Happy Mother’s Day!
I hope that everyone has a wonderful Mother’s Day.
M-O-T-H-E-R
by: Howard Johnson
"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she’s growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold;
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she’ll always be,
Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.
I hope to be able to celebrate Mother’s Day with a little one of my own…
Maybe one day…
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Ambien Texting
I take Ambien to help me stay asleep at night. Every now and then I take it and then something will distract me and I don’t go right to bed. Sometimes ridiculous things happen like online shopping…
…or the following conversation with my husband via text.
Me: I waited too long. I can’t find the bed bow
Me: It is a far ride
Me: I made it but it feel to floor. I got covers now. Say goodnight Heidi. Love husband T.
Me: Talk tosunday Night er
Husband: Good night
Husband: I love u
Me: Night madness
Me: Love
Husband: Madness
Me: No it ok
Me: Left arrow to finger
Husband: Ok.
Me: Makes music to fish
Husband: How are u
Me: U is the letter
Husband: You
Me: Wendy says grate
Me: You yes
Husband: Who What
Me: Who who
Me: Why are I typing
Husband: Will call u in a few
Me: Call then. Wood be grant
Me: Bring lemon pie
My question now is…where’s my lemon pie?
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Diamond Pet Food Recall–Deja Vu
I swear I’m back in 2006 when I first heard about the Diamond pet food recall and all of the animals that were dying due to the 
containments found in their pet food. In 2005/6 it was aflatoxin.
In 2012 it’s Salmonella.
In 2006/7 we lost our two cats because we were naïve and didn’t know about pet foods. I didn’t know how dry pet foods are made. I honestly didn’t know any better.
But I do now.
Diamond pet foods are recalled once again. And they’ve expanded the recall twice. Need more information? Here’s a link: http://diamondpetrecall.com/diamond-expands-voluntary-recall/
Here are the brands that are included in the recall (so far):
- Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
- Country Value
- Diamond
- Diamond Naturals
- Premium Edge
- Professional
- 4Health
- Taste of the Wild
And here are the brands that Diamond makes:
- Canidae Pet Food
- Costco‘s Kirkland Signature
- Solid Gold Health Products for Pets
- Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Pet Foods
- Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain (Available only at Costco)
- Taste of the Wild Pet Foods
- Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
- 4Health (Available only at Tractor Supply Company)
- NutraGold Super Premium Holistic Formulas
This is one of those causes that I feel strongly about. Our animals rely on us to feed them and we rely on the pet food manufacturers to make food that’s not going to harm them. Yet, more dogs and cats and dying AGAIN.
Why? And when will it stop?
It’s not just Diamond either. Right now there is also a large recall on chicken jerky treats.
PLEASE, for the sake of your pet’s health…PLEASE feed your pet better food. Please pay attention to labels and where it is manufactured and what type of ingredients are in it. Do the research.
Your dog or cat will thank you.
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10 Things I’m Loving Right Now
Haven’t done one of these in a while – almost a year! These are not things in general that I like, but things that I am either using or recently bought, or even things/people who I am loving from around the net.
In no particular order.
1. Vera Bradley
Photo via Vera Bradley.com
My mother got me addicted to these purses. We were always on the search for the “perfect purse” – what woman isn’t? First we loved a The Sak small hobo purse. It was the perfect size for everything – not too big, not too small. And then a couple years later, my mom found these purses at a Hallmark store. Vera Bradley products are quilted cloth so they are really light and machine washable! ‘On The Go’ is my favorite style and I have three different patterns: Symphony In Hue, Suzani, and Plum Petals (shown above). I want to get one in Safari Sunset and Ellie Blue as well. I also have a wristlet in Doodle Daisy, a Tech Case in Symphony In Hue, and a wallet in Purple Punch. Oh! I also have a chain lanyard in Boysenberry. Omg, they have a camera bag. It.will.be.mine!!
2. Merrell Walking Shoes
Photo via Zappos.com
My job moved to a new location (more coming on that later) and there is a lot more walking to do on a daily basis. The food court is farther away, the ATM machine is farther away, the ice machine is on another floor, even the printer and the bathroom is a little walk. Because of this, I needed better shoes to walk around in all day. I only had a pair of navy work shoes and a pair of black shoes with too much of a heel to be walking around in constantly so I went on a quest to find comfortable work shoes! I got 3 pairs and one of them were Merrell Siren Sport found on Zappos.com. (I did all my shoe shopping online) I love these shoes!!! They are SO light and so, so comfortable! It’s like heaven for the feet. I like Merrells in general but these? These are lovely! The other shoes I got are Alegria and Skechers.
3. InkJoy Pens by PaperMate
Photo via Flickr
I love pens so when I saw a commercial for InkJoy pens I knew I needed to check them out! I love them! They are smooth, not gloppy, and come in a rainbow of colors as seen above! I have that set as well as two others. I use them at home and at work. If you are a pen lover you need to check them out.
