A Boy Named Sue

Growing up without a father and then being named Sue, Johnny Cash's song, "A Boy Named Sue" shows how this boy was picked on, tormented and learned to stand up for himself at a very young age. His father knew that he wasn't going to be around physically so he gave him a name that would prove to make him strong and survive.
In the song the father says: "But ya ought to thank me, before I die, For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye." To me this is where the best illustrations came out. The gravel in ya gut shows a man who is hardened and rough. The spit in my eye resembles the hatred and despise he felt for his father all those years growing up. While being named Sue wasn't a pleasant or liked name, it did prove to teach the boy how to stand tall and protect himself in the absence of a father.

Miss Turn the Paige

I have a Persian cat, her name is Miss Turn the Paige. She is a fuzzy ball of grey fur. She often leaves me dust bunnies........oh the fun of owning a long haired cat. I have had her for over 20 years now and just this past year she has started acting very strange. My husband thinks she is seeing ghosts. She will walk into a dark room and stare at nothing and then start this crazy, indescribable meowing. I think it is because our other cat had to be put to sleep and she misses her, but they didn't really like each other so who knows. Whatever it is, it is enough to drive you crazy. Very loud and extremely annoying. Having said all of that, I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. I have added a picture of her in her summertime "do". Don't feel sorry for her, she actually loves it when I shave her!

My son

My son is my only child. I call him my miracle. I was never able to have any more children. Recently he decided to join the Army. I guess I always knew he would. He has talked about it since he was a kid. My husband was in the Army and I think he has always wanted to follow that path. While I pushed him to go to college, it just wasn't the right fit for him at the time. He had a very good job and had moved up in the company nicely. Still the yearn for the Army kept calling him.
As a mom this is probably one of the hardest things I have had to deal with. I am so pissed that he joined the Army, only because we are at war and I just keep thinking, "what are you thinking joining now!". Yet, another part of me is so proud of him. As a man he has grown into someone I not only respect, but greatly admire. I don't think that I would have the guts to join the military during this unsettled time. To say that I am proud of him, would be an understatement. The pride within me beams. In today's society many young adults not only aren't responsible, but would never give up the freedoms and luxuries to serve their country. While this separation is hard, I keep my chin up and know that he is doing something that he loves and that if it were not for all of our brave soldiers I and everyone else would not enjoy the freedoms we have. I am not looking forward to his deployment to Afghanistan, but I know I just have to keep the faith and hope for the best.  I love you "slick"......themommy :0)
p.s. Happy Birthday

Murphy's Law: "Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong."

After working several years in a factory, my company decided to go to 4- 10 hour days. Working 3rd shift, this allowed me to seek a part-time job for the weekends. My intentions were to help build back up my savings which had become depleted due to an accident my husband had which caused him to be off work for over 5 months. I applied for one job and got it. It was a totally different setting and I really loved it. Soon after getting the second job, my factory job smacked us all in the face stating that it would be closing the doors in June (this was May). To make matters worse I was made to work every weekend at the factory job making it impossible to work the second job. I had a boss who was willing to work with me and have others fill in for me during the time off. The end of June came, still working, then July, August, September and into Oct. I had to quit the part-time job, it just wasn't fair to those filling in for me and I had NO idea how long my factory job would last. The week after I quit the part-time job, I was given notice at my factory job that it was my last day. So, after having two jobs, finally getting ahead I was now down to no jobs and no idea what to do. 
I felt like I was in a large hole and everytime I had made it to the top, there was someone standing there ready to kick me back down. At my age and with the way the economy was, what was I going to do? I decided to go to college. I never want to work in a factory again. 
I think that when things go wrong, it is the way that you look at them which determines whether they are wrong, or if they are a huge opportunity. They say that God never gives you more than you can handle. Maybe this is true. All I know is I went from the depths of a massive depression to a new found love for school and this wonderful challenge I have. While I thought all of my bad fortune was bad, it really ended up being a blessing in disguise. I never would have went to college or had the opportunity to do this had it not been for the loss of my jobs. 

Life Without My Grandma

Yesterday was my grandma's birthday. Oh how I wish she were still here with me. Next month she will be gone for 10 years. I can't believe it's been that long, yet how my world has changed since she left us. When I was a baby a tradition started in my family. My grandma would make lunch for all of us every Saturday. I grew up never knowing that most families didn't do this. Being an only child, it was pure enjoyment for me to be able to gather with all my cousins and family. Over the years it varied a bit, but mostly it was the same year after year. We would arrive around noon, have a wonderful meal and us kids would play and then we would get a baggie and collect some candy to take with us for the week. My grandma was the best at having candy around. She always had every one's favorite and went out of her way to make pies, cookies and the best food. As time went on, less and less of my cousins came, but the main ones returned week after week. My grandma went out of her way to make sure that every one's favorites were there. As she aged and it got harder for her to shop, we all took turns taking her to the store and eventually we just went for her. I lived the closest to her and often would arrive early to help her prepare the meal. When I lived out of town Saturday was my least favorite day. Oh how I missed sitting around her table. Now, she is gone and I have that table, yet the family isn't the same. We aren't as close and even though my cousin owns her house now, it's not the same. Time has moved on and the main stable of our family isn't here to keep all the pieces together. Although it is sad to think about her being gone, I am so happy that I had this growing up and that my son was able to experience it too. It really was a unique and fun part of my life.

Technology Intergrated With Our Lives

When my son was 5, we decided that our family should get a computer. That was almost 19 years ago. WOW! Hard to believe that, but having said that you can tell that I am one of the older "kids" going to college. I think that I might see this technology a bit different than the younger kids at school. When I was in high school, to do a research paper was a nightmare! A lot of time in the library, trying to find what you were looking for in the good old card catalog. It still amazes me how easy it is to find out about anything, with just one click of your mouse.
Email; is a wonderful way of spreading a good joke or just keeping in touch with someone. It doesn't take too much time and the good part about it is, you can do it at your convenience and aren't tied to a phone or person who just won't stop talking!
I would have to say though, the greatest way that technology and the internet have enriched my life though, would be through the use of facebook and Skype. Through facebook, I have reconnected with several old friends from school, old co workers and family. It is a busy world that we live in and it's not always possible to call, text, or email everyone all the time. Now all I do is sign in and see what everyone is doing. While some people post a bit too much info, it is me who decides what to read and if I would like to respond. Skype is I must say, something I would have loved to have had years ago. When my husband was in the Army, we were stationed in West Germany. All we had was snail mail (I called it the pony express) and a few phone calls. It was very expensive to call home (around $2.00 a minute). We didn't have cell phones or computers and I got homesick quite a bit. Then I got pregnant and I really wanted my family and friends around. Today, my son is in the Army and he is in Alaska. Not only do we text and call each other often, we Skype too. It is so good to be able to see his beautiful smile and know he is OK. Being able to actually see your loved ones face really helps with the separations. Sometimes it is hard to "read between the lines" when reading a letter or text. Through Skype it is possible to see their reactions, and be a part of each others lives. Although being apart from loved ones is hard. Technology really has made it a lot easier. I would have given anything to have been able to show my parents my son's first year of life.
While all of these are great, there still are those few bad seeds out there that make all this wonderful technology tainted. Virus's, identity thief and cyber stalkers to name a few. Even with all the bad, I wouldn't go back for anything. I love having the ease and knowledge at my fingertips.