Cosmetics and Good Skin

Do you ever wonder what happens to all those cosmetics that aren't sold at the store? The ones that nobody buys and they end up past their "expiration date"?

I use Bare Escentuals makeup and although a bit pricey, they are worth every penny. Back when I was in high school, eons ago, the most popular products used by my group of friends was Cover Girl. I used that liquid foundation and although I didn't know it at the time, it felt heavy. It was like a mask. I was one of the lucky few that had good skin and never broke out, despite the thick goop for makeup that I used.

Ever since I can remember I always took good care of my skin. It paid off I guess. A while back I went to do one of those clinical studies. One of my friend's daughter works for Stephens and Associates and she gets paid according to how many people she can sign up to do the studies. Some of them compensate nicely, others, eh, just ok. I do it to help her out as she is a single mom and depends on this source of income.

Anyway, I went in to see Dr. Stephens and he told me I did not qualify for the study as the wrinkles were not there. I had been turned away by this doctor in the past...no dark spots, no blotchiness, no acne, etcetera etcetera. As I mentioned I did this more to help my friend's daughter than to earn money for myself. Again, Dr. Stephens turned me away. A couple weeks later I got my $10 consolation, thank-you-for-trying check in the mail.

My point here is, I'm in my 40s now; 43 to be exact. I don't like being in the sun. I have had a nightly ritual of washing and moisturizing my face every single day since I was in my early teens. I've used products from Avon, Mary Kay (which I found out am severely allergic to), BeautiControl, Arbonne, Estee Lauder (allergic reactions), Shiseido, Clinique (allergic reactions), Yves Rocher, Kiotis, Jafra ( I love this line), Lancome and others which I have long forgotten about. I realized that it was the faithful ritual of daily/nightly cleansing and moisturizing that has allowed my skin to stay as problem free as it has. Not the makeup.

I actually "tested" the claims of Bare Escentuals Mineral makeup. They state it is so good for you that you can sleep with it on because it is natural and it will not harm your skin. It's true! It feels light and not heavy; like wearing no makeup at all. I'm not plugging this product for any reason other than it does what it says it will.

I get up every morning and look in the mirror to check and see if I have gotten my first wrinkle yet and so far - nothing. In the past 5 months all I have been using to wash my face with is my natural soap. I make it. I use the lavender scented to wash my face at night. It has real lavender flowers in it. I don't even moisturize in the morning any more. Only at night. After 30 years of experimenting with all lines of skin care, from the ritzy overpriced ones to the drugstore brands sold to the budget-conscious. I have found that my soap which contains olive oil, soybean oil and coconut oil works just as well. You can find it here.

I'm sticking with it because I know what goes in it. It's all natural and it smells divine!

A Difficult Situation

My mom is in the hospital. She was admitted a couple days ago. She is very sick. I don't know what to do. My siblings didn't tell me, I found out from another family member. Our relationship isn't the best and it's not like we are very close. You see, my mother doesn't like girls. She never has. Growing up I was the youngest and grew up with all brothers.

I've tried to get closer to her as she has aged and figured she might have mellowed out a bit but that hasn't happened. She is full of hatred. Speaks ill about everyone and I am not tolerable of that. Every time I've made an attempt at being civil to her she starts our conversations with gossip and it really brings me down. She moved two months ago and never told me where she'd gone nor did she give me her phone number. I had no way of contacting her.

When I was a young girl I could never go to her with my problems or issues that are so common in a teenager's life. I would be made to feel like a failure. I got an education because I decided I had no choice if I wanted to get somewhere in life. Her support was never there.

I see other women now that have a great relationship with their mothers and I long for that in my life. I guess it just wasn't meant for me to experience that. Because of what I lived through having a mother like I do, I am the exact opposite with my little princess. We go shopping together. We play, we sing, we dance. Most importantly, I let her talk to me and I listen. We take lots and lots of pictures together. We read. We have movie night just the two of us. Not that we go to the movies a lot but rather we put a movie in our DVD player or order one on cable and we make popcorn.

When I'm gone from this world I want my little princess to have good memories of her mommy. I want her to remember the good times so we have a lot of them. Don't get me wrong we still argue at times, after all she is as headstrong as I am. However, every single day, I tell her how much I love her. I never heard that from my mom, not once. I hug my little princess every day too because I never got that either.

Through the years my mother has always tried to do something to hurt me in one way or another. When she tried to meddle into my children's lives and turn them against me, that's when I decided I would not allow her to poison them. When I knew her number I would call her just to check if she needed anything. I would drop by when I knew where she lived to take her food I knew she liked. Even though every time she found something wrong with what I had brought her. And every time it was like someone had slapped me across the face and my spirit was broken. It must be very sad to be so full of anger like she is. I cannot imagine living an entire lifetime like that.

How do you tell someone?

