Pig Noises - A place to Live, Love and Laugh!!

Will be the best email of 2010

2010-01-21T08:43:00.001-05:00

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

And if you don't send this to at least 8 people - who cares?

But do share this with someone.

We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

Worry about nothing, pray about everything!!!

Theories, Speculations & Questions About Lost

2009-05-14T12:07:00.002-04:00

I'm not one of those to read all the blogs, website and forums regarding Lost but the season finale gave me a lot of things to think about and a lot of questions left unanswered. These are just some of them:

1)The ship was the old Mayflower type, with masts etc. The clothing that Jacob and the other guy wore at the beginning of the show represented “old times.”

At the beginning of the show when Jacob and the “other guy” were talking, the other guy said things always ended up the same way when ships came, “they come, fight, destroy. It always ends up the same way.”
Jacob replies “yeah but it only ends once, anything that happens before that is just progress.”

Q. What does he mean when he says “anything before that?”
The clothing and the ship indicate earlier times but then he’s almost talking in the future

2)In the funeral portion of the show, Jacob tells “James” that he’s sorry about his mother and father.
At the time James is writing a letter that reads “Dear Mr. Sawyer, You don’t know who I am but I know who you are and I know what you done.”

The guy tells him that he knows he’s angry at the man that did this to his mommy and daddy, that he has to let it go, what’s done is done.

He’s James but is he really “James Sawyer?”

3)When Richard konks Ellie on the head he says “he’s protecting their leader.”
I thought Richard was the leader.

4)When James, Kate and Juliet meet up with Bernard and Rose and they’re parting ways, Bernard asks Juliet if she’s sure she doesn’t want some tea. She’s holding her stomach at that point and Bernard is looking at her like he knows something.
I wonder if Bernard knows she’s going to die?

5)Alana, the woman who took Sayid captive is the only one who has known Jacob off the island. Then when the group finds that shack they know something about the ash. This all seems to indicate that they’ve come and gone from the island. Why can they come and go but the Lostees weren’t supposed to leave?

6)Alana pulls a little woven thing out of her pocket after one of the guys asks where they’re to go once they set fire to the shack. The woven thing has the statue on it. Everyone has speculated that the statue is Anubis but Anubis is the head of a Jackal. The picture on the woven thing is not the same shape as the Jackal.
In looking at the ancient pictures I’ve found that it looks more like Seth, brother to Osiris. Seth is always depicted with the Ankh in his hand hanging down. Seth is the God of the dessert, storms and violence

7)When Jacob is on the bench reading a book outside the place where John Locke falls from the window, the book is called “Everything That Rises Must Converge” by Flannery O’Connor The picture on the front is a dove/bird with an arrow going into it’s chest.

8)This is a real book. The writer was given her last O’Henry award for it just before her death. The story is about violence and corruption. This is one narrative:
In O'Connor's fiction, she consistantly uses violence to depict a character's realization that they are fallen and need something outside of themselves (take a look at her prose collection Mystery and Manners). It is usually after such a violent act that her character has an internal epiphany of sorts (see some of her other stories such as "Greenleaf" and "A Good Man is Hard to Find"). In this story, both the mother and her son are rocked. The mother, continuing to pursue her bigotry, is hit by the black woman and has a stroke. She is given a second chance, free from bigotry and from her dependence on her son. The son comes to a shocking realization that he needs, period. His character represents the common atheist, who believes he needs nothing spiritually, for there is no spiritual. This kind of "violent grace" is found throughout all of her works (once again, refer to Mystery and Manners).

• this also reinforces my idea that the statue is of Seth

9)At Jin and Sun’s wedding, Jacob tells them that their love is a special thing and that they should “never take it for granted.” This is another lesson in the book that he had been reading previously

10) In surgery Jacks dad told him that it wasn’t the father who didn’t believe in him, that it was Jack who didn’t believe in himself. When Jacob helped Jack get his candy bar from the vending machine he told Jack that “it just appeared to be stuck and needed a little push.”

11) In the jungle James was telling Jack that a con-man took everything his mom and dad had. After that his dad shot his mom and then shot his own head off. James was under the bed. He told Jack that it was a year ago. That if he had stayed on the sub he could go back and stop his dad from killing his mom. Jack asks why he didn’t and he said “because what is done is done.” Just like what Jacob told James at the funeral
James tells Jack that a man does what he does because he wants something for himself.
Q) So, when James writes that letter to “Mr. Sawyer” is he writing to his own dead dad to tell him that he saw what he did to his mom and to himself?

12)Juliet sends James in the jungle to stop Jack. When James is beating the crap out of Jack, Juliet stops him. He reminds her she sent him there and now she things Jack is right? She tells James that “she changed her mind.”
When James and Juliet are walking back he questions her motives and what changed her mind. She tells James she changed her mind when she saw him look at Kate. He told her that he was with her and she repeated what her parents told her, that just because you love someone doesn’t mean you’re supposed to be together.
He asked her why she was doing this, she said “If I never meet you, then I never have to leave you.”

13)Jacob gets Hurley out of jail and then tries to convince him that he’s blessed instead of cursed or crazy. He tells Hurley that he’s lucky he can talk to those that have “left him.”

14)When Alana and her group meet up with Richard, Ben etc at the beach she asks him the question “What lies in the shadow of the statue?”
He answers her in a foreign language which she understands and seems to find comfort in knowing he is “one of them.”
Q, Why does she “need” for Richard to see what is in the crate?

15) In the cave, when Ben is confronting Jacob he said he’d been waiting 35 years to meet him, always doing what he was told to do and never being able to meet Jacob but when “he” (pointing to Locke) asks to see Jacob he’s marched straight there as if he was Moses. Ben wants to know why? Why Locke?

Ben then kills Jacob and the fake Locke rolls him into the fire after Jacob tells him that the other people are coming.
Will the fake Locke now take on the persona of Jacob and tell them that it was fake Locke that was killed and burned in the fire?

16)Juliet doesn’t die when she falls and then she causes that bomb to blow. Will this throw her back or forward or wherever so this never really happened? Will she end up alive next year after all?

17) When the island blow, what happens to the people on the island who are oblivious like Bernard and Rose? Do they go back too? They never left the island and never met Jacob (well that we know of) so will they be affected or just dead or what?

TasteCasting Review - Culinary Table

2009-04-12T10:29:00.004-04:00

When I first signed up for the TasteCasting Event at the Culinary Table I wasn't really sure what to expect. The name wasn't something I was familiar with and the name doesn't really give you hint to the type of food or experience you will have with The Culinary Table.

The Culinary Table is a collaborative effort which combines the culinary talents of Bellisari Catering with the decorating and floral arrangements of Natural Designs.

We were invited to the newly opened location (December 2008) located at 1664 E. First Avenue in beautiful Grandview. Driving through the area you get a feel for the history and sense of community. It is filled with big, beautiful (but not pretentious) older homes which just give you a comfortable, hometown feel. The facility itself is set back off the road across from the public library and is as classically set as it is named.

Immediately upon entering your senses are overcome by the wonderful aroma's from food cooking and by the beautifully simplistic and classic decor. The aroma and settings provide for a calm environment and you are confident that the meal to follow will not disappoint.

First we were treated to Mozzarella Stuffed grilled Portobello Mushrooms. These were wonderful... and quickly became my flavorite!! The flavors were rich and intense and I just couldn't quit eating them... just such a warm, comforting flavor. We also tasted Stilton Tart with Cranberry Chutney that was as beautiful as it was delicious. Dessert was quite a surprise as we found Sesame Seed Ice Cream with Italian cookies. Sounds like an odd combination but it was scrumptious. The flavors from the sesame seed were very light and touched by vanilla it was a perfect combination.

The Culinary Table specializes in event planning. They are available for graduation parties, weddings, corporate events and even more intimate privately planned events. At their location they can host events with up to 60 guests and they are of course available for off-site event planning as well.

The Culinary Table in support of Childrens Hunger Alliance will offer a cooking class for children where part of the proceeds go back to the Childrens Hunger Alliance. Information on these classes can be obtained by contacting The Culinary Table at 614-488-3714 or info@theculinarytable.com

My experience at The Culinary Table was very positive. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the food and found that everyone who works with the teams involved at The Culinary Table are top notch. Everyone involved is very dedicated to the success of The Culinary Table and it's easy to tell how much they love what they do and how much pride they take in every aspect of the business.

