Let's compare

I was browsing my blog and noticed my New Year's Resolutions from last year.....let us compare and see if I really stuck with any or did anything at all!!!!

New Year's Resolutions January 2005:
1. Quit Smoking Er.....Nope
2. Learn Quilting Er....Nope
3. Be more patient (with myself, my family and people in general)
Did practice it!
4. Find a friend A little late but new neighbors across the street moved in at Thanksgiving and I like her! But she does have a Witchcraft Encylopedia :~

2 out of 4 isn't too bad...is it?

So without further ado here are 2006 Resolutions:
1. Quit Smoking (duh)
2. Share my comments more and not just keep them in my head.
(except the crazy ones ;)
3. Try to add fru-fru to my humble home and yard.
4. Find a good church, to combat the Witchcraft :)

We will check back in 365 days to see if any progress was made.

Take care and Happy New Year!

The Florida Snowman

Laura's Pic0084.jpg
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

Who says you can't build a Snowman without snow?? Thanks to my Cousin Patsy we built this one! *Big Hug and Kiss* Best thing of all we get to keep him for years to come!! Love ya!

Little One

Laura's Pic0083.jpg
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

Just look at my Little One he is wearing a sweater he received for Christmas from his Papaw Lewis. Doesn't it just make him look all grown up???

Sunset

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Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

This pic does not do God's Masterpiece any justice! The colors were very salmon and blue and I took this pic trying to make a right turn into our subdivision, that might have something to do with it also.

My Merry Feet

Laura's Pic0078.jpg
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

This is my 1st pair (ever) of Christmas socks....Love them!!!

Big Merry Tea Cup

Laura's Pic0075.jpg
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

Happiness is when a co-worker gives you a Big Merry Tea Cup for no reason. hum...I wonder why my tea all of the sudden taste a heck of alot better??

I felt this *putting fingers together to show one inch* small

This happened a couple of weeks ago at the store.....

Little One, Hubby and I were shopping at Publix, we were almost thru the store, the cart was full. Little One and I were at the eggs, Hubby went to get bread. Little One was steering the cart, he looked up at me and asked "Can I go and get Daddy?" I said no, its crowded just stay with me. Daddy was in my eyesight. Little One looks up at me and asked "Mama, when are you going to let me do things myself?"

At that moment I felt like the whole store was empty and it was just Little One and Me and it hit me, my son is no longer a baby, like I like to think but a wonderful 8 year old boy.

So needless to say, every now and then I catch myself from reeling him in on my apron strings and I cut them loose and let my son venture out on his own.

Time sure flies and life is too short.

Merry That

Laura's Pic0073.jpg
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

You really can't tell much from the camera phone pic but this is our decorations. They are the LED blue icicle lights and we bought a Star to go right in the middle, which happens to be blue. It is really pretty. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Update...

The old director, Miss Charla, called to tell me she is having a camp the week that Tae Kwon Do is closed so Nicholas will be attending with her!


Alright I found out that the local YMCA is having camp the week of Dec. 26th, Friday Dec. 29th it is only 1/2 a day but I can take that off! WHEW!

Merry Christmas House

Laura's Pic0066.jpg
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

This house is about a 3 miles from where we live it is beautiful!! The owners own a Christmas Shop in Clearwater and they create a winter wonderland each year (this is our 2nd year attending) complete with snow machine that blows tiny bubbles that looks like snow and a nativity scene and animated everything!! This picture really does it no justice. It is not junky by any means just pure joy and beautiful!!

Gingerbread House

Laura's Pic0065.jpg
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

This is the 2nd annual Gingerbread building workshop that little one does at Tae Kwon Do. This year they gave the kids all the things to build with and told them to go to it! I think my little one's was the best of all of them. He even used a candy bar for the chimney!

We tried..........

Rewind last Christmas break.....

