Christmas Memories of 1983

It was early, the sun had yet to crest the horizon when into the bedroom ran our three year old, Lisa. She was so excited and wanted us to get up to see what "Santa" had brought her for Christmas. As we followed her into the living room she promptly sat in her new wooden rocking chair. "It's beautiful!" she said as she touched the heart shaped cutout. Next she started opening her presents filled with dolls, clothes, games, toy pots and pans, and a special surprise.

For months she had been looking at the aprons as we would go through various stores. She loved the one her grandpa wore as he cooked out on the grill, and had asked if she could have one of her own for Christmas. I remembered that I had some remnants of fabric packed away, so while she was asleep I cut out a pattern from paper, ironed the material, pinned the pattern onto the material, cut it out, and then proceeded to sew it all together by hand. The surprise was complete as I finished sewing on two pockets large enough for her little hands.

As she opened that package, her eyes lit up with joy! She unfolded it, shook it out, and ran to me to have it tied around her tiny waist. No sooner than I had tied the bow, she twirled around to show everyone. She was a sight to behold, just three years old in her little red nightgown and little red apron with its tiny flower print.

We talk about that memory often with great fondness. Even though she shared that apron with all of her siblings, it somehow withstood the test of time. Believe it or not, she still has that little apron. It is a Christmas memory that will forever be in our hearts!

Fasten Your Seat Belts, Tax Season is Coming!

As the 2007 tax season fast approaches, we are preparing at the office for the influx of work to begin on the 2nd of January 2008. We currently spend our days doing bookkeeping for our client base, and brushing up on the newest TaxWise software program. We are also getting things ready for our annual meeting with our satellite offices here at the office.

It's been educational this past month, what with working on client's books, preparing payroll, learning Spanish, and divvying up supplies for the satellite offices. What we are all looking forward to now is the onset of the season. I am told it is a hectic six to eight weeks, working 12 - 14 hour days, all in an attempt to assist as many of our current tax clients and as many new clients as is possible with filing their tax returns.

I won't lie. All of this will be a bit overwhelming if it hits all at once. So, I plan on fastening my seat belt and preparing for the fast and furious ride!

Clicking fever!

Have you ever been to one of those blogs where there are tons of links leading to discounts, gift ideas, deals-of-the-day, closeout sales and more? You know, the ones with a button or icon that says "click here" or click there, or click anywhere on this ad. Well, I cannot promise that my post won't have such links, or that they will always lead to the best deals once you click on them, but I do try and link to positive, fun, and informative websites. So, with this being an assignment about where to click, I thought I'd have fun with it. Just remember, that even though there is a link in here, you need to remain a responsible clicker!

Happy Clicking! :)

English Grammar & Spell Check ... Need an Editor?

I love to surf around and read different blogs! There are a lot of great ones out here in cyberspace, but what I have noticed lately is an increasing amount of bad grammar and spelling. In an effort to avoid such errors on our blogs, my favorite blogger and I check each others posts after they are published. Then we send a comment or email to each other suggesting corrections for the errors. So, tell me, if someone left you a comment suggesting a correction for your grammar and spelling, would you be angered or thankful?

Need an editor?

Addicted to Love!

These days there are addictions to everything, sex, alcohol, chocolate, video games, internet surfing, smoking, drugs, and so much more. It's funny though that most of these addictions don't have similar rehab centers like the drug rehabs. Oh wait! I forgot addicted to love!

I have a coworker who, after swearing off men, is all of a sudden in love! It's really quite nice to see her so happy, but she has admitted to not being able to concentrate on work, is having restless nights, and has an unquenchable urge to just get up and head up the road to see her man!

Well, what would a rehab for an addiction to love look like? What would you do there? How would you know you are cured? I know ... when you no longer have the butterflies in your stomach ... but wait, that's a good feeling! All right, no love rehab! We like our "Annie" just the way she is ... happy!

PS I can totally relate ;)

I've been tagged? Yes!

We Interrupt Your Reading Pleasure for a Very Important Message

Susan, the author of MotherJungle has tagged little ole' me for a "meme!" Sounds like a Tobe Keith song ... I wanna talk about me, me, me, me, me!