I will certainly recommend The Culinary Table to anyone who is looking for an event planner, looking to make wedding arrangments or any party type planning. I think The Culinary table is diversified enough to cover any venue.

How Has Twitter Changed My Life

2009-04-07T09:57:00.003-04:00

Seems like every day someone asks me about Twitter, They want to know what it is, what's it's purpose and basically what benefit it is to my life... Hmmmm that caused me to stop and really think...

Twitter is a place where you can come to the keyboard and rattle off a thought of 140 characters that thousands of people will read. That thought doesn't have to be a complete thought, it doesn't have to be a meaningful thought and it really doesn't even have to be a thought at all... just some rambling and ranting that came out of my mind and moved off my fingers....

No matter what it is, I find that somewhere, there is at least one person who identifies with that rambling and in that, we can have a conversation about it at lengeths other people may never understand.

I can come to twitter and write something deep and meaningful, fun and frivilous, wacky and way-out or just an expresssion of how I'm feeling at that exact moment and I can send it out for thousands to read. No may reply, no one may comment but sometimes just being able to write what I feel, no matter how ludicrous it may sounds somehow helps me be of the world.

I spend 5 our of 7 days totally alone. I am a SAHM. My 9 year old daughter is in school right now so besides the two dogs, I'm lone about 70% of the day. A person can go nuts without anyone to talk to, without anyone to validate their feelings but Twitter gives people like me an outlet to speak out.

I can come to Twitter, read a few messages and then start a conversation with someone. It doesnt have to be a long, drawn-out, earth shattering discussion, it can be about fabric, shoe heel size, the color of trees in Ohio or any other seemingly unimportant topic but for the other people who sent out the statement, someone who is much like me, looking for someone to speak with it can be a lifeline to the world.

Sometimes our short, out of no-where comments are merely ways of throwing out a lifeline, hoping that another individual is on the other end, will bite and then will chat with us for a few minutes... When we throw out the lifeline it's not that we need someone to save us, to save our lives but we need some type of human interaction, we need to be of the world and to have adult conversation that verifies we are alive and in the woreld with a purpose.

I am married to a wonderful man, I have wonderful children and I have friends but some days it's nice to have basic conversations with strangers just for human interaction. Twitter has much value beyond promoting brands, building business, building business contacts or networking, it has value in just reinforcing that as humans we continue to have the need to interact with people on a daily basis, to reinforce our believe that we are needed and necessary and to be validated. Some days we may rant or rave about an injustice and its nice to know that at least 1 other person feels that same way at that exact moment and therefore they can validate how you feel, allowing you to deal with it an move on.

Yes, Twitter has many uses in my life but it has changed it because in 140 characters I can become of the world again whenever I choose and then simply go back into my own world until I'm ready to come out again!

I love Twitter and the folks who use it are a community of friends, neighbors, relatives, therapists, doctor, lawyers, teachers, co-horts, rivalries etc.... we all need each other somehow....

4/1/09 Happy 90th Birhday to My Daddy!

2009-04-03T19:37:00.001-04:00

Yes my daddy was an April Fools Baby but believe me, he was NO April Fool. He was with it and he lived life like a fury. He grew up dirt poor in Vinton County Ohio. He was the youngest of 10 kids and his father died while he was a young child. Being a male and the youngest he was often the one at home helping his mama take care of the other kids. At 16 he entered the US Army so he could have a steady pay check. Almost every dime he received was sent home so his mom could care for the other children. This was his life, caring for other people.

My dads whole life was about giving. Always giving to his family, always giving to anyone who needed help. He didn't care if they were family or not, if someone needed something, he'd give them anything he had, including the shirt on his back.

Having a family just reinforced his need to always be giving to his family. He worked hard to take care of us and took little money for himself. He was man who didn't need "things" he just didn't need much. He was happy to have a working TV and radio so he could listen to his favorite team, the Cincinnati Reds. He did love to read and would read anything he could get his hands on but again, his needs were so simple.

My dad believed in family dinners which meant every night at 5 P.M. we'd all be at the table and eating dinner together, he believed in family values and in always putting family first. He worked hard to bestow those same values in me. I am grateful for his dedication to family, for his love and his devotion to my mother and to me, his only daughter. He was tough on me at times but even in those times, I knew I was loved.

On April 1st my father would have celebrated is 90th birthday and if he were still here, there is NO doubt in my mind that he would be the fiesty and lively man that he had always been. Cancer took his life but not before he could give it to the Lord at 80 years old. We were blessed that he was saved at 80 so we can spend eternity with him. Happy Birthday in Haeaven Dad!!

Book Review - Knit Two by Kate Jacobs

2009-03-31T15:55:00.002-04:00

Knit Two by Kate Jacobs

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an awesome follow-up to The Friday Night Knitting Club. Kate Jacobs just has a knack for hitting people and their personalities right on the head. Her writing makes you feel like you area a part of the group she's writing about, you get a good feel for the character and you get to know them on a personal level.

After I read Friday Night Knitting Club I wondered how she could carry on the stories of these characters and I was so pleasantly surprised at how well she "knits" this family of friends together.

Being an only child I know all too well how your friends become your family and how close you can become with people who don't share your blood. I just really loved this book and although I cried at the end of the book I cannot wait until the next book.

View all my reviews.

Gastric Bypass - Surgery or Not??

2009-03-30T13:02:00.002-04:00

My entire life I have been overweight and I do mean my entire life... I was born 6 lbs and 14 oz but then I immediately plumped up straight to obesity. I think by the time I was 2 I was probably a size 22 or some crazy crap... just always fat.. I fought and fought my weight my entire life, never to succeed on a diet, never to lose any significant amount of weight and keep it off. I was always the fat kid in school. In fact, I was 1/2 Japanese and I was fat... 2 strikes for a girl growing up in a primarily white middle-class suburb. Needless to say, I got picked on...

Every time I went to the doctor, and I don't care what kind of doctor it was, anything wrong with me was blamed on my weight. I went to the doctor once because I had an ingrown toenail and I swear the doctor told me if I lost weight it would go away... Ok.. how is that possible? Could it be it would go away because I could bend over to clip my toenails? DUH!

Needless to say I didn't have much (if any) self-esteem and my parents being old-school didn't have a clue how to help me build any. They didn't have a clue how to help me feel good about the things I did have going for me, like creativity, kindness, a love of others etc... any self-esteem that I might have gathered would be squashed by people telling me I'd be a beautiful girl if I'd lose weight.... By people who told me I had " a cute face." UGH.. If I heard that once, I heard it a million times.

I tried every organized diet program out there to include the ones that had you drinking only protein drinks, eating only pre-packaged meals, eating only low-fat food, eating only high protein foods and eliminating carbs... I've done it all... done it all and failed miserably at every one of them. Nothing makes you feel like more of a failure than trying and failing at every diet imaginable to man. It just didnt help that I really enjoyed eating, I loved food and I enjoyed the activity of dining, it was enjoyable to me, an event of sorts.

In 2000 I began researching weight loss surgery. I spent all my time looking for information reading anything and everything I could get my hands on. I wanted to know the different procedures, the odds for successful weight loss, the mortality rates, the pros and cons of having surgery. I began weighing the benefit -vs- the risk to decide if the surgery might be beneficial to me.

I read about the dumping syndrome, the necessary changes to diet to lose weight and then to maintain weight. I read about the need for exercise and also the fact that often times people had complications down the road which would cause additional surgeries or the need for plastic surgery to remove excess skin or tighten up areas that sagged from the skin that had been stretch from years of obesity. With all this in mind I decided I still wanted to go for it, that the benefit outweighed the risk.

In early 2002 I saw Dr. Patricia Choban at Bariatric Treatment Center(BTC). I had heard she was the best. I had a lot of info on her, her history and her success at OSU and if I were to have surgery, she was who I wanted to perform it. With my diet history and the fact that I had diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and family history of heart disease it was not difficult to get approval for surgery but I had to wait until insurance open season so I could move to an 80/20 insurance plan where I wasn't restricted to HMO type coverage and then I could move forward.Finally I had my meeting with Dr. Choban. She scheduled me for surgery which would occur on July 3, 2002. There would be much to do before surgery so we got started with the pre-op testing including an echocardiogram to check heart valves since I'd been on Phen-Fen and with all that needed done the months flew by.

