tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12761975082998462902024-03-13T16:52:34.924-04:00Anchor Baby EStoriesFunny, and not so funny, anecdotes of my life: a first generation American-born Mexican.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-90673577011015327592019-01-01T23:30:00.000-05:002019-01-10T22:02:38.113-05:00Year of Memories: Day 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZMf3-JwAQfKK_NqrSnU1yYw-h1cd85F_tqJdltHsOB6VkRSgLf3ZtxTJQt86Y0iPiMqD7hMNaCvBT-yGziDDMzXidSUtPFHW8ciKB4C8THhKHoczjN3E7UQjIBSPVay-AFIqaFjcDJM/s1600/411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZMf3-JwAQfKK_NqrSnU1yYw-h1cd85F_tqJdltHsOB6VkRSgLf3ZtxTJQt86Y0iPiMqD7hMNaCvBT-yGziDDMzXidSUtPFHW8ciKB4C8THhKHoczjN3E7UQjIBSPVay-AFIqaFjcDJM/s320/411.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of the hardest things with my schedule is making sure my dog is properly loved. I work 2 jobs and trying to juggle that with children and other responsibilities is killer. So on a day when I have to work both jobs, its a god send when someone comes over to feed, water, and love on my puppy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Gryffin really isn't a puppy. He's 10 years old and set in his ways. Moving in with me after being with the kids at their dad's house has been an adjustment. He hasn't been alone much since their dad doesn't work. So I feel extra guilty when I have to work all day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My boyfriend Craig came over tonight, ON HIS DAY OFF, to be with the Gryffin. It's the little things like that that make me feel grateful for the people in my life. I know he's a softie when it comes to animals, so I'm sure Gryffin walked <i>him</i> instead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day one has ended with a good memory already!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0Harrisburg, PA, USA40.2731911 -76.88670079999997140.1762841 -77.04806229999997 40.3700981 -76.725339299999973tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-86754212856987943242018-12-31T15:11:00.000-05:002019-01-09T15:20:23.979-05:00New Year, New Me! Or Something.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Imagine dealing with a broken marriage leading to divorce, homelessness, a close friend dying from murder-suicide, an estranged father's cancer and death, a stalker, and a diagnosis of PTSD all at once. </span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's more than a tad overwhelming. </span></b><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not going to lie and say it's been easy to keep my head above water. There have been days when suicide's call has been more than compelling. Yet somehow, I was able to hold on to a thin string of hope. Barely. I still struggle from day to day, but I've made it somehow. I truly believe it's had to do with the amazing support from friends who haven't given up on me and the will to not be another statistic. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One thing therapy has harped on a lot is self-compassion and changing my thought pattern to be more positive. Although I truly HATE someone telling me to be more positive when it's raining down on me, there is some truth to it. I do feel better when I'm focusing on happier thoughts. Not that it's a fix for my issues, but chipping away at the stone enclosure I've built around myself has got to start somewhere.</span></div>
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<a href="https://pcr.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/jar-mock-up-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="800" height="232" src="https://pcr.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/jar-mock-up-1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been wanting to do this thing I saw on <a href="https://www.personalcreations.com/blog/memory-jar" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> where you make a plain mason jar all pretty and write down a happy memory or thought or thing that happened on that day and then on New Years Eve, you dump out those memories to find all the beautiful things that happened to you that year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm too lazy, busy, and just take too long to choose the "right" color or theme to make this happen, so I decided to make my own twist to it and just write it out. It's more my speed: there will be less clutter in my home, I won't procrastinate (much) to make it happen, and it's in a place where I know I will be able to find it - the Internet FOREVER.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So here's to 2019 full of good thoughts, memories, and just a jolly good time!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0Harrisburg, PA, USA40.2731911 -76.88670079999997140.1762841 -77.04806229999997 40.3700981 -76.725339299999973tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-4809298332208803972015-10-01T20:00:00.000-04:002015-10-08T13:25:43.067-04:00My losses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1PE7OQkdsa8XQbnp5rBQbT7SiVJlQ0MU5iGPyTXME2uTzcrDMLMNv2a5by6QFz_zhU7BwQ-62FfPBi-2kYD-9csc9AOrSWjMnJNGJRVK4HiVC1JQBp5bSp_HJilDvudSK6n4F7ZRNHA/s1600/lists.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1PE7OQkdsa8XQbnp5rBQbT7SiVJlQ0MU5iGPyTXME2uTzcrDMLMNv2a5by6QFz_zhU7BwQ-62FfPBi-2kYD-9csc9AOrSWjMnJNGJRVK4HiVC1JQBp5bSp_HJilDvudSK6n4F7ZRNHA/s200/lists.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been reading about coping with loss, and ran across an activity. It's basically writing down all my losses. It totally blew my mind that Arthur was not my first suicide. So I began to list my losses and what I missed most about them. This really helped as <i>El Dia de los Muertos </i>is coming up, and I can make sure to remember everyone on my little altar. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Activity: Get a pad of paper, a blank journal, or simply a notebook. (I’ve found that writing in a beautiful journal can be inspiring – but some people would rather use an inexpensive notebook.)Buy a pen you love to use – something that writes smoothly and effortlessly. It’s time to start chronicling your experiences. One reason grief disrupts so many aspects of your life is because your loss is not isolated – now is the time to reflect on the other losses in your life. In so doing, each will become an opportunity to experience grief, and release it.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"This helps you put things in perspective, honor your place in the process, and care for your body and mind in some other way. To help you “push the clouds
away”, a bit at a time."</span></h3>
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">List all the beings (animal
companions, childhood friends, lovers, or partners) and all the places you’ve
lost. Take a moment to honor each loss, perhaps closing the ritual by lighting a
candle – a time-honored action of reverence. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">What you’ll learn from
this exercise is the recognition of your resiliency – you are strong, and you
will survive this latest loss. Embrace the process, don’t resist it.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I finished my list, I indeed saw I had been through a lot. It made me realize that I was a strong woman, dammit! And that I would continue to live and thrive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Death</span></h2>
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Roger, 1994-1996. I can't quite remember the date, but an acquaintance of mine, a person I partied with back in my younger days, passed away after being involved in a car accident. It was weird. I just remember thinking I should feel bad but I really had no feeling other than holy hell, I knew that guy.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oscar, 1996. Everyone knew Oscar. He was the nicest guy and talked to everyone. He played football and I knew him through my cousin, Adrian, who played against him in a rival school. He, too, was in a car accident. This one floored the whole school. It was a my first real hit at a loss. What I remember most about him is his smile. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Baby Snell, December 1999. This was my first pregnancy that ended in a miscarriage. I never got to know my first child, and that loss was hardcore. I was disillusioned with my body and life itself. My child would have been 15 had they lived.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Carl Raffensperger, 7/23/06. He passed away during a lung biopsy. This was my ex's step-grandfather. We never made the distinction of step/half or any of that. He was a wonderful great-grandfather to my children. He retired from his own printing company that printed children's books. I remember what a proud man he was, and how we would come over and he'd be in a cranky mood, but the babies running around would have him smiling in no time. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Obi-Wan Kenobi Graham, 2007. Epilepsy complications. Our first dog, a black lab. My son used to climb out of his crib, go downstairs, and curl up with Obi in his dog cage. We would find him many mornings under a blanket down there. He was scary looking, but such a sweet dog. He would run out of the house when the kids got off the bus to greet them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ellie Raffensperger, 01/07/10. She passed away from complications with pneumonia. My ex's grandmother. She was absolutely enamored with my daughter, Maya. They had this connection that I can't explain. She was a strong woman who outlived 2 husbands. Kind, but took no shit from anyone. I loved her for being who she was: a stubborn, loving woman. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Joe Rush, 03/13/10. Stroke. Mr. Joe, as he was fondly called, was a co-worker of mine. He loved his family and was always kind to my children when they came by to visit the call center. One time in particular, he gave my children lollipops and told them he worked for Santa. My kids ate that up!