I have little one in Tae Kwon Do (TDK) They usually have camp during any school break (ie.. Spring break, Christmas, Thanksgiving) Well I just figured they would have both weeks of camp during Christmas. WRONG. Come to find out they were closed the week of Christmas (meaning the week leading up to Christmas). I did not have any more vacation to take and neither did my husband. So little one was able to go to work with hubby for that week.

Rewind 3 months ago....

Hubby asked when is the TDK closed for Christmas break, I verified with the Director of TDK and it would be the same week as last year. Hubby scheduled his last week of vacation for that week so we would not be left without anyone to watch little one. Yea for us, planning ahead.

Current day.....
The director of the TDK just up and QUIT this past Monday, which I found out ONLY thru little one on TUESDAY!!?? (ask little one about the expression on my face when he told me this) Wednesday I go to pick up little one after work and the schedule is out for the week of Christmas camp......TO MY SHOCK THEY CHANGED THE CLOSED WEEK TO THE WEEK AFTER CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I asked the Master (owner of TDK) if this was correct or a typo??? He said yea it's correct, we changed it b/c I will not be here and since the director quit I would not have anyone for that week to work. I (as calmly as I could) explained to him I DO NOT have anyone to watch little one for that week b/c hubby already had scheduled vacation for the week that it was to suppose to be! All he said was sorry. So we are back to the same thing as last year....I have no vacation left, hubby is not allowed to bring little one to work again for a week ( it was an exception just for last year) I am going to ask if I can bring little one to my work but boss said no last year.

You know the saying "between a rock and a hard place"? that is where I am right now...............................................................................................

A dogs life.

Laura's Pic0064.jpg
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

Update: We found Max a new home on 12/4/05. The new home has a bigger back yard and does NOT have a cat that he can attack!!!

This is Max longing to go out in the backyard. I know what you are thinking "Did she pose him?" NOPE, he jumped right up there and sat just like that. I was on the computer at the time and turned around to look at him. Lucky me I had my cell phone which happens to take pics and grabbed it and snapped it. Pretty cool huh?

Our New Resident

Laura's Pic0063.jpg
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

Well we have a 2-3 foot black racer living in a hole on the outside of our Florida room. Yep, Hubby watched it go into the hole and today we all watched it come out and head off into our backyard. What to do????!!!!???

Nick with St. Nick 2005

Nick with St. Nick 2005
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

The Christmas list: 2 GameCube games, 4 Yu-Gi-Oh cards (2 cards cost $140...YIKES) A childs motocycle, (he saw this one in the Toys R US big book $239.00...YIKES) When I said WOW, those things cost ALOT, Nicholas' answer was "But Santa gets it for free!"....YIKES

We are very Thankful!

We are very Thankful!
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

Cousins

Cousins
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

Provino's

Laura's Pic0053.jpg
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

Hubby and I were able to go to Provino's Italian Restaurant to celebrate our 17th Anniversary (thanks Mom and Dad!). We sat in the same booth that we sat in on our blind date!

Us Sisters with our children.

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Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

Sleepy William

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Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

Baby William

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Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

Here is a close-up of Baby William, isn't he the cutest?!!!

The Kids

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Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

We went to Georgia to visit my family and to welcome William! The kids are wonderful!!!! Love them so much my heart aches!!!

Scarry Goblin

Me... An Aunt Again!!!

Today Monday, October 31, 2005 (Halloween) I became an Aunt for the 6th time (3 by my Sister and 3 by my Sister-in-law)!!!

William was born to my Sister, at 6:14am, yep a month early, his weight 5lbs 12 oz. He is doing well and so is my Sister and her husband, he sounded so proud when he called me this morning!

As thoughts and prayers raced through my mind when my Mom called at 5am to tell me the c-section would begin within the hour, I thought of the WOW of being human, a women and the ebb and flow of life. How amazing it is to have a new person growing inside for 9 months (sometimes less) and then giving birth and knowing you were there to witness them take their first breath of air. Amazing, facinating, inspiring and all by the Grace of God.

Thank you Lord!

Our Scarry Pumpkin!!!!!

