What you should know about me....Even things you may not want to know....

Hello there! Some of you already know who I am and all that jazz, but since starting the Steel Workers Wife page on FB I felt compelled to do another introduction Blog. :) Ready? Are you sure? OK...you have been warned! :)

Well, I am a 40 something mom, wife, grama and great grama. Yes, you read all that correctly. lol Let me explain...When I married the Hubby (who is 20 yrs my senior....AHA! I see lightbulbs!) I inherited a whole family, seriously, I did. lol Hubby came to the table with 5 children, 4 living, 16 grandkids (which has now grown to 21) and we have added 5 great grand kids to that also over the last 10 yrs. I also got a wonderful mother in law (who has since passed), a terrific brother in law and a "who couldn't ask for a better.." sister in law; along with her 7 kids and too many to count grands. If I had to, and please don't make me, I could name them all....heck, I can even name all our grands and greats...much to hubby's amazement since he still stumbles over some of their names. LMAO

I also hold my Associates Degree in Medical Assisting with a Certificate in Health Information Management. I do not currently work, but I am hoping to change that SOON! I miss working in the field and working with patients. I was working, but had to resign my position due to health issues earlier this year. I have just been given the green light from the Doc and will soon be putting out my resume. :) (Insert happy dance HERE!)

Hubby has worked in the Steel Industry for over a combined 35 years as of this year. I come from a Steel Working family, so the Union issues and scheduling issues are no big surprise to me. I try not to panic when it is time for the renewing of the contract, but lets be honest here, I do panic a smidge but keep it inside. (I think this is true for anyone who has to deal with Unions and contracts.) He enjoys his job, even though he will be the first to say he is "too damn old" for this kind of work. LOL He is patiently waiting for more bids (open jobs) to come open so he can bid out and relax a bit more. His motto is this: "Work smart, not hard" and he tries to live up to that motto every day. The guys he works with will be the first to tell you that he does very well at that. LOL They will also tell you that he is the first one to jump in on a job and get dirty and sweaty to get the job done right. I love that he is such a hard worker, and I appreciate him every day. He may laugh at that last part, but only because I make jokes at his expense more often than not. LOL

We currently have our 2 youngest children living at home with us, that would be the youngest manchild at 21 years of age who is both working and going to college for his degree in Criminal Justice; and our youngest daughter who is 14 and this is her first year in High School. And, just for the record, whoever said that parenting is NOT a job....well, they can kiss my arse!

I started the facebook page for Steel Workers Wife to network and build some bonds with other parents and or spouses who need some crazy in their lives. Or well, I guess I should say...who already have some crazy in their lives and can relate to mine. LOL So far, its going GREAT! :)

Oh, hubby says I should fill you in on one thing...I kinda have this obsession with Doctor Who. (for all you non whovians, that is a TV show on BBC....and back in my childhood days it was on PBS) This year the daughter went to her first comicon in Chicago and LOVED every minute of it. Yes, I have gotten her obsessed with The Doctor too. :) I am such a good mommy. :) Hey...don't judge me, LOL, we all have our own secret obsessions...and well, I won't judge you if you happen to be one of the poor souls addicted to Jersey Shore. LMAO Deal?

There is so much to fill you in on...like all the wonderful ladies I have in my life who are known lovingly as the "Yaya's". Trust me, they are a whole blog unto themselves. LMAO One of them has her own page (which I am an admin on) called Why Didn't Someone Warn Me?....so, if you haven't heard of her yet...please, go give her a look and stay for the laughs.

Thanks for sticking around to read this....and I hope you are still interested enough to stick around for the long haul. LMAO

Peace, Love and Giggle-Snorts,

Goodbye 2013....Hello 2014

First, let me wish you all a Very Happy New Year! I hope that 2014 is full of wonderful times and many Blessings for us all.

I am very happy to see 2014 come and 2013 go...Don't get me wrong, last year was not a horrible year and I am sure it could have been worse, but still happy to see it change. :)

I don't do resolutions, I make goals instead. I achieved some of my goals that I set for last year and some were not obtained; I hope to do much better this year though. (Don't we all?) Here are some of my goals for this year:

1) I want to get back to working. I loved working and miss working as a Medical Assistant!

2) I want to get healthier...I want my whole family to be healthier this year.

3) I want to travel more. Nothing exotic, just want to be able to travel and see more family and friends.

4) I want less stress in my life....so far, I have the same stress as I did when 2013 ended...but hoping to change that as soon as I can. lol

5) I want us to do better with our money. We budget, but that doesn't always seem to stick...or well, we don't always seem to stick to the budget. lol

I know, those seem pretty mundane, but well...it's what I wish to accomplish this year and am praying we can. 

I have also started something new for myself...a Face book page just for this blog and my rants as a Steel Workers Wife. :) I hope that you all get a chance to stop by and give me a shout out when you do. I have another goal that I want to accomplish...or well start on and that is I have always wanted to write a book and well, after talking with hubby and a good friend of mine, I think this is the year to start on that book. I have had the story rolling around in my head for many years now and I need to get it out of there. LOL So, my new page is a way of getting that ball rolling. The more I write, like in this blog, I hope that it helps when it comes time to writing the book.

But, my main objectives are getting healthy and getting back to work. The docs have all given me the green light on going back to work, so I am prepping my resume and going to get it out there. :) I already have a couple of good job leads and I am going to follow up on them asap.

I also hope to boost my viewers of this blog by my new page on FB. I am always looking to make new friends via networking and such, and what better way than through this blog and that page? :)

OK...this is a shorty of a blog because my next blog is going to be a re-introduction of me and this blog for my page and the ones who follow it. I hope that you all have a wonderful day and achieve the goals you have set for yourself this year. :)

Blessings...

Merry Christmas from my family to yours...

