Oh, the drama!

I hate drama - IRL, online, wherever. Well, except on TV - but then I'm actually expecting it and wanting to get lost in it. Any drama other than that which was made for the purpose of entertainment is unwelcome. I. don't. want. it.

Some of you likely will remember that I had some drama going on with my Web site somewhat recently. In some ways, it feels like it was just yesterday; in others, it feels like it was months ago. Funny how that works.

Anyway, the result of that whole stupid ordeal was that one of our members - a staff member, nonetheless - decided to take her leave of the board. I knew she'd be a big loss, but I also understood (and still understand) where she's coming from. But, in her announcement to the rest of Staff that she's leaving, she basically told my co-admin to go ahead and kill the site. She's gone - or something like that. It appears she's getting her wish. She's a sweet individual and a true friend, so I know she didn't actually mean that she wanted to see the site fail. I also know that she hasn't done anything to sabotage to site. I think it was just the fallout from the crap that happened before. Now, the site is extremely inactive and I'm starting to wonder if we'll ever recover. Apparently this individual was the heart and soul of the site - for her absence is what brought this lull in activity to pass.

So, now the question becomes simple: What do I do? Do I watch it die a slow, miserable death? Do I perform e-CPR and do what I can to revive the site? Do I beg the former staffer to return to the site? Do I pull the plug and walk away? Or do I hand the site over to someone else, then walk away? I dunno. Even staff members aren't posting much, which can't be good. I think the whole incident from before had a much bigger impact on them than it originally looked like it had. And I just don't know what to do.

Add to all of this that I've been just overtired. Not sure why. Plus, my wonderful (and I mean it - no sarcasm) husband has decided to work for FEMA again. No, he's not getting a new job. He's still with the Army Corps of Engineers. But, they'll send him to North Dakota to help with all the flooding and stuff going on there. Just like what he's done in the past in New Orleans and Texas - except for once he's going farther north. I get to be the one to brag about better weather! LOL I'm sharing this to say it's just going to get worse. I'll temporarily be a single mom, having to do it all 100% by myself. Sure, I could attempt to ask my family for help, but they're useless. My mom always has a million and one excuses for why she couldn't possibly help me out. (But she's going to try to see my other sister - who is several states away - soon because she thinks my sister needs her right now!) One sister is too far away. The other is VERY, very busy - especially this time of year. And my in-laws? Forget them. They can't make their way up here under normal circumstances. They couldn't be bothered to come up here when our youngest was born. Don't get me started.

Despite all of that, I decided to take on a challenge. It's 31 Days to Build a Better Blog by ProBlogger. I have found that I really enjoy blogging and I have been thinking of ways to make this a better blog. Now I'll have not only a ton of great ideas, but also big-time motivation! I only hope that I'll find a way to really be faithful in this while my husband's away! I am excited about this, and hope that in the coming weeks you'll find this blog an even better place! (Many thanks to My Friend Amy for her Weekly Review post that included this little tidbit!)

Well, that's it for now. Thanks for reading!

If I could go back

Before I start my intended post, I must clarify something simple. The post below this one isn't really a mistake. I started it, and Natalie (my 17-month-old) sneaked in and submitted it! I originally was going to delete it and start over, but decided to keep it. For sentimental reasons. And now, I bring you the post for which you've been waiting - I hope!

Whenever people want to get to know someone, many questions are routinely asked. One of them is "If you could go back in time, what would you change?" My answer is usually one of the following (or some combination thereof):

• I would change nothing, because every bit of it has made me who I am today and brought me here.
• I would avoid getting into debt - excepting the standard student loans, auto loans, and mortgage.
• I would have chosen a different major.
• I would use another similar thing as my answer.
  

Those are mostly true - generally speaking. But, tonight, I was thinking. And there are actually a bunch of (mostly) smaller things I would change, if given a chance. And, since this is the place to unload my mind, I'm gonna subject you all to it.

So, if I was able to go back and change things, there are some things I'd do differently.

• I would not have moved before my family did. The summer before I started high school, my parents decided it was time to move to a different suburb. It would put me into a completely different school district in which I knew no one. The house was put up for sale in July. We figured it'd take at least a few months, as often is the case. But, well, that wasn't how it worked out. The house sold in FIVE days. That's less than a week! My parents found a house, etc. The Big Move was going to be toward the end of September - after school had started. I was given the choice of either transferring after starting school or staying with a friend and starting school in my new district. I opted for the latter. I didn't want to be The New Kid that everyone wonders about mid-year. I didn't want all of that attention. I didn't want to have to struggle in my classes as I figured out where I was academically. I thought starting school in my new school would be best. Well, that worked out OK. Staying with my friend was cool, and I suppose there's something to be said for not transferring about a month into the school year your freshman year of high school. But, there were things I never saw coming.
  For one, I wasn't able to get into the right classes. I registered about a week before school was starting, and the guidance counselor didn't have my transcripts. He gave me the choice of physical science (I think that's what it was) or biology. I chose biology. I ended up in a class full of sophomores, rather than in the advanced biology classes with the other freshmen! (Interestingly, I didn't figure this out until my senior year, when my resulting GPA was just a smidgen too low for the National Honor Society, of which I desperately wanted to be a part.) This was one of many classes in which this happened. Not only did it happen freshman year, it did the following year, too. My first semester I was in a class full of juniors - intermediate level. My second semester, they finally figured out their mistake, and I was put into the advanced level with my peers. But, by that point it was too late. I was confused as hell and didn't do so well.
  The other thing was that socially it was rough. I had grown up with most of my classmates, and been through the toughest years - known as junior high - with them, and never got closure. With the exception of my closest friends, I never got to say good-bye to anyone. I just disappeared off the face of the planet, so far as many of them were concerned. In fact, ironically, during college I actually ran into one of my junior high classmates at a concert. He was sitting next to me - I didn't recognize him at all, but he was able to place me. (This strikes me as particularly ironic, given the fact that I had a big crush on him in junior high and he didn't seem to notice me at all. LOL) He said hi, then asked "What happened to you? You just disappeared." So, I explained the situation and he understood. But, that was one of the first times I really thought about the social side of my move.
  Recently, thanks to facebook, I have been able to re-connect with some of these people. It's been so neat, but at the same time it raised my awareness of what I've missed out on. Perhaps I could have remained in touch with many of these people if I had attended the first few weeks of school with them.
  
