My friend Kat from Give Cheerfully has started a new blog in answer to a question that Chris Brogan asked on Twitter: “What will you do with your next 40 days? How will it help the world?”

Kat posted a challege on 28 November to: “Tell someone dear to you that you haven’t spoken to in a while you love them.”

I have a friend from high school that lives in town … kindda. She lives in Sandestin, which to me is another universe, since I live in Fort Walton Beach. We are separated by two bridges (at least) and several miles of beach-lined road … no matter which way we would choose to travel to one another. All in all, about 45 minutes of driving. It does not seem like much, but when we are both struggling to stay afloat and we both had recent tragedies in our lives to deal with, it appears that it was too much effort for either of us to close this gap. We *did* do pretty well at keeping in touch via email for a while, but even that has lessened.

So, in answer to Kat’s challenge of the day, I contacted L and let her know I love her. I told her that I would be contacting her again when I get back from my Mommy Vaca and that I am going to stay on her til we get together for lunch or coffee.

Thanks, Kat … I loved this challenge. Hopefully L did too.

xo

First, I want to acknowledge this is the last day of National Blog Posting Month, and I am almost sorry. I know that I will probably let up on the blogging, and I have enjoyed getting to know quite a few of you. I only get a handful of posts on my blogs, but I get several emails and IMs and Plurks and Tweets about them as well, so it is fun seeing how my rambling is interpreted.

Soon, Tween will cross the half-way mark between the year of the tween/teen crossover. I cannot believe how fast time has flown, or how much she has changed over the last year and developed into a beautiful young lady. Often, I will glance up at her and she will do/say something that will send me flashing back 15 years to when my sister was that age. It amazes me how much of my sister she has in her … the mannerisms, the quirks, the voice, the habits, the words & phrases. Tween doesn’t even spend much time around my sister, so i cannot imagine where it comes from, but I love when I notice these things about her.

Today, while I was slaving away at work (almost literally - i was SLAMMED!), my BFF took her daughters and Tween to the salon for haircuts. I told Tween she could cut her hair however she wanted, but she had to live with the consequences. There would be no highlights, dying, or perms … but the haircut itself was completely up to her. I was only a teeny bit concerned about what this would mean, although I was relatively sure she would choose well.

When I got home from work, she walked towards me and I looked past her TWICE thinking the girls had another friend over. By the time i realized this ‘friend’ was saying “Mom!” to me, my jaw dropped in shock. No, she did not shave her head or get spikes. She had long layers added, which was what I was fairly certain she would choose. The shock came from the straightening job the hairdresser did for her with a straightening iron. The look adds at least four years, and when she drops the silly tween personality for a second, she looks like a full-on teenager.

Amazing what a couple of inches and a few dimensions can do to change a person’s look.

Tween is thrilled with her new look. She is only upset that her hair will not still be straight for school on Monday. Poor kid.

xoxo

Only those who know how much I *ahem* LOVE *cough cough cough* football will understand why I think this is hilarious.

Love to all
xoxo

A guy took his blonde girlfriend to her first football game.

They had great seats right behind their team’s bench.

After the game, he asked her how she liked the experience.

‘Oh, I really liked it,’ she replied, ‘especially the tight pants
and all the big muscles, but I just couldn’t understand why they were

killing each other over 25 cents’

Puzzled, her date asked, ‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest
of the game, all they kept screaming was:  ‘Get the quarterback! Get the

quarterback!’

I’m like…Helloooooo? It’s only 25 cents!

Many of us found each other because of our own efforts to participate in National Blog Post Month 2008, where we have challenged ourselves to write one blog post per day for every day in the month of November. I have been pretty proud of myself for sticking to this challenge, because I was sporadic (at best) prior to November. I even managed to exceed my bandwidth and get shut down for a few hours til I could reach my blog host manager, Mark. Even though it was THANKSGIVING, he got back to me and raised my limit. He’s awesome.

Kat from Giving Cheerfully has decided to challenge herself. Read more about it on her blog. I think it is a great challenge, and I think I am going to try to complete it in the month of December. I am not sure how well I will do, since I will be up in Boston for ten days, but maybe I can figure something out online or via telephone. We’ll see how it goes!

