A little help from my friends

Hey everyone,

The bad news....The cat rescue where I volunteer did not win the last round of the Pepsi Refresh Challenge.  The good news...since we made it in the top 100 we have another chance to win in December.  So, I need a little (well actually, A WHOLE LOT) of help from my friends.  Please help the cat rescue win the $25,000 grant from Pepsi.

· Please vote for EVERY day.

· Ask your friends and family to vote EVERY day.

· Forward an email to everyone on your email list asking them to vote.

· Have more than 1 email address? That’s great because you can vote daily under each email address!

. You can even send a text vote!

. Put a voting link on your blog and Facebook page.

To cast your vote, go to:

Refresheverything.com/kingshighwaycatrescue


Want more info about the cat rescue?  Visit their website:
diabellalovescats.com/kings

If all my Blogger friends help, I am sure we could have a chance to win.  Come on, lets work together to help the cats of Kings Highway Cat Rescue have a very merry Christmas. 

Leave me a message on the Kings Highway Cat Rescue voting page to let me know you stopped by.  I truly appreciate all your help.  I will be back to posting after the New Year.  I miss you all and look forward to sharing with you again soon.


Blessings always,
Brooklyn

Meet Me on Monday! 21st Edition. (wow)!

1. What is your favorite kind of pie?

I adore Boston Cream pie.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.


2. Have you ever ran out of gas in the car you were driving?

No, thank goodness. 


3. How many languages do you speak?

Just one, English (and I barely have a grasp on that one).

4. Do you take daily vitamins?

Yes, I take Isotonix Multivitamins from Market America

5. What is your worst eating habit?

I enjoy eating in bed while I watch my favorite televison shows.  If I could stop this terrible habit I would lose soooo  much weight!

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Please help abused animals win $25,000 from Pepsi

I am sorry for posting this again, but the cat rescue is not doing so well in the Pepsi Refresh Grant contest.  We went from being ranked #215 all the way down to #416!  We need to be in the top 10 to win the $25,000.  Please vote every day and spread the word to everyone on your blog and email list.  This is truly a worthy cause and thousands of animals have been saved over the years because of the hard work and dedication of Kings Highway Cat Rescue.  So, in an effort to get some much needed votes, I am reposting my Monday post.

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I am thrilled to let you know that the animal rescue where I volunteer has been chosen to be a part of the Pepsi Refresh Project! Please vote them EVERY DAY and ask your friends and family to vote also. PLEASE, SPREAD THE WORD!  The stray, abused and unwanted animals of Brooklyn need your help!

Kings Highway Cat Rescue, is in the running to win a $25,000 grant which will help them pay for the expenses that were incurred when they rescued 64 cats from an animal hoarder. To cast your vote, please go to:

Refresheverything.com/kingshighwaycatrescue

Voting ends the last day of this month so there's no time to lose!  Please vote today and every day until the end of the month.

Kings Highway Cat Rescue (K.H.C.R) is a no-kill, non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue of sick, abused and unwanted animals. They have been sheltering and caring for cats since 1988 and due to an overwhelming demand, expanded their operation to include the rescue of dogs. They do not receive any government subsidies and survive solely on the funds that are received through donations and fund raisers. At K.H.C.R. each animal is provided with food, shelter and veterinary care (including spaying/neutering) until a caring adoptive home is found. For feral cats that cannot be domesticated, they maintain a spay/neuter release program. Although they are a cat and dog rescue, they do not turn away any animal and have rescued rabbits, ducks, crows, squirrels, possums and even a goat!

In addition to their struggle to control the number of stray/abused animals, they have been faced with a new challenge. As we are all aware, there has been a tremendous amount of layoffs and foreclosures due to the state of the economy. As such, people are forced to make sacrifices in an attempt to continue to feed their families, avoid eviction and, stay on top of their mounting bills. One such sacrifice these desperate individuals make is to bring their beloved pets to an animal shelter. During these tough economic times families have been surrendering their pets in record numbers because they simply cannot afford to feed them. Animal shelters are already filled to capacity so the end result for most of these pets is euthanasia.

In an attempt to address this heartbreaking situation, K.H.C.R. has established two pet food banks. The food bank provides each family with the necessary food to keep their pets healthy, happy and just as important…in their loving homes.

Please help this wonderful organization by casting your vote. Every vote counts so again, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!!

Want to learn more about Kings Highway Cat Rescue?  Go to their website:  http://diabellalovescats.com/kings.htm

Abused animals need your help!

I am thrilled to let you know that the animal rescue where I volunteer has been chosen to be a part of the Pepsi Refresh Project! Please vote them and ask your friends and family to vote also. PLEASE, SPREAD THE WORD!

Kings Highway Cat Rescue, is in the running to win a $25,000 grant which will help them pay for the expenses that were incurred when they rescued 64 cats from an animal hoarder. To cast your vote, please go to:

Refresheverything.com/kingshighwaycatrescue

Voting ends the last day of this month so there's no time to lose!

Kings Highway Cat Rescue (K.H.C.R) is a no-kill, non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue of sick, abused and unwanted animals. They have been sheltering and caring for cats since 1988 and due to an overwhelming demand, expanded their operation to include the rescue of dogs. They do not receive any government subsidies and survive solely on the funds that are received through donations and fund raisers. At K.H.C.R. each animal is provided with food, shelter and veterinary care (including spaying/neutering) until a caring adoptive home is found. For feral cats that cannot be domesticated, they maintain a spay/neuter release program. Although they are a cat and dog rescue, they do not turn away any animal and have rescued rabbits, ducks, crows, squirrels, possums and even a goat!