• I would have majored in something different. Don't get me wrong, I love my English degree. I enjoyed studying it. And, well, it was easy! LOL But, it wasn't necessarily what I wanted to study. I had considered studying in something music related, but my mom wouldn't let me. She told me she wouldn't help me pay for school if I did, so I went with English. Turns out, I should've followed my heart - my parents hardly helped me with my education anyway. They took out one small loan my freshman year, then I was on my own. I had loans up the wazoo, and a very generous gift from my mom's uncle at the beginning of the school year. (And, yes, I'm still paying off my loans.) If I could go back, I'd major in music engineering so I could produce music. I think that would be awesome!
• I would have left Shadow at my parents' house when Dan and I first got married and moved into our apartment. She was a very, very sweet cat, but she wasn't a fan of the litterbox. She'd pee outside it, but never inside it. After having taking a couple of animal sciences classes about pets, I thought I could fix her. Generally, cats who do that do so because of FLUTD - Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. Not Shadow. It was behavioral. Nothing we did helped her get it right. It probably didn't help that she was an indoor/outdoor cat when she lived at my parents' house. Finally, shortly before Grant was born, we got rid of her. But, by that point, the damage had been done.
  
• I never would've suggested we get the dog. He's a nice dog, and he's not all bad, but if I could change things we'd have stopped with the cats. I definitely am NOT a dog person. I prefer my cats. One thing is that dogs are so friggin' gross. There are things he does that just about make me sick. The other thing is the back yard isn't the haven it used to be for Abby. Before we got the dog, I'd take her out back and we'd play and sit on a blanket and blow bubbles, etc. Not anymore. Our yard's not big enough for us to section off part of it for the dog. So, he gets free run of the yard - which means there's dog pee and dog shit everywhere. Yes, we scoop occasionally - I mean Dan scoops occasionally. I don't do dog shit. He doesn't have time to scoop it every single day, so the kids and I generally play out front or go to the park. I miss playing out back with them.
• I would not have joined a sorority. Don't get me wrong, I made some good friends. Two of them stood up for me at my wedding. But, I am hardly in touch with anyone from it anymore. And, really, I think the sorority is why I ended up with so much debt coming out of school. Yes, living in house is cheaper than the dorms - until you factor in the general costs of being in a sorority: dues, social events, etc. It was so friggin' expensive, and not the amazing thing I was hoping it would be. The kicker for me is that they ("they" being the national offices of said sorority) wouldn't let me use my deceased grandmother's badge (really, it's a PIN). She died a horrible, painful death from cancer when I was in the third grade. I'm sure she had other things on her mind than her stupid pin. They wouldn't let me use it (nevermind she's the main reason I chose that particular sorority in the first place) because she didn't do what she was supposed to do with it when she died - either be buried with it or send it back to them. Whatever. I still have it, and they are NOT getting it back. Anyway, my pissed off self wanted to refuse to initiate at that point, but I didn't. I had already moved into the house and I felt stuck, so I initiated. If I could go back, I'd have chosen not to initiate when they refused to let me honor my grandmother.
  

And now my mind is mush. I'm spent. I know there are more things, but apparently I've tired myself out writing what I have. So, until the next time I feel like playing the could've/should've/would've game, I'll just say regret sucks. I'm trying not to sweat this stuff, as nothing can change any of it - it's in the past. I just need to master the art of self-forgiveness, something I've never done well at all.

If I cou

Book Review: Speak

Speak: 10th Anniversary Edition by Laurie Halse Anderson

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I won this book through GoodReads' firstreads program. I probably never would've picked this up otherwise, but I'm so glad I did. I really enjoyed it. I loved Melinda's persona. I cracked up a few times because of some comment she made. While the subject is sad and disturbing, I think it was handled wonderfully. The characters are believable and well developed. I will be honest, though, and say that I wasn't blown away by this book. I would prefer to give it 4.5 stars, but Goodreads still doesn't allow for half stars. (They so gotta fix that!) So, because I really enjoyed the story and the characters, I chose to round up.