What is a "meme" you ask? I had the same question. Quite simply put, it's a fun way of getting to know things about fellow bloggers that you might not ordinarily know. In this case the task is to share seven things about yourself and then tag seven others to join in on the fun.

Here's how it works:

You have to come up with seven “facts” about yourself and post these rules:

1) Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2) Share 7 facts about yourself.
3) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4) Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Let's get started!

Seven Things I'll Share about Susan @ A Little Bit of Everything

1. I once raced a formula car on the local SCCA circuit when I was nineteen.
2. I once played a robber in a play written by Neil Simon called "The Prisoner of 2nd Avenue."
3. I was a clown in full costume during my teen years and made appearances at theater performances, skating rinks, sales events for local vendors of manufactured homes, and the occasional drive through town whenever bored.
4. I sometimes refer to the drive-thru personnel as a person of the opposite gender, but only after they mistakenly address me as "Sir."
5. I am an artist.
6. I sometimes sang the tenor parts in the chorus while my best friend Tony lip synced the words.
7. I'd love to learn to ballroom dance ... really, I do! ;)

Here's who's next:

Anon A. Mos @ Adapt, Adopt, & Improve
Amy @ Sometimes You Just Know ...
thedawnsters @ the whole enchilada blog ...
Karen @ The Pond
Elaine @ Nocturnal Blogger's Introspect
Julie @ Utterly Geek
Venemous Kate @ Chubby Mommy

We Now Return You Now to Your Previously Scheduled Reading, Enjoy!

Biotene Sensitive Toothpaste to the Rescue?

It's was years before I was able to eliminate the sensitivity in one of my front teeth. Through the years, each of my dentists just couldn't seem to figure out why it was sensitive. There wasn't any damage to the tooth, and nothing I was doing helped to solve the problem. It seemed that the only way I was able to treat it was with pain gels for temporary numbing, and that was not a recommended long term treatment plan.

Eventually my dentist put a veneer over the original tooth in an effort to protect the enamel and to lessen the bouts of sensitivity. It worked! However as we age our enamel weakens and instead of getting a full set of dentures, or veneering all of my teeth, I had hoped to find a better solution.

About two weeks ago I received a tube of Biotene Sensitive Toothpaste in the mail and decided to give it a try. After all, my options at this point are too expensive to consider, and I figured it was worth a try. To my surprise, and after using nearly half the tube, I was having less sensitivity to the things that normally irritate my pearly whites. I haven't had any of those shooting surges of pain when breathing in air as I sip on my morning cup of coffee. It sure would have been nice to have Biotene when my front tooth had its issues with sensitivity, it could have saved me from the pain and financial costs.

From what I'm experiencing Biotene Sensitive Toothpaste isn't masking my symptoms like similar sensitive toothpastes, it actually is making a difference. A suggestion made by a dentist was to alternate between any sensitivity toothpaste and your regular toothpaste to avoid creating an over sensitive situation. Either way, it's been refreshing to sit and sip my favorite flavored coffee without worrying about a sensitivity shock wave.

How's your toothpaste doing these days?

Hurry, but don't you SPEED!

Today I needed to go to the courthouse to pay a ticket I had received last month. I had misplaced the amended ticket and spent the day looking for it to no avail. I decided to stop by work on the way there and found that I hadn't left it there either. Frustrated, I passed by a coworker who suggested I just go down and pay it, that the courthouse would have a record of it on file. So, off I went to the courthouse.

It was almost 5:00 p.m. and if I hurried I would make it there in time to take care of ticket and avoid that dreaded court appearance. When I arrived the woman started filling out a paper receipt based on what she had in the system. It was for the original ticket and when I explained that it had been amended she pointed me in the direction of the DA's office to obtain a copy of the amended ticket. It was up to them whether or not they would reissued a copy. Thankfully the lady there did!

Next, we rushed back to the courthouse as it was nearly 5 p.m and they would be closing. As we entered the door the lady there was just shutting the door to her office and pointed me in the direction of the Magistrate's office out and around the side of the same building.

Finally, the young lady there was able to issue the paperwork for me to sign for the amended offense, and even though we ran into a snag momentarily about the cost of the ticket, she was able to figure it out based on the paper from the courthouse. Why was that important? Without it, I would have had to repeat the entire process again tomorrow.