There is a woman close to me who's husband was unfaithful...several years ago. This couple has been married for over 30 years. She is full of anger, understandably. She is bitter, undoubtedly. Why does this person stay in a relationship that is a poison to her soul? I'm a Christian but if I were in that situation I would forgive (maybe not forget) and pick up the pieces and go on. However, she states she cannot forgive. Ok, then get out of it. I know I would. If I cannot get past it, why torture myself living in a situation where I find it unbearable?

Her kids are grown up and have gone on with their lives. Why does she stay in such a horrible situation? Every time I talk to her, whether it be on the phone or in person, her venom spews forth. It is so hard to listen to her because she brings it up constantly. It rules her life. I feel sorry for her but I'm the type that I don't really have much patience when it comes to whiners. If you have an issue, take the steps to remedy the situation. Don't whine about something you are not willing to fix. Life is too short to live it in an emotional state of bitterness. Comprende?

Tagging Jewelry

Last night (or this morning rather) I stayed up until after 1 am tagging and pricing jewelry. I was completely overwhelmed at how many pieces I actually have completed and had not tagged/priced. My website does nowhere near justice to all the pieces I have. It is mind-boggling to say the least. It is also a tedious and boring task. Now I know why I've put it off as long as I did.

Nevertheless, I must put on my Namby Pamby and go forth and tag. My little princess wants so desperately to help but it is rather slow-going if I have to sit there and check her work. It must be done meticulously. There is no excuse for the job not getting done sooner than this. I'm lazy.

It took hours for me to even print the miniscule hangtags. They had to be just right, a perfect one-inch square when folded in half. Hole-punched, threaded and then tied to each jewelry piece with the exception of earrings, of course. After all that is done, I then have to go to each piece and individually put a price sticker on the back bottom corner of the tag. Oh, and the prices; well, they have to be printed on those little address labels and then cut to fit the tiny little corner on the tag. Just formatting those little suckers took me a couple hours. They had to be small but legible. I am posting a picture here for your viewing pleasure and to give an idea to those of you that are with me on this jewelry-making adventure.

Last week I had prepared the hangtags but with all the pricing, formatting and whatnot, last night I managed to finish a grand total of about 10 pieces. Argh, the agony!! I want them to look professional; not in a cold store-bought kind of way but in a way that portrays my level of expertise in this particular media. At the same time, I want to create an image that says this is handmade and contains natural gemstones and thus minor imperfections, as with all natural products.

Busier than usual Monday

Did my Sams run today and got little princess a second Webkinz that she bought with her own money. It's a little one. I had no idea these little toys were such a hot commodity. Had to resort to buying it at Hallmark as the local Mardel store was out and the lady there told me they run out the same day they arrive. Whoever thought this one up is rolling in it that's for sure.

Groceries are going up, again. Of course it could be that brisket I have been getting lately as the kids are now wanting red meat and brisket is their choice. It's not cheap, unfortunately. I will stick to my fish and chicken, thank you very much.

It is very hot today and I cannot wait for fall weather. I'm so glad September is just around the corner. My little princess is not feeling well so I'm cutting this post a little short. If she naps later maybe I'll post more.

You're IT!!

'kay, I got tagged by Laura Williams of Laura Williams' Musings so I am going to post my pic here; it's a current one as it was taken last month. I am on my recliner in my craft/jewelry-making room.

Now, I'm going to go tag someone.

I'm tagging: Natalie at Mom's Sunshine and Rain

The Wonders of Being a Super Mom

Today I got a call from a mom. I get calls from other moms on a daily basis but this call; well, this call was somewhat special. You see, this particular mom has 4 children. They are 9, 8, 7 years old and the baby is 2 months old. She called to have someone to talk to. Her hubby is getting jealous, it appears, because she's been spending too much time with the kids and not enough with him. I listened carefully and felt her pain. I remember all too well my own days of frustration when my children were very young.

My little princess, when she was a baby, would not miss a meal. She woke up every two, three hours for the first six months of her life. I was working full-time outside the home. It was not good. I just knew that when all was said and done, I'd be certifiable and committed into a mental institution. By the grace of God, I was not. I must admit, I had a nanny so that is what saved my hide.

This poor mother that called me lives in an apartment, they are a single-income family of 6 and have only one vehicle. I listened to her for about an hour. I knew she needed to unload. She was so frustrated with her husband because he won't help with the kids when he's at home because he "works outside the home" so feels he can lay around on weekends and watch her do it all. I felt so bad for this mom I did what I never thought I would do, I offered to go over and watch her kids for free and cook for them so she and her husband could go out. My ears could hardly believe the very words that had just passed my lips.

A call from my teenage-type offspring needing me to go pick him up from orientation at the college he'll be attending brought me back to reality with a jolt. I told him I'd be right there and clicked over and said my goodbyes to the mom call.

