me the calmness and positiveness that I need to deal with my children throughout the day.

I’m trying not to ask why anymore but what can I learn from this. Every trial that we face, should bring us closer to God. I’m content with not understanding it all; that’s why I have faith.

So when someone confronts me and tells me that I’m not the same person that I was 4 years ago. You’re right, I’m not. I think I’m better than I was. God has led me here. If I need to change again, God will lead me there as well.

World Diabetes Day: A Blog Roundup

World Diabetes Day:  A Blog Roundup

In honor of Word Diabetes Day I’ve decided to do a blog roundup of women blogging diabetes.  Most are blogs by women who are living with diabetes, and others are women blogging about parenting a child with diabetes.  I’ve also included several informative links and resources at the end of this post.

If you blog about living with diabetes or World Diabetes Day, please leave your link in comments.

*read full post at catherine-morgan.com

How Slavery Came to ancient Egypt.

What led to slavery in Egypt thousands of years ago? What can it tell us today? The Bible is full of spiritual truth, but it contains much more than that. It tells how great people fell, how the humble rose to great heights. It also tells of a people who sold themselves into slavery, without complaint or protest. It begins in the time of Joseph. The Egyptian government, under the wise leadership of Joseph, prepared for hard times. The Egyptian people, did not. Seven years of unprecedented prosperity went throughout the land. The people went about their lives, probably thinking it would go on forever. They ate, drank and were merry. They failed to make any kind of preparation for the times ahead. Eventually, as God had said, the good times came to an end. Famine was throughout the land of Egypt. The people consumed whatever feeble supplies they had left, and then went to the government. First went their money, until, the Bible says, money was gone throughout the land. Then they turned over their lively hood in exchange for survival. Now, with nothing else left, they consumed their substance, and surrendered possession of their lands and homes. Now, the people were total wards of the state, and again they ran out of food. So now, with nothing left, they turn once again to the government, with nothing to offer but their very lives. And they were made slaves. Everything they owned, was gone. Freedom was gone. Instead of planning for the future, when times were bountiful, they squandered their substance, and had no where else to look except to big brother.

Before Israel was forcibly taken into slavery by a pharaoh who “knew not Joseph,” the people of Egypt where themselves taken into bondage.

Let me quote the exact words of scripture, and you can read it yourself:

And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth. And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail. And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year. When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not aught left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands: Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate. And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh’s. And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof. Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands. Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants. And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh’s.
(Genesis 47:13-26)

And now the second bondage: the Pharaoh that hired Joseph treated him and his family with gratitude, and one could argue he was a benevolent dictator, one who had absolute authority, but didn’t abuse it like he could have. He gave the children of Israel of the finest land in Israel. And here’s what happened.

And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Rameses.
(Exodus 1:6-11)

Thus, you have the perfect storm: A tyrannical ruler with absolute control. I’m sure dissent wasn’t tolerated, the people of Egypt owed their livelihoods to the pharaoh, who not only was held to be god, but had near-godlike power. It was son of this man who would-be God that brought about the judgment of, and ultimate destruction of the world’s super power. The pharaoh’s pride reached up to the heavens. It was the hardness of this man’s heart, that sealed the fate of Egypt, which was brought down swiftly by the power of God himself.

Today in America, we can see a similar trend. The fat and goodness of the land is squandered. As the economy falters, men clamor for the government to give them food, housing, lands, healthcare, money. Indeed, the government already provides food and housing and money for many (and it does so above and beyond any constitutional mandate and restriction).

If we continue to demand the government to do everything for us, to give us everything, to cater to our every need and want, we will have traded our American birthright for a cheap bowl of pottage, and sold our children into socialist slavery.

 

 

When parent/child relationships turn sour.

I’ve noticed a number of articles and postings lately by people who state they have ‘removed’ themselves from their family, or from parents who say that their child no longer wishes to be associated with them. I couldn’t ever imagine that I would ever have to say the same thing. How sad, I would think, that people couldn’t resolve their differences or communicate to each other their respective unhappiness then work together to renew their relationship.

It is understandable, in many cases, that a child would have to put space, both in time and distance between themselves and a toxic relationship with their parent/s. Ditto for the parent when you realise that you just have to throw in the towel, for both your sakes. However, when the problems are more subtle and less easy to put into words; when it is a gradual erosion of the parent-child bond then it is harder to know what to do. It has taken me months to come to an understanding and acceptance that my 27 year old son no longer considers me part of his life. I’m afraid realisation was extremely slow to dawn, which now, of course, makes me feel quite stupid.