In addition to their struggle to control the number of stray/abused animals, they have been faced with a new challenge. As we are all aware, there has been a tremendous amount of layoffs and foreclosures due to the state of the economy. As such, people are forced to make sacrifices in an attempt to continue to feed their families, avoid eviction and, stay on top of their mounting bills. One such sacrifice these desperate individuals make is to bring their beloved pets to an animal shelter. During these tough economic times families have been surrendering their pets in record numbers because they simply cannot afford to feed them. Animal shelters are already filled to capacity so the end result for most of these pets is euthanasia.

In an attempt to address this heartbreaking situation, K.H.C.R. has established two pet food banks. The food bank provides each family with the necessary food to keep their pets healthy, happy and just as important…in their loving homes.

Please help this wonderful organization by casting your vote.  Every vote counts so again, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!!

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Today is Monday and time for Java's Meet Me on Monday blog hop!!

Here are my answers to this weeks questions:

1. Have you ever been on a cruise?

Yes, and I won it in a contest!!!!  I entered a contest that was sponsored by the local yellow pages and I was the winner!!  I won an all expense paid trip to the Carribean!  It was wonderful.


2. What is your favorite way to eat eggs?

I am not a big fan of eggs.  If I had to choose one way to eat them it would be as a cheese omlette.

3. What is your favorite reading material?

I absolutely LOVE books!! (Can ya tell by the name of my blog!)  :-)

4. Name all the pets that you have ever had?

Oh my, I would keep you guys here until next year if I named every pet I had.  How about the most unusual?  Growing up I had spider  monkies, a chimp, ducks, and a pony.  Keep in mind that I live in BROOKLYN, and NOT on a farm!

5. Were you ever a girl/boy scout?

Nope, but I want my daughter to join as soon as she is old enough.

Ok, now get out of her and go join Java's blog hop and THEN go cast your vote for Kings Highway Cat Rescue!  :-)

TGIF

Hi guys, I'm back.  Sorry to be gone for so long.  My daughter has been sick (nothing too serious thank God) and the doctor prescribed Albuterol liquid 3x per day.  The medicine has given her more energy than the Energizer bunny and she has been bouncing of the walls for days!  Needless to say, my husband and I have not gotten much sleep and are running on empty.  One bright spot during the last few days was the package I received from MyBlogSpark.com which contained coupons for delicious treats from Pilsbury. 

Pilsbury recently introduced yummy new desserts:  Sweet Moments Brownies in bite-size or single serving bowls.  The Bite-Size Brownies, which are layered with either rich caramel or fudge, and wrapped in a chocolaty coating, are just the right size to grab and go for a quick pick-me-up (and after chasing after my daughter for the past few days I definitely needed a pick me up!). They only have 60 calories per brownie, so you can indulge without the guilt.

The Sweet Moments Molten Lava Brownies, come in single-serve bowls and like the bite-size brownies, are available in rich caramel and fudge varieties. Each brownie is covered in chocolate or creamy caramel and topped with a chocolatey drizzle. Pop it in the microwave for only 15 seconds and the brownie bowl is warm and ready to enjoy.

I want to share this special treat with my readers.  I am giving away a coupon for a FREE Pillsbury  Sweet Moments dessert.  To win, just post a comment and let me know you would love to try these yummy brownies.  I will pick one lucky reader at random to receive the coupon. 

In addition, Pillsbury would like to help you deliver “Sweet Moments” to someone who you know could use an indulgent escape.  Just stop by Pillsbury.com and Pillsbury’s Facebook page to send a special e-card with a coupon for $1.50 off one package of Pillsbury Sweet Moments Brownies. You’ll also receive another coupon for yourself!

Happy Friday everyone!

Obnoxious

There was an article in last Sunday's Relish magazine (which is an insert in the NY Daily News) titled "5 Restaurant Don'ts".  After reading the author's article, I would NEVER eat in one of his restaurants or buy one of his 15 cookbooks.  Obnoxious is the nicest word I can use to describe him.  Judge for yourself....

# 2 on his list of things not to do at a restaurant is asking the server "What's good here?".  He seems to take offense at this remark and says that he views it as a cynical greeting that makes him cringe.   If you look up the word cynical in the dictionary it means: distrusting or disparaging the motives of others (I will get back to this later).  I find nothing wrong with asking the server "what's good"?  Especially, if you never ate at the restaurant before and need a recommendation of what to try. 

# 4 on the list is asking for the condiment on the side.  In his opinion, ordering a sandwich without the condiment makes no sense.  Really??  Maybe in his warped mind it makes no sense but it makes perfect sense to those of us who are capable of making decisions without worrying about offending the chef.  He goes on to further state that if you don't trust the sandwich maker to "artfully" assemble your sandwich, you shouldn't be eating in that establishment!  Has this guy ever heard of food allergies?  My son loves the turkey pannini from a local restaurant but MUST ask them to remove the Garlic/Mayo condiment due to his allergy to eggs and dairy.  I wonder if this guy would throw my son out of the restaurant because he had the gall to ask the server to remove the condiment?

The author seems to view himself as the restaurant God.  How dare us mere mortals doubt anything he does!  If you ask me, he also seems a bit paranoid, as #'s 2 & 4 on his list both mention his feeling that people don't "trust" his superior culinary skills.