As we exited the building it was raining rather nicely and both Jennifer and I got soaked, but at least the ticket is now PAID!!! :)

Samsonite: for Man, Monkey, or ME?

Do you remember packing for that all important summer trip after school let out? You'd pull out the suitcase from under your parent's bed, the one that was strong enough for a monkey (even an ape for that matter) to jump up and down on, knock into walls, toss down a flight of stairs?

You remember. It was the one you hated to been seen lugging around, the one with travel stickers plastered all over it, ah yes! The one you'd deny was yours even if it meant you had no clothes for your vacation. I'm sure it was more than ideal for the savvy traveler, but what teen in the seventies ever carried "luggage?"

Thank goodness that Samsonite was made strong enough for all that abuse, after all there were five of us that grew with that set of luggage. Though Samson might find the older version more manly, I prefer the new softer sexy silhouette line!

A Nice Thanksgiving for All

Today we all gathered at my parents home for an afternoon meal as a family. Though some arrived early and stayed until after the meal, and some came only to eat a desert, everyone made an appearance throughout the day. It was great to see all of my brothers again, and it's an added blessing to know that we will be seeing my oldest brother more often. He has moved back to be nearer to us all and will be living with Mom & Dad temporarily until he has a place of his own. He has already found a job and will begin teaching English grammar to young Marines here on the east coast.


My day was spent with my parents, all four of my brothers and their families, two of my children, and "Mr.D" my boyfriend. We have spent the last two Thanksgivings with his family out in TN, but this year we took a break and opted not to travel too far away from our home here in NC. We missed seeing everyone but took an opportunity to wish them a "Happy Thanksgiving" early in the day.

After everyone had finished their visit at my parents, Jenn headed home with Ashley, and we headed back home for Ryan to spend the night with his best friend. The remainder of our evening will be spent unwinding from the day's events ... sigh ... just "Mr.D" & me. ;)

Ahhh the sound of audio racks!

What is it with some of the male species? Rack, racks, racks! That's all you hear about sometimes. If it's not the rack on a buck, it's a rack on the wall for hanging that 1,000,000th baseball cap, or maybe it's that rack on the waitress at "Hooters." Well, I have a rack of my own ... yes, it's the sweet sound of audio racks as that frying pan lands upside my ex-hubby's head for once again pointing out that yet another woman has a larger rack than mine. Nothing like it in the world! Oh, my bad ... it's not that kind of audio racks? That's not what the waitress told me as she brought him a glass of ice to cool that bump on his head. Of course it would have been a sweet sound if I could have found a frying pan, he had to settle for the searing sound of my discontent instead!

Would smacking an ex qualify as a "rack of ham?" ;)

With All My Love : *

If ever a singer should capture the essence of love this man has and continues to do so! For you "Mr.D" ... like the man says ... "Cause You're My Everything!"

Turkey & Stuffing & Pies, Oh My! Treadmills Anyone?

All of us ladies at work decided last week that we were eating out for lunch far more than we probably should, so we all decided to start different diet plans and exercise regimens. Maybe we should have thought this through more carefully, after all this week is Thanksgiving and there will be great temptations in store for us all. Perhaps instead of that usual slice of pumpkin pie topped with cool whipped topping we'll take a healthy helping of treadmills, rowing machines, or those daily routine walks as the temptations draw nigh!

It's turkey & stuffing & pies, Oh My!
If we choose to indulge may all go to our thighs!
Instead of delighting in such goodies this year,
We must all walk it off and pass by with a cheer!

Thanksgiving in NC this year ...

It's that time of year again, the one where families all around the America gather in celebration of a family tradition of feasting on a turkey dinner complete with stuffing, sweet potato & green bean casseroles, cranberry sauce, and assorted pies.

For the past two years my boyfriend and I have traveled west to TN to spend the holiday with his sister, her husband and their family. I will miss getting to see everyone, we always have such a great time when we visit. It's like a little adventure of our own. Thank you "Mr.D" for sharing your family with me and for spending this year with us in NC.

This year we will enjoy the day spent with family here in eastern NC. It used to be that I had to choose between holidays for visits with my family since we lived nearly seven hours away. It's been so nice living within an hour to all of them, now we can visit whenever is best for everyone.