My son is married and lives in Victoria, Australia. After graduating from university with a Masters in Chemistry, he left the UK in 2006 to work in Japan. It was wonderful that he had the confidence and skills to be able to live completely independently. I was so proud of him. He was, like most lads, pretty hopeless at keeping in touch but now and then we would receive a chatty email, a few photos, and a phone call. Everything normal. He met a lovely Australian girl in Japan and, after the year was up they both moved to Melbourne and set up home.

A while later he told us they were getting married – in a month’s time. So there was no way to scrape enough money together to get me, let alone my partner and our other two children, over there.  So he married without any of his family present. Never mind, we thought, it’s all lovely. And it was.

The following winter they came over to the UK for six weeks and it was wonderful to see them and to meet our new daughter-in-law. They stayed with his dad, just a few miles away, so we had lots of time to catch up and visit the rellies. They stayed with us over Christmas and we all had a good time. Very sad when they left in the new year.  Things continued as before. Chatty emails, photos, phone calls. It seemed that his wife was making sure he stayed in touch and we appreciated it. Plans were being made for their ‘world tour’ during which we could expect them to come ‘home’ again.

So now we were at Christmas 2008, barely 11 months ago. I’d decided to make a keepsake for them, an ‘altered box’. It took weeks. I loved doing it… I imagined it would delight them and that they would keep small treasures in it. I filled it with a few nonsense items, including as a joke, a pair of socks that daughter-in-law had left behind during their visit. I sent it off, packing it carefully, terrified that it might fall apart during transit. There was a short “Thanks for the Christmas present. A. was glad to get her socks back” but nothing else was said. No mention of the box itself at all. I thought maybe it had fallen apart after all.

Abruptly, at the start of the New Year, the emails from my son stop. Not altogether exactly, but instead of the usual chatty paragraph or so, they were reduced to terse one-liners, signed off with an ‘x’. There was no ‘Love to everyone’ as he usually finished with. Okay, I think, I haven’t been so good at emailing either. We continued to chat via Skype and I started to become aware that these calls were almost one-sided. It seemed that I was doing all the talking; all the news-giving. If I wanted him to engage then I had to ask the questions. There was a lack of spontaneity that had always been there previously. I began to wonder if I’d upset him in some way.

I began to make more use of my Facebook account and very occasionally would post silly little remarks, as you do. No response from my boy. Not a one, ever. Fair enough, I thinks, he’s not wanting to acknowledge me on Facebook for some reason… probably doesn’t want to look uncool in front of his friends. I sent him, by email, a photo of myself… ha ha.. not something I am happy to do at the best of times – the one that adorns this blog, in fact. No response. There was a note on Facebook from his wife, though, on another, silly photo of me, “What’s up with the 80s hairstyle?” No indication that it was meant to be funny and I felt quite hurt, though I wouldn’t have said so because I was sure it wasn’t meant that way.

My son stayed in touch regarding some money that was owed to him. The emails were short one-liners. I sent more photos of us on a day out to our local country park. No response.

The phone calls continued but less frequently and I found myself actually avoiding answering once because I simply couldn’t face making the effort. I could hardly believe that I felt like that and was really angry with myself. It was easier to blame myself for not being ‘in the mood’ rather than acknowledge that I really didn’t want to speak to my own son because I knew the call would leave me feeling depressed.

During this time, we were having a new kitchen fitted, something I was proud of because wanting one for so long. When it was finished I emailed a few photos. What was I expecting? I don’t know, maybe a “Nice kitchen, Mum”. Nothing. Nada. No response. A few weeks later, in one of our lop-sided phone calls I asked him if he’d seen them,
“Yes.” he says.
“Well, do you like it?”
“It’s just a kitchen.”

Right-o. Now I am beginning to receive the message loud and clear. I’d forwarded a blog posting about the inadvisability of the swine flu vaccine, which Australia seems to be really keen on. Well that one actually provoked a response – a cold disagreement, dismissing of my concerns and a correction of my spelling. At that point, I cracked slightly and he got ‘the sharp edge of my tongue’ in email form, of course. In a further phone call I was told, “Don’t send us any more of your conspiracy theories, mother, we’re not interested.” Er… what ‘conspiracy theories’ exactly had I been sending? One link to a film about the US presidency and the one blog post about the Swine flue vaccine containing squaline, which was hardly a conspiracy ‘theory’.