An hour later I get a call again from the same mother asking me if I can do it today, like now. I keep my word as often as I give it unless it is impossible for me to do so. On this day it was meant for me to keep my word. I went to the rescue of this young mother in distress. I figured it wouldn't be too bad and I could relieve her from her workload if but for a couple hours.

I arrived at 1pm waited another hour for them to get ready and I did not leave until 5:45 pm when they got back. Everything went fine, the kids, except for the 7 year old were fine. The baby was such a sweetheart although he did not sleep but for 20 minutes because the others, along with my own 9 yr old, were constantly making noise. Of course, I don't know too many kids in that age range that sit still for more than 2 minutes.

The reason I posted this is because it shed new light on how I admire mothers; especially mothers of multiple children. It's all I can do to keep my household and take care of 2 children and they are far apart in age. So much so that when my son is finished with his masters degree my daughter will just be finishing high school. I am a coward. I can not, for the life of me, even attempt to imagine what it would be like to have more than one kid saying "mom, mom, mom" all the time.

I came to the realization that the saying that God will not give you more than you can handle is, in fact, very true. To all of you supermoms out there, you are my heroes. How in God's green earth can you do it all? I so admire you guys. My mind cannot comprehend all that you do for your families. I am seriously in awe of your talents. God Bless you all!

Friday's Frenzy

Doing my usual Friday errand run. I found an interesting and cool blog. I like freebies, as most of you do, I'm sure. So, today I'm posting about a cool mom's calendar that you could win just by entering this contest. Hopefully, you will also enjoy this lady's blog. I do.

I need to get off this computer before the day slips away again and I'm left wondering why I didn't get more done. Hope you guys have a wonderful and blessed day!

Oh What a Day!!!

Got up this morning and got ready to take the teenager-type to get him enrolled in dual credit college courses. Argh! I made the mistake of not eating. I figured I'd be in and out, no problem. Well lo and behold, if you have ever taken a kid to enroll in college courses for the first time, you know what I mean. We got out of there at 3 pm and I hadn't eaten one bite, pounding headache, hot, humid, nasty weather.

We walked all over that campus and looking at the positive side, I got my walking exercise done for the day and then some. Not an easy feat, mind you, when your teenage-type offspring has legs that go on for miles unlike mine that are maybe just above being dwarf-sized.

I am grateful, however, that his college education will be free mostly due to his still being in high school. That's always nice. We will have to pay for his books and all but that's not too bad. He's decided on his courses and school starts Monday.

I was supposed to ship out a package today and didn't have time to do that either. Argh! I wish the days were a little bit longer.

On a good note, I'm happy to say that I have found a friend that I hadn't seen in years. Her name is Laura and her blog is really cool. Please check it out here, you too will like it - I ga-run-tee it.

Holiday preparation

It looks like I'd better get my rear in gear and prepare for the upcoming holiday sales. Yesterday I sat and stared at the bottles of lotion that I'm supposed to be working on and didn't do a thing with them. My mind was on my needing to call the college my teenage-type offspring will be attending this fall and get him in to see the guidance counselor. I've been meaning to do this since Monday and for some reason haven't done it. I remember in the late evening when it's too late to talk to anyone. Today I'm doing that for sure. I need to get my act together.

I also have to tag my jewelry; which hasn't been done either. Just found out too that college classes start next Monday!! We just got the THEA test results for the teenage-type and we are running around like chickens without a head.

As for the holiday sales, I must admit, I do have the post cards I will be mailing out to my customers with the discounts for my jewelry. They are rather pretty and are season appropriate as they have the right coloring. Here's a picture so you can see what they look like.

Well, I better get going and start doing some real namby pamby stuff before the day slips away and I'm once again thinking about things I should have done right around midnight. Have a blessed day!

Too busy to complete tasks

Do you ever get into a position where you started so many things because your intentions were of completing everything but in the end were too busy to finish the task? I get so upset with myself for being halfway through a plethora of activities/crafts that I don't finish. What is it about people that prompts them to initiate something with such zeal only to give up or quickly get bored and focus on yet another task; which more often than not will end up in the pile of abandoned, incomplete, futile attempts at seeing the original plan come to fruition?

I cannot tell you how many times I've started a cross stitch and even the smallest one, which happened to be a butterfly on a 5x5 inch canvas, never was completed. A baby blanket that measured 36x36 that I purchased 10 years ago in anticipation of my little princess' birth. It was beautiful in the picture, Precious Memories and all but it sat in my closet until last year when I finally got rid of it. Knowing full well and with a heavy heart that I would never complete it. Sometimes I get so ticked off at myself for doing that.

There have been times that I look in my craft stash and see product to make candles with including the dye and wonder what happened. Why did I stop and quit what seemed like a passion at the time and I was so enthralled by the possibilities of the task at hand?