It was very nice to have my family all under one roof this year for Christmas! Kbug helped me with putting the gifts under the tree and getting ready for the morning, yes, she went shopping with me this year but had forgotten some of the things we had bought her and her brother. lol

This morning I woke her up and told her it was CHRISTMAS...what was she still doing in bed at 7am?LOL She said, that since Dad and I had not made our coffee yet she was waiting....that has been the tradition since I was a child; Mom and Dad had to have coffee ready before any gifts were allowed to be open. I told her we were ready and to come up stairs and wake her brother up. :) So...the opening frenzy began. Now, Dad makes us have a garbage bag handy so as they open their gifts they can toss the trash into it...saving a big mess at the end. I, for one, LOVE to have the wrapping paper laying all around as they open....but I relent and let him have his way with this one. (I know which battles to fight. LOL) I still find it funny that it takes me hours to wrap the gifts and only mere minutes before they are all done unwrapping them. LOL

This year Kbug got a tablet with case and keyboard as her one big gift and we got the son, D, some small gifts and paid for his plates for his car. All in all, everyone was happy. The son was surprised to see any gifts for him under the tree...he thought the plates were to be his only gift from us. :) I love still being able to surprise them. LOL I am not going to list all their gifts, I am just going to say that they were both very pleased with them all.

We found out yesterday that we have a leak of trans fluid in the car, so that meant no driving it out to see my parents and spend Christmas Day with them, which has been a tradition since...forever. I know they understood, but it still hurt my heart. The good thing was that the son took his sister out there since he and his girlfriend were going to be going out there before they headed out for a dinner and a movie of the hobbit. It was after all this that hubby and I found out that not only is there a trans leak in the car, but we were totally out of oil too! Now, I have no clue how that happens in the new car without any warning lights or bells going off...but it did. So, I will be calling the dealer tomorrow to check on our warranty and to complain....they did the last oil change, so something should be done on their dime I believe.  The true blessing here is that we were not stranded out on the road somewhere with a broken down car...Yes, I am counting all my Blessings right now. :)

In my family Christmas is all about the kids...so, it was a wonderful Christmas had by all here. I hope that you and yours were able to have a wonderful and blessed Christmas as well. I am including some photos for you to enjoy. :)

 

This next one is of Kbug and the Doctor Who scarf I made for her for Christmas....

And, yes, believe it or not...that is a happy face from our teenage daughter. LOL

May you all have a wonderful day and a Blessed New Year!
Peace, Love and Christmas Blessings....

 

Just got checked...by God!

I have been moping around the house feeling crappy...because I just cannot seem to get into the whole Christmas thing this year. I have gone Christmas shopping, done the family party thing, baked goodies and even made a couple gifts this year, but I cannot pull myself out of this Holiday slump.

I prayed the other night for God to help me, to help me bring this all into perspective and to help me get back into the Spirit of the Season. See, I know it's not about what I bought people or how much I did or didn't spend on the gifts, my parents raised me to know the true meaning of Christmas and to believe in the spirit of Santa....but to know the true meaning of the season is to know God and to know his Son's story. I don't talk very openly about my beliefs, as I feel that they are mine and mine alone to be shared whenever I feel and with whomever I choose. That may sound snotty, but it is not my intention. I just think that too many people try to prove just how "Christian" they are around this time of the year more so than any other time of the year. I have my belief in God all year round...it does not intensify or dissipate certain times of the year.

OK, anyway...I digress, I was telling Hubby just how I was so ready for this Christmas to be over and so forth when my phone rang. My good friend, B, called me to let me know about a group of 5 siblings who were recently abandoned by their parents. Yes, their parents just up and left them in the home with no money...no nothing and one day when they returned from school (which is amazing that they continued on the right path left alone like that.), they were locked out of their place of residence. Yet, they still continued to attend school. It wasn't until a teacher at the youngest child's school (she is 8 yrs old) noticed that her clothes were dirty...very dirty that they questioned the little girl and she told them everything. The children are ages: 17 girl, 16 girl, 15 boy, 13 boy and 8 girl. An elderly couple, in their 70's I am lead to believe, have taken the children in. They cashed out their savings and such to buy new clothes and beds/bedding for the children. Until things get sorted with the state they are going to have to lives 7 people on a budget of just under $1,000 a month.

So, here I was asking God for help and telling my hubby how much I wanted this season over with when this call comes in. WOW! I have not one thing to complain about this year...at all! I am Blessed to have my family with me, great friends, a roof over our heads, food in our bellies and 2 vehicles...hubby has a job and we have medical insurance. All our needs are being met, it's sad that I cannot say the same about those 5 children. How a parent can just pick up and leave is beyond me, I mean to not even drop them off with a family member, friend or hell even a stranger would have been better than what they did. I understand that people with addictions don't always think right, but still...these are their own children. (shakes head in sadness)

I will be going through our clothes and such here to see what we can donate, I am going to be making goodies for them and maybe some hats and scarves too. I am no longer looking for a reason to celebrate this season, I know that the true meaning of this season is Faith, Love and Togetherness. It is also all about giving and not the receiving.

I thank God for bringing this situation to my attention, it truly was the slap upside the head I needed.

Peace, Love and Giving,

Cold...when did we get so cold?

I'm curious, just when did we start to notice that cold was COLD? I mean, when did we grow out of the 'Hey, its winter and lets go outside and play' phase? Was it a progression or was it something that just happened over night?

I remember my parents having to fight with me to get me to come inside all year round and in the winter, OMG, they would have to almost lock all the doors and windows to keep us from going outside because it was "too damn cold out" for any human or animal. LOL Did your parents have the same issues with you when you were a kid? Do you have the same issues now with your own kids?

I have seen a change in my own kids as they have reached the age of those teen years; they are not so keen on going outside and playing in the cold white crap that we so loved as children. It's sad really that they aren't begging to go outside and wreck havoc on the neighborhood....but, I guess what is even sadder is that we as the parents sit and worry about the neighborhood wrecking havoc on our children these days. :(

Am I the only parent or person who sees this these days? I have great memories of all the seasons, playing with friends and such, as a child/teen. I remember praying for a snow day just so me and my friends could get together and launch a massive snowball fight or build the perfect snow fort. I remember waiting for that perfect snow where it was just right to build a snowman or two...or three.

Now the kids pray for snow days so they can sleep in or stay home and play games all day. SMH...am I the only person who gets a little sad at this?

Now a days I am not a fan of the cold...I can deal with the snow, but HATE the cold. This makes me feel old...VERY OLD. LOL 

I hope you are all staying warm and safe out there and that kids everywhere go out and build at least one snowman this year! :)

Peace, Love and SNOWMEN!

