Blogs I Love

The Hawg has nominated this blog as I Love Your Blog! It is wonderful honor for me. I am so appreciative of this honor. I take each award seriously, so it takes awhile to figure out how to accept it and give it to those who I know whom the award will help.

Of course, there are rules whenever one receives such an award, so I shall do my best to follow them. Here are the rules connected to the esteemed I Heart Your Blog award:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog;
2. Link the person you received your award from;
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs;
4. Put links of those blogs on yours; and
5. Leave a message on the blogs that you’ve nominated.


Here are my nominees for this award, and to narrow it down to seven is not easy. To highlight great blogs is a fun thing to do though!

1. Copious Dissent You talk about a blog with an whim of humor and sass and there you go!
2. OCD Lives Here is a fairly new blog to me. Kay;a's bravery of exposure to the world of a life changing diagnosis, I just love her commitment to parents and patients alike.
3. Pamibe is another blog I go to every day, just to see where that beautiful dog is and what she is up to. When you have dogs and conservatives call me heaven on earth.
4. Hillary’s Design is a Texan jewelry designer that I found again through Entrecard. Every day as I drop my card, there are more and more beautiful things she makes.
5. Nessa's Place is one of my fav blogs, I go there each and every day. She is another Texas living gal that has taught me a lot about blogging!
6. Mrs. Mecomber at New York Traveler, as a fellow homeschooling mom I love seeing what she and the kids are up to each day!
7. Motivated to Change is a blog I go to and use almost every day. Christi is another Texas living homeschooling mom. I love her laundry soap recipe, it has saved me hundreds of dollars!

Palin for $500 Alex

To say I am happy would be an understatement. Governor Palin is a woman after my own heart; she was a typical mom with a passion for change. Her common sense ways and lifetime NRA membership could not make me prouder. Greater than the pride I feel knowing she is on the ticket is the pride knowing McCain made the perfect choice!

You cannot pick a better partner for McCain than Palin. She has energy, warmth and realness. You know deep down her choices are true because faced with a Down’s syndrome baby Palin did what many moms do. She followed her heart to her child that she would love regardless of any disability. As I once told a doctor wanting me to have extensive genetic testing, “even if this baby is born purple this baby is ours.” Hubby and I truly believe the scripture “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” Psalms 139:14. God does not make mistakes, only sinners do. Each child is a precious gift from God that when you honor the child you are honoring God. I first heard about Palin when researching Anwar, many Alaskans have told me over the years that most of them want drilling up there. So I knew when I heard of Palin’s stance I would like her, you add to that her position on pro-life, corruption and guns it is a match made in heaven for me.

I have said it here and I honestly mean it, Obama was rude to Hillary. Had Hillary been a Republican she would have won the nomination, and she graciously gave her delegates more than once to Obama. Whether I agree with her or not, the slight she was dealt is hard for me as a conservative woman to understand.

I am thrilled to know that McCain is not scared of a woman VP candidate, matter of fact I thought he and Cindy looked happier than ever over his choice. Romney was never a fave of mine because his pro-life/pro-choice indecision. I just never was sure he had truly changed to a pro-life convicted candidate. There were so many red herrings on the VP list. John McCain did the ultimate in the old switcheroo of who it would be. It was just a perfect choice, and I could not be happier! What a wonderful way for the national delegates to start their convention!

The other reason I am looking forward to the convention is Michael Williams is speaking on Thursday night before John McCain. What a wonderful convention with Laura and George W. Bush speaking add to them Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson it is a convention of great conservative speakers. All my faves will be there.

This race just gets better every week! I can hardly wait for November 4th!

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Don't Mess with Texas

I am a proud Texan I admit it. I think most Texans should be proud. After all we are from the Great State of Texas! One think I take seriously is anybody trashing Texas. Yep it is weak spot for me. Don’t test me, trust me.

Obviously, some stray non-Texans seem to think it is okay to do it. Rarely do I hear any born and bread Texan dumping on Texas. According to the Dallas Morning News Rick Noriega did just that! You can read the article here. Mr. Noriega said Texans "have all been incredibly embarrassed" by the Potomac performances of President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Tom DeLay and Mr. Noriega's own opponent, freshman GOP Sen. John Cornyn.