I'm impulsive and I want to stop and get off the ever-spinning merry-go-round of indecision and procrastination. Maybe I have ADD. My mind is constantly going on about what I can do that will retrieve me from the daily doldrum of never-ending routine. Just some ramblings of a bored housewife. That's me.

Busy Monday

So many things to do today. I'll have to post later what the outcome is of everything I've got planned.

Waiting on refrigerator repairman, our fridge went out. It's all good though. We need to move out of this neighborhood. Argh, I'm so tired of this place.

Weekend Ramblings II

It's a nice day today. Got a cold front, it's only 92 degrees. Being from the Midwest, I never thought I'd say that. At least it's not in the 3-digits like it has been for the past week or so. I am counting the weeks until we are finally moved out of here.

I miss having real lakes around. I miss having the 4 seasons. Since moving to Texas, Christmas has never been the same. I feel like it's just another day. I can run my business from anywhere in the country, thank God for that.

Finally, the box of containers for my lotion has been brought up to the crafting room. I have to start making more lotion and doing more labels for the bottles. There are so many things to do and not enough hours in the day to do them.

Little princess is going through her allergy spell again. My eyes have been watery and my throat scratchy as well. I wonder if having the cats is aggravating our allergies. All I know is that during this time of year we are miserable from the stuffy nose and itching and scratchy throat.

I've been thinking a lot about the trapped miners in Utah. It breaks my heart that it appears the rescuers are giving up on them. Please pray for the families involved. I just can't imagine the kind of pain they must be going through.

Weekend Ramblings

The kids and I stayed up 'til 2:30 am this morning looking at different types of cats online and since we have a Siamese and a Turkish Van we were looking at how cute their kind of kittens are. Somehow we got onto the subject of Siamese or conjoined twins in humans and my teenage-type offspring showed me a video on Youtube of 17 yr old conjoined twin girls. I was amazed; so much so that I hardly slept last night thinking of the miracles God makes.

I don't see it as weird I see it as an amazing work of God. These girls are blessed beyond measure! You can see their youtube video here. You will be amazed. I know I was.

I have to make a run to the store today. Argh, it's Saturday and I hate going to the grocery store on weekends so I better get so I'm able to get in an out quickly. I have to come back and finish doing the jewelry tags.

I'm buying lots of fish as that will be a big part of my new healthier eating plan. I love fish and chicken. Not together, you know. I still have plenty of veggies in the freezer since I'm the only person in the house that actually eats them.

Since I started doing the crunches I feel better and have more energy. I started doing 100 crunches a day. I need to add walking on my glider - or is that considered gliding? Either way, I'm starting at a mile per day and then I'll work my way up to 3 and then 5. I've done it before, got lazy, stopped and now I need to do it again.

Please don't forget to pray for the lost miners in Utah. Lift their families up in prayer that the good Lord will give them the peace they need to deal with this terrible tragedy. God bless you guys.

Scheduling jewelry shows

I've decided to get off my duff and start calling up potential jewelry show hosts. I've come to the conclusion that nobody will come to my door and buy the stuff from me. I must go out there and get the customers. I've been playing lazy all summer and it's enough to drive me insane. I've been cooped up, first because the rain wouldn't let up, then because it was too hot. This is Texas and unfortunately I will not see 70 degree days until maybe in November; which will be too late to the get the bulk of the Christmas sales.

Next week I will be going to a local bank where I was invited to go and take my jewelry to sell to the ladies that work there. I have to tag a lot of my jewelry so I need to get that going tonight. It is Friday, I have done nothing all week but moaned and complained about the heat. Since Mr. Sir is stubborn and doesn't seem to make an effort to get our family out of this hell-hole that is Texas, I need to make the best of it.

My rings are easy to carry and are top sellers so I will probably take a couple trays each of the rings, bracelets, necklaces and about 100 pairs of earrings. I won't take everything as it will probably overwhelm the customers.

Favorite Dishes

I've always been one that loves to eat. Although I can't eat a lot of things with red meat in them cuz red meat truly gags me. Every once in a while I'll have a plain bacon cheeseburger from Braums.

My favorite food is a plate full of veggies. I also love veggie pizza. I am going to be joining weight watchers pretty soon because I have to lose some weight. At my age I know that it isn't wise to be overweight when I have heart disease and diabetes in my family.

I just got my order of some really cool books I ordered a couple weeks ago. Yeah, they were delivered by Pony Express. What can I say, they were sent via media mail and for cheap so I can't complain too much.

In that order I got this really cool cookbook called "Off the Shelf Cooking." Last night I was flipping through the pages and was pleasantly surprised that it had some really good recipes that were rather easy to make. I like easy. I'm lazy or as my teenage-type offspring refers to as "conserving energy." Hmmm, I like that term better.

