Had to turn my heat back on

Another cold rainy Saturday. Glad I do not have to leave the house for anything. It's a jammie kind of day for Emma and I. Jim is at a swap meet in Fremont. Looking for Quick Changes. Those boys and their toys. My purses and shoes do not cost anywhere close to his hot rod parts.

Well, the leaves were done this week. Thank you Tyler! However, with this wind and rain it does not look like they were done. But on the bright side, most of the trees are almost bare. Even the ole mighty oaks. They hang on forever and ever. Leaves hang on to their branches all through winter.

Has anyone noticed all the acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, etc. nuts on the ground this year. I Googled it. Expect a HARSH Winter. Not what I wanted to hear. I hate winter. I hate the cold. I hate snow. I want HEAT!!!!!

Ben will be home Friday. Another job interview. Let's hope he gets this one considering the president of the company emailed me wanting to know if he had found work in Ohio yet. Keeping my fingers, toes, and whatever else I can crossed. I want my son home before the holidays. We are cutting it close but I think this is the one. I can feel it in my bones. And I have been praying a lot that he comes home to his family.

Ok, on to this teaching myself to run. Not working out to well. No pain, no gain. Well I was in pain. I got blisters on the back of my heals. Bleeding by the time I got home. I got blood on my new shoes. Now the nice warm weather is over and I didn't get back out. So today I am going to run up and down the basement stairs until I can't do it no more. Wish me luck that I don't fall down them. Or up them. Haha. I can be clumsy at times.

Laundry calls! And so do the basement stairs. So time to get my heart rate up.

Here I sit

Here I sit with my coffee beside me. Amaretto creamer, yum-o! And I look back at my doctors appointment I had last month. When I stepped on the scale I did not like the number I saw. So today I am hoping to change that number.

I am approaching a birthday in December and I am getting closer and closer to 50. Kinda scares me. I have never freaked out about but one birthday in my life. That birthday was my 34th. And why did I freak out on my 34th birthday. Because that is the age my mom was when she passed away. 30 didn't bother me. 40 didn't bother me. But now 50 and I are having some issues. I am at a age where losing weight isn't the easiest thing to do. I am sure there are tons of you out there that struggle with it everyday like I do.

Well, today is the day. I am going to start taking control of my weight. I am going to teach myself to run. Eat better. That one might be the harder challenge of the two. I hate healthy eating. YUCK!!!!!

I have until April to change that number. The weight number that has been haunting me for some time now. I want the doctor to look at my weight and congratulate me on losing weight. Hopefully it will help with my extremely high blood pressure. So today is the day. Please everyone pray for me that I can do this. I want to be around for my daughter as long as I can. I missed out on so much in my life by not having my mother around. I look at my friends who still have their mothers and I am so jealous. I would love for just one more day with my mommy. I miss her so much. I miss her as much today as the day she passed away.

So I am lacing up my new running shoes and hitting the country block. Wish me luck. Any of you runners out there with advice please share.

Fenders or no fenders...

That was the topic of this mornings decussion with Jim. He is building a new hot rod. Can not decide...fenders or no fenders. For what he is building I vote NO FENDERS! It will just look bad ass without fenders. Now...when he gets to building the 1936 Ford Pickup, it will have to have fenders. Just wouldn't look right without them.

This new hot rod it chopped a bit and has a tapered channel. Not going to be much room in the actual cab. But will be neat, none the less.

Any of you that know Jim and know his work. Know that it is going to be one sweet ride. Goal is a cab at the end of the month. Mind you. He started with only two doors, a cawl up to the front corners of the roof and the back of the cab. He has had to make door jams. That including putting a double step into them. Adding a connecting piece from the front corner to the back corner. Both sides. Adding drip rails. Patch panels. And, of course, a chop. The chop is just enough to make it look good.

Emma has put her two cents in. She said that it needs to be painted the same color as the kitchen because the color Jim picked for the kitchen according to her is impressive. Please do not feed his ego. But burgandy would be a nice color. However, Jim is thinking of making it the twin of the roadster. I say NO!!!! They all have their own personalities. Give this truck its own.

It's a rainy Thursday...

Thursday morning. As I sit here at the kitchen table with my big mug of coffee, I watch the leaves fall. Winter is just around the corner. The holiday season is just around the corner. However, Emma will be 8 years old in December. Hard to believe. Seems like yesterday I just had her.

Emma has grown up quicker then I wanted her to. She is doing very well in school. Which, of course, makes momma proud. Oh so tender hearted. Cries at the drop of a hate or a look. My sweet little angel. I can not imagine life without her. I was blessed the day she was born.

Ben! Oh my dear son Ben. He has grown into a young man whom I am very proud of. He finished college a few years ago. Actually working in his field of study. Unlike some college graduates. He is the son every mother hopes for. Kind hearted and willing to do anything for anyone. I say his dad and I did pretty good. Of course, his grandma's stern hand had some doing in there somewhere along the line.