Little One with pumpkins

Random Thoughts

1) I REALLY like love the new Dierks Bentley song "Come A Little Closer".

2) Do we have to do the Holidays?

3) Why are pink outside lights hung for Halloween, I thought only black and orange where the colors of Halloween.

3) How does something so yummy sounding like Pumpkin cookies taste so yucky???????????

4) Why are most of the older people crabby? and bad drivers? do they just forget how to drive? and the rules of the road? like driving at or above the speed limit?

5) I have never worn dark orange color for a sweater until today, I kinda like it.

6) Why must bras never fit the way they are SUPPOSE to even if you buy the correct size??????

7) I love my son!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is great!!!!!!!!!!!!

8) I miss my family in Georgia, I wonder what they are doing right now?

Is It ME????!!!!!1

Or does all of the other bloggers have a much more interesting life??!?!?!??!!!

Hold onto your blumers

Yes ladies and gents its time to play "Where will Wilma Go?"!!! She might stay the course and go into Mexico...(the audience goes wild,,yes, yes yes,) She might make the right hook turn in time to head into the southern tip of Florida...(the audience goes wild again,,yes, yes, yes) OR The horrible, nasty Wilma might hang out and step by step, inch by inch move closer north then make the right hook turn into, You guessed it, TAMPA BAY!...( the audience boos ) Where she goes only ONE knows! Keep checking accuweather.com for more updates.................................

Bored? go to...
http://bored.com

I'm getting a new phone, I'm getting a new phone, I'm getting a new phone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has a camera, It has a camera, It has a camera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It will be delivered tomorrow, It will be delivered tomorrow, It will be delivered tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, did I mention I'm getting a new phone???????????? :)

Things To Do Before I Die.........
1. Train up my son in the way he should go
2. Visit London for awhile
3. Have afternoon tea everyday while in London
4. Visit Paris for awhile
5. Take the most spectacular pic ever
6. Live like I want to
7. Be true to myself
8. Explore off the beating path
9. Buy a pair of REAL LEATHER pumps

Rash is gone but..............

Little One has diarrhea and has had for about a week now. Started with a couple a day, now down to just once. No other symptoms. Oh that darn viral infection when will it leave?????? And where will it go next is anybody's guess..

Red Rash

Yesterday afternoon upon picking up Little One he said, "Mama, I have something wrong with me." I turned around to look in the backseat and he was covered with a red rash. Everywhere but his neck and face. We looked up the symptom on WebMD and it suggests this could be a viral infection winding itself down. Makes sense. Will keep you posted.

Tragic Life Continues

It has been more than a week since Katrina hit, the horror stories are still pouring out of the Gulf Coast. Lost babies, lost parents, lost friends, lost siblings, lost pets, lost jobs, lost identification, lost companies, lost houses, lost Cities. Lost = missing or worse.

I want to help with my own two hands but know I can't, so I give what money I can afford, hoping it will go to the ones in need.

My heart continues to hurt with each story or picture from that region.
I keep praying.

Tragic Life

Monday, August 29, 2005 - Katrina Hit - The biggest Hurricane to hit the U.S. It destroyed cities, towns, homes, lives. As I blog, New Orleans is being evacuated due to 20 feet of water covering almost the entire city. I have been reading and watching in horror. My heart is SO HEAVY with hurt for all the residents that are suffering and that have been affected in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
I know it will take several years for anyone to recover. The death toll is still unknown, but guestimates are in the thousands. I have donated to the Red Cross, and pray every day for the victims. I want to do more, but I do not have the means to do so. I have a gut feeling that this will change America forever, don't know if for the bad or for the good. May God be with them and comfort them.

Let them eat cake!!

Yummy Darth Vader cake........make a wish! The boy next to Little One is a friend from the same school and Tae Kwon Do.
Nicholas' 8th Birthday
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

Our Neighborhood Great Egret

This Egret will walk right up to us and almost into our garage. He or she is very tame, Bobby was almost able to touch it. It is either looking for a pat on the head or better yet FOOD!
Our Neighborhood Great Egret
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

I just love my Birthday Gifts!!

