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March 31, 2005
Terri Dies
I’m sure you know by now that Terri Schiavo died this morning after being starved for fourteen days.
Michael Schiavo’s attorney was quoted as saying, “Terri Schiavo died a calm, peaceful, and gentle death.”
I find it very odd that he would say such a thing when I watched Father Frank Pavano, the family’s priest, on Fox News this morning saying that you could tell Terri’s final minutes were a huge struggle. Her skin was full of red splotches and her breathing much labored. How could anyone that has been starved both of food and water for fourteen days have a “calm, peaceful, and gentle” death? There’s no way they could. Terri was clearly murdered while the world watched.
What makes it even harder is at the same time Terri was dying, the Pope was getting a nasal feeding tube. This man is 84 years old, has Parkinson’s disease, hip and knee problems, and a neurological problem, which can make breathing difficult and the Vatican basically said, ‘We’re not giving up! We love this man and we don’t want him to die. We’re willing to do whatever we need to do to keep him alive!’ You would think that here in the United States people would feel this way also. I thought our people cared, but now I see that Rome has more compassionate justice where human life is concerned.
The following statement was on the FOXNews website. It was given by Cardinal Renato Martino, a top Vatican official in regards to Terri’s death:
“Schiavo's death was a "human tragedy, but also an ethical, juridical and cultural tragedy." He told reporters her loss of life in a hospice in Florida to a "death sentence executed through a cruel method."
"We are against the death penalty, and that was practically a death penalty that was inflicted on her," Martino said. "That was not a natural death. It was an imposed death."
"When you deprive somebody of food and water, what else is it? Nothing else but murder," Martino said, adding that he was speaking on the case "according to the teaching of the pope." The pontiff has spoken on behalf of providing food and water, even through artificial means, to patients like Schiavo.”
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: where are the boundaries? When do we stop and THINK?
Posted by tami at 10:33 PM Comments (0)
March 30, 2005
Where Did I Put My Memory?
I think this email will perfectly describe Kevin and me in a few more years! We are headed this way quickly!
A couple in their nineties are both having problems remembering things.
They decide to go to the doctor for a checkup.
The doctor tells them that they're physically okay, but they might want to
start writing things down to help them remember.
Later that night while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair.
His wife asks, “Where are you going?"
"To the kitchen," he replies.
"Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?"
"Sure."
"Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?" she asks.
"No, I can remember it."
"Well, I'd like some strawberries on top, too. You'd better write it down
because you know you'll forget it."
He says, “I can remember that! You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries."
"I'd also like whipped cream. I'm certain you'll forget that, so you'd better write it down!"
she retorts.
Irritated, he says, "I don't need to write it down, I can remember it! Leave me alone!
Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream - I got it, for Goodness sake!"
Then he grumbles into the kitchen.
After about 20 minutes, the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate
of bacon and eggs.
She stares at the plate for a moment and says -
"Where's my toast?"
Posted by tami at 10:09 AM Comments (0)
March 29, 2005
Why Go?
I received this in an email and I agree with its message!
WHY GO TO CHURCH?
A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them.
So I think I'm wasting time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all." This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor.
It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:
I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals, but for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.
Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing .... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!
Posted by tami at 11:56 AM Comments (0)
March 28, 2005
Awesome Hair
If you look at the March 26 post below of Andrew (He is the one in the background) and his friend you can see how long his hair was. It didn’t have any style and even though it wasn’t dirty, it looked that way.
My parents took Andrew to a salon on Saturday and this is what he came home with:
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I absolutely LOVE it! He looks so awesome! Can you see the blonde highlights?! I cannot get over how utterly different he looks – and how clean cut!
Below is a picture that I took of Ashley and Andrew Sunday at church.
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The family gathered at mom and dad’s house for dinner afterwards. I appreciate good home cooking :)
Posted by tami at 10:19 AM Comments (4)
March 27, 2005
It's Not The End ...
Someone sent this to me in an email:
IF JESUS HAD AN OBITUARY
Jesus Christ, 33, of Nazareth, died Friday on Mount Calvary, also known as Golgotha, the place of the skull. Betrayed by the apostle Judas, Jesus was crucified by the Romans, by order of the Ruler Pontius Pilate. The causes of death were crucifixion, extreme exhaustion, severe torture and loss of blood.
