Monday, April 30, 2007

We're HOME!!!! YAY!!!

We had an AWESOME time at the races in Talladega this weekend.

After a 6 hour drive, we arrived in Birmingham, Alabama around 5:00p.m. Friday evening. We got settled into our hotel and then went out for a nice steak dinner and a couple of drinks.

We woke up around 6:00a.m. Saturday morning and arrived at the track at 9:00a.m. There was plenty of sight-seeing to do at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and lots of souvenirs to buy before the Bush race started at 2:30p.m.

I must mention though, that the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the track are at least a mile apart . . . . and OH YES . . . .you are walking that mile from where you parked your car . . . .And BACK!! LMBO!! Then we had to climb what seemed to be 100 steps to get to our seats, (row 53 in the Tri-Oval Towers). Main point here . . . . .I have found muscles that I had forgotten that I even had until they started screaming out in PAIN!!! LMBO!!

OH . . . .and another thing . . . .If you EVER go to a race, remember that they DO allow each person to bring a small bag that can be a vinyl cooler if you like. We did not know this on Saturday and after paying $4.00 for every drink, $5.00 for a plain burger & 4.00 for a small order of fries . . . . . .We Wised up and went straight to K-Mart after the Bush race and stocked up on peanuts, cheese snacks, trail mix and sodas. It saved us a TON of money during the Nextel race on Sunday.

After the race was over on Sunday, we headed to our car and began the long wait to get out of the track. It took us 2 1/2 hours to get from the track to Birmingham, a trip that normally takes about 45 minutes. Once free of all the traffic we drove for 4 hours to Rusty's sister's house to pick up our children. We arrived at her house about 10:30p.m. and then another 2 hours driving had us home once again at 12:30a.m.

We toted the kids in and tucked them into bed, unpacked the car and our luggage, then collapsed.

GEEEEEEZZZ It's GREAT to be HOME!!! LOL!

Here are a few pictures of Rusty at the track. You can see more located in my flicker album over on the sidebar.

Have a GREAT Evening!

Lu


Thursday, April 26, 2007

Busy Week & Gonna Be . . . . . .

It sure has been a busy week around my house . . . .and it is gonna be a busy, (but fun), weekend as well.

Rusty had to work out of town Monday and Tuesday, leaving me to juggle the baseball/softball schedule of our three children. It is WILD trying to get three children to their games on time, at two different parks, that are on the opposite side of town!! LMBO!

AND . . . .It doesn't help much when you suffer from anxiety attacks in situations that involve being around a lot of people. Yes, I am on medication, but it doesn't totally take the anxiety away. It allows me to do what I absolutely HAVE to do to take care of me and my family. I am very lucky because I the most Wonderful, Understanding Husband In The World. He tries very hard to take up the slack for me when he senses that I am becoming very stressed and anxious.

In any case, this week is coming to an end and TOMORROW . . . . . .Rusty and I will be taking our children to his sister's for the weekend and then we are going to Talladega to see the Nascar races. Talk about a possible anxiety attack! LOL!

I had never even watched a Nascar race until I married Rusty. Now I like to watch HIM while he is watching the race. LOL! I will have to pick someone that he HATES to Pull for . . . .Just to make it interesting. LMBO!

I dread the long drive though because driving always puts me to sleep, and if I happen to be the one driving at night . . . . .Well . . . .let's just say that my night vision is AWFUL! Rusty always waits until it is dark to ask me to take a turn driving. Even after I have told him that if he wants me to drive, he needs to let me drive in the DAYLIGHT . . . .He Still waits until dark to ask me. What's up with that? LOL!

Anyway . . . .Since we won't be taking a computer with us, I won't be around for a few days. I will probably be back online late Monday or Tuesday.

Until then, Ya'll be good to each other.

Lu

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Write Your Representatives . . . .

People . . . . .

If you believe that providing Amnesty to the 12,000,000 - 20,000,000 Illegal Aliens that are currently living in the United States will have massive consequences for us on a multitude of levels, (not the least of which are economic & political), then you need to send letters out to your Senators and Congressmen immediately to let them know how you feel on this issue.


Read this article posted by Lou Dobbs today:

Big media hides truth about immigration


You can also read the letter that I sent to all of my representatives:

Letters Sent . . . .

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Gun Free Zones ???

Email received on 4/20/07 . . . .I receive a lot of very thought provoking emails. All information is good.

________________________________________________________

WACO, Texas (CNN) -- Zero tolerance, huh? Gun-free zones, huh? Try this on for size: Columbine gun-free zone, New York City pizza shop gun-free zone, Luby's Cafeteria gun-free zone, Amish school in Pennsylvania gun-free zone and now Virginia Tech gun-free zone.

Anybody see what the evil Brady Campaign and other anti-gun cults have created? I personally have zero tolerance for evil and denial. And America had best wake up real fast that the brain-dead celebration of unarmed helplessness will get you killed every time, and I've about had enough of it.

Nearly a decade ago, a Springfield, Oregon, high schooler, a hunter familiar with firearms, was able to bring an unfolding rampage to an abrupt end when he identified a gunman attempting to reload his .22-caliber rifle, made the tactical decision to make a move and tackled the shooter.

A few years back, an assistant principal at Pearl High School in Mississippi, which was a gun-free zone, retrieved his legally owned Colt .45 from his car and stopped a Columbine wannabe from continuing his massacre at another school after he had killed two and wounded more at Pearl.

At an eighth-grade school dance in Pennsylvania, a boy fatally shot a teacher and wounded two students before the owner of the dance hall brought the killing to a halt with his own gun.

More recently, just a few miles up the road from Virginia Tech, two law school students ran to fetch their legally owned firearm to stop a madman from slaughtering anybody and everybody he pleased. These brave, average, armed citizens neutralized him pronto.

My hero, Dr. Suzanne Gratia Hupp, was not allowed by Texas law to carry her handgun into Luby's Cafeteria that fateful day in 1991, when due to bureaucrat-forced unarmed helplessness she could do nothing to stop satanic George Hennard from killing 23 people and wounding more than 20 others before he shot himself. Hupp was unarmed for no other reason than denial-ridden "feel good" politics.

She has since led the charge for concealed weapon upgrade in Texas, where we can now stop evil. Yet, there are still the mindless puppets of the Brady Campaign and other anti-gun organizations insisting on continuing the gun-free zone insanity by which innocents are forced into unarmed helplessness. Shame on them. Shame on America. Shame on the anti-gunners all.

No one was foolish enough to debate Ryder truck regulations or ammonia nitrate restrictions or a "cult of agriculture fertilizer" following the unabashed evil of Timothy McVeigh's heinous crime against America on that fateful day in Oklahoma City. No one faulted kitchen utensils or other hardware of choice after Jeffrey Dahmer was caught drugging, mutilating, raping, murdering and cannibalizing his victims. Nobody wanted "steak knife control" as they autopsied the dead nurses in Chicago, Illinois, as Richard Speck went on trial for mass murder.

Evil is as evil does, and laws disarming guaranteed victims make evil people very, very happy. Shame on us.