My partner and I went on holiday for a week. We posted some great photos of the kids on the beach and having fun onto Facebook. No response. I wasn’t expecting anything anyway.

So we’re almost up-do-date. He managed a phone call on his brother’s birthday, telling us they were going to move back to the UK in March 2010. Initially I felt excited and couldn’t wait to tell people… but then I started feeling a slight dread. How would I deal with these two people who had become total strangers? I dismissed my nasty, sneakng thoughts and told myself off for not being pleased at the prospect of my first-born returning to the UK. What kind of mother was I to even feel like that, for heaven’s sake?

Now, I have to say at this point, that my son responds to anything his little brother sends him – even if they were merely links to little online games. He is ‘normal’ in his communications with him – still chatty and friendly. Presents were sent from to the kids for their birthdays in September and a present was sent from us to daughter-in-law (and I did receive a nice thank you email from her). Son also managed a reasonable email to his Dad advising him of the dates they were due to return. I got nothing. Bear in mind that, at this point, I haven’t said a word regarding my hurt feelings or the lack of responses to my mails and photos. I

The third of November was my son’s birthday. I’d got the kids to make cards, I’d written a friendly chatty message giving little bits of family news in another card and enclosed yet another card from my own father and posted it off in plenty of time. I sent an e-card, an email and a note on Facebook. Overkill? Maybe. What d’you think he said? Yay! Right on. No response.

After almost a week, and discovering that he had been saying thank you to a couple of friends on Facebook for their greetings, arranging a call with an old university friend… and that his wife had suddenly removed herself from our Facebook ‘friends’ without any explanation. At that point I was unable to remain calm. I was unable to communicate my feelings in a restrained, adult way. I blew.

And it felt good.

The hurt feelings, the subtle put-downs, the dismissive attitude, the non-responses all finally gelled in my brain. I suddenly felt better. It wasn’t me and my dozy imagination. I wasn’t a victim of my hormones. I hadn’t done anything wrong at all.  My son was a grown-up and the simple truth was that, as adults, we no longer have to like each other. What a revelation!

There will always be a bond; how could there not be? This is the baby I carried, protected, took care of and loved more than life. This is the boy who grew up with an extraordinary sense of humour and fun. This is the young man who was enthusiastic and interested about so many things.  He is living a spectacular life and I am so proud of him.

Circumstances change and people change with them. There doesn’t need to be blame or an admission of failure. It doesn’t even have to be a breakdown or a traumatic falling out. There just needs to be understanding and acceptance that a division has taken place and that it’s all okay. Everything works out for the best.

Update: My partner contacted my son and received a friendly reply. He asked if I was okay. He said he and his wife were going to ‘compose an email’ to me. They did. It was as though they were writing to a stranger he’d met on a train. It was factual and cold. They were ’surprised at my recent perspective of our relationship’. They do not think that any of this stuff happened, or if it did, that it even matters. There was no regret or anything approaching understanding. He could not even write to me himself.

I am the Wicked Witch of the West and I must have made it all up.

Final Solutions: How to Raise Kids Without Fucking Everything Up

By Independent Consultant Michelle Glasshappy

-Don’t have sex with your children. Trust me, they just aren’t that into you.

-Raising a kid is a lot like cooking a soufflé. If you don’t get the timing just right, the whole thing is ruined. So take care to not wait until age 5 or 8 to start potty training. Also, don’t fuck your soufflé. That is very bad.

-Make sure that you feed them a good, balanced dinner everyday. Add lots of veggies to it and switch things up every once in a while to introduce new flavors. Do not switch things up by sodomizing them.

-Religion and childrearing is a controversial subject, but I’m willing to say that if your faith helps you then you should go ahead and introduce your children to the church as well. It will form a closer familial bond. Make sure that your child behaves and that the clergy does not have sex with your child.

-When you have the sex talk, don’t have sex with your kid to help to illustrate your points.

-Giving your kids candy every once in a while won’t fuck them up. Just don’t make them hunt for it in your vagina.

-Family pets can be an excellent way to give children an element of responsibility early on without overwhelming them. Taking care of a dog will help prepare them for bigger responsibilities later on. Do not have sex with the family pet, or any children associated with the family pet.

-There is a lot of confusion surrounding the safety of vaccinations. The universal conclusion in the medical and scientific community is that you are way better off getting vaccines for your kids. The threat of allergies and autism are just trumped up by ideological groups. Injecting dead viruses into your kids is significantly better for them than injecting them with penises.