I thoroughly enjoy being able to sneak down to my parents and spend the night. An evening of conversation, sitting on the sofa with my mom watching an episode of CSI, while my dad sits in his recliner doing crossword puzzles in pen.

So, this week will include preparations for guests, travel, cooking, and visits. We'll have a full house again, but I look forward to having it fuller in the future should our children move closer. Eight is enough sounds really good, it will make for lots of fun and celebrating when we are all closer together.

Curiously Awesome Gift Ideas from Vat19.com!

All week we've been checking the mail for a special delivery from Vat19.com. This afternoon Jenn beat me to the mailbox, grabbed the package, screamed "Hurray, it's here!," waved it in the air in my direction, then ran inside the house to open it ... kids ... you gotta love em!

Inside the package she found three different samples from their lineup of curiously awesome products; a DVD titled "Ambient Fire - The Ultimate Video Fireplace," a "Smencil's Gourmet Scented Pencil" (sniff … ah, watermelon, my favorite!), and a sampling of a bit of winter better known as "Insta Snow Fake Snow Powder."

Ryan wasn't home when we opened the package so we decided to wait until he and his friend got here to try out the "Insta Snow Fake Snow Powder." As you can see in the photo below they are having too much fun with this stuff! Since all of my children were raised in Virginia where it snows more often, this was a reminder of cooler winters, sledding, and snow fights!


Jenn really likes the "Smencil's Gourmet Scented Pencil" so I guess we know who's getting this one. Smencil's come in a 10-Pack of assorted fragrances, each in it's own plastic container, they are made from 100% recycled newspapers, have biodegradable erasers, and they keep their scent for two years. What a uniquely earth friendly idea! Maybe both of these items would make perfect Christmas stocking stuffers for some of the kids in my life.

PS My favorite is "The Ultimate Video Fireplace" DVD. Just imagine a cozy winter’s night in front of the fireplace with your sweetheart … mmm … yeah, I can imagine it. Can you? ;)

Paying It Forward

Last Thursday a friend did something extremely nice for me. It was perfect timing as I had taken my van in for a repair that really didn't fit my budget. Her gesture made it possible to have a working vehicle. Without her help I was not sure how I was going to manage. Though we are getting really good at watching how we spend our money, we still have opportunities. Someone I once knew said it best ... "I've done so much for so long with so little that I can do just about anything with practically nothing."

The next day I saw a woman walking alongside the road as I headed into town to work. As I drove passed her I thought about how much I'd hate to be walking all the way to my job should my van quit working. Since I had left a little early I decided to turn around and ask if she needed a ride. Sure enough she did. She worked over on the far side of town so I knew just how long a walk she had ahead of her. Though she was late she was thankful for the ride.

We had a good conversation on the way in, she lives nearby us and has children in the middle school where my children had gone to school. I don't normally pick anyone up but she was not hitchhiking and I had a good feeling about doing something nice for another person in need like myself. Should I see her again I'll be sure to stop and give her a ride. Thanks Lakeisha for allowing me to "pay it forward."

If you have a story about "Paying It Forward" I'd love to hear about it!

An Estranged Parent's Journey in Life & Death: Part VI - Lessons Learned

There are lessons to be learned from the death of an estranged parent. Here are some that come to mind:

1. Even if they remove themselves from your life ... you never forget them.
2. Whether or not they acknowledge your existence ... you remain their child.
3. Even if they tell you everything is taken care of ... insist on proof.
4. Remember what type of friends they had before they became estranged ... they rarely change.
5. Family has a right to bury an estranged parent ... it aids in closure.

During this ordeal, we found out that his "friends" had claimed to be his only living relatives at the morgue, rummaged through his home within 24 hours of his death, collected all of his personal papers and photographs, paid for his cremation and asked for reimbursement from his children (knowing full well the government was going to pay them back), lied about his having life insurance, and had the nerve to request his burial flag be given to them after it had been presented to our family in his honor.

Arthur Neal Watkins was survived by 5 children, 8 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. The definition of all of these people is family.

As his immediate family we were fortunate enough for him to have been a military veteran. His twenty years in the Marine Corps afforded him a proper and fitting burial. My brother requested the VA put the following on his marker ...

