Kelly is Writing

Playing Catchup

2009-08-29T11:01:00.003-04:00

The kids have been in school since the end of July. They are both doing very well in school. Kait is on the safety patrol and recently recieved a letter from the Elementary Honors Society that she is now a member and will go to an induction on Sept 21. Tyler is really very good in school so far maintaining 3 a's and 2 b's. Here in the next month, he has the opportunity to join a league and learn how to shoot pool and eventually participate in competitions. Very exciting.

This weekend, we are celebrating Tyler's 13th birthday with his friends.( His actual birthday is Sept 1st) Yesterday one of his friends came over and spent the night last night and will again tonight along with 2 other of his friends. Full house.

I have been working very hard to lose weight and train for a 10k run next July. I had been switching things over to a new diet and I guess frankly a new lifestyle. I quit smoking a little over 12 weeks ago which feels great. I started walking and running. I can now run a solid half of mile without gasping for breath. I now walk and run 3.4 miles. Along with all this excersize, I have been changing the diet as well.
I dont eat red meat anymore, only chicken, turkey and occasionally fish. Lots of fruit and veggies and recently started drinking vanilla soymilk which is really not as bad as I thought it would be.
Anyway, yesterday, I found out from my doctor that my cholesterol and triglycerides are "absolutely horrible" according to my doctor. ( I also recently learned that genetics plays a huge part in this and that there are a lot of members in the family who have high cholesterol and are on meds or trying to prevent being on meds for it.)
So now I have to take two types of meds to lower those. Which of course has led me to looking at more options to changing my diet even more, like adding blueberry oatmeal and a special soymilk that also helps decrease cholesterol.

Either way, you have to crawl before you walk and when you come to a point in your life when you realize that the things you used to do arent cutting it and you decide to change those things, you realize that you are crawling again. I am learning how to have a different lifestyle and working towards goals that put me in a different mindset. My goals now lower cholesterol and trigs, lose 60 pds, and be able to run almost 7 miles. Easy huh !!!!

I am very excited that starting next week, College Football !!! WOOOHOOO!!!! I love college football, which reminds me that I need to check my information on Espn to get ready for College Pick'em.
I am hoping that with a new coach for Tennessee and new coordinators that my team will be a lot better this year. I am not expecting a huge conference game or championship but I am not keeping those tiny dreams out of my head either. hehe

My Wonderful Kids

2009-08-04T08:12:00.002-04:00

School is going good for the kids. This week is their first full week after going only two days last week.
Kaitlyn was a little upset because she didnt make it on the yearbook team but I told her not to worry about that she always has next year. She is already on saftey patrol and is waiting to hear whether or not she will be inducted into the Elementary Honors Society.
Tyler didnt make it to sign up for football so after he settle into school some we are going to put him in karate.

They are both growing up so fast it seems.

This Saturday coming up, Tyler and one of his friends decided that it would be great to have a yard sale. I decided to let them do it in our driveway and so they are really excited. I told them this was their deal and that I was going to just be outside reading a book and making sure that no one takes advantage of them. A kid run yard sale, I think is a great idea and will teach them a lot.
Of course, Tyler has been going through the house seeing what items I can donate.

Kait wanted to be a part of the yard sale with the guys but they dont want her to be a part of it. A guy thing or something. Thats okay. She is setting up a concession stand off the side of their yard sale. I got her 3 cases of different cokes and fruit punch and also a case of water. She is very excited about that. It gives her a chance to earn a little money too.

Of course they have made signs which they will put up this afternoon and Tyler's friend will be bringing all his stuff to put in the garage tomorrow. Friday night he will spend the night so they can get up early and set everything up Saturday morning. They have decided together to start the yard sale at 9am and end it at 4pm.

This will be interesting and fun to watch them run their own yard sale and Kait her concession stand. I hope that they get some nice sales and make a little extra money.

Tyler Strikes Again

2009-07-31T06:43:00.003-04:00

The kids had a great first day of school. Tyler's bus came home about 15 minutes late as it was supposed to be home at 2:45pm. I guess that worked out better because it was raining and storming during the time he should have been home. Though I did embarass him waiting outside for him with an umbrella. He is at the age where mom is the uncoolest person on the face of the earth and there is nothing more embarrassing than mom being anywhere around him outside of the house. LOL Its ok, I get it and understand.

Kait's bus was an hour late. So Tyler went with me to the bus stop. There are some trees by the bus stop and Tyler was crawling on one of them. He decided that he would sit where the tree starts to branch out and he laid back. Somehow he got himself twisted so that one hip was higher than the other and that leg crossed over the first.

Anyway, he got wedged in the split and got stuck. I pushed, pulled, and even pinched his butt before I relaized that he wasn't joking around and he was really wedged into the tree. I think the fact that his one leg started changing colors from a lack of circulation helped to cement the fact he couldnt get himself free.

Now, I was laughing so hard I couldnt stand up straight. Tyler didnt think it was that funny. I finally had to call and get my husband to come to the bus stop to help get Tyler out of the tree. Magd took pictures with his iphone of the whole ordeal before he would even touch Tyler. HAHAH, we have to keep reminders for him.
After much begging I was asked not to put the pictures on my blog. However, when Magd gets home from work this afternoon, I will upload the pics from his iphone and can send pictures to my loving family because they are hillarious.

Kids First Day Back To School

2009-07-30T08:14:00.002-04:00

WOOHOO !!!!!!!!!!!

The kids are back in school, the kids are back in school, Hi Oh Am Merry Oh, the kids are back in school.

The morning started at 5:30. It was dark. The alarm clock played its happy tune. I stirred under my covers. I opened my eyes quickly remembering that there was somthing great about today. This was the day, this is the day. I jump from the bed and shake my husband. Wake up, wake up I yelled to him.
Normally, I am not a morning person but this morning would be an exception.

As I walk to the rooms of my sleeping children, another burst of energy hits me. Whats this, I havent even had my morning cup of joe yet.

My husband jumps on them while they are sleeping, not leaving their rooms until they are out of bed. Meanwhile, I am downstairs whipping up a breakfast fit for a king. Toasted double fiber whole wheat bread, two eggs runny, spicy beef sausage patties.

Then at 6:30, we walk my son to the bus to catch the 6:40 bus to school. Then at 7:30 we walk our daughter to the bus stop to catch the 7:40 bus to school.

Then, a movie clip came to mind. Braveheart. I could here the popular movie line.

FREEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM

And yes, we are now free, at least until 2:45pm when my son gets home from school.

School Starts Thursday, July 30th

2009-07-26T10:36:00.004-04:00

The kids are very upset about the fact that school will start in 4 days. Last night we decided to make them go to bed at 9pm to try and get a sleep schedule back in order which made the kids even unhappier. Tyler is a night owl and spent his summer up all night and even most times saying good morning to his dad when he gets up for work.

This week will be busy. Last night I went and bought all the school supplies on the horribly long school list. Sad thing is that I know that isn't all especially for Tyler. Not only is there a generic supply list, each teacher has their own supply list which we don't get until we go to open house.

Today we are going school clothes shopping when Magd gets home from work. I can't say that is all that fun. The kids are at the age where they are particular which is fine so long as we can find what they are looking for. Kait is a little more difficult this year because she is not in girls clothes anymore and she doesnt quite fit into juniors. That makes clothes shopping a challenge and needless to say a bit more interesting.

Tuesday is open house at the schools. Kait is still in the elementary school and so her open house is from 3:30-5:30. Tyler is in middle school and his open house is from 4:00-6:00. Ironically, everything hinges on what time Magd will leave work which I have made a point to remind him about every day because I need him to be home to take us to open house.

Thursday is the glorius first day of school. AHHHHHHHHHHHH can you hear the angels singing.

Of course this will mean that Tyler and I have to get up at 5:45 am and then Kait gets up at 6:00am. Once the buses leave the neighborhood, woohoo, I am a free woman. Well as free as I can be without a vehicle.

The good thing is that I will be able to start working on my distance running. My goal is to be able to run 7 miles by next year for the Peachtree City Road Race. Anyway, we will see how that goes.
The plus is that I have quit smoking now for 2 months and I feel great so it will be something that is permanent. Secondly, I am working on losing weight and getting into shape. So, in a way, training for the road race will help me work harder on those things.

Anyway, the count down is on for school and I am ready!!!!! even if the kids are not lol

Tyler Versus Gigante

2009-07-20T10:39:00.003-04:00

Sunday was mine and my husband's 8 year wedding anniversary. We had made some plans previously in the week but decided at last minute to do something different. We went to a mexican resturant that we hadn't been to in over a year.

At the resturant, we were looking over the menu when my son, Tyler, found an item that if eaten completely would net him a t-shirt.
It was a 16" long supreme burrito called the Gigante.

My son begged us to let him get the burrito and we finally decided to let him do it. Tyler passed up chips and dip and cheese sauce and refused to drink any sweet tea so that he had lots of room in his stomach.

When the burrito was brought out, the waiter looked at Tyler and smiled and asked him if he was sure he could do this because it is such a big thing. He then put the plate in front of Tyler. The burrito couldn't be seen at first because I think it was covered with a whole head of lettuce and six tomatoes. Hidden beneath though was a monster.
Gigante was filled with beans and ground beef. It was as wide as my hand and has round as two hands brought together with first fingers and thumbs touching. It was truly a monster to be reckoned with.

Tyler just smiled at this giant burrito and said no problem. He started by eating all the lettuce and tomatoes so that it exposed the true task beneath. He didn't drink one sip of tea or touch one chip during his quest to eat this giant.

Twenty five minutes later, sitting before Tyler, was a completely empty plate. Not even one bean left or peice of lettuce. Tyler had done it, he had defeated Gigante and now he has the shirt to prove it.

Back From Vacation

2009-07-18T10:08:00.003-04:00

We came back from vacation on Thursday. We had so much fun during that week. There was a lot of swimming in the river for the kids and we played games together. My dad and I got a lot of fly fishing done. For the first time ever when on vacation, I caught the first fish on the trip. We didnt catch many trout, 3 nice size ones and a couple minnows lol.

I had a great birthday. My mom and dad gave me one of dad's plaques that I love that has John 3:16 scrolled inside of it. My mom got me $25 worth of flies for fishing and they got me a nice triple chocolate cake for my birthday. Also on the day of my birthday, my dad and I spent several hours in Smoky Mountain Park fly fishing and checking out fishing holes. We did quite a bit of climbing and lots of fishing. It was so much fun. We didnt catch anything that day but we got to spend a lot of time together and that was the best part.