Already spineless gun control advocates are squawking like chickens with their tiny-brained heads chopped off, making political hay over this most recent, devastating Virginia Tech massacre, when in fact it is their own forced gun-free zone policy that enabled the unchallenged methodical murder of 32 people.

Thirty-two people dead on a U.S. college campus pursuing their American Dream, mowed-down over an extended period of time by a lone, non-American gunman in illegal possession of a firearm on campus in defiance of a zero-tolerance gun law. Feel better yet? Didn't think so.

Who doesn't get this? Who has the audacity to demand unarmed helplessness? Who likes dead good guys?

I'll tell you who. People who tramp on the Second Amendment, that's who. People who refuse to accept the self-evident truth that free people have the God-given right to keep and bear arms, to defend themselves and their loved ones. People who are so desperate in their drive to control others, so mindless in their denial that they pretend access to gas causes arson, Ryder trucks and fertilizer cause terrorism, water causes drowning, forks and spoons cause obesity, dialing 911 will somehow save your life, and that their greedy clamoring to "feel good" is more important than admitting that armed citizens are much better equipped to stop evil than unarmed, helpless ones.

Pray for the families of victims everywhere, America. Study the methodology of evil. It has a profile, a system, a preferred environment where victims cannot fight back. Embrace the facts, demand upgrade and be certain that your children's school has a better plan than Virginia Tech or Columbine. Eliminate the insanity of gun-free zones, which will never, ever be gun-free zones. They will only be good guy gun-free zones, and that is a recipe for disaster written in blood on the altar of denial. I, for one, refuse to genuflect there.

_________________
"Facilis Descensus Averno"
(: the descent to Avernus is easy : the road to evil is easy)

Monday, April 23, 2007

Did You Know? . . . . . .

Here is another email that I received around 8 months ago. I believe that we can learn a lot from our past . . . .and this email certainly did SHOCK me and made me think and quite frankly, made me afraid for our future.

_________________________________________________________


THINK ABOUT THIS

About the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior:

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."

"The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. From bondage to spiritual faith;

2. From spiritual faith to great courage;

3. From courage to liberty;

4. From liberty to abundance;

5. From abundance to complacency;

6. From complacency to apathy;

7. From apathy to dependence;

8. From dependence back into bondage

"Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:

Population of counties won by: Gore: 127 million; Bush: 143 million;

Square miles of land won by: Gore: 580,000; Bush: 2,427,000

States won by: Gore: 19; Bush: 29

Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Gore: 13.2; Bush: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned by the tax-paying citizens of this great country. Gore's territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off government welfare...

"Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the"complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some 40 percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.

Pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at stake, knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom.

PS . #9 If the Senate grants Amnesty and citizenship to 20 million criminal invaders called illegals and they vote, then goodby USA in less than 5 years.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Did You Know? . . . . . .

I received this in an email about 4 months ago and thought that I would share it here:


__________________________________________________________


How many of these did you know about?

A sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed. (hmmmmmm...)

Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.

For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. Theywon't refreeze. (wish I had known this for the last 40 years)!

To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for a few hours. Then take the candle holder out and turn it upsidedown. The wax will fall out.

Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is)!

Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.

Whenever I purchase a box of SOS Pads, I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted, unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical. And now a box of SOS pads last me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get sharpened this way!

Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time!

Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontalfor inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.

Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create alovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on.

Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clotheswill smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen.

Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.

To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!

To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top.

Spray your TUPPERWARE with non stick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.

Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces (Left over wine? What's that?)

To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.

Ants, ants, ants everywhere. Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.

Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.

When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.

Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer. Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush! and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China.

Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.

Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of waterand immerse the jewelry for two minutes.

Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four AlkaSeltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).

Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of white vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.



Makes you wonder about ingesting Alka Seltzer doesn't it?

When things get tough, always remember. Faith doesn't get you around trouble, it gets you through it!

Letters Sent . . . . .

I sent the following letter to:

Tennessee Senator - Bob Corker
Tennessee Senator - Lamar Alexander

Congressman
Tennessee's 8th District - John Tanner

________________________________________________________

Senator / Congressman,

With the jump of Presidential hopefuls all of a sudden coming from every direction, there have been many political issues that have also been brought to the forefront.

It is my belief that only Democrats, who lean a little to the Right, and Republicans, who lean a little to the Left, will EVER be able to work together for the GOOD of Our Country.

Immigration Reform is a huge concern for many Americans. Something must be done to secure our borders.

Every citizen of the United States has a Social Security Number and they are in "The System." It doesn't make much sense that we have what, 12,000,000 or so, Illegal Imagrants that we have very little or No information on.

The task of deporting Illegal Immigrants is too great to take on all at once, but we must start a system of either deporting Illegal Aliens once their status is discovered and/or set up a program to help people, who meet Certain Guidelines, become American Citizens.

I strongly believe that anyone who hires an Illegal Alien, for any reason that defies the law, should face Very stiff penalties. We must stop making it worth it to the companies and the Illegal Immigrants to take these risk.

I believe that our border guards MUST be given the authority to do their jobs without fear of their own government. I am appalled by the treatment and imprisonment of our US Border Guards who were imprisoned for trying to stop Criminals. It is Outrageous that OUR Government made a deal with the Illegal Alien CRIMINALS in order to prosecute OUR Border Guards! If these guards are still in jail, they should be released immediately. Something has to be done about this situation so that our border guards can do their jobs without fear of their own government.

Most Americans, myself included, have no problem with people coming to our country legally. WELCOME and WELL DONE!! I hope that all of their dreams come true in the Greatest Country on Earth. Some of my dear friends are here legally from Mexico. Most are now citizens and are doing very well in our country. I am thrilled for them. Those who enter and stay in this country illegally are putting a tremendous burden on this country at a very high cost to its Citizens.

My fear is that some politicians will do what they think is best for their political career, rather than doing what is best for the country. Think about it, if a politician were to vote to make 12,000,000 Illegal Aliens Citizens . . . . .Well Then . . . .That would be a Guaranteed 12,000,000 votes for that party come election time.

The American people are exhausted by politicians who only look to further themselves politically rather than doing the job that they were hired by the people to do.

Now about the "War." The "HR" and the Senate have all of the important information on this subject. I know that the war is not very popular right now, but you must answer these questions first before pulling our troops out and bringing them home. What is going to happen in Iraq if we leave now, and what might happen here, on our own soil, if we turn a blind eye? I just don't want us to look back in hindsight, after we have brought our troops home, and realize that we have made a mistake and that there may have been a better answer out there somewhere. I know that people are saying that they want our troops home right now, but what I think they may really mean is that they want something that will WORK right now. Yes, I believe that change is needed, I just don't want us to rush to judgement just to regret it later.

Respectfully,

Lu

My Sleeping Angels . . . . . .


Tonight . . . . . . . . My Sleeping Lil Angels . . . . . . . . .

They Put Everything back into perspective for me.

Lu's Photo Albums

Lu's Photo Albums

Friday, April 20, 2007

In Memory Of . . . .