Arthur Neal Watkins
August 26, 1932 - October 28, 2007
Vietnam Veteran
"A Man Proud To Have Served His Country"

Related Posts: Part I - Notification, Part II - Reactions, Part III - Discovery, Part IV - A Full Military Honors Ceremony,
Part V - The Ceremony & Update from Biloxi, Part VI - Lessons Learned

Stop! Hey what's that sound? Everybody look what's going round!

No, it's not the sound of me singing a 70's tune! And it's not anyone in my house sniffling and coughing like some people at work and school! Then what is it?

On Wednesday I dropped my van off at a local mechanic to have a noise checked out. They had the van all day and when I arrived that afternoon to pick it up after work I was advised that they had just gotten to it. They were in agreement that my driving it home wouldn't hurt it but asked that I bring it back in the next morning. I did as they requested and brought it back first thing on Thursday.

Just after lunch I got the call informing me that the idler pulley had to be replaced. Great! It could have been the water pump and that would have been a much more expensive repair. So, after work I picked the van up and it sounded wonderful, that is all except the brakes but that's another story.

Then this morning, like a bad penny it was back. I gave it the day to settle, drove it home and will try it again over the weekend. I sure hope that they fixed the right thing! More as it develops ... :/

It's Getting Darker Sooner Now

The only thing I dislike about this time of year is the fact that there are fewer daylight hours. It makes it difficult to perform many outdoor tasks like taking the trash out to the shed. Goodness knows that if it were not for the outdoor lighting my son would never take the trash out in the winter months in the evening. We keep it turned off to conserve energy. So if you want it on you have to walk out in the dark, turn it on, do your business, turn it back off, and then walk back in the dark. It might not be so bad but the shed is quite a ways from the back deck. I guess he is afraid of the boogie-man, or is it the bears?

Perhaps I'll suggest he take it out in the morning. :)

An Estranged Parent's Journey in Life & Death: Part V - The Ceremony & Update from Biloxi

My niece made the trip on Monday from her home to a town near Biloxi National Cemetery where her grandfather's memorial was to be held on the following day. She had the opportunity to meet with the woman that had befriended her grandfather prior to his passing in an effort to secure his personal effects and important papers.

They would meet again at the funeral home and make the journey together to the cemetery in the limo provided for family. As they arrived my niece was the first to step out of the limo and proceeded to a soldier who was assigned for the memorial service. She promptly advised him of her relationship to her grandfather (our father) and told him that she would be receiving the flag for our family. It will be the only thing we will have after his passing, the one thing we could be proud of, his years of service in the military.

My niece said the ceremony was beautiful, complete with a three gun salute, the gun shells being wrapped in the flag, and a tall handsome Marine in dress blues kneeling as he presented my niece with the flag while being accompanied by the sweet voice of a young serviceman who flawlessly sang "Amazing Grace." It was at that moment that my niece was overwhelmed with pride and honor evident by the tears which flowed gently down her face.

After the ceremony my niece was approached by the couple that had befriended my father and they requested the ceremonial flag that had been given to her. She respectfully replied, "No. I have received this flag for my family in honor of his memory and will deliver it to my father in NC who is his son." I am so thankful that she could be there, that someone represented our family. No matter how hard we may have tried to forget this man we could not, and though we weren't able to be there with her for this ceremony, it will make it easier to accomplish closure.

Thank you Livi!


Related Posts: Part I - Notification, Part II - Reactions, Part III - Discovery, Part IV - A Full Military Honors Ceremony,
Part V - The Ceremony & Update from Biloxi, Part VI - Lessons Learned

An Estranged Parent's Journey in Life & Death: Part IV - A Full Military Honors Ceremony

Today at 2:30 p.m. CST my natural father's remains will be placed in a vault at the National Cemetery in Biloxi, MS. Though my niece will be the only family member to be able to attend the ceremony our love and thoughts are with her as we remember our father. As we understand it, the ceremony will include a three gun salute and a presentation of the American flag which will be given to the next of kin. I hope to be able to break away from work at that time to quietly remember him and give thanks for my niece, my family, and loved ones, for our continued health, happiness, safety, and prosperity.


