Parents...Learn From This Show!

No, I'm not joking. And the subject of bullying isn't a joke, either. It's real. It's raw. And today's form of bullying has taken on new ways of cause and effect.

When I was a small child, I was heckled, ridiculed, made the butt of jokes, and even "imitated" because of my trache. Don't forget the name calling and pushing.

But today, with technology advances such as the internet and YouTube, bullying has taken new and (literally) far-reaching forms.

Now kids attack one another on sites such as FaceBook and MySpace, or even Twitter.

Not just in the form of words. But via groups, "like pages", Tweets, videos and other internet means, including in the Blogging world. This is called Cyberbullying.

I am a longtime 'One Life To Live' (ABC) fan. One of the current storylines is centering around a Freshman boy in High School who has life-threatening Asthma. Shane Morasco is at the end of his rope with the bullying and the video of him naked in the school's gym being posted to the internet and "MyFace" (OLTL's version of FaceBook) and ready to end his life just to "make it all stop".

Sadly this is something in regards to bullying that we hear about almost daily in the news media outlet. Be it face-to-face bullying or being bullied on the internet.

Here is the preview of the storyline for this week (April 4th)...



Please, I beg EACH AND EVERY SINGLE PARENT that reads this, TEACH your children about bullying and it's many forms. Teach them what the (possible) repercussions are as the bully and what CAN (and often does) happen to bullying victims.

Both sides lose when it comes to bullying. Some lose their lives. Some have to live with lifelong guilt due to their actions. And families are torn because of the actions of the bully and their target.

No child should suffer abuse from a bully.

And bullies have it within them to change and become better people. But sometimes for that to happen, it comes at a hefty price.

It should NEVER have to be that way.

Distorting the FACTS from the MYTHS About Organ/Tissue/Eye Donation

The following are the Myths and the Facts about being or becoming an Organ/Tissue/Eye Donor.

Information (copy/pasted) is provided by the Mayo Clinic.

Myth: If I agree to donate my organs, the hospital staff won't work as hard to save my life.

Fact: When you go to the hospital for treatment, doctors focus on saving your life — not somebody else's. You'll be seen by a doctor whose specialty most closely matches your particular emergency. The doctor in charge of your care has nothing to do with transplantation.
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Myth: Maybe I won't really be dead when they sign my death certificate.

Fact: Although it's a popular topic in the tabloids, in reality, people don't start to wiggle their toes after they're declared dead. In fact, people who have agreed to organ donation are given more tests (at no charge to their families) to determine that they're truly dead than are those who haven't agreed to organ donation.
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Myth: Organ donation is against my religion.

Fact: Organ donation is consistent with the beliefs of most religions. This includes Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam and most branches of Judaism. If you're unsure of or uncomfortable with your faith's position on donation, ask a member of your clergy. Another option is to check the federal Web site OrganDonor.gov, which provides religious views on organ donation and transplantation by denomination.
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Myth: I'm under age 18. I'm too young to make this decision.

Fact: That's true, in a legal sense. But your parents can authorize this decision. You can express to your parents your wish to donate, and your parents can give their consent knowing that it's what you wanted. Children, too, are in need of organ transplants, and they usually need organs smaller than those an adult can provide.
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Myth: An open-casket funeral isn't an option for people who have donated organs or tissues.

Fact: Organ and tissue donation doesn't interfere with having an open-casket funeral. The donor's body is clothed for burial, so there are no visible signs of organ or tissue donation. For bone donation, a rod is inserted where bone is removed. With skin donation, a very thin layer of skin similar to a sunburn peel is taken from the donor's back. Because the donor is clothed and lying on his or her back in the casket, no one can see any difference.
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Myth: I'm too old to donate. Nobody would want my organs.

Fact: There's no defined cutoff age for donating organs. Organs have been successfully transplanted from donors in their 70s and 80s. The decision to use your organs is based on strict medical criteria, not age. Don't disqualify yourself prematurely. Let the doctors decide at your time of death whether your organs and tissues are suitable for transplantation.
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Myth: I'm not in the best of health. Nobody would want my organs or tissues.

Fact: Very few medical conditions automatically disqualify you from donating organs. The decision to use an organ is based on strict medical criteria. It may turn out that certain organs are not suitable for transplantation, but other organs and tissues may be fine. Don't disqualify yourself prematurely. Only medical professionals at the time of your death can determine whether your organs are suitable for transplantation.
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Myth: I'd like to donate one of my kidneys now, but I wouldn't be allowed to do that unless one of my family members is in need.

