Friday, June 26, 2009

Just saying.......

Disclaimer: This post in no way puts me on one side of the fence or the other pertaining to Michael Jackson, it purely represents my opinion based on observation of human nature and I was annoyed and thus decided to blog....

Case in point as to why I rarely watch the news. Yesterday was a very sad day for two families who are now both grieving the loss of someone they dearly loved. Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett both passed away on June 25, 2009.

As I watched the news and flipped from station to station the same things were stated over and over by so many people....mostly to do with MJ as they seemed to deem that story way more news worthy. Person after person announcing what a great man he was, how caring he was and how giving he was....and on and on and on. Then it struck me and I felt a little lump in my throat for his family when someone said something along the lines of..."all these people coming forward to sing his praises now but where were they yesterday?" How sad....

I've listened over the years to countless T.V. personalities use all kinds of names to describe him but there is one that I hated the most. On Court TV a certain host whose name shall remain anonymous but it rhymes with fancy face repeatedly referred to him as 'Wacko Jacko' during his trial....over and over and over again....and I thought....okay you've made your point now let it die....how cruel....and about someone you don't even know personally.

I know that everyone has their opinions about him....certainly he has given the impression at times that he is a little loo loo.....but come on....sitting in judgement of someone you have never met and gauging your opinion based only on observation is pretty harsh. Speculation does not prove guilt and people who buy or create 50 million dollar amusement parks aren't necessarily crazy, they're just different.

It's amazing to me how so many people eat everything up in the tabloids like it's always complete truth but never stop to think that there is a real person on the other side of that equation and more than that...there is a family that has to suffer right along with that person while other people use the latest gossip as filler at the dinner table.

All this to say, I wouldn't necessarily say that I was a huge fan of his, but I certainly had no valid opinion about the comings and goings in his life....absolutely he used poor judgement in many areas of his life...but don't we all at times?

I do wonder if so many people that raved on and on about him yesterday were just too weak to stand beside him when he was alive for fear of the judgment that they would have cast upon them by making that choice. What's sadder still is that if all of these people who claim to have loved him so much and who are deeply saddened by the loss had been there when he was alive...perhaps he wouldn't have felt like the lonliest person on earth. Draw your line in the sand and then stand behind it....doing it after someone dies just makes you look really shallow, selfish and stupid.

K I'm done venting.

RIP Farrah and MJ

PS....this rant in no way points fingers at any of those who showed their support in his life. This is my little disclaimer so that if someone stumbles upon this read by googling then you will kindly refrain from suing me for defamation even though I only said one name in a round about way....further more I'm still in protest of that certain Court TV host....just saying.....

Peace.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Say What You Will.....

The other night at the end of a rather emotional day for me, my husband sent me an email....he always seems to know exactly what I need to hear even when I say nothing at all. I read the message and cried and then read it over and over again over the past few days. We have come to this amazing place in our relationship...where it's just okay to be who we are say what we feel. I wish that it hadn't taken so long to get to this place and if I could make it happen so much quicker for my own kids I most certainly would.

Anyways I decided to write a 'What I think' list....mostly for my own weekly dose of self therapy.

What I Think


1. Kindness Matters
2. Life doesn't have a 'Do Over' attachment.
3. Do one thing different today, that makes you better than you were yesterday.
4. Make sure that the people you love...know it.
5. Make sure your kids don't think you love your dog more than them.8)
6. It's okay to tell each of your kids that they are your favorite but not to tell the others.
7. I do think Peace is possible.
8. It's okay that not everyone likes you.
9. It's okay that everyone doesn't need you as much as you want them to.
10.It's okay to say no...and mean it.
11. It's not just about what you do in your life, it's also about who you are in your life.
12. Even if the only things you can bring to a relationship are honesty and showing them your true self....there is one person out there who will decide you are worth it.


I have dialogue with myself on almost a daily basis, little reminders to myself that I'm a grown up, it's my life, my choices, this is me. Sometimes there is definitely fear in that attitude but that passes. I like the feeling that comes in knowing that I'm the boss of me.

Do what you say,say what you mean, mean what you say. This is the mantra that I personally need to try and live by.......I'm still a work in progress.

Please click on the link for a little extra message...and then pass it on. If clicking doesn't work you may need to copy and paste it...but it's worth it.

Happy Tuesday All!

http://swyw.inmusic.ca/watch/kpEJevv3rxnlqLkf6-fvZ5I9vBiUSuOh9DoLZtbbNbk

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Best Parts of Our Lives....

You know how you have those moments when you are laying on the couch or in your bed and your spouse is in the middle of their rant about something and all of the sudden a memory comes into your mind and you burst into laughter? Before you know it you are replaying it over and over again and laughing each time...and sometimes your spouse looks at you like you must be having a conversation in your head with your split personality....okay so anyways...I had one of those moments a few days ago. It's a conversation I've told so many people even though it's so incredibly embarrassing.

The conversation was between Logan and I. Now anyone who knows Logan would also know that he can be pretty serious sometimes and he is also very monotone when he speaks...I truly had no idea the conversation would go like this and wanted the earth to promptly crack open and swallow me whole...I was horrified.

Eight months ago we moved here and the kids weren't incredibly thrilled initially until one fine day when Logan came to me with this....

Logan: "Well....I can sure say that there is one reason why I am so glad we moved to this house."
Mom: "Why is that son?"
Logan: "My bedroom is down the hall from yours and dads..."
Mom: "And?"
Logan: "And in the last house it was underneath yours....and there are just some things that you can't unhear!"

My face felt like it was going to explode....right before I burst into laughter and had tears streaming down my face. Oh my gosh I love that kid!

I started thinking about all those little moments that families have...their inside jokes and secret handshakes and the little things that make them feel connected to each other in ways that are theirs alone. I always try to remind myself that time passes so quickly....don't let the novelty of raising kids ever wear off.

