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September 30, 2006

Biorhythm Chart

My biorhythm chart says I am at peak intellectually, emotionally, and physically. I would not have been able to get through this past week if this were not true.

Why don't you check it out here and check out your own biorhythm reading.

They describe the biorhythm chart this way:

" What are biorhythms?

Biorhythms are cycles that attempt to describe energy levels or capacities for performance in various areas. The three "primary" biorhythms are:

* physical (23 days), describing your physical energy, reflexes, strength, stamina
* emotional (28 days), describing your emotional stability and empathy
* intellectual (33 days), describing your mental aptitude, creativity and problem-solving capabilities"

September 29, 2006

What's A Foley?

Yes, I know the question normally would be Who Is Foley, but since the Foley in question is anything but normal I stick with my original question What is a Foley.

Foley is sick, disgusting, perverted, a liar, a deceiver, revolting, a predator, and oh yeah did I already say DISGUSTING?

I really don't care what his lifestyle is; but to seek out teenagers online or in person to engage them in sexual discussions is DISGUSTING. I realize the graphic in this post is of a much older man, the Foley probably wouldn't be interested in someone this old but this is the one I picked for my own reasons.

If you have the stomach for it, you can read a few of the instant messages here between the Foley (notice I do not say Mr. Foley or Congressman Foley)and a teenage boy.

In Wikipedia there is a description of the Foley's job:

"Mark Adam Foley (born September 8, 1954) is an American politician, and is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 until 2006, representing the 16th District of Florida. A former chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, he resigned on September 29, 2006 after it became public that he had sent sexually explicit emails and instant messages to minors who were serving as Congressional pages, including male pages."


This is getting to be a habit with the Republicans in the government, spouting the virtues of a faith and taking advantage of their positions of power to engage in sexual behavior totally different from the biblical literature they hide behind.

Like I said. DISGUSTING.

September 28, 2006

Laughter As A Therapeutic Tool

Is laughter as healthy as some people claim? In an article at How Stuff Works they say this:
"Laughter is a great thing -- that's why we've all heard the saying, "Laughter is the best medicine." There is strong evidence that laughter can actually improve health and help fight disease. In this article, we'll look at laughter -- what it is, what happens in our brains when we laugh, what makes us laugh and how it can make us healthier and happier. You'll also learn that there's a tremendous amount that no one understands yet."

And at Laughter Therapy they say this:
"Laughter is the best medicine... unless you're asthmatic - then it's 'Ventolin'."

An old joke I know, and as an asthmatic, I have to say it's got a ring of truth to it...

If only there was such a thing as a 'Laughter Inhaler' - comic relief at the touch of a button!"

I don't need to understand how it works, I happen to believe in laughter and humor as part of a healthy life. The physical act of smiling generates the brain chemistry of positive feelings even if you don't feel happy. When someone says or does something that makes me laugh from deep down, and laugh out loud, it is definitely healthy.

September 25, 2006

Choices

Every single minute of every single day we make choices.

Yes, we choose when to get up in the morning, and what to eat, and what to wear. But the choices that are made from the inside out sometimes affect other people, such as drugs, alcohol, even lifestyles.

This article at The Do It Now Foundation mentions more choices in a non accusatory style.

"From the moment we wake up and decide what kind of mood we're in to the final choice we make whether or not to floss our teeth at night, we're all making decisions, all the time.

We decide whether to shoot hoops or watch TV after school (or watch hoops on TV), and whether to have vanilla, chocolate, or Strawberry-Pickle Parfait at the local 57 Flavors."


I think this article is written mostly for adolescents but it does touch on some of the choices I have been thinking about lately.

These days we are making choices in an uncertain world; we don't know if our country will be invading another country, we don't know when or even if our troops will be coming home from Iraq, we don't know when or if there will be one or several nuclear weapons discharged on this earth (or even in space).

So for me to be okay, for me to keep going, I choose to be happy with my life for as long as I have breath in me. I am not living in a little bubble; I am so aware of all the grief and injustice and lies surrounding us. But for me to be okay in my day to day life, I choose joy. I choose because I still can.

