I'm Gonna Cry. And I'm Not Ashamed!

Today is D-Day for millions of us. For years we have had been stereotyped as "lazy", "bon-bon eaters", "ass sitters".

When in reality, we were only escaping reality for an hour Monday through Friday. To join families that were, while imaginary, still like us in so many ways. And they tackled some of the very same problems that happen in everyday life.

After today, they will no longer be joining us in fantasy-land. Some of us have been watching since we were children. And some of our parents were still "kids" themselves when it first aired.

Today, we will say our final good-byes to the Mannings, the Buchanans, the Evans clan and to One Life To Live.

For 43 years, Viki, Asa, Dorian, the Woleks and a host of other characters in it's over-four-decades run came on to our TV screens. They made us laugh. They made us cry. Sometimes, they made us angry, too. But for an hour, their world was my world, and vice versa.

One Life To Live, as well as All My Children were what I used to escape my everyday life. Be it at it's regular time, or from my recording it on VHS tape to watch during the weekend.

It gave me a "normalcy" in a world that for me, was completely turned upside down due to the passing of my mother in 1989. During the summer, with exception to an episode here and there due to trips and whatnot, I watched religiously every single day. From 2-3 PM, Monday through Friday. Even my Nana got in to them. Mainly AMC. But it was something BOTH of us could relate to and talk about.

Since day one, I have always been a Bo Buchanan fan. Not so much a Bo and Nora fan, per say. And in all honesty, I liked the pairing of him and Paige the best (the second Paige of the three actresses that portrayed the character). Poor Bo. He's been through SO very much. And SO many loves and marriages. But all in all, he had ALWAYS remained true to himself and to those around him. Especially his "Pa", Asa Buchanan.

I wasn't around for the beginning of OLTL. But I am here for it's end. But like many other fans, it will ALWAYS be in my heart, in my memory and a topic I'll talk about from time to time.

For it may be a show to some people. But for myself, and oh so many others, it was an escape, and a place in time of Television where you could INDEED relate to someone, no matter who the character was.

Art imitates life. OLTL Creator, Agnes Nixon speaking of fake Soap, "Fraternity Row", while in reality, speaking of her baby, "One Life To Live"...




The embedding is disabled for the next one that I wanted to show you, but you can view it by clicking on THIS LINK (Viki's Voice-Over: "Soap Opera's Are About Families"). Again, in reality, Viki's portrayer, Erika Slezak, is speaking about OLTL and how us soap fans view our shows.

Clint Buchanan's revelation about "family" always being there, no matter what, can be seen under THIS LINK. As is watching Rex, Gigi, and Shane Balsam leave for England so that Shane can attend a prestigious Art School.

In 2007, Asa Buchanan's portrayer, Phil Carey had passed away. With the news of his death in real life, the show killed off Asa as well. He took no crap. Not on the show, and not in real life. A tribute video...




Also, the first "Clint Buchanan", actor Clint Richie had passed away after a "routine" surgical procedure. His tribute..




One Life To Live opening credits throughout the years of the show's run...




Thank you, Agnes Nixon, for creating a place for us that needed a helping hand in addressing problems of the world, and bringing awareness to them, and even a means to find how to help.

Thank you for giving me a place to call "home" in a world of fantasy, that in many ways over the years, mirrored my reality of the world around me. You had given me a place to venture out of my life of sadness, grief and depression, to smile a little bit, and even cry with the characters.

To the wonderful actors past and present, thank you, to EVERY single one of you, for your heart, dedication and LONG hours on sets to bring your fans a quality show and bringing out your characters in such a way, that they were true extensions of yourselves. And for making them BELIEVABLE, as well as relate-able.

To my fellow fans, I want to say thank you to you all as well. We have been able to give one another some WONDERFUL conversations. And even some civil arguments (LOL!).

But all in all, I will truly miss talking with some of my friends about what just happened to Clint, or Jessica. Or talk about how goofy David Vickers is being. Or how Todd Manning again has pulled a fast one and gotten away with something that in the real world, would have him locked up so fast, that your head would spin.

Thank you One Life To Live, because you have given SO much to us in your 43 years. I can't wait to see you all in future acting endeavors. But I will truly and honestly miss you all coming on to my Television screen from 2:00 til 3.

Donation... Give the gift of Smiles & of Yourself.

A while back, I had written a post about an experience that took myself and my husband by surprise. We knew that when the time was right, we were going to pass on the gift of giving to someone. We have since been on the lookout of who and how we were going to "Pay It Forward" to.

This is a concept I already had in mind for myself though, since I had turned the age of eighteen. Since then, I have been a Registered Donor to donate anything I can in the event of my death.

Who knew that at the age of thirty-two, just fourteen years after becoming a Donor, that I also would be seeing the whole topic of Organ/Tissue Donation from the other side of the fence. You can read my Corneal Transplant Recipient story HERE.