Jesus Christ, a descendant of Abraham, was a member of the house of David. He was the Son of the late Joseph, a carpenter of Nazareth, and Mary, His devoted Mother. Jesus was born in a stable in the city of Bethlehem, Judea. He is survived by His mother Mary, His faithful Apostles, numerous disciples, and many other followers.
Jesus was self educated and spent most of his adult life working as a teacher. Jesus also occasionally worked as a Medical Doctor and it is reported that he healed many patients. Up until the time of His death, Jesus was teachin! g and sharing the Good News, healing the sick, touching the lonely, feeding the hungry and helping the poor.
Jesus was most noted for telling parables about His Father`s Kingdom and performing miracles, such as feeding over 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish and healing a man who was born blind. On the day before His death, He held a Last Supper celebrating the Passover Feast, at which He foretold His death.
The body was quickly buried in a stone grave, which was donated by Joseph of Arimathea, a loyal friend of the family. By order of Pontius Pilate, a boulder was rolled in front of the tomb. Roman soldiers were put on guard.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that everyone try to live as Jesus did. Donations may be sent to anyone in need.
This is where the email ended, but fortunately, for us, this is not where the story ends because he rolled away that stone! Matthew 28 begins speaking of the resurrection beginning with Mary Magdalene and the other Mary on their way to look at the tomb.
Matthew 28:2-10 tells us the following:
And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
Many blessings to my readers and Happy Easter Sunday!
Posted by tami at 9:43 AM Comments (1)
March 26, 2005
16 Candles
Yesterday was Andrew’s 16th birthday. Here is his cake:
He ended up having a friend, Jason spend the night. They ate pizza and chex mix, and drank loads of Nestea while playing video games. Kevin and I were very impressed with this friend. Not only does he make great grades in school, but he also has manners and a nice personality. What impressed me the most was when Jason walked up to Kevin, shook his hand, and introduced himself. How nice! Some kids have been here the whole night before they’ll even say hello. Here are the two of them playing a video game.
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Today Andrew’s grandparents have taken him for a consultation about his hair at a salon. I’ll let you know what happens!
Posted by tami at 4:26 PM Comments (2)
March 25, 2005
Terri
I am so used to this crazed world that it is not very often that something truly shocks me. However, the Terri Schiavo case has done just that. I am shocked. I am shocked that here in the United States a person would be allowed, by the ruling of the courts, to be starved to death. This is the seventh day that Terri has had no food or water. I saw her father on the news explaining how her face was beginning to look shrunken and her eyes hollow – the signs that someone is slowly dying of starvation.
In case you don’t know the story of Terri Schiavo, I will give you the quick lesson. She is a woman who lives in Florida who in 1990 collapsed from cardiac arrest. This collapse deprived her brain of oxygen leaving her in a vegetative state. It was later determined that her cardiac arrest was caused by a chemical imbalance because she suffered from bulimia. (NOTE: I wonder if her husbands continual berating about her weight brought on the bulimia. You will hear more about this below.)
Her husband, Michael, is now saying that Terri would not want to live by artificial means. He has taken his case to the court system numerous times to have her feeding tube removed and has been successful in doing so three times. Her parents say that they never heard Terri say anything about this. They have been fighting to keep her feeding tube in and to ultimately, keep her alive.
THIS is a fantastic article about the case that I highly recommend reading.
I find it very interesting that her husband was with two other women within a year of her collapse. One of these women was a nursing assistant at the home where Terri was being cared for! In an article at MSNBC this nursing assistant talks about how Terri’s husband would whine all the time about how Terri’s illness had ruined his life. She claims that he would also talk about how he couldn’t wait to collect the malpractice settlement.
From an MSNBC report:
Trudy Capone, who worked as a nurse at a home where Terri was treated in the early 1990s, says Michael Schiavo is “an evil, evil, evil man” who repeatedly told her that he and his wife had never discussed what to do if she was incapacitated. She says he was always asking, “What should I do?”
“This man is a liar,” Capone says.
MSNBC also reports:
Initially, Michael Schiavo felt that his wife might benefit from therapy. He staged fund-raisers to pay for a flight to California for rehabilitation.
During a medical malpractice case in 1992, Schiavo testified that he was studying nursing at St. Petersburg College to better learn how to care for Terri.