I just love my Birthday Gifts!!
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

Little Ones 8th Birthday. Cool Yu-Gi-Oh! game!!!!

Whew, I need a vacation.......................

Well we did it! We closed on our first house moved in and painted every wall except for the bath room and the master bedroom. We replaced the circa 1979 dishwasher and toilet. We bought almost everything we needed to keep up the lawn except for a weed wacker. We tried planting seed for grass in the sandy bald areas of our yard, so far not much has grown there.

Little one has really caught on to swimming, our pool goes to 6-7 feet.

We bought a 3 month old Beagle, Max, against my wishes and better judgement, so DH is getting up all hours of the night with him.

But, my house still does not feel like home like I thought it would, I dreamed of this day for a while and NO I did not romanticize it, I knew it would be hard and we would have to make our own "home" memories. I don't know, maybe it will change over time.

Dont get me wrong I thank God everyday for my blessings, I know how good I have it, a loving husband and wonderful, growing like a weed, Little One who is now 8. What more could I ask for????????????? Nothing.

T minus 8 days and counting..............

Yep, the long awaited closing date for our home is in 8 short days.. We are ready! We have picked out our paint and have packed up almost everything.

Rain, Rain Go Away

Is there any way we can skip Hurricane Season this year?? Last year was enough to last through this year.

Arlene is WAY TOO EARLY!!!

Bringing up the boy

Ok, ok, I keep listening to myself talking and talking to Little One. Over and over the same things, brush your teeth again, use your polite words, re-tie your shoes, make sure you treat others the way you would like to be treated, think before you speak, and on and on and on and on.

I realize that this is my job, to bring up my child, but doesn't he get tired of hearing this over and over again? Will I make him an obsessive compulsive person by contantly telling him these things? Now, don't get me wrong, we have our fun and goof off and play alot but it seems I'm saying this more often than not. Do other moms feel the same way I do?

Happy Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!! If you only knew how much time as elapsed since I just started. It is now 3:54pm and and the post time as you can see was a while ago.

This past Saturday we went to a local park, Ft. Desto and rented a canoe. The guy told us we might see dolphins and manatees, but I thought "fat chance". I was first in the canoe, then Little One, then DH. Well we were going right along and I turned around to talk to Little One, then I heard it, it sounded like a small whale coming up for air, I turned back around and a manatee we coming up under the front of our canoe. Needless to say I FREAKED OUT and started back paddling, I didn't want us to run into it or for it to tump us over. Well, I guess I scared it as soon as it appeared it disappeared. So the rest of the weekend I was ribbed and all I heard was " We sure wish WE could have seen the manatee". After we were done canoeing, we went for a walk on one of the many piers and saw 5 stingrays swimming just yards from the beach.

We had a very enjoyable weekend!! Blog at you soon, L

WE DID IT!!!

We finally found our home! It is a 2 bedroom 2 bath in Palm Harbor, Florida. The house was updated in 2004. It has pergo floors at the entrance into the living room, tile in the kitchen and carpet in the bedrooms. There is a enclosed Florida room and the really cool thing is...it has a POOL!! and still has enough back yard to play in and the back yard has either an Orange or Grapefuit Tree!! We are hoping to close at the end of June, but maybe sooner if the Sellers find their new home! Thank you everyone who kept us in your prayers!!!! I will put pics up as soon as I can.

Happy Birthday to me

Today is my 36th birthday. My Mom, Dad and Sis called and sang "Happy Birthday" to me. But I have to say the rendition that brought tears to my eyes was from my son. He couldn't get the tune but he kept with it to the end. Gosh, I love him so much my heart aches.

Houses

Still Looking........ 5 offers...............0 house, that's not a good batting average is it?