My husband surprized me with a birthday present too. He is sometimes not real good about stuff like that. He gave me a Tennesse Vols Shirt and a Jersey plus two journals and he even signed the birthday card this year. lol

I have discovered how much my kids are growing up. While camping. we needed some stuff from Walmart so we all went there. Kaitlyn and my mom were walking around the store together when Kait had a young guy walk up to her and say " Hey Baby ".
Then we went to a store that was selling handmade fudge. Tyler was getting flirted with by the girl behind the counter. She kept working on getting his attention and giving me free fudge.
Lastly, in the camp ground, the day before we left, a camper pulled in a couple of spaces over from us and there were two young girls. The youngest, I say is around Tyler's age, blond hair and cute, kept walking by the camp site we were in and checking out Tyler. Tyler was impressed with her too and got the courage up to talk to her. ( Only saying Hi and then another time asking her if she was having fun.)

It was a great time together and we didnt get a lot of rain when we were there however the night before we were leaving, it stormed a lot for a couple of hours in the veru early moring hours.

Dad and I had a very close call with a skunk and I still dont know how we didnt get sprayed. I guess our angels had a little something to do with that.
It was after midnight and dad went to the back of the camper to empty some tanks. I walked around to the back and was talking to him. I caught the glimpse of something beside us between the back tires on the camper. I looked under the camper and there was a skunk. It took off running and dad and I were laughing and thanking God for not getting skunked lol.

Anyway it was a great vacation and as with any great vacation, it goes by faster than it should and ends before you know it. We always have next year.

7-8-9

2009-07-08T11:35:00.002-04:00

Hi All, did you notice today's date?

Anyway, have a lot to do today to finish getting ready for our vacation. The kids and I will be gone for one week. One week of camping, fishing, cook outs, fishing, games with the kids, fishing, spending time with the folks, and more fishing.

So, I better get busy.

Take Care Everyone

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T11:10:00.002-04:00

Happy 4th of July to Everyone!!!!

Tonight we are going to take the kids somewhere for fireworks, we just aren't sure where yet. Normally, we go to a shopping center outside of Stone Mountain and watch the fireworks there because Stone Mountain gets so packed that it would take us hours to get out of there after the show. We have lived here in Georgia 7 years and we have always done that so I guess it is like tradition.
However this year we might change that. There is a huge church that was built about a year ago that is 5 minutes from our house and they are doing a fireworks show between 9-10pm. My husband says we leave it up to the kids where they want to go because it is for them that we go see the fireworks.

So I guess we will wait and see. Tyler spent the night with his friends last night so he wont be home until this afternoon. Tyler has been gone more the last 2 weeks than he has been home.
Poor Kait hasn't gone anywhere. Most of her friends are out of town or doing other things. Last night I kind of spoiled her a bit. We went to the store and I got her 3 teen magazines that she loves. Then I bought vanialla yogurt ice cream and pina colada mixer and we made pina colada smoothies.

The count down is on, 4 more days and we go camping. The kids and I are so excited and we cant wait.

I also realized last night that it has been a month since I quit smoking. YIPPIE!!!!!!!

Anyway, I wish everyone a safe and wonderful July 4th.

Have you ever....

2009-07-03T11:19:00.002-04:00

Have you ever sat back and looked at someone you love and felt that you were holding them back?
Have you ever Believed with all your heart and soul that though you have always meant well and been very supportive, you should have done something more ?
Have you ever felt responsible that the person you love so much seems so far away from accomplishing the one thing that makes their dreams come true?
Have you ever closed your eyes and looked deeply inside yourself and asked how come what is important to you isnt that important to others?
Have you ever looked at your life and realized that it isnt anything that you thought it would be ?
Have you ever seen the disappointment in the eyes of the person you love and know that nothing you can do or say will make it go away ?

Have you ever looked into the eyes of your children and seen pure love ?
Have you ever watched how your child approaches a project or idea and seen the tiny adult inside them?
Have you ever taken one moment and watched the clouds in the sky ?
Have you ever imagined yourself somewhere other than where you are now?
Have you ever raced outside and had a waterballoon fight with your kids?
Have you ever looked into the eyes of your spouse and seen all the reasons you fell
in love with them ?

Have you ever taken the time to say I love you to all the people in your family?
Have you ever taken a moment to smile at a stranger ?

Have you ever Thanked God with everything that you are and could be for everything good and bad that has happened in your life and meant it ?

Have you ever...................

Just A Little Update

2009-06-28T12:54:00.003-04:00

The past couple of days have been fun. Tyler has two friends that have stayed over two nights in a row. They are good kids and everyone seems to be having fun. They have been playing a lot of playstation and watching tv plus bugging me.
One of Tyler's friends calls me grandma, lol crazy huh !?! But I guess that is payback for calling him a princess.
Either way, everyone is having fun.

I cant believe that June is almost over. Time is flying by so quickly. July brings lots of things. July 4th, we go to a shopping center close to Stone Mountain and watch the fireworks. July 8th, we head to Tennessee and see the folks and get everything together and go for our week long camping trip. July 14th is my birthday and July 19th is my 8 year wedding anniversary. The kids go back to school July 30th I think so we will have the dreaded school shopping the week before.
Yup, lots going on that month.

Anyway guess I will have to cut this short, everyone is waking up, yes at 1:10 in the afternoon, so I need to make breakfast or lunch. ( All 4 kids were up when my husband went to work at 4am this morning)

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T10:10:00.003-04:00

Happy Father's Day

I want to send out a very special " Happy Father's Day" to my dad who is my fishing buddy and my friend.
You are the best dad and you are number one.

Oceans of my love,
Kelly

Reflecting On The Past Week

2009-06-20T10:58:00.002-04:00

We just got back last night from a week in Calhoun wiht my husband's cousin. It was really nice and we had a lot of fun. The kids and I were in the pool almost every single day. We all got great tans though mine seems to be more or less an explosion of freckles on my face. We swam morning, noon, and night.
It is beautiful floating in the pool at night and staring at all the stars in the sky. It is so relaxing.

That is the good part although I think all that floating caused a nasty case of swimmers ear. I have never had swimmers ear before and I can tell you it sucks. My left ear feels clogged and I cant hear out of it real well and I have nasty jaw pain on the left side which makes it very difficult to chew.

If you don't know what swimmers ear is, it is an infection in the middle part of the ear. It is caused when water gets trapped in the ear and then bacteria grows causing an infection. The bacteria grows because the water trapped in your ear keeps your ear moist and the heat from your body becomes a bacteria sauna and helps it to grow.
It is very painful and I know I have been eating motrin like candy to bring the swelling down.

I looked up remedies on the computer but have to wait for the hubby to get home before I can go get the stuff to fix it. Apparently, alcohol and white vinegar is a great cure for swimmers ear. The alcohol dries up any water in the ear and the white vinegar kills bacteria. I will see later. ( Might have to go to the doctor anyway because my daughter is now complaining of left ear pain and it starting in the right)

As most know, a couple of weeks ago, the kids and I went to Florida to see my grandparents and while we were there to help them out a bit because one of them was in the hospital. During my time there, there was so much going on that I had quit smoking. Yes, really.
Now I have intentionally tried to quit a couple of times but always failed. This time however, I have maintained being able to quit. I dont have the urge to smoke and I have found that I dont miss it.
I have smoked for ten years and always enjoyed my cigs but now it just doesnt bother me. When you are a smoker, you dont notice the smell of the cigs in your house and on your clothes. Its weird because now I can really smell it.
It is crazy how not smoking changes simple things too. After I had quit, I was brushing my teeth one night and I noticed that my toothbrush tasted nasty. I ended up having to buy a new toothbrush because I realized the nasty taste was from me brushing my teeth while I was a smoker.
I also used to wake up every morning with a nasty cough and what I jokingly referred to as morning stuff. The first week after I quit, I still coughed up some stuff but now I am going on the third week and I dont cough anymore in the mornings.
I am not knocking anyone who smokes or anything because my hubby smokes and he is happy with that. I am just saying that since I have quit, I noticed some major differences.

We are a couple of weeks away from the big camping trip and I cant wait. I look forward to getting to spend some time with the folks and enjoy a relaxing week with dad's most excellent grilling and lots of fishing. The count down is on.

Got Back Yesterday

2009-06-05T09:56:00.002-04:00

Breast Health Update : Last Friday on May 29, I had to go to my doctor and get the results of the biopsy and I am excited to say no cancer. The area is still sore and the doctor said it would be for awhile because the tumor was in the muscle. Thats cool. I do have to go back in six months for another mammogram just to make sure all has healed well and nothing else comes up.

After my appointment, the kids and I came home and packed and headed to Florida. My grandparents seem to be taking turns in the hospital and my Papa was in the hospital again. The kids and I went to lend a hand and help Grandma out.
It was great getting to see everyone again and even greater that my grandfather got to come home the night before we had to leave.

Today is catch up day, updating all the sites for the store and getting the housework caught up. Next week we are going to my husband's cousins for a few days and then in July, we have our huge camping trip. I am so excited. I love the summer, always things to do and fun to be had.

Happy Memorial Day

2009-05-25T11:33:00.002-04:00

Happy Memorial Day

God Bless all those who have given their lives for our country so that we may live free. God Bless All the Veterans from Wars Present and Past for their service to our country.

God Bless You Papa

2009-05-23T09:27:00.004-04:00

Memorial Weekend and Papa's Resting Day

Today, my Papa, Joseph Kalish, was laid to rest in Ohio. He was such an amazing man who knew no strangers. He was inquisituve and loved to learn about so many things. He loved all his grandchildren so very much and always took time with them to teach them and share things with them. He has been and forever will be missed. I love you Papa and may you rest in peace and know that you are loved and missed by so many.

To all the famlies of soilders who have passed in recent and past wars. We love you and respect what these soilders did for all of us.

To my Nana and my dad and his family. I wish that I could have been there for you this weekend. I feel as though I have let you down and that I should have been there for all of you. I love all of you so very much and though I couldnt be there physically, my heart is with you.

Breast Health Update:

Yesterday, I had to be at the Breast Center at 8am. They took me back to ultrasound at 8:30. I met a radiologist who was going to put the wire in my right breast. The whole procedure was a bit uncomfortable. The radiologist used the ultrasound to pinpoint the tumor. Then she injected lidacaine into the breast. She inserted a needle that went to the tumor. She then injected a dye into the needle which burned and then fed the wire into the tumor. About five inches of wire hung out and was taped down.
Then I was sent to get another mammogram done. I will be quite honest in saying that the mammogram sucked. It didnt seem right to have to flatten the breast with a wire inserted and sticking out. I guess the lady doing the mammogram must have seen my face turn white or something after she was done with the last film because she rushed me to a seat saying she was afraid I was going to pass out.
I was then sent to day surgery and then went to surgery at 10:40am. After the surgery, I had to stay in day surgery for another hour and then got to go home. Everything was taken care of before the kids came home from school which was great.
Today, I get to remove the outer dressing and take a shower. I have to wear a sports bra for extra support. There arent any stitches but surgical steri type strips over the area. Pain wise, I feel like I have been punched in the right breast multiple times. It is a little painful but not unbearable. I can use an icepack to eleviate the pain and I have some good pain meds which I havent taken yet today but probably will after my shower. I am supposed to rest this weekend and not do any lifting, tugging, or pulling.