WARNING...FOOD PORN ENCLOSED

Hey there Bloggers! :) Well, remember that list of goodies I told y'all about, the one for the Family Christmas party and the goodie boxes? Remember how precise I was? HA! I have yet again changed my mind. No real surprise on that, is there? (I can hear some of you laughing and agreeing with me in a mildly sarcastic "Noooo....YOU? Change your mind? HA!") And, just so you know, I appreciate that...it just means you are paying attention. lol

I have revised my goodie boxes more than the treats for the party, I have actually made the list of goodies a bit smaller and more manageable for me. Yup, I hear that sarcastic laughing of disbelief going on out there. lol I was going to wait to make the goodie boxes til closer to Christmas, but then I decided that since I will be baking anyway this week that I am going to just make them up and deliver them....making less work for me close to the big day. Right? You all agree? OK...Ok...the laughter can stop any time now folks. lol

Here is what I am making for the Family Party.....

 

 

 And, I am going to be making some cupcakes as well....with little candy penguins on them in honor of the daughter. lol We went and got most of the ingredients today, but I did realize as I was putting the pics in that I forgot to get the nutter butter cookies for the large penguins. Oh well, I gotta run to the store tomorrow anyway. LOL

 

For the goodie boxes.....

 

 

Plus some peppermint cookies that my friend, Sarah, has requested...and, well, since she is pregnant...I am going to do this for her. :) The daughter and I are looking forward to doing all this. OK...maybe I have put a lot on my plate and MAYBE I will end up changing my mind on when I will be doing the goodie boxes and what will all be going in them...BUT, the ones for the family party are a definite. :) And, well, they will be made first since the party is this Saturday. I love working with chocolate...for the obvious reason of course, but also because once I make the goodies, I can store them very well in an air tight container in my fridge...and because the family is distracted by all the cookies and such, they don't touch them. LOL See...there truly is a method to my madness. :)

 

I decided this year that I am going to give my friends home made gifts, and I figured that what better way to do that than to make these goodie boxes.? I mean, we all get people stopping over and such during this time of the year and it is always nice to be able to share goodies with them, right? OK..OK...I hear the snickering and know that some of you...ok, most of you, are thinking..."Share? WTH are you talking about Lu? These are MINE...ALLLLLL MINE!" LOL That's ok too. :) Just as long as they are appreciated and enjoyed is all that matters. :) 

 

WOW...totally off topic...but I just heard our snow plow go down our street twice while I was typing this blog. WOW! I'm now afraid to look outside and see just how much snow we have gotten. lol I am happy that the son has a place to crash tonight after work so he doesn't have to drive back in this crap at midnight and then again tomorrow morning for work. It also saves him on gas. :) I am really thankful that his buddy and his buddy's parents give him this opportunity, it is truly a blessing. Hey...maybe I will make them a goodie box to say Thank You. :)

 

Ok, enough blogging....I'm sure you are all now hungry and cursing me out due to the content of this blog....maybe I will put a disclaimer in the title. :) (just changed the title to the warning. lol)

 

Have a great night everyone and please, be safe out there. For most of us, this is not the first time we have driven in snow and ice....but however that has never stopped others from becoming blooming IDIOTS. :)

 

Peace, Love and Chocolate!

 

'Tis That Time of Year....with photos and everything. ;)

Good Day Bloggerville! I hope that you are all having a wonderful day and if you are one of the many stuck with the snow and icy conditions, I hope you are all safe and warm. Thankfully, up here in NW Indiana, we are just dealing with the cold; and really, there are days that I wish it would snow and the cold would ease up...BUT, I don't dare say that too loudly or repeat it in fear that it just may happen and then I somehow get blamed for it. ;)

A week from tomorrow (Sat) is my families Christmas party, which my parents are hosting this year. I would love to say that my mom put me in charge of desserts, because it would seem better to place the blame somewhere else, but alas...I volunteered for the job. Am I crazy? Crazy like a fox! I figured it would be more in my wheelhouse to do desserts, especially this time of year, when cookies and such are the must do/have of any good Christmas party. :) See, there is a method to my madness. :) It's not that I was looking for an easy way out, its just that I love to bake and I have been struggling to get into the Christmas mood; and so what is a great way to join the two than baking for the Christmas party?! My immediate plan was to bake my arse off and have such wonderful creations that they would have the family talking in awe of it for the next year....but then reality set in. LOL

Keep
It
Simple
Silly

Yup, that is my motto for everything Christmas this year. (OK, so I'm struggling with that when it comes to Christmas lights and such...but then again, who isn't. LOL) I did Google Christmas cookie ideas, and let me tell you this: You think that Pinterest is the Devil? Nooooo.....no, my friends, Google (especially when it comes to Christmas anything) is the true evil one here. lol I got sucked into Google like the frickin' Bermuda Triangle last night, but I also came away with the realization that SIMPLE is the way to go....that and 2 great cookie ideas to boot. :) So, here is my plan of attack...

I have decided to make sugar cookies (both cut out and just plain round), which will be frosted and decorated in proper spirit of the season. Then I found these ADORABLE penguin cookies:

Are they not the cutest thing EVER? They are simple to the point of an OMG that is so SIMPLE! Nutter butter cookies, melted chocolate and you can use fondant or if you are like me and not fondant friendly, just use icing. :) I think I will let Kbug handle these, yup...that EASY folks. :) And, then I am going to make these cute and easy reindeer cookies:

Told you...CUTE and EASY! :) You can even use..GASP...the cut and back sugar cookies in a roll for these. And, of course there will be the traditional chocolate chip cookies for the true traditionalists in our family....like my Dad. LOL I am going to make a dozen or two cupcakes too and frost them and then top them with some sugar penguins I found at Jo Ann Fabrics a couple weeks ago on their awesome sale. :) Now some of you may be thinking, "Simple?! This all is not simple Lu...", but for anyone who knows me or has even just met me in person or through Face Book....they know that YES, this is tone down 100 notches from my usual ambitious list of things I wanna do for Christmas baking. ;)