“I want to bring my wife home,” he told the court.
When asked how he felt about being married to Terri in her current state, he said: “I feel wonderful. She’s my life, and I wouldn’t trade her for the world. ... I believe in the vows that I took with my wife. Through sickness, in health, for richer or poorer.
“I married my wife because I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I’m going to do that.”
But, before her collapse this is what MSNBC reports her friends saw:
Friends of Terri’s have said that Schiavo became possessive of his wife, tracking her movements and begrudging time she spent with her family. Terri had been overweight as a girl, and he reportedly rode her about her weight — and threatened to leave her if she got fat again.
Terri’s brother, Bobby, has said Terri was even contemplating leaving Schiavo.
I do not believe that this case is about malpractice money. Michael has been offered millions to leave Terri and he refuses to do it. I think this case boils down to hate. I think that he has a deep hate for Terri’s parents and their constant interference. I believe that he hates them so much that he refuses to let them win by divorcing Terri. I believe that he will not stop until Terri is dead and he has won. The reason I feel so confident about this is because I know someone who would be this exact same way if something happened to his wife. Some people have deep hates; hates that ordinary people cannot understand.
He needs to let go. He needs to let Terri’s parents reclaim their daughter and he needs to begin a new life somewhere else. I think you have to be a very sick individual to want to sit back and see someone starve to death. Is the United States going to be like Hitler? Are they going to begin putting all people in a vegetative state in one big room and let them all starve to death? Where do they draw the line?
Posted by tami at 8:54 AM Comments (3)
March 24, 2005
A Crush
Do you remember your elementary school crush? For me it was crushes. I had two boys that I was mad about from the third grade all the way through the sixth grade. I remember their first and last names and with one, I even remember his middle name. His mother was one of my teachers and she knew that I adored him. (I think my dad told her.)
They always thought that they were better than we were. They had a house in a very nice neighborhood and they owned a business here in town. His mother, the teacher, always wore the best clothes, carried the newest purses, and bragged to no end about her children. I can remember her giving us homework one Wednesday and me saying, “I don’t have time to do this tonight. I have church.” To this, she smugly replied, “What’s more important?” I knew better than to answer that!
I could imagine myself with this crush. We would be married and he would adore me. The world would then be a perfect place.
When I got to middle school, we were split apart in different groups. I rarely saw him and when I did, I didn’t hold that flame that had once been there. Yes, he was still good-looking, but I saw that there were other fish in the sea – many other fish – and good-looking ones too!
Years have passed with no thoughts of this old crush. I did see him in some TV commercials that he did for his dad, but that was it: until recently. Apparently, the boy has some serious problems with drugs.
His name has lately been in our local newspaper. He has pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with physical evidence, fleeing or evading police, DUI (driving under the influence), and possession of marijuana. Prosecutors have recommended he receive a two-year sentence.
Geez Louise! This is shattering news. I hate anyone to be in this predicament – especially his family. Yes, they thought that they were better than we were, but now they are finding that money doesn’t keep you out of trouble. In fact, money can help a drug problem to flourish in the right hands. I sincerely hope that he gets the help he needs.
Don’t you sometimes wish that you could go back to those elementary days – the days of playful innocence? I think we all do.
Posted by tami at 7:41 AM Comments (2)
March 23, 2005
You Never Know ...
Four men got together to play golf one sunny morning.
As they were heading out to the course, one of them was detained by a phone call.
The other three were discussing their children while walking to
the first tee.
"My son," said one proudly, "has made quite a name for himself in the home building industry. He began as a carpenter, but now owns his own design and construction firm. He's so successful; in fact in the last year he was able to give a good friend a brand new home as a gift."
The second man, not to be outdone, boasts how his son began his career as a car salesman, but now owns a multi-line dealership. "He's so successful, in fact, in the last six months he gave a friend two brand new cars as a gift."
The third man brags that his son has worked his way up through a stock brokerage firm, and has become so successful that in the last few weeks has given a good friend a large stock portfolio as a gift.
As the fourth man arrives at the tee box, the three smugly tell
him that they have been discussing how successful their progeny are, and ask what line of work his son is in.
"To tell the truth, I'm not very pleased how my son has turned
out," he replies. "For fifteen years, he's been a hairdresser,
and I've just recently discovered he's gay."