My Sis

My sis and her family left to go back home after visiting with us for a few days. I love them. My niece is so special to me and my nephew is "da bomb" remember "that's my water" and "a man in the sky". My brother in law is quiet but once you open him up he is a great guy to talk with. I wish we could be closer (geographically), maybe in the not so distant future we can work that out!! The one thing I wish I could take a way from my sis is her stress level. I forgot to tell her about the vitamins (Stress Formula, B-12 complex) They take the edge off sometimes. I really enjoyed having my sis and her fam with me, my house will be too quiet now, I will have to re-adjust.

Still Looking

We have been to 25 or so houses, put in 2 offers, withdrew 2 offers. The market in Pinellas county is a strange one. Some houses are only 2 bedroom/ 2 baths, some are 2 bedrooms / 1 bath, some are 3 bedrooms / 1 bath and some are 4 bedrooms 2 baths. The way houses are built here does not make any sense to me. So, we continue our search for the ONE!

House Crazy!!!!!!!!!!!

This week is Little One's spring break and guess what we are doing??? Looking for a house, DH discovered a way to find the brand spanking new MLS listings. And today we found 5 new houses and Little One and I went looking. One needed new flooring, new paint, new sinks, had double doors btween both bedrooms that you could open up if you wanted to, and an overall spray down of Lysol. The second one was in a neighborhood that would not allow any children under 18 in it. It too was nice but 2 bedrooms. The third one was a condo, pretty but didn't get much daylight and I just want a house not attached to anyone! The fourth one was one of those funky communities that all the houses shared a common driveway and then the driveway would branch off to each of the 4 houses and this one had no yard for Little One to play in. The fifth one was a VERY VERY CUTE 2 bedroom 2 bath, with Terrazo floors in the living areas and carpet in the bedrooms, but 1 of the baths is in the garage and reminds me of an outhouse but I guess we could add on another bath to one of the bedrooms somehow, someday. It is on the low end of our price range, nice yard, dead end street and closer to the beach. But how do you add on an bathroom or maybe a whole other guest room with bath????? Hello, Home Depot, I need some help!!! And our search continues..............

Jessica Lundsford

Today, a man named Couey admitted to abducting and killing 9 year old Jessica Lundsford. She lived in Citrus County Florida which is 3 counties north of us in Pinellas. We have heard everyday of her father Mark Lundsford searching and pleading and also of her Grandparents with which Mark and Jessica lived. Her Grandmother raised red flags on her polygraph and I was afraid that she might have had something to do with Jessica's dissapearance, but the officials did not say what came of that.

Since living in Pinellas county (11/03) there have been TOO MANY ABDUCTION attempts TO COUNT in the surrounding counties, and roughly 4 have ACTUALLY happened.

Just in the past 3 weeks there have been 4 attempts all of which the children got away and were able to describe the men to the officials.

With one attempt, a daughter told her father that this man was stalking her at her bus stop and the father hid in the bushes at her bus stop, and when this guy came up again to the daughter, the father attacked the abductor and held him until the official came to arrest him.

Just yesterday in Tampa a man walked ONTO SCHOOL PROPERTY and began talking to a 4th and 5th grader through a fence gate that is about 6 feet tall and it "automatically" shuts and locks when someone walks through it, but as he was talking to them he rattled the fence and found the gate did not lock when it closed. HE THEN OPENED THE GATE AND GRABBED ONE GIRL BY HER HAIR, and the friend she was with began screaming and pulling on her friends arm to get her away from this guy and then he ran away.

I don't know what is going on, if there are copy cats trying to get attention, or if there are really that many sick men living in this area, but IT SCARES ME!

Tonight as I watched the Citrus county Sherriff live with breaking news on Jessica, I felt my blood run cold as I heard the words "He confessed to taking her life". My heart goes out to Jessica's family and friends. By looking at her pictures everyday on TV, I could only imagine what a vibrant, happy girl she probably was and what joy she must have brought to everyone around her.