I have to make an appointmet for next Thursday or Friday to get the results of the biopsy. I will update that in my blog once I get the results.

Halfway Through The Week

2009-05-20T05:17:00.005-04:00

Last night was my daughter's award ceremony at her school and she recieved a certificate for the Honor Roll. She had maintained a 90 or above average in all her classes for the year. GOOOO Kaitlyn !!!!!!!!

Only 6 days of school and then they are out for the summer. YEA !!!!!

Kait was teacher for the day for about 30 minutes in her class yesterday. All the kids got to take a turn teaching about something they like. Kait taught her class about calligraphy, something that her Grandma showed her. Kait and my mom are very close and Kait loves to learn things from her. My mom is very artistic and I love it that she can pass some of her skills on to my daughter who loves art.

Tyler had a " guy" issue yesterday that mom just wasnt able to help with, so I called the one person that I knew Tyler would open up to and that was his Poppy. My dad and Tyler have a very special relationship and they are very close.

Tyler had is first shootdown from a girl and not just any girl but one that he has had a crush on since third grade. ( He is now in the 6th grade so he has been carrying this flame for awhile now.)

He took it hard and the only person that could help him get through this and give him advice and listen was his Poppy. Tyler says that his Poppy always tells him things in a way that makes him laugh and feel better and yesterday was no exception. Tyler got some advice from Poppy that he is putting into action today so we shall see what happens.

I think we can all remember a time when we were younger that we got shot down or broken hearted over a relationship or hopes of one. Just another learning process or fact of life that we all had to go through at one point or another in our life. My little boy is growing up and I thank God that he has his Poppy there to help guide him.

I have always felt so blessed that my kids have very good and close relationships with my mom and dad. It is something special that they share and it makes me very proud that they have such special bonds.

Breast Health Update

On Monday, I went and did all the pre-op stuff for the surgery on Friday. I found out that I have to be at the Breast Center on Friday at 8am where they will insert a wire into the breast. The purpose of the wire is to guide the surgeon to the tumor because it is deep in the breast. It makes it easier for the surgeon to find the tumor and remove it. Doctors use an ultrasound to locate the tumor and then numb the breast and use a needle to insert the wire. The procedure is called a Wire LOC.

After the wire is inserted then I will be taken to the main hospital and will go to day surgery where they will put in an iv and get things ready for the surgery. The surgey takes place at 10:30 am and is slated to last 45 minutes. Hopefully, all goes well and I will be home before the kids get out of school.

Right now, I will admit that I am little nervous. I am not worried about the tumor being cancer or anything like that, am just nervous about having to do all this. The surgery itself doesnt bother me, its the wire thing. To me this week is flying by fast and it is coming too quickly but I know that it is something I need to get taken care of so I am working on not being a weenie.

Sometimes You Just Have To Have Hope

2009-05-19T07:43:00.002-04:00

Imagine. A lifetime of storms between you and someone else like a sibling. There are too many disagreements and too many times when you have questioned the sanity of the other person. It seems that no matter what happens, there can be no calm, no peace, and no trust. Being civil to that person is the hardest thing that you can try to do but that isnt even acceptable. Not acceptable to you because you know you are playing a rough game. If you knew this person or met this person on the street, you wouldnt even talk to them or acknowledge their exsistence. But you arent that lucky because they are related to you, immediate family.
Their whole exsistence they have fought against you and they have taken any chances that you have given them and threw them back into your face. They want you to look bad and so they create this story about you or this impression of you to people that you dont even know. You dont even like this person but they are your family. You dont confide in them because you cant trust them.
Things that you have gone through in your life and feel as though you have triumphed over, they make your weakness and and try to use against you so that you look even worse as a person. You think that there is not much left that they can say or do to you but then something else comes up that you didnt anticipate and once again you are left shocked and angry.
Also imagine at this time that this person had two things about them that you wanted to be a part of. Two children and for the first couple years of their lives you got that chance to know those children and then, for reason you dont know or cant comprehend, they are taken out of your life. You have somehow not become worthy and you dont completely understand why. You have heard things like something that was in your past caused the seperation but you wouldnt think that would be the reason because in that point in your life, you triumphed and survived. You faced extradinary odds and you pushed forward. You knew that God was behind you and you managed to make it.
That person in your life though took a different spin on it and what became something you survived and learned about in your life was used in a way that took away things that you loved. Now, over a period of six years or so, you know that those children are there and they are growing but you cant communicate or see them. It breaks your heart but you try to consider the person that caused that and all the things they have done to you to make it impossible to have a relationship with two growing kids.
You try and bide your time and you think that with each passing year that there is hope that you are closer to getting to become a part of their lives. But that year passes with disappointment and more questions that cant be answered and in the meantime, this person who you dont really like or have respect or trust in, still continues to do things that effect the family and you. You finally have decided that you have had enough and you cut the ties to this person.
You make a choice that you think will be a good thing. You couldnt trust the person who made the choices for you in the lives of the children you so long to see and talk to. That person is vindictive and hurtful and so you decide that since you couldnt trust this person, you extend your hand to someone who has the power to let you communicate with the children. You send what you consider a truthful letter and state the facts as you know them. You commend the person who has been taking care of the children all these years because the person who should have been lost their chance many years ago because of actions you dont know about.
But the letter that you had hoped would be a link and possibly give you some chance of communicating with those children who are now teenagers, turns out to cause more problems. Now you recieve a horribly nasty response from the sibling that has caused so much heartache and grief. The person who could have cared less about their own children because they were an inconvience in their life. The person who had a hand in deciding that you cant see these kids and they continue to pull things out of the air to make you look bad and try to cause discord in the lives of the people that you are close to. This person has set in stone now that the letter you have written was turned over to them and now you will never see those kids. You arent heart broken over the loss of the relationship with this sibling because you cut your ties to them long ago but you are heartbroken over the statement that you will never see the kids and that they now dont ever want to see you again.
You arent sorry that you wrote the letter because you didnt do it for the sibling that you dont get along with. You took a chance for the kids you havent been able to have a relationship with in seven years.
Its okay though because you realize that sometimes you just have to have hope. You imagine that sometime in the future, when those two children are older that there might be a chance they will look you up and want to find you and be a part of your life. You hope that their minds werent polluted over the years with lies about you and your family and that they will want answers from you.
You also realize that now is the time to take all the things that this sibling has done and all the hurtful thngs they have said and all the lies that you know about, because you know there are many that you dont and create a crate in your mind and dump all that in the crate and nail it shut. Its unfortante that you cant forget that this sibling exsists but you decide that enough is enough once again and you are closing that chapter in your life and so you write them out of your life.
Not only was the horrible letter you recieved in response to the letter you sent one of the final nails in that crate but you out of curiousity check a page on a social network that they use and find this statement on their front page "XXXXXXXX is pulling the STUPID reins back on the jackasses in my life! I hate stupid people! "
You realize that you arent even angry anymore, you realize that you just dont care anymore what this person thinks or says. This person wants to make it public and advertise everything to everyone. Thats okay but the people who are closest to you and your family, know the truth and above all God knows the truth and you have decided that you are content with that.

Our Mockingbird Family

2009-05-17T09:40:00.002-04:00

In the front of our house, we have a line of bushes that covers the front windows and a tree that grows near the front porch. Towards the upper part of the tree is a nest that was built four years ago by a pair of mockingbirds and each year they return and lay their eggs. Once the babies are old enough to leave the nest but not yet ready to fly, they use the bushes in the front of the house as a good place to hide and move around. It is something we look forward to each year. My cats love it when the little baby birds are in the bushes because it gives them something to stare at and I think imagine a tasty buffet as they are looking through the windows.

Anyway, this year is no exception and the pair has layed their eggs and they have hatched within the last week and a half. When we are outside, we like to watch the adult mockingbirds feeding their young and listening to the babies as they anxiously await their yummy array of bugs. The adult mockingbirds seem used to us and they will sometimes land in front of us to nab a beetle or bug in the driveway.

Yesterday, my son left with his friends and went to Stone Mountain and my daughter was entertaining herself with games on my computer. I decided to walk outside as I could hear the distant rumble of thunder.

In the distance was an omnious group of storm clouds and the wind had picked up outside. I sat in my driveway watching the adult mockingbirds taking turns catching bugs in the front yard and feeding their young. I love listening to the baby birds and am amazed at how often the adult birds are flying away and coming back to feed their young.

Once it started sprinkling I moved to the front porch to watch the baby birds and see if I could count how many were in the nest. The best I can see is five baby mockingbirds. The adult mockingbirds did not seem bothered that I was on the porch and continued their routine of catching the bugs and feeding the babies.

The storm clouds moved in quickly and it started pouring rain. I watched as one of the adult mockingbirds flew to the nest and carefully covered the little babies to shield them from the hard pouring rain.

I stayed on the porch for awhile and got to thinking about how special it is to be able to witness this protection and love from a mockingbird to her young. Some people believe that animals dont have feelings or souls. That everything that they do is a part of their nature. They live and die and that it is the end of it. I choose to disagree because I believe that God created everything and in doing so all living creatures were given a soul. The book of Genesis is pretty clear about this.
In watching how this mockingbird protected her young, it made me think about how there are people in this life that dont have that kind of natural instinct when it comes to caring for their young. Let's face it, being a parent means having heart and wisdom. It means that we sacrifice ourselves sometimes to protect what is so dear to us and that we protect our young in all situations that put them in peril.
Just like the baby birds will sometime leave the nest and move to the bushes in the front of the house, our children will move forward in different points in their lives. I am realizing how much my children are growing up now and needing a little more wiggle room. On Friday, my husband and I went to my daughter's field day at school. I have gone to her field day every year that she had been in school and havent missed a year yet. Kait is in the 4th grade now and when we went there, she was busy with her friends and trying to keep up with them. It used to be that she didnt want to leave my side but now she is running around with her friends and I realized that she is growing up a lot more.
My son is in the 6th grade . The past two nights he has been at a friends house and been out and about doing things with them.
I look at it as now my baby birds are in the bushes now and they are moving towards the day when they will fly away. Yes, they still have a ways to go before that happens but they are learning to stretch their wings a little bit now.