As the other three recoil in horror, he continues, "but on the
bright side, he must be good at what he does, because his last
three boyfriends have given him a brand new house, two new cars, and a big stock portfolio."
Posted by tami at 12:04 PM Comments (2)
Conflict of Interest?
Kevin and I were discussing doctors and what could be considered conflicts of interest. It awakened many questions. If you have definite opinions or answers for me, leave a comment. If you have never left me a comment, it’s very easy to do. You just click on the blue comment button at the bottom of this post. A separate window will appear where you type in your name, email address, and website (if you have one – if not, leave this line blank). You then type your comment and click on the POST button one time. It’s as simple as that! Now for my questions:
*Is it prohibited for doctors to write their immediate family members prescriptions?
*If it is not prohibited for doctors to write prescriptions for their immediate family members, where do they draw the line?
*Do you consider a doctor seeing his office staff (coworkers) as patients a conflict of interest?
*Do you consider a doctor writing his office staff (coworkers) prescriptions for powerful drugs a conflict of interest?
*Do you think a doctor giving a coworker a pap smear to be a conflict of interest (or just creepy)?
*Should doctors have strict policies that state they will not see coworkers?
*Do you believe the doctor would ever be as firm or honest with his coworker/patient as he would be a regular patient?
Posted by tami at 8:27 AM Comments (3)
March 22, 2005
Hollywood Squares
My mom sent me the following in an email. I was laughing my head off!
If you remember the Original Hollywood Squares and its comics, this may bring a tear to your eyes. These questions and answers are from the days when the "Hollywood Squares" game show responses were spontaneous and clever, not scripted and (often) dull, as they are now. Peter Marshall was the host asking the questions.
Q. Do female frogs croak?
A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads under water long enough.
Q. If you're going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be?
A. Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.
Q. True or False, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years.
A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.
Q. You've been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman?
A. Don Knotts: That's what's been keeping me awake.
Q. According to Cosmopolitan, if you meet a stranger at a party and you think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out and ask him if he's married?
A. Rose Marie: No; wait until morning.
Q. Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older?
A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.
Q. In Hawaiian, does it take more than three words to say "I Love You"?
A. Vincent Price: No, you can say it with a pineapple and a twenty.
Q. What are "Do It," "I Can Help," and "I Can't Get Enough"?
A. George Gobel: I don't know, but it's coming from the next apartment.
Q. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking?
A. Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing old question Peter, and I'll give you a gesture you'll never forget.
Q. Paul, why do Hell's Angels wear leather?
A. Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.
Q. Charley, you've just decided to grow strawberries. Are you going to get any during the first year?
A. Charley Weaver: Of course not, I'm too busy growing strawberries.
Q. In bowling, what's a perfect score?
A. Rose Marie: Ralph, the pin boy.
Q. It is considered in bad taste to discuss two subjects at nudist camps. One is politics, what is the other?
A. Paul Lynde: Tape measures.
Q. During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or in the closet?
A. Rose Marie: Unfortunately Peter, I'm always safe in the bedroom.
Q. Can boys join the CampFire Girls?
A. Marty Allen: Only after lights out.
Q. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail. What will a goose do?
A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?
Q. If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?
A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.
Q. According to Ann Landers, is their anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people?
A. Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army.
Q. It is the most abused and neglected part of your body, what is it?
A. Paul Lynde: Mine may be abused, but it certainly isn't neglected.
Q. Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do?
A. George Gobel: Get it in his mouth.
Q. Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, your wife or your elephant?
A. Paul Lynde: Who told you about my elephant?
Q. When a couple have a baby, who is responsible for its sex?
A. Charley Weaver: I'll lend him the car, the rest is up to him.
Q. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they?
A. Charley Weaver: His feet.
Q. According to Ann Landers, what are two things you should never do in bed?
A. Paul Lynde: Point and Laugh
Posted by tami at 7:37 AM Comments (3)
March 21, 2005
A Great Quote
For school Ashley keeps a sort of journal in a spiral notebook. When the notebooks become full, she will bring them home for my inspection.
As I was reading her journal, I found this piece too funny to keep to myself. It reminds me of Saturday Night Lives’ Jack Handy’s: Deep Thoughts:
“I learned this week that nobody works all day. I’ll take my dad for example. At lunch, he calls my mom. So, nobody works all day.”