Yes, we do have some politicians that were rough and ready, but it takes all kinds of people to make this state and this country great. Lady Bird without question changed Texas for many generations to enjoy. Her wildflower idea was spectacular, and every year I point out the beauty that she bestowed to the Great State of Texas. No one who he lists has done a dang thing I am embarrassed about! His statement shows how little he understands what works in Texas. We don’t trash our own. Even when there is a State of the Union Address, you see Rep. Shirley Lee Jackson hugging George W, Bush. She knows that honey gets more done than vinegar. She loves Bush, and Bush loves her. They just disagree about policy.

The funny part of Noriega saying that we needed another Lloyd Bentsen, I heard Lloyd speak more than a few times. He was not known for downgrading his own state or anyone from his state. What Lloyd did right was respect business, and his constituents. When he lost his way, he was no longer elected. As far as statesmanship behavior, Cornyn is the man with the full package. He realizes he is not a “country guy”, so he makes a video showing him as a “western hero”. The whole Texas Republican Party laughed, as well as John. We all know you rarely see him in jeans. It is the John we know, he is comfortable enough to say who he is. John doesn’t bash his fellow Texans unless it is a policy or platform plank. He argues on what is best for Texas, not in an emotional charge.

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Encouragement for the Overwhelmed Mom

I am bored with the DNC Convention, once you go to voting by acclamation the individual that worked hard to be sent to the national convention no longer exists. Finis for me.

This is written as an encouragement to those mothers out there struggling to maintain decorum and order in their lives with the kids in it.

On to things that I care about, I took my mom to the doctor today for a very short procedure. It was no big deal but I did get to see our family doctor and the nursing staff. Our doctor has been with us before we had kids. We have been to church together. He is like a great old friend. His staff knows us almost as well. They know the boys and Hubby. I am the information person for my whole family and they know it. I can go in, do the paperwork while talking football, and enjoy every second I spend with them.

My point is when my family has been sicker than dogs, and when they needed checkups, my doctor’s office was there. The nurse was asking today about Dunk, Gator and Sconicle. She said she could not believe Dunk is gone to college.

See he was this little boy, who could not gain a pound if you paid him. He was sickly and weak a lot of the time. Once he got a virus, it was a scary situation he seems to dehydrate in front of your eyes, you had to rush him to the doctor, and pray the second anti vomiting shot would work. The entire time he is crying, and vomiting. Then when he perked up, he was using all the things in the room as some kind of mechanical toy.

Gator hates shots, one time when we all went as a family to get the flu shots Gator escaped from our arms ran around the office and locked himself into the bathroom. The patients waiting were convinced we were torturing him. Finally, the Doctor got him out, I cannot remember how but he challenged him in some way. That day he fought the shot so hard, it bruised badly. The poor nurse was trying her best not to hurt Gator.

Sconicle doesn’t take to strangers, but he loves the doctor and the nurse. That being said, he thought love meant never getting a shot. Once Gator threw a fit that day about the shot, Sconicle joined his revolt as a toddler. Sconicle has a routine if he has a cut, the doctor’s office would allow him to do his Band-Aid just liked he liked it.

Drama does not begin to describe what the doctor’s office has seen of my family. I have been out of my head with fever with an infection, wondering why I seemed so tired. More than a few times if I take myself to the doctor alone they would find me almost asleep, I would tell them that I rarely hear such silence. Whether sick as a dog or just a check-up I would be napping like never before. I told them it was a vacation in a tiny room.

Hubby one time fell off a platform into a truck bed full of gravel needing over a hundred stitches. Our doctor stitched him up on his lunch hour. Mainly because when Hubby calls you and says, “I might need a few stitches”, the doctor was convinced he needed a trauma team. Hubby does a lot of self-doctoring and our doctor knows that oh too well.