In the next few days I will be posting some of my favorite recipes from that book. There are quite a bit that are healthy and those are the ones I will share with you guys. I will also be posting my own recipe for lasagna as I promised my dear friend I would dig it up and post it on here.

If you won the lottery....

What would you do with a multi-million dollar lottery jackpot win? If you are working, would you quit immediately? Would you travel? Buy a new house? New car? What would you do?

Let's see, if I won the lottery I would do these things:

I would open a women's shelter that would house women and their children. They would learn about God and His will in our lives. They would receive training so as to be able to have good marketable job skills. We would have a church service on the premises, kind of like a little chapel. In a nutshell that's what I would do. I, however, have all the plans ready. Step by step I even know what kinds of fundraisers to have and all. What it might look like and how many it will sleep comfortably. I know it's a long shot but who knows, maybe some day.

If I were blessed enough to have time after all the work that one of those places entails, I would travel. My dream is to go to Tuscany. I would buy a house out in the country, nothing fancy just room enough for a couple of horses there.

That is what I would do if I won the lottery. Of course, I have to play before I can win.

Customer Service Rant

I have a sewing machine that was not doing what it was supposed to do - sew. It was sitting in my hallway since the heavy rains because it seemed every time I was going to drop it off at Hancock Frabrics to have it fixed, it would rain. Not just sprinkling or even normal raining rain. It was a deluge where I couldn't see well enough to drive. Twice I turned around because of the rain. I figured I would leave it until another time. Well, two weeks ago, another time came.

Ready to get this disobedient piece of machinery to the proper technician, I put it in my car and drove to Hancock Fabrics. Once there, I stood at the counter for what seemed like hours. Finally, I decided I better go looking for someone. I could hear the chatter of some ladies in the sewing department so I went there and felt like I was intruding. The lady asked me what I needed I told her my dilemma. She told me to go to the front and someone would help me. I told her nobody was there she told me, "well, someone will be there."

Not wanting to start trouble or seem rude, I walked back to the front cash register and the lady saw me and walked to get another one to help me. The second lady was a more mature lady. Grouchy as all get go. I told her what I needed, she shoved a piece of paper towards me and told me to fill it out. When I was done she told me to "bring a cart, I need something to put it in." Figuring she's old and all I did as she asked. My mom always told me to mind and respect my elders. I asked her if there was anything else, what the fee would be and when would it be ready. She grunted in a ticked off mood that it was all that was needed. Didn't know how much it would be and that I would get a call before any work was done on it and another to go pick it up when ready. She then proceeded to leave me standing there. No thank you, nothing. She just walked away. I left the store feeling perplexed and wondering if I missed something.

In the last week or so I've been wondering why they haven't yet called me. Mr. Sir tells me to call them. I call and I'm told that nobody gets a call; that the regular fee for a checkup on a machine is $62.50 and that the woman should have told me when I dropped it off. I told her the woman had been rather rude and had not answered any of my questions. She acted like it was the norm. I thanked her and hung up.

This only proves that some people, no matter their age, can be rude as can be. Mr. Sir told me to just leave it there. Not to pick it up and just buy a new one. It's not like I'm a professional seamstress and that's a Serger that cost hundreds of dollars. It was given to me for free.

I can't sew. I mean I can do simple stuff like pot holders and curtains and work from patterns but nothing fancy. A couple years ago I bought this pattern for a summer dress for my little princess. If I don't get started on it pretty soon I am afraid she will have grown out of it before I even make it.

One thing's for sure; I'll not go back to Hancock Fabrics. I would rather go 15 miles to the Joanns in the next town over. I'm sure they will be more than happy to take my money and treat me better.

Exes and the Latino culture

Do you ever think about whatever happened to a significant other from your past? Do you keep in touch with them at all? I always wonder but I don't keep in touch with any of them.

I've always wondered about those people that do. Is it to keep the doors of opportunity open just in case your current relationship doesn't work out? Was it because that was your one true love? I think a lot about mine at times and have even had dreams about him. He always looks the same, aren't dreams wonderful, he looks happy. Oh, my husband knows about him. I've told him before that nobody will take his place in my heart. Not him, not anybody.

Ben was 6' 2" tall and he was gorgeous. I still love him. I'll never stop loving him. Things just didn't work out between us so I left him; all the way up in New Jersey, where I lived at the time. He worshipped the ground I walked on. When I think back to that time I guess I just wasn't ready to put up with him and his brother who constantly thought he had to be around me and Ben. Being that Ben was older than him Ben thought he had to take care of him. Yeah, buddy if the dude can make a grand a week and that was 20 years ago, I think he can take care of himself pretty good.

I have a Latino background but I don't live with my in-laws nor do my family members share a home with me. I hate that about that culture. Why do they all have to live in a single house together? I'm sorry but that's just tacky. I like my privacy, thank you very much. Ben's brother had the nasty habit of coming into mine and Ben's bedroom without knocking. Most of the time he would catch me undressing for bed or first thing in the morning. Argh, I couldn't stand that guy!