I hope you all had a beautiful Thanksgiving yesterday, and that you enjoyed your families and had a wonderful meal. I love the whole process of cooking together, preparing a meal all day long. Must be the Mexican inside of me. *grins*

Til tomorrow ..

xoxo

In my own heart, Thanksgiving has always been about expressing the things that I am grateful for having in my life.

As such, I will list a few of those things here … and encourage you to add your own via comments or a blog post (and link-back so I know to go read!).

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

My daughter, siblings parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins … and every other family member I have. We may not always get along, we may not always stay in touch … but we always know that when it comes down to what we love, we all have each other included in our lists.

My friends - especially C - both in-world and online. I have a habit of retaining friendships for years and years … I am not always good at staying in touch, but I think about people I love often, and I try to reach out once in a while to let them know I care. I have made incredible friendships online - two of my social-network friends (Twitterhubby and OBFF) I have DM’d, text-messaged, IM’d, emailed … but not once spoken to on the phone. The lack of voice communication has not lessened my friendship with them … and only serves to give me hope of such communication in the future.

My shipmates … and our comrades in the other branches of service. Without them willing to lay their lives on the line, we would not have the strength and ability as a country to succeed. We may be faltering in the now, but we will grow strong again … and I hope that it is with lessened violence and a continuance of the lack of war-violence on our home-front.

My job … in a time when so many have no employment, or un-settled employment, I have a job that (for the most part) I love. It may not be spectacular, it may not be saving the world … but it is employment, and it is helping to keep me from falling too far behind. As the economy strengthens, I believe my paycheck will see the results.

My home … because while crowded and noisy and filled with people I love but do not always like, it is a home - a roof over my head, a house where I have my own space to relax and unwind, a gathering place for people I love and enjoy.

I am thankful for text messaging, social networks, computers, the Internet, healthy cat food for Mr. Rascal Lee Kitten, comfortable clothes, beautiful clothes, warm bedding, brownies, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet tea, the ability to walk/talk/see/feel/hear/sing(badly)/read/write/count/add/reason/express myself/type/love/laugh/learn/live. I am thankful for the knowledge that has been passed onto me, and the knowledge that I pass on to others. I am thankful for the sun and moon rising daily (nightly), the weather (both good and bad), the beautiful state I live in, and the beautiful country I call home. I am thankful for the white sand and emerald waters of my local beaches, the highway that is a straight shot to my friends on the other coast, and the two highways that connect to lead me home. I am thankful for telephone service - both landline and cellular.

I am thankful for @MarkDavidson and Shift+OneMedia, for hosting my blog and always being there to walk me through things whenever I try something new (or lose control by EXCEEDING MY BANDWIDTH!!). Mark also hosts the blog TwitterStars. You should browse it sometime!

I am thankful for the love and joy and happiness of people far and wide, and I am thankful for the opportunities that many of us have, and many others provide. I am thankful for doctors, nurses, police, firefighters, counselors, and the many others who dedicate their lives to helping and healing the people in their communities (and often, the people beyond their communities). I am thankful for the many ways people are choosing to ‘go green,’ and lessen their footprint on the environment. I am thankful for the insight and wisdom of my elders, and the innocence and purity of the children around me.

I am thankful for the artists who entertain me through books, films, television shows, music, and visual pieces.

I am thankful that Baby S has been blessed TWICE with what appear to be successful fights in removing the cancer from her body (she is still undergoing post-chemo surgery, so we will know more next year).

There are many more things I am thankful for, but I think I have given you more than enough to chew on for now … I hope you add to, reiterate, and expand on the list I have started here.

OH! One more … it may be last, but it definitely not the least:

I am thankful for everyone who takes the time to read my random thoughts and ramblings on this blog …. I know I often rant and rave, ramble on endlessly, and sometimes do not make sense … but I appreciate the time you spend reading and replying. Apparently there are more of you than I thought, because I exceeded my bandwidth today. Please, comment when you read, even if it is just to say hi! I’d love to know who is here reading along!!

I hope everyone celebrating Thanksgiving has a wonderful experience sharing with people they love, whether it be friends, family, strangers … or all three.

