Three Headlines and My Opinion

Good morning! 

Not sure how it is in your world, but in mine, it is day two of rain. The humidity of course is high but the temps aren't as fallish as I would like. It is still a bit warmer than us pumpkin spice-drinking, pumpkin patch loving, leggings, and sweater-wearing connoisseurs would like. In fact, it is still a bit steamy out there. All-in-all though, it is a pretty good day to sip hot tea and spill the T in a blog. 

I wasn't sure what I wanted to write about today until I opened up my news app and started looking at the headlines. Then I remembered someone telling me not too long ago that there were a select few who liked to hear my views on world happenings. I really thought they were joking, but apparently, the hilarity I found in the statement, they found  to be a bit insulting as they were actually being serious. Who knew?

Okay, so be it. Today's blog will cover a few headlines (both locally to me and nationally....maybe even worldwide...who knows?)and bonus, you will get my views on such. Yeah, be careful what you ask for. 

My first headline is a local one. https://www.kake.com/story/49882600/newton-man-sentenced-to-more-than-4-years-for-mistreatment-of-a-dependent-adult    This story is short, but definitely not sweet. The place they speak of Heartland Supports, is in a little town North of Wichita. It apparently is a day program for dependent disabled adults. This less than human beast, apparently beat and battered a disabled client and now will be doing a whole 4 years for his crimes. Grrrrrr....I have BIG opinions on this. First of all, from the time David (my special needs, dependent son) was about 8 years old, up until now, I have always had people pushing me to put David into either a home for dependent indviduals or a day program after he graduated high school. My reply was always "thank you....no thank you," but not always in those nice of words. 

After years of hearing stories about people in nursing homes and assisted homes of all kinds, being beaten, abused and even killed, by staff who were not properly trained and who flat out didn't give a damn about the people they were hired to care for, I made up my mind early on, David would never be put in that position. David is especially vulnerable as he is non-verbal and when he is not being understood or listened to (yes, he can communicate if his caregiver, para, etc are willing to take the time and listen), then he can become frustrated, resulting in an arm grab, a small pinch, or even mild combativeness. This seldom happens anymore though, as he has gotten good at letting us know his needs, or maybe we have just gotten better at listening. He has however, even in a school setting been verbally chastised, and according to some who chose to remain nameless, even physically reprimanded. Imagine that in a setting such as Heartland Supports, where I couldn't oversee the situations like I could at school. David could be a statistic just because someone found him challenging and didn't want to deal with him, and David would never even be able to let anyone know. 

Yes, David will always remain in our home setting where he is loved, understood and his "voice" is always heard. As for this cowardly beast who hurt someone who had no ability to fight back, in my humble opinion, 4 years is not nearly enough. There should be extenuating punishments for those that hurt the elderly and disabled, and I am sure there is a special place in hell for them. 

I also feel that the Heartland Supports should shoulder some of the responsibility and all facilities caring for the disabled whether it is a living facility or a day facility, should conduct in-depth background checks on anyone they hire as well as extensive training on both the physical and mental care of those in their charge. Unfortunately, that would have to come with a big budget and much higher pay scale, that most of these places will not provide. Most of these workers, not unlike the paras (support staff for special education in schools) get paid barely minimum wage with little to no training but a lot of high expectations in service provisions. In other words, often the most vulnerable of our society aren't deemed worthy enough to have caretakers in facilities make quality care a priority. Grrrrrr

In lighter news https://www.today.com/popculture/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-kiss-cheek-rcna121758  Oh Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. SWELCE! Yes, I had to bring it up. 

I will admit when this whole Kelce/Swift thing started, I was a bit amused. The first I heard of it was when he was apparently crushing on her and he had someone tell her (I think, my brain is humidly challenged this morning) and she didn't seem any too impressed. It was kind of the Hollywood adult version of passing a note and asking her if she liked him. This was even before pre-season I believe. Then suddenly, without football fan warning or consultation, we hear that the two are a couple. Hmmmmmm. Who doesn't remember the Jessica Simpson/Tony Romo debacle and the grief it caused both him and the Cowboys? I bet Romo does!!!! No one (or at least me) wanted to see Kelce and the Chiefs go down that same road. 

So imagine my dismay, as the SWELCE "romance" began to blossom and T-Swift became the focal point of the season, and definitely every game that the Chiefs played. I read all the gossip headlines accusing the two of an unholy alliance of self-promotion to enhance both of their careers, or the belief that this was just made up play acting to keep the Chiefs relevant. 