My mom was going to have Kbug and I make up a gingerbread house village for center pieces for this party, but thankfully she came to her senses and got on board with the whole K.I.S.S. train and decided to make them activities for the younger generation at the party...which can then be taken home and enjoyed in their own homes for the Holiday Season. :) Yup, my mama is one smart cookie...see, I come by it naturally. :) She also acquired, in her after season stock up last year, some homemade candy/cookie snow globe kits; which all I have to do is bake the cookies and WALLAH! Kids can construct them at the party and again, take them home to share within their house. ;)

It's also nice to get a lot of the baking done this next week for some of my goodie boxes that I make up for friends. I will be adding some fudge and I think some cake balls and one or two more goodies...all pretty simple in the making tho. :) I have friends that look forward to these goodie boxes each and every year now, along with their kids and or spouses. LOL I really do enjoy baking and giving of those bake goods too. There are times that the kids and hubby rant about how good it smells in the house and how it makes their mouths water at just walking through the front door....(lets be real, they get their fair share too), but these goodie boxes are made with love for the special ones in our lives and it makes me feel good to put all that love into gifts that even though they don't last too long, put smiles on my friends faces and love into their heart...love from me and my family. :)

OK...I got a bit mushy there at the end, sorry. LOL I seem to be really into blogging and talking this morning. lol And, no....I'm not on caffeine, I am still on the decaf train. :( lol

So, I leave you this morning with these questions...do you bake during the Holidays? Do you make certain people gifts? Do you do all your shopping online? Do you brave the stores for the greatest deals? What do you do that is a tradition or special to you for the Holiday Season? Share...please! :)

Have a wonderful and Blessed Day....

Babblin' Blog and Music for the Memories....

I was amazed that the Paco dog let me sleep in til 6am....but then he also let me go back to sleep for a couple more hours. LOL It amazes me that I'm the one he wakes up, even when hubby is there...sleeping right next to me...I'm the one he head butts to wake up to take him out. I guess it's because he has learned that I will actually get my arse up out of bed to let him out. lol Yeah, he knows who to go to. :)

I only left my house twice today...once to go and get hubbys medications at the pharmacy and then again to go out to get Taco Bell, as no one was wanting any more turkey or anything to do with turkey. lol Anyone else do this? Come on...I know you do. LOL

The daughter and I watched a movie, The Call, and WOW...it was intense! Not a movie for the younger crowd for sure, just because of the intensity of it I think. Then we watched the rest of Garth Brooks Live in Las Vegas. LOVE THAT MAN! This is what has me blogging tonight...music and the memories it evokes from us. I'm sure we all have times in our lives that when a certain song comes on the radio or you play a certain CD that it automatically takes you back to a certain time in your life, right? I know I do. Garth Brooks' music plays a big part of my life memories, most of them are good ones. :) Bob Segar is another one who I can listen to and it just takes me THERE...driving my truck down a dark highway jamming to Betty Lou's Getting Out Tonight....ohhh or Her Strut! Yup...I have a lot of memories that are connected to music or music that is connected to memories.

When my son was born, he was 2 months premature and in the NICU they kept a radio playing of country music...well, it was Galveston, TX after all. Anyway, when we got to take him home I couldn't get him to sleep...til I turned on the radio to a country song and it was playing Reba and wow..that kid went out like a light! LOL From that night on we always kept music playing at bedtime. To this day I think he still falls asleep to music, maybe not country music any longer, but music still the same. When our daughter was born, 7 yrs later, I sang to her...as best as I could, to get her to fall asleep. A lot of the songs I sang were songs my own mother sang to me as a child and that always made me feel like a good mama. :) She now has a love affair with music, she claims not to like country, but she can't hide the fact that she knows the words to a lot of my favorite country songs. lol

The opening line to Bob Segar's song, Her Strut, I have claimed as my own...

 



She's totally committed
To major independence
But she's a lady through and through

 

Yup...LOVE those words! I would love to have that on a shirt or a tattoo even. :) To me, it means I can be strong...I can be self dependant....I don't have to NEED a man or anyone....but I can also be loved by a man and not give up anything of myself. I can be strong and still be a lady. Such simple words of a song, but yet so strong that they have spoken to my heart for many, many years now.

 

There are songs, love songs, that can take me back to the first time I knew love. Those songs used to make me cry and miss that time of my life, but now they make me smile and realize just how far I have come and see that when I thought I had lost love, it only opened the doors to find the love I have now with my hubby. Then, there is the song that brings to mind the struggles hubby and I have been through and conquered. There is a song by Rascal Flatts, called God Bless The Broken Road...that song could have been written with us in mind...but it was written before we met. lol No matter, it is our anthem. The other song that we claim as ours is by Alan Jackson, Remember When....sigh...it just says it all and so well.

 

I have songs that make me think of my children too....songs that I sing as a type of prayer for them. Songs that make me smile through the tears and laugh through the hardships. Dream Big is one of those songs...and I Wish...both country songs, of course. lol

 

Like I said before, so many memories connected through music. It's all good! :)

 

OK, that's tonight's babbling blog. :)

 

Peace, Love and Sing On!



Thanksgiving 2013....

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I hope you all had a wonderful day giving thanks. Today was a very good day here in the Steel Workers Wife household. I got up and had the turkey in the roaster a little after 8am, it was only a 12 pounder this year as it was just the 3 of us, so it was done by noon. I love using my roaster as it was the same one my late mother-in-law used and it always makes me feel like she is with us whenever I use it. :)

The turkey came out delish and super moist. I have been blessed to never have made a bad turkey, but this year hubby said it was the best one yet! :) That always makes me feel good.

