Ok - so when I was in high school I lived on teh same street, 2 doors down, that I do now.  And down the street was a family with a mess of daughters - 5 or 6 in total and one son.  I was in school with a set of twins from that family and we were sort of friends.  Over the years, that family changed - mom left, dad is now a woman, which I knew about because I live on the same street and that is NOT common around her.  Fast forward to now, I have reconnected with the twins because of a school reunion - and now the dad(not dad) keeps asking me to be her friend on facebook.  Uhm - no?  I have NO history with him, never met him as their dad, or even after he wasn't anymore.  It's just - sort of - weird.  That and he took the same name as a woman as one of his daughters.  Which I really think is weird.  But I have spoken to their mom several times in person - and al the kids but one don't talk to her.  It's just strange and I wanted to share.  And I DON'T want to be their friend on FB.  Curiouser and curiouser...

that was apparently from my neighbour - asking me to "keep my pussy off her fence".  Apparently, my cat makes her dog bark.  And it's my fault cause - it's my cat on her fence.  Really?  You're going to call me and yell at me for that?  Ugh.  And she's all peaches when I see her.  Tis very frustrating, I say. 

Michaela nd Amelia's son Tre was born yesterday.  Mother and child are doing well!  :)

Sunday - my place - 1:00 - Pampered Chef SHow!  COme for the food - you do NOT have to buy anything!  Let me know if I will be seeing you!  :)

That disagreeing with what the web has decided 'should be' makes you a horrible person.  I have truly had people berate me and call me names because I think that posting your bra colour is stupid.  Really?  REALLY?  And if I tell you playing MASH doesn't really determine your future - cause you are NOT going to marry Scott Baio, now matter how many time to end up on his name - are you going to tell me I am mean and stupid and not allow me to sit at your table for lunch? 
  Don't tell me I am not compassionate because I choose not to support the Susan G Komen Foundation.  You know nothing about me.  And don't tell me I obviously have never lost anyone to cancer.  Don't expect me to justify myself to you - but, annoyingly enough, I feel the need to.  Why?  Grrrr.  If this is what I get for an opinion about something simple like which charities I support - imagine how much shit I would be in if I posted what I REALLY thought about pretty much everything else?  That is why I have LJ and I don't announce in on FB.  I could not handle all those people coming over here. 

  I want to be strong like Luna and get rid of Facebook - but I can't - because so many of my friends post important info there that I actually might want/need to know.  It truly has replaced normal communication.  I am happy to say I still e-mail and call people with important news. I don't just post it on Facebook and assume everyone will read it.

  I think I need some zinc.  ;)  Now if I can just find a bottle with a pink ribbon on it......

who makes me think. And often, gives me juicy thoughts to contemplate that concur with my ideas. Lately I have been thinking about happiness and how to find it. Partially - this is because I read FaceBook and I have SOOO many "friends" on there who do nothing but complain. They sit in their own home, with heat, electricity, a laptop, and en employed spouse and bitch about how nothing can go right in their lives. Really? Really. So - rather than bitchslap them all, which I am quite tempted to do - I think. About what makes ME happy. NOT that I don't have whiney moments - I do - I KNOW I do - I think we all do at times - but even at my worst whine - I won't be saying nothing goes right for me. Tho - I am sure one of you will pop in with a quote proving me wrong. ;)

Back to my friend. She is very smart - sometimes makes major lightbulbs go off for me - so, instead of writing my own passage, I shall steal quote from her - "Good things happen all the time. I’m a bit of a Pollyanna, sure, but going through life being easily delighted makes life kind of delightful. Even when the rest of the world is shitting on your head, there are lots of little insignificant good things happening to you all the time. Pay attention and enjoy making the green light or spotting a wacky customized car or pulling a comically huge potato chip out of the bag. I’m not going to say it’ll cascade through the rest of your life and improve everything, but it’ll make the moments between the momentous a little less insufferable."  
 
  But there is one thing I disagree with - I DO think it will cascade through the rest of your life - no - it may not stall foreclosure or cure a disease, but it sure as heck makes dealing with it all that much easier.  Taking the simple time to enjoy how pretty rain is, instead of bitching about how much it's raining.  Watch the frost sparkle in the moonlight, rather than complain that it's cold.  We Americans tend to sit in our lives of largesse and search for things to be frustrated about.  Why?  Let it go.  I am trying to do that more myself.  I have a mental journal - one I write in all the time in mah head - and when things like that happen - when I get the potentater (that's the largest of all the french fries, you know), I put a star in my mental journal.  And sometimes, I just think about those stars to make myself smile.  I may not remember which star is for what - but I will remember putting a bunch of stars in there anyway.

  I guess my point is her point - take the time to enjoy the little things that make you smile.  It adds flavour to your every day life!  :)

How old do we have to get before we get over worrying about what other people think of us? I am trying so HARD to be mature and accepting and not assume it's all about me a realize that someone will decide to be, or not be your friend, all on their own. It's not up to me. It's up to you. I have a pathalogical need to make everyone happy - but I need to move beyond that. I can't make everyone happy. And in the end? I am me. I don't change for anyone. I have opinons and I don't hide them. I am willing to listen to your opininions, I will even give them weight and value, even if I don't agree with them. But don't expect me to NOT voice mine. And if my opinions, or my need to share them, really does make it so you don't want to be around me/talk to me/ associate with me - then please please please cut me free. Don't pretend to be my friend. Don't force yourself to be pleasant to me - be honest - say - sorry, this just isn't working out - DUMP me for goodness sake. Because I am seriously giving myself ulcers worrying about how people feel about me. Why? I have no idea. None. Oy.