With much love …

I have a (social network) friend, Kat, who came up with an excellent idea to advantageously utilize social networking for the greater good.

I am sorry to admit that I, myself, have not yet donated to this cause … but I have pimped it out a couple of times on my various social networks. I want to take a moment to do so again, now.

Recently, Kat had to cancel a charity dinner she had been organizing, due to lack of participation. It made me sad to think I myself had not taken part in promoting the event other than one message sent out to all of my social networks. I know that had more of my friends (and their friends, and their friends … ) been aware of the event, the goal would have not only been met … but most likely exceeded.

Givecheerfully is the social media website that appeals to your social conscience. Our goal is to revolutionize the way people give using the awesome opportunities provided by the internet. This website will link people and businesses with charities, causes, churches and nonprofits all over the world. Givecheerfully will run strictly on the pledges and donations of those who feel called to give, so that 100% of every dollar will go directly to your chosen nonprofit. Charities and nonprofits will have the chance to be heard on a global platform. The average person can connect with the cause that touches them most. Nonprofit volunteers can post blogs, images, even video to advance awareness. Givecheerfully is the website that will connect all these people because we believe together we can change the world.

To find out more about Givecheerfully’s plans for this website, please check out our blog, specifically the First Seed post; or email us at info@givecheerfully.com.

Holiday time is rolling around, and with it all the stress of all the miserable holidays of my childhood. I do my best not to sink into the depression that I know can completely darken my spirit … but I am not always successful.

On my mind today:

We knew Christmas 2004 would be interesting. Our town was still completely devastated (Hurricane Charley had blown through four months earlier, wreaking havoc on us all). Our finances were strained. I made the decision to not let tween go out west as usual, because my stepmother was fairly certain this was her last big holiday.

Christmas morning was the normal beautiful holiday that my Dad & Stepmother always managed to create (i was not privy to most of them: my mom & stepfather preferred to keep me in the morning & let my Dad & Stepmom have the evening of the holidays). We all managed some incredibly meaningful gifts … especially my Stepmother. By the afternoon, when we were all due to go to my Uncle’s house to celebrate with the extended family (my Mom & Stepdad were out of town - no need to split the holiday for once), my Stepmother looked pretty worn … she did not want to come over. I left with everyone else, but could not stop thinking about her being at home alone. After everyone arrived, I found Dad and told him I was going home, asked him to help me prepare a plate of my Stepmother’s favorite foods. We packaged it up, along with gifts from other family members, and off I went. Everyone else chose to stay with the family, so I knew it would be a pleasant evening at home, quietly watching movies and crying over the sappy bits together.

A couple of people called to check on us, but we got off the phone quickly each time, just enjoying our togetherness. Around 8pm, I had a sudden realization: she did not touch her plate of Christmas favorites … did not eat any candy, did not snack on the Little Debbie Christmas cakes. She barely drank any water.

Shit.

That was the moment I knew. This was the down-turn. She was hanging on to get through the holiday … but she was on her way out the door. It was another week (with her munching slightly, forcing herself to drink water, and receiving IV treatments) before her liver shut down completely. She was moved to the hospital, in so much pain she could not stand, or be lifted … it took an hour to move her from the bed to a stool with wheels, and another 30 minutes to get her out the door to the car, another ten minutes to get into the car. It was an awful, horrifying, miserable, painful process.

Once at the hospital, we received the official notification of what we already knew. From then on, we changed from home to acceptance. Everyone was called, the whole family flocked back home to see her. Only one cousin did not make it in time - probably the one who felt the loss the most since my Stepmother had taken her in and raised her years before.

I know when my stepmother was on her way home, our whole family (all 100+ of us) were in and out of the hospital room, and camped out in the hallways. One day soon after my Stepmother’s passing, I ran into Nurse XXoXX who said, “Your family is so beautiful. You were losing someone obviously important, because none of you left the hospital for more than an hour the whole three days she was here … but all of you were smiling, polite, loving, laughing … it was amazing to the whole staff that you could find joy in such a devastating time.”

We had made the choice to enjoy every moment of her life with her - even if she could not properly do so. We cried in private, and smiled and loved and laughed together.