-To help your kids understand the value of a dollar, don’t have sex with them. Oh wait, I mean you should have them do chores in exchange for an allowance rather than just handing them money. And don’t make them have sex with you. That is not an appropriate chore!

-If you are taking your kids on a road trip to Disneyland, and they insist that they need to use the bathroom, don’t say “Sure, but you gotta have sex with me first.” That is just bad motherhood.

Welcome to the world of blogging!

As this is my first blog, I wanted to do a huge hello to the world! I will be writing to you about children…the things I know best! Before my own dear children I taught Kindergarten and laughed the day away with the wonderful antics of my classroom. Now I spend my days with my own daughter taking new adventures and gaining knowledge on this world called parenthood. As we are expecting our 2nd child in April, whom I am guessing is a boy, I’m sure it will be a whole different adventure ahead of me. I can’t wait to share my journey, thoughts, and impressions with you!

Their names were hurricane and echo. And they stole a little bit of my heart.

What’s that sound? Oh, right. It’s the sound of ZERO CHILDREN IN COSTUME KNOCKING ON MY DOOR AND ASKING FOR SOME OF MY AWESOME CANDY. What is WITH THIS? It’s HALLOWEEN! Aren’t kids in apartment complexes supposed to go building to building? Is that NOT a clever scheme to get candy out the WAZOO? I know, I understand. No doorbells, no reassuring porch lights, and “stranger danger.” But wouldn’t hitting 12 doors a building beat walking up and down a whole STREET. Granted, there are more than enough stairs at the apartment complex. But hey, the kids need to burn off the candy energy somehow, yes?

On the greener side of the grass, pumpkin fest was downtown today. Oh, and it was so cool. Definitely going on the calendar for next year. The streets were LINED with merchant tents and food venders and there were SO many people. You have to understand, I have never been to a legitimate city festival before. Especially not one the caliber of this. (Stop, Riverfest does not count and I do not go to Toad Suck Daze.) My personal favorite part? The costume contests.

Most Creative Kid Costumes I Saw:

• A box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (She was my favorite)
• Multiple peacocks (The prettiest one was the girl with real feathers)
• A couple of  “Ugly Dolls”
• An Ipod
• A gnome
• One of the members of Kiss
• A facebook page (really, Halloween 2009?)
• A cupcake (whose parents were an oven and a chef)
• Spider woman (it was INTENSE)
• and an ittty bitty baby girl was dressed as the most precious strawberry I HAVE EVER SEEN
  **note, there are several that deserve credit that I can’t remember. darn. it.

But the costume contests didn’t stop there. OHH, NO. There were PET costume contests too. And if you think puppies are precious with NO clothing, you should see them dressed up. There were great danes dressed as bumble bees, a million doxens dressed as hot dogs, lots of little yorkies dressed as pumpkins, and this gigantic black lab that was wearing bunny ears that gave me SO MUCH joy. These two, big gingery-colored dogs won the costume contest: they were wearing custom made tuxedo jackets and shirts and little top hats and carrying roses in their mouths. Their names were hurricane and echo. And they stole a little bit of my heart.

What has the rest of my halloween produced? Leftovers and watching The Proposal. In it’s defense, I really liked it. Sandra Bullock is admittedly one of my favorite actresses and I love how she spins romantic comedies.  I’m actually on round two of watching it. BUT I would have thought my Halloween night plans might be a bit more elaborate. Not complaining though. A relaxing weekend was what I was wanting, and a relaxing weekend is what I am getting.

Note to self: next time, relax on NOT holiday weekends.

Until Inspiration Strikes,

Lo

Live 100 Lives In One Lifetime

Live 100 Lives in One Lifetime

 

“Life is to be lived.”, has been bandied around and written about very often. But what does it mean?

 

What is life? What means, “To Live a life?” Each of those questions require multiple answers.

 

Whose life are we talking about? One of the first things we must do is not get caught in the “All-ness” trap. Looking for one answer that will fit every one.

 

There are many different meanings for the word life. There are several different streams of Evolution on the planet also. Each with it’s own set of meanings for the word “life.”

 

Since this article is written for a spiritual audience, let’s look at the different paths of spiritual evolution.

 

Every thing in the Universe is evolving. The Universe is just as much alive as a human. The only true purpose of Universes, planets, Suns, and people is to evolve, become more spiritual.

 

To become more spiritual means to work your way through your many physical realities (incarnations), back to your original non-physical reality. An individual soul in the Mind of God.