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jorge Chavez Duron, 07/18/10. Left in a ditch with multiple gunshot wounds, in the line of duty, in Mexico. Koki, my cousin, left behind a 2 year old little girl. He was gunned down a week after my grandfather died. This was a huge loss for the Duron Family. I remember playing with Koki as a kid and running around and getting into shit. Good times.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Denisse Robles, 02/11/11. Suicide. Denisse was my middle school friend. I remember her crying because kids would make fun of her for not having a dad. I listened to her a lot. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This one hit me pretty hard. I lost track of her until 2010 and then she called me out of the blue to catch up and thank me for being a kind soul. I didn't realize those were goodbye calls she was making. She left behind 2 little girls.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Richard Graham, 08/12/12. Heart attack. My father-in-law at that time. He knew it was coming. He walked down to the park, sat on a bench, and died. I fully believe he did that so he wouldn't be found in the house. I loved that man. Poppy, as my kids called him, was always honest. He was sarcastic, loved to do puzzles, and every Xmas morning he would make English muffin sandwiches. He is missed very much.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Leo Saavedra, 04/13/13. Asthma complications. My cousin's 5 year-old son. I never met him in person, but any child that passes leaves a hole. He had such a big smile and was always laughing.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Arthur Guise, 07/02/15. Murder/Suicide. Too raw. For now I'll just write down bouncy balls, candles, and prom as my reminders.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Victor Duron, 09/25/15. Stroke. My grandfather's brother. I remember wishing he was my grandfather instead. He would take me out as a kid with him to the horse races and let me pick horses for him to win. He called me his lucky charm. He would try to get me to call him "Uncle Beautiful" because he said he was gorgeous, except I couldn't say it so it came out more like "Uncle Bofo" - much to everyone's amusement. His kindness is what I'll remember the most. </span></li>
</ol>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Other losses</span></h2>
<ol>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sarah. My first neighbor in the boonies. She offered me my first cigarette, which I declined. My first friend that wasn't a relation. She moved away when I was in grade school.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Johnny, my high school BFF. When I left to join the army, I didn't know at the time I was never coming back. I miss having my friend down the street.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My dad. Being estranged is hard.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fernando, my first love. Oh, how puppy love hurts. Part of the reason I joined the army was to separate myself from him. Crazy!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Diego, my cat. Asshole ran away.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My marriage. I can't even write down the amount of hurt I've gone through this one.</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My car, my home, my cat, my dog: I hope repossession, eviction, and loss of pets are things no one ever experiences, along with divorce. When you are blindsided with these things during these proceedings, it breaks a lot of trust.</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After marriage boy. I wasn't ready. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Audrey, my PA BFF. When she moved to Michigan, it was a big loss for me. We couldn't hang out all the time anymore! </span></li>
</ol>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-80068652501890963532015-09-16T00:30:00.000-04:002015-10-08T11:23:07.036-04:00What does grief feel like?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxygsZ-7C3-YSND5Yof1iy5ZyjQDyY9LWh2XQhBm3bk2fQ0CW_vA84Oi4DuALMuNGoQF_2LJ7Icxcm5wwLsGE20ZZzdsNsnkx__KayBdrk-rBOXC0XjDRqmITcfFGZnQuq1JVp8tQbWhc/s1600/dark-rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxygsZ-7C3-YSND5Yof1iy5ZyjQDyY9LWh2XQhBm3bk2fQ0CW_vA84Oi4DuALMuNGoQF_2LJ7Icxcm5wwLsGE20ZZzdsNsnkx__KayBdrk-rBOXC0XjDRqmITcfFGZnQuq1JVp8tQbWhc/s320/dark-rain.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You know those dark, rainy nights? Where it's so cold out that the chill seeps into your bones. You bundle up under the blankets and you can't get warm. No matter what you do, layering, blowing on your hands - the numbness just doesn't let go? </span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is what my grief feels like. </span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's this ever present weight that I can't shake off. My one friend likes to remind me that it's still relatively early in my grieving process, "It's only been 2 months."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I think about it like that, it makes sense. The shock still hasn't worn off. I cry a lot. I want answers that I'll never get. I want to understand the inexplicable, the incomprehensible. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But there are no answers.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My friend's actions that night don't match who I knew him to be. I'll never know what triggered those events. But I can choose which memories are in the forefront of my mind. Instead of remembering his last act, I can remember what a great friend he was. How warm, kind, and giving he was. Perhaps in time I can be rid of what seems like this permanent burden and my grief will turn into only fond memories. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One can hope.</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-76011175163315136042015-07-05T16:11:00.001-04:002015-07-27T15:48:10.102-04:00My World Will Not Be The Same Without You<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: left;">These last few days have been incredibly rough. I don't know how much I can really say, as the pain has been mostly unbearable. A dear, close friend of mine has left this world of his own accord, and in the process has taken another's life. And it all just breaks my heart.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmJufI4Hm6YWOfgegWAre3JjRNLGQMqfhExOe6taTSsQw8WxJastVhQcmkyA8odAUSuVPM-0TW4UluitWDl2djSrJXRF5FF4rxKwx3Qm0qIyOGUwNUTR6L7lW7AwI_8USkCcRk0SskcA/s1600/IMG_7272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmJufI4Hm6YWOfgegWAre3JjRNLGQMqfhExOe6taTSsQw8WxJastVhQcmkyA8odAUSuVPM-0TW4UluitWDl2djSrJXRF5FF4rxKwx3Qm0qIyOGUwNUTR6L7lW7AwI_8USkCcRk0SskcA/s320/IMG_7272.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Arthur, enjoying some dinner, wine, and conversation.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He served two tours in Iraq, and they seem to never have left him. Soldier was not the only title that defined him. Friend. Brother. Son. He was a kind soul who gave all he had to others without asking for anything in return. He was truly </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">there for people, whether to counsel, listen, or just be a shoulder to cry on. He cared deeply and wanted to ease suffering.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Which is what makes his last act so horrific. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With so many people, including me, ready to drop everything to be by his side, it still was not enough to defeat his demons. I believed he was getting better. I believed the help he was receiving was enough to reduce the weight of his burdens. That he felt so alone among so many that cared for him is beyond tragic. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Arthur, you didn't have to fight this battle alone. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you when you really needed me. I'm sorry I couldn't reach you in time to pull you out of that darkness. I'm sorry you were so beaten down that you thought your only option was to leave this world. I wish I could have been the friend you needed, so I could see your smiling face today.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like all who knew you, I have many emotions to work through: grief, anger, denial. I have to accept what has happened, but I can't today. Or anytime soon. I'm going to miss you so much, my friend. So, so much. My world will not be the same without you.</span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-16370969069403468422013-04-03T16:00:00.001-04:002013-04-03T16:01:47.343-04:00Bad things happen to good people, children<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Having
a large extended family is great on holidays and birthdays. The
horrible part of having such a large extended family? Their deaths. </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
My
dad has 8 siblings, and my mom has 13. Each of my aunts and uncles
have healthy amounts of children of their own, who in turn have 5+
children each, like good procreating Catholics.</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLQS15KDcmJ1njQbaA-ZOmuhVUvmDPxbgNvELaqjXZFhwDfyJoqCm_uiC03Ma55miyeGhzKhd2JVichVjao8gf1Cun8nAgqfidxuqbA4gprA3f6R4TyCOHY-2FYps77W6MI5T2LXrme8/s1600/leo.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLQS15KDcmJ1njQbaA-ZOmuhVUvmDPxbgNvELaqjXZFhwDfyJoqCm_uiC03Ma55miyeGhzKhd2JVichVjao8gf1Cun8nAgqfidxuqbA4gprA3f6R4TyCOHY-2FYps77W6MI5T2LXrme8/s200/leo.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Leo Saavedra, 4-years-old</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This
morning, I received a 5 am wake-up call that my 4-year-old nephew
passed away from asthma complications. He had fluid in his lungs and
they couldn't do anything to save him. Over Easter, my 25-year-old
cousin kicked the bucket suddenly. These things come in threes, so I'm