I did really like the extra material in this 10th Anniversary Edition. "Listen," the poem at the beginning, is amazing. It's clear that Laurie Halse Anderson has really helped reach people who might not have been reached otherwise. There's an essay at the back about whether she's going to write a sequel. I hope she does - I'd love to see what happens next. She mentioned an idea from some guy to call it "Spoke" - I love it! Genius! ;-) There also is a bit about censorship, and what is wrong with it. That little essay was amazing - and so right on. I promise that when my kids are old enough to be reading stories like this, we will read them together and discuss.

Overall, this was a very good book. I might have to look into more of Laurie Halse Anderson's books, as I really like her style.

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Now I Remember

Not that I really forgot, but now I really remember why I HATE Walmart. HATE it. My husband is out of town for a couple of days, so it's me and the kiddos. We're doing fine, but last night I found out we have hardly any cat food, as in what I fed them last night was it. No more. My wonderful husband usually feeds them, so I don't generally know when we need food unless I'm told. See where I'm going?

While DH is gone, I have to drop Abby off at school. That's fine, we've got a good routine down now. Yesterday we needed groceries, so we just went straight to Jewel before heading home after dropping Abby off. I wanted to go to Target, b/c I generally prefer it over Walmart, but they didn't open for another 15 minutes. It takes about 5 minutes to get there from Abby's school. I didn't want to sit in the parking lot for 10 minutes. So, I headed to our 24-hour Walmart. Dumb move. Really dumb move.

Firstly, it's like a black hole of time. I never, ever can get in and out of there quickly. For one, it takes me forever to find what I need - they keep moving the damn store around. And, well, there often are things I wanna check while I'm there. I go there so rarely that there's almost always a good-size list of what I want to check out there. That part, I'll admit, is not Walmart's fault - well, at least not my having a list! ;-)

Secondly - and finally - they never, ever, ever have enough checkout lanes open. NEVER. Today was the worst I've ever experienced. Some stupid buyer three people ahead of me was causing all sorts of trouble. I waited in that line for half an hour - that's THIRTY MINUTES, folks - before finally getting checked out! If I was at Target, the second I lined up (three deep), they would've opened a new lane and taken me right away. But, it wasn't. So, the kids (minus Abby) and I sat - er, I guess stood. And stood. And stood. They did remarkably well, although Natalie got tired of being strapped in the cart after about 10 minutes. Poor kid.

So, this just reaffirms my hatred of that stupid store called Walmart. Ironically, I probably would've gotten in and out of Target faster - and home earlier, despite the fact that they weren't open yet! Teach me to make that choice again!

Politics in The Lion King

I have to take Grant and Natalie with me to pick Abby up at school every afternoon. On cold and/or wet days, we wait in the car for her to come to us. (On warmer/dry days, we meet her at the door.) Regardless of which we have, it is imperative that we arrive at the school as early as possible so that we can park nearby - and in a legal parking spot. I have gotten there as much as 25-ish minutes prior to school's release, and there are ALWAYS at least 4 cars there - with people inside! I don't get it - do these people have nothing better to do than sit by the school waiting for class to get out? Anyway, the waiting can be difficult with two little ones in the back seat. They get bored - and who can blame them? It took me more than half of the school year to figure a good way to handle that. (Why it took me so long, I'm not quite sure. I have a couple of theories, but I'll spare you. Suffice it to say, I wish I'd figured this out at the beginning of winter, rather than the end of winter.) We have a factory-installed DVD player in the van, so now I play a movie while we wait. It keeps Natalie and Grant occupied, and my sanity in check! Added benefit: I can read while we wait for Abby. The current movie is - you guessed it - Disney's The Lion King. And, finally, I get to the point of this post! LOL

Today's "segment" (we generally get through about 30-45 minutes most days) started just after Mufasa rescues the lion cubs from the elephant graveyard. I don't know when it ended, but the beginning was shortly before Scar sings "Be Prepared." DH and I have always noted the dripping references to the USSR (man, haven't seen those letters together in who knows how long) and even Nazi Germany in this part of the movie. But, well, today, it hit closer to home for me.

It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I'm a strong Republican. While I generally avoid too much talk of politics - simply because I'm not a fan of the conflict - the current state of our country worries me, to say the least. The USA is a republic - not a democracy, not a socialist nation. At least not at its birth. I hate seeing where we're headed. I hate seeing the big government we have headed our way. I hate seeing the class warfare that is being brought into our country. I hate that there's so much negative press about the corrupt, GREEDY people who make loads of cash. For every one of those, there are several hard-working Americans who also make loads of cash, but no one hears their stories. We'd rather hear about the CEOs who abuse their position for personal gain. I think it's criminal that those who make more pay a majority of the income tax in this country. Income tax should be flat and fair. Why should people be punished for making more than some "magic" amount of money? Just not right. Talk about killing productivity and discouraging those who would otherwise be driven. But, alas, I'm on a tangent. Sorry.

That said, there's a part of the aforementioned song, "Be Prepared," in which Scar and the hyenas are speaking between verses. And it goes like this:

Scar: Be prepared!

Hyena: Yeah! Be prepared. We'll be prepared! For what?

Scar: For the death of the king

Hyena: Is he sick?

Scar: No, fool! We're going to kill him. And Simba, too

Hyenas: Great idea! Who needs a king? No king, no king! La la la la la!

Scar: Idiots! There will be a king!

Hyena: But you said...