Fact: While that used to be the case, it isn't any longer. Whether it's a distant family member, friend or complete stranger you want to help, you can donate a kidney through certain transplant centers. If you decide to become a living donor, you will undergo extensive questioning to ensure that you are aware of the risks and that your decision to donate isn't based on financial gain. You will also undergo testing to determine if your kidneys are in good shape and whether you can live a healthy life with just one kidney.
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Myth: Rich and famous people go to the top of the list when they need a donor organ.

Fact: The rich and famous aren't given priority when it comes to allocating organs. It may seem that way because of the amount of publicity generated when celebrities receive a transplant, but they are treated no differently from anyone else. In fact, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the organization responsible for maintaining the national organ transplant network, subjects all celebrity transplants to an internal audit to make sure the organ allocation was appropriate.
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Myth: My family will be charged if I donate my organs.

Fact: The organ donor's family is never charged for donating. The family is charged for the cost of all final efforts to save your life, and those costs are sometimes misinterpreted as costs related to organ donation. Costs for organ removal go to the transplant recipient.

I *HAD* A 'Fab Friend' a few Friday's Ago

It's that time again over at For The Love Of Blogs for Fab Friends Friday.



While I relish in participating normally, I had contemplated for most of this week as to whether I should even write this post or not, seeing as so much in my family's life is going on. But here it goes..

There's a friend of mine from a good while back that has seemed to have distanced themselves from me and a few of our mutual friends. We met about three years ago via an internet website. From there, we were practically inseparable, going and joining other sites together as we found them and figured the other would enjoy being there as well.

But in the recent weeks of past, if not about a month or even longer, seeing as I'm really not keeping count this person has strayed and basically "dropped" our friendship off on the wayside.

Yes, both of us have a lot going on. But I have tried to get "something" from the person to acknowledge that I indeed exist in their world. We both are on FaceBook together. But alas, my words fell on "deaf eyes".

I'd noticed the change after this person started writing in their blog of things that NORMALLY, I'd never see from this person, seeing as in all honesty, was very highly out of context for the blog's "theme of writing" that I had come to know and even respect.

But now, this person does nothing but writing prompts and blog carnivals at least 95% of the time. No longer do I see REAL substance in the writing. So I had decided after somethings that were written of a "personal" nature and more than my eye's fair share of writing prompts, to un-follow their blog.

And then I finally stopped following the person on Twitter as well, thanks to never being "spoken" to anymore over there in any way, shape or form. Between both places, this "friend" has yet to even acknowledge that I am no longer on either of their lists as a follower. Or realized we are no longer even "speaking" with one another.

This past week has apparently been REALLY hard on both of us. But unlike them, I made it no "secret" as to what has happened within my family. Not on here, Twitter or FaceBook.

The ONE person that I thought that I could count on, the one I was SURE would be there for me, my husband and our children was nowhere. Not to say sorry to my kids for their loss or to my husband who lost his beloved grandfather.

Yes, I did write something on their wall. But to no avail. And because I didn't know until after the fact of what they are going through, what I had written in some ways I wish I didn't. But then again...

Needless to say, even that post I made on their wall went unnoticed and/or just ignored of acknowledgment.

This person KNOWS I don't do the "one-sided, one-way-street, all give-and-no get" type of friendship.

This person talks with a certain other friend on all these sites ALL of the time. Acknowledging their posts on their page, and converses on their own page when said friend posts there.

If that's how it's going to be, then I think that this person just needs to tell me that our friendship is over. Because obviously I'm not running with the right "clique" or the "cool crowd" of bloggers. Or on Twitter for that matter.

I'm honestly DONE trying.

I Think I Was Given Bad Shrooms, Man!!

You know, it's bad enough that Dominos Pizza has now given my husband the WRONG pizza (we use Delivery Service) twice out of the last five of our orders. He ALWAYS gets the Meatza (where it is ALL meat, not a speck of veggie on it because he's a typical man and just rolls like that).

When Dominos last messed up before this, they gave him the one with BOTH meat AND veggies. I specifically said (seeing as I had a brain fart and couldn't remember the actual pizza's name) ALL MEAT, not with ANY veggies. I trusted the girl on the other end of the line to KNOW what I was talking about, seeing as she IS an employee and all.