In Memory Of All Our Fallen Heroes Who Have Sacrificed Their Lives In The Service Of Our Country.


Mothers, Fathers, Sons, Daughters, Brothers, Sisters, Wives, Husbands, Nieces, Nephews, Aunts, Uncles, Grandchildren, Grandparents & Friends . . . . .

Your Sacrifice Will Not Be In Vein & Will Never Be Forgotten!


Casualties In Iraq As Of 4/18/07


Thursday, April 19, 2007

Pieces of Me . . . . .

September, 1989

My mother was 46 years old, I was 23. She was my mom . . .my very best friend, to whom I told everything . . . .my touchstone. And suddenly I am lost . . . .she is gone . . . .and I no longer have my safety net.

Oh, I never fooled myself about my mother, she was no angel, and certainly was not the Perfect parent, but God knows that she loved her children and we knew it. Isn't knowing that you are LOVED the most important thing for a child? No matter her faults, I have to say that Mama instilled a very strong set of moral values in her children. Some of these values came by way of, "Do as I say, and not as I do." OR "Take it from me . . .LEARN from My mistakes." In any case, I am forever thankful for all that I learned from her.

Mama was married for probably less than a year in the early 1960s to a man who's name I do not even remember. A year or so later she married my father, who was the son of a prominent area farmer, in 1963. In 1964 they had a daughter, my sister. In 1966 I made My glorious entrance into this world. Before I was a year old . . . .my parents were divorced.

Almost immediately following the divorce from my father, my mother was married again to a man named Tommy. I don't remember very much about him, but I do remember that I loved him and his family. I believe that their marriage ended within a year or less.

Shortly thereafter, Mama was married again to a man named Ralph in 1969. In 1971 they had a son. Although my sister and I continued to visit our biological father a few times each year, Ralph was a wonderful stepfather, and the man that raised us. We finally had what seemed to be a stable happy family.

In 1984, 15 years after they began their life together, Mama & Ralph's marriage came to an end and they went their separate ways. By this time my sister and I were both in college and although we were very saddened by this news, it didn't really affect our day to day lives as we were living the "Campus" life in the dorms. It was our brother who was the most affected by their divorce. He went a little wild for a time and Mama seemed to stop even trying to discipline him. I believe that one of the reasons for this is because she was a bit preoccupied with a relationship that she had begun with a married man.

This relationship lasted for 4 or 5 years with the man leaving his wife for a time and then going back to her. I talked to my mother several times about this man and I would tell her that she just needed to forget him and find an "Available" man who would treat her the way that she deserved. She would always burst into tears and say that she believed that he was her last chance to have companion in her life. I would tell her that she was a beautiful, smart woman and that she didn't need ANY man to make her happy. The problem . . . .I was never able to convince her of this.

This man went through the back and forth over and over and over again between my mother and his wife. Each time he would leave my mother, she would go into a depression and would stay in her bed for days at a time. During one of her times of depression, I went to his office and I stood over his desk and said, "You have got to leave her alone and stay away from her. You have GOT to give her a chance to get over you because Every time that you do this to her she gets more and more suicidal." He replied by saying, "I know it, but I just can't help it. I don't want her to get over me." I told him that I thought that he was the most selfish person that I had ever met and that he was KILLING her. He burst into tears and repeated that he knew, but just couldn't help it. His words still ring out through my head to this day . . . . ."I know . . . .But I just can't help it."

During one of their splits, Mama even went to stay with a friend of hers in Florida so that she might find a job and start a new life. My poor brother who didn't know any better, told him where Mama was and he followed her there and brought her home to Mississippi.

I got married to my first husband in March of 1989. My new husband had just enlisted into the Air Force, so while he was off at basic training, I split my time between my father and my mother. Once again I spent time trying to talk sense into my mother regarding this man to no avail. In September of 1989 I was in Rantoul, Illinois with my first husband who was in Tech. School for the Air Force when we got a call from one of his superiors saying that my mother had been shot. At first I didn't understand, had someone broken in her home, was she in the hospital, was she going to be ok?

I called my sister who had been staying with my mother and she told me that this man had once again left our mother and it was obviously the last straw for her. She went on a rampage, breaking things, drinking and screaming. When she couldn't get Mama to calm down, my sister called several of Mama's friends to come and talk to her. They came and tried and then they left telling my sister that she would be fine after she got a good nights sleep. Shortly after that my sister heard the gun shot. Mama had locked herself in her bedroom and while standing at the foot of her bed she placed the gun barrel right in front of her heart and pulled the trigger. My sister and my mothers "boyfriend" broke down the door and my sister tried to stop the bleeding, all the while screaming at Mama, "Don't You Leave Me, I Love You!," over and over again.

The ambulance came and they worked on resuscitating her at the house and in the ER, but it was no use. She had hit her heart just as she had meant to. The Dr. even made a comment later that most people really don't know exactly where their heart is.

I was 23, my sister was 25 and our brother was 18. Adults? . . .You might could say we were . . . .And even though my sister and I were married . . . .I still considered us just kids who needed their Mama. OH MY GOD how lost we were.

I have gone through most of the stages of grieving . . .but I have gotten stuck in each one for years before moving on to the next. It wasn't until I had children that I moved to the anger stage, and that is where I am still at today. I was cheated of having my mother with me when I needed her, to help me with the pregnancies or to tell me what to do when the baby was screaming and wouldn't stop. I needed my Mama. My children were cheated out of having a grandmother to love and spoil them. When my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer 5 years ago, she came to me crying and tired after one of her treatments and said, "I really need my Mama to take care of me." I told her . . ."Honey, you come stay with me and I will take care of you." She told me, "I know you would, but it's just not the same." She is right . . . .Nothing is the same as having your Mama when you need her.

It's been nearly 18 years now and I still ache, hurt & cry rivers of tears wishing for and needing my Mama. No . . .she was No Angel . . . .but Oh how she loved me . . . .And Oh How I Love Her Still!!

Lu

Poor Little Bizzy . . . .

We took Bizzy to get her shots yesterday and to have her ears cropped. I picked her up this morning and thought that I would post some pictures.

Poor lil thing. It almost breaks my heart to see her ears all taped up like this.

I'll post additional pictures in a couple of weeks, once she is all healed.








Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Did You Know? . . . . . .

I received the following in an email about a year ago and thought it was worth sharing. As a matter of fact, I have honey all over my face right now! ;oP LMBO!!

_______________________________________


Tape this inside medicine cabinet

Did You Know That? Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately -- without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."

Did you know that Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.

Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.

Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.

Sore throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.

Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer . Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly -- even though the product was never advertised for this use. ( Note : Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine is not the same..and contains aspirin, which can cause stomach bleeding if you have ulcers.)

Honey remedy for skin blemishes ... Cover the blemish with a! dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.

Listerine < < /I > > therapy for toenail fungus ... Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.

Easy eyeglass protection ... To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.

Coca-Cola cure for rust ... Forget those expensive rust removers. Just saturate an abrasive sponge with Coca Cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job done.

Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer ... If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409 . Insects drop to the ground instantly.

Smart splinter remover ...just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.

Hunt's tomato paste boil cure ....cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.

Balm for broken blisters ...To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine ... a powerful antiseptic.

Heinz vinegar to heal bruises ... Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.

Kills fleas instantly . Dawn dish washing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Goodbye fleas.

Rainy day cure for dog odor ... Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.

Eliminate ear mites ... All it takes is a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat's ear. Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.

Quaker Oats for fast pain relief ....It's not for breakfast anymore! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.

Tape this to your medicine cabinet. ;o)

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Monday, April 16, 2007

It Takes a Tragedy . . . . .

It takes a senseless, violent tragedy to get the news to stop making such a big deal out of the mistaken comments made by Don Imus.

I am absolutely sickened by this massacre at Virginia Tech.

My love and prayers go out to the families, friends and the communities who have been directly affected by this unbelievable tragedy.

May the Lord comfort and hold you in this time of sadness and pain.

All My Love,

Lu

Sick & Tired of the Double Standard! . . . .

We as Americans must learn to put the past in the past and view each other as Human Beings, not just someone of a different race to be despised.

I am so sick and tired of the double standard that exists among races in America.

Yes, there is racism in America, but I personally believe that the biggest contributors of racism are:


1. There are Some African Americans who feel that the "White People" OWE them.

2. There are Blacks who feel that they "OWN" certain words that They, And Only They can say.

3. Whites, who had NOTHING to do with Slavery and the awful treatment of blacks, get defensive because of the blacks who feel that they are owed something.

4. Whites, resent the fact that the government does so much for minorities, such as Affirmative action, Welfare, Scholarships . . .etc, that it is now the Caucasian Americans who feel discriminated against. There is also resentment due to the fact that these programs are More Than Abused.



My response to #'s 1 & 3 . . . .African Americans who feel that they are owed for something that has not been in existence for 142 years should start being thankful for the opportunities that they have as American Citizens. There is Nothing that can't be accomplished by ANY Citizen of this Great Nation. If they would adopt the attitude of "Nobody owes me anything that I didn't earn," then the Caucasian Americans would have so much more respect for those African Americans and there would be no need for them to be on the defensive.


My response to #2 . . .I Do Not and Will Not buy into this Double Standard. NO ONE OWNS any words for their own personal use. If a portion of the African Americans feel the need to use the "N" word or any other word or phrase that is derogatory to the African American Community, then they have NO RIGHT to be offended when another race uses those words. On this same note, if you are racist and make racist remarks, then you also have NO RIGHT to Scream Racism when racist remarks are used against you. These are HUGE Double Standards . . . .AND IT IS WRONG!

My response to #4 . . .I personally have seen Caucasian people, who were more qualified for a job, passed up due to Affirmative Action. I DO believe that Affirmative Action was most definitely needed at one time, but I believe that time has past and we now need to hire people based on their qualifications and experience . . . .NOT the Color of their Skin. I have seen people passed up for welfare benefits because they drove a 3 year old car, but then I go to the store and see a family with a fist full of food stamps and 2 baskets full of groceries climb into a brand new van or Cadillac. Why wouldn't there be resentment there?


If we want to work on racism in America, then we must start by addressing the above issues and then work from there.


I think that the African Americans who believe that they are "OWED" are in the minority of their race, but their voices are the loudest and the most offensive. By far, most African Americans are just your average every day "AMERICAN" living the American Dream, and that is How it should be for ALL Races.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Why Is It . . . . . . .?

Why is it that MOM always gets to be the "BAD GUY?"

Earlier today Rusty and I had a discussion about all the electronic games that our children play. I told Rusty that little-by-little, the kids have started playing some violent games that were originally purchased for my, "Big Kid," Rusty.

I stated that it is my opinion that we should ban the kids from playing these games because I feel that they make the kids of today less sympathetic or empathetic towards others. I also said that I didn't think that they should have Any games that Taylor, (our 4 year old), can't play. After all, they all play in each others rooms and any games would be too accessible to him.

Rusty agreed and he went to talk to Harrison about it. Harrison looked at Rusty and said, "You gave into her didn't ya?" Rusty said, "Noooooo! We discussed it and came to an agreement."

Now why is my child's first reaction to BLAME ME??????

What's Up With THAT??? LOL!

Lu

Pieces of Me . . . . .

In early December, 2001 we found out that I was pregnant with our third child. Since we had not planned on having any more children, we call him our "Happy Lil Surprise!"

In January, 2002 my older sister by 2 years, (who was only 37 at the time), found out that she had breast cancer. My heart sank when she told me. She was basically the only immediate family that I had left, (and my Best friend after my husband), and now I was scared to death of loosing her too.

It was a very hard time in our family with me being pregnant and my sister going through surgery and chemo therapy and all of the side effects that go along with it. I have to say though that my sister is one of the bravest people that I know. She only cried a little in the beginning, and then she became this tough fighter, and she continues to fight today.

My sister's husband obviously couldn't handle taking care of a cancer patient. He began having an affair which continues to this day. My sister refuses to get a divorce, because she still believes that their marriage can be saved. So she and my niece live alone and her husband has visitation with their daughter.

My sister is now a 5 year cancer survivor and she will see my youngest child, Taylor, turn 5 this year. She has been through so much in her life. I pray every day that the Lord will shine his blessings down on her so that she may finally live a life of peace & happiness.

Lu

Another Animation . . . .LOL!

I made this a couple of years ago using a picture from our wedding, which was 9 years ago.


Photobucket

Animation . . . .

This is a simple drawing, but a complex animation that I created about a year ago. :o)


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Saturday, April 14, 2007

Cat Gone WILD . . . .AGAIN!!!!


In case you missed it Check Out, "Cat Gone WILD . . . ." The First Occurrence!!!

I just don't get what is wrong with our cat Buddy. He attacked me AGAIN for the second time in less than two weeks.

Once again it indirectly involved our new puppy, Bizzy. I let Bizzy outside with Duke, who is her big buddy now. After about 15 or 20 minutes had passed, I heard her hollering outside. I jumped up and ran to the back door to get her, when I felt something hit the back of my calf. I turned around and saw Buddy crouched down behind me, hissing!!! He had chased me across the house and bit the back of my calf, leaving 4 nice, embedded tooth marks and a HUGE bruise.

Rusty said that we have give him up now, but I just can't. We have had Buddy for over a year now and he has NEVER done anything like this before.

Is he going crazy? Is it that he just can't take any kind of excitement, like a puppy hollering or someone frantically running through the house? What? What is going on with him?

Lu

Friday, April 13, 2007

The O'Reilly Factor . . . .

Michell Malkin filled in for Bill O'Reilly yesterday while he was away receiving an award. The following is what she had to contend with . . .and I am still fuming about it. I just don't get the double standard that people are trying to sell, or should I say trying to Shove Down Our Throats.

Opio Sokoni said that the use of all this bigoted, foul mouthed name calling of today is the fault of the "White Slave Traders."