This is a election year. Boy, there sure is some serious politices being dicussed each and every day. I just want what is best for my children. They are the ones who have their lives ahead of them. Do not get me wrong, I still have a few years left in me. I would love for the school levy to pass so that Emma could learn in a new school. But is that what is right for Ashland. I guess I will have to wait and see. I know how I voted.

The whole Presidential campaign! So ready for it to be over. Tired of the commercials, mailings, telephone calls, (thank the telephone company for caller ID) and all the name calling. Tired of people saying he is better because of this. Or he is better because of this. My dad would of made a better President, and he was deaf. At least he wouldn't of had to listen to all the name calling and bull crap. November 6th can not get here soon enough. Pray for the United States as the decision is made and that it's the right one for the future of our children.

Eye doctor appointments for Emma and I. Emma's teacher, Mrs. Harlan, love her! Called and said Emma is having trouble seeing the Smart Board. So here we come eye doctor. Hoping and praying that she does not need glasses at this young age. But, on the other hand, need to know why she can not see the Smart Board.

Well, I am out of here. It's off to look for the dead. Still working on my Genealogy. It is amazing where my family came from. Even in Ohio. Makes you wonder how they met each other. I wish my grandparents were still around so I could question them. My aunts and uncles have been a lot of help. I have one Great-Aunt left, bless her heart, trying to remember what she could about the Whipple/Snyder side of the family. Do not worry Aunt Pat, I am figuring it all out with what information you did provide. I thank you so much for it.

Everyone have a great Thursday. The weekend is almost here. Celebrating my little nephew Kobe's 2nd birthday on Saturday. Just love him to pieces. Oh what noisy toy to buy him.

Parenting over friendship...

Parenting over friendship...I whole heartedly believe in this. What are you views on this issue?

This needs to be in the schools system budget, seems pretty cheap to me to save a life of a teen.

Support our Saving Teen Lives Campaign

SPEA teaches teens to be the “first line of defense” in preventing suicide with its proven program, Recognizing Teen Depression and Preventing Suicide, which is now delivered in 111 high schools to 15,000 teens per year.  Teens often come forward to SPEA’s professional instructors to report symptoms of depressive illness or thoughts of suicide.  One in five of our high school youth seriously consider suicide — the second cause of death for Ohio teens.

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10 Ways to Be an Upstander

1.  Help others who are being bullied.

Be a friend, even if this person is not yet your friend. Go over to them. Let them know how you think they are feeling. Walk with them. Help them to talk to an adult about what just happened. (Just think for a moment about how great this would be if someone did this for you when you were being picked on or hurt!)

2. Stop untrue or harmful messages from spreading.

If someone tells you a rumor that you know is untrue or sends you a message that is hurtful to someone else, stand up and let the person know this is wrong. Think about how you would feel if someone spread an untrue rumor about you. Don’t laugh, send the message on to friends, or add to the story. Make it clear that you do not think that kind of behavior is cool or funny.

3. Get friends involved.

Share this site www.schoolclimate.org/bullybust and other related sites with friends. Let people know that you are an upstander and encourage them to be one too. Sign the Stand Up Pledge, and make it an everyday commitment for you and your friends.

4. Make friends outside of your circle.

Eat lunch with someone who is alone. Show support for a person who is upset at school, by asking them what is wrong or bringing them to an adult who can help.

5. Be aware of the bullying policy at your school and keep it in mind when you witness bullying.

If there isn’t a policy, get involved or ask teachers or front office staff to speak about how you can reduce bullying.

6. If someone is new at your school, make an effort to introduce them around and make them comfortable.

Imagine how you would feel leaving your friends and coming to a new school.

7. Refuse to be a “bystander”.

If you see friends or classmates laughing along with the bully, tell them that they are contributing to the problem. Let them know that by laughing they are also bullying the victim.

8. Respect others’ differences and help others to respect differences.

It’s cool for people to be different – that’s what makes all of us unique. Join a diversity club at school to help promote tolerance in your school.

9. Ask your teacher or principal to develop a bullying program or project that will help reduce bullying in school.

Ask them to bring together a team of students, parents and teachers to meet as “Stand Up Ambassadors” to talk about bullying on a regular basis and share stories and support. Talk about the “hot spots” where bullying most likely occurs (ex. the bus, bathroom, an unmonitored hallway) and what can be done on a school level to make sure students and teachers are on the same page about bullying.

10. Learn more about bullying.

For example: Why do kids bully? Where does bullying take place most often in your school? What are the effects of bullying? Why are people afraid to get involved? Understanding this information will help you if you are bullied and will help you to stand up to bullies if a friend or classmate is being bullied.

From BullyBust by the National School Climate Center. Sign the Stand Up Pledge at www.schoolclimate.org/bullybust