Will I ever grow up?

here is a delightful little diity sung by Leonard Nimoy about Bilbo Baggins! No - really!
http://www.funnyjunk.com/youtube/17227/Leonard+Nimoy+Sings/

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?

I got a dog.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make new year's resolutions, so yes.

3. How will you be spending New Year's Eve?
At home. Eating shrimp. mmmmmmm.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, my Father.

5. What countries did you visit?
None. I visited otehr states tho! ;)

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A new house please. pleasepleaseplease.....

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 9th - it was the day my dad's girlfriend died setting in motion 2 months of hell for me.

8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
I learned to say no. :)

9. What was your biggest failure?
I didn't keep up with my gardens.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had an awful cold. And hormonal issues. But what else is new? ;)

11. What was the best thing you bought?
flannel sheets!

12. Where did most of your money go?
Taxes. Isn't that where most of everyone's money goes?

13. What song will always remind you of 2009?
The Climb

14. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Dinner parties

15. What do you wish you'd done less of?
stressing over things I can not change and worrying about why people are upset with me. IN the end? It doesn't matter. they will be your friend or not and the choice is theirs, not yours.

16. What was your favorite TV program?
Glee

17. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I try not to hate people.

18. What was the best book you read?
I read all of the Sookie Stackhouse novels this year. They were great.

19. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Muse

20. What was your favorite film of this year?
Monsters vs. Aliens was fantastic!!

21. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
We went to Red Robins. But we didn't have them sing. And I turned 37.

22. What kept you sane?
The St. Luke's visiting nurses Association

23. Who did you miss?
Lots of people.

24. Who was the best new person you met?
Jason's girlfriend Linda A - I love her!

25. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
I wrote it up there - but I will write it again - If someone wants to be your friend - or doesn't - there really isn't anything YOU can do to change their minds. Don't try to change to please them - be you and let it flow as it will.

What does 2010 hold for me?
A new house? And a cruise!! Woot!

:edited to make ass. association - it just didn't work the otehr way, you know? ;)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!

1. Name:
2. Birthday:
3. Where do you live:
4: What are you studying/What are you working as:
5. What makes you happy:
6. What are you listening to now/have listened to last:
7. What is particularly good/bad about my LJ:
8. An interesting fact about you:
9. Are you in love/have a crush at the moment:
10. Favorite place to be:
11. Favorite lyric:
12. Best time of the year:
13. Weirdest food you like:


RECOMMEND
1. A film:
2. A book:
3. A song:
4: A band:
5. A LJ friend:


PLUS
1. One thing you like about me:
2. Two things you like about yourself:
3. Put this in your lj so I can tell you what I think of you?

a bunch of teenagers have co-opted the garage across the alley as a practice space for their *very loud* rock band. And I don't mean the game on Wii. And he REALLY likes the wah-wah peddle. *sobitty sob sob*

It's Voting Day - go VOTE please!

*achoo* starting *achoo* to not feel great! *achoo* I hope I am not coming down with what Ben had - but since I am getting sneezy and coughie my boss gave me tomorrow off to stay home and rest. I am SO glad I don't have plans this weekend other than watching my niece.

2 dresses are now delivered, and the jacket that goes with one of them is finished, to be delivered today. Katie's experimental dress # 1 is about 80% finished as well! I feel so productive! Today is Sue day - I'm going to get as much as I can done on her dresses, since I only have 5 days until we leave - that's a dress a day! :)

For Sale - 2006 Honda CRV with only 40,000 miles. Brand new inspection. Mint condition. 17,000 - that's below blue book!

So - I have 9 garments to be finished by THursday next - 2 are completed (whoohoo), 1 just needs finishing touches (and trim), 4 are in stages of assembly of one sort or another and two are still figments of my imagination! lol BUT - I accomplished so much last night, in part thanks to my pixie partner in crime Miss Katie - and today I am finishing the jacket and handing it off to the owner so it's one more thing out of my house. Woohoo! Then I get to sew Sue's lovely outfits - orange is SO my favorite colour. ;)

Off to be a mom.

So - I am in a wedding, as you all know, and I am so ahppy to be in it - I love Sue, I adore Chris, I think they are going to make a fantastic married couple, cute kids, and a long, loving history together.  But first, we must have the ceremony. 

  I am a big girl.  I am well aware of this.  But never have I been more aware than yesterday when we were trying on dresses for the wedding.  The other girls are sizes 6,7 and 10.  And then there's me.  28.  I am so afraid of how we will look in pictures -  I am quite literally 3 times the smallest girls size.  And I do NOT want to go on some stupid crash diet because a) they are unhealthy and b) they NEVER work for me.  I AM planning on actually going to the gym so I can tone up my arms, since the dresses are sleeveless, and hopefully lose some of my back fat, since they have rather low backs.  But the other 3 girls are so stunning - all 3 of them - and they look fantastic in the dress.  I really really really hate feeling this way.  ANd right now, I really hate myself.

My life is in an undecided upheaval.  I have a million things on my shoulders.  And I just got blasted by a friend about how I make her feel like she always has to have the right answer like she is on a gameshow and how I am opinionated and how I make her feel like crap and basically that I am an overbearing, pushy, obnoxious bitch.  And part of me wants to cry for a year - and part of me wants to tell her to fuck off.  So - here's the upshot.  If I am a bicth - don't be my friend.  Seriously.  All of you.  Walk away from me now before I make you miserable too.