You know what's funny is I learned through careful investigation (snooping really) that my beloved Ben has gotten married and sure enough, his younger brother lives with them now. The man is pushing 40!! Get a life already. I feel for Ben's poor wife.

Some people you just can't help. I'm glad I didn't stay with Ben but I still love him. He can't help it he's Latino. Now, to get that sour taste out of my thoughts...hee hee, I'm going to go do some designing here.

Unwanted and Uninvited visitors

Today was a lovely day until Mr. Sir calls me from the dealership, where he went to get the oil change done on our car, to tell me his brother is out front waiting. Now, why on God's green earth would someone come visit without an invitation or worse without even calling ahead of time to tell you they are coming over.

I don't like company intruding in my life without an invitation. That's just plain rude. I told Mr. Sir I didn't like that. He can deal with him, it's his family and if there is a major pet peeve of mine it is uninvited, unannounced and unwanted guests. The house is a mess, it is Saturday, I have more important things to do.

Right now I am sitting in the midst of boxes upon boxes of silver and gold and all kinds of sparkly, blingy components for jewelry-making. I will not just up and leave my little treasures to entertain his brother, I don't care that he's nice and has pretty green eyes. Especially looking a mess, no makeup, a sundress and bare feet. It doesn't help either that his family likes to visit for the whole day.

I could go head to head with their rudeness and take the little princess with me to our favorite place, the jewelry supplier. I promise to remember my 100/day spending limit. It is 100 degrees today with an even higher heat index. Not so sure I want to drive in the congested Dallas freeways to avoid UNWANTED, UNINVITED in-laws.

Maybe I'll just resort to making more of these and calm down a little bit. I love making the stuff.

Housing Market

According to the latest news, the housing market is suffering from a crushing blow to the economy. The Dow was down a second record loss for this year yesterday. Investors are fearing the slump and thus jumping off the boat of investing dreams. Hmmm, I again will complain that if our property taxes are up and the real estate market is down; well, that just doesn't add up. Again, I am praising the Lord that we even have a place to live in and a comfortable one at that.

What never ceases to amaze me is those people that get into a big fancy house with an ARM loan. I think they call it that because little do those poor souls know that it really will cost them an arm and sometimes even a leg. When the time comes that the rate is adjusted and the mortgage payments are astronomical and impossible to pay for the homeowners find themselves trapped. There are so many homes in foreclosure in the state of Texas that now there is a phone number that families in this situation can call to get help making the mortgage payments. It's a vicious cycle.

Went to the bank and guess what I got?

A jewelry show booking! I was signing some financial documents when the lady asked me what I did while I homeschooled the kids. I told her about my jewelry business, fished out a business card from my wallet and voila; she said, come and bring your stuff. I asked her if it would be ok with her boss she said the boss would buy some too. She stated they have a lot of people come in there selling all kinds of stuff.

So, it looks like, in looking out for others and praying for their blessing; I've got the best blessing of all...business growth. Amazing what God can do when we are not looking, huh? I need to get out more and talk to more people. It's just that it is so dashgum hot out there!

I'm making more jewelry tomorrow. It relaxes me and takes me to a wonderfully colorful world of gemstones and silver and gold, oh my! Yeah, I'm a nut, but I'm a friendly nut. I also have the best marketing tool a person could possibly have, faith in God.

If you would like to join our prayer circle...I say our but it's really Mrs. N's prayer circle. She is a great and awesome woman. I'm glad I found her when I did. Anyway, if you want to be included please contact her here and she will make sure your name is added. Our Namby Pamby Prayer Princess will see to it that no one is left behind. I guarantee you will see a big change in your circumstances, whatever they may be.

God bless!

Busy Busy Busy

I've been so busy lately I haven't even had a chance to blog. Today I made some necklaces and I am attaching the pics here for your viewing pleasure.

Little princess has been going into the kiddie pool for the past 3 days as it seems the dog days of summer are finally here. It's been 100 degrees out there. I've stayed indoors as much as possible. I've refrained from using the oven due to the heat. I still cooked but not in the oven. That's a shame because I love baking. I love staying cool more, however.

It appears that the good Lord is working wonders in our prayer circle that my dearest friend, N started. N, you are a godsend. Your faith and strength never ceases to amaze me. God is certainly using you, my namby pamby friend. I can almost see Him smiling at you as He says 'well done, good and faithful servant. '

Blog Spamming

In the last couple weeks or so I've had a crazy woman spamming my blog! I figured she must've been desperate the first couple times she did this but then she hit me again. I deleted all her posts. I was like, come on, lady; if you have to resort to spamming blogs you are sorely in need of a hobby.