Out of the mouths of babes …
Posted by tami at 7:46 AM Comments (3)
March 19, 2005
The Borrowers
Are you a bad borrower? What I mean is, do you borrow things and then keep them over a month, several months, or even years?
I cannot stand to have other people’s things in my space, so if I borrow something, I am very quick to return it. I never keep library books for the two weeks allowed or the movie rental the five days allowed. If I did, it would drive me insane. It’s just me knowing that I have someone else’s clutter that drives me nuts.
If I borrow a book or a movie from a friend, they have it back within two weeks. I honestly believe that it would be very bad manners to keep things longer than one month. I wonder what an etiquette book would say.
I am not a selfish person. If you have established yourself as a good borrower, I will let you borrow to your hearts content. If, on the other hand, you have proven to be a bad borrower and I have had to ask for things back or had to retrieve the items myself, banishment from borrowing will be eternal.
That’s another thing: if you have come to my house asking to borrow something, then I believe you should return it to me. I should not have to go out of my way to come and retrieve it from you.
In my opinion, there should be an etiquette timetable for certain items. For example:
*books, CD’s, movies – return in two weeks
*clothing – return within one week
*money – within two weeks or the first day paid
*tools or household appliances – within one week
Think of it this way: if you need to keep something longer than two weeks, that’s a good indication that you should purchase it yourself, not borrow.
Posted by tami at 10:15 AM Comments (3)
March 18, 2005
A Fabulous Dilemma
Last night I finished the book The Other Side of Midnight by Sidney Sheldon. This book could not be described as anything less that fabulous! It was gripping from page one and as a reader took me all around the globe. I hated the characters and loved them at the same time. I wanted them destroyed, but I wanted them to succeed. I’m telling you, this was terrific.
Now, for a dilemma: there was a movie made back in 1977. You will know by now that every time I see a movie spawned from a book, I am forever disappointed. I would love to see it, as I haven’t ever watched a movie created from a Sydney Sheldon book; I’m just not sure I want to go there.
Internet Movie Database has the following under the trivia section:
“Because of a phenomenal success of the book, 20th Century Fox was sure that this was going to be a huge hit at the box office. At the same time there were such low expectations surrounding Star Wars (1977) that most theaters refused to book the film. So the distributor at Fox came up with the idea of a package deal: telling theater chains that if they wanted this movie they had to book Star Wars first. This movie went on to become a box-office dud while Star Wars went on to become one of the most successful films of all time.”
Okay, do I see it or not?
Posted by tami at 7:41 AM Comments (1)
March 17, 2005
Catholic Parrots
A Catholic parishioner said to her priest "Father I have a problem. I have two
Female parrots, but they only know how to say one phrase."
"What do they say?" the priest inquired.
They say, "Hi, we're hookers! Do you want to have some fun?"
"That's obscene!" the priest exclaimed, then he thought for a moment. "You know," he said, "I may have a solution to your problem. I have two male talking parrots, which I have taught to pray and read the Bible. Bring your two parrots over to my house, and we'll put them in the cage with Francis and Peter. My parrots can teach your parrots to praise and worship, and your parrots are sure to stop saying that phrase in no time."
"Thank you," the woman responded, "this may very well be the solution."
The next day, she brought her female parrots to the priest's house. As he ushered her in, she saw that his two male parrots were inside their cage holding rosary beads and praying. Impressed, she walked over and placed her parrots in with them. After a few minutes, the female parrots cried out in unison, "Hi, we're hookers! Do you want to have some fun?"
There was stunned silence. Shocked, one male parrot looked over at the other male parrot and exclaimed, "Put the beads away, Frank. Our prayers have been answered!
Posted by tami at 10:40 AM Comments (3)
Suggestions Please!
Andrew’s 16th birthday is next Friday, the 25th, and he has no clue what he wants to do to celebrate. I have suggested he have friends over to spend the night. I figured they could play on the PlayStation and XBOX, watch movies, and eat pizza. He said that was a no go because all of his friends’ parents are divorced and they have to visit their dads next weekend. Apparently, this cannot be changed.
I have also suggested a place called The Stadium where you can climb a rock wall, bowl, play arcade games, etc. He didn’t act interested in that either.
I also suggested that we go bowling or to a movie. I even told him that he could invite a girl, but he is still unsure. I have run out of suggestions. Does anyone have any??
