Sunday, April 29, 2007

Broked Kitty

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I was NOT going to have another cat. I had two already that I could barely afford vet bills on. But everytime I went over to Steve's sister's house, this little grey cat would go berserk. He would not leave me alone. I couldn't hold the baby, I couldn't eat dinner, I couldn't do anything without that little thing all over me. I can't say I didn't like it. I adore snuggly kitties. Finally around Christmas Kameron decided he liked the cat, too, so, home it went. The cat loves me. That's about all I can say for it. And did I get attached to it? yes. Real attached? I was ate up with that cat. (His name is Frodo by the way.)

Well, one day he decided to go outside. When I come home from work, he didn't come. I was worried sick! The next morning, he didn't come. The girls found him beside the garage. When we brought him in, he couldn't walk. So we took him to the vet. She did some X-rays and we found out that he had eveidently been hit by a car, or some sort of severe trauma, because his thigh bone was completely broken at the base of both the top and bottom joints. The bone was broken in such a manner that it was impossible to splint both breaks. We had a few options....we could amputate, euthanize, or we could gamble. So, we gambled. She splinted the bottom break and we left the other break to heal on its own, bracing it as much as possible. She said sometimes breaks like that would heal into what is called a false joint. We were hoping Frodo's sweet little leg bone would do this. He just wouldn't be able to move very much. And we knew that he would have a severe limp, always, if everything went according to plan. But I couldn't put him down, and I couldn't have his little leg cut off, so I gave the house payment to the vet and let her do her thing.

We had to do splint checks every week so she could keep an eye on the breaks. Using the litterbox was not a very pleasant experience sometimes, but I have to say that this cat was a trooper through it all. He never lost his appetite or snuggle capacity. I think he's even more snuggly now, because in order to let him get a reprieve from his dark cat box, I'd sit with him on the sofa in the evenings for long periods of time, holding him in my lap. I'd even let him chew on my hands when he felt frisky. We all signed his cast so he'd know we were rooting for him.

Finally, after all his shots and deworming and splinting and neutering, the cat is able to come out of the box. His hip healed about as well as we could have hoped. The leg gets a little stronger everyday and he doesn't limp near as bad as I thought he would, but the leg is certainly not usable for crouching and jumping. All in all, I think the vet did a wonderful job and I am so glad that my snuggly little baby is OK!!!!!

Friday, April 27, 2007

Another funny story......

I have a feeling I'll be re-visiting this blog prompt alot, posting as I remember them. Tink's blog made me remember this!

My Brother in Law, Captain Underpants

I had been dating this man for about 6 months or so when I thought it might be safe for him to meet some of my family. You have to understand, I have long been plagued by the meeting of the family. That's because they want to act like bullies or wierdos. I should write a novella on it at another time.

So I arrange with my sister to meet her later that evening at a local members only club she was part of for a few drinks and anight of laughter and relaxation with my friend. (He's not my friend anymore but that's beside the point).

We have to ring the bell at the locked door, and wait. We then have to introduce ourselves, and ask for my sister. The doorman yells across the area for her and I hear my brother in law yell. "I'll come get 'em!"

We are led into the foyer and you can see down a wide hall. We can't go any further until someone I know comes to escort us in to the building. I think at this point it I need to mention that just before we went in I told my freind that I was not responsible for any manner in which my family may act. Period.

Bounding down the hall, sideways, just like Tigger would do, comes my very tall, very thin, brother-in-law. He also has a glass eye, although in the fair dark it wasn't too noticeable. His arms are waving in the air, and he is wearing, over his clothes, a pair of women's bra and panties.

My friend was not overly traumatized and found it very funny. Back then I thought that was a good thing, although now I wish he'd run screaming, but that's beside the point. And I have yet another wonderful family memory for the journals.....

DSP Blog Prompt 4/27/07

Tell a funny story or your favorite joke.


My son is a practical joker. We have all gotten up in the morning at some point in time smothered in toothpaste, shaving cream, mascara, or guacalmole. We've had glasses painted around our eyes. We've had messages written on our backs. We've shot bottle rockets out of the window of a moving vehicle, toilet papered trees and thrown snowballs in wal-mart parking lot. We throw stuffed animals over the aisles in wal-mart, too. We know all the best interactive prank call websites. (Okay, maybe I play along with him a little bit. But, like a good Mom, I always warn him that if he ever gets busted and hauled down to juvie he has to act like I wasn't in on it so they'll let me bail him out. People just don't have the sense of humor they did twenty years ago, you know.)