just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Who's next?</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sometimes,
I wish I didn't have feelings. It would make going through life a heck
of a lot easier. Maybe then events such as these would not affect me
so much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When bad things happen to good people, it makes me sad. When bad things happen to children, I just lose hope.</span> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-88982381431270730442013-02-04T16:46:00.000-05:002013-02-04T16:46:09.221-05:00A day in depression<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5yoWloJvGPLojf4gptHQnYBgJUi1g6V2CPUJvsX9ZkwsTNE7sfPIFP0Cu6-kt79eNBLTDoOCYmhHkpxdwf7Fq98F5Qmh6TcjcMk8WnksEnq-bci5iU4AIvcDswyAS4EQKn3YV5MLpx8/s1600/words_depression.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5yoWloJvGPLojf4gptHQnYBgJUi1g6V2CPUJvsX9ZkwsTNE7sfPIFP0Cu6-kt79eNBLTDoOCYmhHkpxdwf7Fq98F5Qmh6TcjcMk8WnksEnq-bci5iU4AIvcDswyAS4EQKn3YV5MLpx8/s320/words_depression.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When you have a mental illness, it is difficult to tell others when you are suffering. It is incredibly nerve-wracking, as you never know what reaction you are going to get. With depression, not everyone understands that on the outside you might look okay, but on the inside it’s a sad, sad place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes, I can’t get the words out of my mouth. I suffer in silence. I escape from reality and want nothing to do with the world. I do everything in my power to avoid people – I don’t get up, answer the phone, or interact with people. I barely eat, sleep, or talk. And listening to someone? That takes too much effort. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since entering college, I have had to tell many professors when my depression spikes so they know I am not just cutting class. I hate each and every time I have to do it. In my head I imagine all the responses I could possibly receive, and my stress level skyrockets. It makes me want to curl up in a ball and hide, which is the opposite of what I need. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The worst part of the cycle is the feelings of inadequacy, of weakness for not being able to handle emotions. Then I feel worse for falling into that trap (again) and I feel like a piece of garbage. I fall deeper into the depression the more it goes on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wednesday I hid. I did not go to class. I avoided as much as I could Thursday and Friday. I lay in bed all weekend, until my husband came home from work and made me get up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today I had to make the decision of going to class or not. I did not want to, but there was still something that forced me to go and attempt to listen for two hours. I was nowhere near 100%, but trying to be. And you know what happened? Even though I had to leave halfway through it for a break, I was still able to pay attention. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And telling my professor why I missed class? It was not the horrible nightmare I envisioned. I do not know if he could sense how uncomfortable I was or if he just saw the sadness in my eyes, but he was beyond kind in his response. So kind in fact, I cried.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not because I was sad, but </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">because I knew he was one of the few who understood. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-22694902735322415122013-02-03T11:28:00.000-05:002013-02-03T11:28:33.776-05:00Writer's Block<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hate it when I can't write.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is not the lack of ideas either. There are too many thoughts running around my head on a regular basis. The problem comes when it is time to extract and organize these ideas so that they make sense. Whenever I can't do this, it is frustrating.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can go through multiple drafts, mainly with only a couple words scrawled on paper before they end up in the garbage. It is worse if I am working on a computer. I just type and delete, type and delete, and nothing gets done. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It always happens with the writing I care about most. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe it is time for a break.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-55189404011537335592012-12-20T13:15:00.002-05:002012-12-20T13:16:48.337-05:00It's only a failure if you let it be<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0soxXaIqwVi8VINb7H5WenS1l0Y1ohaaitpmV7etjUTn-dnb3GXkcdEBLw812eyJ9Zq_6yRb0jHMA3yF-scnIelEHGXBuMwQUkPc7ETkb0LMvbewqdA_ewBGZn-X44yg-NmTRKqlV7I/s1600/grades.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0soxXaIqwVi8VINb7H5WenS1l0Y1ohaaitpmV7etjUTn-dnb3GXkcdEBLw812eyJ9Zq_6yRb0jHMA3yF-scnIelEHGXBuMwQUkPc7ETkb0LMvbewqdA_ewBGZn-X44yg-NmTRKqlV7I/s200/grades.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finals have ended and grades are in. The semester is over and there is nothing left to stress over, right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wish. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am disappointed I did not receive the grades I wanted, especially with all the work I put in, but my husband has a great way of always putting things into perspective for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"You passed. Concentrate on what's coming next."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He's a man of few words. So I'm taking his advice (for once) and looking at all the things I was able to accomplish this last semester.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I learned that five classes is too big a load for me to carry, and four is my limit. Four is how many classes I signed up for next semester, and one is a de-stressing class. Power yoga anyone? Yeah, that's going to kick my butt!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I rocked my speech class, which I never expected. I enjoyed and understood astronomy and economics more than I thought I would. I kept trying to understand my math class, though my professors comments sometimes made me want to quit, and I am ready to try again with someone new. I have a support system in place to help me pass with a transferable grade this time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I grew as a journalist. I joined the paper as a way to challenge myself to write in a different style. And what a challenge! I was sucked in immediately and somehow became the Editor-in-Chief. And though some deadlines were not reached and had to be pushed back, I am proud of what we were able to produce and now have a plan of action to not be so last minute. Even though I will admit, that last minute stress is a major high.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I became more involved in campus life, which was not in my plans when I returned to college. All of a sudden I have a better understanding of what the Student Government does (sometimes), how the college makes decisions, and how Student Life activities come about. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most importantly, I learned that when you're the boss, you have to stay late to get stuff done, and sometimes that is killer. Midnight is a cake-walk when other deadlines have become overnights.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So even though I got a D in my math class, it's not a failure, it's a learning experience. While I let that class stress me out ALL semester, I am moving on to understanding what I was unable to grasp the first time around. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And that stress? I would make a New Year's resolution to combat it, but then I wouldn't, so let's just say that I have a plan to take care of it. To the best of my ability anyway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-72939054765110025512012-12-18T09:59:00.001-05:002012-12-18T10:00:58.594-05:00Let's Talk<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:DoNotRelyOnCSS/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s not much I can say that others have not already said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What happened in <a href="http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/18/15990432-a-day-to-start-healing-schools-to-reopen-in-newtown?lite" target="_blank">Newtown, Connecticut</a> is becoming way too common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I don’t have an answer to offer as to how to put a stop to such senseless death.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The only things I can do are comfort and reassure my own children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My daughter, the fearless leader, has a plan on what to do for her survival: hide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is small enough to fit many places and can keep quiet, she said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My son, on the other hand, did not want to go back to school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While parents around the country were holding their children close in gratitude, I did not have to – my son was hanging on me and would not let go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It should not take a tragedy to bring families together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all have busy lives that include work, school, and extracurricular activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Something as little as having dinner together with conversation brings people together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My family makes a point to eat around the table when we are home together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We also have mandatory family fun scheduled known as FFT: Forced Family Time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not as bad as it sounds; it is named so that there is no wiggle room for a way out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We watch a movie, play a board game, or go for a walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most importantly, we talk.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead of running around stressed, take the time to rest and relax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get things out in the open instead of holding them in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t punish my children for saying what they feel, I just encourage healthier and acceptable ways of releasing their anger.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t pretend to know what was going through the shooter’s mind, but I can tell you those kids were scared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope the survivors are afforded the ability to grieve and work thorough their emotions in private.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope reporters remember that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Those kids have already been through enough, don’t you think?</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-65366753568084365202012-11-17T01:57:00.003-05:002012-11-17T01:57:57.725-05:00November Thanks<span class="userContent">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, because this is fun (and I’m up), I’m going to