The next time you take your small kids in public and you are convinced they are the worse kids in the world, don’t worry I have you beat. We have been there and done that. There were days I was convinced my kids would never mature or be able to leave stuff alone. The nurse reminded me today, they were little boys when she began working there. It took all my energy just to keep them out of stuff. They were not bad kids, just kids that were curious and bored. Time moves on and your kids grow tall. It will be something that you miss, the chaos of it all. I long for the days when you had a kid fly over your lap to hug his brother’s face. Gator would pinch Sconicle’s cheek until he would scream. Gator just loved Sconicle so much. Every time there was a little cut on Sconicle Dunk would worry. It is those little times of them being the rowdy boys they are, and the loving boys they rarely show themselves to be to each other that I miss, I never expected to miss being overwhelmed but I do.

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The One that Got Away

You cannot teach a candidate to be something they are not. You can try to make them more respectable, more knowledgeable or more likable. When you are talking about being able to campaign in many places in many ways there are few that do it well. Hillary does it well. You cannot teach her, she is her own great promoter.

Now you know I have thought Hillary was the scary candidate that we feared most. Because she can drink a shot of bourbon, turn and go campaign to small town people. She is regardless of her political persuasion a campaigning machine. She just needs to change her party, her belief system, her foundation of thought and we would help her get elected. Make no mistake I am pro-life, low taxes, business smart and a republican that respects Hillary as a candidate. I am not alone, many conservatives see her potential. Definitely I respect her more than Michelle Obama.

The DNC made a choice that flash was better than experience and hard work. She could have won it, but they threw her away. She said the right things according to the DNC, but down deep, she is the one that got away.

Hillary has done what she had to tote the party line, but take it from me Obama is a problem of his own doing. When he gets beat, look to the DNC and Obama for blame. Hillary leaves the podium with a clean slate. Obama has a big task, and the white gloves are coming off. He is playing with the big boys. His oversensitivity to criticism will not take him far. He didn't beat Hill by the numbers. No Republican is going to give him a free pass.

It is up to Obama to figure out how to beat McCain, but McCain is a big boy with a tougher than leather skin. It should not be this easy! Could Michelle have bitten her lip harder during the Hillary speech? No script can be written that is this ironic!

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My shiny present!

You cannot make this stuff up. You get a gift when you are writing and you know it is a crisp package with a shiny bow on top. There are times you can only hope for a gift this new. What am talking about? The DNC convention of course!

First, you got the feeling Michelle Obama detests Hillary. In fairness, I wasn’t sure Michelle was a driven as my imagination. Then the DNC does what no one else can, give me the shiny gift of Michelle Obama’s Ego! I don’t like Hillary that much but I think I like her more than Michelle does. What I will say is Hillary does respect the process of being elected more than Michelle does. Never in the history of the Democratic Conventions has any nominated candidate’s spouse spoke on the first night of the Convention has the spouse spoken. Much as I try, I cannot ignore this gift! Thanks, Michelle and the DNC. I will cherish this gift for over four years.

You add to that the choice of Biden, gosh thanks so much. Forget the polling a person, the slighting of Hillary was beyond rude it was idiotic. Delaware has so few electoral votes who the heck cares, Biden has been in the Senate longer than McCain. It is just so ironic, that I am having a hard time typing because I am laughing so hard! An Obama/Hillary ticket would have been competition! Hillary is the true independent woman that has more votes than Obama. I know that Hillary won my democratic precinct but in the caucus, it was Obama. I live in a yellow dog county there is no way Obama will beat McCain. The only hope would have been an Obama/Hillary ticket.

I am trying not to gloat but come on I have a beautiful package that the Dems wrapped just for us! Regardless of your political persuasion it was clear Hillary was pushed down, even though she had the most votes. The convention is a “staged” Theatrical production with very little substance, and the Dems are making it bigger than life! Bless you DNC, you have given me hope when I was worried and concerned. You have shown me how willing you are to sell your party down the river because you can!

Change Change Change Go for it!

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Things done on the Weekend

Since my brain is tired, and my body is even more tired I am doing a recap of my weekend. It seemed like so much at the time but now when I look at the list it seems easy. I have a whole post in my head about being born and the end of life comparison but I will refrain. If I don't I will never sleep!

Things I have completed.
1. Gator’s five things to complete for AP English, Done!
2. Mom’s storage room cleaned out, Done!
3. Pretty good cleaning of Gator’s new room and Dunk’s old room (same room), Done!
4. Pancakes and Burgers cooked on Sunday, Done!
5. Sconicle completed a great bath, Done!
6. Lunch prep done for Monday First day of School, Done!
7. Washed every stinkin dish that came out of Dunk’s room, Done!