My Journal About Breast Health

2009-05-16T10:32:00.007-04:00

I considered writing this post awhile ago but for several months this wasnt something that a lot of my family knew about. My husband and my parents and one of my aunts were the only ones who knew what was going on.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I despise going to the doctors. I absolutely dont go unless there is something that I just cant fix. It is one of those things that drives my husband crazy and my folks. However, this is one of things that I had no choice but to have to take care of.

About four months ago, I started having problems. I had some right breast pain but ignored it as monthly issues. Then I developed this area on my breast that I couldnt get under control with lotions, creams, or anything else. The lymph nodes under my right arm swelled up from the breast to under my arm and down my arm. I started running low grade fevers and getting chills.

I have never been one to do monthly breast examines or anything. I mean why would I do that. I am 35 years old and that just wasnt something I ever concerned myself with. But when all this stuff started going on I decided to just feel around and see what was up. That is when I noticed a lump in my right breast.
I told my husband about it and he said I needed to go and get it checked out. I put it off for awhile longer because it was embarrassing. I didnt want to go to the doctor for this plus we didnt have insurance at the time and I didnt want to have to put out the money for going.

Finally about four months ago, I went to a local clinic and talked to the doctor there. She examined the area and the swollen lymph nodes. She politely walked me to the front office of her clinic, had them refund the money that I paid to be seen and told me to go straight to the emergency room.
UGGGG!!!! I did not want to go there. We all know that when you go to the emergency room, it costs a lot more and with no insurance, the tests were going to be crazy. I called my husband and he came home from work and took me there. We went to a hospital that was in my county because I was told that they would give a discount to residents in the county who didnt have insurance.

The doctor at the emergency room examined the area and said that I had to get a mammogram and ultra sound of the area but their facility didnt have that. She said the costs of those tests were expensive. She gave me a list of places to call to see if there was a way to get discounts on those services. She told me not wait around another month before getting this stuff done.

I of course did wait around another month and a half until my husbands insurance went into effect. When we finally got our insurance cards I waited another two weeks before I was threatened by family to make the appointment.

At the end of April, I called my gyn and told them what was going on and they made an appointment for that day. I went there and after the examine they gave me an prescription to get a mammogram and ultrasound done. UGGGGGG!!!! By now I have seen 3 different doctors which is more than I have seen in the last two years.

On May 1st, I had to go to the Breast Health Center at the Hospital where I used to work. I was so nervous about having the mammogram done because lets be honest, everyone knows that they are going to flatten your breasts like a pancake and that just isnt natural.
I was trying to convince myself that there wasnt going to be anything found and that I was just imagining all this and they would do the tests and that would be the end of it. I was encouraged at check in that if nothing was found on the mammogram that I wouldnt have to do the ultrasound, in fact I prayed that there wouldnt be anything found.

The mammogram was very uncomfortable and flatten like a pancake I think is an understatement but it was quick and I was thankful for that. The tech who did the mammogram said that the doctor needed to look at the mammogram because they were probably going to want a ultrasound. I sat outside the room waiting for what seemed like forever praying that wasnt going to be the case. However, ten minutes later I was taken to ultrasound and went had that done.

That next Monday, because the mammogram and all was on Friday, my doctor called me and asked if I was told what was going on. I said no and then she told me that there was a tumor found in the muscle wall of my right breast. She told me I needed to call a General Surgeon and call her back that afternoon with the appointment date and time.
I will quite honestly say that though tumor sounds bad, I am not a doom and gloom sort of person and so though it is worrisome, I do not anticipate the worst of anything.

I made the phone call to the General Surgeon and had an appointment on May 8th. The general surgeon went over all the results from the mammogram and the ultrasound and again the area was examined. She sat down with my husband and I and said that there are two options here. One is to get a Core Biopsy, where they go in with a large needle and take some the tissue of the tumor or a Surgical Biopsy where they go in and take the whole tumer and surrounding tissue and send all that off to the lab. My husband and I couldnt decided right then and there what the best choice was going to be and so we were told we could make our decision over the weekend.

My husband and I discussed it and he said that it would be better to get the whole thing taken care of at one time and not have to worry about it anymore. I talked to family members and they said the same thing. So, we called the doctor back and gave them our decision.
That evening, we decided that it was time to let the kids know that was going on. They were upset that I didnt tell them about anything sooner. We explained the whole thing to them and let them ask questions. I apologized for not letting them know because I didnt think that this would be the outcome of this ordeal.

Here is where I am at now. This Monday, May 18th I have to go and do all the pre-op stuff. Then on May 22, I have to be at the Breast Center at 8am where they are going to do another ulrasound and insert a wire that goes to the tumor and tissue. From there I will be taken to the operating room and the doctor will remove the tumor and the surrounding tissue. It is a same day procedure and so I will get to go home that same day.
The next Monday, I have to call the General Surgeon and make an appointment for Friday where she will go over the results of the biopsy.

I will keep posting as the days go on but I think it is important that women know that when something changes in your breasts, it is important to go and get it checked. I know that it might seem embarrassing and worrisome but it is important to your health. My doctors have worked quickly on everything since the tumor was found and that has been very impressive to me.

I am not as worried about things because things have moved quickly and I havent had to sit around and wait for things to be done. Thank goodness we have insurance and that helps to eleviate some of the stress. The next big hurdle is the surgery and after that just waiting for the results of the biopsy.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T09:57:00.003-04:00

Happy

And a special

and Happy Mother's Day to my mom.

Please Pray For My Husband and his Family

2009-04-29T07:31:00.004-04:00

On Tuesday, April 28th, my husband's mother passed away. She fought cancer courageously but was unable to win the battle. I ask that everyone please pray for my husband, Magd and his family during this time of loss.

Yard Sale Jackpot

2009-04-27T08:33:00.005-04:00

A couple of days ago, our neighborhood was having a yard sale. Normally, I don't go to yard sales but the kids and I were bored so we decided to take a walk and look around. The last house we stopped at had a huge plastic bin full of Beanie Babies. Kaitlyn and I were sorting through them because she loves cats and wanted to get some kitty ones. The lady at the yard sale saw us looking through them and said if we wanted the whole bin, all we need to pay is $8.00. Of course, my daughter went crazy. I asked her where on earth she was going to put them all and of course her answer was simple, I can find places.

There were 200 Beanie Babies in the bin. Most were retired and Limited Edition. Every kind of Beanie Baby imaginable. Most still have the plastic tags covering the tags. We looked some of the limited editions up and saw that some are worth $15 or more.

Well, Kaitlyn did her best to put them anywhere and everywhere and even gave about 15 of them to her brother.

This morning when she went to school, I went for my morning walk. When I came home, I thought it would be a cool surprize her and help her spread them out in her room some more, so I emptied a book shelf I had downstairs and moved it into her room. The above pictures are what her room looks like now with all her new Beanie Baby friends.

Been Awhile

2009-04-21T09:26:00.003-04:00

I know I haven't written in a while but I have a couple of things I have been working on. First of all the store is doing great. April has been a really good month for us and so far we have sold 4 plaques. I am so excited about that. I also recently discovered since I started the Mother's Day Sale that I could extend my sales to Paypal shoppers. It was much easier than I thought and so hopefully I opened up the potential for more sales using Paypal.

I also started using twitter as of today. I still don't know what the hell I am doing there but I will figure it out. Twitter allows you to send tweets and you have the opportunity to join twibes. Yea, like I said, still learning all about it. I promote through many different places and I noticed recently that a lot of my fellow sellers on ecrater are using twitter. After asking a few questions about it, I decided that it can't hurt to try it.
So if you use twitter and want to follow the store and me, heres the address
http://twitter.com/PoppysWoodwork

The kids have been busy this week taking the county test at school, the CRCT. They have a test every single day this week.

My husband's mother is still going through chemo. She is doing okay but doesn't want to eat and is really tired all the time, so please keep her in your prayers.

Me, I have a major project going on and once I get closer to completion, I will share it with everyone. So when I am not online updating sites and all, I spend my time working on this project.

New Woodwork Added To Store I Just Love

2009-04-15T09:08:00.003-04:00

I was really excited to see this new plaque added to our store . Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork
This plaque is called " Head of this Home ". The inscription on the plaque says " Christ is the head of this Home, the unseen Guest at every meal, the silent Listener a every conversation ".
It is a beautiful plaque. My dad gave me one and I just love it.

The weather here is finally getting better. We have had a lot of rain and storms. The good thing about this is that with all the rain, we are very close to ending the drought from last year. The lakes are getting a lot fuller.
Hopefully, the cold weather is over so I can get some tomato's and green peppers planted.

I have been working on the website for Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork. I got rid of the trivia tab because trivia wasn't working out so well. I added another new woodwork tab because people like seeing the new additions to the store. You can check out the website by clicking here http://poppysscrollsawwoodwork.com

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T08:49:00.001-04:00

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter.

Hubby Comes Back Today

2009-04-10T07:31:00.003-04:00

Right now my dear hubby is on his way back from Egypt. Hate to admit it, but that goodness I checked his itnerary because I thought he was coming back around 11:30pm. But turns out it is 9:43pm. Would have sucked to have left him at the airport for longer than he should be. Somehow, I don't think he would have appreciated that. I have to keep an eye on the weather though, there are supoosed to be some storms moving in and lots of rain.

Don't know if you have heard, but the conficker virus has attacked over 12 million pcs. They were blasing it on the news last night.

Well, better get into gear. Lots to do.
Have a great day everyone. I know I will, I will be counting down the hours until hubby gets home.

It's A Great Day

2009-04-08T07:10:00.003-04:00

The countdown is on and my hubby will be home from Egypt on Friday night. Today, he will be at the hospital with his mom and then later he takes a 5 hour train ride to the airport. From there he flies into Cairo and will stay there until he leaves Friday to come back to the U.S. His flight should come into Atlanta at 11:30 pm. Lots of cleaning and all today and tomorrow to make things really nice when he gets home, though am sure he won't be awake long because he is going back to work on Saturday morning.

My other bit of super exciting news is that yesterday, Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork made its first sale. We sold two scroll saw plaques. Yippie !!!! That is the first hurdle one has to jump when getting a new store off the ground and we made it over the hurdle.
Also, the website that I built got a lot of hits yesterday which is great also. It seems like all the promoting and hard work is starting to pay off.

It was so exciting calling my dad last night and letting him know that he has two plaques that sold. It was great hearing the excitement in his voice also.

What happened to Spring ?

2009-04-06T09:07:00.003-04:00

The weather is crazy and I can't wait for it to be Spring. Today, we are in the 50's and under wind advisory until 2am. Then tonight, we are supposed to be in the 30's. Not just that, they are talking about snow flurries here in Atlanta. Tuesday, the highs are 45 and the low is 29. Ugh !!!!