Before I'd go to surgery I wrote letters to my husband, my children and to my closest of friends. In case something happened I wanted each of them to know how much I loved them and how much I valued their presence in my life and appreciated their support in my choice. On July 3, 2002 I went into surgery at 9 a.m. When I came to, I felt like death warmed over. It hurt and it hurt bad. I found a pain pump attached to my hand and although it hurt I knew it was something I'd have to work through and tried to refrain from using the pump as much as possible.

The next few days were really hard and it didn't help that I wasn't getting any nutrition...well unless you consider ice chips and sugar-free popsicles nutritious. Finally going home.. that in iteself would provide it's own challenges. BTC is very specific about what you eat and when you can eat it. Their program is proven and is wonderful but you have to follow the rules and allow your tummy to heal. If you don't follow the rules you pay... by paying I mean you just cause yourself extreme pain and at times just wish you could roll over and die...

Just as with any surgery, every day that passes you feel a little better. With a new tummy I had to learn what I would eat, how much I could eat and how quick I could eat it. Having a meal was no longer "enjoyable" since I was so limited in choice and in volume.

It has been almost 7 years now since I had surgery. A million times since that day I've been asked if I could go back, would I do it again. The answer is always "yes." That surgery changed my life. Losing 160 pounds changes you, changes how you look at everything but mainly it changes how everyone looks at you. When you are overweight, you are treated as less than a person. People dismiss you as being invaluable because they disrespect how you look. Not all people, but a lot of people.

I am also asked quite frequently if I would would advise people to go through with the surgery and my answer is always, "yes" but I also follow it up with the advice that before you have gastric bypass you have to arm yourself with information, weigh the pros and cons and then really think about whether or not you can live with the lifelong changes you have to make in order to be successful. Often you don't have a choice, challenging your body causes bad reactions and after dumping a few really bad times you learn, you are not in control, your body now controls you. It's a life altering decision. One I'm glad I made.

The fat girl still lives inside of me, she always will. The way we're treated in life really shapes who we become. The mistreatment I received as an overweight girl taught me to be tolerant of the stupidity that other people can display, taught me to respect the differences in people and to be kind, even to those who sometimes didn't deserve it. All in all, being fat made me a better person... if that makes any sense...

If you're interested in Gastric Bypass surgery check out www.obesity.com. There is a ton of information out there and it's a really helpful site!

Goodbye Little Fishy!

2009-03-30T10:59:00.004-04:00

Yesterday morning started out sadly at our house. My daughter got up and was happily anticipating a viewing of "Aiens -vs- Monsters" when she went to feed her little Beta Fish, Larry. Every day when she'd prepare to feed him, she'd lightly tap on the top of his little aquarium and he'd swim to the top and wait for his goodies to be dropped on the water surface only this time, when she tapped, he didnt move. She immediately broke out in tears and cried out that "Larry was dead."

At first it took me a minute to get my bearings and figure out who Larry was... it just didn't register. Although I knew his name was Larry I mostly thought of him as this fish that annoyingly lived on our end table while his tank gurgled and bubbled always causing me to think it was raining.

It broke my heart that this little girl was so sad over the death of the fish who had been here a mere year. I started thinking about how badly she'd be affected by other deaths in her lifetime and I cried myself, not for the fish but for the sadness my daughter would have to face in her life. We are always so happy when our children are born. We rejoice at finding out we're pregnant, we celebrate pregnancy and anticipate the arrival of the child we've waited so long to hold and then the day they're born we ourselves are faced with feeling so many overwhelming emotions.

During all of this celebrating we forget how much grief and unhappiness our children will have to live through, how sad they will be at times and we don't think about the fact that no matter what we do, we cannot prevent them from feeling the pain of loss. If we thought about this, if we dwelled upon how unhappy our children would be from time to time would we still have them? Would we still be so bound and determined to have children?

My answer is yes. The greatest joys in my life have to me in my children but if I could have one wish, I'd wish that they would never have to feel heartache or the pain of loss. In watching my daughter I realize how much like me she really is. She is very emotional and wears her heart on her sleeve. She is bound to be hurt so many times in her life, she is destined to feel such great heartache. In thinking about this I question whether it would be better to raise a child who had a "harder heart" and didn't get hurt as much or is it better to raise a child to be more loving and attached, where she is bound to face greater heartache?

If I could do it over would I be harder on her so she'd be more resilient? Would I teach her that it's better to have a colder heart so you don't "feel" so much every time there is some life altering event? Would I want her to be less emotional and more "distant?"

I don't know what I'd do if I could do it over. I can't do it over so why dwell on that aspect? It does however give me reason to think that while being so emotional with my children, I've somehow caused them to be susceptible to heartache.

Funny how little things like the death of a fish makes you step back to think about your parenting skills, your life and how you've brought up your children... maybe I just think too much...

Anyhow, goodbye to Larry. I hope he's in fishy heaven enjoying the heck out of some brine shrimp and remembering how much he meant to a little girl!!

The Cutest Pooh You Ever Saw

2009-03-27T11:11:00.003-04:00

This is one our flavorite pictures of Ellie!Isn't she the cutest Pooh you ever saw?

Guest Poster! Yet not a guest.

2009-03-26T07:30:00.002-04:00

Oh dear. The wife has invited me to be an author on her blog. This could get interesting. Considering how often I blog at my OWN site, this could very well be the only time I post on Pignoises. :-)

Reasons NOT To Fall Asleep At Our House!

2009-03-25T21:53:00.001-04:00

I happened upon this picture and laughed so hard at the very memory of this day that I had to share the picture with the entire world. This is my brother-in-law David. David was a victim of the Yruegas family practical jokesters… Which by the way, includes their mommy!!

David had attended Christmas dinner at our house and as always and as the Yruegas tradition would have it, David took a nap after eating his dinner… that is a mistake that hasn’t been made again since this day because when David went to sleep, we plotted and planned and he ended up with all these little marshmallows on his head so we could try to shoot them off with an Air Bazooka (you can find these on Thinkgeek.com).

Unfortunately for us, David woke up before we could actually shoot at him but the marshmallows on his head sure do make for a funny-ass picture don’t they? Now you know… if you come to my house.. don’t dare fall asleep because you never know what is going to happen to you!!

The Tinkle Bear and I Trying to Nap!

2009-03-25T21:19:00.002-04:00

Tinky Bear and I were trying to take our nap so we could stay up late enough
to watch Lost. We didn't get much of a nap but we like laying down together.
She's such a cuddlecakes!

Note 2 Self -Read All Directions B4 Using Hot Wax

2009-03-25T20:45:00.000-04:00

Let me start this by saying, I am not a hairy person. I don't have a lot of body hair and what I do have is very fine. I might have a total of 10 hairs on my legs and that's both of them together. What I do have is some fuzzies on my face that I get tired of picking and decided to try to remove via Avon's Hot Wax Hair Removal System.

I know, by looking at this Hot Wax Hair Removal system you think it seems harmless enough but beware.... Unlike those products used at spas and beauty shops this item is made to be used by the general public so you are lulled into a false sense of security ... ya figure if it's made for those of us with little or no experience in waxing or any other type of hair removal and is marketed and approved for general distribution it must be somewhat easy to use... right???

When I buy stuff like this I'm really bad about NOT reading the instructions all the way through... I should know better because it's caused me all sorts of problems in the past like mis-colored hair, over permed hair, under-straightened hair and a whole list of other problems too numerous to mention... ANYHOW... you wonder what could possibly go wrong...

I'll tell you... I did heat the wax (as directed) and prepared to remove these little fuzzies that drive me nuts. I wiped the wax into several areas on my face where I wanted to remove some hair. After that I noticed all these little cloths that had come with the kit and remembered seeing something on TV where someone was having a waxing and remembered seeing them put that cloth thing on the wax and then ripping it off...

So just like they do on TV I "Tried" to apply the cloth to the wax I had already applied... problem now is that the wax had started to harden and cool... There I was, stuck in the bathroomw ith globs of wax on my face and unable to get the strips to stick to it. What I needed was to be able to reheat the wax... I couldn't stick my head in the microwave... I briefly entertained the idea of using one of those "Aim-n-Flames" and applying head to the wax that way but was way afraid of catching my hair on fire so I chucked that idea.... what to do...