Scar: I will be king! Stick with me and you'll never go hungry again!

That last line is what struck me as so ... America right now! Sorry, but I hate Obama. I know I shouldn't, but I do. For many, many reasons. But, that's not my purpose in writing right now. It just sounds to me like what he's saying between the lines of his speeches: "I'm king of America. Stick with me - back me up - and you'll never go hungry again. We'll take what we want from the Haves and give it to the Have-nots ..." Yes, this is me simplifying my thoughts on this - and what I think Obama is doing. (It's getting late; I'm exhausted; and we have an early morning tomorrow.) People totally miss the point. The Declaration of Independence says everyone has the right to the pursuit of happiness. To me, that means we have the right to do what we can to make the most of our lives - but that does (or at least so far as I'm concerned, SHOULD) NOT include taking what belongs to someone else, even if that someone else has plenty to spare.

"But, you're a Christian. Doesn't God say to give, give, give. Not to hold onto your money and things?" Well, yes. But, God gives us free will. He tells us what we should do, but we can choose our own actions. If we choose to do as He says, He will reward us. If not, well, we're on our own. But, they key here is free will, something that doesn't apply to taxes and other ways of taking what belongs to the Haves. Christian or not, these people aren't given a choice - their hard-earned (in most cases) cash is taken out from under them, without their consent. Like it or not, you have to pay taxes based on your income. As a Christian, I'm happy to give - so long as I'm able to choose if, when, how, and to whom I give.

OK, wow, this is one long rant about something I'm not very qualified to argue. Sorry. These are my thoughts and feelings on this subject. No, I don't have all of the facts. But, know this: I am not in the class of the Haves, so I am not arguing this as one who wants to keep what is hers. I'm arguing this as one who sees big-time unfairness. Yes, people argue about it being unfair that these people have what they have when there are others starving to death or barely able to make ends meet. But, if these people are honestly working hard for what they have, how is it unfair for them to have it? You're not entitled to it simply for being American - and even in some cases merely for being in America, whether legally or not. (And that is a whole other ball of wax I'm just going to avoid, as I have even stronger feelings about that.) Let's not forget that these Haves are also the people with the money to employ others. When we tax the hell out of these people, there's less for them to share with others - whether it's by gifting, hiring, or something else! I'm sorry, but Reagan was right. Trickle-down economics does work. It did work. It would work again, if we went back to it. Alas, Obama is going the opposite way. Except, it's not going to work.

Finally, has anyone else thought how ridiculous these stimulus plans are? Wanna get the country back on its feet? Spend, spend, spend! You don't have the money? Borrow, then spend. Nevermind that's what's got us into this mess in the first place: spending money we DON'T have! And printing more money. REALLY? Do you really think that'll help? I did HORRIBLY in my economics class in college, but even I know that'll just cause recession. That means higher prices for everything. More money floating around means it is worth less than it was before the newly printed money was released. That means it'll take more money to buy EVERYTHING! How do people not see this? *sigh*

This totally ended up being something I never intended it to be. But, since this is my place to share my mind, here you go.

Book Review: The Gnostic Mystery ***SPOILERS***

The Gnostic Mystery by Randy Davila

rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book wasn't much of a story, but more of a preaching. It's clear that the author believes what is being preached in this book. There is very little action in the book - most of it is just people explaining why Christianity is a farce. Or at least why some people think that. The characters weren't very believable. For Jack to be such an intelligent businessman you'd think he'd be a better conversationalist and you'd think he'd not be such a simpleton.

To be honest, this book has instilled a little bit of questioning into my head. I'm a born-again Christian, and won't take something like this at face value. However, I'm also educated and somewhat interested in possibly doing my own research into this subject. I'm not going to take what one man writes about this and accept it as fact - I don't care how many sources are cited. Where am I starting? Mere Christianity is my starting point. So, stay tuned to my reviews if you'd like to see the impression I get from that.

One thing I wanted to say about a specific plot point. And that's about the differences in the disciples from the main Gospels to the Book of Acts. I believe Chloe and Punjeeh called it a "transformation" and as though the Disciples were re-born. Despite the author's intentions, this does not prove that these are fabricated stories. On the contrary, it shows the change that happens once someone becomes a Christian. There's a radical transformation, and the individual becomes a new creation. So, despite the author's best effort to use that to show another reason to believe the New Testament is just a bunch of stories, this actually was a comfort to me. Because that's what being a Christian is: it's becoming a new person who (hopefully) bears little resemblance to the original.

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Product Review: Rosemary Orange Shampoo and Conditioner

My back is doing much better, I am finally able to get to another product review! My humblest apologies to anyone who's been waiting - especially to the folks at EcostoreUSA, who were kind enough to send me these products in exchange for my reviews.