The last time I checked, there were NO Slave Traders running around today! Did someone forget to give me the Memo?

People can't keep blaming the problems of today on all of the dead white people of the past. There comes a time that you just have to, plain and simple, accept the blame and the consequences for your own actions. You Do It . . .You Say It . . .You Own It . . .PERIOD!!!

AND that member of the Black Panther Party called Michelle a "Political Prostitute" who was working for a sexist, racist . . .ect, man like Bill O'Reilly.

I despise this kind of name calling. It makes me ill to hear anyone talk this way about others. However, what I hate more is the fact that we have people going around saying things like "White Slave Traders," "Political Prostitute," "White Crackers," and "Honky" and they believe that everyone is supposed to be just fine with that, and all the while they are just waiting and daring anyone else to make an inappropriate remark.

I'm So sorry, but it does Not work that way. You can't run around Being a racist and then Cry racist when it suits your Own purpose.

You know, maybe Someone should have led the charge against Don Imus, but it certainly should NOT have been Jessie Jackson & Al Sharpton. They are two of the most RACIST people that I have ever seen! How can they in good conscience lead a moral charge of Racism against ANYONE when they are More Racist than Anyone. Feel free to tell them that they are not fooling anyone with their hypocrisy.

Lu

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Nancy Pelosi

I have to say that Nancy Pelosi scares me to death.

It is not the fact that she went to Syria, it's the fact that she went knowing that the President did not want her to go. People may not want to believe it, but this kind of behavior sends a very strong message to the World. The US is a country Divided! The US is a country that is turning on itself! We may have our differences, but is this really the message that we want to send to the WORLD!?!?

AND NOW I hear that she is wanting to go and visit with the president of Iran?????? The man who wants to wipe Israel & the US off the face of the earth???? The man who is providing weapons, bombs and training to the insurgents in Iraq so that they can kill OUR Troops???? What is she thinking????

Don't think for one second that these countries don't take the image of one of the United States highest ranking officials and plaster it all over their airways to deliver political propaganda to their own people.

She has thrown the punch that has given the US a HUGE Black Eye!! This is a total embarrassment for our country.

OH . . .And Now she won't even entertain talking to the President about funding for the troops??? I was under the impression that it is her JOB to discuss and debate such things in order to get bills passed. She has this, "It's My Way, Or The Highway!!," attitude that is seriously hurting our country.

BOTH sides must Work Together! They Must Find A Way! Or else what is left for us??

Lu

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Cat Gone WILD!!! . . . . .


This happened a week ago this past Sunday, but I am just now recovering from the shock.

Last Sunday Evening we were getting ready to sit down to supper, so we put our new puppy, "Bizzy," in her little kennel so that she wouldn't beg at the table.

Shortly after we sat down to dinner, Bizzy started screaming and hollering like she was Badly hurt. I ran over to the kennel and saw that she hand gotten the hook from the stretch band that the original owner had placed around the kennel hooked behind her back teeth and she could not get loose.

Well I was on my hands and knees trying to get her loose, when Buddy, (our grey long haired cat) lost his mind and ATTACKED ME!!! It felt like I had been shot in the eye and blood was going everywhere. Rusty wanted to check on me, but I told him NO . . .that he needed to get Bizzy loose first.

He finally got her loose, checked her over and discovered that she was not really hurt but had scared herself more than anything.

So Now we both had to go and check on my face and my eye. Buddy had bitten me in the face and had caught my Eye with his teeth and then made a really nasty gash right under my eye. It took me a couple of days to be able to open my eye because is just hurt too bad. I was beginning to wonder if he put my eye out altogether.

Now Buddy has always been a bit of a grumpy cat . . .but he has always been ALL BLUFF . . .Never actually biting anyone . . .Just acting like he wanted to. So Why On Earth did he attack me while Bizzy was hollering??? I thought maybe he thought that I was hurting her . . .BUT . . .Buddy doesn't even like Bizzy! LOL! So I am at a total loss as to why he would do such a thing.

In any case, I'm healing ok, I guess, and I'm starting to pet Buddy again. I just wish I knew what in the world made him attack me.

Unreal!!

Lu

Monday, April 9, 2007

A Lovely Day . . . . . . .

We had a Wonderful Easter Sunday Yesterday.

We drove about 2 hours south, just past Memphis, to the home of Rusty's sister. We thought that it was going to be a small gathering, but when we got there we discovered it was more of a Family Reunion for Rusty's family. LOL!

After a Huge lunch, we all filtered outside where the kids went out onto the peer over the pond to fish, (the fish were thrown back after being caught), while the adults walked around the Huge yard and enjoyed an all around great visit.

Once the fishing became a bit of a bore for the kids, it was time to hide around 130 eggs for the younger children. Most of the eggs were candy filled plastic eggs with just a few real eggs mixed in. Poor lil Darcy didn't want to hunt eggs at first because the last time that she hunted for eggs at school, she didn't find a single one because the other kids would race her to the eggs when she found them and she was so embarrassed. Darcy is such a shy and polite child that I'm not surprised that she would back out of the way if she thought that another child was going for the same egg that she was. Once, during one of her very first basketball games, she told me that she just couldn't try to take the ball away from the other girls because she thought that it was just RUDE!! LOL! Yes . . .we had to have a serious discussion on this! LOL! After talking to her a bit and assuring her that she would have a Great Easter Egg Hunt this year . . .she finally agreed . . .and Guess what . . .Mom and Dad were Right! She had a GREAT Time and found a ton of eggs!

After the hunt was over all of the kids started taking turns riding a small 4-wheeler slowly around the yard, usually 3 at a time. It didn't concern me much because they were going slowly and they were staying within eyesight of the adults. Rusty and I were visiting with his cousin when I happened to look up to see my three children riding the 4-wheeler. Taylor was in the front, Harrison was in the middle and driving and Darcy was in the back. THIS did concern me because I knew that Harrison had never driven a 4-wheeler before. Rusty and I both started walking towards them and putting up our hands, trying to motion Harrison to stop. Well I guess he thought we were calling him to us, so he sped up and with a turn too sharp, he tipped the dang thing over, throwing all of them onto the ground. Rusty & I took off running, (I ran right outta my shoes! LOL!). When we got there . . .Darcy was Laughing, Harrison had jammed his thumb and was a bit worried about how much trouble he might be in and poor lil Taylor was scuffed up on his face and side, scared to death and crying huge crock tears. I scooped him up and he squeezed my neck so tight I don't believe that he could have been pried loose.

Well . . .After all of this excitement . . .Rusty and I were both ready to call it a day and come home. So we started the Hour & a Half long goodbye as we made our way to the car. I love Rusty's family . . .but they so tickle me with the long goodbye thing. First you have to hug Everyone . . .then you have to visit a few more minutes . . . .then they feel like you have been there long enough that you have to hug and say bye all over again! LOL! OH . . .and it doesn't help when we are almost ready to get into the car and Taylor asks, "Mama, can I show everyone my new cars?" Of course I said yes . . . .and he dumps around 50 cars out on the ground for everyone to see. LOL! Well, this reminded Rusty's 25 year-old nephew, Andy, that he had a box full of old match-box cars, from when he was a small child, in the back of his truck. So he went and got them out of his truck and gave them to Taylor. These old cars are such a treasure to Taylor. He has played with nothing else since Andy gave them to him. What a great young man Andy is. He has always been so good with my kids.