 

Back to the three modes of expression of Evolution on the planet. There is the mass majority (well over 90%) who could care less about spiritual evolution. They are content with their purely physical reality. Eat, Drink and be Merry.

 

They are also evolving, but they have chosen the long, slow path of massive evolution with it’s pain and suffering.

 

Then there is the five per centers. Those who have achieved the status of “Good Housekeepers.” Those who have raised a family, worked steadily at an occupation and generally have become quite civilized compared to the rest of humanity.

 

But they have a burning itch inside of them. The feeling that there has to be more to life then that what they are experiencing.

 

They start their search into the metaphysical and spiritual worlds seeking out answers to the questions, “Who am I?”, “Where did I come from?”, “Where am I going?”. There is a strong dissatisfaction for what they see all around them.

 

They become ’seekers’. The meaning of and for life changes. They are eating different mental and spiritual foods. They are starting to change their inner life. As their inner life changes, the signal they send out, which attracts new people, places and events into their lives, changes also.

 

With the attraction of these new people, places and events they begin to start a new life.

 

This will be a different life from their present one. As they continue their studies and associations in the spiritual and metaphysical worlds they will slowly continue to change their signal. This upgrades the people, places and events they experience. They can quite possible live several lifetimes in one lifetime.

 

Then there is the third stream of evolution. Those older souls who have walked and talked the “Spiritual Path” before in previous incarnations.

 

They are not really interested in what Society has to offer. They want to get on with their Quest. The signal that they send out will eventually be picked up by or sensed by an elder brother of the race, an advanced spiritual being. Or even a Master.

 

They will be brought together sometimes even by bizarre or unexplainable means. Even if they are thousands of miles apart.

 

Now this “seeker” becomes a student or what the yogas in the East call a Chela.

 

The presence, as well as the teachings of the Elder brother will slowly cause changes within the energy structure of the student. Psychological, mental, emotional and spiritual changes.

 

The signal now sent out by the chela will again attract many new people, places and events. Past life attractions will provide opportunities to “Balance the Slate.”

 

Thus the chela, if he has the power, discipline and determination to stay within the cleansing fire of the teacher, may truly live one hundred lifetimes in one lifetime.

Ragnar Storyteller (AKA Ellis Peterson is a Korean War Vet living with his wife Lory and dog Dixie in the boonies of the Pocono Mountains. He is a retired math professor and electronics engineer. He is the inventor of the simple radionics device called “The Nordic Ond Orgone Generator”. He has written over 200 articles and booklets on runes, radionics, quantum physics, viking history, orgone generators and alternate healing methods. You can see more of his works on his websites:

 

http://www.olevikingshop.com/

 

http://www.runes-for-health-wealth-love-now.com/

 

http://www.Spiritual-Quantum-Physics.builderspot.com

 

http://www.radionics-quantum-physics.com/

 

VISIT HIS NEW EBAY STORE

 

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/ragnarstorytller

 

 

Visit his Blogger page. Over 40 separate blogs on: Runes, radionics, Quantum Physics, Alternate Healing Techniques, Hidden Viking History, Astrology and the Occult Sciences.

 

http://www.blogger.com/profile/01628942695087696423

 

Visit his LULU Book Store. Softcover and E Books on Runes, Radionics, Quantum Physics, Healing, Astrology and Occult.

 

http://stores.lulu.com/ellis111

 

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How TV Provides Nutritional "Education"

Here are some amazing (and very sad) facts:

I just learned that by the time the average American graduates from high school, he or she has watched 360,000 ads on television. Yes, three-hundred-sixty-thousand.

The majority of these are food ads, and now here it comes: 95 % of the advertised foods are actually unhealthy. Speak of nutritional education, or rather indoctrination. A bad ad or two might not influence a person right away, but thousands and thousands of junk-food ads? Who can withstand that kind of brainwashing, especially as a child?

Clearly, laissez-faire capitalism doesn’t have the answers here.

Pete and Re-Pete

It’s after school, the weather is gorgeous and we are outside playing in the cul-de-sac. The new neighbor boy, who is seven, has anxiously waited for my boys to come home. He seems to enjoy having two, small pseudo-brothers to play with.

They all are on pedal powered vehicles of all shapes and sizes. They are crashing into each other and having a blast. It’s fun to watch little brother Frick try to keep up with the big boys. He imitates his brother to perfection. So much in fact that when Frack goes kersplat, Frick slows his trike, leans over and fully commits to falling, too. Pete and re-pete, that’s what my Mom used to call them. As that thought automatically pops into my head, I pause and think of her. I’m really missing her lately.