We cannot know when our “time” is up (for the most part), so enjoyment of life is something we should all take advantage of … we wanted her heart to rest, we wanted her mind at peace, and we wanted her soul to float as high as possible …. all without realizing how much pain we all felt inside.

So, if it was all so beautiful … what has me so down right now?

*Lays my head down on my desk.*

I want my mommy back, please.

My dear friend Sam sent this to me:

Stolen from (who else?) @perpstu.

(And also shared by Citizen Jane and AsKatKnits)

1. When showering, do you start the water and then get in, or get in then start the water?
In the summer, I get in and start the water. In the cooler days, I start the water & let it warm, then get in.

2. Do you read the labels on your shampoo bottle?
No, but I probably should.

3. Do you moan in the shower like the people on the Herbal Essences commercial?
Only when … erm….

4. Have you ever showered with someone of the opposite sex?
Who hasn’t?

5. Have you ever been forced to shower with one of your siblings?
Forced, no … but I seem to remember that my sis and/or cousin and I used to bathe together and/or shower together. It seems some people who have taken this quiz think this is outrageous … it honestly did not (and does not) bother any of us. We wouldn’t do it as adults, but as kids it was NBD.

6. Have you ever brushed your teeth in the shower?
Yes, but I do not do it regularly. I do not like the smell of toothpaste to be effused into my bedroom. I **love** the smell of my shampoo/conditioner/body soap though, so they can waft into my room ANY TIME.

7. Have you ever dropped your soap on your foot?
Unfortunately. Whole bottles of soap too. Ouch.

8. How old do you look?
Depends on the day and, literally, the time of month.

9. How old do you act?
How old do I need to act?

10. What’s the last song you sang?
I’ll Be There by The Escape Club

11. Have you recently become a member of anything?
NaBloPoMo & NaNoWriMo … but I will not be participating in the latter because I suck.

12. What are your plans for the weekend?
Working on a project my pseudo-boss has assigned me (yay!! I totally need the paycheck for rent!), resting, relaxing, and preparing for the busy week.

13. Do you kiss with your eyes open or closed?
Closed usually.

14. What’s the sexiest thing about Condoleeza Rice?
Her brains, I imagine. I do not equate sexy with CR.

15. Does anything on your body itch right now?
Nope.

16. Who’s the sexiest famous woman alive?
Salma Hayek.

17. Who’s the sexiest famous man alive?
Matthew McConaughey or Tim McGraw, depending on my mood.

18. Does every family have a crazy uncle?
I do. Crazy as in, he likes to harass the hell out of all of us and tease us and make fun of us and be a pest whenever he can. Funny, he is also all of our favorite.

19. Have you ever smuggled something through customs?
No. Well, not that I know of…Not intentionally. Wait, have I? <shifty eyes>

20. Does playing the guitar make a guy more attractive?
Yes.

21. Do you live in a city with a good sports team?
No.

22. Have you ever finished off the popcorn and ate the junk from the bottom of the bag?
Not that I recall. I am not a popcorn fanatic tho.

23. Have you ever had sex in a tent?
No. Outside of a tent, yes. In a tree, yes. In a campground, yes. Not *in* the tent though. Odd.

24. What about in a boat?
Yes. Who HASN’T had sex in a boat if they leave near the beach (or were in the Navy … bot of which are true for me).

25. Have you ever dated a Goth?
One. *sigh* We still talk, but he’s no longer goth. RUDE!

26. Would you rather receive amazing oral sex or have amazing sex?
Amazing sex is so much better because it is interactive

27. Can you fix your own car?
No. But I *can* tell the mechanic exactly what is wrong with my car, so I bet if I pulled out a book I could actually fix it too.

I am entered in a Holiday Blog Contest that several of my friends from Plurk are hosting!

Starting today (for the next 3 days), you can leave a comment on their daily blog posts, and your name will be entered into a drawing for their Holiday Give-Away!

Yes, they are giving two - count ‘em, ONE … TWO!!! - readers a gift to help cushion the cost of the Holiday Season for you and your family!

You one entry/blog per day by commenting today (Sunday) through Wednesday.

They will select a winner from all the entries on “Black Friday,” by randomly selecting a name.