I am excited that my hubby is coming back from Egypt Friday night.
His mom is going into the hospital today to start chemo again. I hope that everything turns out the way they hope. I am happy that my hubby got to go and spend time with his mom. I know that it doesn't make things any easier for him and a part of me is sure that he is torn between coming home and leaving his mom.

My husband was excited yesterday because his niece gave birth to a baby boy. I would try and spell his name but I am sure I would misspell it horribly.

Kids are upset because Spring Break for them is now over and they had to go back to school today. Um, wish I could share their pain lol. We had a lot of fun over Spring Break together and they were very happy so that is all that is important.

Busy Week

2009-04-04T12:01:00.002-04:00

This past week the kids were out for Spring Break. We stayed busy playing games and driving here and there. On Tuesday, we went to my husband's cousins house in Calhoun. He took the kids and I out to dinner and then we went to the movies and saw " Race to Witch Mountain". That was an excellent movie.
On Wedensday, we drove back home. Thursday, we had plans to go to a place called the Yellow River Game Ranch, however, rain and storms kept us home.
On Friday, I took my two kids plus two of their friends to the game ranch. It is an amazing place. 24 acres of open area, where the deer run free and will walk up to you and let you feed and pet them. Squirrels come and take peanuts from your hand and we even had a few climb up our pants legs to get peanuts from us. Wild cats, bobcats, several types of fox, black bears, coyotes, buffalo, were just some of the animals you could see in special pins. Goats, pigs, sheep, rabbits, and so much more ran freely in the game ranch and would come up to you to feed and pet them. We had so much fun that we walked through it a second time.
Last night, the two friends of the kids stayed over and they all played playstation and shot pool down in the garage.
I am guessing that they stayed up all night because right now it is 12:15 in the afternoon and none of the three boys are moving.
I learned that mom isn't so cool when friends are over. LOL is okay though, I was happy to see all of them having fun. I stayed up really late playing Monopoly on Pogo.

Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork is having a special Easter sale this weekend only. Check out the blog and store for more information.

Just Got My Computer Back

2009-03-28T09:50:00.003-04:00

For the past 3 days my computer has been out of commission and in the shop. The day before my husband left for Egypt, he decided to put a flash drive in and see what music is nephew had downloaded for him. The flash drive uploaded a horribly nasty worm into the computer. The worm disbaled my security suite I had on my computer and took over all administrative functions. It started sytematically shutting programs down. It was horrible and there was nothing I could do stop it.

I was in a panic. I have so much information on my computer especailly for the store and all. I took my computer to Geek Squad and at first when they looked at my computer, they said it was my best interest to buy a new one. I have had my computer for 6 years. I love my computer. And more importantly, I can't afford a new one.

They set the computer up and starting running a full series of scans on it. They found 59 viruses. Yup. 59. They were able to clean up 57 of them. The other 2 took two days to get out of the computer because they were difficult and stubborn to remove and had to be removed manually.

I found out that the security suite on my computer was not completely compaitable to windows and wasn't doing anything with the viruses. You see, I had att security suite that came with the dsl program. I thought I was protected because it came with the system and was part of the dsl. It didn't do anything.

Geek Squad said that it was like having no security at all.

It cost me $199 to have all the scans done and have the viruses removed. Then I paid another $100 to have security on the computer that was comaptaible to windows.

This leads me to another topic that I hope people are aware of.

There is a worm out there called the Conficker C virus also known as the April Fools Day Worm. It has been all over the news here and I hope that people are paying attention to what is being said about it.
According to the news, the Conficker C virus is already laying dormant in millions of home pc computers right now. The cirus is collecting all personal information such as credit cards etc. On April 1st, the virus is set to be activated. Once it becomes live, it will disable your security, eat through your hard drive and memory and will then send all the information it has gathered to the host of the virus.
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/Windows_Update_for_ConfickerC_Virus_032609

Microsoft has a download available to disable the virus but you must use the download before April 1st. You can find all kinds of information on this virus doing a basic search. This virus is so bad that Microsoft is offering a reward to anyone who can tell them where it came from and who the host is.

After what I went through this past week with my computer, I would advise people to protect themselves and look into finding out more about this virus.

Tuesday

2009-03-24T06:06:00.003-04:00

We are working on getting everything ready for Magd's trip to Egypt. Turns out he will not be coming home until the 10th. Last night he recieved a phone call from his brother and one of the doctors there wanted to try and put Magd's mom on chemo and radition again. Magd called a friend of his who is a doctor in Panama City and discussed this with him. His friend told him that because the cancer attacked and took over the liver, there wasn't much left that could be done.
I hate it that he is going through this but I am happy that he is getting to go and see her.

Kids are on the count down for Spring Break. They are so excited about no school for a week. I am happy that is coming also. We can spend time together playing games and doing whatever else we can come up with.

The store has gotten some new additions added to it the past few days, I hope you will check out the blog for the store and get updated.
http://www.poppysscrollsawwoodwork.blogspot.com

Today, I have to get some cleaning done and get some things ready for Magd leaving tomorrow. Magd's cousin is coming in tonight and going with us to take Magd to the airport in the morning. ( I can get to the airport but I always get lost coming home, no sense of direction ) One doesn't know how big Atlanta is until you drive around it a couple of times. lol
The lawn guy is coming this morning, first cut of the season. Yea !!!
Have a great day everyone.

Time To Catch Up

2009-03-23T08:55:00.002-04:00

Things have been a little rough here and I really haven't done a great job of keeping up with things.

I had to cancel my trip to Florida for Spring Break. That's okay though, I can go in June when my kids get out of school.

My husband is from Egypt and several months ago, his mother was diagnosed with cancer. She went through chemo and radition therapy and she was doing fine for awhile after that. On Thursday, my husband's family contacted him and told him that his mother was very sick. They took her to the doctor on Friday and discovered that the cancer has spread and has taken over her liver. Her family was informed that there wasn't anything they could do for her because the cancer spread too much.

My husband's mother is dying.

My husband is a good man and is very close to his mother. He is the youngest of 13. He calls her at least once a month. When she was originally diagnosed with cancer, like anyone, he took it very hard. But I guess for him it was harder because it is not like when you live in the country and can just drive to see someone who is sick. For him, it is a 16 hour flight to a whole seperate country.
He held off on going to see her when she was first diagnosed. His brother told him that she was fine and that he didn't need to come.

Now, he has to leave to see her one last time. This is something that I can't imagine to have to experience with a parent or someone you are very close to. Knowing that, that is the last time you will see them and have to come to terms with saying goodbye.

My husband is leaving March 25 and won't return until April 9th. I pray every night that we can get him to Egypt before his mother passes so that he can see her one last time and make some memories and hopefully find some closure.

Where To Lay My Weary Head ?

2009-03-22T22:21:00.000-04:00

Where To Lay My Weary Head ?

Rainy Day

2009-03-16T08:31:00.003-04:00

This weekend has been loaded with rain and today is no exception. I walked my son to his bus stop this morning and one of his friends came and joined us under the huge umbrella I had. My daughter and I lucked out when it was her turn to go to the bus stop because it was only sprinkling just a little bit.

This week is report card week so the kids have early release Tues- Thurs. We have a parent conference with my daughter's teacher on Thursday to get her report card. She is a really good student and generally gets all A's.

We took my son off of grounding this weekend because he got really good grades on his exams last week and he had no missing assignmants the last several weeks. So needless to say, the PS2 got a nice workout this weekend.

We are up to $128 on our Wii money. We still have a ways to go but we are closer than we were a couple of weeks ago.

My husband gets 2 days off this week on Thursday and Friday so he is excited about that. His store had a mystery shopper a couple of days ago and got a 100 which is excellent.

To Heaven's Gate ( Poem)

2009-03-09T10:18:00.000-04:00

To Heaven's Gate ( Poem)

Tyler's Chair Mishap

2009-03-08T11:43:00.005-04:00

My son, Tyler, has done it again and gotten himself in a pickle. He definetly keeps things interesting in our house and I will admit I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.

Here's the background for Tyler's latest:

Last night we were watching one of my favorite movies " The Replacements " with Keanu Reeves. Tyler was sitting on my chair for the computer. He decided to slide his self inbetween the opening in the chair and the seat of the chair. If you haven't guessed already, he got his self stuck. I thought by threatening to get the camera, he would wiggle his self out, end of story. But apparently, he wasn't kidding. It took my husband and I ten minutes to get him out of the chair.

Saturday, Some Good News

2009-03-07T10:51:00.004-05:00

My husband called me this morning with what we consider good news. The last several months, due to the economy, my husband has had to work 6 days a week. He is salaried, so his job enforced that with all salaried workers.
My husband drives 1 and 1/2 hours everyday to and from work. He only has Thursdays off which wasn't enough time for him to catch up on his sleep or get a break from his job. He gets up at 3:30am every morning and sometimes doesn't get home until 7pm at night. It catches up quickly. Today though he informed me that his work is going to stop the 6 days a week at the end of this month. Yippie!!!!!! He will get Thurdays and Fridays off again.

This is how I feel today. Like a little hummingbird stuck inside the feeder. I don't know why really, I slept good last night. I think it is partly because it is rough having just one vehicle and sometimes I feel trapped in the house.

I guess too I am running out of ideas to get the store seen. I guess right now it is a waiting game to see how all the things that I have been doing are working. I know that there is a lot more traffic coming to the store and to the website, I guess I am just waiting for that first sale.

I don't know, I guess it is other things too. Doesn't matter really.

Kids have 21 more days of school left before spring break. This year for spring break we are going to see my grandparents in Florida. Since my other grandfather died, it has been plaguing my mind that I should go see and them. Family is so important and we shouldn't miss out on the chances we can to see them and make more memories.

I am updating sites today for the store. I didn't get my writing done for yesterday with hubpages or helium. I guess I will do that in the next day or so.

If you get a chance, check out the stores website http://www.poppysscrollsawwoodwork.com/
I am working on coming up with some other ideas for that site. Also check out the blog for the store. I am not sure how to increase followers for that site yet but I have a couple of ideas in mind. http://www.poppysscrollsawwoodwork.blogspot.com/

Friday March 6,2009

2009-03-06T07:43:00.002-05:00

I found this cool gif while looking for one to add to my other blog. It doesn't go with anything I have to write about but I thought it was sooo cool I added it here.

I can't believe it but we still have some snow on the ground in the shadowy places. Official snow amount for Sunday was, get this, 7 inches. Yup, I said 7. Crazy isn't it. It was a far cry from the supposed 1-2 inches we were supposed to get.
The snow was beautiful but I think the most amazing thing about it was that for the majority of the time, it was thundering while it was snowing and even more neat, it was lightening. When it would flash lightening, the sky lit up the most beautiful green I have ever seen.