Last night we went ahead and ordered pizza, seeing as my plans to make a spaghetti dinner were kind of ruined.

See, I have not one, but TWO big refrigerators in my kitchen as I type this. One is the pretty new (but barely used) one that we set up last night. This one has a WORKING water/ice dispenser. But Scott had to clean it really well with Bleach Spray. That alone sent me to tears and in to burning breathing...Even with windows OPEN.

The other of course, is the old one that also too needs to be cleaned. Scotty wants me to clean it BEFORE he moves it. Riiiight!!! I can barely get around in that tiny kitchen with those two giant fridges up in there. I'll wait until he and his brother MOVE IT out of my way, even though it means lots of trips up and down the basement stairs.

And I have totally gotten off track..Back to the bad mushroom pizza and the screw up. (=

The kids got their pizza and started munching right away. As did I with my green peeper, onion and (apparently Psychedelic) mushroom pizza. Poor Scott got a Pineapple and Bacon pizza. And the box (after looking at it) said the CORRECT pizza with chicken and bacon added. But the WRONG pizza was in it. Niiiice.

Poor quality, but this as close to "Psychedelic" as I can get to, let alone WANT TO get to...



My poor husband had to wait yet an extra thirty-five minutes to get his CORRECT pizza and chow down.

We got to keep the Bacon and Pineapple pizza, so I took a piece and tried it. Pretty good, actually!

At first all was fine and dandy for me, sleep wise. But then about an hour or two of being in bed, my youngest comes in in semi-tears and said she had a bad dream and asked if she could sleep with us. So, I became "monkey in the middle", squished between her and her Daddy.

Sometime after that, began the uber scary dreams of zombies, gross and gruesome violence that ensued from being chased by the undead creatures, and other manic and weird dreams.

I think this one best describes the look on my face in the vivid dreams of being chased..



Here's to a much better, zombie-less filled tonight. I'm done with being chased thanks to mushrooms that give me more than a kick.

Death Panels...Since when is one's life "not budgetable"?

Arizona has a Governor without a heart or a soul. Her state's budget cuts are not only "saving" money, but are also COSTING lives.

Now, two people are dead. Thanks to the budget cuts and the insurance's refusal (due to said cuts) to pay for much-needed transplants.

There's now a list of people in the state of Arizona whom will surely die, being that their assurance of insurance has been cut off because the insurer will not "be able" to pay for the transplants.

Including the one this past week who was needing a kidney transplant.

Yes, the insurance I am speaking of is Government-funded Medicaid. The state's funds for the insurance that helps those that are low-income, too disabled to work or meet other criteria for the (supplemental) insurance will be cut by $1.2 million.

Luckily though, the citizens of Arizona have Senate Minority Leader-Elect David Schapira (Democrat) in their corner. And he is asking to have *emergency* restoration of the Medicaid funds to be put in to place. But only for certain types of transplants.

Thus far, 98 patients are on that list.

Patient Mark Price died in November, as he was desperately awaiting a bone marrow transplant.

Read the full story at... CNN.com

As a transplant recipient myself, to see these kinds of cuts made at the expense of human life, is utterly deplorable. Shame on the state of Arizona, and it's idiot Governor, Janet Brewer.

Rest assured though, that in the event that herself or one of family members or close friends (who were on Medicaid, thanks to job loss or lower income status) suddenly required a transplant of some type, she would be fighting tooth and nail to get their insurance to pay for it.

But hey, it's no one special or important (to the dumb hag called 'Governor') so she feels that she can go to lay her head down at night without the guilt of knowing that she (literally) signed almost one hundred of her citizen's death warrants by her actions of slashing the access to their medical insurance, and to much-needed medical care to stay alive.

Sure, it was "just an eye" to most people. But saving my sight, as well as my entire eye was of utmost importance to me as a mother of three children who are all still under the age of twelve.

If my insurance wasn't there to help cover the cost of my (**$23,000.00**) surgery to have my cornea replaced with a cadaver's cornea, then I would not have my sight, let alone the eye its self. And being a mother, it would have hindered (somewhat) my being the mother I am to my children.