Now to the list I need to do.
1. Figure out which crap I will keep from Mom’s storage room.
2. Get the sacks of clothes we will not be using to thrift store.
3. Continue pairing down in kitchen in prep for garage sale at SIL’s home.
4. Reorganize my closet to hold the clothes I truly cherish and ban the clown clothes I no longer wear.
5. Laundry, laundry and more laundry.
6. Mail Dunk the stuff he forgot.

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Weekend Humor

A couple of my favorite men!



Just in case you don't know that is Steve Bridges as Bush. He is very talented. Here is clip of him as Bill Clinton and Marianne Curan, who is just as talented. They don't have a link that is embedded but I can share the video The Bill and Hillary Show



Just in case you need more Larry here is!


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Honor Classes and Pain

School starts Monday here in Central Texas. Trust me all weekend we will be completing Gator’s work for his AP English class. The difference between public school and home schooling you ask. We assign things not during a break.

He has so much work to complete I feel sorry for him. We had to buy two books for him to use. Gator is a dyslexic although not formally diagnosed. Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic allows me to use the reading program for Gator as well as Sconicle. Sconicle will begin his work on Monday his first day of school. Dunk had much less to do on his freshman first day. Considering his Commended TAKS scores, and his SAT and ACT scores less work may have made him a better reader. Gator is a slow and methodical reader, his deep comprehension is better as long as he can hear and see the words. I guess my point is more work doesn’t make you smarter, but a deep read with a well written paper can truly tell a teacher you did your job. If only Gator had a paper. He has a huge list of things he needs including a poem, which speaks to him, don’t go there Gator will tell you “Reading Stinks” would be his choice if you let him! After all the reading he has done, I cannot blame him. Wouldn’t know it the book Dunk needed is not the same book that Gator needed. As a parent, I should be supportive, but remember this is the same school that ignored Sconicle’s problems. Unless I think, it is worthwhile I tend not to be quiet. Life is too short for a kid that struggles with reading not to know one book would be okay if Mom was in charge. As I type this I remember Gator has chosen public school, we offer each year to homeschool.

Man I feel so much better, tomorrow will be a day of marathon work. Dunk left more crud in his room than I can describe when he dumped and hid it I cannot say. I refuse to start school with such a mess of a room for Gator. Then you add to that, Gator doing all his AP work prayer will be needed.

I am going to go back and comment on your comments later this weekend. I just have to allow Gator as much computer time as I can, his audio books are on the computer. When he takes a break, I can hop on.

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Plagiarist and Gravitas

I have not blogged on Obama, and for good reason. I find him so hooked on himself there is no way to blog on him and he wouldn’t read it as a compliment. My belief about Obama is he would be worse than Carter who I consider the worst president in History. I can say this because I lived through Carter’s economic blunder. We had gas in America but no one to get to it. People spent 3-6 hours a day just to get a tank of gas.

Every policy Obama says is a great idea I think are crap. No other word than CRAP describes what Obama’s policies are.

It is with no surprise that Obama doesn’t think Hillary is smart enough to be VP. Nope she is just not a “perfect fit”. I am sure Michelle said no, I think Michelle wears the pants in that family. Michelle can be whatever she wants to be, but hopefully first Lady is not going to be on her resume. Hillary was smart enough to handle the Intern-gate, and become a Senator but nope she ain’t a VP candidate for Obama. She got more votes than Obama but nope that ain’t enough either.

Moreover, yes I think Obama is a racist. You cannot sit in a pew for twenty years listening to those sermons and not be one. If you had a white man sitting in a pew listening to a black hating sermon for twenty years, you would call him a racist. No other explanation is needed a racist is a racist.

This gets me to Biden, oh please pick Biden over Hillary Obama! You need to give me more proof you are a candidate with no real intelligence. Biden did run for President, when a reporter starting thinking he had heard Biden’s speeches. Lo and Behold he had, Biden is plagiarist. If Obama thinks Biden is a better choice than Hillary is, I will plan my victory party today.