An Overall Fantastic Day . . .With only one lil Uh-Oh! LOL!

Lu

Just My Opinion . . . .

OK . . .I have heard all of the recent talk regarding comments made by Rosie O'Donnell and the response made by Bill O'Reilly.

I do agree that the clip of Rosie talking about WTC7 should have been the complete sentence that she made. Had they included the entire sentence, people would have heard that although she did believe that WTC7 was taken down by explosives, that she had No Idea Who could have done it. Rosie may indeed believe that our own government conspired to take down WTC7 . . . .I personally believe that the questions that she poses are very leading in that direction . . . .but none of us know for sure that this is what Rosie believes . . .for these words have not come from Rosie's lips.

As a Big fan of FOX News, I have to say that you dropped the ball on some of the responses made in regards to what Rosie said.

NOW . . .On the flip side of this coin. Rosie did state as Fact that the British planned all along for their own military personnel to be taken as hostages by Iran in order to give the US & Britain a valid reason to go to war with Iran.

I personally find this an outrageous idea and can't fathom ever saying such a thing myself unless I had some facts, Any facts, to back it up.

I can find no fault with any FOX News responses regarding the British Hostages.

We must all realize that it is Rosie's job to state her Opinion . . .NOT the News . . .Her Opinion. As outrageous as we may believe some of her statements to be, they are just her Opinion.

Bill O'Reilly's job is to cover News . . .throw his opinion out there . . . .and usually have someone on his show who opposes his opinion. As I stated at the beginning of this post, it's not perfect, but it is the most fair and balanced news channel I have found that almost Always represents All sides of any story. I don't watch the news 24/7, so I can't say 100% Always. . . .but I can say that when I Have watched All sides are represented. It makes for balanced viewing that Anyone can watch no matter which side of the fence you sit on.

From the clips that I have seen of The View, Elisabeth's views do oppose Rosie's . . . .BUT . . .Poor Elisabeth can't hold her own against Rosie. Rosie is a very outspoken person, and Elisabeth can't get a word in edgewise. Don't get me wrong . . .I think that being outspoken can be a very good thing. . . .BUT . . .In order for The View to be a Fair and Balanced show, they need someone EQUALLY outspoken who opposes Rosie's views. It would not only take the one-sidedness out of the equation, it would make the show so much more interesting.

As far as the Bill & Rosie thing goes, this is how I see it. She exercised her freedom of speech . . .then he exercised his. Now you are free to exercise yours too. LOL! Some say that Rosie's statements are irresponsible . . . .maybe so . . .but I give people the credit for having the intelligence to decide this for themselves.

There are many things that I DO admire about Rosie and there are a few issues that I do agree with her on. There are also Many issues where we couldn't possibly see things more differently . . . . .BUT . . . . .That is what makes the world go round.

What actual good does it do to get Angry and Hate someone because they do not think as you do? Oh yes . . .Sometimes I just don't get it when people don't see things the way that I do . . . .But Hey . . .They may feel the same way about me. LOL! I don't see that as a reason to get angry and hate.

A friend once told me that to get Angry and Show your Temper is a CHOICE that you make. You can just as easily CHOOSE NOT to get angry. A very hard lesson that I have learned over the years is that when I get angry, I am the person who gets hurt the most.

When you are angry you tend to become illogical and rant. You say things that you don't mean and that you can't take back. You probably also give yourself a headache and expel all of your energy in this awful emotion, leaving yourself totally drained and exhausted. I don't always succeed . . . .but for the most part . . .I CHOOSE NOT to get angry.

Here's hoping that the BO & RO issue fades quickly.

Lu

Sunday, April 8, 2007

Happy Easter!!


I hope that you all


have a Wonderful


Easter Sunday today


surrounded by


the Love of


family and


friends and


above all our


Lord and Savior.

I Like to Draw Sometimes Too . . .;o)

Here are a few toon-like animated drawings that I have done in the past. The First one still cracks me up every time I run across it in my files. LOL! ;oP


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Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Saturday, April 7, 2007

I Like To Create Animations From Time-To-Time

Here is an animation that I created a few years ago using a photo of our daughter. It is a fun hobby, but it can be very time consuming. I don't have anywhere near the time that I would like to do all of the hobbies that I enjoy.



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Happy Easter To All

On this day before Easter I would like to reflect on the Holiday itself, as well as on Christianity in general in our Country today.

I am thankful for the gift of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Because of His sacrifice, I can go on with my life knowing that my sins are forgiven. It is also because of His sacrifice that I strive each day to be a kinder person, a more loving person, a more giving person, a more tolerant person, a more forgiving person, a non-judgemental person, . . .A Better Person.

I do believe in "Separation of Church & State." That being said, I do NOT Ever want to see my children or the children of anyone else punished for saying a prayer privately to themselves in school, no matter the religion. I believe that it is our right to pray or not pray as we choose, when we choose and where we choose.

I do believe in the "Live-And-Let-Live" idea. It is not my place to judge anyone for the way that they live their lives, No matter how it may conflict with my own moral beliefs. I believe that it is my duty as a Christian to care for everyone equally, no matter their lifestyle. However, I also believe that it is my duty to speak up and let my own beliefs about Morality be known.

I believe that a major problem in our country today is the fact that we ARE straying away from Morality and Family Values. As time goes by, it would seem that we are more and more willing to accept immoral things in our daily lives. . . .Such as Extreme Sex & Violence on TV, pornography Everywhere, children showing disrespect to Everyone.

It would appear that many people in America are more worried about what is "Politically Correct" rather than what is "Morally Justified." This is an Especially Great Concern of mine where the "Leaders of our Country" are concerned. I believe that by trying to be "Politically Correct" all the time, our elected officials have let us down. They would do far better for this country if they were to vote with their hearts and listen to the will of the people who put them in office, rather than worrying so much about what is "Politically Correct" and what Might cost them votes in the Next election. They should do what they believe to be Moral & Right and Not Ever Worry about what the Next Election will hold for them.

Lu

Friday, April 6, 2007

A Letter That I Wrote To . . .

I watched The O'Reilly Factor yesterday and felt compelled to send in an email to Bill. I Never do send emails . . .or at least I never have before . . .I think here lately I am getting all riled up about so many issues that I just feel like I have to do something . . .Anything. That is one of the reasons that I started this blog . . . .so that I would have a place to come and vent my feelings and frustrations.

If you happened to miss the exchange between Bill and Geraldo, check out The O'Reilly Factor listed under my Favorites on the sidebar.

OH . . .And if you are not a Bill fan, as I am, don't worry . . .If you don't like what he has to say, he will most certainly have "Someone" on his show that will oppose his view. That is why I Love FOX News! All sides are represented on this news channel.