# 5 on the list is a bit different than the others, as it simply calls into questions the audacity of a custoomer that has lived near the restaurant for two years but just recently decided to try it out.  He says the "customer's lack of curiosity about his restaurant is astounding"!  The only thing "astounding" here is this fool's arrogant attitude!  Has he ever heard of the recession????  Instead of berating the customer for taking two years to try out the restaurant, he should be down on the ground kissing the customer's feet!  As eating out is a luxury for many these days, he should be honored that the customer chose his restaurant at all.

So, what's your opinion?  Obnoxious or not?

Still The King

OK, I started the gruelling task of trying to get my daughter potty trained.  I rented the "Once Upon a Potty For Girls" DVD from the library since the VHS "boy" version worked wonders with my son 9 years ago.  Because it worked so well with my son, I had no doubts that it would work with my daughter. WRONG!  Oh, she loves the video and sings the song and asks to watch it about a bazillion times per day but, there has been NO potty action! 

Next, we bought a book called "No More Diapers For Duckie".  Again, she loved it, even goes around repeating (CONSTANTLY) "No More Diapers Duckie!).  But, there still was no potty action.

Our most recent attempt was the purchase of a $25.00 Disney Princess Potty that makes "Magical" sounds when you push the blue diamond lever.  Now, since we are on a very tight and strict budget, $25.00 was a big purchase to us.  I rationalized it by saying that it is cheaper than buying expensive diapers every week (sounds logical right?).  Well, I may as well have taken that $25.00 and flushed it down the real toilet because once again....No potty action!

Well, there is one consolation.....

My cat Charlie turned in his title as "King of the Waterbowl" and now proudly reigns as......

King of The Potty!

 

I just don't think pink is his color!

We're Not In Kansas Anymore....

Who would have ever thought that living in Brooklyn you needed to worry about tornados??  I turned on the TV last week just in time to see "Tornado Warning, take cover in the the lowest part of your house"!  I never thought I could move so fast!  I got my fat butt in gear, scooped my daughter up in my arms, grabbed my son by the hand and FLEW down the flight of stairs! We took cover as best we could and waited for it to be over.  I don't know why, but I have always been afraid of tornados. Since I live in Brooklyn I always thought it was an irrational fear.  I guess I was wrong.  My other irrational fear is Zombies.....What are the chances?





Join the Friday blog hops and have a fun filled weekend everyone!

Frustration

The last two days have been filled with rather frustrating conversations with my husband.  Here is one example:

I had just put pasta in the boiling water and asked my husband to watch Princess K (Our 2 1/2 yr old daughter), so that I could go upstairs and take a quick shower.  After I got upstairs I decided to ask him to give the pasta a quick stir.

Me:  Honey....(no answer)
Me:  Honey...(no answer)
Me:  HONEY!!!!!

Him:  Yes?

Me:  Could you please stir the pasta?

Him:  OK.

TWO SECONDS AFTER I GET IN THE SHOWER I hear Princess K knocking on the bathroom door.

Princess K:  Mama, Mama, Mama

Me:  Honey....(no answer)
Me:  Honey....(no answer)
Me:  HONEY!!!!

Him:  Yes?

Me:  I thought you were watching Princess K?

Him:  Well, you asked me to stir the pasta.

Me:  And?

Him:  And, I can't do two things at once!

ME: #!&*@#!*?#@!?!!!!!!!!

Can you just feel my frustration?

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On a more calm and relaxed note...I went to some great garage sales over the weekend and got some fantastic bargains.  The one item I am most excited about is a digital camera!  Yeah!!!  I can now publish pictures on my blog again.  I also found toys and books for my daughter and a new purse for me. 

I LOVE garage sales and try to get to one every weekend.  I think I can get a few more in before the cold weather comes and garage sale season is over. 

What is the best item that you ever found at a garage sale?

Max Lucado

Although I LOVE reading (hence the title of my blog), This is the first time I have had the pleasure of reading  Max Lucado's books.  I've heard many good things about his writing and can now say I agree.  I just finished reading two of his new books and absolutely loved them.

The first book, One Hand, Two Hands is a children's book which teaches children that their hands are a blessing from God and can be used for many things including, helping others.  I read this book to my 2 1/2 year old daughter (more than once) and she and I both loved it.  My favorite part of the book was the page that shows a mother and daughter washing dishes together.  My daughter and I wash dishes together almost every morning while we sing songs.  She makes a big mess, but I don't mind because it is a special time of day for us before I have to leave for work.  I would recommend this adorable book to anyone with a small child at home, the story is sweet and the pictures are beautiful.

The second Max Lucado book that I just finished is Outlive Your Life.  Much like the children's book, "One Hand, Two Hands", this book shows how every person has the opportunity to make a big difference in this world.  As each of our lives touches anothers and each of our actions has an impact on this world, Max Lucado shows that we can all "Live our lives in such a way that the world will be glad".  If you are looking for great inspirational reading, I suggest you pick up a copy of this book.

I am grateful to Booksneeze and Thomas Nelson Publishers for providing me with both of these wonderful books to read and review.

How do you erase a childhood?

How do you erase the memories of your childhood?  Oh, don't get me wrong, it is not that I had a BAD childhood, in fact I had a pretty good one.  I was born into the typical American family:  Stay at home mom, who cooked, cleaned and took care of the kids; a hard working father who did whatever was necessary to support his family; two older brothers that were into muscle cars, Led Zepplin and hanging out; then there was me, the baby of the family.  Sounds perfect right?  Well, for a while, I guess it was.  Then things started to change.  It was a slow transition that led to a complete breakdown of the family I once knew.  My mother began her downward spiral into the world of hoarding, just as one of my brothers began his decent into the world of drugs.  In the beginning, the rest of us did our best to help my mother and brother overcome their demons.  In the end, the demons won and what was left was a broken and shattered family.  I no longer speak to my mother or my drug addicted brother, my other brother is a work-a-holic who I have little contact with, and my father has moved out of state.