I wish there was a race here but some people make it too easy for a McCain/Liberman ticket. Yes Liberman is the perfect choice. It would be a real race with a Obama/Clinton vs McCain/Liberman.

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Pairing Down

I am still purging my life of clutter, there are days I would swear that my clutter has been busy without me. My mom’s storage shed will be closed this weekend, which means I will get more clutter by Sunday.

She needs long distance more than storage. Back to my purging, for me it is freeing. I feel lighter easier to breathe. It is like coming out of a wonderful shower. God was watching over me when my Bunn kicked the bucket. That allowed me to use her old coffee pot, and allow me to throw out the Bunn that was refusing to turn on. No longer will any item park in my house when another working one comes in. I am done with that scenario. As I type this, a lot of my frustration is not with me but with Hubby. He has attachments to things, which defy logic, and our sense of space. There are two places those things can go either to the trash or ebay. No ifs ands or buts. I have had IT! This sweet sassy wife is about to get rid of everything not nailed down, and that means his stuff to. I don’t care if he doesn’t want to or not, we need the cash and space.

I put away the china that Hubby bought me that I actually wanted, the rest is about to fly out the window one way or another. It is not china actually I think it is milk glass with gold rims. I just wanted a few pretty pieces to serve cake, and dessert. My taste is unusual but Hubby does hit it every so often. My goal is to use what I like sometimes, and sell everything else. I don’t need stuff I truly don’t love. The less I own the better I feel. It translates for more time for me to enjoy my family.

Tomorrow Gator will play football without me, for the first time in our life. I will miss every down, it is something I look forward to. Gator is aggressive, and I just want to be at every down. Hubby will make the trip, and Gator will be thrilled Dad is there. The mom in me is sad about it. Just no way for me to be three hours closer when I have so much to do to get Dunk settled.

As you read this, I am on the road again, with Sconicle in tow. Dunk will be settled, and Gator getting ready to play. Life is good!

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A New Day

I feel like a new woman! My Bunn coffee maker went kaput. For twenty-four hours I sat in a funk, wondering the cheapest way for me to get a pot of coffee. When you live out Starbucks is a special treat when you go to the big town with a Wal-Mart. There is a new great bistro downtown in my small town, but I could drink eight cups so fast. They don’t have wireless yet, it is on the way though. Then you add the cost and my lack of a working laptop, just no way for me to get my caffeine fix while I am on a computer.

Finally, like a bolt of lightening I remembered Mom had a coffee pot in her storage unit. Eureka, I was almost home free, I only had to find it and clean it. It is not a Bunn, but I have coffee! Yesterday I was so desperate I was trying to do a homemade brewing setup. It did not work. There is no substitute for hot brewed coffee! Today I feel like a rich queen with a pot of brewed coffee at my disposal.

My life is still full of changes, and I guess it will be until my body adjusts to Dunk being gone. We are packing him up, moving him out tomorrow. The same day Gator has a scrimmage, while Hubby is working out of town. If we can swing it, all I will be mother of the year, if not Dad maybe can pinch hit if he is off work when the game starts. If the game is during the day, we will both miss it, a first for Gator and us.

There is a part of me relieved that so much is taken care of for Dunk, and a part of me still worried can he handle his life with his life without me. I am confident he can, okay I pretend I am confident. When I explain repeatedly about his loan, I have inklings of doubt. He is going to open up a new account in the college town, and get a new ATM card. It will be his first ATM, you cannot have one until you turn eighteen. With the bank charges, there is no use to have an ATM from our bank, when this bank has ATMs on campus. A financial decision without us is a new one for Hubby and me. God knows we have tried to teach him financial good policies, but everyone makes mistakes.

I just never expected this day would come so fast. Tonight is his last night at home before college; he is ready to fly away. There is a trepidation moment in him from time to time, but overall we all know he wants to go and is ready to get there. I am not a smothering mom, never have been. I have raised my kids to be independent beings, because I know first hand when you over smother them it is hard transition. My kids know when they need us we are there in a heartbeat, but we have tried to put confidence in them that they know they don’t always need them.