September 23, 2006

Children of Deafness

Jamesraven forwarded an article in The Concord Monitor to me as I share his interest in the deaf comminity.

The article is discussing the age old dispute: Should deaf children be taught American Sign Language (ASL) or should all measures be taken to give them some hearing and then taught to speak.
"Should deaf students be taught solely in American Sign Language, or should they use technology to hear and speak? And should they attend local public schools or establish their own?

"The real challenge in educating deaf students is there is a definite dichotomy of philosophies," said state Education Commissioner Lyonel Tracy. "It's probably the most dramatic distinction among a group of students."

{...}

"Everyone agreed, however, that deaf education is a complicated and sometimes-divisive issue that begins with early decisions made by parents of deaf children, 90 percent of whom can hear."

The technology referred to includes cochlear implants, a highly controversial procedure.

There is a short description of cochlear implants at The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders:

"A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing. The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin (see figure). An implant has the following parts:

* A microphone, which picks up sound from the environment.
* A speech processor, which selects and arranges sounds picked up by the microphone.
* A transmitter and receiver/stimulator, which receive signals from the speech processor and convert them into electric impulses.
* An electrode array, which is a group of electrodes that collects the impulses from the stimulator and sends them to different regions of the auditory nerve.

An implant does not restore normal hearing. Instead, it can give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the environment and help him or her to understand speech."

If you have any interest in the dilemma and challenges that deaf children face every day, read the complete article. Treating deafness has been an ongoing struggle for centuries, ranging from a prejudice and hypocrisy of helping the deaf to fit in with the "normal" people, to the schools and interpreters available to the deaf today. The deaf people themselves still do not have the final word; the hearing people make almost all the decisions regarding the deaf.

Does Homeless mean Futureless?

There are people living on the sidewalks, in alleys beside dumpsters of trash, behind some places of business, in abandoned structures, and in their cars.

I know this is not earth shattering news; people have been living this way for years.
Perhaps because of my recent move to a city environment, I am witnessing an increase of homeless people.

I found these statistics here, and being statistics that probably means inaccurate as well as outdated:

"From the National Coalition for the Homeless: Poverty, Urban Institute and specifically the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers, draw their estimates from a study of service providers across the country at two different times of the year in 1996.

They found that, on a given night in October, 444,000 people (in 346,000 households) experienced homelessness - which translates to 6.3% of the population of people living in poverty. On a given night in February, 842,000 (in 637,000 households) experienced homelessness - which translates to almost 10% of the population of people living in poverty.

Converting these estimates into an annual projection, the numbers that emerge are 2.3 million people (based on the October estimate) and 3.5 million people (based on the February estimate).This translates to approximately 1% of the U.S. population experiencing homelessness each year, 38% (October) to 39% (February) of them being children (Urban Institute 2000).

It is also important to note that this study was based on a national survey of service providers. Since not all people experiencing homelessness utilize service providers, the actual numbers of people experiencing homelessness are likely higher than those found in the study, Thus, we are estimating on the high end of the study's numbers: 3.5 million people, 39% of which are children(Urban Institute 2000)."


Recently a woman was parking her car in front of our house and she would be there for hours, getting out of her car once in awhile, retrieving items under the hatchback of her car, standing next to the car sometimes. I envisioned a saucy private investigator staking out someone for a client. Sometimes I would arrive home and park my car right behind her; she didn't budge and seemed to be looking down the street intently. After 3 weeks of this, the neighbor informed us that the woman used to live in the neighborhood and is now homeless, living in her car. My heart screamed when I heard that and two days later I walked up and down the street looking for her little car, I wanted to ask her if she would like a tall glass of iced tea on a warm day, or see if she would just like someone to talk with. I have driven around the neighborhood a few times looking for her without success. So I am just sending love and comfort out in the universe to the lady in the little red car. I don't know you; I cannot know the pain and loneliness that are your companions now; but believe me when I say you are loved. I am so sorry I did not know your situation sooner.

Good Post at the Rebel Faction


This post at The Rebel Faction was so good I will copy the whole post here with the permission of the author.