Honestly, it is pro-sports and Hollywood, if we have learned nothing else, we have learned that anything is possible and either/or headline could be possible, however, it didn't seem likely that two people, both at the top of their game in their individual worlds, really needed the promotion, and the Chiefs certainly didn't. So maybe the two were legit, BUT must I see more of  Swift at these games than the actual games? I posted something about this on FB and while some agreed that they were over the two before they even started, others sighed and chastised me for not acknowledging young love in bloom. I remember thinking to myself, until he becomes her next heart break, man done her wrong, top 10 single. Yes, I am extremely jaded. 

There is no question that I am and was pre-SWELCE,  a Kelce fan. I have however, never been that big on Swift....no matter how much my granddaughter plays her songs. Okay, there are a few songs that I find okay, but Swift as a person, I just kind of wonder about. So many boyfriends, so many break up songs, and if you listen to gossip media, our T-Swift might be headed to the dark-side with some of her songs and videos. Did she really sell her soul for pop stardom and now NFL stardom too? 

Then I hear stories about people in this new world of football fans and friends that Swift is starting to cultivate. She is kind to those around her. She picks up her trash and the trash of others. She goes out of her way to meet people, and okay, maybe the most endearing thing I have seen, her sweet kiss on Kelce's cheek, and their innocent hand holding. All these things are things a boy mom would be watching out for if a girl (even Taylor Swift) were hanging out with her son. 

So my consensus.....maybe they are for real. They definitely aren't throwing their PDA in our faces like some of the famous couples tend to do in an effort to show the world their love (think any Kardashian), and they aren't trying to defend their relationship through all the clapback that they get. At the end of the day, I guess it really doesn't matter if they are a "real" couple or not, and by the way, what defines real couple anyway? They seem happy, and the Chiefs Kingdom have settled down and don't seem too unhappy that the more Swift shows up at the games, the better Kelce plays. I guess the only real question left is, can SWELCE get us to another Super Bowl win? If not, then at least we know that T-Swift will have a hell of a next album. 

And finally, https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/tumor-destroying-sound-waves-treatment-coming-to-a-hospital-near-you-for-liver-cancer/ we all need a little uplifting news when it comes to cancer. 

Cancer has been around a very long time and dare I say there are very few of us that can say cancer has not touched our lives in one way or another. It is a disease that can produce over 200 types of cancer, along with genetic mutations that can can take the disease from very treatable to completely out of control. Yes, genetics and our individual cell make up play a huge part in whether we get cancer or not. 

With cancer sometimes the treatments are almost as bad as the disease itself, using poisons and radiation to kill the cancer that can damage other organs, cause other illnesses and make the cancer patient sicker than they ever felt with the disease. Often times the treatments are also invasive, such as surgery to remove the cancer or even the affected organ. 

Of late, new trials keep popping up and some are less damaging than the old tried and true chemo and there is also positive info coming out on cannabis and it's ability to kill cancer cells, but with over 200 kinds of cancer, it makes sense that not every new trial or treatment is going to react to every cancer the same way. That is why something like non-invasive treatments such as sound waves might be an exciting breaktrhough in the field of cancer and it's treatment.  

May we one day find a cure for cancer in all its forms that erradicates it from our world. 

Well, there you have it. You have three interesting(ish) headlines and my opinion on all of them. 

So until next time, stay dry, stay happy and be kind!

Thoughts and Prayers, and a Crisis of Me

 Let's just get down to it today. 

I dreamed about this piece last night (or at least the theory of this piece), and I woke up thinking about it this morning. It has continued to play in my head, so I would say that is my sign to put it on paper. This is the first time in a long time that this has happened, so hold onto your bloomers if you plan on going along for this ride. I have no idea how deep this will go or what all will come out as I type, but I do think it might trigger some, in content alone. I guess I will then preface this with Sorry! Not sorry! 

So grab a cup of coffee, brew a pot of tea, or get yourself a Dr. Pepper, and let's get this blog piece started!

Last night I was doing some research and catching up on current events. Even I, Non-news Nancy, am not oblivious to world happenings. Don't get me wrong, I try to be. Truly I do, but sometimes the happenings are just too big and yes, even too scary to ignore. In this case, I really hold no fear, more astonishment, and disbelief, as the world is changing and I feel that humans are currently their own worst enemy and will be their own downfall in both this world and the next. 