What kind of person wishes to slash funding as to let others be there with their children and grandchildren? A thoughtless Government Official such as Governor Janet Brewer, is who! And the scary part in all of this? If one state does something like this to "save the state money", then most often times, even more states follow and institute these cuts as well.

And that's a scary thought in its self! It will go from just under a hundred, to hundreds, then to thousands. Then, quite possibly the "movement" could cost MILLIONS of lives here in America.

Is this really what our country's Government was built to be all about? Money over it's people.

The more I look, the more I view it in this manner. And it frightens me more and more a bit each and every day, that our children and grandchildren's lives will be placed on the front lines as a means to save a few extra bucks for the Government Officials to pocket.

The money NEEDS to be put back in place. At least some it it, anyways. And for the most needful of transplants (heart, lung, kidney). And Arizona's guidelines on insuring transplants needs to be overhauled as well. No one's life is above another's. Or at least it shouldn't be.

I can understand (at this time) that they cannot cover ALL types of transplants. But give those with the biggest fights ahead, the biggest chance at living.

Is this really too much to ask, Gov. Janet Brewer?

I Watched Someone Die Not Once, But Twice!

Today is World Alzheimer's Day. Do you know of someone that has been touched by this awful disease? Or, are you yourself inflicted with it?

My grandmother (Nana) had Alzheimer's. It started off slowly when I was still living in Nevada. Actually, I take that back. I strongly believe for her, it started while we were all still living in California, where I was born and primarily raised.

At first, it was very subtle. Nana would place something down in a pretty conspicuous place, where anyone with pretty good eyes (and back then, they were pretty good for her) could clearly see the object in question. Only, minutes later, she would get up and do whatever, only to search long and hard for what she "misplaced" moments earlier. When one of us (being myself, my dad, or my step-mom) would find it sitting practically in front of our face, we all would just laugh it off and chalk it up to Nana having a "blond moment".

But as time wore on, and after we moved to Nevada, things with Nana's memory was getting worse. And worrisome. She had gotten to a point where she could tell you about her childhood and teen years, but could not recite to you what she ate for dinner the night before.

Eventually, long after my dad and step-mother divorced, Nana's Alzheimer's really took a hold of her, along with the other factoring health problems (such as her COPD and her Emphysema). At this point, my father's own health was starting to rapidly decline, due mainly to the stress of being his mother's primary caregiver. Even with outside resources stepping in to help with her care...

Eventually, there was no other choice. And it was primarily for my father's health and sanity, that Nana was placed in to a Nursing Care Facility. Not too long after her transfer to the home, her mental status declined dramatically.

No longer could she tell you what she ate just a couple of hours before, for dinner or any other meal. Now, my father became my uncle. Because whenever my dad went in (almost daily) to see her, Nana thought that he was her oldest son, not my father. That really tore him apart inside. No longer was he the son that was REALLY there, and that was her main caretaker.

About a year or so after her entrance in to the Nursing Home, and at the point where that God-awful disease, Alzheimer's robbed my grandmother of her mental faculties completely, I got the call that I was dreading for the last couple of years. The day before her birthday, no less.

That next VERY early morning, I hopped on the first of THREE planes (stupid layovers!) to get to her, hopefully in time. She was in the hospital, her organs shutting down. Her mind now ravaged savagely by the Alzheimer's. They gave her (at best) 24 hours. It was then about the 23 to 25 hour mark when I got in to Reno, and hence to the hospital with my dad.

Somewhere in between his waiting for me at the airport and us getting to the hospital, Nana apparently suffered a Stroke. Her Hernia that she developed made her look AT LEAST seven months pregnant.

At one point, I had to leave the room. I could no longer take seeing her in that condition. For me, that was NOT *my* grandmother. That was *not* the same woman, by looking at her, that helped to raise me the rest of the way after my mother's death in 1989. So, as calmly as I could, I told her I would be back in a bit, as to let her rest.

For a brief moment in time, she had a twinge of clarity within her ravaged mind. Which of course, by then was moments that were far and few in between. She started mumbling and her hands started to go erratic. She was (in the only way she could, being she couldn't speak due to the stroke) trying to tell me not to leave her. She was getting so upset, I told her (through yelling, being the stroke damaged the nerves in her ears) I'd be back. She calmed a bit, but not much..Finally I had to leave. I almost got sick all over the ward's floor from seeing what I did. It was horrific..