Tonight I'm going to share the Rosemary Orange Shampoo and Rosemary Orange Conditioner. I'm doing them together because, well, I use them together. My hair is such that I cannot go without conditioner, so using them separately isn't gonna happen! The shampoo's description on the Web site says:

Combining nature's best products and aromatherapy Ecostore USA has created a wonderful shampoo that will bring volume and life back to your hair. (6.8 fluid ounces)

The description of the conditioner on the Web site says:

Use the Rosemary Orange Conditioner to give body to oily, lifeless hair. This gentle formulation is made with NO NASTY CHEMICALS that could possibly strip hair of essential oils. (6.8 fluid ounces)

And both bottles say the following:

Extra body for fine/oily hair

I am big on scented shampoos and conditioners, and one of the first things I did was smell them. And, I'll be honest, initially I wasn't too sure. The rosemary seems to be the dominant scent, and usually I go for flowery stuff. This is a far cry from what I usually go for - and I couldn't help but think I should've asked for the Vanilla Shampoo and Conditioner instead. But, that is for chemically treated hair, which mine is not. At least not at the present time. Perhaps when I get back into coloring it, I'll give the Vanilla a try.


Anyway, back to the products at hand. I really like both products. I have used both several times now - I wanted to get a really good amount of experience with them. I used them exclusively for a couple of weeks to make sure I was seeing results strictly from these products, rather than something else I'd normally use. The shampoo really gets my hair clean - I'm talking squeaky clean. It's really cool - and probably cleaner than my usual shampoo gets it. It lathers very nicely - and without using a ton of the product! That means more bang for your buck - you can use less of the product to get your desired result. The conditioner works very well, too. The best part is that, used together, these products have done wonders for my naturally curly, but VERY fine hair! My hair is so fine that it doesn't hold its natural curls well without a LOT of help. But, this product actually enhances my natural curls! I'm guessing it is significantly better at NOT leaving any residue or build-up on my hair, making it lighter and more apt to curl - and KEEP the curl! It's awesome!

Outside the bottles, the scent is actually very nice. It's natural-smelling and pleasant. And after my hair is dry it smells nice. My husband says he likes the scent, too - and that's always a bonus! ;-)

In summary: EcostoreUSA's Rosemary Orange Shampoo and Rosemary Orange Conditioner are wonderful products. They clean and condition my hair better than my usual product; they smell great; and, big-time bonus, they are safe for our environment! It doesn't get much better than that! For those of you in the Midwest, if you have a Meijer store nearby keep an eye out for EcostoreUSA products, as they're coming soon - if not there already! For those of us without Meijer, their products can be purchased via the company's Web site.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized

My husband shared a very informative (and even a bit entertaining, IMO) video with me. So, I thought I'd share it with you all. Basically, it very well explains exactly what happened to bring down our nation's economy.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized

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God Bless Miss Rosa

As the parent of an unreasonably picky eater I can't accurately express just how frustrating it can be to feed my children. Interestingly, my girls are my good eaters - it's my son who is a PITA to feed. (I thought boys eat their parents out of house and home, but apparently either that's coming later or he'll be the exception to the rule.) Some days, I will try almost anything to get him to eat something other than cheese as the main part of his lunch and/or dinner. I have even mixed peanut butter and honey, hoping he'll like it extra sweet. Nope.

Somewhat recently I participated in a BzzCampaign with BzzAgent for Smucker's Uncrustables. I was skeptical - they sounded kinda gross to me! But, I gave them a try. (For free, I'll try almost - key word here is "almost" - anything!) I was pleasantly surprised. They are VERY good - and I actually bought a stash for me to eat! LOL Anyway, I knew Abby would love them - she's all about PB&J. Natalie doesn't have PB yet, and Grant won't touch it. Although, he would eat just jelly - like almost any kid! LOL But, they have a Cheese variety - kinda like grilled cheese. I tried it back then when I was doing the BzzCampaign. Grant kinda nibbled at it.

Enter Miss Rosa! Who is Miss Rosa? She's one of the hosts on PBS Kids mornings. Grant seems to think she's cool, as do my other kids. But, there's one segment she does that apparently inspired him. Unfortunately, I can't find a clip online anywhere, so we'll have to go with my (probably not entirely accurate) description, but I think you'll get the idea. Between shows, she sits there with a sandwich. She says she's going to try a new sandwich: cheese and pickles. She takes a bite (or pretends to, it's hard to tell), and says "mmm. It's actually pretty good. I like it." Then she says how good it is to try new things, etc.

Well, today at lunch, I was feeding Grant some of the aforementioned cheese sandwiches by Smucker's. He started acting out this little clip with Miss Rosa, and ate more of that sandwich than I'd ever seen him eat before! More than half! Knock me over with a feather! I kept thinking "God bless Miss Rosa!" LOL So, I decided to share. It's amazing what these seemingly insignificant things can help with!

Oh! My aching back!

It occurred to me that I've been pretty quiet around here. With the exception of a few reviews (more of which are coming - I still have a couple of EcoStoreUSA things to write up), I haven't said much. I'm not meaning to be negligent or anything like that. I have a valid excuse, I swear.

Three weeks ago, I injured my back. Big-time. How? I have no idea. I think I somehow aggravated an old injury. Anyway, it was quite painful, and my third day of serious pain was enough. I decided to call a chiropractor. Fortunately, we live in the Land of Chiropractic - aka, in the same area as Palmer College of Chiropractic. For those who don't know, this is where what we now know as Chiropractic was born. So, I decided to take advantage of their clinic. My husband has been there off and on over the past few years now, so I was confident that their interns wouldn't cause any damage other than what I'd done.