Horrible

Sometimes you wonder what makes someone do the thing he/she does? Why do people hurt and kill? What makes them cross that line? Why? All I can do is ask why? I was in shock over what happend to the Judge's family in Chicago and what happened today in Atlanta. Is this what our judicial system is coming to, where our peers, attorneys, investigators, court reporters, judges, bailifs, deputies and their families have to wonder will will they come home tonight or will some lunatic blow them away while they are trying to do what they are hired to do? What will happen, will the judge have to sit with a bullet proof vest on? or Sit behind bullet proof plexi-glass?

Emotionally Detached

Have you ever felt like you walk around totally emotionally detached from everyone in your life. I have been pondering this with myself, why don't I share myself? What makes me keep myself from other people? Is is b/c I am afraid that once I become comfortable with someone that we will move again? or that they will judge me? How do I get over this?? Whatsup with me???

WOW!

Again we are congratulating Steve Fossett for doing the incredible!! He took off from Kansas, flew around the WORLD NON-STOP FOR 66 HOURS SOLO and landed back in Kansas. What a thrill ride! Oh, to have the money to do some of those crazy things...........

The invisable stomach bug

Well, this week has been yuckie!! First Little One started throwing up Saturday night. He stayed home Monday from School, then on Tuesday, the after care called and said he threw up and I picked him up early. Later that night I started not feeling well, and began throwing up around 11PM. We both stayed home Wednesday, he started feeling better and went back to school Thursday. I was unable to go back to work the whole week. It seems when ever I get a stomach bug it hits me hard and stays with me longer than I would like. It is Sunday morning and I still have a rolling tummy, but I am able to eat, thank goodness!!

This is how Little One said I got his bug... "When I threw up you were right there and the bug jumped up into your mouth and you swallowed it."

Oh yeah, one more thing, I'm tired of Sprite and 7-up!!!!

Two Saturday Questions

1) What happens to a suprise birthday party when the suprise-e doesn't go along with the plan??

ANSWER: You wait 2 hours, then send in the big guys to drag him out of his house.

2) When Little One swallows a loose tooth with lunch.....do I have to find it? (yuckie poo)

ANSWER: NO WAY!

Still Fighting It......

One word........FAILED :(

Better luck next time.

Still Fighting It

Alright, it has now been 48 hours exactly since DH and I quit smoking.

Let me just tell you about last night... When I arrived home DH was cooking our dinner and was very very edgy, Little One just kept on talking and talking and talking (I think it was sugar induced by Valentine's Day). I could tell this night was going to be a rough one!! So we ate and after dinner DH and I looked at each other and asked what do we do with our time that we would usually spend smoking?? DH had bought Maple Nut Goodies (a candy) and a HUGE bag of black licorice. We ate all but 6 pieces for the Goodies right after dinner. Then we watch Shark Tale which was a Valentine Gift for Little One and then we made and ate popcorn.

I felt like a cow!!!!!!!!!!!! So about 9:15 my sis called to talk and I have not been able to talk to her in a while and I really wanted to catch up but DH and I were about at each others throat and in the throws of a major withdrawal and it was Little One's bed time so I cut the conversation short and we all went to bet @9:30... All I have to say is it really really sucks to go through all of this, even if it is good for us. I hope we can make it...only 20 days until we break the habit and 1 more day to rid nicotine out of our bodies!!

Time to Quit...I hope

DH and I have been quit, smoking that is, for 13 hours and 23 minutes. We picked Valentine's Day b/c it is easy to remember and its good for your heart!! DH has been smoking for about 15 years and I have been for about 20.

We are using the Commit Lozenges and I have to say, they do ease the withdrawal symptoms....I feel like screaming just a little bit instead of until I bust the windows out. I am finding that playing with a paper clip or rubber band does control the nerves a little. The last time I quit was when I became pregnant, and that was easy, I had another person growing inside of me!

I hope this really works, smoking is yucky, smelly and costly!!! I want to live a life with no one looking down at me b/c I smoke or feeling like a second class person and have to sit or go to a different place to smoke. Life will be easier, healthier and smell and taste better...uh,oh.

Also, DH says he will start running again and I have ordered Pilates so maybe this will keep those pounds away!