We are always daring one another to do something. One day I dared him to dress up in a purple summer satin nightie and run around the yard. I did a scrapbook layout about it. Since pictures really are worth a thousand words sometimes, I'll let the layout be my real blog entry for the day:

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A better posting of the layout can be found in my DSP gallery.

Blogging habits

I've recently started this blog, because I love to write and want to sharpen my skills. I am learning my blogging habits and while they are not really what I would like for them to be, at least I recognize them. Fortunately, I have learned to backdate, so one of the goals I have, which is having a frequently updated blog, has now become attainable. I have also learned that I'm not very good at writing in the blog unless I am absolutely alone. I don't know why! It's not like it's private. It's posted on the Internet! But, composition has to be done alone, at least for now. Maybe it's just because I think better when it's quiet, not because I am shy about my thoughts. Maybe it's because I don't want someone peering over my shoulder and talking to me about my musings until I'm finished musing them!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

SNL Kit for April 2007

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My contribution to Saturday Night Live on DSP for April 2007.
I'm a little late posting it on the blog....

DSP Blog Prompt Thursday 4/26/07

What is your definition of 'success'? Do you know any 'successful' people who inspire you?

To me, the average definition of a 'successful person' brings to mind someone young, slim, pretty, no age showing, dressed perfectly and professionally, has all thier ducks in a row for the present and the future, and has no worries about anything horrible happening to them, nor do they carry any scars from anything horrible happening to them in the past. They are career oriented and more often than not do not have children. This seems to be the image that phrase would like, and does, convey to the masses. This is what we should strive to be.

This person does not exist. And that is not 'success' to me.

I can say I know that my definition of success is not the above, but I have a hard time pinpointing what I think it is. I think that most of the time it directly correlates with happiness and meeting your life's goals you set for yourself, and how meeting those goals improved or did not improve your life. To me, a lawyer with an unhappy home life is not successful. A drug addict is not successful, although they manage to 'reach their goal' of getting the next fix....personal gratification which hurts everyone around them. One person may consider having children something to really look down on others about, others do not feel as if they are complete without children in their lives. I would say, to me, success is measured in happiness and strength. It is certainly not monetary, although money problems can cause great stress. Although, many people love to run into someone they did not get along with in the past and be able to say....I have a bigger house, a better job, etc. Does this really define success to them?

My own personal stories of success involve making it through a trying time in my life in spite of this person or that person who did their best to complicate things for me. Success is also surrounding yourself with people that truly love you, and have your best interests at heart just as you do theirs.

I still have goals that I want to meet in my life. But I also have goals that I have met. The most important one is happiness. We all come home everyday and can focus fully on what's going on in our lives by sharing it with others in our home, and draw strength and security from one another as we live our lives and work on our other goals that may make us feel 'successful'.

I do not know if I am a successful person yet. When my children emerge as clear thinking, responsible, happy adults, I will consider myself successful. But so far I feel like we are on the right track.

Monday, April 23, 2007

DSP Blog Prompt 4/23 : Is there a time of day when you feel most creative?

Is there a time of the day when you feel most creative?

There is no special time of day but my creativity, or hobby interest, runs in cycles. I seem to really want to crochet for a few weeks, or write for a few weeks, or just be lazy and read for a few weeks. Sometimes I get the urge to learn among those cycles. Some days I can scrap four layouts a day and then the well will be dry for two weeks. When I am stressed my creativity takes a serious hit, and when I quit smoking I wondered if my scrapmuse would ever come back!

Sunday, April 22, 2007

DSP Blog Prompt

From Monday. It's evident I'm not going to get these things everyday so I might as well quit dating them!

Are you currently reading anything that you'd recommend? Or maybe you have an old favorite that you recommend to everyone.

My love for books could be called an addiction. Right now I am reading my second Margaret George book. It is about Queen Mary. The first one was called "The Memoirs of Cleopatra" and was such a wonderful book!! This one is wonderful, too. It is titled "Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles." After this I am off to find her book on King Henry VII.

Another favorite author of mine is Tad Williams!

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

DSP Blog Prompt Wed 4/18

What's your favorite color? Describe it. Has it always been your favorite? Why is it your favorite?

My favorite color is purple. More of the periwinkle variation of it, though. A twilight mix of blue and purple....it seems to be relaxing!