I am going to begin with "thoughts and prayers." Do you want to trigger someone who has little to no faith? Post on social media, or say in front of someone lacking, that your thoughts and prayers are with someone struggling, grieving, or hurting and you will see a literal outpour of emotional gibberish on "What good are prayers when this person needs money, or a cure, etc, etc." I can't even count all the times that I have been chastised for posting this and literally belittled for doing so little to help someone who is suffering or in need. Does it bother me? No! I mean, I might feel a twinge of sadness for the chastising persons' lack of perception, self-control, and faith, but other than that.....let them feel justified in their convictions. My thoughts and prayers are with them too. 

Having said this, I do wonder if the statement you are in my thoughts and prayers is just words to some, or if they back them up with actions? No judgment one way or another. Just curiosity. After all, the statement does seem to have become quite the norm on social media posts, where loss, pain, and/or suffering is the topic. We all want the poster to know that we are thinking of them and in some cases, maybe saying we are praying is just what we think they want to hear. I sincerely hope not, because if every "thoughts and prayers" comment were true, then how awesome would that be?

When I say "You are in my thoughts and prayers", I try hard to mean every word of it. In the moment that I read the post, I say a prayer then and there asking that God's will be done for the person or family involved. I try not to stop there though. Each and every time I think about that person or family throughout the day or sometimes for many days, I renew that prayer. So when I make the statement, I try to make it absolutely factual and not just calming words in the moment. 

I know to some this sounds like nothing, especially if the person posting is in need of money, or food, or is in terrible pain or grief. I have even flat-out been asked just what I think prayers will do for this person. Sometimes I take the time to explain that I learned about 23 years ago, the true power of prayer.

 When a doctor looks at you and tells you that your child is within hours of dying and the medical community has done all that they can you become frozen in disbelief. When he follows it up with, "If you pray, then put it in God's hands. His hands are far safer than any doctors." It is at that moment that you realize that you could be a gazillionaire and it would not matter. Money, a casserole, or nothing else was going to save my child. That is when my heart became so heavy that it dropped to my stomach and made me hit my knees in prayers. My husband and I begged everybody in the vicinity to do the same whether they prayed or not....and they did. We also called family and friends and begged them to pray and every time our family crossed their minds, to pray some more. Here we are 23 years later, and that child not only survived but thrived and is still going strong. In fact, we were assured as we took him home from the hospital, by another doctor who believed far more in science than God, that David was a bonafide miracle and that there was simply no way he should be going home on no meds, and no oxygen. No one had to convince us. 

And that my friends is why you all are in my thoughts and prayers. Prayers are more powerful than any other human act a person can give. In fact, prayer is dare I say, the greatest gift someone can give another human being... Perhaps I will delve into this more in another piece on another day.   

So back to world news. Oh yeah.....humans are f-ing up the world!

We seem to have forgotten or some may never have realized that all we have didn't just appear one day. It was given to us by our Creator (I call Him God) and He gave us some very simple rules to live by in order to keep and maintain this world and in gratitude, just what did we go and do? We deny Him and His rules. We mock Him and we make it seem as if humans created God rather than God creating humans. What is worse is in the name of religion, we put human ideology and interpretations into God's own words. 

We have removed God from all places, including some churches, and replaced Him with self-serving ideals, greed and the desire to please and serve ourselves rather than to please and serve Him. We give ourselves all the glory and God none of it. Instead of reading God's word and following His teachings, we paraphrase and manipulate until we hear the message that is easiest on our ears and the one that fits in with our own wants and desires. Anything is wrong if we claim it to be in the Bible and if that is our agenda, just as anything is right if we manipulate and reword God/Jesus's teachings to make it seem that whatever we want or do is not only acceptable but also Biblical. Playing God is not a good look for anyone but God. 

Now we sit with a war in Isreal and a social media full of people who have been previously shut down and shut up speaking out about everything from our current world following Biblical prophecy to child trafficking and the evil one and his followers alive and well and growing in numbers......right before our very eyes, should we choose to open them. 

Okay, so I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I am also not stupid. I am of the mind that this world is very big and there is much we don't know. I have also lived long enough to know that not everything is what it seems, but then again, some things are EXACTLY what they seem. Some of the stuff that is currently being talked about has some pretty compelling "facts" to go along with the stories. It's hard not to question the validity of some of the things that are being discussed. Moreso, there are many people who you would not think to be wild and out there backing up some of the things we are hearing. So what are we supposed to believe and how are we supposed to react? To further confuse the whole conundrum, with the onset of AI, we can't even go by the old adage, "I'll believe it when I see it." The fact is, just because you see it, doesn't always make it real anymore. 