So, how do you erase the memories of a childhood that now seems like just a dream?  Those people no longer exist.  Never will exist again... and it is too painful to remember them the way that they were. 

Meet Me on Monday!! 14th Edition.

Hi everyone!

Hope you all had a good weekend.  Here are my answers to this weeks edition of Java's Meet Me on Monday blog hop.

1. What is your favorite pasta dish?

ANYTHING!  I love all pasta!  Of course, I drown it in parmesan cheese.  Hmmmm....Maybe that's the reason I can't lose weight!









2. What is the last thing you do before going to bed?

Give my kids hugs and kisses. 










3. How many nights a week do you go out to eat?

Unfortunately, we do not go out to eat too often (the whole being in debt thing tends to get in the way.)

4. Are you an avid book reader?

Yep.  Love, Love, Love books.  Always a book in my reach (bathroom, bedroom, desk, kitchen). With my love of reading you would think I would have a better grasp on grammar. 

5. Would you rather have x-ray vision or bionic hearing?
Neither.  I do not want to hear or see anything that is not meant for me.

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September 11th

Like every American, I am sure, I remember exactly where I was on September 11, 2001.  I was at work , when a client came in and asked "Did you hear that a plane hit one of the towers?"  My first reaction was "Oh, those poor people".  My heart went out to the people on the plane and their families.  I knew that nobody on the plane could have survived and I wondered how many people in the building were injured.  I turned on the news to get more information and saw that a second plane struck.  Immediately, I knew that this was no accident.  I rushed out of my office, jumped in my car and raced to get my son out of daycare.  I wanted to pick up my husband from work but the school where he worked at the time was on "Lock Down".  Nobody was allowed in or out.  As such, I went home with my baby boy to wait.  Wait to see what would happen next.

I kept trying to reach my two best friends Chill and Rah Rah,who rode the train to work in Manhattan every day.  I knew the route led them right under the towers and I was scared for their safety.  For hours I kept trying to reach them.  Finally, Chill called me to say that she was alright  and was walking over the Brooklyn bridge, towards home because all trains were shut down.  There was no word from Rah Rah and I prayed that she was safe.

Around this time, my father called to tell me that my nephew's father, who was a first responder, got called to the towers and has not been heard from.  My young nephew watched the horror play out on every channel of the TV, wondering if his father would be coming home that night.  He didn't.   He died a hero, giving his life saving others.

My cousin worked at the towers and was outside smoking a cigarette when the first plane struck.  If she was inside, she would have died, as her office was located on one of the floors impacted by the crash.  I bet this is the first time a cigarette has SAVED a persons life.

My friend Rah Rah had borrowed a strangers cell phone and called her mother to let her know she was safe and in the process of making the trek over the Brooklyn bridge.  She had been stuck underground in the train for hours, until the authorities led them to safety through the subway tunnels and out to the street.  Thank God, she was safe.

For days, a light flurry fell in my neighborhood.  It wasn't snow.  It was the burning paper from the Twin Towers being carried all the way to Brooklyn on the slight breeze that was blowing.  Each flake a reminder of the horror that occurred.

In the days, weeks and months that followed, the only positive thing to come out of this tragedy was the kindness that everyone displayed toward one another.  We had patience for one another.  We helped total strangers.  We were just plain NICER to everyone around us.  This attack made us all realize how lucky we were to be alive and how fragile each life is.  Although the events of 9/11 remain fresh in our memory, over time we seem to have forgotten the importance of embracing each other with respect and kindness.

On this anniversary, let's honor the memory of all the brave men and woman who lost their lives.  Lets honor them by making a commitment to continue being kind to one another, coming to the rescue of strangers, being a blessing to each life we touch.

Love and Blessings to each one of you.
Brooklyn

Junior High

Today was my son's first day of Junior High.  It is also the first time I don't have a "first day of school" picture.  Since I was pick pocketed last week and my camera was stolen, I will have to capture this moment in my memory instead of on film.  I watched him as he walked out the door in front of me, wearing his blue plaid shirt, Levi's jeans and Sketchers sneakers.  My husband and I had put aside some of our tax refund so that we could buy him nice clothes for school.  It was worth it because he looked so handsome.

Because I knew he would freak out if I displayed ANY type of affection when we got to the school, I stopped him a block away and gave him a BIG hug.  I thought an entire block was a safe enough distance from school to show him how much I love him.  WRONG!!  He did not react to well.  What is the acceptable distance these days?  Is two blocks safe to grab a quick hug?  What about three blocks?  Will that get me a kiss on the cheek?  My son was not amused.  He quickly informed me that any displays of affection are not permitted beyond the front door of our house.  How depressing.

Well, only six hours to go until he gets home from school.  You can bet that I will be waiting by the front door for my big hug and peck on the cheek!