The son was not able to be home today as he had to work, but it was still a great day! Today is my moms birthday, yesterday was the hubby's birthday...we have a lot to be thankful for this month. The good outshines the bad, which is always a good thing. My mom just recently had shoulder surgery, so my Aunt and Uncle took Thanksgiving to my parents; which is another blessing as this took all the work out of my moms hands. From the photos, the turkey turned out very nice there too. :)

Today was a first for our daughter, K, as it was the first time she got to experience the madness we now call Dark Thursday. LOL Yes, we were one of the many souls who braved shopping in the madness...our madness has a name...Wal Mart! :) She only almost lost it twice, which is better than I had expected from a 14 yr old claustrophobic who had to deal with maddening crowds. It's bad enough when I have to, as I too have the same phobia and hate crowds, but to have her with me was a real blessing as we seemed to keep each other calm during the storm. lol We were lucky enough to find out right before we left that they would be handing out wristbands to those going after the "hot ticket" items...like the $98 32" TV we were going for. lol So, we got there early and stood in line for about an hour or so to get the wristband, which guaranteed us a TV and it also gave us the chance to continue shopping until a certain time at which we got into another line for only 30 min or so to retrieve said TV. We were one of the lucky ones who were only going after one hot ticket item, my friend B and her family were going after several, so that meant that they had to split up and then hustle to the next line...with 2 small children in tow. (I prayed for their peace of mind.) :)

The people were not that bad...all for the one lady who came charging through a jam in cart traffic yelling that if people didn't get out of her way she was going to start bashing them in the head. (sigh) Honestly, it would have been kinda fun to see her try and then see the police taser her. Yup, Wal Mart had quite a few of our city's finest out in force tonight....don't really blame them, do you? LOL I was also lucky enough to stop at a store before hand to get K's number one priority gift...and NO ONE was shopping there! :) I could have saved $10 had I waited to get it til Saturday, but they didn't have many in stock and well, once I got the thing I got a $10 off coupon for my next trip in...so, it all worked out in the end. :) And, best of all, we will have one happy girl come Christmas morning...that makes this ALL worth while.

AND...to my amazement, they had EVERY register open....except funny enough the ones in the garden area where they were having special deals every hour. LMAO You can't have it all at Wal Mart I guess. LOL

I had wanted to go to one more store tomorrow...for one thing, but seeing as how my body is not happy with me for my 6 hour stay at Wal Mart, I am not so sure I will be up to making that trip. It's not a huge importance, but the price is AWESOME...so, who knows, I may hobble my way over there first thing in the morning. lol

I have babbled on enough..but, I wanted to share a bit of our day with you before limping my way to bed. LOL Again, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have much to be thankful for this year.

Blessings,

Inside an Insomniacs Brain

As the title suggests, I have been dealing with a bad bout of insomnia this last week and well, at least I can say that I have thought up enough things for this blog. :)

There has been a lot of debate on whether or not it is right to go out and shop on Thanksgiving...I'm going to be honest with you all and tell you that YES, I will be one of "those people" who will be standing in lines on Thanksgiving Day and the day after. lol Would it be great if all the stores in the Nation could close on Thanksgiving and allow everyone to enjoy that day with family/friends? SURE! Is it realistic? NO! I figure, if I am out spending money on Thanksgiving and enjoying the time with my daughter (her first Thanksgiving/Black Friday event) and putting said money back into the economy then I'm not hurting anyone. I know....I know...don't even start in on me about it...I have heard it all already from my friends and family members on how its the principle of things..etc... This is not a perfect world people and well, people have to make money and if that means working on a holiday...then so be it. Not everyone has a job where they can afford to take off on every holiday, some people NEED to work any and every day they are given. My hubby worked last Thanksgiving and will again be working this Thanksgiving. It's not that he doesn't want to spend the day lounging around the house, eating good food, watching football and spending time with our family, no, it is simply because he needs to make a living for our family and lets face it folks, holiday pay is nothing to sniff your noses at.

I have been posting via Facebook about the things I am grateful for this month, I decided that I am going to TRY to post something like this every day. Why should we only announce that we are thankful during this time of the year? I am thankful for something every day of my life...aren't you? This thought took me onto another thought...

I am very grateful for my parents. We have been through the ringer since I was a teenager and well, doors may have been closed, but thankfully they were never locked for good. I used to wonder, a lot, if my dad (who adopted me when I was 8) and I ever really had a bond or not. He was not an emotional kind of man when I was growing up, let me interject that since the grand kids have come along he has gotten much better with showing his emotions, anyway, I digress...It was usually my dad and I who butted heads the most. I found it much easier to talk to my mom when it came to issues I was having, I never really stopped to think about how he showed that he cared for me in ways outside the realm of actual communication until just recently. See, my dad is a DIE HARD CUBS FAN...and well, at the age of 7 I became a DIE HARD WHITE SOX FAN; yes, this started out as my way of rebelling against him. Hey, I was 7 and he had just married my mom, I was allowed. lol Anyway, it was not til recently that I sat down and started thinking about how he may have showed me he loved me in other ways that I realized that this man, my dad, THE DIE HARD CUBS FAN, bent for me by taking me to baseball games....ALL were to see the White Sox play. I never thought of it then, I was a self absorbed kid after all who thought dad didn't like me. Now, after looking back on it, I know he must have loved me to put his likes aside to make sure that I enjoyed mine. I hope he knows how much I love him, how sorry I am for all the dumb and hurtful things I have said and done to him and mom over the years. It wasn't til just several years ago that I realized how important it is to have a loving and wonderful relationship with your parents. It is still hard for dad and I at times to communicate, but we are both getting better at it. We no longer sit in the same room just pretending the other is not there...yup, we are at least trying. And, for that,  I am extremely grateful.

My parents have bent over backwards to help me and my children, a lot of the times without being asked. I never understood how a parent could do that until recently...it really opened my eyes. I love my parents, unconditionally. I have done and said things that they didn't have to forgive me for, things that could have split our family up with no hope of repair, but they never really truly shunned me. We may have had times of struggling to be civil to one another for the sake of my children, we may have had awkward times at family gatherings where we hardly spoke to one another, but with time, patience and lots of love and work we are starting to move on towards a much happier and healthier relationship. Yup...I have a lot to be grateful for.

Our son is going through similar issues right now...he is almost 21. He moved out when he was 18 to go live with my parents, the way he did it was very hurtful and it took us time to be able to move past it but we did. Now, he is living back home, in college and working...all things I am grateful for. He is not the most responsible adult he could be, were we ever at that age? I'm thankful that he doesn't have any children, like I did, at his age. I am trying to teach him that he has to man up and be responsible and get his priorities in check or he will be facing some very hard times down the road. Hubby and I are trying our own form of 'tough love' with him, don't know yet if it is working...I pray it is. Our daughter is going through her own mid teen crisis right now too. It is easy for us parents to forget how it was when we were teens, especially us moms. She is a Freshman this year...low man on the pole and that is not an easy thing to go through. She has a hard time seeing that she does have friends, friends who actually care about her and her feelings. I would love to say that I never had that problem, but well, that age is never easy and especially for us girls. I am doing my best to try and relate to her as much as possible....I must say she has a great relationship with her daddy, she seems to talk to him easier than she does with me. I can say that I am just happy she is talking to one of us, but honestly, I feel left out sometimes hearing things second hand. lol BUT, I will not let my feelings get in the way here. What is important is how our kids feel and of course we are always trying to make sure they know that they come first with us. Not always an easy job, I'm sure you know.