I don’t have time to ponder my sadness for long. I am hopelessly attempting to teach little Frick how to pedal, which for some odd reason angers him tremendously. While I am doing this, the aromatic air swishing back towards me indicates he needs a diaper change. We head inside and take care of business. No sooner than we return, Frack announces, “I need to poop!” The urgency with which he states this indicates he better move fast. He hesitates because he is scared to go in the house alone. I tell him to get over himself as I have to gather up little brother Frick who is clear across the way before I can go in. He does, but it’s not without complications.

By the time I grab Frick and head inside, Frack is running frantically out of the house with his underwear around his ankles near hysterics. “Where were you, Mommy!?! I don’t want to be alone!” I’m feeling exasperated yet slightly amused at watching a half-naked Frack attempt to maneuver with the constraints of his underwear around his ankles. Eventually, things calm down and both boys have sparkly-clean tushies.

We go outside. The neighbor boy announces he is thirsty. Guess what? Pete and re-pete realize at that instant they are parched as well. We all head back inside again, drinks are distributed and I begin to contemplate putting them all in the garage in lockdown.

Once everyone’s thirst has been quenched, we return outdoors. Even though life in general can be cumbersome with small kids, I’m glad we stayed the course and remained outside. To watch them in their glory made my heart smile. I’d repeat that any day of the week.

Closure of Care Unit yet another example of State's failure to protect children

The revelation that the leading children’s Special Care Unit in Ireland must close is yet another example of the State failing children, according to Labour’s Spokesperson on Children, Senator Alex White.

“The Minister for Children must explain how conditions at the Special Care Unit in Ballydowd became so unacceptable that there was no option but to close. I would question why it took the HIQA inspection report to recommend ‘urgent action’, before this issue was raised with the Minister responsible.

“The report highlights the ‘serious difficulties of trust’ between management and staff. This was taking place at what was meant to be the leading care unit in the State. It appears that the failure began when the €13 million facility opened only nine years ago.

“There must be immediate assurances that the children currently in the care unit are transferred in a dignified and safe manner.

“It is another addition to the catalogue of this government’s failures on children. Following the publication of the Ryan Report, the Minister promised that ‘the State must now and in the future, deliver care services that nurture and support children.’ The closure of this facility is another striking example of the government’s lamentable failure to deliver such care services.”

More :: Click here to read the HIQA Inspection Report (PDF)

Why MY kids are NEVER sick...

I don’t want to brag.  Okay, I DO!  My kids are always bright eyed, cough and runny nose free, winter time fiends, balls of bursting, healthful energy 24/7 & 365 days a year.  When we want a rest, we have to give them 2mg of melatonin, cause these kids never crash land!

People constantly ask us why our kids are never sick.  Even when all their playmates are out with the flu, or when there is a bad bug going around, my kids are the only ones left out on the playground.  Here are just SOME of the tips on how we do it, and a few may just surprise you.  I am loaded with great ways to get the little ones into health, so if you have a question, I will do my best to help out.  But for NOW…

1. Vaccinate your kids (but do it my way…):

Now I surely do NOT mean vaccinate your kids with the poison potions that the doctors wield around in gigantic needles.  No, the vaccines we give our kids are free!  During the summer months (when there are no major bugs going around, allow your kids to put their hands in their mouths after being in the shopping cart.  Let them lick the slide if they want to.  Their sneakers can go right on the table.  The can crawl on the floor at your favorite coffee shop without 400 degree water to sterilize them with after.  Any nurse will tell you that all this “sterilizer” we are using is causing super bugs.  Our kids are kept so safe from all these viruses and bacterias, that the moment their little system gets one, it’s off the the sick house, sometimes for a week or more!  If you allow their immune system to encounter small virsues on a daily basis, by the time winter comes around, they’ve already had a much lighter version of what has everyone else in the gutter!  This is advice passed on from my grandmother, who lived to be 92 and was only sick one time that I knew her!  This is a well known bit, but a piece of knowledge we have allowed ourselves to get too fearful (or squeimish) over. The only place we don’t allow this kind of modesty are public restrooms &  foreign countries for reasons that I hope are self-explanatory.