Ah, then it came to me... READ THE DIRECTIONS!! This is where I learned that you're supposed to apply the hot wax and the immediately put the cloth on the wax so when it sets you can rip the cloth off... you don't apply the cloth after the wax has cooled and is hard... Now I have a real problem...

How the hell am I gonna get this wax off my face??? UGH.... my thought was to use cotton balls and some toner, thinking the alcohol would remove the wax.. that didnt work and then I had not only globs of wax stuck on my face but globs of wax with cotton balls stuck to it. I was in a bigger pickle now than previously thought....

Again I went back to the directions and noticed some small print that told you to Use a cloth and baby oil to remove remnants of leftover wax. I thought surely that must work if you've got all the wax AND cotton balls both stuck on your face... well it will work... but only after you rub the hell out of your face.

By the time it was over my skin was beet red from rubbing hell out of it and all the areas where I had the fuzzies, they're still fuzzy...and they're going to stay that way because there is no way in hell I'm going through all that crap again to remove fuzzies that only I can see anyhow...

What did I learn from this travesty? READ THE DIRECTIONS FIRST!! Good grief.... I think I could screw up a soup sandwich!

Do You All Play "The Dryer Sheet Game?"

2009-03-25T18:53:00.003-04:00

This is a tool used in war in our home!!
Many years ago, 10 years ago now to be exact. Way before Eric and I were married, I had a washer and dryer and he didn't. Eric could have gone to the laundry but that costs money and being the frugal soul that he is he'd come do his laundry at my house... He could eat some dinner, watch some TV, put his feet up and do laundry at the same time.

One time after he'd been at the apartment to do laundry I came across a dryer sheet tucked into my clothing. He had done his laundry and instead of throwing his laundry sheet away, he'd tuck it into one of my garments only to be found the next time I would wear that item... This was the beginning of "The Dryer Sheet Game."

Now, I've got him a few good times... like when he'd be in a meeting, pull out his hanky to blow his nose and a dryer sheet goes flying across the room or when he's been walking down the hallway at work and a dryer sheet is hanging out of his pants leg... oh and recently there was the time I stuffed the dryer sheet into the toe of his Croc... The times I've gotten him have been countless...
and the times he's gotten me back are also countless but the battle continues....

Today I received message from him via Twitter which stated: @shpef @UR_AY_GAS BE ADVISED! The "Dryer Sheet" game has just been escalated.

I had NO idea what this man was ranting about but by the tone of the message, I figured he had found a well placed dryer sheet and it had probably caused some sort of embarrassment.... OOPS!

When Eric got home he again told me to remember that the Dryer Sheet Game was ON.... and then went on to esplain what had happened to cause him to get his roids in a flare.... Apparently he went to take his Browns to the Superbowl (go #2 for those that dont know what it means to take the Browns to the Superbowl) and when he finished up he got his TP and proceeded to wipe. Between the time he unrolled the TP and went to wipe a dryer sheet has wiggled down his sleeve and was now in his hand and when he wiped, he wiped with the DAMN DRYER SHEET!! HOOOO HAH!! Excuse me.... I'm laughing again as I type this... He said "the toilet paper felt really rough and I couldn't figure out why." Well now we know.. when you wipe your butt with a dryer sheet it's gonna be a little rougher than TP !! DUH!!

Although this is extremely funny to me I know I'll be sleeping with one eye open for awhile. God only know when and where I'm gonna find that next dryer sheet and I imagine this posting will not only escalate the battle but will cause a declaration of all out war... I was innocent today, I don't know how that dryer sheet got in his sleeve but ya gotta admit it is funny that he wiped his butt with it....

Please pray for me... I'm doomed to be embarrassed by a dryer sheet. For now I must wait. He'll strike when I least expect it!

Happy 79th Birthday Rudy!!

2009-03-21T20:08:00.002-04:00

We went over to spend some time today with Eric's dad Rudy. Today was his 79th birthday. To tell you the truth, I knew he was in his 70's but I had no idea he was turning 79. He is very spry and healthy and he is as mentally sharp as he was in his 50's... I know because I knew him as "Mr. Yruegas" long before I ever met and married his son!

The story of how I met Eric and our entire history is a blog post on it's own, one I've been wanting to write for quite some time and now that I'm working through the family history it'll be coming soon. Let me just say that I am 10 years older than Eric and worked with his dad when I was in 20's, probably when Eric was still a wee little child. I used to work for the Department of Defense and that is where I met Mr. Rudolph(Rudy) Yruegas.

"Mr. Yruegas" was always one of those men who you meet and can tell from the start he is very well spoken, respectable, respecting, very well mannered and polite. He was and is more of a quiet man but if you knew my mother-in-law you'd understand... he just doesn't get too many chances to talk when she's around! LOL!! I say that in the most loving way.... Rudy carefully thinks things out before he speaks and he is very intelligent. When I worked with him I spoke to him occasionally but only on a professional level, getting to know him personally was a little more difficult because he is somewhat reserved, almost guarded. I've just come to know it as his way.

Rudy isn't one of those people that are openly affectionate and honestly I probably drive him nuts because I am just the opposite. I am a hugger and I am very emotional and affectionate and I believe in telling people how you feel about them and in telling them often so they never forget how you feel or so they never doubt how you feel. I hug everyone when I'm coming and going. I always tell people how much I love them, I hover over people and want to always be doing for people so I'm sure that many times in the last 9 years he's wanted to clean my clock but he tolerates me and even though he's a man of few words I know he loves me.

Rudolph Yruegas is a man that carries himself with dignity and with pride. He loves his wife and his family and has always done well by them. He spends his days now caring for Erics mom Pat who has to go through dialysis 3 times weekly. He does the laundry, tends to the house, takes care of everything that needs done for Pat and still manages at 79 years old to have the energy of a man half his age. In today's world you would be hard pressed to find a man like Rudolph Yruegas. He is a man of character and I am lucky to have him as my father-in-law but mostly I am lucky that all of the wonderful traits that I see in him, are the traits I love most in my own husband.

I lucked out. In todays world, I found a man much like Rudolph Yruegas, his son Eric. A man I am proud to call my husband. I celebrate Rudy's birthday today and thank God for the man that he is and for the man he taught my husband to be. He has been a shining example! Thank you Rudy, may you have many more birthdays!!

Peg Pet Parade

2009-03-17T09:08:00.006-04:00

It seems every where I go in this house I hear a short parade of toe-tapping following behind me. Every time I move I look behind me and there are 4 sad and pleading eyes, 4 cocking ears, 2 balls of fluff and 8 toe-tapping feet. These attributes belong to the canine members of our family, Chloe and Tinky.

I’m a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) so I’m here 24/7. This means the dogs and I spend A LOT of time together. It’s nice that they keep me company but other times they drive me nuts. They are always under foot and always watching me.

It seems that animals figure out early in their life that “ I” am a good source of non-approved food items. The last dog we had, Jojo, a black-tri Australian Shepherd had me trained and she got the last bite of every meal I ate. Jojo would wait very patiently for me to eat, anticipating that last bite of food… Sure enough she’d get it every time. They say the last bite is the best and I guess Jojo knew this better than anyone. After Jojo went to doggie heaven I didn’t think I’d want anymore dogs. It got lonely though and I missed having dogs to pick up the remnants of food I dropped while in the kitchen, missed having those eyes looking at me and missed having he company.

Chloe is my daughters dog, well she’s supposed to be but she hangs with me 24/7. Even with Chloe here, I still didn’t feel like “I” had a little friend, a pet of my own so my husband caved and let me get a little Shih Tzu. Tinky (the Shih Tzu) had brought so much love into my life. She is the most loving, and caring little dog I’ve ever seen. She’s cuddly and wants to be with me all the time, sleeps right up against me and puts her little head on my arm. She looks up at me with her big sad, brown eyes, thos elong eyelashes batting and winning my heart over and over. She is the best little dog I’ve ever had. She is truly “my dog.” The love fest is so bad that when I leave the room, Tinky cries like a baby. It’s sad but endearing. Makes me realize how much love a dog can have for a human.