We'll call my doctor Dr. B. and my intern J. I will say that they are great. The doctor is very personable, and clearly knows his stuff. And J. is pretty cool, too. He is friendly, funny, and compassionate. I brought Abby with to most of my appointments, and he does great with her. Talks to her and doesn't seem uncomfortable around her. (You know how these mid-20 guys can be sometimes. I was glad he's not like that.) She seems to like him, too, as she plans to attend my next appointment! LOL Anyway, that first appointment was not fun. I couldn't move very well at all. Fortunately, it was just an evaluation. I went back the next day, and man was that bad. It was an extremely painful adjustment. I actually felt bad for J.! Every time he did something that resulted in me somehow responding to the pain (reflexes cannot be helped LOL), he'd apologize up and down. I kept telling him he didn't have to apologize - he's doing what he needs to for me to get better. But, I was in a decent - or is it indecent? - amount of pain. But, I'm in my third week of treatment (I seem to be going twice a week now) and doing amazingly well. I still get stiff and sore, but nothing like I had been. I go back tomorrow, with Abby in tow!

OK, wow, that was more detail than I'd intended. My purpose was just to say I've been quiet because my back injury has forced me to spend less time on the computer. There was awhile there when sitting at the computer at all was EXTREMELY painful. Then there was time when short bursts were bearable, but left me in pain upon getting up. Now, I'm just trying to keep from sitting too long. Did you know that sitting is actually harder on your back than standing? It really is - even a healthy back. So, I'm trying to move more.

Anyway, all that to say I've been quiet not because I have nothing to say, but because saying it would bring me to tears - or close to. I hope to get the last of my product reviews for ecostoreUSA done soon. But, I'm still waiting to be able to sit and not feel rushed. (Feeling rushed is because I want to get up before the pain and/or stiffness returns.)

Book Review: Vanishing Acts ***SPOILERS***

Vanishing Acts: A Novel by Jodi Picoult

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I wish we could do half-star ratings, as I would prefer to give this four and a half stars. It was a VERY good book, but there are things that make me want to mark it down. But, I think it deserves more than four stars, which is why I decided to just go up rather than down from 4.5 stars.

So, what are my problems. Well, for one, there are too many loose ends. I was VERY happy to see how things played out, but one more chapter with what was next would've been nice. I want to know a few things:

What happens with Eric? Does he stay in Arizona? Does he sober up and stay sobered up?
What happens with Fitz? Where does he get a new job? Does he get the girl?
What about Delia? Who does she choose?
What happens to Andrew? Is he able to get back to his life in New Hampshire, or does his legal trouble cause him to fall in his standing?

In short, I loved the story. Very well-written, and great curves thrown in there. I didn't see the sexual-abuse angle coming at all. Shocked me as much as it shocked the courtroom. But, I will say that Victor wasn't someone I liked at all. I couldn't figure it out at first. But, when Sophie disappeared and she's found getting ice cream with him. He took Sophie without asking - I couldn't believe Delia was OK. I understand she was relieved that Sophie was OK, but seriously? She hardly knew the man - had only met him a couple of weeks prior. As a mother, I would have been PISSED! My reaction would've been something to the effect of "Who the hell do you think you are? Don't you EVER take my daughter anywhere without my consent - EVER!" And then when the sexual-abuse thing came to light, I cringed. Scary, scary stuff. I really think this (aside from the questions I want answers to) was my main problem with the book. Overall, a great read that I highly recommend.

View all my reviews.

Book Review: American Rust ***SPOILERS***

American Rust: A Novel by Philipp Meyer

rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book was OK. Not one of the best I've read. Not an instant classic. Not something I couldn't put down. The story was all right. It had promise. The characters were interesting. But, that's about it. I didn't like the writing style. I thought it was kinda neat to have the perspective of so many characters. I did like that. I liked that each chapter took one character's take on everything. I liked that we learned a lot about each character because we got to see inside their heads. I did not like the way it was written otherwise. Missing punctuation, poor grammar. I'm guessing it was intended to be train-of-thought but it confused me at times. There were some times that I had to reread a bit to figure out what was being said. While I understand the idea behind train-of-thought writing, we have punctuation for a reason. What good is an interesting plot and good characters if the writing isn't easily understood. No, don't dumb it down, but also don't forgo things like punctuation. Finally, the ending left me wanting more. I didn't like it at all. I don't want some hint at what might have maybe happened to these people. I want to know. I want closure. I hate when books don't tell me the end. Did Isaac really go with his sister as he said he would? What happened with Harris? Did he get figured out, or did he end up in prison? Did Grace go to Texas? When did Poe get out of jail? The "vision" Grace had at the end - was that how he found out that she wasn't there anymore? What about Lee? Too many questions to leave me satisfied with this book. Throughout the book, I actually liked it - for the most part. But the end just did it for me. Again, I hate when books don't tie up loose ends. And that is why I gave it two stars - I would've given it three otherwise.


View all my reviews.

Book Review: Inkspell

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Unlike many second books in a trilogy, this one was VERY good. There were plot twists and turns that were surprising but wonderful. Character development continued from the first book in the series (Inkheart) and also took unexpected turns.

In the first book, I really liked Fenoglio. But, wow - how different he turned out to be from what I'd expected. He's an arrogant, pompous, pig-headed jerk! I hope that in the concluding book (Inkdeath) gives him a chance to redeem himself!

Dustfinger is still my favorite character - and I just love his martens. I am not happy with the turn his story took, but hope things look up come the conclusion of this tale.