Don't even get me started on AI and man's desire to create what can actually and no doubt will actually destroy him down the line. Yes....we humans are just fantastic creatures.  <heavy on the eye roll>

Then there is me. In the last couple of years, I have been suffering from a crisis. I don't want to call it a crisis of faith, because I have never lost my belief in God, my faith, or the belief in the power of prayer. I guess then, it is a crisis of ME! I have become one of those humans who has become so frustrated with other humans in all facets of life (including religion) that it has been too easy for me to take steps back and reexamine literally everything. 

I have begun to question so much about our world and the human aspect of it all that it has made me not like other humans very much. Are things really getting worse, or do all people my age pass that judgment. OR have things been getting progressively worse over time and that judgment for each generation has been correct? We have become a world of haters and hypocrites who can't view the past for what it was, and accept it for those times and how the people of those times viewed things, acted, and reacted. Instead, we want to put today's values and viewpoints on a people and time where today's values have no place. Thus, we want to ignore and/or cancel the past, totally forgetting that without the past in all of its triumphs and faults, we can't learn and thus make a better tomorrow. Another human failure. 

With all the questions I have been pondering, I have not remained faithful in my religion and that has been something that has literally eaten a hole in my soul. Now don't get me wrong, I was born a Roman Catholic and I am still a RC, but like anything else, the human aspect of it all, yes even the church bothers me. I have become so frustrated with people who call the Church home and yet try to bend and twist the Church's teachings to fit their way of thinking and believing. Why? What is this all about? If the Church doesn't suit your sensibilities then maybe you are in the wrong church, but quit trying to make the Church human run, when truthfully it is God's church in which we are to serve Him and His word, not Him serve us and what we want. 

If it's a self-serving church you want, perhaps you are looking at the wrong end of the spectrum. 

In all of my questioning and soul-gouging, I have been waiting. I have tried to listen quietly and hear what God might want of me personally. I have asked in prayer and even talked to Him as a father to a  daughter. What does my father want of me? Last night, I think the answer hit me. 

As I was watching videos about the world and all that is wrong and evil with it because of self-serving humans, and as I worried (a little) about AI and the deception that it could bring to this already deceptive world, I asked myself, how will I know? How will I be able to tell true goodness from true evil? After all, the evil one hides in plain sight in our world whether it is in our music, our schools, our government, and yes, even our churches. So how will I know if I am doing right or wrong, following the good or the bad? Then it hit me, GO TO CHURCH! Follow not the humans, but the word of God. Pray every day for guidance and the ability to avoid that which is not of God. But then there was one more thing that hit my heart like a ton of brick. We ARE in end times. We have been since day one and how we follow God's words and teachings is going to be the determining factor of our eternity.

 Miraculously, at that moment, some of my Confirmation teachings came back to me. (For those wondering, in the Catholic church, Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments of our faith at which time, we become a soldier of Christ. You can't receive this sacrament unless you are old enough to understand what the church and your faith are all about). Words like "Love your neighbor as yourself for the love of God," hit me pretty powerfully. "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light," also played over in my mind. After sleeping on all of this, this morning, one other thought kept dancing around, "Be not afraid." These were my favorite words of Pope St. John Paul II. I have loved these words so much that they are literally tattooed on my arm. 

So how am I to go forward? I am going back to church.....God's church. I am going to receive the sacraments every chance I get, and even though the human aspect of things is what has bothered me, my job is to follow my faith and first and foremost do as God commanded. I will love my fellow man as if they are my own flesh and blood because they, like myself, are created by God. I cannot change any other human, but I can change myself, and perhaps through that, others might see and find something in me that helps to change them. I will do my best each and every day to show kindness and compassion, find the good and positive in the world (something I have been struggling with) live all of God's commandments, and live to serve God and not ask God (even in prayer requests) to serve me. His will not mine. I will do all of this without fear and have complete faith that by following God, He will lead me to where I need to be. 

WOW!!! I'm going to be pretty busy just worrying about my own soul and loving others regardless of their souls. Remember, Jesus didn't hang out with the self-professed "holy" ones. He hung out with the broken and bad. Many of those later became saints. Little fun fact, many saints were sinners first. 

See, I told you I had no idea where this was going or how deep it would get. If you felt triggered by anything I said, maybe ask yourself why. I don't typically talk about God this much but today, I think this is what He wanted and this is what I needed....not so much God in general, but my relationship with God and the hypocrisy which I have been feeling towards my fellow humans. 