Pick Pocketed (Literally and figuratively)

I will not be able to put any pictures on my blog for awhile.  My camera has been stolen.  I went to Family Dollar to buy diapers for my daughter and when I returned to my office I realized that the side pocket of my purse was unzippered.  Although I thought it was strange, it didn't occur to me that anything would be missing.  I just figured it was me being a "clear head" and I had forgotten to zipper it.  It wasn't until I went to take a picture of the wild parrots that live on the utility wires in Brooklyn (I wanted to show you guys the beautiful parrots and their huge nests), that I realized my camera was gone.  I had so many beautiful pictures of my kids on that camera, pictures of my beloved pets that passed away, pictures of me pregnant with my daughter.  None of which I had thought to print out.  I just enjoyed having them on my camera to look at whenever I wanted to.

As for the figurative pocket picking, my husband and I just got some crappy news.  My husband's union had a class action lawsuit against the city.  We always hear in the news about class action suits paying out big money to the participants.  A such, we were making plans for paying off some of our debt with the settlement money.  Well, we feel as if that money was plucked right out of our pockets because we received the news yesterday that the case settled and our share of the settlement comes to $1,200.00   WOW.  Talk about disappointed.

You ever get the feeling that you just can't catch a break?

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Please join Java's wonderful Blog Hop.

Have a safe and fun holiday weekend everyone!

Microchips are amazing!

This cutie was found wandering in traffic.  She is an old girl who, I believe is deaf.  I say this because her ears don't perk up when I whistle to her or when I squeeze a squeak toy.  She is a real sweetie, sleeping under my desk at the moment  The crossing guards that brought her to me, put up signs in the neighborhood.  I hope somebody claims her soon.

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Good news.....I located her owner!  By the time I had to leave work for the day, I had not received any calls in response to the *FOUND* flyers that were posted around the neighborhood or the ad that the local human society posted on their website.  Thankfully, a foster home in Long Island agreed to take the dog.  I brought the dog to the vet in order to get her a check-up before her trip to Long Island.  While there, the vet scanned her and low and behold the dog was microchipped!  What a fantastic invention.  I wish they had this years ago when I lost my beloved cat Harry.  The vet's office called the contact number listed for the owner.  When I saw that it was a Manhattan number I wondered how this old girl wound up in Brooklyn??  It turns out that the owners are on vacation in Spain and left the dog with a dog-sitter in Brooklyn.  They gave me the dog-sitters number and some background on the little dog.  Her name is Hershey and she is 12 years old.  She was adopted by the family two years ago after she was found wandering in Central Park and brought to the pound.  Thankfully this family adopted her or she would have been euthanized.

I called the dog-sitter and arranged for him to pick the dog up from my house later that night.  When he arrived, he told me that he was in his underwear when he saw Hershey slip through the fence.  He ran to put on pants but, by the time he made it outside, the old girl vanished!  My office is about 12 blocks from his house.  Who knew she could move that fast!  When he could not locate the dog, he said he got down on his knees and prayed that Hershey would be safe and that a good person would find her.  He thanked me for my help and said the Lord had answered his prayers.  This little dog had many people looking out for her that day, not just me.  Hershey's real heroes are the crossing guards who brought her to me and then used their lunch break to post fliers all over the neighborhood.  If it weren't for them, who knows what Hershey's fate would have been.  Thank you girls for being Hershey's guardian angels.

Diabetes

Last Friday I posted about how I was met at the bottom of my stairs by a puddle of cat pee pee.  I wrote that one of my cats was too lazy to go up the stairs to use the litter box.  Well, I found out that the cat was not being lazy, my poor baby Charlie, is suffering from diabetes AND glaucoma! 


A normal glucose level for cats is around 80. Charlie's was almost 400!!!!  I never even suspected he was sick because all the symptoms of diabetes and glaucoma were traits he has had all his life. In glaucoma, the symptoms are an enlarged eye and cloudy cornea.  Hard to detect in Charlie because he has always had an enlarged right eye, both eyes are covered with blue film and he is partially blind due to a virus he suffered from as a kitten. 

The symptoms of diabetes include: increased consumption of water, increased urination and, urinating outside the  litter box.  Again, all traits that Charlie has had ALL his life.  He has always loved his water bowl.  We nicknamed him "king of the water bowl" because he will lay there for what seems like hours while the other cats line up, waiting for him to move so they can get a drink.  He is the leader of the pack and they would never make him move!  As for the increased urination, I thought it was due to his love of the water bowl.  Now the urinating outside of the litter box has always been frustrating to me.  Charlie missed the litter box more often than he made it into the box but, I chalked this up to his blindness.  I just thought his aim was off!

Charlie now has to get 2 shots of insulin per day to regulate his sugar and, take an oral medication and topical ointment for the glaucoma.  Not fun for me or charlie!  He has made me happy for 16 years.  So now it is my turn.  I will do what is necessary to keep him happy and healthy for his remaining time with me.  May that be a long, long time......

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Join Java's Blog Hop!

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OH, What a Morning!

I was awakened at 2:00 am by my 2 year old daughter because the cable went out.  My husband and I have a bad habit of sleeping with the television on and have passed this terrible habit on to our two kids.  So, 2:00 am, no cable TV = wide awake two year old!  I finally get her back to sleep at 4:00 am.  My husband's alarm goes off at 4:30 and mine goes off at 5:30.  Needless to say we did not get any sleep.

I make my way down the stairs to the kitchen and find waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs a puddle of cat pee pee.  It seems that one of my cats was too lazy to make it up the stairs to the litter boxes and chose to urinate on my husband's EMT bag, the carpeted steps and the tile floor!  Oh, how lovely.

I put my daughter on the couch with the hopes that the TV would keep her entertained while I cleaned the mess (yes, the cable had returned by now).  But, my hope quickly faded as three seconds after I turned on the TV, the power went out!!!!