Posted by tami at 8:07 AM Comments (4)
March 16, 2005
School Projects
If you have kids that are around ten years old or older then you know about school projects. Ashley hasn’t gotten into doing the projects yet, but she will. I don’t know how it is in other places, but here the students have to do 4-H projects. These are not optional projects, they are mandatory. Andrew has made posters and written reports. He also had to make a leaf collection where he collected the leaves and then labeled them. This wasn’t so bad. But, then he had to make a bug collection and label them. That project was no fun at all. When we saw a bug, instead of crushing it beneath a tennis shoe, we were forced to capture the thing and then stick a pin through its mid section. Oh, joy! Not only that, but then we had to spend hours in the library with textbooks trying to figure out what the thing was called and what its scientific name was. That was not a project that I would have left totally up to him. It was hard enough with me helping!
The rules on these projects normally state to get parental help, but how much help is too much? Let me give you an example of what was probably too much help. When I was in fifth grade, I had the choice of making a diorama or a bookmark for library (yes, they actually had assignments in library). I asked my dad to help me make a bookmark. You will see below what I ended up turning in.
Yes, it is beautiful and dad did a wonderful job, but I don’t recall doing anything for this project. That’s because I didn’t! I’m sure the librarian about died when I turned that in as my own work. It was only fifth grade after all and I was never a gifted artist. Oh well, dad got an “A” and I’m sure that he was happy – I know that I was!
I know that Kevin and I have often helped with projects much more than we should. I’m sure that all parents have. It just makes me wonder exactly what the teacher is thinking when these projects are turned in for grading. Do they know how much the parent helped or how late the parent was up working on these things? And, once the teacher is given a perfect-looking project with no flaws, does that make the project that the students did themselves look bad? Does their work look shabby in comparison?
I will say that I am so grateful that I had a dad who would help me with projects. There were countless times that I popped up the night before something was due asking for help and he was right there. It’s the kids who don’t get help that I feel bad for.
Posted by tami at 8:30 AM Comments (11)
March 15, 2005
You Know
YOU KNOW YOU'RE GETTING OLD WHEN ...
* You and your teeth don't sleep together.
* Your back goes out, but you stay home.
* You wake up looking like your driver's license picture.
* Happy hour is a nap.
* It takes two tries to get up from the couch.
* Your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio.
* Getting lucky means you found your car in the parking lot.
* You sink your teeth into a steak --- and they stay there.
Posted by tami at 8:07 AM Comments (2)
March 14, 2005
Disappointing
Spurred by the Michael Jackson trial, they have been talking on the radio about stars that have disappointed you in one way or another. They had people call in and give their views. Here are a few stars that disappointed them:
* Sean Connery – Apparently, he gave an interview years ago and stated that women needed to be slapped around every now and then to straighten them out.
* Michael Jackson – child molestation
* Woody Allen – took naked pictures of his adopted step-daughter and ended up marrying her
* George Michael – propositioned in a public bathroom and accepted
* Hillary Rodham Clinton – The caller said that she could no longer respect her after all that her husband put her through with the affair. She said if it was a one-time thing it may have been possible to forgive him, but since it was habitual she could never forgive him.
Those were the names given. I can understand how they would feel that way although not all of them have disappointed me personally. I have a few more to add though:
* Paul Reubens AKA Pee Wee Herman – Got caught in a public movie theatre pleasuring himself. Couldn’t he have stayed at home and done this?
*Lindsay Lohan – (Ashley gave me this one) she said that she was disappointed because she acts like a slut in her videos
*Cindy Crawford - It disappoints me that she posed in Playboy. I had hoped that she could show how beautiful she is and keep her clothes on at the same time. No such luck!
*Bill Cosby - If you use THIS link you can see what he is being accused of. I truly hope the allegations are false. I grew up loving The Cosby Show and Bill Cosby: Himself.
Those names jumped right out at me. Even though they disappointed me, I still watch them on TV. It’s not like I’m holding a grudge.
I’m curious now; what star or famous person has disappointed you and why?
Posted by tami at 10:46 AM Comments (4)
March 10, 2005
The Rising
If you come here faithfully and read, you will know that I am a huge fan of the Left Behind series of books by Dr. Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. This series is about the end times, the rapture. LaHaye and Jenkins have taken the book of Revelation from the Bible and made it into a story that we can all understand. They put everything into focus, so that if a verse was unclear, you can now see the meaning.