4. Hunger Games
Photo via Suzanne Collins
I originally wasn’t interested in listening to The Hunger Games. I didn’t really know what it was about. I also wasn’t interested in the movie, although I had seen the trailers on tv. When I started the YA Audiobook Challenge I decided to give it a try. I really liked it. I didn’t expect to and I really didn’t expect to want to listen to the next book, Catching Fire, right after the first (and I wish I had the third book, Mocking Jay, already!!) But, I enjoyed both books. (reviews to come soon!) And…now I need to see the movie. STAT!
5. Speck iPhone Cases
Photo via Flickr
I have a small obsession with iPhone cases. I may need a 12 step program and/or medication and injections. I have 5 cases right now and am itching for another one. Me, the girl who doesn’t like change, is constantly changing up my iPhone case. I have one case from iSkin (also, my iPad case is from iSkin), one from CaseMate, one from Incipio that messes with the camera so I don’t use it, and 2 from Speck. The Speck ones are my favorite. I have a white CandyShell Flip and a purple CandyShell Grip. The Grip one is cool, although it’s a little wider than the Flip. I never used the actual flip part, so I’ll probably just get a normal CandyShell one next. Not sure what color combination it will be.
6. Tess Munster
Photo via blog
From Madame Munster’s website:
Tess is a Plus Model, Blogger, Mother, & Cupcake Enthusiast! From FATshion, fat-acceptance, & CURVEpower, she is on a mission to empower women of all shapes & sizes! Also, she plans to change the way YOU think about curvy women one glittery glossed lip at a time!
She is fabulous. I have a serious lady crush on her. I wish I had half her confidence. She has a blog, and a tumblr, and is on twitter and facebook too. She makes me feel better about being me and if anyone can do that, it’s a good thing! Not that I feel bad about myself, because I do not. But seeing her rocking out and doing her thing…makes me smile and think, “you go girl” and helps me to remember that I need to love the body I am in right now.
7. Applebees Oriental Chicken Salad
Photo via
LOVE this salad. Love it!! I think it’s the crunchiness of the cabbage, lettuce, noodles, and almonds plus the sweet dressing. I need to try one of the recipes online to make the dressing so I can recreate this salad. I could literally eat it every day it is that yummy!
8. Scramble With Friends
Photo via Facebook
Zynga does it again! Another addicting game! This is a fast paced, 3 round game that is similar to Boggle. I have been playing with 4 girls from work and have been having a blast doing so. If you like Boggle or word games you must try it!
9. Oil of Olay 7-in-1 Advanced Anti Aging Body Wash
Photo via
Another something I love that was a recommendation from my mother. This body wash is the best ever! Make sure you get the Deep Penetrating Moisture one. It’s a little pricey for bodywash but it’s totally worth it. You don’t even need lotion when you use it. I am not a lotion person because I don’t like how it weighs down my skin. Weird, I know, so this? Is awesome!! A little goes a long way with this body wash. It’s thick and creamy and goes a long way. If you use it for a few days in a row then you can safely skip a day without needing lotion. I also use a face wash in this line.
10. My Nieces and Nephews
I couldn’t think of a 10th thing so here is a photo of my sister’s triplets. Aren’t they adorable? I took this photo around Easter…we had a little photo shoot. Try getting three babies to look the same way at the same time….yeah, impossible!
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Review: If I Stay by Gayle Foreman
This is my first review for the YA Audiobook Challenge so please bear with me as I muddle my way through it. I’m sure I’ll get a good format going once I get a couple under my belt.
If I Stay
Written by: Gayle Foreman ~ Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
Length: 5 hours 2 minutes
In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck.
A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make – and the ultimate choice Mia commands.
©2009 Dutton Juvenile; (P)2009 Penguin
This book was recommended by a few different listeners in the YA Audiobook Challenge on either their Goodreads page or blog so I decided to give it a whirl. Plus it is a short book as far as listening goes at a smidgen over 5 hours and since I started the challenge late I needed to catch up by getting as many books in as I possibly could in the beginning (I’m 3 books in now…still behind but definitely catching up!)
I don’t always read more than just the basic little blurb about a book before listening to it and I will basically listen to anything so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
The narrator was great and there was nice musical parts as well. As anyone who listens to books on a regular basis knows, a narrator can make or break a book. I have tried to get through a steamy love story with a ridiculous narrator and just can’t do it. Or, when the author decides to read their own book…not always a good thing. Yeah, Marley and Me, I am talking to you. Sorry but I could.not.listen to that book.