2. Get livestock!  Recent studies show the benefit to raising your own poultry, beef, and goats milk is more than the obvious!  People who are exposed to the pathogens from healthy livestock fight disease better AND have a significantly reduced chance of getting cancer.  Whether this is from the fresh, non-processed foods you get from your own backyard (as opposed to the canned or Made in China variety) or if the germs passed to us from our feathered friends allows our bodies to create super barriers, I don’t know…I can’t bring myself to read a whole damn medical article with all the awful footnotes etc.  But you can read it and then go right out and get a few chickens (legal even in rural neighborhoods)!

3.  Grow Shrooms and let your kids have them!

I mean it.  Kombucha is the coolest science experiment turned MAJOR bonus to your families health.  The healing properties of this mushroom have been reported for nearly a thousand years.  Not to mention, it is any little boys fantasy to have a gigantic, slimy mushroom to play with.  It’s really termed a “zoogleal mat” which is funny enough to make the kids laugh, which is also perfect medicine for the body.  The taste is not so bad, and better when you find the recipe you like best.  And best YET when you realize that it has real, time honored healing capabilities.  Study up on this really good before you take to it, as making the tea in an unsterilized pot, a pot with lead, or overdosing on the tea could be bad.  Next, I will show you how we use it in…

4.  Mom’s Magic Elixer!

When Dublin was a baby he was so healthy no one could believe it.  He was well-breast fed, gaining weight and very alert.  This was until he turned 6 months old and we vaccinated him like a bunch of uneducated idiots.  Then his leg swelled to 3 times its normal size, he suffered from constant fevers, earaches, acid reflux, diarrhea, and much worst.  I began researching all the things I could do, and found that herbs are mostly a safe remedy for adults, but they caution using them on babies.  So, I had to develop two plans.

First, a healthy elixer to use for babies and second, an elixer to use for us adults to stay healthy around the baby that could also be used as he got older.  Since babies are so sensitive, I advise you go to an herbalist if your child is under 3.  So, my first recipe is simple.  Lots of breast milk.  When you make the baby food, like rice or corn, put it in a small saucer of HOMEMADE chicken broth, skimming and saving the fat and oils from the top to pour on babies food.  Also juicing spinach and green apples with a few carrots, and giving baby this mixed with water twice a day, no more than 2 oz juice and 2 oz water at a time is amazing!

Then, once they turn that magic number, here is what I started using.  I fill a large dropper bottle (the kind you get at the healthfood store, about the size of the plastic ones you get children’s tylenol in) with Kombucha tea that I bought (I always BUY the komucha for the elixer, as it has to be very sterile.  Then I take 2 zinc pills and grind them to a powder.  Next, I add 1/2 tsp of goldenseal powder.  Next, 2 tbsp of Echinacea root extract (all this can be purchased at any healthfood store).  I then add a pack of Emergen-C fizzy vitamin C.  In the morning I give the kids 1 dropperful, and one dropperful at night.  The taste is so bad that you have to bribe them, which is the perfect time to give them a licorice lozinge or other healthy sucker that you can ALSO get from the health food store, some even have vitamins in them.

5.  Juice, and not the shelf!

Don;t juice the shelf at your local supermarket.  It is pure sugar and dye!  Why not just let your kid eat rubber?  Instead, make a small investment in a juicer.  Buy carrots, celery, spinach, green aplles and parsly.  You can do like we do and slowly add ginger and garlic cloves little by little.  We juice every morning and every night.  The kids drink 4 oz undiluted, or 6 oz if you add a little unpasterized apple juice to it.  First, give them a cool straw!  It helps.  We put a treat right next to the glass and play a game.  We point a little further down on the glass each time, telling them, drink to here, and making a big deal out of it when they do.  When it is gone and you can hear the “gurlge” at the bottom, they get the treat.  Now we don’t even bribe them anymore!  They drink it down and ask for more, but it is a process, and you cannot let them win.  If they know they will sit at the table all night, they will drink it.  Or if you give them a worst alternative, they will instanlty go for the easier and sweeter of the two.  Just be smarter than the kids!

6. Get Yeast.

Brewers yeast.  We sprinkle brewers yeast onto everything they eat.  It is flavorful and yummy.  We add it to their protein drinks, their juice, their backed potatoes, their soup, their toast and their vanilla ice cream.  Brewer’s yeast is often used as a source of B-complex vitamins, chromium, and selenium. The B-complex vitamins in brewer’s yeast include B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folic acid), and H or B7 (biotin)! These vitamins help break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, which provide the body with energy. BY helps you loose weight, builds the immune system, supports the nervous system, help maintain the muscles used for digestion, and keep skin, hair, eyes, mouth, and liver healthy.