I did think there was too much Meggie and Farid stuff. I preferred how it was handled in the previous book, where there only were subtle hints. I don't really care to hear about the adolescent puppy love those two share.

That said, I still thought this was an amazing book. I cannot wait to get my hands on Inkdeath!

View all my reviews.

Product Review: Baby Sleepytime Bath

As promised in this post, I am happy to finally get around to my product reviews for EcostoreUSA. I apologize for taking so long. Things have been nuts, as I'm sure you can guess if you follow my blog! ;-) That said, let's get on with this. For more information on EcostoreUSA and their products in general, please see the aforementioned post.

I am starting with what's the easy product for me: Baby Sleeptime Bath. The description on the Web site says:

Ecostore’s aromatherapy blend of Lavender and Geranium will help your little one fall into a relaxed, calm sleep. Just use one capful in the bathwater. NO NASTY CHEMICALS are used in the SleepyTime bath and this helps keep the planet’s water pure and safe. (6.8 fluid ounces)

On the bottle it says:

Aromatherapy oils to soothe, calm & relax your baby

Now, I'll be the first to admit. I'm skeptical of aromatherapy. But, I'm all for trying something that says it'll help relax my baby. We've used it a couple of times, and it's really hard to say if it's really doing just that. We do baths so close to bed time that it's hard to know whether it's their tiredness in general, just taking a bath, the product we use, or some combination thereof that calms and relaxes them.

That said, I love this product. For one, it smells lovely. In the bottle, it's kinda strong - woodsy, for lack of a better description. But, once we have it in the bath water, it smells WONDERFUL. It's light and pleasant. I'm all for that! ;-) My baby smells so nice after her bath. And I noticed her skin's not getting very dry after her baths. I'm not sure what, but something in there seems to help her dry, itchy skin hold more moisture - or something. That alone makes me a fan of this product! Then there's one added benefit not on the bottle anywhere: my bathroom smells LOVELY for quite some time after my kids' baths! :-) Bonus points for this product! ;-)

In summary: EcostoreUSA's Baby Sleepytime Bath is an excellent product. It smells great, helps keep my baby's skin from drying out, and - perhaps best of all - is safe for our environment. For those of you in the Midwest, if you have a Meijer store nearby keep an eye out for EcostoreUSA products, as they're coming soon - if not there already! For those of us without Meijer, their products can be purchased via the company's Web site.

Wow. This is so me.

A lot has happened since my last post. A lot. And, amazingly, I'm doing OK. I'm on the verge of tears almost constantly, but I have amazing peace. I have decided NOT to walk away from my site after all. It's MY site. I built it from the ground up. Before I did this, we were just a buddy group that moved from one forum to the next - often because the site went paid. I did this so we - the group, not just I - could have a home. Our own domain. A place we wouldn't have to leave. A place we could always go to. Every time we had to move, we lost people. I didn't want that to happen anymore. I didn't want anyone to be left behind. Even if someone chooses to leave, they will always know where to find us. We're not going anywhere. And I am not going anywhere. It is my site. My e-baby. My blood, sweat, and tears. It is time away from my kids, my husband, my family. It is MY money that pays for the server. What was I thinking in wanting to go away? Well, I know - I wanted to keep the peace. I thought if I quietly disappeared, things would be OK. The person I've had a problem with can go on and enjoy the site - sometimes I think she needs the board more than I do. I suffered in silence for two years. I sucked it up and dealt with it. I tried not to let that stuff get to me. I guess it was just festering under the surface, though. Honestly, I don't even remember what caused this whole mess in the first place. I mean, I do remember the post. There was a post about kids' cartoons, and I felt she was being snarky - she felt I was being snarky. I think, honestly, I was just finally lashing out against what has been a long, hard problem for me. But, I don't know when it went from that to me saying I'm gone. Oh, I do know. My co-Admins and I decided to bring up the matter (in general terms) with our Staff. See what they thought. See if anyone else noticed me being picked on and bullied. The very first response to the question about this was in support of the individual in question. Something about that post made me feel like it was over. Forget it. If no one else saw what I did, no one would support me. No one would care how this person made me feel. So, I decided to leave. I didn't want to hurt anymore, and I KNEW that this issue was going to be explosive if I didn't. It exploded anyway. I'm going to spare the details, as it's really no one's business. But, I'm torn up. I'm so sad and so exhausted and so - I don't know how to say what I'm feeling.

I was afraid this would look like a personal vendetta. It's NOT. Despite my feeling bullied by this individual, I didn't want to see her get hurt. I didn't want to see her lose something that I know she needs. I am as torn up over this whole thing as anyone else involved.

Anyway, I have been starting to feel better. More at peace. More accepting of the way things are playing out. I can only control me. I cannot control someone's reaction or emotions. I cannot force someone to see things from my perspective. I can just pray - and hope God shows one of us something we hadn't seen before. So, that's what I'll do.

That said, now I get to the point - or at least the explanation of the title of this post! LOL DH and I took the kiddos out to Chili's for dinner tonight. We had a gift card to use, and he didn't feel like cooking. I can respect that - plus, we love Chili's. On the way there, we were listening to KLOVE. There were some good songs, but the best came on shortly before we got there.