Related Posts: Part I - Notification, Part II - Reactions, Part III - Discovery, Part IV - A Full Military Honors Ceremony,
Part V - The Ceremony & Update from Biloxi, Part VI - Lessons Learned

An Estranged Parent's Journey in Life & Death: Part III - Discovery

This week has been an adventure in oddities in discovery after the death of our estranged father. We knew from discussions with him that he lived alone in a little town in Alabama in a trailer. That he was befriended by a married couple who lived in a nearby town. When I questioned him about having a will, and final arrangements in the event of his death, he simply said, "it's taken care of" and that the woman "will call you in the event of my death." Who was are these friends? How did they know him? How long had he known them?

What do we know about what his wishes were? According to the woman the only will he had was a living will, and that he had appointed her as the responsible party should she need to execute that will. She says he left no other will, had no insurance, and wanted to be cremated. These are all of the things she told me before my younger brother got involved. She had taken it upon herself to begin processing his affairs with no will appointing her executor. As far as I understand it, will or not his immediate family members have the right to process his affairs, to ensure resolution of debts with his resources, and to have closure by completing these tasks.

Within 24 hours we began to have some uneasy feelings about this woman's eagerness to help settle our father's affairs. It would turn out that this woman's stories were changing daily and after making a discovery of apparent fraud at the morgue, we decided to relieve her of her involvement in any further actions. After talking for nearly three hours my younger brother made the decision to do whatever it took for us to have closure and by week's end we had sent documentation of relationship and made arrangements for our father's cremation and military services. He is entitled to a full military honors ceremony as he was a retired Vietnam veteran. My brother will call this woman next week when we are sure of the date of his memorial service. She has mentioned that she and her family want to attend the ceremony.

At some point I want to address the issues involved in our decision to pursue assuming responsibility for his affairs, but for now we are still gathering the facts. We may never know her motives for lying to us, and to date we have not let on that we know what she did at the morgue, but there will be a time when we do. For now our concern is to lay him to rest and to resolve the other issues after his memorial. His death was considered service related as he retired with an injury with 100% disability after twenty years of service. I'd also like to share our journey in discovery of information, researching for necessary documents, and what we learned in order to protect a family's right to closure ... estranged or not!


Related Posts: Part I - Notification, Part II - Reactions, Part III - Discovery, Part IV - A Full Military Honors Ceremony,
Part V - The Ceremony & Update from Biloxi, Part VI - Lessons Learned

An Estranged Parent's Journey in Life & Death: Part II - Reactions

There are five children who survive my natural father; my four brothers and me. We each had our own reaction to the news of his death and each will grieve in our own way. Facts are that he was raised in an apparently dysfunctional family unit as a child, and as it often happens he carried forward that legacy. My older brother and I were probably the most effected by his lack of parenting skills. Like older children we went before our younger siblings enabling them to avoid some of the pitfalls that lay before them. I am sure they too suffered their own challenges with our father, but my hope is that my older brother and I took the brunt of the physical abuse away from their life's journey.

Though we all seemed to adjust to the estrangement of our father, the distance between us and the manner in which he parented us would greatly determine our reactions at his death. My older brother appears to have resolved to live his life as though our father were someone he once knew but had no connection with, so the news of his death was received as such. Two of my three younger brothers and I shared a sorrowful sentiment for his passing and I've yet to talk with my youngest brother. What of my reaction then?

As the only daughter it was harder for me to give up hope that one day he would "get it." During my twenties and after having two children of my own, I accepted him for who he was, forgave him and simply kept track of where he was to avoid hearing about his death weeks, months, or even years after the fact. Even though I had prepared myself for this eventuality, my reaction to the details of his death was much different than I had anticipated. It was far more painful to imagine him being involved in an accident cause by a massive heart attack on an interstate than to imagine him passing peacefully in his sleep. So my initial reaction was shock tempered with sorrow, for this man who aided in my existence.

I believe that we will all agree that the passing of our natural father will inspire us to appreciate each other more, encourage us to communicate more frequently, and strengthen our lives as we share in our joys and sorrows as a family.


Related Posts: Part I - Notification, Part II - Reactions, Part III - Discovery, Part IV - A Full Military Honors Ceremony,
Part V - The Ceremony & Update from Biloxi, Part VI - Lessons Learned