Anyways these snapshots represent just a small portion of all the little things that my family does or says that make me laugh at the most random times in random places.

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. ~Charles R. Swindoll, The Strong Family

Monday, June 1, 2009

Best Part of Pizza......

Disclaimer: Though I could have used people's names in reference to my own pizza, that just wouldn't be very nice though I hope you all know where you fit on my slice of pizza. Please don't assume that you know where you fit and therefore get down right ticked off at me because you assume that I'm saying you're anchovies or that you're cheese...if you ask I'll be glad to tell you. This blog was written with completely good intentions and a little sarcasm and humor thrown in and therefore any backlash or outbursts from anyone who would be on my list of pizza ingredients will unfortunately result in you no longer making onto my pizza... If you can't see the humor in silly little analogies....please opt out of this read.




Okay so over the weekend I was thinking about my family and the quirks and issues that go along with being part of a largish family and thought I would blog about the wisdom filled, extremely profound analogy I came to with regards to families.

Ahem....

I really think that families are like a supreme pizza....stay with me here and follow along. So you've got the crust which is the base for the whole entire pizza. Those toppings and the cheese can't even attempt to classify themselves as pizza if it weren't for the crust. The crust is the beginning of this amazing creation....got me so far?

Okay so then comes everything else on the pizza. The sauce is definitely a significant companion to the crust and these two ingredients strongly assist each other to make this pizza even remotely edible. I myself quite like the pizza sauce...and I like that I can pick and choose...it's all pizza sauce but if you like it spicy or regular or if you like a white sauce like they put on some chicken pizzas then you get to decide. The reality is that there has to be a sauce of some sort...otherwise none of the toppings have anything to stick to and the sauce, in a lot of ways, kind of enhances the way the other toppings taste together. Okay so moving on to the toppings. They always put the good stuff on the bottom...you have to dig your way through the things that aren't your favorite and the things that are just down right nasty to get to the good stuff. Now along your journey with this piece of pizza you encounter tons of different toppings. Pepperoni and mushrooms.....mmmmm.....my favorite....I'd eat it on every pizza if I could even though I know full well that some of my other family members think pepperoni is just okay. Then there's peppers and pineapple....I like them just fine, they don't infringe on my taste buds and I definitely enjoy the pizza with those toppings on it. Okay so then there's onions and feta cheese....uhmmm now I don't hate these toppings but could certainly go extended periods of time without eating pizza with these things on it. In most cases after I eat these toppings I'm going to either wish I had opted out or have really bad indigestion....still following the analogy? Rounding out the toppings are cooked tomatoes, anchovies, and anything else funky that I'm not thinking of. These toppings are the ones, in my opinion, that most of the time wreck the pizza. I'm just saying....they often ruin the other toppings or at least impact the taste of the other toppings. I personally would never order a pizza with these toppings on it, but in certain situations would eat the pizza if I had to. I will also add that there are lots of people who love anchovies and that is their choice. So now here is where the wisdom comes in...though reading that back to myself...uhmmm that was pretty profound...

Do you know what the best part about pizza is? You can make it anyway you want to and you can eat as much or as little as you want....one slice or the whole pie! Ninety percent of the time my pizza would be pepperoni and mushrooms but occasionally I like to go crazy and throw on some peppers and pineapple. Some people like just cheese...over and over and over again....and you'll like that for awhile but there will come a time when you feel like you're missing out on something and really should take a second glance at some other toppings, not even necessarily all of the toppings but some of the other toppings could really enhance your pizza eating experience. If you are one of the ones out there who is insisting...no thanks....I'll stick to just cheese, it's safer that way and I know I like it...well I can only say from personal pizza eating endeavors that I always thought that pineapple on pizza was just a no no but after tasting it I discovered that with the right combination of other toppings it gives the pizza a nice little zing. See that's the great thing about pizza....everyone gets to make it their way....and there will be some who glance at your pizza and then copy yours, others who will think your pizza could definitely use something extra and even some who will think that your pizza is just plain gross....but who cares it's your pizza, your very own little slice of perfection.

While I sure do like that I can pick and choose I do also try to keep one certain perspective about pizza. The toppings really aren't anything without the sauce and crust in some variety. Thin crust, thick, light on the sauce, or slathered on...those really are the essence of the pizza and even if you truly don't care for the sauce or the crust, you eat them because you like pizza as a whole and the bottom line is that without some kind of combination involving the crust and sauce....your just toppings....not pizza.....and one further note....if you are one of the ones that insists you'll stick to just the cheese....I really hope you explore all the other fabulous toppings out there, you might be surprised to find how well the other toppings can relate.....

If you far and away prefer cheese pizza then you also possibly fall into the category of being the cheese on other people's pizza ....a lot of people love you on their pizza but some people are just lactose intolerant and some people choose to becomes vegans because the cheese just leaves them with a lot of upset stomachs. I for one choose to have cheese on my pizza, I love that it has its own personality and comes in different varieties....but there are definitely a lot of days when I go light on the cheese.

I really don't want the message to get lost in this little word vomit commentary. At the end of the day your family just is what it is, good, bad and everything in between. There is no changing what is. I will freely admit that for me and for my life...I take what I like and leave the rest because that is what is in my best interest. But I also know that had I allowed certain relationships to fall by the wayside based on assumptions that I thought people had of me or I of them.....parts of my life would feel like it was missing a little something.

I guess ultimately I'd rather eat a piece of pizza with a whole lot of stuff I didn't care for on it just to get to the good stuff like pepperoni and mushrooms....than to never eat pizza again.

PS....I'm realizing now, after reading through it, how incredibly deep this blurb is and therefore I understand if not everyone gets it....I still luv you.