Giving

Today I gave blood.

In honor of Martin Luther King a local TV Station had a blood drive.

I gave blood for 3 reasons:

1) My mom has had a least 4 transfusions in the past 3 years.

2) MLK

3) I wanted my son to watch me give my blood so that someone might live.

Some say Martin Luther King was a trouble maker, I believe that the trouble he was making, needed to be made!!

How dare someone tell another human being they have to drink out of a different water fountain, eat at a different place, sit in a certain seat on a bus, go to a different bathroom. How dare someone tell another human being that they are different inside just because of the color of their skin.

No, I was not alive during the Civil Rights marches, riots, protests or speaches and Blacks and Whites don't always get along or agree. But I think we can all agree that God made each of us and loves each of us.

TGIF!!

Thank Goodness it's Friday!

I have been thinking alot about our world with all it's angry weather and I'm sure this weather has happened before. It just might have been a while ago. It is hard to realize that the world has been around for thousands of years, when we are always looking out from our own lives not really taking into account that the world was spinning before we arrived and it will keep spinning after we are gone.

The unthinkable CAN happen

Today I moaned as the alarm clock went beep,beep,beep. I stumbled out of my comfy bed, walked to my bathroom, flipped the switch to turn on a light, turned on the faucet and received water to brush my teeth. Then went to my kitchen to start my MUCH needed cup of tea. My son was already awake and watching TV, I gave him a hug and said "Good Morning, Sweetie" as I do every morning. After a smoke and a cup of tea, I returned to my bathroom and started my hot shower, completed my shower and continued to get ready for another usual Monday. But as I was putting on my make-up I was watching Good Morning, America, I realized we are truly blessed to have such everyday things.

I watched again the horror stories from SE Asia; A mother who had just married her fiance the father of her toddler son on Christmas Day. After the ceremony she, her mother and her toddler son decided to go to the beach, her new husband stayed behind to rest at the hotel.

She lost her mother, her new husband and her toddler son. She said she saw the wave and picked up her son and ran, as she looked back she saw that her mom was not there anymore, then the wave hit, and it hit her so hard she could not hold onto her son. She and the son held each others eyes as they drifted apart...... As I wiped tears away, I thought we are all different but we are all the same inside, same feelings of love and loss, same blood, same heart, same bones.

I wish I could go over there and help do something, but I can not. So I gave the best thing I could, my prayers every night and money into the hands of people that can go to SE Asia. God Be With Us, Every One!

Bored

I am bored. I have nothing to do and it is only 2:48 on a Friday afternoon. This job is really bad, what work there is to do it only takes a little while to complete. The rest of the day I surf the internet and even that gets old. Here is another New Year's Resolution: Find a new job, one that makes me think and that helps people.

Alligator

Alligator
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

We came across this alligator while hiking through a local park. 2004

seagull

seagull
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

While sunning on the beach in FEBRUARY we watched the birds dancing on the shoreline. 2004

Flatrock Rock Park

flatrock
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

This park is located in Columbus, GA. The entire park has many bridges, grills and pathways made of this stone. 2003

My men

My men.
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

This picture was taken in the Spring/Summer of 2003 at a lake in Columbus, Ga.

Disney

Disney
Originally uploaded by fortunate1.

Feel the magic?? I could keep returning to Disney until I am 101 and would still feel the same each and every time!!

Things I have learned over the holidays

This is a list of things I learned over the holidays:
It is a long way from Dunedin, FL to Johnson City, TN
Gameboy's are a GOOD thing, on a long trip
Seeing family you haven't seen in a long, long time is heart warming
The cat likes the Christmas tree water
Children today get a lot more stuff than we got
"When in doubt, don't" (my Mom has always used this as a rule of thumb, and it is always right)
My sister loves me....ALOT
I love my sister....ALOT

New Year's Resolution

Well, I did it again...I made New Year Resolutions.
1. Quit Smoking
2. Learn Quilting
3. Be more patient (with myself, my family and people in general)
4. Find a friend