Saturday, April 14, 2007

DSP Blog Prompt from 4/13: Are you Superstitious?

Are you superstitious? Does the thought of 'Friday the 13th' make you nervous?

I am not superstitious but my grandmothers was, and a couple older people that I am really fond of are. Here are some of their superstitions that have either pained me or made me laugh:

1. My grandmother says if you sleep with a large white onion you will dream of your husband. She mad me do it for a week and it never worked, but I described some man I saw off TV just so I wouldn't have to sleep with the onion anymore.

2. When I was pregnant with my first I got snakebit. My grandmother had fits about it . She says if you are snakebit while you are pregnant the baby will be evil. She gave me a realllly hard time for the next four months, until he was born. Then she decided he wasn't so bad, after all.

3. My grandmother says that if a baby does not fall out of the bed before he is one year old, he will die before he is 7. When Kam was about 9 months old, my grandmother asked me if he'd fallen out of the bed yet. My response was, "Of course not, I watch him better than that." I guess I didn't watch him close enough, because she promptly went and pushed him off the bed. (I guess she'd decided he wasn't evil anymore and wanted to keep him around.) Luckily he doesn't remember it, and luckily the bed wasn't that high!!!!

4. My mother swore there was a family curse on all the women in our family---she said we were all destined to have our first child by the time we were fifteen. Her mother did, she did, my two sisters did---and I guess I broke it because I didn't have mine until I was seventeen. (Ok, I'm a little scared about this one. I have twin girls. I would have figured the medical community would have invented a birth control microchip by now...they still have about two years left before I really start to worry, or start dragging our chasity belts!!!)

5. I hate hiccups. They make me nauseous when I get them. My grandmother was the queen of hiccup rememedies:

a. Spit on a rock and turn it over. This does not work.
b. Have a tablespoon of Worchesterchire sauce. This works. Only because you choke to death from it.
c. Eat a tablespoon full of peanut butter. This does not work.
d. Pinch the victim's thumbnails and ask them stupid questions. (What is your name? How many toes do you have?) This works once. Don't ask me how, but it does, if they don't know what you are doing. It is awesome!

6. And the grand finale does not go to my grandmother, but to a lady who has been a friend of the family for years. She says if you really want someone dead, you can make it happen, but just once. Once is all you get. She's a great storyteller, (she has a millon ghost stories I'll post at some time, her stories REALLY need to be preserved) so I'm not sure how much truth is in this, but it's such a great story:
When she was younger, still a single mom, with two small boys.....the youngest boy's father came to her home one day when it was time for him to pick the child up for visitation. He'd decided that he was going to just Move to Florida. Just like that. She wasn't bothered by that, however, what bothered her was the fact that's he'd just decided to take the boy with him. There was arguments, of course, and she remembers watching him drive away, while she was standing at the screen door, stomping her foot and thinking, ' I wish you would just drop dead. We'd all be better off if you were just gone and weren't around to give me hell anymore.'
She got a phone call about thirty minutes later. The father had had a massive heart attack, while he was driving back to his home. He'd died in the car, the little boy in the car with him. Luckily they were on a side street, the car wasn't going very fast, and hit a stop sign which stopped the car, so the boy was okay.
She has never really gotten over it, and says she never ever ever would wish anyone dead ever again, even though she still believes you only get one wish!

DSP Prompt: Tagged....

From DSP on 4/12:

I am behind this week. Okay, I stay behind. But here it is:

Tagged!!


Four jobs I've had:

Wal-mart Associate

Convienence Store Clerk

Waitress

Office Clerk

Guess I haven't gotten very far up the totem pole of careers here, huh?

Four movies I've watched over and over:

The Patriot

Titanic

Um, I don't really watch movies. National Treasure would be a repeater, though, I think. I watched it for the first time last night and loved it. Can we tell I love American History?

Four places I've lived:

A house in the country

An apartment in the city

An apartment near the beach

A house in the suburbs

Four tv shows I like(d) to watch:

Lost

(I don't really watch TV, either.....)

Four places I've been on vacation

Virginia Beach (before I lived there, I vacationed there, to see if I thought I wanted to live there.)

On a canoe with my big brother who drank too much and fell out of the boat.

Denver Colorado and the Rocky Mountains (complete with ski trip horror stories. )

The Smoky Mountains (awesome!!!!!)

Four of my favorite foods:

Hamburgers

Mahi Mahi

Swordfish

Brownies

Four people I'd tag:

Vallie

Gundimom

Linda Lou

cheechongfun

Saturday, April 7, 2007


This is copied from a blog of mine on MySpace. With Spring in the air, I have been thinking about this memory in particular, and wanted to share it on this blog also.

Every Mother's Day I am reminded of the year that the children were about eight and five and we were living in Virginia Beach, about eight hundred miles away from any close family that would have taken the kids to get their Mom a Mother's Day present. A few days before Mother's Day I had let them go play with another girl in the apartment complex. Evidently they had all snuck off from the little girl's mother, because an elderly lady of about sixty-five escorted them all home. They had raided her only prized rosebush and plucked all the roses from it, every last one. She said that she was outraged to find all her roses gone until the kids told her that they didn't have anyone to take them to get Mommy a gift, so they had decided to get me a pretty bouquet of flowers to let me know how much they loved me on my day. They were determined to find some way to let me know that I was important to them. She didn't have the heart to scold them for it after that, and was happy to contribute to the best Mother's Day gift ever. Stolen roses in the hands of a child are far more priceless than diamonds or gold!

DSP Blog Prompt 4/6

How about a weekly wrap up and also your plans for Easter weekend....

I am behind on my blogger this week. I have had a really nasty week. I wanted to be able to sit down and put more into it but that is not going to happen! I went to the doctor to be put back on some sort of anti-depression medication. I have not felt the need to have to take anything like that in almost nine years!!! Things are going well here, overall, so I guess the most frustrating thing is.......WHY am I not dealing with my setbacks as well this time? I have had worse setbacks and coped much better then than now. WHY am I not my normal happy self lately???

I also gained even more weight, another four pounds. It puts me up to 140. I am NOT happy with it!! I have been watching what and how much I eat and exercising.....I guess I need to step it up. I try not to let it bother me because I am still in my 'normal' weight range for my body hieght/type, but it does.

Easter weekend---the children are at their Dad's. They won't even be home until next Sunday so other than some small baskets for them we are not going to do much. My family doesn't get together like they did when I was small. It's a shame.....I really want my children to have fond memories of huge family gatherings.

And it turned cold.....so I think my plans for the weekend are to get some cleaning done and curl up in a blanket on the sofa with a good book! No chocolate......

DSP's 4/5 Prompt

Muse: a source of inspiration; especially : a guiding genius
What would you consider to be your muse? Why?

I don't have a source-----a valid, physical source, I have something in me. I can't control it, and it turns itself off and on all by itself. If it's on, I can look at something physical and draw some sort of inspiration from it for whatever it is that I am trying to create. Sometimes, my memories are vivid and I feel a great urge to write them down. Sometimes, I have nothing. I think it is a gift from God that we call 'the need to create'. Only those of us who have it can understand it. It doesn't mean necessarily that what I come up with is any good, but, when it's on, it's on, and when it's not, well, go wash the dishes until it comes back. When it's on, I can get inspiration from a pattern I see, a poem I read, or the scuff spot on the laundry room cabinet! It's everywhere or nowhere.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

DSP Blog Prompt: Overbooked

From Meg:
So, in reference to my yesterday.... What do you do when you find yourself overbooked? Are you someone that pushes through and collapses at the end? Cancel out selectively and give yourself breathing room? Or maybe curl up in the fetal position and cry?

For me it depends on how bad the 'overbooking' can be. I am the type of person who can't stand to ask for help. I am divorced and I have raised my children alone for most of the time I have been a mother. I buried both parents before I was 30. I have been the victim of spousal abuse more than once. I have went hungry and I have been homeless. Life has taught me that if I want anything done I'd better do it by myself, all by myself and I'd better figure out how to get it done, quick, and not trust anybody in the process. So I tend to over-extend myself a lot. I think I can do it all. I have a hard time saying 'no.'

I am a person that is 'all of the above.' If I push through and collpase at the end, it takes me a couple days to get over it, then I wonder how I ever got through it. Sometimes I have to make myself say 'no' no matter how much I do not want to disappoint someone else. And if I am ever pushed to the point to where I curl up and cry, well, I cry, then I get mad. Then I push through. Then I wonder where I found the strength to do it.

And, sometimes, I'm like Scarlett O'Hara. I just have to 'think about that tomorrow.'