Now, the weather is supposed to be warming up greatly. This weekend we are looking at the 70's. My kind of weather !!!

The store Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork :
is getting more traffic which is good. The Monthly Trivia question seems to be bringing more traffic to the stores website I built which is good also. So far since the kick off of the trivia game, I have had 3 people get the correct answer. One is supposed to be shopping this weekend at the store so we will see. I haven't had any sales yet but I am not giving up. To me it just means that I look for more places to advertise and more outlets to get the store name out there.
Today, I will be updating some sites that I am on for the store, especailly the store's blog. I have been searching for some cool gifs to add to it.

Anyway, I have been neglecting some of the places that I write articles, so today I think I might add some articles to hub pages and helium.

I hope everyone has a great day.

Religious Scroll Saw Woodwork

2009-03-02T11:39:00.000-05:00

Religious Scroll Saw Woodwork

Snow and Ice

2009-03-02T09:55:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we started with the snow around 12pm.

It didn't stop until 10pm last night.

Around 4pm we lost power for 6 hours. So we had to move the kids matresses down stairs and crank up the fireplace.

We got our power turned back on around 11pm last night thank goodness, though it was a lot of fun the whole family down stairs laughing and playing around.

We did have a crazy incident yesterday around 2 or so. My son, Tyler, who just seems to get his self in a real pickle every now and then added to his list of not so great achievements.

In our kitchen, we have a window that doesn't have a screen. We use that window to give our dog treats and all. He decided that it was a great idea to lean out of that window and try and catch snowflakes. My son is twelve years old and weighs 130 pds. He isn't fat by any means, he is really muscular. Anyway, the weight of his body in the window must have been too much. The window part that you lift up and open broke lose from the track and shattered on my son, wedging his body half out of the window. I was upstairs talking on the phone to my Grandma when I heard the glass shattering. When I came down, I found him stuck, two panes of glass shattered across the floor, and he was bleeding from a cut on his arm and several small cuts from tiny shards. It took me about 10 minutes to get him unwedged from the broken part of the window and get a good look at his arm. Luckily, it wasn't a super deep cut and though if I took him to the doctor he would have probably gotten 4 or five stitches, I fixed it with steri strips. My emergency room experience sure does come in handy and my son seems to be the one who keeps my skills up to date.

So, after getting all the glass cleaned up, I spent the next bit of time trying to cover the window that was broken in the kitchen. And then the power went out.

It was a really fun day.

Snow Snow Snow

2009-03-01T12:37:00.002-05:00

It just started snowing here around 12:15pm.

The kids are so excited. In this picture, it had only been snowing for about 10 minutes, now at 12:40 pm the ground is covered even more.

The weather channel says that we should get anywhere from 2-4 inches.

Here it is big, fat snow flakes. It is a wet snow and it is perfect for the snowball fights my kids have already started.

Of course, the kids are even more excited about the possibility of no school tomorrow.

I will update more pictures on here as the snow continues. My husband is so excited about it that he keeps calling me from work to update me on how much snow they are getting where he is at. He works 1 and 1/2 hours from where we live.

Papa

2009-02-24T07:30:00.004-05:00

Joseph A. Kalish Jr
( Papa )

On February 15, 2009, my Papa passed away in Ocala, Fla.
Papa was a great man who will be missed so very much. He was the father to 6 sons, one of which passed away at birth, and two daughters. He had 17 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.

Today, at 8:30 am, they are having a service for him in Ocala but later he will be buried in Ohio. I feel sad that I couldn't be there for the service this morning but I will be there when he is buried in Ohio.

My family spent last week with my Nana and all of my dads family. My Nana is an amazing, strong loving woman who I love dearly. She and Papa were married 61 years.

When I think about my Papa, I think about all the times when I was younger that he and I would stand in his driveway and stare at the stars. He was always looking at the night sky and talking about all the possibilities of what existed out there. He is the reason I stare at the stars even now at my age and often wonder what else is out there too.

Papa was really wonderful with my kids especially Tyler. Tyler has always been very inquisitive and asks lots of questions about anything and everything. Papa always enjoyed sitting with Tyler and sharing with him what he knew. He never lost patience with Tyler and always took the time to listen.

Papa liked the things that were unexplained. My husband always remembers the first time Papa met him. My husband is from Egypt and my Papa shared with my husband his theory about how the pyramids were built and what they meant.

Papa never met a stranger and he touched everyone who he met. He was very active and involved in everything.

I can imagine Papa right now sitting with Jesus and talking about all the wonders of the world.

Papa, you will be missed dearly and you will always be loved so very much.

Happy Valentines To Everyone

2009-02-14T11:01:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I had a hell of a time getting a newlsetter out for the store. It is one of those projects that just seemed to be going nowhere from the start.
The first newsletter I had completed, was lost due to an error on my part. The second newsletter I messed up the template for it and had to start over again. Finally on the third attempt, I got the newsletter the way I wanted but because of the program I couldn't send it. I finally had to print the newsletter, scan it to my computer and then post it in Poppy's Scroll Saw Blog.
Ugh, the picture above describes exactly how I felt.

Happy Valentines Day To Everyone !!!!!

I hope you are having a good Valentines Day. We gave our kids their gifts last night. Tyler got a chocolate apple with a gummy worm inside and a heart box full of Hershey's Kisses. Kaitlyn got a chocolate frog with a gummy bug inside and a heart box with Reese's Peanut Butter Candies inside. Needless to say, lol, sugar high kids last night.

I took my daughter to the Valentines Jag Jam. She had a lot of fun dancing and running around with her girlfriends. I was the wall flower through most of it until I saw one my of my friends there. The best way to describe this dance was chaos at its best. Nothing greater than kids from kindergarden to fifth grade running around, laughing, dancing, squealing, and make huge conga lines that ran over anyone in their way. It was fun. Really.

I hope everyone has a great day and here's my little Valentines gift for you.

I wish I was here

2009-02-13T10:14:00.002-05:00

I wish I was at the beach somewhere, kicked back and relaxing. To me there is no better place to be, with the warm sun and the sound of waves slapping the hot sands of a beach.

I haven't written in awhile because I have been working on other things but now I should be able to keep up with writing better.

Today is my kids last day of school for a week. Next week school is out for intercession. Normally every year the kids get 2 weeks for vacation. This year the school decided to split up those weeks so they added a week off in February.

I don't think my son will be enjoying it because he is failing one subject in school and missing assignmants in all the rest. For some reason, he has decided he doesn't need to do or turn in school work, thus his grades are now scraping the bottom of the failing barrel.

Tonight, my daughter might be going to her first dance. The Valentine's Jag Jam. That is going to depend on what time my husband gets home from work. The school requires that she is escorted by a parent so that will be me. lol. That should be a lot of fun.

We recently discovered that our truck doesn't have a blown engiine as we were told by the mechanics we orgianlly had the truck looked over by. Instead of having to pay for a whole new engine, we had the truck towed back to our house and it has been sitting in the driveway ever since. A friend of ours came over and looked at the truck a discovered the the headgasket may be cracked or the cylinder. Anyway, we are waiting to find out when it can be fixed and how much it will cost. I hate having only one vehicle now.

Today, we have updated Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork Blog. There is an interview there with Poppy about his interests, how he became involved with scroll saw woodwork, and what his favorite pieces are that he has done. Check out the blog for all the details.

A Sit Down With God

2009-02-11T11:52:00.000-05:00

A Sit Down With God

Native American Story Using Scroll Saw Woodwork

2009-02-07T13:15:00.000-05:00

Native American Story Using Scroll Saw Woodwork

A Nice Spring Like Day

2009-02-07T11:48:00.003-05:00

It is such a beautiful day outside. The weather is supposed to be in the 60's from now until the middle of next week. Hopefully, all this wonderful weather coming up doesn't mean that before winter is over we are going to get a really nasty ice storm or something.

A couple of days ago my husband and I went and got his brithday present. His birthday isn't until the 22nd of this month but that's ok. I guess his present covers Valentines also.
We got him an iphone. That thing is so cool with so many different applications that can be put on it. The touch screen is amazing and he is so happy with it. He had been using a blackberry for the last 3 or so years. The blackberry was on its last leg. The dial wasn't working anymore and neither was the alarm clock.

Wanted to remind everyone that they should check out Poppy's blog for current information on the store. There is an extension on the Valentine's coupon we have available and also a brief discussion on Grandma's Corner.

Hope everyone is having a great day and that you are getting a little warm weather.

Way tooooooo Cold

2009-02-04T08:14:00.003-05:00

It is way to cold. Right now it is 17 with a windchill of 3. YUCK!!!!

My kids were begging me to stay home and they were very creative in their reasons for wanting to do so.

1. It's inhumane to send us to school when it is so cold.
2. There is no heat in the school.
3. They are going to freeze to death.
4. They will get sick from it being so cold.

And the list goes on and on.
I won though. lol.

I wanted to let everyone know that they should check out Poppy's Scroll Saw Blog and his store.
The Valentine's coupon is only available for 3 more days. So don't miss out and lose your chance to get 10% off at checkout for google shoppers.

Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork | MySpace.com

2009-02-02T08:35:00.000-05:00

Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork MySpace.com

A Story Using Scroll Saw Woodwork

2009-02-01T15:54:00.000-05:00

A Story Using Scroll Saw Woodwork

Saturday

2009-01-31T10:59:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we celebrated my daughter's 10th birthday. She had her best friend ride the bus home with her and spend the night. When my hubby came home from work, we went to Walmart where my daughter picked out two sets of pjs for her birthday. Then we picked up her cake and went by Pizza Hut to get dinner.
The girls had a lot of fun together and stayed up really late.

My son and I watched the new Mummy movie last night. We got it pay per view but after watching it we decided we are going to have to buy it and add it to our collection. It was a really good movie.

Today, there is so much to do. I managed to update Poppy's promotion site on ecrater and then his blog. So check out his blog for important details about the store.

Anyway, better get started on my day. Have to break the news to the girls that we are taking home one at 2:00 or so. Have to break it to my kids that we have to go grocery shopping. What fun we will have today.

The Store Is Growing

2009-01-29T09:18:00.002-05:00

The last several days there has been a lot of progress made in the store. I have added 51 items to the store covering most of the categories. Tomorrow I will be finished adding scroll saw plaques by adding the last 11 to the Nature Category.

Then I will begin adding Grandma's Corner. That will be another 50 items. I have a lot of things to do with that section and also am going to create a whole write up with added research to this so that will be fun.

Make sure you check out the store for all the new additions.

I am excited that the store has had over 800 page reads and is being looked at now by 12 different countries.
The main part is going to be starting to make sales. I am impressed with how well the promoting is going and there is a lot more to be done.