participate in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m thankful for</i>
month of November.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No way am I doing this
one day at a time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here goes all 30 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am thankful for:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>My family. Duh. They love me this much (you can’t
see me holding out my arms).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>My dog, Griffin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He NEVER judges me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Without my father’s introduction to this life saving beverage, I would
not have made it this far in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
fact that he taught me to drink it black has saved me more than once.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>My cat, Waffles, because she was a scaredy-cat
when she was adopted and now she’s not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Makes me feel like a cat-whisperer that I single-handedly made her feel
loved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, maybe everyone in my
household helped out…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Dr. Seuss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He made rhyming and weirdness not only acceptable, but cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Dooney & Bourke, for making fabulous purses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Elephants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I like them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Goodness knows where I would be without the land of make-believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Institutionalized?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Specifically,
writing them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they are placed in
good form, it is amazing what can be created.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The sun, when it works, is awesome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice
Cream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Holy heaven in a pint!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even though I am allergic to everything on the planet, it is still nice
to walk through the forest and see trees, hear birds, and smell dirt. Quite serene
and relaxing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>SpongeBob Squarepants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The show makes me LOL, and I love singing silly
songs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>My husband’s cooking ability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without his skill, my family would starve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Friends, the real kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ones that I have sloppily cried on and
left mucus-stained tracks on their shoulders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The ones I have angrily yelled at and wanted to kill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ones that ignore my defenses and keep
coming back for more me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The imaginary
ones…just kidding!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re real, I
swear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love you all!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Helium filled balloons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because you can suck up the helium and sound
funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though you’re not supposed
to do it…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Maple syrup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not that imitation crap, but the stuff that comes from trees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The BBC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would not have known The Doctor had it not been for them, and what
kind of existence would that be?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>My parents, for coming to America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would not have been able to do a lot of the
things I do had it not been for their determination to make the trek up
north.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Medication, for helping my body correct
deficiencies that enable me to live life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Science is pretty damn incredible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Smartphones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s pretty cool having the power of the internet at the tip of your
fingertips.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>All my working body parts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like walking, talking, tasting, smelling, feeling,
seeing – I’d hate to lose any of those things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">23.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the
Opera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Best. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Musical. EVER.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">24.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Emotions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As much as I may complain about crying at stupid touchy-feely
commercials, I’d much rather be a person who feels than one who doesn’t give
two-cents about a human being.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">25.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Hugs. You could be having a poopy day and they
make it better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">26.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Orthodontists, especially the one I had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without their infinite knowledge of the human
mouth, I would have had one f**** up smile!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">27.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Socks, for keeping my feet warm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">28.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Kids, because they are the best of human kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever notice how curious, smart, kind, and
trusting they are? They live life in that moment and absorb as much as they can
and make the best of each day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to
be just like them when I grow up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">29.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Beds, because I would hate to sleep on the
floor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">30.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The military, for introducing me to my
husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<u><strong><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, what are you thankful for?</span></em></strong></u></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-43871607767270218312012-09-10T09:02:00.001-04:002012-09-10T09:02:52.759-04:00Murphy's Law in Full Effect<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNK6jZCqvECtC6LwdHW_tDuopjwF6G60EUhOBdMYKgqRtUri5N0fMoDULkJ3f9EQ5XI3A3V4CRMxSxK2YAMVIjKELN3qJh_7oOUtUzpiSKu3gJmuLT7a04EtS53_vpPxgQUfaik0VvYMQ/s1600/dl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNK6jZCqvECtC6LwdHW_tDuopjwF6G60EUhOBdMYKgqRtUri5N0fMoDULkJ3f9EQ5XI3A3V4CRMxSxK2YAMVIjKELN3qJh_7oOUtUzpiSKu3gJmuLT7a04EtS53_vpPxgQUfaik0VvYMQ/s320/dl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today is the PERFECT day to get to know Monica, if you want
to get to the nitty-gritty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yesterday,
everything that could go wrong did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what
didn’t, waited until today to go haywire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Seeing anyone frustrated and defeated gives you a good sense of what
kind of person they really are, and I am no exception.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Being the healthy individual that I am, I did not allow these
feelings of irritation to fester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I let
them rip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had my pout-pout fish face
on, and sighed heavily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My son spent his
$2 on cow tales to cheer me up, my mom took the kids out for a swim in the