But also, I have been able to "pay it forward" monetarily. And thanks to the donations that were all pooled together, a record twenty-five children were able to purchase books at the Spring Book Fair at school.

Hayley had found a $100 bill in the school's soccer field a while back and brought it home. Sure I got on her for not turning it in right away. But then, I myself constantly forgot to take it with me to turn in as well.

So, seeing as so much time has passed, we (Scott and I collectively) decided to donate the $100 to the school's Library for the Book Fair's "Students in Need" box. After the totals were counted, there was close to $190.00 to split between the kids. Pre-K through Fist grade students were able to spend up to $5 and those in Second through Fifth grade were able to spend up to $10.

It felt wonderful to see the long list and know that so many children were being helped this year. I'm NOT happy that they had to be on it, because of such financial hardships in their families. But I AM happy that these kids were able to continue on the path to a wonderful love and enjoyment of reading.

Although, there is something else, along with the love of reading that is very close to my heart. That is Organ/Tissue Donation Awareness. Not just because I am a Registered Donor, as is my husband. But because we as a family have experienced firsthand the miracles of Tissue Donation. To be able to regain (most of) my sight back is an honest miracle. And as a mother, being down just ONE eye is hard to deal with. No matter how much you do to "adapt".

Did you know that you can be a LIVING Donor? Blood, a piece of your liver, a kidney, bone marrow, tendons and other tissues.

Then, you have Donors that donate skin, corneas, major organs such as your hearts and lungs. Plus cadaver (deceased) donors can give their tissues, bones, livers, kidneys, and intestines.

Right now, in the United States of America, the statistics for Recipients CURRENTLY awaiting their "gifts of LIFE" stands at (provided by Organ Procurement & Transplant Network)..

All Organs 110,484
Kidney 88,087
Liver 16,164
Pancreas 1,384
Heart 3,188
Lung 1,758
Intestine 265

As a Registered Donor, you can potentially save up to eight people's lives, and enrich and better about 50 lives.

Giving has always been a part of me and of who I am. I give what I can, where I can, when I can. So signing up to be an Organ/Eye/Tissue Donor was a no-brainer for me. If you are interested in becoming a Donor, please visit OrganDonor.Gov or United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and find out more Organ Transplantation and becoming a HERO, and to find out how to register in your state or Provence.

Because to us, our Donors (living and deceased), and their families are indeed our HEROES!

I have This New Bloggy Friend...

...Over at For The Love Of Blogs!

She is so very sweet! And loves books and poetry (which is a plus for me!). Also her writings are so eloquent and at times, even mesmerizing. And knowing myself that I am not a poll-kind-of-gal, I surprisingly LOVE taking polls on her page.

AubrieAnne over at Who's Your Editor? is a lovely blogger who VALUES her readers!

Last night as some of us were conversing in her comments section, it came to light (not by me at first) as to her color schemes, fonts and sizes of her blog text. After taking note that some of us (yes, including myself) were suggesting changing some things, seeing as it is hard to read what is written on the page, AubrieAnne entered the GIVEAWAY for a completely new blog design.

She'd even let us see a copy of her entry letter. And then stated that no matter what, she would shut down and have an easier page to read.

THAT my friends is a REAL writer, blogger and TRUE friend in the blogging world.

To listen to what your readers are saying (constructively). To fix a problem that your readers bring attention to, in any way that can possibly do so. To be willing (if you each follow one another) to comment on EACH OTHER'S writings here and there. (Not every day or even weekly..I can make do with once a month!)

Please feel free to stop by and see AubrieAnne over at Who's Your Editor?, especially if you are a lover of books, poetry and have a love for (very) good writing.

Thanksgiving Thankfulness; Going Above & Beyond Family & Friends

It's that time of year again. Time for turkeys to be carved, stuffing and pie to well, stuff you silly and ready for the Christmas holiday sales.

It's also a time for reflection and truly being thankful for all you have and those that are in your life. Sure, I have the basics. Thankful for my husband and kids, for having a sturdy roof over my head, warm blankets, a van that still runs good.

But there is SO much more to be thankful for. Like knowing that I live in a country where even though I respect my President/leader, I won't be shot and killed or imprisoned for stating that I don't care for him and how he is "leading" the country.

And I'm thankful for my son's doctor who has helped over the last several years to finally help him find balance mentally and has helped me ensure that he is getting the proper treatments and therapies for his problems.

I'm thankful for the teachers that my children have this school year. They all have "Homeroom" teachers that have gone above and beyond the call of duty to teach these kids and not let them fall behind.

I'm thankful for my husband who goes and slaves away in a freezer for eight to ten hours a day as to let other families place food on their tables. He works so hard and diligently to give our kids what they need, sometimes what they want and to ensure we have a good home to live within.

I'm thankful for my kids. Each of them have such a uniqueness about them. All three have personalities so differing that their individuality keeps me on my toes every second of every day. Before them, my life was pretty "boring". They have all brought me new life and new ways each day of how to look at life as a whole.