Friday, September 22, 2006
"A Boob-Tube For Every Boob
If people could pull away from the TV set long enough to read this, they might find it interesting. Hell, if people would just read more in general, the world might be a better place. Americans have reached a new milestone this week, according to Nielsen Media Research. It has nothing to do with being the smartest country in the world. In fact it may have something to do with being the dumbest. According to a new study, there are more TVs in American household than people, in general.

Looking at the numbers, this might be hard to believe. According to Nielsen, the average American household has 2.73 TV sets. I don't think this takes into account the uses of computers and cell phones to watch live TV. However, this number is still more than the average number of people in an American household, 2.55. The study went on to say that only 19% of Americans own a one TV. Over half the homes in America have three or more TVs. IN just the past 25 years, these two statistics have flip-flopped. In 1975, the households with a single TV was 57% as opposed to 11% with three or more.

Our American society is becoming more media-driven. It seems we are in constant need (or think we are) of a source of entertainment. We are bombarded with 24 hour news channels and shows that have more commercials than storyline. And as Americans, we just eat it up. We love our TVs. We love them almost as much as out SUVs. There are a couple of reason why.

First, TVs don't need gasoline to function. But what people don't realize is that the electricity in their homes is produced by burning fossil fuels (just like your car). Watching more TV and having more TVs adds to the global warming problem.
The second reason we like TV so much is because of the addictive nature of TV. Humans are naturally curious creatures and by leaving us hanging between commercials, we stay tuned in. Also, by having more than one set in the house, we don't have to worry about missing something when we go to the bathroom or get a beer out of the fridge.
The sad thing about all of this, is that more TVs leads to less learning. While I agree that the TV can be used as a teaching tool, it is most often not. As a society, we are more apt to watch some stupid reality TV show than a documentary on the War of 1812. Therefore, we don't learn anything except who got voted off the island. And that's not really useful knowledge. It's ok to have TVs, just don't use them all at the same time or as often as we like to. Use your TV to teach. I think Ed Murrow was right when he said, "This instrument can teach. It can illuminate and, yes, it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it towards those ends. "


I couldn't have said it better or nearly as well actually, so thanks for letting me put it here.

This is a serious issue in our house. We have chosen to not watch TV, we do not have cable or satellite. We do have a TV to watch movies, which is seldom to none these days. And we are gloriously happy. How could that be?

JamesRaven says:

I know how. Wink. We spend so much more time together, you know, looking in each others' eyes instead of the TeeVee, and facing each other, in... ahem... various ways.

September 21, 2006

Good Health As We Age Gracefully

For people over 50, there is some good health information like this at BBC Health :

"Young at heart:

"Examining what makes us age, how fitness and nutrition can help us to live longer, and a look at health issues, from Alzheimer's disease to enjoying sex more."

Yeah, I particularly like that last part.

And while you are checking out that site, look at this too:

Ageing horoscope

Play the ageing horoscope game

Get your health predictions in a flash. "Do you feel that you're in your prime or your peak has passed you by? Play the game to discover everything you need to know about your health."

That's pretty cool.

September 20, 2006

It's Okay to Color Outside the Lines

As children we learn the discipline of coloring within the lines. Our parents encourage us to do the best job we can do; their message of "Do a good job" sometimes sounds more like "You need to be perfect" to a young child.

There is so much pressure put on children to perform and achieve at the top levels, to look like a model, to be as good as so-and-so, to display exemplary behavior.

Check out the information in Kids Health:
"Everybody worries. Grown-ups do it and kids do it, too. But what do kids worry about? KidsHealth wanted to know, so we asked 1,004 kids ages 9 to 13. Here's a list of the top 8 worries:
1. grades 2. looks or appearance 3. problems at home 4. being liked and fitting in at school 5. being out of shape or overweight 6. the future 7. being a failure or disappointing loved ones 8. freinds and their problems

{...} and more:
"Looks and appearance are another major worry among the kids we surveyed. Overall, 43% of kids said they worry either every day or every week about looks. Girls were more likely than boys to worry about this (39% vs. 30%), but plenty of boys are concerned with their looks, too. In a related worry, nearly one-third of kids said they worry every day or week that they are out of shape or overweight. Another 28% worry every month or once in a while, and 40% said they never worry about this."
Some adolescents are sadly caving in to the pressure in their lives and turning to eating disorders.