pool, and my husband sent me lovely text messages – all in an effort to cheer
me up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was all a no-go.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">And after my beloved Packers lost last night, well, that was
the last straw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hit the hay, but sleep
eluded me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too many thoughts of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how can I fix this</span></i> were flying around my head.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Today, I keep reminding myself of all the blessings I
have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have vocal chords that work so I
can yell at my unresponsive laptop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have legs to stomp away on when I’m pissed at my ineffectiveness at fixing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have lungs that I am able to use to take
deep breaths in an effort to relax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have eyes that see clearly, with the aid of glasses I can afford, and the tears
trickle out as my coffee spills on my flash drive and fries the backup of my school
work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And thankfully, I have a brain that tells me it is not the
end of the world, and that in a few hours I’ll be calm enough to hit the reset
button and start again.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span> </span></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-30553348331515832252012-07-18T09:54:00.000-04:002014-09-04T15:42:50.813-04:00For the Love of Animals<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.b-jeweled.co.uk/media/newsimages/article/Heart-of-gold_16001046_801529465_0_0_14084214_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.b-jeweled.co.uk/media/newsimages/article/Heart-of-gold_16001046_801529465_0_0_14084214_500.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">My son has a heart of gold, and I am not just saying that because I am his mom. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">He makes sure no one is left out, shares his goodies without anyone asking, and has been known to continuously donate the balance of his fun money to <a href="http://www.toysfortots.org/" target="_blank">Toys for Tots</a> during the Christmas season.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The compassion he feels for the living does not just concentrate on the human population either, it transcends to animal life as well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span id="goog_42671093"></span><span id="goog_42671094"></span>Any television show or movie we watch where an animal is hurt, or God forbid DIES, he has been known to shed a tear (the younger he was he bawled his eyes out – but don’t tell him I told you so). Not just the furry dogs either; he cares for chickens and frogs just the same.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">So while driving this morning on our way to an appointment, it came as no surprise when my son jumped out of his seat at the sight of road kill and cried out, “What’s that?! A raccoon?”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">I glanced at my rearview mirror and a saw some kind of flat, furry animal on the road. My specialty is not zoology, so I supposed it could be a raccoon, but I was not sure. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Accepting my answer, my son sat watch to make sure no other car ran over the poor creature’s body, including “drunk drivers.” As we drove off he turned and said, “I hope it gets medical attention.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Ah, time for a mom moment. I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: italic;">could</span></i> let him go on believing that the blood and guts all over the street were invisible, but since his occupation of choice is currently a veterinarian, I decided it was time for a reality check. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">“Um, buddy, I hate to break it to you, but I’m pretty sure it’s dead.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">He was quiet for a moment, then looked back wistfully and said, “Well, I hope at least someone picks it up so it can be buried.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">See what I mean? Heart of gold that kid.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-15888041395306538472012-07-14T08:14:00.001-04:002012-07-14T08:27:44.580-04:00Memories of a Childhood<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a child, all you want is to feel loved. It's not just saying the words either, it is <em>showing</em> the child that you love them that makes them feel warm and secure.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my sometimes dark childhood, there are a few bright spots that make me smile. Like</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> downing a cold glass of chocolate milk and devouring a peanut
butter and jelly sandwich, my body sweaty and filthy after a day of hard-core
playing in the dirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.halftimegames.com/files/mario/marioss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://www.halftimegames.com/files/mario/marioss.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.halftimegames.com/">www.halftimegames.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Or f</span>alling asleep sprawled
on the living room floor after a late night of failing to pass level 1 playing Super Mario Bros on the
Nintendo (and still feeling pissed that I was never able to).</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even helping my family with the laborious process of preparing <a href="http://whatscookingamerica.net/CynthiaPineda/Tamales.htm" target="_blank">tamales</a>, <a href="http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/posole_rojo/" target="_blank">posole</a>, <a href="http://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/2009/02/how-to-make-mole-poblanocomo-hacer-mole.html" target="_blank">mole</a>, and/or <a href="http://bbq.about.com/cs/beef/a/aa122803a.htm" target="_blank">carne asada</a> for family gatherings. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These are all wonderful childhood
memories floating in my head, and I want my children to have the same kind of fond
memories that make them smile.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Summer is the perfect time to build these memories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no school and plenty of time to have
multiple adventures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we have a few
lazy days, everything we do is all in the name of bonding.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPW5PPDuJwIceQ7dXDITZ-YmRXlB9c9auTOYywoWUp2qEk9WDG2RHp3VOR3jYKkaGIx4ku_GDAMD2xLoHPSpj4N_MUy7HoXmpKTA8i4q-tir9cobBoD7LH9xEDyXFM_3wdjldLMeIvHk/s1600/903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPW5PPDuJwIceQ7dXDITZ-YmRXlB9c9auTOYywoWUp2qEk9WDG2RHp3VOR3jYKkaGIx4ku_GDAMD2xLoHPSpj4N_MUy7HoXmpKTA8i4q-tir9cobBoD7LH9xEDyXFM_3wdjldLMeIvHk/s200/903.JPG" title="Cannonball Splash" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cannonball Training</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The pool is obviously one of our favorite ways to spend a hot day, either tanning, swimming, or learning to make the biggest splash with a grade-A cannonball.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Water balloons anyone? There is no better way to release some agression than by pelting your enemy, I mean child, and laughing in triumph as the balloon drenches your foe - BWAHAHAHA! (Ok, a little overboard, but those rascals think the same thing - ask them.) </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuxhlw81XU-5PixQSZ3W6eLxmQfSvyeKJbZ3lzP_DAkiq9pXLFOy8AjTJWLAtIAH1EfLL63MIS4BrzfPHqT-ViQeutVUq_bTZPJBEVZ_qaNw-eOXOnHem3l56zDiubBYZLU1SlY4_yDc/s1600/821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuxhlw81XU-5PixQSZ3W6eLxmQfSvyeKJbZ3lzP_DAkiq9pXLFOy8AjTJWLAtIAH1EfLL63MIS4BrzfPHqT-ViQeutVUq_bTZPJBEVZ_qaNw-eOXOnHem3l56zDiubBYZLU1SlY4_yDc/s200/821.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skipping rocks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another favorite: the woods. We are lucky to have plenty of woodsy area and creeks nearby. Who needs parks when you have nature? Avoiding poison ivy, picking berries, wading for crayfish, skipping rocks, and going home with mosquito bites are all part of the fun. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rescuing turtles that end up on the roads is an old family past-time, even those scary snapping ones that I am sure will bit my fingers off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Hiking through Wildwood as we scour the area for all the animals we can find, declaring the one who finds the most or the most interesting the winner - fun stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My husband, passing down his secret recipes to the children, as they cook dinners together. It is adorable to hear your know-it-all little girl brag to others about the 'banging chicken wings daddy makes' and the 'mouth-watering chili you just have to try.' If you have stepped foot in my home, you will have heard or tried something amazing my husband has perfected, courtesy of his proud daughter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My husband's work schedule is erratic, so every little bit of time we have to devote to our family we take full advantage, even if it means midnight bedtimes and noon alarms.</span> Since I am a night owl this does not phase me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Our family movie nights are legendary (even if it is just in our head). We sprawl out in the living room, laugh and giggle at whatever someone is sharing, and eventually quiet down in time to start a movie, and we finish strong with daddy snoring because he didn't make it until the end. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">There is crap everywhere in the morning, but you know what? I don't care. It is just like the morning after a wedding. You are tired, but it was fun getting there. There are plenty of things to do to clean up afterwards, but you can carry around the memories of that day with you forever. And I'm sure my kids will.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-65661034785490850652012-07-09T10:37:00.000-04:002012-07-09T11:06:34.634-04:0015 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/3308/15-things-you-should-give-up-in-order-to-be-happy/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I first read the above blog title, I clicked on it figuring these would be quick fixes to clean up any unhappiness in my life, like giving up TV or electronics. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Um, no, these are much harder and soul searching types of removing the clutter. The first two hit me like a ton of bricks, as they are ones I ALWAYS struggle with: give up your need to always be right and give up your need for control. Grrr. As if!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></font><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I won't give the whole list away, as I think it is a good post you should read and dissect on your own. You may not struggle with the same ones I do. The ones that don't affect me are 8-10 and 15. These are no-brainers to me, however, I can see where others might find them difficult.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></font><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Number 8, "Give up your need to impress others." Maybe this comes with age, but I could care less what others think of me. You either like me, or you don't. End of story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Number 9, "Give up your resistance to change." My life has always been a whirlwind of change, and when I joined the military, the change kept coming. And kids? They are the definition of change. Time doesn't stop. The change keeps coming, so I just go with the flow. This seems like an easier thing to do than freak out when things don't go my way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Number 10, "Give up labels." Again, never meant much to me. People are people and we bleed the same. The differences in us is what I love learning about. Call it what you want, but it doesn't need to have label.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Number 15, "Give up living your life to other people's expectations." Holy heck, if many more miserable people would just live for themselves and not need to please everyone, they would be so much more happier. I remember standing up to my grandmother and letting her know that I was living for me, not for her - she just about fainted. We only get one life (that I know of), so make the best of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></font><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is only a list of 15, but a lot of these 'suggestions' are hard to combat when you are so used to living this way. I know because I always feel better <em><u>after</u></em> a good bitch session, though I'm a real downer <u><em>during</em></u> one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I suppose the whole point of this post is to let go and truly be happy, not just pretend. You can only play a part for so long. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As the Dalai Lama says, "<span class="huge">Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions."</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-51500928529518616552012-05-30T10:20:00.000-04:002012-05-30T10:20:44.453-04:00Baseball for Dummies<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
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<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-YtCt4kT8YtA/T8YoCGQZtPI/AAAAAAAAAPY/E5S8YI0CmVA/BB_Photo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Uploaded from BlogBooster"><img alt="On the Mound" height="318px" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-YtCt4kT8YtA/T8YoCGQZtPI/AAAAAAAAAPY/E5S8YI0CmVA/BB_Photo.png" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" width="320px" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">"Ice cream cone!" My son shouted, as the baseball I caught barely made it into my glove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shrieked as another ball came barreling towards me. I dashed after another, huffing and puffing, and stretched my arm out to grab at it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">This baseball season has been odd for me. My 10-year-old is on another new team, and I am the one left who can practice with him. Grandpa has too much on his plate and dad's work schedule has not been ideal. That leaves me trying to improve my son's game, and not ruin it, with my limited knowledge of the sport.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">This is how I ended up practicing with my son on a sunshiny day…wearing jeans. I did not think this one through, as I was sweating like a hog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, once I had my rhythm, I was really enjoying myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had forgotten how much fun baseball is.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Even though the season is almost over, and football will be next on our list, we can still throw the ball around and retain the arm for next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My expertise is not really needed, as the very nice lady who was watching us said, “You two did very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good job mom.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">So, even though you may not know a thing about a sport, don’t let that keep you from attempting it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figure I may have a season or two left where I can still practice with my child, then it is sayonara mama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that sweaty, dirty grin I received from my son?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely worth the pain I will be feeling the next day on my sore, sore arm.</span></span><br />
</span></span> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-48707059965811413202012-04-16T16:58:00.001-04:002012-04-16T17:14:42.278-04:00Mean Girls<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cinemanow.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I thought being cruel
stopped once you became an adult, but I guess I was wrong. You know that movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377092/"><span style="color: blue;">Mean Girls</span></a>? Well, those girls
grow up to be Mean Moms.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Since I became a mom, I
have attended several sporting events that have given me a front row seat to
the atrocious behavior of some parents.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">You hear all the time of
kids throwing tantrums and such, but it's no wonder considering the way some
parents behave!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I attended several baseball
games this weekend, all for the kids. While I was delighted to hear encouraging
words, I did happen to catch an unpleasant incident.</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p>I was seated on some bleachers with my daughter when a young boy of about 7 came by with a bright red ball. You could tell he was from the other team because he was wearing their uniform, he was just a younger player. His pants were on inside-out and he was filthy from playing in the dirt. He was absolutely adorable, with sunny yellow hair and bright blue eyes full of mischief. </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p>And full of mischief he was. He was in and out of the bleachers, tossing his ball around and nearly hitting a couple of us. After being shooed away he was digging in the dumpster, goodness knows what treasures he was looking for. His enthusiasm made me smile.</o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p>He was bored with that pretty soon, and found his way back underneath the rickety bleachers. He was weaving in and out until some potato chips on the ground caught his eye, and he promptly shoved them in his mouth.</o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p>"No honey, it's dirty on the floor." I said, as I simultaneously heard laughter behind me. </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p>"Oh my God, did you see that?!" I heard them say, "That's so gross!" They continued to comment and giggle as the poor child looked up at them. You'd think that would shut them up. If I could hear them, then he definitely could. </o:p></span></o:p></span></div>
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I<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p>f you could have seen the look in his eyes, you'd know I'm not just being touchy. Maybe the kid was just hungry and was eating whatever food was available to him, no need to talk about him like he's not there.</o:p></span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p>My daughter asked me why those ladies were laughing at the boy, and even that didn't stop them. Not until a man came over and called for the boy did they shut up. </o:p></span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p>I don't know why that touched a nerve so much, I guess because I thought about how awful they might treat a child when no one is around. Guess some people don't lose the mean gene, huh? </o:p></span></o:p></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-41804072872798853272012-04-16T14:17:00.000-04:002015-10-16T09:26:56.340-04:00Opening Day<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McNaughton Field</td></tr>