Anyway, the story was great. Not your typical storyline and not a girl-falls-in-love-falls-out-of-love angsty kind of book either. The emotions in this book were real – partially because of the narrator – and it was a little bit of every emotion. I found myself smiling, laughing, cheering, crying, and shocked even. And best of all, it left me wanting MORE. Good thing there is a second book in the series. I haven’t listened to it yet, but I will soon!
I give it: 
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Help For a Friend–Ricci Perkins, Original Artist
I am in the middle of doing my schoolwork that was due yesterday but I wanted to make a quick request for my friend, Ricci Perkins aka Richelle. I had written about her music in the past and how proud I am of her for following her dream and explained her inspiration and everything.
Well, Ricci is currently in Nashville bringing her dream to reality and recording her first album!! Unfortunately, she has hit a snag…one of the background singers who was supposed to come never showed up and they needed 
to replace her but the replacement costs money…which she doesn’t have. $1000.00 of money she doesn’t have. She has everything else to this point paid for.
Ever have a dream just out of grasp? Yeah, this is where my friend is. I feel for her and I so wish my husband and I could help her. We sent what we could and so have some others, but she is still only 1/3 of the way there.
If you are reading this and can find it in your heart to donate a few dollars to help pay for her backup singer it would be greatly appreciated by both her and I. I have heard some of her raw songs and they are really great! She writes her own lyrics and music and everything too…the girl has real talent! She just needs a break!!!
If I had some type of product I could offer for a donation towards her backup singer, I totally would. Maybe a Wordpress or Blogger theme? Contact me and we’ll talk! I can make logos too. Seriously, contact me and maybe there is something I can do for you.
She is GOING to come up with the money come hell or high water and will probably end up living in her car to do so.
Thing is, Ricci has Lupus and APS as well as other illnesses and is on disability because of it. She would work if she could. She worked sick for many many years but she needed to stop because she kept getting sicker.
I’m talking about the cost of a cup of coffee or that extra donut. Every little bit counts as everyone knows. I know times are tough for everyone. I do, I just feel for my friend and wish there was something I could do.
If anyone has any other ideas or wants more information on how to donate, please contact me or leave a comment. Any ideas are greatly appreciated and donations are as well!
Thank you…back to schoolwork. I’ll write an update this week sometime.
Follow Ricci on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and ReverbNation.
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This Is Not What’s Going To Kill Me
This blog is months overdue. I’ve written it about 4 different times and scrapped it each time. I just can’t seem to get all the way through it but here goes attempt #5 anyway…maybe taking a different approach to the subject will help.
I still find it kind of odd when people at work who I haven’t seen in a while ask me how I am doing. I have to stop and think about my answer because the first thing that I think is, “I’m fine, of course. Why would I be any different?”
Thing is, I was off work for 3 months because I was diagnosed with Uterine (Endrometrial) Cancer in the beginning of November. The week after Thanksgiving I had a complete hysterectomy (including ovaries) and in January I started 5 weeks of radiation treatments.
I was off work from Thanksgiving till the end of February. So this is why they are asking me how I am doing.
Partly I believe that the outcome could have been prevented (or caught earlier) had I been going to the gyn as a woman should go. I didn’t though and here we are. I know better now and thankfully it wasn’t any worse than it was. Although I guess cancer, surgery, and radiation is pretty bad. Hindsight is 20/20, right?
I know I seem so matter of fact about this all. Partly, I have dealt with health issues with my husband for years from unknown diseases to his APS diagnosis to multiple mini strokes and mental breakdowns – his and mine, mind you. If I had a breakdown every time some health issue came our way I’d be committed. So I deal.
I’m not saying I haven’t had some issues with dealing with all of this, I certainly have. And the complete hysterectomy has thrown me into menopause which has been a blast, let me tell you. It’s been a lot of trying to process frustration that I don’t know what to do with and needing to just be alone and calm down. That and the occasional night sweat and hot flash thrown in. But again, I am dealing.
My mother was diagnosed with the same cancer a number of years ago. She was 54 at the time though and not 37 like I was. She also didn’t need radiation. She has said something to me that has rang so true for me as well. She told me that she said to herself that, “this is not what’s going to kill me” and then she did what she had to do (surgery), took time to recover, and went on with her life.
And that’s what I’m doing too.
This cancer isn’t going to be what kills me. It isn’t going to hold me back. I’m not going to dwell over it or be sad or depressed because of it. I did what needed to be done and now all of that is over.
Don’t get me wrong, some of it wasn’t easy. I was in a lot of pain after the surgery but I healed and it did get better. It took time but I took the time to heal. Radiation wasn’t easy. I won’t lie, the side effects were a bitch. I thought they would never end…but they did.
I often wonder if I should have reacted differently. I was watching a program and a woman they were interviewing said she was diagnosed with uterine cancer and her world completely stopped. That didn’t really happen for me. I had a few moments but then I was pretty much fine. I still am pretty much fine. My husband (and sometimes I think other people) was waiting for me to break down and snap but it never happened.