Check out Poppy's blog for more information about the store.

Championship Heavy Weight Title Fight Takers Versus Givers

2009-01-27T12:16:00.000-05:00

Championship Heavy Weight Title Fight Takers Versus Givers

Very Busy

2009-01-27T11:14:00.003-05:00

I have been very busy adding more items to Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork. There are many more to come so check out the store for the newest items.

What kind of things have we added ? Clocks, Welcome Signs, Key Holders, Nature and Fish Plaques, Native American Plaques, and Indian Shield Mirrors.

Things here have been going well. My daughter turned 10 on Sunday.

A couple of us got a stomach virus on Monday.

And the kids are counting down the days until the week off from school in February.

Lots going on.

Anyway, off to write a new hub. Am working on a great idea for Givers and Takers hub. We will see how it comes out.

If you get a chance check out Poppy's Store for the new additions which are also discussed in Poppy's Blog.

A Treasure Hidden in Her Eyes

2009-01-26T06:01:00.000-05:00

A Treasure Hidden in Her Eyes

Tips for Surviving A Home Invasion

2009-01-23T18:07:00.000-05:00

Tips for Surviving A Home Invasion

Home Invasions On the Increase

2009-01-23T09:17:00.000-05:00

Home Invasions On the Increase

National Pancake Day : Ihop and Children's Miracle Network

2009-01-21T12:01:00.000-05:00

National Pancake Day : Ihop and Children's Miracle Network

Great Day

2009-01-21T09:00:00.003-05:00

Everything is coming along nicely for the store. Yesterday, I got the business cards and they look great. The kids were excited about them also and asked to take some to school today to give to their teachers.

There was a site I was working on the other night and mentioned in my blog yesterday. I had to add some more information to it and then it was approved yesterday afternoon and went live or was published last night.

Check out this site. Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork Zone
I am very excited about this site and it was fairly easy to set up.

I am also excited to say that the store is getting hits from 8 countries now. That is great because it means that the store is getting out there. Now if some hits would transfer to sales, well that would make a huge difference. But considering it has only been live for 2 weeks or so I am not complaining.

Make sure to check out Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork blog for the feature item of the day and more store information.

Monday, bbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

2009-01-20T08:07:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, the kids were out of school and we had game day. The kids and I played Cat-opoly again, Tyler won, and we played Life, Kait won. We had a lot of fun and the kids are already talking about what game we will play Friday night.

So yesterday afternoon, I didn't get on the computer that much. However last night I worked on another site for promoting the store. It took me about 2 hours to get it to look the way I thought it was supposed to. When and if it gets approved I will add a link here so you can see it.

This morning I had two grumpy kids who didn't want to go to school. Currently at 8:19am it is 24 with a windchill in the teens. Very cold at the bus stop.

This morning I still have to update some sites and work on some other stuff for the store. My google analytics shows hits for the store from seven countries. Pretty cool. We are getting the name out there.

Raining Today

2009-01-18T12:14:00.003-05:00

Thank goodness it is not quite as cold outside though it has been raining today. That's okay though, it gives my kids a chance to work on their rooms.

Last night and the night before, we have had a lot of fun playing Cat-opoly together. Cat-opoly is another version of the game Monopoly. Instead of buying houses for property, you purchase liter boxes and instead of hotels, you use cat bones. All of the properites you purchase are different kind of cats and instead of going to jail , you go to water. We have a lot of fun together and I love the fact that we can all spend time together. Usually one is watching tv or the other is on the playstation.

I have been working hard on trying different ways to promote Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork. It is in several directories and is now on facebook. Yesterday, I spent the day trying to make a myspace page for it. Here's the link to it if you want to see it so far. Poppy's Myspace page. I am not sure how much exposure we will get there. I looked around at different groups to join and all and I will have to explore those again but I wasn't real impressed with what I saw. MaybeI just haven't figured out where to go yet.
I am thinking the business cards will be in this week, hopefully.

Check out Poppy's blog, we have a beautiful handmade scroll saw jewelry box featured there.

Well. I am off to finish laundry and explore some more ways to promote the store.

If you have any suggestions for promoting the store, please add those to the comment section. I really appreciate it.

The Importance of Adversity in Your Life

2009-01-16T10:35:00.000-05:00

The Importance of Adversity in Your Life

Friday Morning Brrrrrrrrrrrr

2009-01-16T07:54:00.003-05:00

It is so cold this morning. 13 with a windchill of ZERO. ugggggghhhh. My son dressed in two pairs of jeans and socks, three shirts and a huge jacket, scarf and hat. My daughter was dressed layered close to that also. The were so fluffy I guess the word would be that they had quite a bit of difficulty using their backpacks. LOL especailly Tyler.

It amazes me the miracle that happened with the flight in New York yesterday. No one killed or seriously hurt when the plane crashed into the Hudson River. God surely blessed them all. People who need proof that there are miracles really need to take a close look at the crash yesterday.

Check out Poppy's blog and link to his store. There is a Valentines coupon code for google shoppers for 10% off.

Tooooooo Cold

2009-01-15T21:15:00.003-05:00

It is 9:15 pm and 27 outside with a windchill of 16. I don't like this cold weather. My kids school called tonite to say that kids will be picked up at their houses instead of at the bus stop because of how cold it is supposed to be in the morning.

I didn't get a lot accomplished today because I stayed up late last night setting up a facebook page to help promote the store. Turns out four of my best friends in highschool were on facebook and so now we are talking. That is tooo cool.
It is really neat seeing how people have changed since highschool and seeing their families.

Last night I got the coupon done for the Valentines specials for Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork.
Go and check out the store. If you find something you like, use google checkout and put in the coupon code: HEARTS and you can get a 10% discount on your order.

Hubpages Hubnugget Contest Over Today

2009-01-14T11:16:00.003-05:00

Hello All,

I am very excited to say that my hub was picked as one of the top five.

Hi Kelly, As you already probably know, you were nominated as a HubNugget this week, which you can read about more over here in the Forums: http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/10562 Well, after 3+ days of voting your Hub was voted as one of the top 5, which mean that it is officially a HubNugget and will be sent out in the newsletter today to 40,000+ other members of the HubPages community. Let me be the first to congratulate you and encourage you to continue to write really great Hubs - you're an awesome example for all of the other Hubbers who are getting started. Have a great rest of your week and thanks again for being a great member of the HubPages community!

Yippie !

I think that this is so cool.

Hubpages - If you are interested in learning more about hubpages, click on the link.
Hubpages is a great writing community that allows you to earn more through different affliates and referrals. You will meet a lot of great writers and join a great writing community. The coolest thing is that it is free to join .

You are in a trance

2009-01-13T09:08:00.001-05:00

You want to go vote on Hubpages. You want to vote for Shadow of Depression.
After you vote, you will wake up from this trance.

Uh Oh Tyler gets a mental health day

2009-01-13T08:37:00.004-05:00

Good Morning All,

This morning I overslept and didn't hear the alarm and my son, Tyler, missed the bus. Great huh !?! So, now he gets a mental health day, which of course he is happy about. I can't wait until we get our other vehicle fixed.

So this morning I feel like I am behind on my morning schedule. I did check my email and look at hubpages to see how my article is doing.

Here's the scoop on hubpages:

Voting ends on Wedensday at 6am PST. Currently, Shadow of Depression, is tied for forth place. So, if you haven't voted yet, go and get your vote in. PLease. :D

http://hubpages.com/hub/hubnuggets-jan12-2009

I haven't done the feature for Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork just yet this morning, so check for that in about an hour on his blog.

Have a great day everyone and don't forget to vote on hubpages. Shadow of Depression

Eeks: Creepy, Creepy Spiders

2009-01-12T15:58:00.000-05:00

Eeks: Creepy, Creepy Spiders

Hello All, It's Monday

2009-01-12T08:39:00.004-05:00

Yup, Today is Monday. Gotta love it. Kids are at school and I get a tiny bit of peace. lol. It is 8:30 and 28. Very cold. I am not a winter person by any means. I like a nice toasty day.

Anyway, I checked on the voting at hubpages for my hub that was nomiated for the hubnuggets and so far, it's 4th out of 10. The voting ends Wedensday so if you haven't voted yet, please vote for me. The article is Shadow of Depression. http://hubpages.com/hub/hubnuggets-jan12-2009

You don't have to be a member to cast a vote.

Check out Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork blog. There is a link on my page. We are featuring Nature plaques this week and have added a few fun facts about the animal featured on the plaque.
Hope you enjoy it.

Exciting News About One of my Hubs

2009-01-11T12:22:00.002-05:00

Hi All,
I recieved this email this morning:

Hey there! I just posted up this week's HubNugget nominations and your hub was chosen as one of them. If your Hub gets enough votes to be in the top 5, then it will be featured in the newsletter that goes out to thousands of Hubbers each week. Follow this link in this Forum post to vote now: http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/10562 So, feel free to spread the word to all of your friends, co-workers, strangers and anyone else who can give you some voting love. They don't need to be a member of HubPages to vote, so feel free to send out to whoever you want. Here is a direct link to where they can vote: http://hubpages.com/hub/hubnuggets-jan12-2009 Congrats again and please let me know if you have any questions. Ricardo "funride" Nunes http://hubpages.com/profile/funride HubPages collaborator for Awesomeness!

When I read the email I thought it was a joke or something because I have never heard of hubnuggets. But this is what I learned. Hubnuggets is a contest that is for new writers on hubpages. They pick from thousands of articles and narrow it down to ten. Everyone gets to vote on them including non-memebers of hubpages. Once they get the top five, they add those hubnuggets to the monthly newsletter sent out to all the hubbers, all over the world.

I have posted a link below for the article and am hoping you will go and vote for my hub: Shadow of Depression.

Have a great day everyone.

Hubber Poll: First contest of 2009!

2009-01-11T12:17:00.000-05:00

Hubber Poll: First contest of 2009!

Everything is coming together

2009-01-10T13:30:00.004-05:00

I am very excited about how things are coming together for the store. We are making it onto the search engines and we are getting the name out there. I am very excited that in two weeks we will be getting our business cards.

Our promoting seems to be going well as some sites that we have promoted on are also turning up in a basic search for the store.

Things are exciting and I am hoping that we can get this store really going and get Poppy so busy .

Poppy's blog hasn't come up in the searches yet but am hoping that will get there soon as I just worked on getting listed with some of the search engines.

Wish us luck!

Document Preview

2009-01-09T20:53:00.000-05:00

Document Preview

Opportunities

2009-01-08T08:40:00.005-05:00

I know it has been awhile since I have written but I have been very busy working on a few projects.

I wanted to share a few things with you that you might like.