There were twelve books in the series and I thought that was going to be the end until I walked into Wal-Mart last week. There, on the shelves was what looked to be a new “Left Behind” book – and it was! There were only two left so I quickly scooped one up and read the dust jacket. This one is a prequel to all the others! It’s called The Rising and takes place from the time when the characters were children – before they were Left Behind.
I finished the book today and have to say that it was wonderful! It was so interesting to see how these characters were raised and how they formed their opinions about church and God.
There is supposed to be two more of these prequels. The next one will be released on November 15 of this year and the last one will be on June 6 of next year. These are too good not to read. If you haven’t been able to understand the book of Revelation or just haven’t been interested, these books will forever change you. You will come away from them with a totally new understanding of everything you thought you knew, but really didn’t.
Posted by tami at 3:24 PM Comments (3)
March 9, 2005
Unique
There’s a commercial on the radio for a place that is supposed to have unique gifts and things to buy. The commercial says something like this: “Have you searched and searched for that one special item only to find that everyone else has it?”
Well, let me just tell you that I am one of these people who like to have different things than everyone else. Several years ago, my mom bought me a purse from AVON. It was one of those quilted purses in a bright color. I really loved the purse, but it killed me that everywhere we went, someone else had that same purse! It’s like a new car. You get a new car and then everywhere you go, you see that car.
I wasted no time in going out and buying a Vera Bradley purse. It was awesome. It was black with zebra’s on it; very unlike her other bags which are mainly in a floral pattern. That purse was just the right size and it didn’t flop over in the floorboard of the car. I could have carried a big book in there if I had wanted. If you go HERE and scroll down, you can see the zebra pattern.
Well, the same thing happened with that purse only it took longer. Apparently, at the end of the season, they put the “old season” Vera Bradley purses on sale. Once that purse went on sale, I saw everyone carrying it. That killed me especially after I had paid around $75 for it.
I went to Target and bought a dark brown leather purse. It’s okay, but it’s too small and it does topple over in the car. If I happen to have forgotten to zip the thing, all of my stuff goes flying all over the place as soon as I turn a corner.
Kevin made me a purse several years back. We picked out the fabric and the zipper. It was just like a Vera Bradley purse only custom made for me. I loved that purse, but we figured out that the homemade one didn’t last near as long. It just couldn’t hold up to the beating that I put it through. I felt bad that he did all of that hard work for only six months of use. I don’t know if I want to ask him to make me another one. For now, I guess I’ll keep looking :)
Posted by tami at 8:23 AM Comments (2)
March 7, 2005
The Gamble
Each year Ashley’s school has a raffle to earn money for something big at her school. One year the raffle money went toward the purchase of a curtain in the gym. Another year, they purchased an awning that runs the length of the back of the school. This way when it’s raining the kids won’t get wet as they enter or leave their parents cars. They have bought more, only I can’t remember at this moment.
The raffle tickets cost $1 each and you get to choose from a list of things that you would like to win. There is no way that I could remember everything on that list, but some things included:
*a trip
*country ham from a local store
*Nintendo DS and game
*DVD player and movie
*a free gallon of Kroger milk once a week for a year
*basketball signed by Tubby Smith
*TV
*Lexmark printer
We have bought raffle tickets every year and never won anything, but this year our name was drawn! We won the free milk once a week for a year! Unbelievably, I only bought five raffle tickets this year. Milk is over $3 a gallon, so we won BIG TIME!
This afternoon after I picked up the certificates, I told a fellow parent about our good fortune. She gave me a puzzled look when I said that we had won the milk so I said, “You know, where you got to pick what you wanted from the raffle tickets.”
Understanding filled her face. “We consider that gambling, so we don’t participate in that.” Although I had never looked at the raffle this way, I quickly agreed that it definitely was a gamble!
I know that many churches have problems with gambling. Heck, I don’t know where our church stands on that subject. I only know that I don’t have a problem with it. If you want to buy raffle tickets, Lottery tickets, play BINGO, and go to Vegas – whatever – that would not be a sin in my book. It’s fun to take a chance and play as long as no one is getting hurt.