How is your Friday going?

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Please join Java's "Follow Friday 40 and Over blog hop.

Angel Song Review

One of the books I read this summer was Angel Song by Sheila Walsh and Kathryn Cushman.  I was drawn to this book because of the publisher's description on the back of the book which says:

When Annie Fletcher returns to Charleston to see her younger sister, Sarah, receive her master’s degree, she finds herself riding in the back of an ambulance, watching helplessly as Sarah fights for life. During the ride, Sarah appears to talk to someone who is not there, humming a melody Annie has never heard before.


Neighbor Ethan McKinney lends a shoulder when Sarah unexpectedly dies. And as a carpenter, Ethan volunteers to help Annie get the Fletcher family home into shape for selling. Ethan’s presence is distracting, but what troubles Annie is her neighbor Tammy’s 12-year-old son. Keith has Down Syndrome and the guile to believe he can see and hear angels.


God begins to reveal Himself to Annie – both in her newfound friends and through heart-rending and clearly supernatural events. Annie discovers faith in God, finally experiencing the comfort that His angels really do surround us.

Sound wonderful right?  I just wish I had enjoyed it more.  I love the whole premise of Keith, the Down Syndrome boy being able to see and hear angels and I longed for the authors to delve deeper into this subject.  Unfortunately, I feel as if they just skimmed the surface.  I also believe I would have enjoyed the book more if they allowed Annie to have more interaction with the angels.

I did enjoy the interaction that Annie had with Ethan and the bond she developed with Tammy and Keith.  So, although I did not LOVE the book, I did like it and I am thankful that Booksneeze and Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a free copy to read and review. It was a nice, light, summer read.

WTF! Wednesday

As I made my way to work this morning it seemed as if  EVERY bad driver in Brooklyn decided to take the same route as me to work.  I lost track of the number of times I said WTF?!  I began my commute behind a little old man going about as fast as a snail riding on a turtle's back.  I swear, if I got out of my car I could walk to work faster than he was driving. WTF!

Next, I managed to get in back of a woman that had her "right" signal on for over a mile.  After what seemed like an eternity she finally did turn....LEFT! WTF!

Then, I had the displeasure of running into (almost literally) some jerk who was so busy talking on his cell phone that he didn't notice he had a red light.   Once again....WTF!

Oh, the joys of driving in Brooklyn!

What situations have caused you say WTF! today?

Meet Me on Monday. 9th Edition.

Welcome to the 9th edition of Java's "Meet Me on Monday" blog hop!  Hope you all had a great weekend.

Here are my answers for this week:

1. Do you watch any Soap Operas?

I had not watched a soap opera since the whole "Luke & Laura" thing back in the 80's.  But, believe it or not I just became hooked on a Korean soap opera called "Happiness in the Wind".  It is in Korean but has english subtitles on the bottom.  My husband is amused that I have become addicted and DVR it every night. 

2. What appliance is used the most in your house?

I would have to say the air conditioner.  We have been having a heat wave here in NY and the air conditioner has been running 24/7 for the last month.  The electric company is loving me right now!

3. Do you wear make-up every day?

I only wear Maybelline mascara and blush but it makes a big difference in my appearance and my attitude.  I feel naked without it.

4. What is your worst pet-peeve?

My husband works as an EMT.  As such, he is in and out of hospitals all day long.  So, it absolutely drives me crazy when he comes in from work, takes off his work boots and leaves them right near my daughter's toys.  Being the germ-a-phobe that I am, I immediatley bleach everything in sight! 

5. What is your favorite lunch meat?

Being a vegetarian I don't have a favorite lunch meat.  I do like cheese slices though.  American, cheddar, provolone.  WOW, my cholesterol must be through the roof!

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Bad Poetry....GOOD Message

I wake up each morning and watch the news before I get out of bed to start my day.  EVERY morning I am faced with stories of hatred and violence.  It seems to be getting worse.  Men being killed because they are homosexual. Others being beaten because they are Mexican.  When is it going to stop?  When will we learn to embrace each others differences?  You may not agree with the lifestyle someone is living but, should that person be killed because of it?  If you are a Christian who believes in Jesus, would you suggest that Jewish people be killed because they do not share that belief?  I am not suggesting that you embrace their beliefs.  What I am saying is that we should embrace their differences.  How boring would this world be if we all looked the same, acted the same, worshiped the same?  We would never leave our own backyards because there would be no reason to.  One backyard would be just like another.  We should celebrate our differences, not condemn them. 

I have been haunted by the Holocaust ever since learning about it in elementary school.  As a child, I found it sad that a horror such as the Holocaust was allowed to happen.  As an adult, I find it shocking.

Love differently.
Look differently.
Worship differently.
How many more reasons will we find to hate each other?

When will we learn to finally accept one another for the unique individuals that we are?  What type of world will be leaving to our children if we don't change? 
 

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You're ugly, too short, too skinny, too fat

You're different than me

I can't accept that!

You express your love differently than me

So, I'll beat you down and make you see,

That MY way is the RIGHT way to go

After all, the Bible tells you  so.

Well, MY kind is better than you.

With our skin so fair and eyes of blue.

Accepting your kind will never do,

So, we'll round you up and exterminate you.

Whom do you call  upon when you pray?

Someone other than God?

Then I'll make you pay.

We cannot be different

We must all be the same

People ACTUALLY believe this

What a terrible shame.

Meet Me on Monday! 8th Edition.