In Keep Kids Healthy:
"Anorexia nervosa is a common eating disorder that usually begins at the age of fourteen or fifteen, with another peak in incidence in eighteen year olds. It is more common in adolescent girls (affecting almost 1% of adolescent females), but it is also found in boys and its incidence has been increasing. Anorexia causes an overwhelming fear of being overweight and a drive to be thin, leading to a restriction of calories that can lead to being underweight. Teens with anorexia may also have bulimia nervosa, with a loss of control and binge eating, followed by purging behaviors."
So this is why I say it's okay to color outside of the lines. Not just the kids. All of us.

September 19, 2006

Memory

How do we retain the capacity to remember all the zillion little things that in our day to day living we have to remember?

I know there are different little tools that some people use just to remember the big stuff like the techniques found here.
"You form acronyms by using each first letter from a group of words to form a new word. This is particularly useful when remembering words in a specified order. Acronyms are very common in ordinary language and in many fields. Some examples of common acronyms include NBA (National Basketball Associations), SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus), BTUs (British Thermal Units), and LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). What other common acronyms can you think of? The memory techniques in this section, for example, can be rearranged to form the acronym "SCRAM" (Sentences/acrostics, Chunking, Rhymes & songs, Acronyms, and Method of loci)."
The number/rhyme tools found here seem a little more complicated but a good aid in remembering lists.
"The Number/Rhyme technique is a very effective method of remembering lists. It works by 'pegging' the things to be remembered to images rhyming with the numbers 0 - 9. By driving the associations with numbers you have a good starting point in reconstructing the images, you are aware if information is missing, and you can pick up and continue the sequence from anywhere within the list."
Or here:
"What is memory? | Does memory naturally decline with age? If so, why? | How do thoughts and emotions affect memory? | What are some ways I can improve my memory? | Can I exercise my brain the way I exercise my body? | What role does diet play in memory enhancement? | What are some other tools and techniques I can use to help me remember?"
Personally, the good ol' string on a finger works for me! I don't have much to remember, and I try not to have to think too much. Hey, who took my string?!!

September 18, 2006

Salute to Jimi Hendrix

"Jimi Hendrix passed suddenly on September 18, 1970 while touring through London, England. When news of the tragedy made its way to James “Al” Hendrix, (Jimi's father) back in the United States, the wheels for a lasting memorial began to take shape. Al Hendrix requested that Jimi's body be brought back to his birthplace of Seattle, Washington so that a burial at a new family plot, located at Greenwood Memorial Park in Renton could be performed.

Despite having barely enough funds to bring Jimi's body back to America, Al Hendrix created a family burial site, consisting of five plots; one for Jimi, half-brother Leon, half-sister Janie, Al Hendrix and his wife Ayako 'June'. With Jimi being the first laid to rest in the new family plot, a modest headstone engraved 'Forever In Our Hearts
-"

Go to the Jimi Hendrix website for more and photos where the quote was found here.

My sweet boyfriend and I just recently watched the DVD "The Band Of Gypsys, Live at the Fillmore East". Since Jimi was instrumental (so to speak) in directing my boyfriend's guitar playing, we both salute Jimi today. And I personally thank Jimi for his guiding my boyfriend to want to play so well. My boyfriend is an awesome guitar player!

September 16, 2006

Bath or Shower?

Do most people prefer a bath or a shower?

Notice I said prefer.

I know that most people shower because it takes less time and uses less water. If you are in the shower alone that is.

But a nice hot bubble bath soothes the aches and can be upgraded to a spa experience with the addition of candles and music and blessed privacy. Again, if you are alone in the bath.

Nothing to do with hygiene and everything to do with relaxation. Mmmmmmm.

September 15, 2006

Finding a Job Is Hard Work!!

More and more people are out of work and trying to find a job. I personally know several great people who right now are a month away from having their electricity discontinued and a month after that they will be living in their cars. How could they have allowed things to get to such a dismal place in such a wonderful economy?