1. If you have your own blog or you love to write about many different topics, I have a site you might want to check out.
The cool thing about this site is that it is totally free to sign up on and also gives you many different opportunites to make money.
I have written for this site for two months now and I love it. It gives you the freedon to create articles that get published over the internet and create a fan club and earn money through affliates.
Check this link out it is a great place. Hubpages
If you notice on my blog, there are several articles I have sent to my blog from hubpages. It is a great way to add more content to your blog and a great way to get more traffic to your hubs. I also added a hubpages widget to my hub to add even more content.

2. One of my latest projects that I am very excited about is a store that was created for my dad's scroll saw woodwork. If you want to see wood work that is beautiful, detailed and handmade, check out this store. You can get customized name plaques made and many other wonderful things.
Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork

I have also created a seperate blog that just centers around this store so please check it out also.
Poppy's Scroll Saw Woodwork Blog

The blog will feature a new item from the store every Wedensday.

Another thing that I have accomplished with this is that I have learned how to add the store widget to my blog and Poppy's blog. Those give you a direct link to the store and to an item in the store, so you can check those out also.

Please check out the things I have mentioned above. One gives you the opportunity to earn and write and the other gives you the opportunity to see great wood work and find somethng you might like.

The Beauty of Scroll Saw Woodwork

2009-01-07T12:03:00.000-05:00

The Beauty of Scroll Saw Woodwork

Shadow of Depression

2009-01-03T21:41:00.000-05:00

Shadow of Depression

People who love the storm named Chaos

2009-01-01T16:09:00.000-05:00

People who love the storm named Chaos

The Constant Liar: When is enough, enough?

2008-12-31T15:36:00.000-05:00

The Constant Liar: When is enough, enough?

2008-12-19T14:01:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas Everyone !!!!!!!!

Cookie day yesterday went well. Only on the last two batches did I error. I burned to a crisp some m&m cookies. Charcoaled more appropriate because I wasn't paying attention to the timer. But the kids and I had fun and we made a ton of cookies.

No sight or sound from our missing kitty Trootie. :(

Today we are going to go to Tennesee to spend a week with the folks. We are very excited about that.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas.

Best wishes to you and your families.

Don't Chase Shadows Where There Are None

2008-12-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

Don't Chase Shadows Where There Are None

Trootie Missing Day Two

2008-12-16T17:22:00.004-05:00

We had no luck leaving food out for Trootie because nothing ate it. We put food in the front and back yard. I constantly checked before I went to bed last night and also all day today. I went out looking for her again, but yet again no luck.

My other two kitties are searching for her too. They go through the house meowing and they sit at the back window. Riviera has been unusually nice jumping into someones lap every chance she gets.

I do hope she comes home soon. I am really worried that she won't because of all the woods behind us. There is no telling where she is.

The countdown for Christmas break is on. For us this will mean that we get to go to Tennessee for a week and stay with my folks. We are all really excited about it. My husband has to work but he will come on Christmas eve. Christmas is the best when the all the family can be together. No matter how great or small the gifts are, the most important thing is spending time with family.

Thursday, when the kids get out of school, we will dedicate our time for making cookies. Our list is chocolate chip, m&m, peanut butter, sugar cookies, and coconut/pecan cookies. I love it when the kids and I get to work together on this. We have so much fun.

Circles In Life

2008-12-16T10:13:00.000-05:00

Circles In Life

Our Poor Kitty Trootie

2008-12-15T21:48:00.002-05:00

This morning we discovered our backdoor was wide open. When that happened we can't be sure. We do know that my son was the last to close the door. We have three cats. Tom is a beautiful huge gray kitty and the sweetest cat I have ever had. Riviera is a siamese. She can be nice but generally only when she is hungry or decides she wants your lap. Those lap moments are rare but we love to get them none the less. Then we had Trootie. She was a very petite kitty. She was white with splotches of calico in her. We rescued her when she was a couple of months old. We named her Trootie because my husband works for IHOP. One of there main dishes there is the Rootie Tootie Fresh and Fruity. Hence Trootie's name. She was sweet but very skittish. She had a routine every night. When we were getting the covers ready for bed, she would jump up and decide it was time to play. She also loved night time because she could cuddle up against our legs or make a spot on your chest as her bed.
The miracle I suppose if there is one, is that when the door was left open, my other two kitties decided to stay in the house. Our dear Trootie who is almost a year old, decided that she would go out. We can't find her at all. I have searched mulitple times through the day, in every place I can think to look for her. I don't think it helps that behind the fence in our backyard is all woods. After both of the kids came home from school, I had to tell them what happened. Both broke down in tears. My son feels guilty. I explained to him that there is nothing he can do about it now. Mistakes happen and God willing, Trootie will come back to us.
After the kids went to bed tonite, I went out with my flashlight and searched again. No luck. Not even a stray meow. We have set food and water out in the front yard and back yard. I can only hope that she will return to us.

Meet Jealousy's Sister Envy: Another Little Monster

2008-12-14T22:49:00.000-05:00

Meet Jealousy's Sister Envy: Another Little Monster

Jealousy: The Monster Inside

2008-12-14T16:14:00.000-05:00

Jealousy: The Monster Inside

2008-12-12T13:34:00.001-05:00

Caylee Anthony

2008-12-12T12:44:00.010-05:00

Precious little child forever asleep

With angel's wings you fly to meet

Jesus with His open arms

No more worries, no more harm

I think that many of us have kept up with the story of Caylee Anthony. This little girl touched more lives than she will ever know. A precious, innocent child that most of us will never forget.

If you have kept up with the news, than you know that a child's body was found Thursday morning. The body was found half a mile from Caylee's home. There has been evidence found that links the body to the house.

Caylee Anthony: God Bless This Little Angel

2008-12-12T12:33:00.000-05:00

Caylee Anthony: God Bless This Little Angel

Just a thought

2008-12-11T21:11:00.002-05:00

Tonite I was watching the show " The secret millionaire". What an amazing show that is. It amazes me that people with that kind of money don't really think about how many people live in this world. I watch them having to give up their normal lifestyle for a week and listen to how they say they take for granted what they have. I see the difference they make in peoples lives.I wish that I could make a difference like that in peoples lives. If I were a millionaire I think I would.
I don't know if you have ever just done a basic search on the internet and see the numbers of people who are asking for help. I have and sometimes when I feel like I am getting kicked in the teeth, I remember what some of their stories are like. People who are so affected by the economy today. People asking for help so that their kids don't miss out on Santa coming this year.
We all need to remember to be thankful for all the things we do have. We need to be thankful that we have families and that they are full of love and hope and dreams. No matter how rough we think we have it, there is always going to be someone out there who is worse than us. We need to take the time to send them a little prayer.

Pooping Christmas Stocking Stuffers

2008-12-11T13:02:00.000-05:00

Pooping Christmas Stocking Stuffers

EEKS It's Monday

2008-12-08T04:18:00.003-05:00

Another Monday, the kids have school but they have only two weeks left until they get out for the Christmas holiday.

This nasty cold bug going around has really got a hold on my husband and I. My son said to me yesterday while I was trying to get the laundry done that "robo mom is short circuiting". I think he was trying to tell me that I was a little grouchy. Leave to it kids to put it simple.

Florida won the football game. It was a really good game.Very well played and hard fought. Alabama went to peices in the forth quarter. I guess they realized their time was up.

The weather outside this morning is cold. I am not a winter a person. I'd rather be camping with the folks and fly fishing by the river in nice, warm, and enjoyable weather.

Christmas Angels Inside Every Tree-Poem

2008-12-05T23:33:00.001-05:00

Christmas Angels Inside Every Tree-Poem

The Cold Bug Is Attacking

2008-12-05T19:07:00.002-05:00

Well, I didn't do well yesterday with writing a post. I have been busy writing on two other sites. The cold bug has finally completed its rounds in the family. I have discovered that kids are much easier to take care of than the hubby. Kids don't seem to whine as much.LOL. Nah, he was ok.
Today we cooked lamb in a crock pot all day long with pearl onion, potaotes, and garlic. It was like butter it was so tender. Yum. My husband made rice to go with it. His rice is always perfect, mine always is underdone, pasty, or too much water. He has the formula down right.
The countdown is coming quick for Christmas. I can't believe the year is almost over. Time flies.
http://www.google.com/ig. I finally got this site figured out. It was fun putting together. I am still learning how to do all this stuff, but I like it.
Well better go write on one of my other sites I have neglected today.
Have a great day.

Big Three Bailout: We can by-pass Congress

2008-12-04T14:06:00.001-05:00

Big Three Bailout: We can by-pass Congress

Christmas Family Fun Gift Ideas

2008-12-04T07:03:00.001-05:00

Christmas Family Fun Gift Ideas

Simple Christmas Gifts Using Mason Jars

2008-12-04T07:02:00.001-05:00

Simple Christmas Gifts Using Mason Jars

Alabama and Florida Sec Title Game

2008-12-03T09:52:00.004-05:00

What an exciting matchup this is going to be!

Alabama is 12-0 Florida is 11-1 ( their loss was to Mississippi 31-30)

This game is scheduled for Saturday, December 6,2008 at 4pm on CBS

Alabama has been a solid winning team this season. John Parker Wilson , the quarterback for Alabama looks great and the offense and defense are very solid.

Florida has had a great season also with Tim Tebow as quarterback. The offense and defense are both solid. Tim Tebow is a little more agressive in playing and is more versatile than Wilson but I believe it should be a good battle for the title game.

This is going to be a huge game with two very well matched teams.

I am guessing the score will be tight and close, if not an overtime game.

Alabama 42 Florida 45

About Me

2008-12-03T07:40:00.006-05:00

Hello Everyone,
I wanted to share a little about myself and what I plan to do with this blog. I am going to cover a variety of topics and just everyday things. I plan on posting here at least twice a day and will do my best to keep up with that.
I am a stay at home mom and I have to wonderful kids and a great hubby.

I love college football and my favorite team is the Tennessee Volunteers. They haven't had a great a season but hopefully that will change for next year. Our well loved coach took a hit with the poor season and so last Saturday was the last game he will be coaching. To me Coach Fulmer was and will always be the heart of Tennessee football. It was just recently announced that Lane Kiffin will be the new coach so I will keep my fingers crossed that he can improve the team especially the offense.

Big game coming up this Saturday. SEC championship game Alabama and Florida.

I love camping and fly fishing. There is nothing more relaxing than being at the river with a fly rod and fishing all day. I also love saltwater fishing.

I love to write. I feel like writing is the best way to express myself. I feel like the best writer can make a person feel what they write and make an impression. That is something I am really working towards. I also love to write poetry, so hopefully there might be some pop up on here down the road.
I hope everyone has a wonderful day. I welcome your feedback and hope you like this blog.