I won't name her or her silly blog or the crazy link she spammed me with because that would only add fuel to the fire. I have since decided to moderate any comments to my blog. The rest of you can feel free to comment as I will post anybody's comment that isn't some silly spam junk.

Some people have nothing better to do. Had she been remotely polite I would've gladly posted her link on here. I don't have a problem with that. To just blatantly lie in a comment and just plunk down her link...well, esa es una idiota sin verguenza. Caramba, como hay gente ignorante. Right? I knew you'd agree with me on that one.

Greatwide hauls for "big names"

I read this article in the business section of the Dallas Morning News about how well this company treats its drivers. How they go the extra mile (no pun intended) to keep their owner operators happy so they don't leave. How they offer this wonderful health insurance program that is unprecedented in the field. Amazing how executives for any given corporation like to toot their own horn like that. What I find truly amazing is that a newspaper would print such one-sided information.

Do they even check the validity of the claims made by the subject in question? Are the editors so desperate for stories that they will print anything that is put before them? The reason I ask is because I know someone that drives for this company. The picture isn't as pretty as these executives try to paint it. Their health benefits are mediocre at best. You can get better health insurance going directly through any other avenue, including the internet.

Trucking isn't for everyone, I understand that. In the article it states that the trade has a lot of baby boomers retiring and nobody left to fill their driving places. Yes, the meal ticket for these conglomerates behind the trucking industry is running as low as the local food bank supply.

The trucking industry concerns each and every one of us or should - because we all benefit from the fruits of their labor. Look around you, every single thing you use every day was delivered by a truck driver. Maybe not to your place of residence, no - nevertheless, if it weren't for truck drivers how would you have what you have?

Food, clothing, vehicles, paper products, you name it. All delivered by the trucking/shipping industry. If we are so dependent on their services why are so many companies treating their drivers as if they are 2nd class citizens? Truck drivers in general don't get a lot of respect. Granted, some are slobs, but not all. What's funny about that term is that it could apply to many "white-collar" workers. There is slime in every field. Just look at our politicians. Look at the Enrons of the business world. Look at the Catholic church and some of its priests' problems with pedophilia - gasp!

Don't judge a person by their title, right? I mean, do you know how much money a truck driver makes? Owner operators make a six figure income annually. They work hard for that money. Greatwide needs to put more effort into getting their drivers better benefits packages, easier loans for those that want to become owner operators but cannot afford it at the beginning. How can a person become an owner operator without their own truck? Why not facilitate this and make it easier on everyone involved.

Maybe if the big boys of trucking like Schneider, JB Hunt, Swift, Stevens Transport and Prime would lead by example trucking wouldn't be a dying career. Greatwide boasts that they haul for big names like Wal-Mart, Tyson, Target, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, etc. Those are big names, yes, but what good does it do to have these big names as customers? When 85 percent of their drivers are owner operators and can take their wheels with them when they leave for better opportunities, what then? Those 'big' names won't wait around for anybody. They'll go elsewhere to get their loads delivered. I guarantee it. Just ask them what happened when the dispatchers were sorely lacking organizational ability and prioritization skills - Wally World took back some of their delivery routes. Hit them right where it hurt; in their pockets.

There is a lot at stake should a group of these drivers decide to "drive" to greener pastures. Drivers talk and other drivers listen. With the opportunities out there and the dire shortage of drivers as was mentioned in the article, you would think that the powers that be at Greatwide, as well as the other big boy trucking companies would get their act together. You'd think they'd have a clue. They should think about either getting new management or sizing up their benefits and putting themselves in the drivers seat for a change. After all, they have college degrees, right? They should use that education to actually make a difference instead of tooting their own horn.

Weekend Ramblings

Well, I woke up with a headache/shoulder ache today. I usually cannot win in this battle with heat-induced headaches. I get in a funk and don't want to go anywhere after one of these attacks me.

Right now, I'm watching my daughter through the glass door as she plays in the backyard . She checks the weather before she goes outside. She also suffers from heat-induced headaches. Being that she is a young child I don't think that they are as common for her. She also gets severe nosebleeds. It's hard to keep her inside though, she is, after all, a child.

We are at the mercy of the weather. In the summer, I only venture to the grocery store and back home. Even then I'm taking my chances. There are times when I wish I could just drive north and never come back here. Even the ducks were hot and sitting in the shade of some huge oak trees by the lake yesterday. It was almost like I could see the beads of perspiration on their little heads.

There will be times when I'm waiting in the car in the parking lot of Game Stop, my teenage-type offspring's favorite store. I see the birds. Skinny, thirsty-looking birds. They run around the parking lot looking for something to eat/drink. They flail their wings, opening their beaks reminiscent of a dying child in a third world country. I quietly sit and watch as they run to the miniscule puddle of water that has formed from the air conditioning condensation. Happy that they finally are getting the vital liquid that will quench their thirst, it's like they call out to their little birdie friends. Some try to bath in the ever-decreasing puddle until their oasis of relief quickly evaporates. As another vehicle leaves, the opportunity again presents itself for the birds to drink and bathe.