I like millions of others have found that dogs are more important to our lives than we sometimes give them credit for. Our pets keep us company, they love us unconditionally and they forgive us for every little thing we could possibly do wrong. They are amazing and God truly knew what He was doing when He created them. I find them to be so intuitive and knowing of what I need. AND, they’re good at cleaning up all the crap that falls on the floor while I’m cooking. Our pets lift our spirits and make us happy, sometimes more than we realize.

The toe-tapping and the Peg parade continue to drive me nuts but every day when I count my blessings and I think about all I’m grateful for, I make sure to add my puppies. I don’t know how I’d live without them!

My Son the Airman!

2009-03-17T09:04:00.001-04:00

My dad, God rest his soul used to have a saying about women and their children... he'd say "Every ole crow thinks her bird is the blackest." He was right... every woman thinks her child is the most beautiful, the smartest most gifted and precious gift that God has ever bestowed upon this earth...

Well in my case it's really true! LOL!! Honestly... my son is precious gift. My daughter is too but I'll talk about her next time... today let's shine the spotlight on Jordan, our 24 year old son.

Jordan was a "surprise." I won't call him an accident because the word "accident" to me is a reflection of something bad, it's an unplanned event with a bad outcome... that is not Jordan. Jordan was an unplanned event that became welcomed and joyous and an event that would change my life forever. A Happy Surprise!

I had always wanted children, I just figured I'd get married and do things in a traditional way.. I should have known that I'm not normally a "traditional" person so why would I start with this? Traditional isn't in my genetic make-up. At 24, I found myself young, single and expecting a child. Not the best of situations but one I became prepared to handle. A situation I decided to make the best of.

From the get-go Jordan wasn't like other children. Most babies are carried 9 months, not Jordan... he had to be carried 10 months. At 9 months he actually did a 180 and became a breech birth baby but then he never turned back around so at 10 months they took him C-Section. To thank me for the warm home I'd given him for 10 months and for all the great nutrition I'd provided he immediately pooped on my best friend when they took him out. Ah... the joys of motherhood start so early in their life....

Jordan was an easy child. He played by himself, entertained himself for hours and really wasn't a problem. Jordan or Jordo as he was to be nicknamed was so much fun, all boy and just curious about everything.

Raising a male child alone is difficult. You have to lay the law down early in their life, teach them who is alpha and make them know that even tho you are female and alone YOU are the boss and that they cannot control you. I did this early in his life and it proved to be a winning tactic. Jordan had boundaries on his bike and as I could trust him, I expanded his boundaries to give him a little more freedom. We lived in a small suburb and everyone knew him from sports so whenever he did anything wrong someone would see him and call me. That kid got away with nothing.

I was an only child and had my parents to care for. I was a late in life baby so Jordan and I found ourselves spending countless hours in hospitals sitting with mom or dad in the emergency rooms or hospital rooms. I'm a caregiver, it's what I do so I thrived when I was needed but Jordan was so great about helping me and he never complained. Jordan spent much of his young life in hospital waiting rooms or running my parents from appt to appt.... he was so patient....

Jordan helped me care for my parents until they both died. My mom passed away in July 1999 and my father in Sept 1999. It was such a difficult year but we held each other up and we made it through the toughest of times. I couldn't have asked for a better helper.

Jordan is now 24 and he's leaving for the Air Force on June 19, 2009. I dont know what I'll do without him around. He's a good kid, he's funny and he's such a part of me that I know that I will feel lost without him but its time to cut his wings and let him fly. I know the Air Force is the best place for him and they are damn lucky to have a man of his calibre. I think it'll be a good fit.

If I could summarize the characteristics that describe Jordan I'd say he's loving, kind, gentle, considerate, respectful, trustworthy, patriotic, dedicated and special... he's just a special young man., I love him more than I can ever tell him, more than he can ever imagine. Jordan is one of the best things Ive ever done right in my life and I am proud to stand beside him as his mother. I hope when he looks back on his life, he forgets the mistakes I made and remembers how much I loved him, how much we struggled but that we made it and rememebers that the bond between us is more than the length of an umbilical cord... .it's infinite.

Why is Nothing Ever Easy??

2009-03-11T07:13:00.004-04:00

Like most women, every year I dread making that one doctors appointment which invites a total invasion of my private "Space." But because of the years and years of being programmed by my mother and physicians I understand the medical need to proceed with this appointment and so I grin and "bear it".... literally.....

I've been having health issues for awhile but nothing the doctors could pinpoint on any disorder or illness. I started thinking these symptoms were psychosomatic until I started reading about menopause and the symptoms associated to the onset (perimenopause), the duration (menopause) and the aftermath (post-menopause).

In research I found that a lot of my symptoms were like those of a woman my age at the onset of menopause. During my yearly exam my OB/GYN (wonderful Dr. Sprague) and I discussed hormone replacement therapy. I had been reading about various therapies so I went to the appt well armed with information and and pretty sure what course of treatment I would prefer if it were found that I had a homone inbalance. Dr Sprague and I discussed my family health history and my current health situations and came up with plan for Estrogran patch and Progesterin pill. I left the doctor with hope that I'd be feeling better soon.

I don't know how it happened but in my discussions with Dr Sprague and by trying to work out my hormone isses I've ended up smack dab in the middle of a full cardiac workup. I went in to the doctor for a simple pap smear and next thing I know I'm being scheduled with a a cardiologist, wearing an EKG holter for 24 hours(pictured above) and hear talk about a stress test, possble resolutions to include angiolasty. FOR WHAT? I HAVE A HORMONE IMBALANCE!!! To top it off, I do have a heart murur... now where on earth did that come from and am I the only person in the world that could go in for a pap to come out with a diagnosis of heart murmur? Good grief, why is nothing ever easy in my world???

Porcelain -Used for Toilets and Fine China

2009-03-09T18:17:00.004-04:00

I had a thought over the weekend and it hasn't left me since it's inception. Toilets are made of porcelain.... our good dishes are made of porcelain.... why is this? I know porcelain makes wonderful dishes because of it's beauty, it's castability, it's weight and it's availability but WHY was porcelain ever used for toilets?

When man went from using outhouses to using toilets what possessed man to make a toilet out of the same materials used for his dinner dishes? Was he sitting around at dinner one night and looked down at the china pattern and thought "oh my gosh, this would be an awesome toilet?"

I wonder... Just who was this person? What was going through their mind when they developed the plans for a toilet and just how did they arrive at a decision to make it from porcelain?

I never thought about the old days when they had the pots that they used in the house... were those porcelain too? AND, what happens to old toilets. Do they get recycled as dinnerware?
I'm having trouble looking at dinnerware now without thinking of toilets?

Another crazy thought that has me mystified!!

Great Wolf Lodge Mini Get Away

2009-03-07T19:10:00.005-05:00

Did you ever have an idea about a little trip for your kids? You know everything we do is for our kids and whatever makes them happy, makes us happy too. My child, like lots of other children believes that Great Wolf is the "funnest place ever." You continue to think you have a good idea up until the day comes and then it hits you that you're pretty stupid... why on earth did you have to come up with an idea that only creates a headache for you as well as additional work? That's another blogpost in itself but right now we'll stick to the current topic. Our trip to Great Wolf.

We loved planning a little surprise for our 8 year old daughter. She's worked really hard in school this year and she's a good girl. I've been sick quite a bit this year and she's so patient with me an so caring by always checking on me, making sure I'm warm enough, that I have everything I need, that I'm not hurting and that I'm getting better. Sometimes you'd think "I" was the child and she was the adult. Just to let her know how special we think she is we wanted to create a affordable little getaway for her and what better place than the place she thinks is the "Funnest Place ever?" Great Wolf now has two locations in Ohio which is really great for us. We're in Columbus (or just north of it) so we can go either north or south and end up someplace fun.

I know that for those of you who can afford European vacations or trips to the tropics this won't sound like fun, but to an 8 year old, a trip to Great Wolf is just like a trip to Maui! It's also more affordable and that's what I'm all about these days!!

Just like with any adventure away from home there are things to be done. Even a two day trip is no different. The day of the trip we're running around to the bank, the vet to take the dogs to be boarded, trying to pack, get all the suits and watergear packed, snacks, pillows and a quilt for the road (ok, these weren't necessary but I always fall asleep in the car and I'm always cold so I wanted these items to be comfortable)... anyhow you get my point... a bunch of additional work that we created for ourselves... DUH...