OK....I have rambled on long enough. Insomnia sucks! I am going to try and fix all my typos, but please look past any that I may have missed....after all my brain is not running quite right at the moment. :)

Hugs and Blessings....

Is it considered cheating if...

So, is it considered cheating if I blog via my mobile phone?

I am not doing it via my mobile because it is easier...cuz truth be told, it is actually harder to blog this way. I am blogging or well...trying to blog via mobile because I am a lil under the weather and being comfortable is a priority for me right now and it can be a bit tricky to lay in bed or recline on the couch and be comfy with a laptop in your lap.lol

See....this also part of my argument for getting me a tablet.lmao For some reason I don't think hubby is gonna but into that all too well....but a girl can try, right? ;)

Ok...thats enough rambling. I had only intended to do a test blog from my mobile...but in true LuLu form, I rambled a bit more than intended. Hahahahahaha

Have a great day!!
LuLu

Playing Catch Up....Blogger style

WOW...it sure has been a while since I have done a blog, but I am sure I will not having any problems remembering how to do it. :)

Quite a bit has been going on here since the last time we blogged together. I started working at a medical group in a neighboring city, I truly do enjoy it. I am working with one of my best friends, K. I have been off work for almost a week now due to more issues with my heart, but am hoping the heart doc lets me off this short leash he has me on. lol No long distance driving....he actually told me that he does not want me driving too much further than I absolutely have to and well, Hubby is all over that! I am being good...but honestly, I am not sure how much longer that is going to hold out. ;) No, really, I am listening to the Doc and Hubby....I know it is for my own good, but please, don't tell Hubby I said that. ;)

So...aside from my heart giving me issues, life has been doing well. My son has yet to be able to join the Army due to him having a GED and not enough college credits at this time; he needs 9 more credits and we are working on getting him back into college...but for now he just got hired for his 2nd job here where I live and will be transferring his other job to a location here in town. What does all that mean? It means he will be moving back home for a time being. I am not sure how I feel about that quite yet, don't get me wrong, I love my son and want only the best for him...I'm just not sure if moving back here is what is best for him. I guess my only real concern is that I don't want him to fall back into the old ways...the "I can do whatever I want cuz Im grown" ways. Yes, he is almost 21 yrs old, but he also has to realize that he lives in our home and there will be rules to follow and yes, we will expect him to help out with chores and such when he is not working or going to school. His dad and I are also very concerned that he may hook up with the group of "friends" he had before he left this area...and in my opinion, that is not a good thing. He has made new and what seem to be better friends since he moved out, and we really hope that they stay in his life....I would hate to see him take too many steps back, if you know what I mean.

A couple of weeks ago I got the chance to hang out with some girl friends that I have not seen since we graduated High School over 20 yrs ago. It was a blast! These women are the closest thing to sisters I will ever have, and I love them with all that I am! We are all going through stuff in our lives, some of it we can relate to with one another and then there are some things that even though we cannot relate to, we can be there for moral support and an ear when venting or crying is needed. We know none of us have the magic words to fix our problems, but just knowing that we have someone in our corner at all times helps...ALOT!

Our youngest daughter, Kbug, is entering her freshman year in High School this Aug. WOW!! I have no clue where the time went! It seems like just last month she was graduating from the 5th grade. :) She sure is growing up fast! Just this past Friday, thanks to her yaya (grama), she was able to go and enjoy her first trip to Comic Con in Chicago, ILL. She dressed up as the female version of Doctor Who....she was great! She had a wonderful time and so did my mom. I am so thankful for my mom, due to me being in the hospital and then under strict orders not to wander too far from home, my mom took her in my place. If you are on my facebook page then you have already seen those pics. :)

Hubby is doing well...still dealing with his health issues, but for now they seem to be holding steady. I thank God for that! I am not sure what I would do without that man in my life, well..both of them...God and Hubby. :)

OK...I have babbled long enough on this trip. Thanks for hanging out with me. :)

Ramblings of an Insomniac

Well, insomnia has come to pay a visit and I just wish it would pack its bags and leave already! lol I am not a fan of insomnia, especially when it stays for an extended visit..but, then again, who is really?

This week has been pretty "normal", except for a few moments that I felt insanity was setting in...but, that was just when everyone's schedules collided at once. We try to keep a good routine here in the house, but with summer break just starting there was some fine tuning that had to be done. My work schedule is pretty routine, but hubby's tends to waiver now and again; his days off are not as set as mine and well, that just pretty much sucks. lol

We did get a surprise a couple weeks ago when our youngest son came to us and told us and his grandparents that he was joining the Army. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I think that deep down in my soul I knew this was coming...just didn't know when. I am very proud of him for taking such a big leap...and being an adult about it too. It is not a decision he made lightly, or well, I hope it was not. He will be leaving for basic sometime after the new year, or so it seems right now. He is going to grab a few more credits from college and go delayed entry...which means, if I understood him correctly, that he will leave after the fall semester is over. (sigh) I am so proud that he wants to serve his country...and I would be telling you all a lie if I said I wasn't thrilled beyond words to hear that since his Reserve unit is a brand new unit, he will not be able to be called up for active duty for a full year. Hey...just being honest here.

Our eldest grandson just graduated High School and will now be attending Indiana State University this fall. I was hoping we would be able to go and help him celebrate at his open house today, but God had different plans for us. (sigh) I just hope he knows that even though we were not there, we love him very much and we are so very proud of him!

We have been missing a lot of family get togethers on the hubby's side of the family lately...and it really does break my heart. I hate that we don't live as close as I would like to...but that isn't an excuse for missing so many things family related. With hubby not having any set days off work, it is hard to get away as a family and do family things. Yes, I could possibly go on my own...but every time I plan to do just that, something comes up. It is either a bill that has to be paid or someone gets ill....and that someone is usually me these days. Every since my lupus has gone systemic it has taken all I have just to get through my part time work schedule without calling off. My job is not the strenuous, but there are just days that my body likes to rebell. I feel as if his side of the family has given up on us, and honestly there are times I wouldn't blame them for feeling that way. I hope they understand that it is not because we don't love them and that we don't want to be with them....that life just seems to make other plans without notice.