We do live in a crazy world and without a path, just where might we end up? Who knows how this all is going to end and what we might find out along the way, but perhaps, the upside in all of this, at least for me, is that my crisis of me, may just be at an end. 

Today I fast and pray for peace for Israel and for each of you, you all remain in my thoughts and prayers. 

Good Morning and Welcome Back!

Well......good morning and welcome back! 

Not sure if that greeting is more for the readers (assuming there are any), or me. It has been almost a year and a half since I last blogged and before I actually sat down to begin this morning, I was a bundle of giddiness mixed with almost procrastination, as I kept finding things I needed to do before I sat down. Still, I was so excited to be able to sit down and write, and more so that I wanted to sit down and write, that I couldn't stay focused on the things I needed to do. Welcome to that sneak peek into my world.

I have no idea where this first blog piece is going to take me, as there are a lot of pent-up words, and emotions fighting to get out as I type, so pardon any rambling, incomplete thoughts, or out-and-out absurdity that may show up here. Just know that if you are reading, I am grateful and I promise all my blogs won't consist of locked-away brain gumbo. Some may actually have real merit! Ummm....maybe. Well...possibly. Okay.....we can only hope!

So a little catch-up about my world, since last I blogged. I think I quit blogging because I was starting to feel overwhelmed with life and the expectations I was putting on myself as well as what the world was serving up, and my feelings and emotions were in a place where I couldn't get them from my brain to the paper. I went on a bit of a hiatus from social media, blogging, texting, people, and anything that made me feel overwhelmed. Did I mention people? Maybe it was a late-term, mid-life crisis or maybe it was just me feeling like I was just doing too much. Whatever the case, I had to stop it all for a bit and find my footing again. 

During that time though, I was not bored, nor was I free from life's little surprises and tragedies. In the course of a year, I lost both of my older dogs (Gizzy and Spud) to age and injury and I lost my new puppy (Wendell) just before his 1st birthday to a brain tumor. I was truly not prepared for the emotional toll that losing these fur babies was going to take on my heart. God had my back though, and I guess the compromise was, that my late husband Tim now has three fur babies to play with in heaven and I have a new fur baby (Harley) that came to me through I have no doubt, divine intervention. She just turned a year old and she healed my heart and my soul in ways I had no idea they needed healing. 

We also went through some major family drama (what family doesn't) and some loss of good people. I also found audiobooks. Yes, I know they have been around for forever and that I am behind the times, but sometimes I just fight technology, because we are not friends. However, up until audiobooks became my best friend, I had to choose between sitting down and reading and leaving everything else undone, or doing everything else and never having time to read. I can now do all I need to do and listen to my books. Last year I read close to a hundred books, rereading old favorites, and classics I never got around to, and finding some new genres and books that I would never have thought I would even crack open. I was pleased to find that my love of books is still alive and well. 

During this time, I also added apron maker to my repertoire. It all happened by accident as I decided I wanted a farmhouse apron (a longer, crisscrossed in the back apron with lots of pockets). I went to my favorite place for instruction (YouTube) and I watched videos for making many different types of aprons and then pieced together a pattern of what I wanted MY apron to look like. The first one I made for me was hideously made, but from outward appearances, it was cute. It had a beige and black background of farm animals and the straps and pockets were red gingham. I loved it regardless of how bad the stitching and piecing looked and I took a picture and put it on Facebook. As they say.....the rest is history. From that one picture, I had numerous requests for these aprons. This meant no more piecing and racing through the sewing. Before I knew it, I was taking orders from all over the country (literally), I had a Facebook page dedicated to the aprons (Grandma Lisa's Farmhouse Aprons) and I even branched out here and there and made mens bbq aprons, kids aprons, and kitchen towel sets to match the aprons. I was working 9-10 hours per day, 7 days per week and it was literally the best thing that ever happened to me. I had a deep focus with a deadline and a purpose that wasn't just kids, the house, appointments, etc. Between the aprons, my old reliable cheesecake making, and Harley, I found a little piece of me that had gotten lost in the chaos that my life had become. By the way, that first hideously made apron is still going strong after literally hundreds of washings. I guess it wasn't as hideous as I thought. 

This summer I was able, with the help of David's school para, who is now a family friend, to take David and the three grandkids on many fun adventures. We made it to zoos, museums, and parks and I was made aware of how blessed I am to be such a close part of my grandkids' lives and how lucky I am to be able to watch them grow into individuals that make me laugh, make me furious and keep my world from ever being boring. 