Mason OH is only about an hour and a half away. We got there earlier than the standard check-in time and our room was ready. This was a wonderful welcome!We could get situated, get dressed and hit the water. Our child was THRILLED!! We had a nice room with the "wolf den" for the child which was a bunkbed area with a separate TV and it was enclosed in a timber-like cave. Very cute and she was happy to have her own accomodations. We changed our clothes and headed to the waterpark. It was about 1 p.m. on a Friday afternoon so it wasn't that busy which we appreciated since we don't really like crowded areas anyhow.

The first thing you notice about Great Wolfe is how clean the resort is. The grounds and the interior of the lodge. The second thing you notice is that everyone who works there is as friendly as your next door neighbor. Its a welcome change. We live in a world where everyone is in a hurry and not really interested in being too friendly but here, they make you believe they really like their jobs and I found that really refreshing.

One thing we found that we didnt remember from our last trip was that they serve alcohol in the pool area. Now I'm not a college graduate and I don't claim to be the smartest person on the earth but in my lifetime I've determined that lots of water + alcohol + stupid people usually = trouble. We saw people all over the pool area carrying around bottles of open beer. My first reaction was surprise that Great Wolf would allow alcohol in the pool area and then that they'd have bottled beer. For some reason the feel of it just didnt sit well with me. Still doesn't. It kind of gave me the Put-in-Bay party all the time feel, more of a bar than of a family atmosphere.

Great Wolfe is a family place, something you do for your kids. I'm not a prude and I like a cocktail every now and then so it's not like I'm being unreasonable but why does it seem that some parents cant go 1 or 2 days without drinking in a public environment like that? It just doesn't look right.... I'm not judging, not my place but when I do things for my kids and with my kids I don't want to have to drink to get thru it. If I have to start doing that then I'm losing the joy of being with my children.

The people staying in the room above us were a whole blog post on their own. I honestly believe they had a small herd of elephants up in the room with them. Until bed time we heard those elephants running circles around the room, around and around and around... for hours..... Eventually they must have passed out from exhaustion. They had to have... was exhausted listening to them.

I had hoped that we'd be able to sleep in a bit. The pool didn't open til 10 and there wasn't much else to do. Ok - sleeping in didnt happen. We all woke up at 4:58 a.m..... just like we do every other day... our internal body clocks went off and sure enough we were all wide awake. Luckily we could have some quiet time because the elephants upstairs were still sleeping.

The quiet didn't last and soon the elephants upstairs woke up and the elephant parade started all over again. I didnt even have the energy to complain. I've found in the past it just annoys people and then they make even more noise. A little consideration on their part would have gone a long way!

A little two day excusion to Great Wolf can be a costly experience. If you go, be prepared nothing is cheap at Great Wolf. They have a captive audience and they use that to their maximum advantage. For example: Dippin Dots $4 a pop, Icee $3.46 for a small, medium Pizza Hut Pizza $14.95, 12 oz pepsi in bottle $2.00, 12 milk $2.00 It is convenient that they have stores on site but like I said, captive audiences cause escalation of prices and in this case it was really true.

Great Wolf had the foresight to build a spa and I really wanted a massage but after paying $4 for dippin dots I figured the massage would be well over $100. Unfortunately the prices for their services were not posted at any location in the resort except inside the spa itself. There was no way to gauge whether this would have been affordable. If they would post the price ranges for services they might find that thier business would increase if people find it's something they can afford after all. I wonder how many are like me and assume it's just too expensive. Why didn't I just ask? Well then when it was too expensive I would have felt small and cheap.That would cause more stress than it would relieve so I skipped it.... guess I am getting cheap in my old age.

Anyhow... all in all, I wasn't too happy with the Great Wolf experience. I can say the ground were nice and clean, the staff was really nice and my daughter enjoyed the park but "my" experience will cause me to entertain alternate ideas next time we want to surprise our daughter. Other things are less expensive and may be more enjoyable. I plan to let them know it wasn't a good time by all. I dont know that my one opinion will make a difference. The place was pretty packed when we left so what is one person complaining? In these times, it's a lot because here I am broadcasting the experience to the entire world. That word of mouse advertising can make or break a business!!! If Great Wolf responds in a positive manner my opinion might change but I'll be sure to keep you all posted on that!! Until the next post, Live, Love and Laugh!

Other Half of the Scott & Terry Picture

2009-03-03T16:45:00.003-05:00

The guy pictured in my last post with Terry is our good friend Scott. Cute isn't he? I know. It's what everyone says. All the girls used to be jealous that I had such cute friends. Going anywhere with these two is like being the thorn on a stem between two roses. They're both so pretty and I always felt like the ugly duckling.

I met Scott through Terry. They grew up in the same little town, just about 45 minutes south of Columbus. Scott was about 18 or so when I met him, just barely out of high school and he was so naive and sweet. He is just one of those people that you have to like because he's a nice guy.Scott is one of those people that will do anything to help out a friend.

Scott is one of the kindest, most gentle and loving souls you could ever meet. He is an extremely talented artisit and is so uniquely gifted when it comes to anything that requires creativity. His minds eye is very keen and he has the gift of being able to picture something, whether it be a picture he wants to paint, a drawing, decorating a room or even rehabbibg an entire house and then he just makes it happen.... You can tell by everything he touches that he is talented and everything he did had a "Scott's Own Design" stamp on it. In some ways it was maddening...He is just one of those people with a gift and I hate that he doesn't use it but instead he earns his living working for local government. He's very good at what he does and he's made a good living but his God given gifts aren't utilized as they should be. The one great thing is that he'll be able to retire from his job at a young age and then he can pursue something that is a part of who he is.

When I think back to friends who have meant the most to me in my lifetime, both Scott and Terry definitely fall at the top. I've been blessed to know them and to be able to have called them friends for all these years.

Thanks guys! I love you!!

The Phenom Known as "Terry"

2009-02-25T08:37:00.002-05:00

For the next few weeks or until I run out of friends I'm going to examine each of my life-long friendships in an attempt to thank each of the friends who have made my life as wonderful as it is. They aren't going to be in any order, not because one is loved more than the other, just random and about whoever I feel ike talking about that day.

This first writing is about my friend Terry.He is the dude on the right looking somewhat puzzled. The dude on the left is Scott. Now if you knew Terry and Scott you would say that this is a great depiction of any conversation that might occur between these two and you'd laugh just as I did when I saw it. It's SO typical. Terry is very smart, very business savvy and very bright. He's extremely successful and has seen most of the world thru both his business and personal ventures. I admire him greatly and I live vicariously thru him.

I don't know how I haven't written about my dear dear friend Terry before. Truly I could write every single day about his life, his escapades and his travels and you'd all be amazed at how he goes thru life, truly blessed and almost charmed. He has more charisma than anyone you'll ever meet but he's the most down-home guy that God ever made! Really he is!

Terry is that great looking guy that every girl wants on her arm, he's the super great friend that all guys hope to have for a lifetime, he's the loving dad that all kids dream of having. Terry is just an all-around great guy! He's almost too good to be true... He's just Terry and everything he does is indicative of the quality of friendship he has to offer you. I met Terry when he was a mere 16 years old. I think I was 19 a the time. I remember thinking "damn that is the cutest guy I've ever seen in my life" and the infatuation has never ended.

When I met Terry he was at work in the kitchen of the local L&K restaurant outside Mt. Sterling Ohio. Terry was still a high school student and probably by far the most popular guy in the school, probably in the town. I wondered what on earth he would want in a friend like me. Here I was, this 1/2 Japanese, 1/2 American, fully fat girl that never had turned an eye, let alone an eye like Terrys. The thought of ever having Terry was a distant dream but I dared to dream it, I did.... Terry could have and probably did have all the girls in school. He had an arsenal of pictures an stories of all the girls that wanted to be with him but yet he befriended me and ended up spending quite a bit of time with me. I never did figure it out... why me? We had fun together, me and Terry and all his friends. We went out, we partied and we had a good time. Maybe that was it, I was fun. We all went down to Daytona Beach a few times for spring break and we were great friends. Just always after a fun time!

During all those years of friendship, I loved him. I really loved him. Deep down in my soul I saw this guy who was the most handsome and perfect guy. I just wanted to be with him. I knew in my heart it would never be, that "I" would never been good enough to be with Terry like a girlfriend, wife or SO but that didnt stop me from loving him.