Anyway, that’s fine that this parent feels that way. I respect her opinion and would never criticize her for it; it just caught me off guard, especially when the money is going to help the kids in one way or another. I wonder how her church would feel if someone won the lottery and wanted to donate a bundle. Somehow, I don’t think they would have a problem accepting it.
Posted by tami at 4:16 PM Comments (5)
March 5, 2005
The Rosary
Have you ever read a book that made you feel wistful? I have just completed The Rosary written by Florence L. Barclay and that is how I am feeling: wistful. I don’t recall feeling this way since I completed Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier many years ago. I need to read that book again!
The Rosary was another book that I picked up without any dust jacket. Hence, I had no idea what it was about or what to expect. The only thing that I did know was that the copyright was 1910. To a lover of books such as me, it was thrilling to be reading from a book that was printed almost 100 years ago. Even though it is in hardback, I had to be very careful with the way I handled it.
The book itself was wonderful. It is a romance set in England in summer. In many ways, it reminded me of Magnificent Obsession, which I told you about last week. I know that I don’t give many details of the story line, but that is because I wouldn’t want to give anything away. If I have said that it was wonderful, then you should very seriously consider reading it.
If you buy a copy on ebay, (I have checked and they do have some), don’t expect a trashy romance novel of today. There is no bad language, crudeness, or sex. Everything about this book is innocence itself which makes it all the better. Besides Rebecca, I cannot recommend a better romance novel.
Posted by tami at 10:57 AM Comments (3)
March 4, 2005
The New Kroger
Sometimes you start thinking about an event in your childhood for no reason. I did that this morning as I was taking the kids to school. I have no idea what triggered this memory, but it’s a good memory so I will share. There’s no point to all of this so don’t expect one. This is just something that I remembered so I want to tell you about it.
Before my dad retired, he was a police officer here in town. Whenever anything new was being built or coming to town, he made it his business to find out about it. He never met a stranger so it was easy for him to get information.
When I was about ten years old, we heard about a new Kroger that was being built. It was going to be bigger and better than anything we had seen. We were excited! Finally, the night came when the new Kroger opened and dad walked my mom, my sister, and me around. He showed us everything with pride as if it were his own store. You see, he had already been through the place and had had everything shown to him, so he was excited to get to show us.
We saw the floral department. It was full of beautiful flowers and colorful balloons. When you walked through it, it smelled just like a flower shop – not a grocery store. He showed us the new café where people could buy coffee and sit in booths and talk or they could order an entire dinner and eat there with their families!
The thing that my sister and I oohed and aahed over was the pizza/cheese booth! It was in a circular shape and all around the outside of the kiosk there were items to make your own pizza, breadsticks, crackers, and all sorts of goodies. They had free samples of cheese and breadsticks and my sister and I thought that was awesome.
Lastly, we saw the bakery where they made the cakes. It had a high counter with a glass front. Here, they could display all the different cakes that were available. The smell was wonderful!
I can remember walking out of there thinking that I couldn’t wait to go back! Now, here in Winchester, Kroger built an even bigger building and moved. The store that I was telling you about is now the home of Big Lots. Every time we walk in there, I think how small it is and am amazed that it was ever big enough to be Kroger.
Posted by tami at 8:04 AM Comments (1)
March 3, 2005
Weekly
Not a whole lot is going on at present. I am in the middle of a great book and I will tell you about it as soon as I am finished with it. That’s about it other than cooking dinner, going over spelling words with Ashley, and watching TV.
Just in case you wondered, we’re hooked on these shows:
*Desperate Housewives
*American Idol
*All the CSI’s (Las Vegas, Miami, New York)
*The Amazing Race
*Survivor
*The Apprentice
*ER
Those are the hour-long shows that we watch every week; not to mention all the half hour shows! Keep in mind that we watch most of these as a family. I think that makes a difference between us and families who watch nothing together. It is said that most families don’t even eat dinner together anymore. I cannot even imagine that.
Posted by tami at 8:10 AM Comments (2)
March 1, 2005
Let's Share!
For months, I have been trying to explain how Guido sleeps. He takes up over half of Kevin’s pillow and his head is usually lying on top of Kevin’s head. Here is a picture so that you can see what I see.
These days there are times when he wakes up feeling cramped. Is it any wonder why!
Posted by tami at 10:08 AM Comments (4)