Hi everyone.  Happy Monday!

Thanks for stopping by for the 8th edition of Java's "Meet Me on Monday" blog hop.

Here are my answers for this week:

1. What is your favorite holiday?

I absolutely LOVE Halloween!  I got married on Halloween and when my son was born I had his christening and party on Halloween. 

2. What color clothing do you wear the most?

Black.

It makes me look thinner AND looks good on Halloween!

3. What is your heritage?

Italian

 Irish

4. What is your middle name?

 I never really like it AND never use it.

Maybe because I never felt much joy in my life.

Things HAVE been getting better so maybe I will now embrace it.

5. What is your favorite cookie?

Rainbow cookies! YUUUMMMMM!!

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Music Can Change The World

About a year ago I stumbled across a website called "Playing For Change".  I was inspired by their mission and truly believe that their idea can and will make a difference in the world.  The mission statement on their website states: "Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in our minds, we set out to share it with the world".

I got goosebumps the first time I saw this video.  I think you will love it as much as I do.  As they say on their website:   "Together, we will connect the world through music!"

Forward

My Sister-in-law sent this to me today.  I thought it was lovely.  The picture at the end says it all and made me want to share it with you.  I may not be able to "physically" see my blogger friends but, through our posts I feel as if I have bonded with you.  I think of all of you frequently and include you in my prayers.  I pray that: Java settles into her new job and discovers that she truly loves  it.  That Claudia finds a sense of peace through the care and compassion she gives to her patients in hospice.  That Green Monkey finds that same sense of peace through her writing.  That the grief and pain felt by both Green Monkey and Claudia eases a little more each day until their pain is replaced by memories of happy moments they spent with their loved ones. 

To all my blogging friends:  Enjoy this post and pass it on to the ones that you are thinking about.

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This explains why I forward email's.

A man and his dog were walking along a road.

The man was enjoying the scenery,

When it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years.

He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road.

It looked like fine marble..

At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it, he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.

He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?

'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.

'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.

Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.

The man gestured, and the gate began to open. 'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked.

'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed.

There was no fence.

 

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book...

'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?'

'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.'

'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog.

'There should be a bowl by the pump,' said the man.

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.

The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked.  

'This is Heaven,' he answered. 

'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said.

'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.'

'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's Hell.'

'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'

'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'

Soooo. Now you see, sometimes, we wonder why friends keep forwarding stuff to us without writing a word. Maybe this will explain it.

When you are very busy, but still want to keep in touch, guess what you do? You forward emails.

When you have nothing to say, but still want to keep contact, you forward jokes.

When you have something to say, but don't know what, and don't know how.... You forward stuff.

A 'forward' lets you know that you are still remembered, you are still important, you are still loved, you are still cared for.

So, next time if you get a 'forward', don't think that you've been sent just another forwarded joke, but that you've been thought of today and your friend on the other end of your computer wanted to send you a smile.

You are welcome at my water bowl anytime

Meet Me on Monday! 7th Edition!

Welcome to the 7th edition of "Meet Me On Monday!

This great blog hop is hosted by Java @

http://nevergrowingold.blogspot.com/2010/07/meet-me-on-monday_25.html

Here are my answers to this weeks questions:

1. What one food could you eat every single day?

I agree with Java, I absolutely LOVE pizza!  I could not only eat it every day, but EVERY meal!

2. Do you wear glasses or contacts?

Glasses.  I have worn them since I was 8 years old.  I tried contacts but have such bad allergies that my eyes are always itchy.  As such, the contacts did not work out too well.

3. What kind of cell phone do you have?

The kind that makes phone calls (check out my 6/16/10 iPads post and you will read all about my being technologically challenged!). I may not be using the cell phone pictured below, but close to it! :-)

 

4. What did you have for dinner last night?

Whole Wheat Mac and Cheese.  It was not as good as I thought it would be.  Too dry.


5. What is your favorite candy?
 
EVERY candy is my favorite candy.  I am a candy junky (one of the reasons why the scale and I aren't on speaking terms!).

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Six Word Saturday

Feeling grateful for this beautiful day!

I am enjoying a sunny Saturday with my two children.  Sitting in the air conditioning watching Yo Gabba Gabba and snuggling!  The perfect day!

Girly Girl

My ten year old son  was rambling on a mile a minute about every sport under the sun, while I did a good job of faking interest in, and knowledge of, those sports.  I often talk sports with my son and because I know little about them I learned to fake it. I assume my vast knowledge (cough, cough) of sports impressed him because today he kindly informed me that I am not a "girly, girl".  Although my first reaction was to be extremely a little insulted I didn't let on to my son that my feelings were hurt.  Instead, I asked him what he meant by me not being a "girly girl".  "You are are "manly, girl" mom", he said.  He must have realized how that sounded (or maybe he saw the sick look on my face) because he quickly tried to cover it up by saying..."Oh, Mom, I just meant that you aren't like other girls.  You don't care about how you dress or what your hair looks like".   Kids, you gotta love em!

My Savior AND Meet Me on Monday!

Remember the little incident I had with the June Bugs?  Well, it seems as though my prayers have been answered.  After being afraid to venture into my yard all weekend because of the swarm of June Bugs dive bombing my house, God realized what a chicken I am and sent me a solution to my predicament. 

This adorable little guy on the right showed up in my yard and had a grand old time chasing all the June Bugs away.  I assume he was eating them as well because when I sent my son outside to leave food for our feline friend, the dish remained untouched.  Only the flies were enjoying the feast. 