I dont know at what point that love changed to a love from friendship but when it did I found myself with one of the most profound friendships ever to be had. Here I am almost 49 years old and he's been one of my best friends for 30 years. That is an incredible feat, to be able to maintain a friendship for 30 years. I live in Ohio, he is now living in Canada and I know that he is still one of the best friends I'll ever have and if I need him, he would be here in a heartbeat.

Terry is very charismatic. People are just drawn to him. You can't help but be, you can't help but love him. He can talk to anyone, he can be a part of any conversation and fit right in. He doesn't think he's better or lower than anyone and he has no aspirations of greatness. He is just who he is. Humble, loving, friendly and charmed. He wins so much crap you'd think he had a lucky charm. Things just happen to Terry and we're always amazed to listen to the stories.

To this day, I still love this man, this friend who has been with me thru thick and thin, thru good times and bad, thru sickness and health, thru poor times and riches.. no never as my partner, SO or husband, but as my dear, loving and genuine friend. He is awesome and anyone who has the opportunity to meet him is really lucky! I know my life is much better because of this man and I do not know what I would do if Terry wasnt a pat of my life! I hope I never know.

How many of us are lucky enough to carry friendships around like that for our entire adult lives? I have been so blessed, not just by this friendship but by a few long, happy and great friendships. Some days I struggle with what to write in this blog but now I know I have to write about each of those wonderful friendships and to tell each of those people what they've given to me in my life, tell them and the world how special they've all been in my and how they have changed my life, have made my life what it is today.

People come and go in our lives. I have had a lot of people come and go but the true friendships I've acquired are still with me and this writing is just one portrayal. In the weeks to come, I'll examine each of those friendships and thank each of those friends for the love, laughter, joy and friendship they've given me.

I hope you'll enjoy reading about my friendships, about all the things I've been thru with some of them and believe me we've been thru some stuff. Tomorrow I'll start out by talking about some of my experiences with Terry and we'll just take off from there!!
Til then have a great day!!

For our Military!

2009-02-24T13:00:00.004-05:00

My son is enlisted in the Air Force. He's been waiting a year to leave for boot camp but we know it's worth it. As an Army daughter, sister and aunt and as a former DOD employee I am proud of the military and proud of what each person contributes as a member of our armed forces.

I am very proud of my son but having him enlisted as a member of the US Air Force has given me new pride.

I don't know who wrote the following. It came to me in an email. I won't take credit for the writing and I hope the person who did write it appreciates that it has so touched me that I wanted to post it for all to read, Thank you to whoever wrote this beautiful and touching story!

The Sack Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned
seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to
read and perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all
the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a
conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to
me.

'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're
being deployed to Afghanistan .'

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches
were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we
reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned
to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch.
Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base '

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to
the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill.
'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed
tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in
Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were
seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or
chicken?'

'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the
front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first
class. 'This is yours with thanks.'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading
for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to
be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Aircraft Pilot coming down the
aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking
for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the
plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, an
said, 'I want to shake your hand.'

Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand.
With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot.
Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.'
I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man
who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting
to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting
just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my
shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another
twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to
the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It
will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a
sandwich. God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow
travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their
safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could
only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little.

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made
payable to his country for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people who no longer understand
it.

May God give you the strength and courage to pass this along to everyone on
your email buddy list.

SPLENDA! My flavorite food group!!

2009-02-24T07:25:00.004-05:00

I love Splenda. There are no and, if's or but's about it. I love Splenda! As a gastric bypass surgery patient it has proven to be a lifesaver for me. I can have things as sweet as I like without worrying about the horrid dumping. I know, I know, I too have read all the scary stories about how Splenda will cause a multitude of health problems but I'm here to tell you that I still love it.

Every time something new comes on the market you have all the other brands fighting to defame it. I saw it with saccharin, Sweet-n-Low, Equal etc... well I'm sure they all have their issues, JUST Like white refined sugar has it's own problems but it comes down to weighing the benefit -vs- the risk, what has been proven etc....

We actually don't know what happens to our food before it reaches our mouths. the recent peanut industry problems has proven that things go unnoticed and untold. I know this to be true since I found a cloth "rag" in a bag of potato chips last summer. No matter what we ingest, we're doomed.

For now I choose in ingest LOTS of Spenda. I like stuff sweet and Splenda allows that!
Today my dear husband Eric sent me a link to all things Splenda, I love it!!
http://www.splendidlife.com/category/getsplenda.do

Dogs Will Pay You Back When you Make Them Mad!!

2009-02-23T14:50:00.003-05:00

My dogs are living proof that dogs will pay you back when you make them mad. They wait until you no longer suspect that they're harboring bad feelings and until you've forgotten that they owe you and then they lay it on you.

For instance, Our Mini-Aussie, she's a cool customer, She can hold her anger a long time and then all of a sudden you find a pile of dog crap in the middle of your bed or a big lump of crap in one of your shoes. When it happens you're so mad that all you can do is yell at the dog and you have no idea what brought it on, but deep in the back of that dogs mind, she knows what you did and now, she's paying you back.

Our youngest dog, a 7 month Shih Tzu pup is all mama's dog. She loves me and she knows she is mine. She wants to be everywhere that I go, she wants to be with me or be able to see me and if she can't she cries. She's spoiled because I'm home all day and she hasn't had to spend much time in her crate, when she has to go in there she whines too. In the morning my husband gets up at 5:00 A.M. Most days I'll get up with him and come down to watch the news, catch up on email etc and the dogs are happy as little larks that mama is in the room.

Today, I decided to try to sleep an additional hour after Eric got up. I guess the littlest dog didn't like that so while I was innocently sleeping upstairs she completely shredded a section of the Columbus Dispatch. I dont mean she tore it up like big pieces, she totally cross shredded it.

When I gathered the dogs together to take their picture she proudly laid down in front of her mess while Chloe, the Mini-Aussie stood back, diverting her eyes to let me know she had NO Part of the shenanigans, that she was innoncent.

Tonight I'm going to turn all my shoes upside down so the dog can't poop in them and I'm going to make sure there isn't any paper that anyone can shred... I guess they'll just tear the couch up or something... we'll see what tomorrow brings.

The Tooth Fairy Cometh!

2009-01-23T20:57:00.004-05:00

This past Monday, while brushing her teeth, my 8 year old daughter discovered that she had a loose molar. This is the first loose molar she's had and it has a crown on it so she was pretty thrilled. Took that kid 4 days to wiggle that tooth out of her mouth. She left for school yesterday and told me she was going to make sure it fell out at school so she could get a "tooth box" from the school nurse. Well low and behold, she came home yesterday and was toting that tooth in a pink tooth box.

Last night I got the assignment from the DH to act as the tooth fairy and swap $5 for the tooth. I usually wake up several times a night anyhow so this wasn't a problem. I was up at 11:30 p.m. Took the $5 and tip-toed into her room, I found myself standing on one foot and on a book. I slid my hand under the pillow and all I could find was a plastic bag. At that point I remembered she didn't want the tooth fairy to take her new tooth box so she used a Ziploc bag to store it. I tried to slide the bag out and she stirred. There I stood, on one foot, on a book hoping she wouldn't look over at me. Each time I tried to move my hand she'd stir.... I was there for what seemed like eternity but was only actually 5 minutes.... FINALLY I got brave and used my other hand to pass the $5 to my right hand and then swap the bag with the money. I tried to pull my hand out and I'll be damned if she didn't stir again.....

DAMN...why does this kid have to make being a tooth fairy so difficult?? My son could sleep thru an earthquake. It was a running joke that you could run over him with a bus and he wouldn't stir. The girl child is just like me, a very light sleeper and that sure doesn't make life easy for the tooth fairy.

I finally did get out of there (by the hair of my chinny chin chin) and today when she found her $5 she was thrilled. I plan to document the events from last night and keep that tooth and the documentation so she'll have that as a reminder how much we do to try to keep fairy belief alive in our household.

I'm not one that will leave my children with million dollar trusts but I want to have something to leave them, something of meaning. Months ago I purchased a book at Hallmark called "A Mothers Legacy" which allows me to doument all this stuff about my life, my childhood, my parents, marrying her daddy and every other little detail that would be important. I plan to give that to her on her 16th birthday along with that tooth and a host of other memorabilia we've saved. I'm sure someday it'll mean a lot to her know she has all this stuff from her childhood.