When I think back, I know Dunk will learn what he is made of. He will find out how much I did for him, how much he can do, how strong he can be. How great his family is, and yes how great our wonderful little home is. A place with free room and board, soon it will seem perfect in every way. He fed the goats and cows last night, I am sure he will feed them tonight again. I wonder if he will stop and look for a moment. He has put off going to see Granny. He wants her not to cry. I told him that was not an option. He will have to deal with Granny crying, it is her nature.

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Really Unspectacular

Original Grits
and Patricia over at Communication Exchange revealed six really unspectacular quirks about themselves and has challenged me and several other bloggers to do the same. So here is my window into me! I am thrilled to be singled out by two great bloggers!

Here are the rules:

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules
3. Tell six unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag six bloggers by linking.
5. Leave a comment for each blogger.

Keeping my list to only six seems hard to me. So here goes!

1. I sleep in complete darkness, one light one makes me so uncomfortable I cannot think of sleep at all.

2. I call myself a Texan and I am but I went to six different grade school and three junior highs, and finally one high school.

3. Swore several times I would never marry a farmer, yes I said those exact words. Our love story is a long one but I do plan to blog about it.

4. My first cow was a Holstein, yet we have no dairy cows. She was an abandoned bottle baby we bought at an auction. From that day I loved cows.

5.I am a dual type of driver, out in our small town or the country I drive normal. But when I get to Austin or Dallas I become a competitive driver just like the rest.

6. I love highway driving, small country roads make a trip so long to me. Even though Hubby will drive every small road he finds, I head for a highway as soon I know one is near. I still have a lot of my big city girl ways I guess.

Okay to my nominations!

1. The Sustainable Backyard

2.A Rose By Name

3. It is Nap Time

4. According to Nessa

5. Charmaine Zoe

6. Alive Blog

Please visit these blogs I think you will find something unique about each one. I truly love to see each of these each day!

A Look Back at Last Year

Every day I am conquering something new. Tomorrow I hope to conquer my highlighting dilemma. I don’t have the funds to go to the best colorist I have ever been with, so I will attempt my own highlighting. I bought a kit with a cap, if it doesn’t work out my hair grows fast. Just like when I started cutting my own hair, there is a curve involved.

I am working on getting a schedule to work at home. This will allow me to homeschool, and gain some income at the same time. This income will help Sconicle and I do some special things that last year with lack of time, and funds were not possible. He needs more time with kids that are home schooled, since we live in a small town we have to drive farther to get to those kids. I think if we schedule it around errands, and other things we can make it. In some ways without Dunk around this year should be easier. It was very distracting, having Dunk coming home in the middle of the day. It was not a good schedule for our family. Our hardest balance issue is figuring out the best for everyone. Having two public schooled and one home schooled is not easy but you can make it work when you figure out how best to manage time.

I try to balance my time with each kid, with Dunk gone I hope my time will be easier to balance. I have cut back all most of my wasted times, when I volunteer and am not paid. I would love to volunteer all the time, but it is not a good idea when we need the income.

So as I expect Sconicle to get more serious, as he goes up in grades, I have to challenge myself to get more serious about time management. Gator is independent, and in home schooling it has been my greatest input for Sconicle to become independent working and a self starter. I do admit one thing I babied Dunk for far too long, those days are gone. Unfortunately the more babying you do the more you regret doing it. I was not as bad as some moms were. I did over help and over compensate for Dunk. Gator will have it harder up front sooner. Sink or swim that is my goal by his senior year. The other thing I did wrong was not handle his GPA on a daily basis, Gator will perform or else. I expect Sconicle to, and Gator can do it.

Each year we re evaluate what we did wrong during the school year and what we did right. I think I have a handle on what I need to change. Change can be good, especially when you get results. I am looking forward to next week when my theories will be put in place.

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Some Great songs!

Got a new source. I am linking a great video. All about Home.



Here is a behind the scenes video of a great song.




Finally the real Video! And Yes that is George doing his own stunts, he and his son Bubba do team roping competitions.



George Strait - Troubadour
Music Videos at www.yallwire.com

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Country Music Good Music!

This song reminds me of my Dunk. He is just a simple kid, God knows he has enough exposure and talent to write a great country song if he desires to.