Right now I am trying to figure out how to pull a trip to Comicon together for Katie in August. Tickets are getting higher and higher by the day it seems. (sigh) I know she really wants to go...this is something she has been wanting to do for a couple of years now and her daddy and I really want to be able to take her. She is a great kid and really, she does deserve to go and live her dream for a day. I just pray that we will be able to make it a dream come true for her. I hate to think of disappointing her like this. It is not a big thing she has asked for, and again, it is something her daddy and I really want to do for her.

I know this blog has rambled on and on a bit..but well...that is what you get when I cannot sleep. LOL Thanks for hanging in this long. I just needed to get some stuff off my mind and well, what better way than blog?

Again, thanks for listening to my rambles and I hope you all have a wonderful day/night!

Update on Life

Hello Bloggerville! I hope you are all doing well. We have been very busy around here...as you can probably tell from my lack of blogs, but I am going to try to at least post once a week...TRY being the word here. lol

Well, our youngest son, Drew, has joined the Army Reserves. He will be shipping out to Basic Training in a month or two. His Unit will be stationed here in the city where I live...which is nice as he is also wanting to move back to this area....get his own place and transfer his job to a store in town after he gets home from Basic and AIT. And, because his unit is a brand new unit, they cannot call them up for active duty for a year...and well, that helps settle my mind and heart ALOT! :)

Our youngest daughter, Katie, is now officially a high schooler. She graduated from the 8th grade today...with honors! So very proud of her! Right now all she can think of is how to spend her summer. LOL

I got a job in the next city as a Medical Assistant and am really loving my job! It is not only a great job, but a great diversion to helping me keep what sanity I still have left. lol I only work part time for now, but who knows where this job will lead me. At least I got my foot in the door and cannot wait to see what happens next. :)

Hubby is doing better...still battling the right sided heart failure issues...but he is working hard at doing the right things. We are all changing our diets and lifestyle...and that is all a good thing. So, keeping my eyes on the positives and going forward with life. (Pretty much all ya can do, huh? LOL)

I thought I would have more to say...as I have been battling insomnia...but I think sleep may be in reach now. YAY! LOL

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

HUGS!

Lazy Day

Happy Tuesday everyone. Today was truly a lazy Tuesday, infact its so lazy I am doing this blog via my phone.lol

It is a Top Ten Tuesday also....so, lets get that out of the way.lol

1) Been dealing with a sick dog today...thankfully she is feeling better.

2) I have a job interview Thursday...very excited!

3) My lupus has been causing me some pain the last two days...so being lazy and resting up for interview. Its mainly my back thats hurting.

4) I laid down for an hour power nap and woke up 4 hours later.lol I think my body needed it.

5) I want to get the new dorectv genie...i need to be able to dvr more than 2 shows at once. LOL

6) Very proud of Kbug...she has given us a lil over a months notice for her spring formal...unlike the 4 days last year.lol

7) Just found out they gave my new fav show, Zero Hour, the ax...hoping they run the rest of the episodes this summer.

8) Still trying to figure out what to do on spring break with Kbug....

9) Looking forward to getting together with an old school friend this week.

10) Oh...going to comicon this year for Kbugs bday...she has decided (for now) that she ia going as a female Doctor Who.

Well, this was pretty easy.lol Hope you all have a great day!

Lu

Out of Time Out....and a Top Ten Tuesday

Hello Bloggers! I have been on a self imposed time out of sorts the last few weeks, but I have been looking forward to returning to bloggerville. :)

I figured returning on a Tuesday, although was not planned, was a great idea as I can kick off my return with my Top Ten Tuesday post....I love it when a plan comes together. :)

1) Dr. changed my fibromyalgia meds and they seem to be working soooo much better, as I am getting around much better since starting the new med.

2) The saying, "When it rains, it pours"....I have learned that all that may be true, but if you keep your faith in not only God but your partner, God will provide the umbrella. (And the hubby will provide the entertainment. lol)

3) We have several fire detectors in our home, but the one by our bedroom (in the hall) is a talking one...or so we have found out recently when at 3am we were woken up hearing: "ALERT! BATTERY LOW!" Nice to know....lol

4) We are to be getting a winter storm today...I kinda expected this as we have had a very mild winter....In like a Lamb, out like a Lion...right?

5) Hubby and I want to start a tradition with his side of the family....we want to have a Family BBQ every year and each year someone new hosts it...kinda like my Dad's side of the family does with the golf outing every year. Now....just to get everyone else on board. LOL

6) I am trying to come up with some fun and not so costly things to do with Kbug over her Spring Break....thinking maybe a day trip to Chicago or just heading down to Indianapolis....

7) We are going to be painting the daughters (Kbug) room here soon....she has finally settled on some colors...a light green and a brighter green...and one wall will be flat white so she can paint and doodle on it and we can paint over it whenever we want or need to.

8) We have more spring/summer projects we want to get done, but this year we are starting ONE and not moving onto the next one til the first one is DONE. LOL

9) I will be renting a heavy duty carpet steamer this spring....we have a carpet cleaner, but I want to steam the carpets really well this spring. I have never done that in this house and well...after reading a report on how much cleaner and healthier it is to steam the carpet at least 1-2 times a year, I think it will only help us in the long run.

10) I hope that you are all doing well and keeping healthy! May you have a wonderful and Blessed Day!

Ten thougts and Wednesdy Wonderment...all in one

I totally forgot to get online and do my Top Ten Tuesday Blog....but that's OK cuz I am going to combine them within this blog. :)

When you make a PB&J sandwich....do you a) use two different utensils..one for PB and one for J, b) clean off utensil after PB and then use it for J OR c) Don't bother with either and just dig right in both? I only ask this because this has caused a "discussion" in my house between me and Rick (Hubby). Yesterday he made a PB&J sammie and he got jelly in my peanut butter!!!! Yes, he cross-contaminated! UGH! I just think that is WRONG on sooo many levels. What do you think?