Is that wrong? Is something wrong with me because that’s not how I reacted? I don’t think so, but I don’t know.
Maybe I’m just wired differently.
All I know is that this cancer that I was diagnosed with, “this is not what’s going to kill me” and that life goes on.
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2012 Young Adult Audiobook Challenge
If you have read my blog at all you should know that I love to listen to audio books. I am able to wear headphones and listen to whatever I wish all day long while I work and audio books usually help the day go by faster. Also, I will listen to just about everything and have books from all genres on my iPod.
I got 3 bonus credits on Audible today and while I was looking for new books to get I read in a review that someone joined the Young Adult Audiobook Challenge. I had to Google it and find out what this was all about because I love audiobooks and am always looking for new books to listen to.
The challenge is hosted by Jen at A Book and a Latte. The challenge is to listen to 12 Young Adult audiobooks and write 12 reviews before the end of 2012. And even though the challenge started in January and I’m 2 months behind, I shouldn’t have any problems getting in 12 YA books in a year. I just finished Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich in 2 or 3 days, so I should be just fine.
The books I got tonight are: If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Cinder by Marissa Meyer, and Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I already have Vampire Academy, 2 of the Hunger Games books, 3 or so of the House of Night books (I love the series, but the narrator changes have been so bad that I am struggling to get through the books!!), and a couple other random YA books on my iPod so I’ll be set for a while on YA titles. I also loaded up my wish list on Audible with some more YA titles for future credits.
I think I am going to start with If I Stay because that is the shortest of the 3 new books and I should be able to finish it in a couple days. I am also going to only use books that I’ve started during the challenge. I’ve listened to half of one of the House of Night books but haven’t finished it yet and I’ve also listened to a few hours of Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25. I may start the books over for them to count though. That will work, right?
I will be writing reviews of the books I listen to and posting them on Goodreads, Audible, and here on my blog. So look for them soon!
If anyone wants to join the challenge you can do so at this link: 2012 Young Adult Audiobook Challenge.
Let me know if you join!
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Weight Loss Update
This is a quick update about my weight loss since September.
I’ve lost 58 lbs!
I am down a shirt size and a pant size. At least that much, maybe more.
I have clothing issues and like my clothes big to start with, so I am still comfortable in shirts that are the old size, even though they are clearly too big for me now. *big smile*!
And pants…well I have yet to find a pair of jeans that doesn’t cut off my stomach circulation, have a 40 inch crotch, and are long enough for my not quite petite, but regular is too long (sometimes).
Also, I am desperately afraid of my pants being ‘too short’ as in “where’s the flood” too short.
I’m sure these clothing issues will work out just fine, it’s just part of the journey I guess.
I’ve said before (maybe not here) that losing weight is not only physical but also mental. At some point when you lose large amounts of weight you will look in the mirror and not recognize who is looking back at you. I have had some moments of that happening. Just moments though, nothing major yet.
But how weird will that be when that does happen?
Anyway, I need a new wardrobe that I will shrink out of again to replace again. lol I have a lot of shirts that were a little too small that I didn’t wear so I basically just need new pants. And jeans. Always the search for good jeans!
I don’t really have any weight loss resolutions, I just plan to carry on as I have been.
Well actually, better than I have been because I have been slacking lately…that ends today though.
I have joined Weight Watchers online again. I plan to actually follow the plan this time and write foods down and all that.
I so didn’t last time, but I am partially there anyway, I just need to tighten back up and get back on track.
If there is anyone reading who’s also on WW online and needs a buddy, my screen name is: IMAPEARLUVR. Just let me know you found me via my blog. We can encourage and inspire each other.
58 pounds!! I still don’t believe it!
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My Word for 2012
The writers of a lot of the blogs I read have picked a word to focus on in the new year. A word to shape how they plan on tackling the year ahead of them.
This is inspiring to me, so I have chosen a word as well.
My word for 2012 is fulfill.
fulfil or fulfill (fʊlˈfɪl)
— vb , ( US ) -fils , -fills , -filling , -filled
1. to bring about the completion or achievement of (a desire,promise, etc)
2. to carry out or execute (a request, etc)
3. to conform with or satisfy (regulations, demands, etc)
4. to finish or reach the end of: he fulfilled his prison sentence
5. fulfil oneself to achieve one’s potential or desires
I have a number of goals I’d like to fulfill in 2012 so I think that this is a great word to help keep me focused on my goals.
I think that even the synonyms are inspiring:
1. accomplish, achieve, complete, realize. 2. execute, discharge,observe. 3. meet, answer, fill, comply with.
With inspiration like that, how can 2012 not start out on a great note?
What is your word for the new year?
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