If YOUR NAME is chose, you will need to provide some pertinent information about yourself and your family so they can tailor their gifts accordingly.

Here are the links, so go forth and enter!

Not A Mean Girl

Alana’s Passion

The PQ Nation

Middle Aged Suburban Diva

Popping Bubbles

Sucomments

Random Ramblings of a Stay at home Mom

I Read Banned Books

Daily Douz

Puntiglio

Three Ring “Surf”ace

Andrea Daigle

Southern Connections

You’re still here? GO, GO, GO!!!

I do not necessarily want to be a Bond Gyrl … unless I can have the … nah, I just have no interest.

So, why am I doing this? Because I want to be one of the kool kids like @perpstu

Step 1 — Use the third letter of your first name to determine your new first name (I am Sugar Lustystorm!):

a = Chesty

b = Fantasia

c = Starr

d = Diamond

e = Montana

f = Angel

g = Sugar

h = Pinky

i = Lola

j =Kitty

k = Roxie

l = Dallas

m = Princess

n = Heidi

o = Bambi

p = Bunny

q = Brandy

r = Sugar

s = Candy

t = Raquelle

u = Sapphire

v = Cinnamon

w = Blaze

x = Trixie

y = Isis

z = Jade

(Apologies to those of my readers whose names are listed above. I didn’t make this up.)

Step 2 — Use the second letter of your last name to determine the first half of your new last name:

a = Leather

b = Dream

c = Sunny

d = Deep

e = Heaven

f = Tight

g = Shimmer

h = Velvet

i = Lusty

j = Harley

k = Passion

l = Dazzle

m = Dixie

n = Spank

o = Glitter

p = Razor

q = Meadow

r = Glitzy

s = Sparkle

t = Sweet

u = Silver

v = Tickle

w = Cherry

x = Hard

y = Night

z = Amber

Step 3 — Use the third letter of your last name to determine the second half of your new last name:

a = hooters

b = horn

c = tower

d = fire

e = thighs

f = hips

g= side

h = jugs

i = shock

j = cocker

k = brook

l = tush

m = sizzle

n = storm

o = kiss

p = bomb

q = cream

r = thong

s = heat

t = whip

u = cheeks

v = rock

w = hiney

x = button

y = lick

z = juice

Got it? Now, leave a comment with your new name!

This came through my email, so I figured I would post it here.

Don’t you feel lucky? *L*

Sometimes I just need:  a reason to laugh.
Sometimes I want:  to heal the world.
Sometimes I like to:  feed hungry strangers.
Sometimes all it takes: is a simple smile.
Sometimes I picture:  my life on the flip side.
Sometimes I wish:  I could change the world.
Sometimes I find:  people to treasure.
Sometimes I take: life too seriously.
Sometimes I look: for the end of the rainbow.
Sometimes I hate dislike: needy people.
Sometimes it’s nice: to relax with a friend.
Sometimes it hurts: when I miss someone too much.
Sometimes It always makes me happy:  to see laughter in others.
Sometimes it’s sad:  to realize the world is not changing fast enough.
Sometimes I listen:  to the still of the night.
Sometimes I sleep:  out on the beach.
Sometimes I like to watch: *blinks* *coughs*
Sometimes I feel:  happy and content.
Sometimes I rant: when my temper is tickled.
Sometimes I never: <isn’t that an oxymoron or something?>
Sometimes I really:  worry.

I just want to say, again, that I have the absolute greatest friends, online and off.

Thank you for making me smile, cry, shriek with joy, and explode in laughter.

xoxo

I have received an email repeatedly over the last week or so which warns against purchasing gift cards, or using gift cards already in your possession.

First and foremost, I ask anyone who has my email address to please (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!) research any “facts” before forwarding them onto me and anyone else in your contact list. In fact, if you use email at all, please do this!

Second, I would like to say that yes, there are many stores who are suffering right now, who have overextended themselves, and who are being forced to cut back. Yes, this could posibly affect you, if you are in possession of any gift cards.

Third, please check this list: Snopes Research, which will help you to properly understand how much of the information being passed around currently is truth, how much is fiction, and how much is simply outdated information that is being added to the email to arouse fear and panic in the general public.
xoxo