I am about to start writing for grants...even borrowed the book, 'Grant writing for Dummies'...lol This should be interesting, heck...the worst thing is that they can say NO..right?

I am really trying to give up the soda/pop....I'm trying to give up processed foods....I gave up smoking, so I figure I should be able to do this, right? And, I will admit, I still have urges for a smoke, but I have not been giving in. :)

I am redoing my 40th birthday this year...I was not able to pull together what I wanted to do for my 40th and really, had no one to help...so, I am starting early this year and will be recruiting some to help me pull it all together. I figure, if I deserve one birthday to be how I want it to be, it is my 40th..dang it. lol And, I'm not looking for a huge party.,...just some of us getting together and maybe taking off for a day/night in Chicago. My bday is in June, so its perfect weather for a trip like that and it is still close enough to home in case there is an emergency. (I'm only an hour away from Chicago)

I think that drinking too much diet pop and processed foods may have been irritating my Lupus, and the Dr seems to agree...I really hope that we can get that under control. I hate it now, more than ever, since it went systemic on me. BUT, if there is a way to beat it back, I will find the way. :)

I worry about my son....I hate that he has put himself in a type of Limbo...no school and no job right now. I just worry about him and pray he starts to make better choices for his life. It's funny, today my daughter asked me where she would go if she was a minor and her dad and I died. We talked a bit about it and she then asked me if she would go live with her brother....I told her no, because she would end up raising him. At first I thought it was funny...but the more I thought about it, it was the actually truth. Yup, I worry about my son.

I'm over this cold and snow crap outside. Mother Nature needs to get back on her meds and figure this crap out and SOON! I am way beyond being ready for spring. lol I am starting to plan out my garden, I cannot wait to be able to get out and play in the dirt again. ;) Do you garden? If so, what's big and whats not...I mean, what works for you and what have you found doesn't? I need some tips. :)

I hope you all have a wonderful day and I appreciate you sticking around while I rambled today. :)

The Steel Workers Wife

Where should we draw the line??

Now, some of you may or may not know what is going on here in the US concerning gun control, and I would take the time to explain it all, but well, that can be for another blog. (lol) Personally, I don't have a problem with the government asking that there be complete background checks and mental health checks done on people wanting to buy a gun...I think that all makes total sense, personally that is. I know, I know, it won't stop criminals from getting guns, but please, let us all be realistic here...NOTHING is going to stop a criminal from getting a gun if he/she wants to get one. I think that if you think any different on that one, then you are just delusional. (MY opinion.)

Some people say that we should let our teachers carry weapons, some say that we should have a police officer or two...or three in every school, some think that our bus drivers should be armed....my question is: Where should we draw the line? I know everyone who thinks the above has good intentions and are afraid for the children and well, for everyone! I am just not sure where I truly stand on those points. Yesterday, in Illinois, a school principal popped off two shots from a starter pistol so the students and staff would know what the sound of a gun sounded like and could possibly get to safety faster should there be an issue....some students heard it, some did not ....so, did he really accomplish the goal he set to?

I remember when I was a kid, my parents didn't walk me to the bus stop, they didn't have the worry that I wouldn't make it down the street. They didn't worry about if there was going to be a crazed man out there taking kids hostage from their school bus. I know, I know, the world is a very different place now, but still....Every morning when my daughter heads out down the street to her bus stop, I stand and watch her and I have constant open communication with her to make sure she has arrived safely; and every morning while I am watching her walk to her bus stop I cannot help but think how sad it is that I feel compelled to watch her walk all the way of not even 2 blocks. Will I stop watching? No, probbly not. I cannot even help but think that there may come a day when I stop letting her walk to the bus stop alone, that I either start driving her down there to drop her off or that I just start taking her to school myself, bypassing all the worry. But, does the worry really stop once I know she is at school safe and sound? No, it does not. I try not to dwell on the negative, as I believe we get back what we put out there and well, that is just not something I want coming back on me, but I cannot help every now and again to wonder just how safe she really is inside her school.

A couple of months ago her school was put on lock down for more than half the day due to an altercation, with a gun, taking place outside of her school. Was I notified? No, not at all. If my daughter had not mentioned it to us, we never would have known. BUT, the school can send me a recorded message to my phone reminding me about a school dance or family fun night....now, that I believe is just plain ignorant.

So, again, I ask...where do we draw the line? Is it when I decide to home school her? Is it when it is a norm to have school teachers qualify with a weapon to be able to do their job? Is it when we let our bus drivers carry a side arm and then we sit and worry about one of the students getting a hair up their arses and taking that weapon away from the old man driving the bus? I wish I could answer this question, I really do, but I will not lie to you....we have been talking more and more about home schooling. Is it something that our daughter really wants to do? No, and I hate the thought of pushing her to do something that will not make her happy...but then again, would it just be the one thing that saves her life? So many questions and so many variables...too many in fact. My mind starts spinning just writing this blog.

I know this has been a rather long blog, but I just had to get it off my mind before it exploded. Thank you for being my sounding board.

The Steel Workers Wife

Top Ten Tuesday

Good Morning Bloggers! It is once again time for my Top Ten Tuesday list...I know, I know, you have been awaiting it all week, haven't you? LOL

1) Somedays I think it doesn't pay to be a woman.....all the time. lol

2) I think my hubby has been holding out on me for the last 10 yrs...HE CAN COOK!

3) Facebook is losing more and more of its luster for me....seriously, I only keep it because well,  I have sooo many Bingo credits and (sigh), I am addicted to Bingo. lol

4) I hate having an illness that no one can see...it hinders some peoples "understanding" and empathy.

5) I applied to Purdue to get my Bachelors Degree....it's part of our "Plan"..me and the hubby. lol

6) I think my family and I need another family photo taken, it has been several years since the last.

7) Debating on if I will add photos to this weeks TTT or not.....

8) Even though my phone took a dive into the toilet (see previous blog), it is working...with "glitches", but it is working. :)

9) I have an urge to watch old black and white movies...anything with Cary Grant in them.

10) I cannot wait for real spring to get here...cuz today is just a taste of it...a fake spring day is what it is. lol

May you all have a wonderful week....Peace, Love and Old Movies!