Hello Mr. O'Reilly,


I must say that all the shouting between you and Geraldo Rivera made my jaw drop. I did however enjoy the exchange. It gave a perfect view of how passionate you Both are on such issues.


I did understand what Geraldo was trying to say about the story being about "Drunk Drivers" and not "Illegal Aliens" . . . . .BUT . . .I believe that he was missing the point.


The point being that, in This ONE Instance, the deaths of these girls could have been avoided had the Immigration Laws been enforced.


Of course the issue of drunk drivers is a serious issue, but THIS particular drunk driver never should have been driving on a road in the United States to begin with.


Now what makes this story even more sad is the fact that until something "REAL" is done about the Immigration problem in the United States, there will be more stories like this in the future. There are criminals in every race and culture, so it only stands to reason that the more illegal aliens that make their way into our country, the higher the chance of a criminal element entering the country along with those who are just looking for a better life for themselves.


We have enough criminals in this country as it is. We cannot afford to Ignore the Immigration issue any longer.


Thank you for taking the "Spin" out of the news. FOX News is what News is supposed to be.

Lu

The Collateral Damage Of Illegal Immigration

I ran across the article below and found it VERY interesting. There are many more interesting articles on the site so have a look around.

Some people would like to say that "WE" have Lured Illegals into this country with the promise of work and better lives. I say. . . .Who In The Heck Is "WE"??? I personally believe that it is the doings of the "BIG" Companies of the United States. They have done this to keep the "Bottom Line" higher and the "Cost" lower. I believe that they should have to pay a portion, if not All, of the cost that it is going to take to Fix This Mess that we are in now.

I have Absolutely No problem with people from other countries who enter this country legally. WELCOME and WELL DONE!! I hope that all of your dreams come true in the Greatest Country on Earth. Some of my dear friends are here legally from Mexico. Most are now citizens and are doing very well in our country. I am thrilled for them. Those who enter and stay in this country illegally are putting a tremendous burden on this country at a very high cost to its Citizens.

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Bizzy

Bizzy is the newest addition to our family. At nearly 10 weeks old now, she certainly does earn her name by being a "Busy" lil girl! LOL!

Bizzy is a Black & Silver Miniature Schnauzer and is just too adorable and sweet. The kids Love her and are all too willing to help out when it comes to taking care of her. . . .I wonder just how long that will last! LOL! ;o)

Feel free to look at and comment on any of the photos that I post to "Lu's Photo Albums" on the sidebar.

Lu

American Border Patrol Agents . . .

I am absolutely shocked and outraged by the arrest and treatment of our Border Patrol Agents for doing their jobs.

It is unbelievable to me that we would arrest our own citizens for trying to stop known criminals from entering our country. . .AND then giving these KNOWN criminals immunity and greencards.

WHAT???????

There are people in this country who are saying that the borders should be Open and there should be No illegals.

WHAT?????

We are already giving social program benefits to illegals, which I think we should put a stop to Post Haste!!! There are American CITIZENS who need these benefits and cannot get them. OH! . . .And By The Way . . . .It is American Citizens who pay taxes to Fund these Social Programs . . . .While Illegal Aliens pay . . .OH . . .Let's Seeeeee . . . . .NOTHING!!!! Do we really want to open the borders for the criminals to freely walk through to endanger our families? By arresting our own Border Patrol Agents, we have already proven that it is not that hard for the criminal element to reach us as it is . . . .what will it be like if we just give them a free pass and say, "Come On In . . . .There are NO ILLEGALS Here!!" What in the world are we thinking???? It makes no sense At ALL!

The US Border Agents who have been imprisoned for doing their jobs and protecting us should be pardoned immediately by the President. They should not spend another second in jail. They are Heroes!!!!

I totally disagree with the Employers & Companies in the US giving jobs to illegals! They say that no one else will take such low paying jobs. That is a cop-out! What they really mean is that they don't want to pay more to have these jobs held by American Citizens. And THAT my friends is what it All Boils Down To!! The Almighty Dollar! Companies don't want to pay more money for the labor . . .And the Government/Politicians don't want to alienate themselves from this company money and potential votes. Now just HOW SAD is This!?!? Our government refuses to protect us and do the RIGHT THING in order that they MIGHT get a vote in the next election.

And what in the world is the Bank of America doing?? Giving credit cards to illegal aliens?? Apart from the fact that they are ILLEGALS . . . .they have no SSC, no greencard . . .no legal status in this country at all . . . .just how do they plan to get their money back when these ILLEGALS just decide to disappear??? It's wrong for any company in America to support illegal aliens in any shape form or fashion!!!!

I for One, DEMAND that Our Government STEP UP and do the RIGHT THING by all Americans and Protect Us . . .By Protecting Our Borders!! If you are discovered in the US as an illegal, you go back to your own country. If your are discovered to be employing illegal aliens, you will be heavily fined, if not shut down all-together. No More will the US hand out our social benefits to illegal aliens . . . .These benefits are set up for the benefit of UNITED STATES CITIZENS!!!!!! Our Border Patrol Agents should have the authority needed to do their jobs in an efficient manner and should not be reprimanded, arrested and certainly not jailed for DOING THEIR JOB and Protecting Us!!!

Stand Up America and let your voice be heard!!!

Lu

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

British Hostages in Iran to be Released!

I was so thrilled to turn on the news today to find out that the British Soldiers that are being held hostage in Iran are to be released and sent home tomorrow. Our prayers have been answered.

Although I do believe that there was a lot of posturing, (for what purpose, I'm not quite sure), by the Iranian leadership, I am ecstatic about the results.

I pray that there will be no further crisis' involving Iran in the future.

I do not trust them and I have seen how they treat their own people, but I am still hoping and praying that they will not be willing to push the US or it's allies so far as to force military action against themselves. They would only serve to do harm to themselves by doing such a thing.

Family Introduction

With the exception of a few months that I lived in Illinois and a year that I lived near Fairbanks, Alaska, I have lived in the same neck-of-the-woods all of my life. . . .Up until November 4th 2006 when we moved about 4 hours north of our hometown. . .And We are loving it!!

I got married to my first husband at the age of 24, and for various, serious, reasons, it only lasted for 3 years. Funny though, well maybe not so funny, that 2 years after our divorce, we had a baby together. I consider my oldest to be my miracle child because he was my 5th pregnancy. I honestly did not believe that I would ever be able to have a baby. It was after the birth of my son that a very definite, clean and final break was made between me and my first husband. It was only right that boundaries were set in place so as not to confuse the baby.

H. & I lived alone together for 3 years with me only going out on the occasional date whenever his dad chose to take advantage his visitation rights. We were very happy and had a very set and comfortable routine together.

When H. was about 2 1/2 years old, I hired a friend and his son to mow my yard during the summer. One Friday evening after they had finished mowing my yard, my friend knocked on my front door to collect a check for his son. While I was writing out the check, he noticed that I had laid my crosstitching on my coffetable while I wrote the check. He looked at me and asked, "Do you mean to tell me that you have nothing better to do on a Friday Night than to crosstitch?" I said, "Nope . . .That's about it. LOL!" My friend asked me, "Would you like to meet a good man?" I said, "Sure! Are there Any Good Men?" To which he replied, "Yep, I know just the one."