Amongst all of this, one of the best things that has happened is that I have found my brother again. The adult years have not been great for him and me for a multitude of reasons. We had many ups and downs over the past decade and have become just people we used to know. The fact was we knew very little about each other's lives or even who we were as grown people. In truth, there was just so much wasted time being angry over things that we didn't have all the facts on and we likely never should have been angry about in the first place. 

My brother has the Lynch Syndrome gene which is a particularly nasty cancer-causing gene. My mother also had it, which gave him and I both a 50/50 chance of also having it. Once tested, we found that I did not have it, but he did....and he didn't just have it, but he apparently took on the motherload of this gene. In the last 6 years, he has dealt with three recurring cancers (colon, bladder, and kidney) plus he has just been diagnosed with two more (lung and bone). He is also suffering from the side effects of the cancer treatments he has endured which include: osteoporosis, the loss of his bladder, and diabetes, just to name a few. In the last year though, he and I have become much closer through all of this. It nearly kills me thinking that my baby brother has to endure what he is going through. Moreover, it cuts me to the bone that there is no way that I can fix it. We talk though. He keeps me up on his appointments and their outcomes, and our conversations have even ventured into our kids, and even memories of our childhood. The conversations, even though the content is not always pleasant, are always good, and my prayer life is increasing by leaps and bounds as I flood heaven with prayers for him. 

I have also gotten to know the tremendous strength of the man who is my brother. He reminds me very much of my mother and her strength in fighting a similar, though not nearly as heinous battle with her own cancer. My brother is strong, as he knows his wife and young son depend on his strength, and he has taken each new diagnosis and treatment with calm and quiet determination to fight and beat this horrific disease. I find myself in awe of how steadfast and even positive he remains through all of this. I am not sure I would have the strength he has and I can't help but feel that God still has much He wants my brother to do here on earth. He has definitely reminded me that the years don't matter if the minutes aren't handled with care and appreciated to the fullest. I think in this aspect, we are both trying to make every minute count. 

If you pray, please pray for my brother and put him on any prayer chain you see fit (Andy Jacques). If you don't pray, please make an exception in this case and send him all the positivity you can. 

Also in this last year, I have begun more and more to think outside the box and look at different ways of accomplishing things and just simply doing things that I have never done before. I am also doing my best to simplify everything in my life. I am trying to opt out of any and all clutter in my life, my home, and everywhere else clutter tends to pop up and overwhelm me. 

So now I guess we are caught up. Back to this blog. 

I have no idea when I am going to blog again or how often, but I will share my blog posts in as many places as I can, including several places on Facebook, so if you like my blogs, you will have plenty of opportunity to find them when they appear. Also, in the theme of simplifying and downsizing, I currently have four blogs out there in the blogosphere, all as woefully discarded as this one has been and all dealing with different aspects of life. Going forward though, I am going to condense them all into THIS blog. Trying to chase down numerous blogs and keep up is one of those things that overwhelm me. All the blogs have served some form of purpose and even healing for me in the past, but let's face it, they are all about my life and my world, so why complicate it all? Let's just pile it all here in one place and call it good!

The following are the links to my other blogs so in case you would like to catch up on them or in case you have never read them, feel free to take a peak and see what they have all been about. 

Do I Look Like a Celery Kind of Girl? https://cmom-toomuchinformation.blogspot.com/

This was my health blog. It took on many faces over the years and I can't really say that I am much healthier since its inception, but there is some good information to be had in it. 

Life With the Incredible Mr. David  https://theincrediblemrdavid.blogspot.com/

This blog deals with all things David and covers some of the most agonizing and awe-inspiring moments in his life. 

To Hell and Back, An Al-Anon Moms Story  https://thabalanonmom.blogspot.com/

This blog saved my life during some of the worst moments of my sons' addiction and it covers some of my journey of finding my own self and the healing that had to happen for me, through Al-Anon.

So there you have it. This blog will be a combination of all of this, plus I have asked some past readers and Facebook family and friends to throw out ideas for this blog. It might be fun to step further out of my box and have to do some research here and there and learn a little something. However this goes though, I hope that my blog gives you entertainment, education, and maybe even humor along the way. For me, it will be an unburdening of my brain, emotions, and experiences and as always, it will include a good heap of healing for my soul. 

Please feel free to go back and reread my old pieces, follow the links to my other blogs, and read and comment anytime about anything. I look forward to hearing from you and I hope you like what you read. 

Until next time..........