Before that point, all she did was breath and stare at the ceiling without literally batting an eyelash. That alone brought me back to being 12-years-old and seeing my mother in pretty much the same condition after her stroke. For me, history was repeating it's self and rearing its ugly head before my very eyes.

The next day, we went back. She made it through her birthday. But later that next evening, something inside me said to NOT go and see her when they transferred her back to the Nursing Home. To die.

Not even an hour after I had changed my mind, we got *THE* call. She was gone. Free now, from the pain that she had to endure at the end. And finally, Alzheimer's Disease no longer had it's horrible grip upon her mind. She was free.

A few years later, my father and I were talking about Nana. He finally admitted something to me. Years before, when Hayley and Bryce were 2 years and 3 months of age, it was the ONLY time that she (Nana) was able to see, touch and hold her great-grand-babies. I'm so happy she was. And he even posted a family picture of us on her Nursing Home room's wall.

It came out in this conversation with Dad, that about a month before she passed away, Nana had forgotten who I was. She would look at the picture and without missing a beat, would ask my father who it was (the young lady) in the picture that was on her wall. Then she would ask about my (now) husband, Scott and the kids.

To hear that she no longer remembered the woman whom she helped raise tore me apart inside. It made me angry. Not at her, but at the disease. It made me resentful. Why me? Why did that nasty disease have to rob me of her, and in turn, her of me?

It's truly sickening to watch and know of someone you love, and that (more than likely) took care of you, just waste away to practically nothing. It is a disease I don't care to wish upon my worst enemy.

For me and my father, we didn't lose our mother and grandmother just once in our lives. We had to endure losing her twice. The first time, she was 'dead', but still breathing. And that is the worst kind of death, in my mind, to see someone you love go through.

If you wish to know more about Alzheimer's disease and it's history of origin, please CLICK HERE.

Being a Mother (Or Wife) *Really Is* A 'Thankless' Job!

I honestly DO love being my children's mother. They bring smiles to my face in one way or another, almost on a daily basis.

I've laughed with them. I've cried with them. I've laughed at their actions or words. I've cried for them.

All in all, I would die for them, if need be. I would do almost anything for them. Almost.

When you hear women say that motherhood is a 'thankless' job, they aren't kidding! It truly is a 'thankless' job, indeed. No pay (as in no monetary gain), no vacation (even when you ARE on vacation, away from the kids), no sick days (being you still most of the time, end up caring for them, even when feeling your worst), and no promotion (being that you have the highest job in the "company").

You cook. You clean. You ensure that they have all that they need, basics-wise. You make sure that they are up, ready, and prepared for school each morning. And never once (or so rare, that we often forget it has been said) do you get a "thanks for all that you do, Mom" comment from them.

Lately, I have gotten really tired. Tired of being the (Not Very) Merry Maid around the house. No matter what I threaten my kids with, be it loss of TV or computer time, or any other interests that I can take away, it doesn't seem to sink in.

It's a CONSTANT battle to get, let alone KEEP the house (especially their rooms and the play/family room) decently clean for more than twenty-four hours at a time. And instead of THEM HELPING to clean up around the house (mainly their own messes), I end up having to. Or else I have "consequences" to pay. Such as hearing my husband bitch and moan.

In fact, I also have to clean up after him. It's little things. But even then, I feel it is a bit...hypocritical of him to get on the kids about not cleaning up after themselves, but he leaves band-aid wrappers laying around, or a glass on the table.

It must be nice to go to your job, work your ass off, and when you do something that is "above and beyond", you get a compliment. Praise is a nice "payment" or "reward" for a job well done.

Sadly though, many a mother and/or wife that stays home all day doesn't hear those simple, few words that can and does make her day. What are they, you ask?

"The house looks really good. You did a good job".

Honestly, how hard IS this for any man to say? Must be almost impossible. I get "dumped on" with his daily work happenings. I also get told of the GOOD points of his day as well. The same with the kids.

The minute I try to talk about my "roses and thorns" though, I get deaf ears and practically ignored. Or at times even told "I don't want to hear it"...Nice, huh?

I know for a fact, that I am far from being the ONLY wife/mother with these thoughts, and these "situations". But just once in a while, I want to be seen as more than that. I want more than JUST the respect of being 'just' a wife to my husband, and 'just' the mother to my children.