Well . . .that was the extent of the conversation and I didn't think any more about it. BUT!!! . . . .The following Monday after I got home from work, my friend's wife called to informe me that we were going on a Double-Date together on Friday. I was Stunned, Shocked, Excited & TERRIFIED all at the same time. I asked her who my date was to be and she told me his name, R, and informed me that he would be calling me to confirm our plans.

R did infact call me to confirm our date and we talked for hours. As a matter of fact, we talked on the phone for hours every evening that week before we ever laid eyes on each other.

So . . . . .The big night had arrived!!! . . . .and I was nervous as a cat. It felt like I had a led ball in my stomach and my heart was beating WAY TOO FAST! Several times I contimplated calling my friends and canceling because I didn't feel well. LOL!

Then there was a knock at my front door . . . .OH MY GOSH . . .It was too late to cancel . . . .I HAD to open the door and go on this date . . . .DIDN'T I???

I composed myself the best that I could and I slowly opened the front door. OH WOW! What a Dream-Boat he was! Well . . . .No time to drool and pant over this Hottie standing in my doorway . . . .My friends arrived right after he did and it was time to leave.

We went to a very nice resturant and had a lovely time together, but being the shy person that I was, I did more listening than I did talking. This led R to believe that I didn't fancy him at all. BOY, He could not have been More Wrong!! LOL!

My friends made a conspicuous speedy exit right after returning to my house, leaving R and me all alone. We watched a little TV and talked just a little. Then R decided that it was time for him to leave. As I walked him to the door, he turned and looked at me and said, "I would kiss you goodnight if I didn't think that it would scare you to death. I played all Big-And-Bad and said, "Pfffft!!! . . . .Why on Earth would you think a goodnight kiss would scare me?" Well . . . .R took the hint very well and grabbed me and, boy-OH-boy, what a good night kiss he planted on ME!!!! I felt myself melt into a puddle! LOL!

Sooooo . . . .Now you know how we met. That first date occured in mid-September of 1997. We married on Saturday, December 13, 1997. Very quick courtship I know, and I wouldn't recommend it to most . . .but we just knew we were meant to be together. R is my very best friend and I love him even more today than I did when we got married over 9 years ago.

In 1999 we were blessed with the birth of our little girl D. and in that same year R adopted H. as his own. My older sister F. & I were pregnant with our lil girls at the same time, with my sister's daughter E. being born 2 months after D. It was so much FUN being pregnant together. . . .And the two girls are growing up more as sisters than as cousins.

We had the perfect lil family and couldn't be happier. Then in December of 2001 we were blessed with a happy lil surprise. LOL! We found out that I was pregnant with our youngest child, T. T. is 4 years old now and is ALL BOY!!! I didn't know a 4 year old could be so tough! LOL! And YES . . .he is spoiled and rules the roost! LMBO! Yes . . .he was our HAPPY lil surprise . . .but he should be our last surprise!

Other additions to our family include our 3 cats, (1 male orange tabby named Merlin, 1 male Black & Tan Tabby named Tigger AND 1 male Blue-Gray Longhair named Buddy) And 2 dogs, (1 male Yellow Lab named Duke AND 1 female Black & Silver Miniature Schnauzer named Bizzy). Can you tell that we are All animal Lovers? LOL!

Well . . .I think that takes care of all of the introductions. I will go into more detail about each of us at a later date.

Later Taters!!! LOL!

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

British Hostages in Iran

It would appear to me that Iran is doing everything that it can to antagonize the US and it's allies, especially with their latest stunt of illegally seizing British soldiers.

Some have entertained the absurd idea that the UK set their own soldiers up to be taken hostage so that military action might be taken against Iran by the US & it's allies. After all the threats and threatening actions that have come from Iran in recent months, I really don't see how Anyone could possibly fathom such an unsubstantiated idea.

I admire the way that Britain is calmly handling this situation. Hopefully it will all be over quickly and the soldiers will be released due to the cool-headed reactions of Britain.

However, I have to wonder what will be the next stunt pulled by Iran in an attempt to provoke. I have No doubt that there will be another crisis of some kind caused by Iran as they appear to be determined to engage the US and it's allies at every turn. Feeling that this is true, one has to wonder, how much of a threat is the US willing abide before putting an end to said threat. . . .Or maybe the better question would be . . . .What has to happen to make a certain portion of this country willing to put an end to said threat.

You know, I would really be interested to learn under what circumstances would people such as, most Democrats, Rosie O'Donnell & Charlie Sheen be willing to have this country defend itself against terrorism. Seriously . . . .I would love to have some of these people choose a, b, c or fill out the blank in d below.

a) Absolutely No War Or Military Action Ever. Just let the US be overrun by terrorist.
b) Only provide a Show of force in certain situations, but Never, Ever actually Use force.
c) Only when violent terrorist acts touch our own soil . . .Oh Wait . . .It HAS!! . . .9 11
d) I would be willing for the US to go to war or use military action only if ___________ were to happen.

You know, I hate the idea of war and having American soldiers placed in harms way. In only 5 1/2 very short years, I will have a child that will be old enough to enlist in the military. The very thought of it just makes my heart sink and I pray every day that all conflicts will be over very soon, (in a way that assures the safety of America). BUT . . . I have to remember that were it not for our willingness to go to war, and the sacrifices made by so many Americans in the past, none of us would have the freedoms that we so enjoy today. It seems here lately that our Freedom of Speech is not only enjoyed All-Too-Much and used in irresponsible ways . . . .it is taken for granted . . . .as many have forgotten how we came to have this freedom to begin with.

What Is This Country Coming To?

Today I see a portion of this country that is willing to avoid conflict at all cost. I fear that it will be to the point that the conflict comes to us . . .on Our soil . . .Again.

I remember on the day of 9 11, one of my first thoughts was, "Please, don't let these murderers get away with this. Please let us do Something in defense of ourselves and our country."

We Did fight back and are continuing to battle terrorism. . .BUT . . .what I and Most Americans did not realize at the time was that we were going to be fighting cowards who would never show their faces. Vermin who would strike and then run and hide, forcing us to hunt them down.

No, we are not fighting a traditional war here, but we are fighting because the terrorist have given us NO Choice. I, like most Americans do not like the thought of war. In My perfect world . . .there would be nothing but rainbows and cotton-candy clouds. BUT . . .what would today be like had we done NOTHING after 9 11? Any answer to that question, quite frankly, scares me to death. It makes me wonder just how many more Americans would have become victims of terrorists.

My current fear is that all of our troops will be brought back home too soon and following that . . . .Iraq will be taken over by other neighboring countries and will become a safe haven for terrorist. . . . .Resulting in more terrorist attacks on our own soil. We can't even seem to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina rebuild their lives in a decent amount of time, what on earth would we do if war and destruction should hit this country.