Ellie thinks it's funny when she see's Bubba's (her older brother Jordan) baby blanket. She laughs at i because it's all ratty and re-sewn and patched. He toted it everywhere he went and when he was 5 he had to trade it for an Easter Basket. I told him the Easter Bunny required it at 5 years old and he gave it up. I've stored it since then. He's 24 now and he'll be leaving for the Air Force in June. Someday, when he gets married, I'm going to give him that ratty old blanket. He'll remember it and laugh. I just hope he doesn't have a hatred for the Easter Bunny after that....

Ugh... I hope when Ellie figures out that there isn't a tooth fairy she doesn't hate me for saving teeth.... I could make a set of falsies from what I've stored!
The things we parents go through for our kids!! Gotta love'em!!

Election Day 2008

2008-11-04T14:10:00.003-05:00

Today, I feel like I had all the power in the world to help make positive changes in this country. Barack Obmama has caused so much excitement about politics again and given us all hope that all this not lost even after the Bush Administration did all they could to put this country under.
I am patriotic. There is no one that believes more in what our troops stand for, what our military stands for. I fully support our troops but I DO NOT and HAVE NOT supported a war I believe was/is based on oil profits. In the last 8 years, the rich have gotten richer and the average Joe has continued to watch his life plummet, struggling to take care of thier families, put gas in their cars and just make ends meet with money being tighter and tighter. When the Clinton administraon left office we FINALLY had a balanced budget. I don't know if our kids will see that again in their lifetime. In once sense it would almost serve the "R's" right to have to stay in office to fix all the crap they've broken but we cannot take another 4 or 8 years of Bush Administration tactics and lets face it, with a records of supporting Bush 90% of the time, he's nothing but a clone of what is already in office.

My 8 year old daughter was actually excited about this election. She was very well informed on the candidates and the issues so I let her push the buttons in the election booth. It's great to teach your children that in this country anything is possible. This is a history making election. Either we'll have our first African American President or we'll have a female Vice-President.

I don't see Barack Obama as an African American man but as a man with a plan, goals and dreams and God bless his heart he just wants to do the right thing. He just wants the US to succed and for things to be right for everyone. I think he wants everyone to have a fair shot and he wants everyone to feel success. He has truly been an inspiration and I am proud to have stood behind him during this election. Only hours left for voting but I"m sure we'll all be doing the Obama Victory dance...w ell unless there's another glitch in Florida voting machines and it causes McPain and his side-kick Palin to move ahead. Their election to office would truly be a failure to this election and once again Americans will lose hope and again live in dispair....During Obama's campaign people came together to show with God all things are possible and by being a man of dignity and diplomacy, change can happen!!! Go Obama!!1

Picky Men...

2006-11-01T17:05:00.000-05:00

My entire life I have heard men complain about how "Picky" women are. Throughout my 46 years I have listened to various men complain about how picky women can be regarding clothing, jewelry, shoes, friends, homes, home decorations, men, cars, food.... you name it and they claim we are picky.... Well I've learned that it's not so much that we are "picky" but at an early age we have decided what we like, what our "style" is and through life we pretty much stick with that... men like to claim that we're picky and they like to get together and discuss how picky we are.... it's like a conversation that causes them to bond becaue they empathsize with each other....

The past few weeks, my husband has taught me the TRUE meaning of picky. We celebrated our 5th anniversary this year and had talked about "upgrading" our wedding rings but our anniverary fell right near Ellie's (our 6 year old daughter)birthday and we had our big trip to Disney.... there was no way we could fund upgraded rings after that trip. Months have gone by and the idea of upgrading came up.... we talked about it, set a budget and then the search for my replacement rings began.... because I am a woman I know what I like, what I don't like and had somewhat of an idea of what I'd like to have... finding that something in our budget would be the challenge. Surprisingly enough I found a ring I fell in love with,it was everything I loved and wanted in a ring.....AND it was within our budgeted amount. We made the deal, ordered the ring and set the process in motion to have the diamond mounted. I was so excited.

During all of these trips to the stores we scoured the mens sections looking for a replacement ring for Eric. He really didn't want a new ring. He was very happy with the plain band he had but I wanted him to have something new and more specal. Something with a little more zing and bling. Eric a very simple person who doesn't like a lot of fru-fru, He's just easy going and likes things that are simple and plain (except for me, and I am definitely high maintenance). We went to every jewelry store in the city and some of them we went to multiple locations of the store. He found nothing he liked. It had to be flat white gold with high gloss finish. No brush type finish, no cuts in the band, nothing A-Symmectrical or "different." What he wanted was one diamond, flush mounted in a plain white gold band. This ring, premade does not exitst, not unless you want titantium anyhow... everywhere we went we were told "We could try to have it made but it would probably have to be bezel set... NOT what he wanted,,,, one diamond , flush mounted with no fru fru... It seems that this would be simple to find, seems like something any many would like...... its would be pretty and simple... not too much flash, not too much bling....
NOT A SINGLE store in the city had this ring... we dug through catalogs and catalogs looking for this ring..... nothing... Mr. Picky had chosen the one ring in the world that didn't exist....
Well tonight we pick up his ring... we had to have it custom made... a 10mm wide wide gold flat band with high gloss finish, no etching, no cuts, no nothing but with a single diamond, just one signle diamond flush mounted..... I'm sure it'll be beautiful. I can't wait to see it....
In comparison to this man, I am the LEAST picky person in the world...... He on the other hand is THE most picky man that exists.....
I guess I feel pretty lucky... if he's that picky, I'm lucky he picked me......I think we'll be keeping these rings a long long time... well tell we hit the lottery and I can afford a bigger center mount solitaire for this ring but this mount is a keeper... just like the husband! :)

The surfing, thieving Golden Retriever Pup

2006-10-24T20:14:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder how snacks that you "know" you set on a coffee table or end table disappear and you know YOU didn't eat them yet??
Well now I know what happens to them..... yesterday I was in the mood for this wonderful Tuscan cheese ball that Tastefully Simple distributes. I put my cheeseball together and put it in the fridge to chill thinking that last night after the daughter went to bed, I'd sit down with a few club crackers and really enjoy that cheeseball...
All was going just as planned. The daughter went to bed, the husband was at school and it was me, some club crackers and that cheese ball. I suddenly had a thought.... a hot cup of decaf green tea would really round out the snack so I set the cheeseball and crackers in the middle of the coffee table and got up to go fix my tea. While the water was boiling and I was waiting on my tea, I lost sight of our 12 week old Golden Retriever pup, Kelsey. It never really occurred to me that she might be doing something she shouldnt be... I kind of thought maybe she was off playing with the two year old Mini-Aussie and didnt think any more about it....
Finally my tea was done and I took it over to the sofa so I could enjoy it with my cheeseball...

All of a sudden it was clear to me where the Golden Retriever had been when I looked up and 3/4 of my cheeseball was gone and the golden was standing with her paws on my coffee table with a snout covered in cream cheese. The Aussie was no where to be found, she was making sure that she was not implicated in the caper and the golden, she just looked at me with her big sad, brown eyes, a smile on her face like she'd done nothing wrong.....

I got no part of a cheese ball I'd waited for all day long and I learned that a Golden Retriever can surf... they don't need water or a board but they can surf a coffee table for any snack that may be waiting to be found.....

So What Exactly is a "Pig Noise" You ask.....

2006-10-20T07:36:00.001-04:00

I hate to admit it but "Pig Noises" have been a part of my life for over 30 years...... This is the saying one of my best friends and I came up with when we were about 12 to indicate that a certain subject couldn't be discussed at that particular time.... if we were on the phone and talking about something we didn't want someone else who might be in the room to hear or get the scoop on then we'd say 'Pig Noises" and the other knew that we'd carry that conversation on at another time.....

I chose to call this blog "Pig Noises" because sometimes there are things I can't say outloud that I'd really love to but here you'll read my daily ranting and ravings and my often sarcastic viewpoint on happenings in the world.... Many say I "think outside the box" but my husband says that "I refuse to acknowledge the existence of a box." The latter is most true..... I believe just about anything is "possible" if you use your creative mind and have enough guts and determination to try.....