For so many years, I have been struggling to keep MY identity. My pre-wife and my pre-motherhood identities. Thus far, I think I have failed in still trying to be the ME that I was before husbands and kids. I know that I am more than these two things. But apparently, I am not viewed in any other manner. At least not in my own home.

This may be far from the truth. I'm sure that my husband would tell me otherwise. But then again, 'actions speak louder than words'.

Finding yourself via FaceBook.

You probably read that title and thought to yourself that I have officially gone off the deep end. Admit it! Yeah, that's what I thought.

Some of us have personalities that are very open and we know everything about ourselves. What am I saying, you ask? Basically, you know yourself and how much you observe in your world and your life. You know of every single one of your likes, as well as all of your dislikes. People, places, music, literature. You name it, you know of it, all the way down to your very core.

If you are not a FaceBook crackhead, then you are probably quite confused. Let me break it down to it's very simplicity... When you update your interests, you are automatically linked with a "Like" page for that person, place or thing. And/or you can search for said PPT and "Like" it's page.

Some people only "like" a few things. Some people "like" A LOT of things. I have some friends on FaceBook that fall within that first category. I though, fall in to the latter one. And after really looking at all of my interests and "likes" across the board, I think I honestly shocked myself.

Recently, FB had added a new feature. You can see how many "Likes" your friends have, and how many total are on your page as well. For some it's no more than 20. Some, up to 50 or 100...Then there are those such as myself with 200 or more!

After seeing with my own eyes just how many interests and "likes" that I have, my jaw about hit my hardwood floor. It really gave me a great ideal of who I REALLY AM.

I'm more than a wife or a mother. I am more than just a Volunteer at my children's school. I'm more than a daughter or sister-in-law. I am uniquely varied in taste and perception. I am from one extreme to another. I'm a little bit country, and a little bit rock n' roll. I'm a tad bit drama, and a whole lot of laughter.

Life overall has never been all roses, rainbows, puppies and lollipops. I have had more than my fair share of downs that, when looking back, outweighed the ups. But I rolled with the punches and came out the better person in the end, in this thing we call "life".

After seeing everything that I "like", that I take interest in, what my relationships are and weave it all together, I see the entire package now, that makes ME who *I* am.

Now, I can see what so many see in me. I can go with Adam Sandler one minute, laughing until I cry and my sides hurt, to being wrapped up in a love story that stars Sandra Bullock and cry my happy and sad tears all of the way through the movie's entirety.

Or, one moment, I'm listening to Reba McEntire singing "His Name Was John" on the local country station, only to tune in to Lady Gaga on the Rock/Pop station as she sings "Bad Romance".

So much variation is within my life. And I *LIKE* it that way.

How do your FaceBook "likes" cast you and your personality? Do they show the TRUE, FULL and the REAL you? Take a look and see if you "find" yourself today.

Got a small beef with blog followers (from ANY blog).

Just out of curiosity...

Do you 'drop' a blogger from your list of reading ventures due to their not writing a post basically on a daily basis?

Do you, if you blog, write on your blog page(s) on a daily basis, a few times or once a week? Or do you blog when the mood to moves you?

I'm wondering if a (now former) follower dropped me being that it was almost a week or so between posting blog posts. I don't really care that they did so. But it popped in my head that I must not be writing enough to suit their reading taste.

Well, lets take a really good look at my blog and break it down, shall we?

Look at the name of my blog... 'The (Not Always) Happy Homemaker Diary'. Operative word here? HOMEMAKER. Which means that I am a STAY-AT-HOME wife and mother.

I have one husband and I have THREE kids. And those children (through this weekend) are on SUMMER VACATION from school. Which means three kids that need to have MY attention as needed BEFORE anything else.

Plus if you notice, I have written many times in the past about my son, who is a SPECIAL NEEDS child that requires more attention and time consumption than most 'average' kids.

Plus, I have to take care of the home, hence the HOMEMAKER part of my blog name. Laundry, dishes, vacuuming, sweeping, cleaning out cat boxes (being we have three of them) and any other jobs that need to be done around here.

Now, if you have read the blog entry from YESTERDAY, you will also know that I am gearing up to once again volunteer at my kids' school (hopefully) three days a week, if not more. I'm quite possibly being 'promoted' to Co-Volunteer Coordinator. Which means quite possibly more time at the school, as well as 'working' from home.