 So, thanks to my feline savior I will once again be able to leave for work in the morning without making a mad dash for the car while screaming my head off  like a lunatic! 

  

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OK, now it's time for the 6th edition of Java's "Meet Me On Monday!" Blog Hop.

Here are the questions for this week:

1. What is your favorite sandwich?

Hmmmmm....  Maybe Grilled Cheese.  I pretty much love ANYTHING with cheese!

2. What is stashed under your bed/mattress?

My supplies from when I made printed ribbons and favor capias.

3. What is your favorite flower?

I love all wildflowers.

4. What is your favorite magazine?

I would have to say Guideposts.  I just love to read the inspirational stories.  If I'm having a bad day, it lifts my spirits when I see it waiting for me in the mailbox.

5. How often do you weigh yourself?

As infrequently as possible!  The scale is my ENEMY!

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June Bugs!

I awoke this morning to the sound of my cats (all five of them) howling.  I was not worried though because they often make this sound when they want praise for killing their latest "prey" which is usually one of my kids' stuffed animals or lately, my daughter's barbie dolls.  So, I went about my business getting ready for work, took a shower and then got my daughter up.  With my daughter in tow I went downstairs to discover the cats hovering by my kitchen windows.  That is when I heard IT!  The sound of something hitting the windows with a loud THUMP!  I just knew that it had to be some type of flying bug.  So, being the chicken that I am when it comes to bugs, I slowly made my way to the windows to investigate.  Just as I was peering out, a huge bug dive bombed the window screen.  Then came more and more.  It seems that a whole colony of June Beetles decided to have a party in my yard and were such clumsy fliers that they kept smacking into the windows.

Have I mentioned how afraid I am of bugs?  Well, I am petrified.  So, as I watched them dive into the screens all I could think about was how would I get out of the house to get to work?  If all my cats weren't "inside only" cats, I would send them out into the yard to catch some real prey instead of Barbie dolls!  They would just love that!  But, since I don't allow them leave the house I was force to come up with an escape plan for getting out of the house without one of those beetles dive bombing me!  Now, since I am not very creative my plan simply included me running out the front door screaming like a lunatic until I made it safely to the car.  Hey, it worked.  I made it to the car in record time and after sitting there for a while as my heart was beating a mile a minute I  managed to start the car and make my way to work.  WOW....I am such a wimp.  But they WERE BIG!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Join Java's Blog Hop...

The RULES to join in are very simple!

1. Grab the button

2. Add your link to the list

3. Visit as many other blogs as you can

4. Follow the ones you like (and comment on their blog to say that you are following)

This list is new each week. The links do not carry over. Please link up each week for new participants to find your blogs. It will be visible all week to visit the blogs listed.
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NIKKO

Soon it will be three years since my beloved Nikko passed away.  He was my buddy, my baby. Nikko and I were together before I married my husband or had kids.  He was my family BEFORE I started a family.  When I brought my newborn son home from the hospital I was worried that Nikko would be jealous and might not like having a new baby around.  He was a large and powerful dog and although he never hurt a fly I new the damage his breed could do.  I worried needlessly.  The day I brought my boy home from the hospital I placed him in his crib as soon as I walked in the door.  Nikko jumped up to investigate, his tail wagging a mile a minute.  From that day on he loved my son.  He never once growled and always had tail wags and doggie kisses for him (even when he pulled his tail when I was not looking)!   Sadly, Nikko passed away while I was pregnant with my daughter.  I am sure he would have loved her just as much as he loved my son.  Nikko was a very big part of my life and in his memorie I gave my little girl the middle name "Nikkole".

My Nikko was the sweetest dog ever.  With Nikko being such a gentle soul it is funny that his original purpose was to be someones guard dog!  An artist had purchased him as a puppy from a breeder with the intention of training him to be a guard dog for his art studio. One night the puppy managed to get out of his cage and proceeded to chew and destroy all of the artist's supplies!  Needless to say, the puppy was no longer welcome in the studio.  So, he came to live with me and I gave him the name "Nikko". 

Nikko gave me 15 years of unconditional love. I am crying right now just looking at his picture. I know he is no longer suffering and is waiting for me over the rainbow bridge. I love you my friend.

Rainbow Bridge
by: Anonymous


Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Meet Me on Monday! 5th Edition!

Here are this week's questions posted by Java @ http://nevergrowingold.blogspot.com/

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1. What do your normally eat for breakfast?

  Does coffee count?  1st thing on my mind in the morning is having my coffee!





2. What kind of car do you drive?

    Blue Dodge Avenger with a pink car seat in the back!.

3. Have you ever met a famous person(s)?
   I met Ricky Schroeder when I was about 12 years old.  We went into the Haunted Mansion together in Long Branch, NJ.  He was very nice. 
   I met Rue McClanahan a few years back at an animals rights rally in Washington, DC.  She was  FABULOUS!
  I met Geraldo Rivera.  He sat on my lap during a taping of his old talk show and gave me a birthday kiss!

4. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? 
I just discovered Edy's Slow Churned Yogurt Blends.  I fell in love with the Chocolate/Vanilla Swirl.  It tastes just like ice cream and is soooo smooth and creamy.  I enjoy the taste and texture. 

5. Which TV Channel do you watch the most?
  I don't have one channel that I watch most often.  I pretty much channel surf.  But some of my favorite shows are:  Hell's Kitchen, Lie To Me, Royal Pains, Cougar Town and Modern Family.  I really LOVED Trauma until those bozo's at NBC cancelled it!

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