I'm thankful to my Cornea Donor, and his or her family. Because for a second Thanksgiving/Christmas season, I have the ability to watch my children enjoy the holidays with both eyes wide open.

So, besides the basic "thankful for's", what are you truly THANKFUL for? Or whom are you truly thankful for? When you sit down and think about it, so many people can touch one person's life. But it takes a very special person or persons to touch your very soul.

Other than your kids, of course.

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'.

Extreme Blog Makeover....Thanks to Angel and to Tamara.

First off, I need to thank my sweet friend, Angel over at Angel Believes (http://singedwingangel.blogspot.com/). She had apparently won a contest that gave her a new blog button and header from Tamara (Cheapskatemom over at http://proudtobecheap.blogspot.com/). And knowing she was already getting a set up from someone else, she decided to let me have the new blog button and header.

After Tamara and I had communicated (A LOT), she got to work. Not only did I get fitted with a new header and Blog Button, but a COMPLETE overhaul. Button, header, a feed, a counter and a whole new overall look (background and all). She decided that with the color schemes, and the way I was already set up, along with what I lacked (and really wanted, but didn't know how to get them), that she would entirely redo my page for me.

I've gone semi-retro, brighter and with more attractive colors, a "happy" looking header that is inviting (as is the blog button). And at the bottom of the posts, it says, "__ People Have Made Me Happy".

I LOVE IT!

Tamara is a true artist when it comes to blog page set-ups. She has a true gift. And I cannot thank her, or Angel enough for the opportunity to receive such a BEAUTIFUL page.,,,Again, thank you to BOTH LADIES! A million to infinity times over.

I'm about to hit 100!

No, not in my age, you goofball! Although, at times, it certainly feels like I am climbing the Age Ladder quicker than I would care to. Having bad knees that look like I have eggs in place of cartilage, a bad back that's seen more needles than a needle cushion, hip joints that crack more than Rice Crispies and a head that likes to get migraines as big as a Hiroshima bomb blast, it's a wonder people still think I'm a teenager that is BABYSITTING my three kids. That's a whole other story for another time.

I've been posting here on Blogger for some time now. And since starting, I have had a total of (now) five blogs. But, I have cut down to two. This main one will be for pretty much everything I wish to talk about. But, I also have my latest (and last) creation, http://paranormel.blogspot.com/. ParanorMel is a blog about my views and thoughts, beliefs, as well as my experiences with the Paranormal. Mainly hauntings and ghosts/spirits. Feel free to check it out! I even have a Facebook Fan Page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/ParanorMel/121130397908207?v=photos&ref=sgm#!/pages/ParanorMel/121130397908207 for ParanorMel.

But, here is another bonus, if you are a Facebook member! I also have a Fan Page for THIS blog as well. Lemme guess. You want the link, huh? Here it is! http://www.facebook.com/pages/ParanorMel/121130397908207?v=photos&ref=sgm#!/pages/The-Not-Always-Happy-Homemaker-Diary/107802929255760.

Okay, now as for my upcoming 100th post for 'The (Not Always) Happy Homemaker Diary... I'm thinking of taking and posting a couple of links to pasts posts, that I feel was some of my best work. And maybe even show case a few picture. Plus, add in some links to my FAVORITE bloggers here at BlogSpot that I follow. Ya know, just make it a fun, blow-out bash kind of post that has a bit of everything in it.

My blogging on this site started back in November of last year. And between ALL my blogs, I have written probably closer to 200 posts, combined. But my main 'love' is THIS page right here. And this is the one that I plan on using the most. So, join me in celebrating 100 posts here at TNAHHD. Be on the lookout! You never know when my 100th entry will show up!

Like what you read here and are a Facebook member? You're in for a treat!

Are you a Facebook member? Like what you read here in "The N(Not Always) Happy Homemaker Diary"? Then have I got a treat for you!

Please join me at my new Fan Page on Facebook. There, you will find links to my latest entries, can post links to posts of months past that you want others to read, post Fan Pictures and talk about posts and other everyday things.

Also, feel free to "Suggest To Friends" and tell others about both the blog, and the Fan Page.

Thanks to each and every one of you that are following me. Both on Facebook, as well as through Blogger, or other means of following my blog.

To access and join my Facebook Fan Page, please click on the follwoing link...

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/The-Not-Always-Happy-Homemaker-Diary/107802929255760?ref=mf

On This Day...

Let us not just give thanks for the basics, such as the food that we have to eat, the friends and family in our lives, and other materialistic things.

Let us also give thanks to those that are not able to be with their family and friends at the dinner table tonight as we all sit to feast with our loved ones.

They are not here due to being deployed to other countries. Including Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and other stations around the world.

The Soldiers, along with their families, still here at home, are making the ultimate sacrifice for your freedoms and our safety as a country.

From my family to yours, Soldiers and Soldier's families alike, I would like to say...