Plus I will be on not just one, but two Parent Advisory Boards for not only the school, but for my school's district.

So, when you add all of this together, it makes for MUCH less time typing up blog entries. And if you are looking for daily, or semi-daily bloggers, then I am NOT your girl. Especially with school starting.

Also, I have a secondary blog called ParanorMel that delves in to the realm of the Paranormal. Primarily with ghosts/spirits and hauntings. Even that blog gets posted to, maybe, I'd say once a week to every two weeks. It all depends on if I had a personal experience happen, if there is a topic in my head that I wish to cover, or if I found a video and/or article that I found interesting enough to share.

But also, I do NOT see my followers dropping me there. And they know I WILL post. Just not more than MAYBE twice a week. Or for as long as every two weeks.

With that said, I hope that you will stick with me and watch for new posts in the future. At this point in time, you might never know when I will write about my adventures in life, marriage and raising my kids.

Just know that I WILL BE around. Just not as often. I find it sad that some people base their reading on the fact of how often a person posts entries. It should be based on QUALITY of the work. Not on QUANTITY in the numbers of posting.

One of the *most* controversial videos in music history...

While the above is not the original video (thanks to embedding being disabled), 'Like A Prayer' by Madonna is one of the most controversial music videos of all time. If you were to watch the real deal, you will see the following...

Yes, my friends, these pictures contain blasphemous things. Oh the horror!!

There is a black Jesus. And there are burning crosses. Along with a Church Choir.

Who ever said that Jesus IS a white man? He was raised a Jew in Nazareth. So, technically, the man was not black, nor was he a white man.

As for the crosses that are burning, they are to symbolize the time in which this video's story takes place. Back when the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) reined supreme, primarily in the South. And if you read about our nation's "lovely" history about racial segregation and the severe and violent racism, you would "get it" that the burning crosses are telling of that piece of the south's history and their HATRED of the black communities.

As for the Church Choir, I like it. Those people singing bring the song full circle to me. And they are helping to tell the story of their ancestors of the past, while they were mistreated, feared and hated in the time of the KKK. And it shows how African Americans were blamed for practically anything and everything back then, as well.

Look how the black man helps Madonna's character after two WHITE men beat her and are about to rape her. The cops locked up the black guy, they didn't run after the REAL culprits. Racial profiling was running rampant back then as well.

Even today, in the new millennium, this video gets A LOT of flack. Mainly by the Christian sect. And mainly due to the fact that Madonna has crosses burning as she is dancing. It wasn't to be blasphemous or for "shock value". It was to show the REAL history of our nation, in a time when being even friends, let alone being in a relationship with a black person was one of the MOST vile things a white person could do.

If people who jump and holler about 'Like A Prayer' were to sit down and REALLY watch the video, as well as listen to the words, then maybe, just maybe they would see it is not a "video of Satan".

Perfection Perception... Fail.

Ya know what? I wasn't planning on writing on here at all today. I was going to jot some stuff tomorrow. But now, I HAVE TO SAY IT! You all know me well enough by now, that if I have it on my mind, I have to type it out.

Well, technically, I already did. Over at Momster.com. But I felt that I needed to bring it here too. It's a smallishly tweaked version of what I said over at the Fan Page for Momster.com over at Facebook. I tweaked it so that it has an overall umbrella addressing ALL parents, not just moms. Because, I have seen and heard fathers say the exact same thing.

So, without further ado...


I'm sorry but some parents are INSANE when it comes to grades..."Expects NOTHING less than an A"??? WOW! Talk about pressure. That is expecting WAAAY too much.

All three of my kids are advanced and I know that they have wonderful potential. But I REFUSE to say "you cannot earn LESS than an A". Your kids can't fill the void that (maybe) you lacked when it came to school grades.

And while they are smart, they CANNOT be perfect at EVERY single subject. It's unrealistic to think that.

I'm perfectly fine with a C or better. D is cause for concern and a talk. An F constitutes concern, the talk, and privileges taken until grades improve.

Parent's expectations HAVE TO BE within reason. Saying you only expects A's and nothing less is being in an imaginary world.

How would you all like it if (even though you have the potential) your parents told you that if you don't get all A's, all the time, that you would be in trouble. And think of the CONSTANT pressure and fear. Do you REALLY want that for your children?