I always turn my AC on full force so as to leave more water for the birds. If I have a drink I usually pour out the ice for them to cool off. I guess I can identify with them because when I'm out in the heat like that, I get thirsty, I get cranky. I get the headache of all headaches. I wonder if birds get headaches.

Rambling thoughts

It's Friday again and I'm doing my usual Friday stuff. Went to Bath and Body again and took little princess to eat lunch. She picked Chinese. I ate veggies and fish. I'm still being good or at least trying.

I've just finished reading Nicholas Sparks' book The Wedding. A wonderful book. This is the first time I read one of his books and now I'm hooked. I'll have to go back to Half Price books to get some more. Maybe I should try Ebay instead.

I found a great online book place, I was hoping I could get some good books cheaper than at Half Price Books. I found book closeouts and ordered some books and was pleasantly surprised to find that shipping for 8 books was only 5 dollars!! I tell you, those people on Ebay rip you off horribly on shipping charges. I did manage to get a set of 4 Nicholas Sparks books on Ebay for a total of 10 bucks including shipping. Not bad considering I paid 6.95 for The Wedding at Half Price Books.

In all my years my admiration for authors has been right up there with my admiration for doctors. An author has a special gift that not many truly possess. Yes, there are authors galore but not all of them are good. Authors of fiction are at the heart of this unparalleled admiration. To have the ability to write a story, that captures the reader's interest, to the point of making the reader feel as if they are living the experience, is amazing. I've always wondered why I wasn't born with that gift.

It's a very hot day today. Reached 97 degrees with a heat index of 100. I made the mistake of taking little princess to the lake to feed the ducks. Ungrateful beasts wouldn't have anything to do with us. Little princess did the droopy shoulder thing and I told her that the lake was full of fish now that it has rained so much. The smart ducks preferred the fish over the bread. Can't say I blame them. She insisted that she wanted to go to the other side and see if she could "convince" them. How do you convince a duck that bread is better than fish?

She ran further down along the embankment. It was so hot I called out to her and told her we needed to leave as I could feel the effects of a headache coming on. I get heat-induced headaches; migraines, really. They are knock-down, horribly painful headaches. I usually crawl into my bed, in a darkened cool room in helpless defeat. Sometimes the pain will be gone after a couple hours, other times it will be there for a couple days. I hate the heat.

Maybe I can convince Mr. Sir to move to Canada. I need to get my thinking cap on and find ways that will not allow him the luxury of making excuses. He's a man, however, and maybe I am asking/expecting too much.

My favorite restaurant - Las Trojas

My husband and I frequent this Mexican food restaurant located about 30 minutes from us. I love, love their chicken fajita nachos. Every time I order them, however, the plate is piled high with nachos. Is that a bad thing, you ask? Well, no, not really. Thing is I am from the generation where our parents used to tell us to clean off our plates at every meal. There were children starving in another part of the world and how they never had it so good, etc.

I had dreaded going to this place because I always felt sick and could never finish the food on my plate. The servings are monstrous. Although, I've noticed in other restaurants it is pretty much the same. That never mattered to me. This, my favorite, restaurant did matter. We've been going to eat there since the restaurant started out in our home town. They then moved it to where it now stands due to increasing taxes and their lease was terminated.

One day I was so hungry and I told my husband to go there. I knew in my mind I would still not be able to finish it all. I came up with a new tactic. I told my husband we should split the food. It would save us money and we didn't have to feel guilty at leaving food on our plate. We never take the leftovers home because those nachos get soggy if you don't eat them fairly soon after preparation.

I've tried to figure out how they make them but have no earthly idea. The chicken fajitas are perfectly seasoned and grilled, the chips are amazingly crisp/crunchy. The pico de gallo is amazing.

A few months ago, upon arriving, I placed my order for the usual. I was so glad and could almost taste them when the waitress brought out my order. I took my first bite and was sadly disappointed. Not wanting to say anything I ate what I could and quietly told my husband these don't taste the same. The seasoning is not right. The chicken is not grilled the same. They are not as good. We paid and got out of there.

The next week we went back and I talked to the owner's daughter (they are friends of ours). I asked her why the nachos had tasted different the last time. She told me that her father had fixed them instead of her brother. Apparently the father is there during the earlier part of the day and the son is there in the late afternoons. I had almost chalked this up to another change in the menu and stop going altogether. I'm glad I spoke up.

Now as to portion size. I really wish restaurants would not serve such huge portions. You know, maybe if they cut down the size and charged less, they'd get more people to afford to eat out more often. In the process, we would probably be healthier as well.