7.  Cut it out:

Kids were never meant to consume the kids of food dyes, processed junk and candy that they are forced to eat every day.  I say forced because we are so busy that we never have “time” anymore to cook that fresh from the farm 6 course meal.  Not true!  I wake up 10 minutes early.  The night before I get all my ingredience together.  In the morning, I toss them into this cool, amazing thing called a crock pot.  Just imagine, 7 hours later you have a healthy, complete meal.  I add in dandelion leaves, parsley, fresh herbs, cloves of garlic, onion, fresh veggies, chicken and let it super slow cook all day.  You can make 100’s of recipes in a crock pot.  I would suggest you and your family having broth at least 3 times a week at night, even as a “late night treat.”  The fat in broth cooked without MSG using Celtic Sea salts and with the gizzards of the bird, is the BEST weapon to give your body against infection.  Kids love it with a few noodles tossed in.  I also will use real beets to make it bright pink, and my daughter just loves it!  Instead of letting your kids have all this junk, just invest a few minutes of time each evening, even while listening to the radio or watching TV from the other room.  It is so worth it, and gives the kids a feeling of being nurtured by mom and dad.

8.  Turn them on!

Turn them on to “strangeFruit.”  Make it a competition, who can find and eat the ugliest fruit of vegetable.  Be willing to fix it and eat it with them.  Keep trying!  My son will eat ANYTHING he gets to pick himself, from the garden or the shelf.  My daughter loves Pomegranites!  Be excited about it and don’t get grossed out.  Pretend you love it even if you don’t!

9. Pretend they are sick:

Reverse mantra?  Nope.  If you treat their bodies as though they are sick, you are being premptive.  Put them to bed by 8pm at the latest if they are under 10.  Put cool mist vaporizer in their rooms, adding ecalyptus oil, and clean it out constantly to prevent bacteria.  Air out their rooms in the day, even if it is cold!  Put oil in their noses before school, olive oil is great, vitamin E is best.  I use a Q-tip and put it on thick.  This is PROVEN to block germs from entering.  Have them gargle goldenseal (just a touch) and sea salt after they brush their teeth.  Treat cuts with colloidal silver.  Use colloidal silver for ear infections too!  Their bath each night should have a tsp Tea Tree oil in it to kill staph on the body and heal cuts.  When they get out use sunflower or Sesame oil to put on their skin, all over.  This is an Ayurvedic measure that works.  Follow all these previous suggestions!

If you do 60% of this, I would drop dead if your kid missed more than 10 days of school in a term.  Mine miss about 3 per year.  Good luck, and remember that your child feeling love, safe and nurtured is the MOST important piece of all of this.

Love,

Da Mama Shea

the KOGIWU Mobile!

KOGIWU (ko-gee-woo) – an acronym for the Kingdom of God is Within U – a reminder that faith is an everyday journey

Monday thru Friday I drive my kids to school. At some point during our commute, we talk about KOGIWU or just say it as part of our good-bye. They joked with me that they are going to name my car the KOGIWU mobile!

Car rides are great times to reflect on KOGIWU. I have a friend who is a priest on the North Shore of Boston. I sought out his opinion on the concept of KOGIWU. He loved it! He said that any way he can help his parishioners not leave their faith at the door on Sundays would be something he would embrace.

Reminding yourself of KOGIWU many times during the day helps strengthen your faith. It brings your faith into everyday life and not something you focus on one day a week during a religious service.

A car ride is certainly one time you can be thinking about KOGIWU. I can imagine many KOGIWU mobiles traveling the roads!

If you would like to learn more about KOGIWU, visit the About KOGIWU and How to Apply KOGIWU to Your Life posts on this blog.

Working Hard

Wow another month has passed. I have been working OT for the entire month of October. Just working and working hard. I like my job most of the time. I don’t have a problem with the people I serve. The company and the way it conducts business… That’s another story. Besides working I have just been chilling. Tryig to get back to the basics. I cut a lot of trif ass people out of my life and I am content with that although my phone doesn’t ring much it’s ok. I am glad I don’t have to deal with stupidity. I have gotten kinda in the groove of painting again and that is pretty cool. It helps me pass time away at work when it starts to slow down. Well I’m getting ready to watch MJ do his thing. May he rest in peace. I am trying to think of more interesting things to write about so thanks for rocking with me stay tuned there is definitely more to come.