Well I can only speak from my dismal place, as I have been job searching online, sending customized cover letters and resumes and spending hours and hours every day trying to land a job. Searching for a job is pretty much a full time job!!!

I feel fortunate that I have all the equipment in my home office available and I am pretty handy on the computer, whereas some of the good folks I have talked with recently have to use public copiers and faxes, which means they even have to pay for those services, and they are the ones running out of money. Ain't life grand.

Since the business I relied on to work from home has declined steadily over the past year, I find myself in the situation of having to be open to working in a totally different field, which I am. I am absolutely positive I will find a wonderful job, because Wall Street said they are all over the place.

Graphic: pcweenies

September 14, 2006

People, Wait for Me








What are they all thinking
Do they really see me
Do they see each other
Can they feel it
What I feel and see

Everyone hurries
Everyone lets time pass
But I can't
I have to answer
the questions I ask myself
What did I feel today
Where did I go
Where am I going

People, wait up
Wait for me--
I want to show you
I want you to feel too

Copyright The TechnoBabe 2006

The "New and Improved" Blogger

It would be interesting to find out how many people on Blogger "upgraded" to the new Blogger Beta, and how they like it thus far.

Since I am a new blogger, just a free talker and free thinker and not a writer, starting this blog is just for fun. No rules, no restrictions, no expectations. Yay. Kinda sounds like freedom to me.
So since I have no expectations, it doesn't affect me if no one reads this blog and if there are no comments.

But I know other people who were looking forward to the New and Improved Blogger Beta and are stuck in limbo for now. It seems that once they made the change, they cannot retreat to the older version, and even worse, bloggers still using the older version cannot leave comments on the New and Improved version. So in this case, being one of the first to jump into the newness is more like taking a belly flop. Ouch.

For over a year I have been surfing the blogs la te dah, surfing along, not leaving comments, just observing and learning. My interests have always been music, music, and more music, and education and photography. But this past year has been one of tremendous change for me as I have been awakened to the discrepancies and cruelty of this administration. I cannot deny the facts, I am no longer disillusioned, you won't hear the baah out of my mouth anymore.

So starting this new blog with Blogger Beta works for me. Unfortunately, it isn't bringing the same joy to everyone else.

September 12, 2006

Voter Registration

The Registrar of Voters canceled my registration to vote!

The mailing address I use is a postal center. It seems a little smelly to me that when I was a registered Republican it did not matter what the address was; I received all the ballot booklets and information in the mail. Being a safety conscious gal, I am careful not to give out my residence address and pretty picky about who gets my cell phone number. So for many years I have used a postal address with the registrar of voters. But within one week of downloading the form on the Registrar of Voters website and mailing in my change of party to Democrat they cancel my registration and tell me I have to start over in the registration process. The cancellation did prompt me to visit the website of the Registrar of Voters, and review the instructions online, and sure enough, it does say to use the residence address:

"Box 2 — Home Address
Put in this box your home address (legal address).
Do not put your mailing address here if
it is different from your home address. Do not
use a post office box or rural route without a box
number.
"

Just seems odd that I was not notified of this little item until I decided to officially change from Republican to Democrat. So I completed the form immediately and am following up on my voting status.

I wonder how many other former Republicans are suddenly being informed they must comply with a rule that in the past was not enforced.

September 11, 2006

September 09, 2006

Remembering, Questioning, Learning from 9/11/2001

Facts and Figures.

That's right folks, step right up and go here and here for some of the facts and figures resulting from the tragedy of 9/11/2001. Here are some more, and here.

The actual cause of what happened in this country on that date is being questioned and investigated still, and the very fact that everyone across the nation cannot agree on the cause is enough to bring division and mistrust and in some cases even hate.

We can all agree though that it was an absolute tragedy. None of us would have ever imagined that anything as traumatic and heartbreaking could have ever happened in this country.

But this isn't just about facts and figures. Five years later some of us are still in shock. And still caring about the wives, husbands, children, and extended families, and friends of the people who lost their lives that horrible day. What has become of all those people? How have they healed, if they have healed, and how have they moved on with their lives? