Bright Moon

There was a beautiful moon last night - almost full. The moon was so bright it almost hurt to look at it. It was a lovely night, the temperature was right and my husband and I took advantage of it. We went for a two mile walk down our old favorite place to walk at night - a dirt road accross from our house. We used to walk our dog Wally down this dirt road because it was not busy. No more Wally which is sad, but we started walking it again. It feels good to get out and walk, especially last night because it was cool and the moonlight added a silvery, romantic glow to everything. It was nice to be out with my husband (that almost goes without saying). I was looking at my shadow cast on the road, big and bulky in the moonlight. Certainly not the shadow I cast when I first started walking that road with my husband over eleven years ago. I have to change that. I hope to go out for another walk tonight - the moon will be full.

 

 

 

I did not take this picture but I wish I could take some pics at night. Need to get a better camera.

NO EXCUSES!

So I have the new ipod Touch and today I downloaded two apps (and a pedometer) to help me start exercising. I really need to start exericsing because I am determined to be be somewhat thinner (all things being relative, haha) for my graduation. Theses apps keep track of weight, BMI, body measurements, fitness regimen, calories, and offer recipes plus tons of other things I have yet to discover. The best thing about them though is I can take my ipod to the gym and use it to learn how to lift weights and do some exercises. This is good because I always feel like a dork at the gym - I can never remember any of the exercises. Plus I will also learn more about movement and muscles, all part of my larger plan and goals.

 

I guess I am writing this to make a promise to myself to exercise on a regular basis and not to let myself forget about my goal of being thinner for graduation. I have no excuses because I have all the tools I need to accomplish my goal: I have my fancy new ipod, a wii with multiple fitness games, access to free gym, as well as an old lifetime gym membership and a husband who is willing to help me whip my ass into shape, LOL.  NO EXCUSES!! I just need the energy and the will power....going to counseling and battling my depression is helping me with that. I feel like I am on right track - just need to stay there.

 

 

 

 

i Touch

So one day my stepson says, "I really want an i-touch." I was like 'WTF is that? Something for pedophiles?' Welll I didn't ask exactly in those terms but that is what I was thinking. Well he was talking about the iPod Touch. Haha. I had not even heard of it before. I had heard of the iPhone, the iPad but not the iPod Touch. I investigated a little bit (and argued with myself - tried to talk me out of it) and decided I needed one, of course . My reasoning is that I needed one for the internet (it has wireless and with all the free wyfi around...) and it would help me stay in touch when I was out and about and I wouldn't need to upgrade my phone (I am not a phone person at all), etc. Plus I had been wanting a new iPod because I have a lot of music I can't put on my old one. I have a lot of pop music and ballads on my original one but I was thinking about getting a bigger iPod for jazz, blues, and classical music (all longer pieces of music usually) and the iPod Touch price was comparable to a regular iPod considering all the functions it offers.

 

I am really happy with my purchase. I've had one for few weeks now and I've been loading it up with my music and it is not even half full - I never realized just how far 32 MB of memory goes! I have been getting re-aquainted with some of my favorite jazz and blues music and it is making me super happy. Plus I have some audio books on it as well as iBooks and Kindle reader which is really cool. A lot of my favorite classic books were free or cost next to nothing. I have most of Jane Austin's works, the complete Anne of Green Gables series, some Dickens and Tolstoy (to name a few) all on my iPod!  - Not to mention some psychology books. I am excited I can carry this many books with me and not break my back, hee hee. I really needed this when I was a youngster. I will never be bored again.

 

 

Bullying

What Really Happened to Phoebe Prince?

The Untold Story of Her Suicide and the Role of the Kids Who Have Been Criminally Charged for It

By Emily Bazelon

http://www.slate.com/id/2260952/entry/2260953/?GT1=38001

 

 

This is a very interesting article. It is hard to know what to say about it. I like how the author illuminated some of the victims past troubles in other schools. It seems like the girl's personality and own troubles led her to play the victim often. This is sad. It is a hard call on what else could have been done to help the vicitm and there is much not known as the victims mother would not talk to the author. I wonder if the poor girl was seeing a therapist every week - that should have helped.

 

As far as all six teens being charged with bullying and facing legal action, I think they should. Zero tolerance policies should be set in schools against bullying and they should be followed through on. All six teens should be punished and counseled but I do think prison too harsh of a sentence for most if not all. Of course I remember reading an article that some of these same teens continued to victimize the poor girl (her family) even after her suicide. The author of the article does not touch on that.

 

Bullying is a very complicated issue, and this case especially. A lot of bullying,particularly amongst girls, is very subtle so perhaps the author (and even other media) have not even heard the full story yet, do not have the full picture yet. Perhaps no one will ever have the full picture.

Marinating thoughts...

Sometimes you have to let people marinate in their thoughts to prove you're right...

Toronzo Cannon

Serenity Now

I love this! I would go see this movie...

(from MSN, The Bubble)

'Seinfeld' Recut as Action Thriller

Video: Hello, Newman. Watch as Jerry, Elaine & the gang confront evil. The 'Bubble' has the hilarious trailer.

 

http://thebubble.msn.com/#/video/?id=c04ce635-91ae-44c1-ba0c-8917f87d77a9

http://video.msn.com?mkt=en-us&vid=c04ce635-91ae-44c1-ba0c-8917f87d77a9

On Campus

I'm am sitting outside on campus at UM-Flint right now waiting for my husband to get out of work. I had an appointment and it makes no sense to go home when my husband's work is only a few miles from campus. I love being on campus! I know I have probably written that already. The weather is nice today: partly sunny, with a light breeze; and the Flint River is not stinky today well at least not where I am sitting.  I occasionally get a wiff of flowers. This dang metal bench seat is mighty uncomfortable though. I should have went up to the 3rd floor of the library. It is nice to be outside - feeling the breeze, listening to the birds (gulls mostly), every now and again hearing chants of chearleaders practicing, and screams and yells of kids playing across the river at the day care. Nice day.

 

I came up to the campus yesterday and spoke with my professor from the last psych class I took. I had asked him to critique the psych article review I wrote. I turned it in late not knowing if I would get credit for it. I did get credit and ended up doing well in the class but I did not receive my critique. I turned it in late because I am a dork, haha. Well I was pressed for time and stressed at the time it was due (working 2 jobs and all that) so I thought I would just blow it off but then I decided I should do it because I need the practice at that type of writing. Then I got all stressed out about it because it is difficult writing. You are basically regurgitating a research article and adding a little of your analysis. So I did it and my prof said it was one of the better papers in the class simply because a lot of students don't even touch on all the points they are supposed to. I touched on everything I should have. He also said the writing and flow was good, it would have been an A paper if I would have got it in on time. Silly me! I let my own lack of faith in myself, in my writing cheat me out of an A paper. I just have to remember this next time I start getting stressed out over writing a paper. I can do it, and do it well.

 

I am on campus today to talk with my counselor. I started seeing a counselor in the winter for my depression. I am so happy I am going. It is a blessing. I feel much better now and I have been working on some heavy stuff. Today though I talked with her about graduate school and I got some valuable info about applying and the GRE. I have lots of decisions in front of me, like do I want to apply this year; where to apply; do I want to just go for my Master's first or go full on for my Doctorate right after undergrad school, and do I want a PsyD or PhD???? Many questions, and decisions, decisions, decisions. So my counseling appointment started stressing me out a little. That's funny. I'm cool though, relaxing on campus and writing have helped me tremendously.  I am putting off the decisions for another day.

Dang! What can I trade for a beach house?

Teen barters old cell phone up to a Porsche

After two years and 14 trades on Craigslist's barter section, the 17-year-old is driving a Boxster.

 

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SmartSpending/blog/page.aspx?post=1784234&_blg=1,1784234

 

Pretty cool that a kid can start with an unwanted cell phone and trade up to all kinds of cool stuff. I really need to get crackin' on Craigslist - I really want a beach house on Lake Michigan. I wonder what I can trade and how long it might take me to reach my goal.

Heartbreaking...

Here is a link to big story in the county where I live. A 4 yr old boy was beaten and tortured to death over a period of days by the boyfriend of his mother. The mother was also abused but allegedly had opportunities to get help for her poor child. She basically didn't seek help because she was afraid of going to jail. Now both the boyfriend and the mother have been found competent to stand trial for the murder of the boy. Some people do not think the mother should be charged because she is an abuse victim. I believe she should. The things that were done to that poor boy - how could you stand by and let that happen to a dog let alone a child? How could you stand by and let that happen to your own child? All because of some fear of being arrested or getting child services involved. This case is heartbreaking and tragic.

 

What is even worse is many adults (friends and relatives of the mother and boy) went to the home of the boy while the abuse was going on. They seen the boy all messed up, some heard the abuse and most of these people did nothing!! That is horrible...unacceptable! They should also be charged with something because the death of this boy could have been prevented if someone would have intervened sooner. How could you witness something like that and not intervene? One day something bad will be happening to these people and no one will step in to help them maybe then they can get a grasp on how it feels.

 

This is the reason why people should step in even though the child is not theirs and the situation may not be any of their business. "None of my business" be damned, if something is not right, if there is a child involved STEP IN, STEP UP, AND DO THE RIGHT THING!

 

 

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/07/hearing_reveals_details_of_day.html

 

 

Shower=Inspiration!

I get the best ideas in the shower. I have known this for a while but I am ususally to lazy to write any down or act on them most of them. I got an idea for a blog (or maybe even an article) I want to write - The Stepmother's Guide for the Ex, haha. I love it! I am going to roll with it even though it may go over like a fart in an elevator.

This can't be good...

British financier buys all of Europe's cocoa

The 658 million-pound trade is the biggest in 14 years.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Dispatch/market-dispatches.aspx?post=1783519&GT1=33002

Does this mean the price of chocolate will go up all over? Yikes. I love dark chocolate and prefer the imported stuff. American chocolate, for the most part, tastes like crap. UGH! I guess this is as good excuse as any to go on a diet...or buy a whold bunch of chocolate!!

 

First Impressions...

Since I am on a roll today, and I am feeling full of piss and vinegar I am going to keep on writing. It is all part of a bigger story I am trying to tell. It is all to a purpose if anyone cares.

 

Hypothetical Question

 

What would you think about someone who cheated on their spouse with a co-worker of both theirs and their spouse? Not only cheated once but more than likely twice, with two different people. There were rumors (and of course any person with a modicum of sense would question dirty rumors but also realize that where there is smoke there is fire) of more but one co-worker actually confessed to the cheated on spouse after the offender abandoned the marriage. 

 

What would you think of someone who left their spouse for another - the probable second affair? I know, I know, you would have to know the parties involved, the particulars of the matter but if you knew the cheated on person you would know that this person did not deserve to be treated so poorly (nobody deserves to be treated like that really) no matter what BS the offender tried to make up to cover their ass. And it realy isn't the fact the offender cheated that is the main issue at all, after all that is past and both parties are obviously better off now but it is the way the offender treated the injured party after the fact that IS the issue, all the while saying they have been good to the offended. Plus the fact that the offender doesn't want anyone to judge them on their bad behavior. Major personality flaw there! People will form an opinion of you based on what they have heard, seen, and experienced. I just wanted to get that out there in case anyone wonders or questions how impressions are formed.

 

So what kind of first impression would that leave you of the cheater? Not a very good one, probably not a person to be trusted.

 

 I'm just sayin' .....

Blog Fodder

"Love me without fear, trust me without wondering, love me without restrictions, want me without demand, accept me the way I am."

 

This quote makes for good blog fodder. I am just not up to the task today so I am saving it for later. I stole it from somebody on facebook, LOL. OOOOO I really must quit using that! Haha...

Can't Wait!

So I am loving summer, especially this one because it has been pretty hot and it makes for good swimming weather. There is nothing like spending hot days at the pool or beach. I had to take a break from the water this week-end though. My 6 year old nephew called me last night and wanted me to come swimming with him nut I had to tell him no. I felt bad but I guess I have an appointment with him today. He said "OK but you come over tomorrow and go swimming. Come over at 2 o'clock!" LOL. I have some pics I took with the water resistant camera of him and all the kids swimming I can't wait to get developed. Well anyway as much as I am loving this summer I can't wait until near the end of it, or for fall.

 

I also can't wait for Labor Day week-end, we are doing the bridge walk this year. I need to start getting in shape for that though becuase it is a five mile walk and the bridge has an incline (a hump for lack of a better explanation). I am not at all sure how I am going to handle the whole heights thing - it makes me shaky (weak in the knees - ah! I don't think I will make it) just thinking about being that high up over the Straights. Yikes, maybe I can wait for that.

 

Right not I am waiting in anticipation for the books I ordered to come in. I ordered all my books for fall semester plus some GRE practice books. Shows you how much of a nerd I am - I want to get a jump on my reading for fall! I also need to start thinking about the GRE. I probably should have taken it already but I am not ready. Just thinking about it makes me anxious but I can't wait to get the books and start studying. This fall I really need to eat, breathe, poop and sleep psychology. If anyone thinks I am a bore now just wait until this fall. LOL. I can't wait!

 

Some favorite bridge pics:

 

 

Tootie Boo Boo

I had a weird dream last night but what stands out the most is the fact that my old kitty, Tootie Boo Boo who has been dead for almost 4 years, was in the dream. I was holding her and petting her. I could actually feel her presence, I could actually smell her. Tootie always smelled like a store bought kitty - like new clothes from Hudsons (Hudsons = Macys). I just can't get over how strongly I felt her presence. I actually think it was her 'visiting' me because try as I might I cannot re-create that feeling of her presence now. I wonder what the dream means...

 

Tootie Boo Boo - she was a stray cat that basically adopted my family. There was a rumour in the neighborhood that her name was Melissa and she belonged to a woman on our block who was dying of cancer. The woman's husband did not take care of the cat while she was dying so there she was. I am not sure what the story and I didn't investigate at the time. All I knew was there was a nice black cat hanging out by our house and she would wait for me to come home from work with scraps of food. I always did have a soft spot for cats. I convinced my Mom to take her in and that was the beginning of Tootie Boo Boo.

 

We realized that she was pregnant not long after we took her in. We also discovered that she may have been abused - when we bathed her she was full of oil and had what looked like cigarettes burns on her body. I named her Tootie because she had bad gas due to the pregnancy, LOL. She had her 4 kittens on my bed. Later she acquired the name Boo Boo - one day I was playing a sort of peek-a-boo game with her. I popped out around the couch at her and said "BOO" and she jumped about a foot high, I kid you not. It was a funny sight! Her eyes got wide and she jumped on all fours about a foot high! It looked like a cartoon. So after that I started calling her Boo Boo. She was quite a little character, my Boo Boo.

 

I loved that kitty. We had her about 16- 17 years. My Mom and I had to put her to sleep in September 2006 because she was sick - liver problems I believe. I thought she was going to die the year before but we were blessed with one more year with Boo Boo before her illness could not be controlled. The thing I remember about that illness the year prior to her death is when I took her to her vet on a Monday morning after being at the emergency animal hospital all week-end her vet came in after looking at her labs and said rather dramatically (and brusquely), "She's gonna' die!" I was stunned but I turned and looked at Boo Boo as she turned toward me and looked at me with her wide, green eyes - I got the feeling we were both thinking the same thing, "Thanks for the info Mr. Obvious...we're all gonna die, aren't we?' I started laughing and my sad mood lightened for a moment. I can't explain it, just like I can't explain the dream or why I feel the need to write about this today.

 

Tall Ships

The tall ships were in Bay City, Michigan this past week-end. Part of the highlights of living in the Great Lakes Region - a great interest in boats, sailing, etc. Bay City has a big tall ship festival every year and I always want to go but never seem to make it. I didn't make it this year either darn it! I was talking with some friends who went and they said it was interesting but a lot of the ships were metal and not wood like the real old time ships would have been. They were somewhat disappointed by that and the fact that the festival closed early each day. I still would like to go and I will have to remember to keep my eyes open for the festival next year and plan ahead.

 

Talking about the festival got my memory working and I remembered when my husband and I (along with my stepson and parents) actually sailed on the tall ship Manitou in Grand Traverse Bay a few years back. The company is called the the Traverse Tall Ship Co. and they do just 2 hour trips to 2-3 day excursions. I really want to go sailing again and it would be great to sailing on the Great Lakes for a few days.

 

http://www.tallshipsailing.com/index.html

 

There are some other places in Michigan that have tall ship festivals also. A long, long, time ago my husband, stepson and I went to one in Detroit - with ships on both sides of the Detroit River. This had to be pre- 9/11 because we went over to Canada without a problem. I loved looking at all the replicas of old time sailing ships. I am not sure if Detroit does this every year or not - I have not seen or heard anything about it since but it was an awesome festival. I know Chicago has a festival also. I would love to check that out one day. I love history and I love the Great Lakes so pursuing this interest in tall ships would be fun and interesting.

 

 

Pictures of us on the Manitou

 

 

 

Ooooh I found some links:

 

http://www.detroitriverdays.com/all.php

 

http://www.navypier.com/tallshipschicago/home.html

 

 

 

My Wonderful Husband

I asked my husband what I should write about and he said "Write about how wonderful I am." LOL ...typical male always thinking about how wonderful they are or a certain part of their anatomy is.

 

I was thinking about how wonderful he is though, especially to put up with me and all my eccentricities. He is a hard working man, and pretty tough in his way. I would say mentally tough because he has had to put up with a lot of BS and still keeps on going. He is very loving and thoughtful too. Also very goofy, which is important because I need to laugh on a daily basis.  I am lucky to have him - getting together with him was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I like to think that I am the best thing that ever happened to him too. LOL  

 

This about sums it up; my husband is so good at balancing all this:

 

"Love me without fear, trust me without wondering, love me without restrictions, want me without demand, accept me the way I am."

Blogging is a funny thing.

So I want to get this blog thing going on and I want to write about more than just myself, haha. I really must be forgiven for blogging so much about ME - I learned about blogging from a self-centered gay guy. Seriously though, I just have a lot of 'me' stuff I want to explore and get out there right now. Better to get it done now (while I am in school and being forced to be so 'self' focused) so later I can concentrate on other things. Plus I feel like I am only qualified to write about my experiences and I want to keep a record of my memories - blogging (or at least publishing/saving it online in one place) is a good way to do that, in my opinion.

 

I just feel the more I write the easier I will find it to express myself in other areas. I want to try to achieve a balance though. For every negative thing I write, write something positive; for every 'ME' thing I write, bring in an outside perspective or write something totally not about me. This is going to be challenging.

 

I do have some qualms about who may read my little meanderings of the mind (LOL) but for the most part I like to live my life like an open book and if people can't take it, can't accept me the way I am then tant pis! Too bad for them and too bad for me.

 

 

So I'm just sayin....

Well I have to get this out there. I dislike very few people, really....once I am able to talk to a person on a one on one basis I am able to find some common ground with them. The only reason I ever feel dislike (or some would say animosity) towards a person is when they hurt someone I love repeatedly and/or also constantly lie and manipulate just to get their way in things. That is wrong and that type of person can never be trusted, you know what I mean? Jealousy never enters in my like or dislike for a person. I am usually able to overcome my own foibles in order to foster good relationships with people. However there are a few people that I do dislike for the reasons I mentioned above - they have tried to hurt someone I love (more than once), they have lied (more than once), and they manipulate situations solely for their own benefit not much thinking of others.

 

My husband's ex-wife is such a one as this. She once told her son I disliked her or was mad at her because I was 'just jealous' of her (because I wanted what she had - him!). No, I simply dislike her becuase of the way she treats my husband, the father of her child. I dislike her because by treating the father of her child badly, in addition to telling numerous lies to Lord only knows how many people about my husband and me too, plus saying wholly inappropriate things about me and my husband to her child (our child), she does her own son (children) a great disservice. Truly. This disturbs me. Every time she lies and I find out about it, or she says something bad to my stepson about us it just brings up all the past ills and wrongs she has done. This fosters a great dislike in me for her and makes me want to combat this any way I can. The only way I know how is to write out what I am feeling. So today I am just sayin...just putting it out there - I never dislike someone simply because of jealousy or my own judgment/prejudices. I form dislikes of people based on my experiences with them and their own bad, bad behavior.

 

To add to my little explanation of my dislike for this woman: not only has she treated my husband badly, lied to us and about us, etc. she always seems to be trying to do whatever she can to take parenting time away from us. It seems every time summer rolls around she is fighting us about spending any time (over and above the every other week-end) with our stepson in the summer. That is what spurred this little blog - another instance of her 'screwing' us out of time for no good reason. There is not much I can do about it but like I said it helps for me to write (and vent through writing). It is also my hope that the more I write about my experiences as a stepmother, the more I write out the story of my husbands dealings with his ex perhaps I will find a way to help someone else who is experiencing the same problems.

 

So, Im just sayin' I have reasons for my dislike and a reason for writing about it. She has tried to blame my dislike on something within me (deflect the blame away from her - typical I guess) but my dislike for her lies solely in her behavior and treatment of people I love and care about. If I have to write out all instances I can remember of what made me dislike her I will because what she has done, what she does, is wrong, and hurtful and I am not going to let her sweep it under the rug, forget about it, pretend it never happened or try to blame it on someone else. I am the type of person who believes that by calling a person out on their bad behavior just might eventually bring about a change or at least let the offender know that what they are doing is unacceptable and is not going to be taken lying down. Plus things that she has done and does often hurts her own son and that is something I cannot forgive or forget.

 

Internship/School/Work

Yay! I am so happy. I have to do an internship for my Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree. I have it all lined up already for the fall. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be and it seems like it is going to be really interesting. I will be working in a clinic. The doctor I will be working with has received high marks and praise from students that have worked with him in the past and hopefully I will learn much. I am excited!

 

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I took a class this spring. I usually don't take classes in spring and summer but I thought it might be my only opportunity to take this social psychology class. It was all online. I am not fond of online classes because it just seems like you don't get as much out of it as in the classroom. It turned out all right though - I did learn a lot and I found that I love social psych. I ended up with an A- in the class even though I was trying to work 2 jobs, and was super stressed out.  I am glad I did it! Now I just need through the next year. It is going to be tough because I still want to work on my second degree in addition to doing an internship or two (I really want to do another internship at a school or something; I have an idea in mind but I don't want to write about it just yet), and everything else I do on top of it. I am working on better time management skills to say the least.

 

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More good news. I filled in for my boss at the Census while she was away for a week (sudden family emergency) and her supervisors appreciated it. I received many thanks and "Good work!" compliments. It is nice to be appreciated for a change, LOL. My boss at McDonalds is never happy with anyone's work unless they are devoting their life to the place and that I refuse to do so therefore she does not have much use for me. So I am feeling pretty damn proud of myself today, I am enjoying the recognition.  Also, I found out I may have more work with the Census even though my initial job is winding down. I hope so because I really do enjoy the work. I have met so many lovely people working for the Census, not to mention being able to get out and see different parts of the county I live in. 

 

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I haven't had time to keep a blog like I would like to. I really want to write more, and need to make an effort. Same old story  Keeping a blog does help my writing and helps me to keep ideas flowing - well it helps me remember ideas and also what I was feeling, thinking at any given tiime. It is overwhelming at times though because I have so many thoughts running through my head, so many things I want to write about but not enough time in the day. It really stinks because like I touched on, writing does clarify a lot of things for me and it helps me relieve the anxiety and stress I sometimes feel. I really just need to devote a certain time everyday to writing and stick to it. I will be taking a couple of writing classes in the fall so getting the habit now would be a good thing. I think at this point I need to make a vow to myself to actively work on my writing skills.

 

 

When Zombies Crash

Car full of 'zombies' crashes on highway

A carload of partygoers dressed in zombie costumes crashed on I-84 in Portland, Ore., leading bystanders to overestimate the severity of the passengers' non-life-threatening injuries.

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38178388/ns/local_news-portland_or?Gt1=43001

 

 

Read the title of the article and started cracking up. I can just imagine "OH NO! This one's brain is falling out!"

More on the 130 year old woman...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38165224/?gt1=43001

Total BS!!

Census worker arrested for trying to do his job

http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/2467954,CST-NWS-census06.article

http://www.kfsm.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-census-squabble,0,1930924.story

This is total BS in my opinion. To be arrested for trying to do your job?? OMG people!

Woman Claims To Be World's Oldest Person At 130

Georgia Claims It Has World's Oldest Person, 130

Authorities In Georgia Claim Villager Turns 130, Making Her The Oldest Person On Earth

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/07/08/ap/world/main6657434.shtml

WOW!! I am not sure I can believe this. I can't even imagine living to be 130...and still having to use an outhouse! WTF?! 

Just think about all the history she has witnessed. 

Awesome Holiday

St. Louis Blues Festival

 

On Saturday July 3, 2010 my husband and I decided to go check out the St. Louis Blues Festival. St. Louis is a small town "In the Middle of the Mitten" I cna't remember ever being there. It is a nice little town (one I would like to explore more) and the festival was great and a pretty good deal too, only $10 per person for a whole day of blues. We sat right up front too! We went to see our favorite blues band, Michal Bailey Band. He was awesome as usual. We also got to check out some new acts, the highlight of which was Toronzo Cannon & the Cannonball Express from Chicago. This guy is the ultimate performer. He would actually come down off the stage and interact with the audience. He played his guitar with his teeth! Wow the guitar playing was amazing (very intense) that night - it left me breatheless! It is hard to describe - should have written about it that night but I was so tired. I hope I got some good pictures; I had to buy a disposable camera because the batteries for my digital camera died before the concerts started.

 

I am glad my husband and I went to check out the festival. We want to remember it next year. All kinds of blues and fireworks too!

 

http://www.saintlouisbluesfestival.com/

 

http://web.me.com/toronzocannon/Toronzo_s_Website/Home.html

 

Fourth of July

 

The next day Sunday 4th we spent at my Mom's house with my Mom, husband (of course), my stepson, my sister-in-law, and my three young nephews. The kids played in the pool while the adults cooked and relaxed on the patio. Then we all went to watch fireworks. I tooks some nice pictures of the kids (and my husband) acting goofy.

 

Hot day at the beach - I love Holland Michigan.

 

Monday, the day after the 4th my husband and I decided to take off for the beach. I love Lake Michigan and I need to go see the Lake every now and again. Yes it is an absolute need! I get melancholy if I cannot go to the Lake. I really wanted to go up to Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes but it is too far for a one day trip. My husband and I decided to go on over to a beach we remembered from a previous trip to Holland, Michigan. It is only about a 2 hour drive and so worth it. The beach is lovely and huge (very wide and deep) and is watched over by a red victorian lighthouse on the other side of the pier. There is a snack bar and gift shop at the beach which is a plus - very good icecream there.

 

That day the beach was crowded - I had never seen so many beach umbrellas! I had never seen a Michigan beach so crowded before to tell the truth. I liked it though. It was relaxing despite the crowd plus it was wonderful to see so many people having a good time (great day for people watching, well and reading, napping LOL). Lake Michigan is usually cold but that hot day the water was actually at tolerable temperature and the waves were pretty good. Once I got in the water I did not want to get out. We stayed for the sunset and I took lots of pictures. We closed down the beach and almost got locked in by the DNR (we were at Holland State Park). LOL, no not really. It was funny though. We went back to our car and there were still a few people getting their stuff together and leaving the beach. THe DNR came and started locking up that end of the parking lot. Well this van speeds accross the parking lot toward the gate. I could here this lady just a bitchin' a mile a minute inside the vehicle. She stopped at the gate and started yelling at the DNR. From what I could gather she thought she was being locked in. The DNR assured her there was another exit and she took off, still bitchin'. My husband and I were standing by our car with bemused expressions on our faces trying not to laugh. The kicker was when the DNR came over to us to assure us we were not being locked in. All I could do was stand there and laugh. I love the beach! I love Lake Michgan! And I love Holland, Michigan - it is a great town.

 

All an all had a great 4th of July holiday.

This is morbid...

Widow lived with corpses of husband, twin

'Death is very hard for me to take,' she says, as police investigate

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38096102/ns/us_news-life/?GT1=43001

 

 

Poor woman. She needs counseling not prosecution. I hope no charges are filed against her. It is morbid and sick but sad too. I hope she gets help. I wonder if she would be open to the idea of cremation for her loved ones? Then she can keep the cremains on her mantle and talk to them all the time.