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Opening day this year was different than all the other years I have attended. For one, it was sunny. Every year my son has played baseball (and T-ball), Opening Day has always been a drizzly, cold mess. Last year was so bad, it was cancelled. The sun was a welcome change.</span></h4>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-69007162043486122372012-04-10T23:11:00.000-04:002012-04-10T23:11:59.357-04:00National Library Week: Importance of Library Resources<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I have failed horribly at posting all week for National Library Week. Brad Meltzer has already posted 3 videos for the 3 day of the week so far!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, he talks about the importance of job seeking resources in our libraries. There are still a lot of people who are unemployed, and the computers at the library are in high demand to search and apply for jobs. With little or no money, internet access at home is not a high priority. Without libraries providing these free services, many people would not have access to fill out online applications.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So, pass the word along. Some people might not be aware of what is available out there. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I leave you with author Michael Rosen reading one of my favorite story books (which he wrote), <em><u>We're Going On A Bear Hunt</u></em>. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ytc0U2WAz4s?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-64420152874371622642012-04-09T22:31:00.000-04:002012-04-09T22:31:58.458-04:00Book Review: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Junot_wao_cover.jpg">Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao</a> by Junot D<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">í</span>az</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">written for HACC's newspaper <em>The Fourth Estate</em></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXqXRxDUZz5FWhw8RQT0v32Wq2J-ytP1YPq526aDC1x8U8cdbPoIP1zF2x6a1Z6raAYLD_uVtBBto5a3-pj91IdqBr1FLw8wdCzxgxFj8vW9S5EWU1z2COSG53jkQGI1lyrKMB_6hj-4/s1600/The+Brief+Wondrous+Life+of+Oscar+Wao.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXqXRxDUZz5FWhw8RQT0v32Wq2J-ytP1YPq526aDC1x8U8cdbPoIP1zF2x6a1Z6raAYLD_uVtBBto5a3-pj91IdqBr1FLw8wdCzxgxFj8vW9S5EWU1z2COSG53jkQGI1lyrKMB_6hj-4/s320/The+Brief+Wondrous+Life+of+Oscar+Wao.jpg" title="Google images" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Google Images</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As a
first-generation Mexican-American, I was thrilled to pick up a book that
contained the language I speak: Spanglish. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao</i> is a colorfully-worded novel that follows
the life of the de León family, from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey,
concentrating on the not-so-typical life of teenage Oscar.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The</span>
story of our Dominican Oscar Wilde (Oscar Wao, get it?) is told in parts by his
sister, Lola, and his best friend, Yunior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the novel has been labeled by some as misogynistic, it follows
with the way Rafael Trujillo led the Dominican Republic during his reign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each page is peppered with Trujillo political
references, Spanish words, footnotes, and sci-fi references.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, of course, Oscar.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Everyone
can attest to trying to live up to our parents’ expectations, and Oscar’s
pitiful attempts to be something he is not touches the heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He spends much of his time reading sci-fi and
fantasy books, and is not lucky with the ladies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being overweight does not help his cause and
he is mercilessly teased by his own people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even his own two best friends go out and get girlfriends without him!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It
seems that Oscar’s ancestors have been cursed with the fukú, the unmentionable
curse that has followed the family through generations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hear of the story of Oscar’s grandfather,
Abelard, and his troubles with the dictator of the time, Trujillo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also learn about Abelard’s daughter, Beli
(Oscars’ mother), and her past interactions of prejudice due to her dark
skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While a cousin did taker her in,
was that enough to heal her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps all
the brutality she endured is the reason that she is so tough on her own
children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see how Lola’s adolescence
is affected by her mother’s dominance, and it’s not pretty.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Could
it be that all of Oscar’s bad luck can be explained by this fukú?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The whole book is full of examples of life’s unfairness that come down
to perception: a beating could be seen as a curse or the survival of said
beating as a blessing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to me
that all the family’s trouble come from the love department, where they really
do seem cursed!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blackbookmag.com/polopoly_fs/1.45393.1330368324!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="BlackBookMag.com" border="0" height="154" src="http://www.blackbookmag.com/polopoly_fs/1.45393.1330368324!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/original/image.jpg" title="Junot Diaz" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Junot Diaz <em>Blackbookmag.com</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">D<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">í</span>az
does a wonderful job in bringing the immigrant life to the forefront.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not just a story about Oscar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, it is the story of a family and the
history of that time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>D<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">í</span>az does not hide
behind the pretty, but shows all the nastiness and ugliness out there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amidst all that, there is hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, who has more hope than a
19-year-old male virgin waiting to get laid?</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
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<o:p></o:p></span><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-1514747196793963532012-04-07T21:14:00.002-04:002014-09-04T15:46:36.152-04:00National Library Week: April 8-15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my favorite things to do in all the spare time I have is read. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If there is such a thing, I have way too many books in my possession. Besides 2 bookcases, I also have several piles of TBR (to-be-read) books around our space-challenged apartment, a couple boxes in the garage (which I frequent to rotate the ones in the bookcase), not to mention all the ones I purchase for my children. </span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://zapp4.staticworld.net/reviews/graphics/products/uploaded/barnes_and_noble_nook_tablet_1161200_g2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://zapp4.staticworld.net/reviews/graphics/products/uploaded/barnes_and_noble_nook_tablet_1161200_g2.jpg" height="136" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">I am also the proud owner of a <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-tablet-barnes-noble/1104687969?r=1&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Device%20Specific%20-%20NOOK%20Tablet&utm_source=google&cm_mmca1=7dbd9f6f-60eb-3209-93e5-000036f5f265&utm_term=b%26n%20nook%20tablet&cm_mmc=Google-_-Device%20Specific%20-%20NOOK%20Tablet-_-NOOK%20Tablet%20(exact)-_-b%26n%20nook%20tablet">Nook Tablet</a>, a Christmas present from my husband. I believe his hope was that my book hoarding would dwindle. His plan has been unsuccessful thus far. I frequent way too many secondhand bookstores to not take advantage of their steep discounts. Even with the bookstore discount card, I find that I can get ADDITIONAL books digitally without taking up too much space. Score!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I have loved books ever since I was able to escape to their dream worlds. I was not always as lucky as I am now; I did not have the means to amass books as a youngster. I scoured as many yard sales as I could to get my Sweet Valley High and Baby-Sitters Club series. That was never enough. My local library, however, had unlimited reading material for me to peruse.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> was there every Tuesday and Thursday without fail after my discovery. Whether it was to study or just read, the place held many wonders for me. Why not take a moment to visit your local library? There are many resources besides "just books" housed there. Go out and sign up for a library card. This coming week is a good time to start if you haven't visited your local library. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">April 8-14, 2011 is <a href="http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek">National Library Week</a>. I am going to try my best to post something library/book related every single day next week. Tall order, I know. But what better way to pay homage to a library that gave me so much? I can't think of anything better.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-31419762419840145792012-04-04T18:02:00.003-04:002012-04-04T18:04:17.599-04:00Pearl 07/14/11-02/21/12<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This beautiful little girl was our Pearl. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She passed away unexpectedly on February 21</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, 2012. She was 8 months old.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>lrt555555</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That was Griffin, our dog. he misses her too, but he does not know his alphabet, so he ca cant write it, he </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">can only tap on her picture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We first met our sweet kitty when my daughter spent the night at a friend's house back in July 2011. The family told me of the little homeless kitten they had been feeding. They named "him" Hobo-Meow-Meow and "he" was the cutest thing ever! Then again, which kitten isn't cute?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We were still struggling from losing our first cat, Diego, after he ran away from our move to a new place. I guess after 8 years of living in the same place, the move was too stressful for Diego to take. We also adopted a puppy, so perhaps all that was too overwhelming. That loss of a pet is a painful thing to go through, so we were not looking to adopt a new kitten so soon. It had only happened 4 months earlier, so the wounds were still fresh. But how could we resist? We decided to take Hobo home and make her a part of our family.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl & dangly things</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Apparently, Hobo missed the memo and hid out under a bed for a couple of weeks. Once we figured out he was a she, we renamed her Pearl. Little by little she came out of her shell, though she still ran if we made any sudden movements. She was so skittish! We enticed her with toys and socks, the dangly things she seemed to like most. Her reluctance made her loving moments more endearing. It took her about two months to come close enough to lay down on us, and purr when we pet her, but eventually that's all she wanted. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearl & Griffin</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">She could not sleep without the dog either. She would curl up next to Griffin and they would sleep all morning, just to run havoc in the night time. Jerks. I think they planned that one together. No one could sleep if those two were awake!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Pearl would stay up long enough to see me make my cup of coffee groggily. She would stick her whole head into the machine trying to figure out where that magic water came from. I would have to shoo her so she would not get burnt with the hot coffee coming out. She would do the same thing with anything she could not figure out. Like the printer. She heard the whirr of the parts turning, she would stick her head in the compartment to see what was coming out. She was so curious! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What <em>is</em> that?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The computer and television were other things that threw her for a loop. She would stare at them trying her darnedest to figure them out. Her sudden fearlessness in our home was amusing to see considering her flight reflex to stay alive. She was clearly comfortable in our presence. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I think you can figure out that we miss her terribly. When people go in for a routine procedure, we do not expect them to die. Same situation here, we did not expect Pearl to die from spaying. Her sweetness was only 5lbs and her heart could not take the stress of the surgery. We do not hold our vet responsible, as they have always been good to us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life is full of surprises. You never know what is going to happen and you have to treat each day like it is your last. You do not want to have any regrets. So right now, hug those you love and tell them so. I can guarantee that no human (or pet) can hear those words enough. </span></span><br />
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-561380063622636352012-04-03T16:51:00.001-04:002012-04-03T16:51:11.181-04:00Long Time No See<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yeah, it has been a while since I have posted. No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth or fallen into any deep depression. Thankfully, my life has gone in the opposite direction - my days have been chockful of...STUFF.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I have been attending this place called college, volunteering in my children's classrooms, packing and unpacking my household for a move, and writing for my college newspaper. Not to mention ferrying my kid's to their friend's houses, sports practices and games, and extra-curricular activities - in a nutshell, I have been living life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">My youngins are at a point where they are still young enough to enjoy spending time with me, but awfully close to thinking that I am uncool. I am spending as much time as I can imparting all my wisdom (while they are still listening) and attempting to not lose my patience (and sanity) at the same time. The patience needed to raise children is INTENSE. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And my marriage? My goodness, I have never worked harder in anything in my life! Celebrating twelve years in a couple of days, and I deserve every piece of silk (or whatever traditional gift it is) coming my way. Not that it's a struggle, but in this world we live in, any day over one that you stay married deserves a medal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So, since I have been neglecting my beautiful blog of moments in my life as a Mexican-American, I have decided to get back on track. I can bust out a couple minutes of writing a day and post at least once a week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">However, until I get used to that again, I will post things I have written but not posted. It's always nice to have things on the back burner. Until then, hope everyone has a wonderful spring break and Easter holiday. Celebrate whatever it is that makes you happy!!!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-89317181974562838922011-11-23T09:59:00.001-05:002011-11-23T10:00:20.597-05:00Faith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9yXbCV_OP0aL_P93cZiwwYgt5vDR4lUpDDT9cB_9lZtqjPPm0QLJfqQJiGCY4ZA-dHpE9GK7vZ3olSdnkGGol3MksE_jRhpxsQA8I7z6jTyOplOhraJ9LPli3bRP0Kud3ylH9JOLdkA/s1600/666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 219px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 166px;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9yXbCV_OP0aL_P93cZiwwYgt5vDR4lUpDDT9cB_9lZtqjPPm0QLJfqQJiGCY4ZA-dHpE9GK7vZ3olSdnkGGol3MksE_jRhpxsQA8I7z6jTyOplOhraJ9LPli3bRP0Kud3ylH9JOLdkA/s200/666.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Hello, my name is Monica, and I am unemployed. It has been six months since I held my last job…” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I cannot believe it has been that long.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Not that I have been idle, far from it. Going to school, applying for work, taking care of my kids and my health has all taken a toll.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The picture could not be painted more clearly: Yes, the economy DOES suck.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">However, life could not be better.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">When I was little, my mom used to always say, “God does not give you more than you can handle.” I don’t think that is necessarily true. I believe God hands you the tools to endure life’s tribulations. But as with everything, we have a choice as to what decision we will make. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I am not going to lie. When I discovered my unemployment compensation ran out this past weekend, I was incredibly worried. How were we going to pay rent? Eat? Have enough gas to get to where we needed to be? Pay electricity? Afford prescriptions? WHY ME??? I wallowed in self-pity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Then, I snapped out of it. I started making a plan. Our family had survived on one income in the past, even less than now, so I knew we could do it again. Sacrifices needed to be made, but starvation and homelessness would not be the end result.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I do spend an incredible chunk of my time with my children, and since they are my most precious gifts, I am content. The time will soon come when their friends will seem to know everything, so now is the time for me to impart all my wisdom. They seem to be asking a lot of me lately, so perhaps staying home is a good idea for now. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I have accepted where I am, but that does not mean I have settled. I am thankful for the opportunities time off has afforded me. While schoolwork (and housework – BARF) rule my life, and I have not received as many call backs for jobs as I am accustomed to, I figure it is all in God’s plan. And I am okay with that.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="http://theanchorbaby.tumblr.com/post/13204677878/faith">http://theanchorbaby.tumblr.com/post/13204677878/faith</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1276197508299846290.post-54372780773473635912011-11-19T20:06:00.001-05:002011-11-19T20:06:58.558-05:00Anchor Baby EStories: Board Games: Do They Cause Sarcasm?<a href="http://anchorbaby.blogspot.com/2011/11/board-games-do-they-cause-sarcasm.html?spref=bl">Anchor Baby EStories: Board Games: Do They Cause Sarcasm?</a>: Harry Potter Clue Playing a board game as a family is not like in the movies. It is not all fun and games. Well, not in my house anyway...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14859204838653559511noreply@blogger.com0