I have loved this song ever since I first heard it - and it's in my playlist thingy toward the bottom of this page. (If you wanna listen to it here, make sure to pause the playlist thingy first.) As I listened tonight, I heard it anew. I heard it in a way I'd never heard it before. I knew it was for me. I knew it WAS me - no, not was, rather IS me. Every single word to this song rings true. Every single word. I am going to give in and let God do His thing. I thank Him for this song, as it has ministered to me in a way I've not experienced for quite some time.



And after you listen to this, scroll down and listen to the song Strong Tower by Kutless. That's the other song that really reaches me right now.

My heart is breaking

As many of you know, I own and run a Web site. It has been a labor of love for me - my e-baby, if you will! But, I think the time has come for me to move on. It kills me to say that. It kills me to walk away, but I fear I must. I don't want to go into too much detail - because the last thing I want to do is slander anyone - but I need to get this out.

I have mentioned in the past how there is someone on the site who has made my life hell. She ruined the get-together we had in September, and she has done her damnedest to shut me out of my friendships. On the board, she has been rude, condescending, and anything-but-supportive for me. She has been a part of that site for a couple of years now, and I cannot tell you the last time I shared my inner most thoughts and/or feelings with my friends because she is there. I feel like I'm always being ridiculed and judged and belittled by her. I don't love being on my site anymore. I go there out of a sense of duty, nothing more. I hardly share much of anything. I can't bring myself to face her lippy bullshit anymore. I can't. I'm done.

What hurts the most is somehow I'm being made out to be the villain here. I never did anything wrong! I let her into my site - my inner circle of friends. I tried to embrace her as a sister in Christ. I got paid back by repeatedly getting belittled and ridiculed. I got paid back by getting pushed out of my own site. I am sick over this. So sad and so upset.

DH is watching Leno, so I'm now losing my train of thought. So, that's it for now. Maybe tomorrow I'll have better thoughts.

Book Review: Inkheart

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this book! I was quite surprised. It started out kinda slowly, but after a couple of chapters I didn't want to put it down. The plot is amazing - so imaginative and so well developed. I loved most of the characters - especially Dustfinger.



I wondered if Fenoglio's reaction to seeing his characters in the flesh is how Cornelia Funke would react if she was able to see her characters brought to life. It was really neat to see her writing about an author. I wonder how much of it was derived from her own experience.



Anyway, this was an excellently written book. I cannot wait to get started on the sequel, Inkspell!


View all my reviews.

Coming Soon ...

Product reviews. I recently was contacted via e-mail about possibly being sent some products to review. I agreed to give it a try, and I will share my thoughts here. (Probably on Vox, too.) I am going to share part of the text of the initial e-mail because who better to tell you about the company and products than the individual who is representing the company. So, here is the important info:

... I represent ECOSTORE USA which is an extension of a 20 year old New Zealand company http://www.ecostore.co.nz/ that makes plant based, non-toxic HOUSEHOLD CLEANING, BABY, and PERSONAL CARE products that contain NO NASTY CHEMICALS(tm)** ... We are an e-commerce site that will be launching at a major Midwest retailer, MEIJER, in early spring.

This is a small part of the initial e-mail I received. Anyway, I immediately checked out the Web site to see what this is about. If you haven't caught on yet, I'll spell it out simply for you. They sell products that are plant-based and containing No Nasty Chemicals™. They have a wide range of products from baby care and pet care to laundry and cleaning products. I was sent the following:

• Front Loader Laundry Powder
• Pure Oxygen Whitener
• Rosemary Orange Shampoo
• Rosemary Orange Conditioner
• Baby Sleepytime Bath

I have tried each of them once, but would like to try them a bit more before I form an opinion to share. After that, I'll post reviews of each in separate posts - with the exception of the shampoo and conditioner! ;-) That said, my first impression is good. The products seem to be a good quality, and I'm enjoying the scents! For those of you (like myself) with no Meijer stores nearby, it's nice to know that you can purchase their products via their Web site, too.

For more information about EcostoreUSA and their green - and safe - products, check out the following links:

• EcostoreUSA home page
  
• Ecostore USA FAQ page
• Ecostore USA "What is green" page
  
• Ecostore USA company info page
  
• Ecostore USA product page
• Ecostore USA blog

Watch for my first review coming soon!

Short Update

Sorry to be absent so long. I've been busy and really haven't had much to write about. I will be back soon, though, with some new product reviews. Until then, I thought I should update.

I GOT ONE! :-) What you ask? Well, read this post. If you don't wanna, read it, I'll just tell you. I got my Wii Fit! :-) A friend of mine in a neighboring community (which is smaller than the community in which I live) happened upon a new shipment at Walmart earlier this week. They got about 20 in on Monday night, and she called to see if I still wanted it. Of course, I said YES! :-) The plan was that she'd pick it up Tuesday morning and bring it to me Wednesday. Of course, she woke up sick and wasn't able to get there. But, her son was going to Walmart that afternoon and she had him get one! :-) There were only two left, so I'm glad he was able to get there when he did! I'm so excited!

No, I haven't used it yet. I've been sick all week! :-( I have had hardly any energy. I'm still not quite well, but hoping to get started with it tomorrow or Monday!

Anyway, I realized I'd complained about no Wii Fit here and thought I'd update. I'll share my opinion of it when I get going with it.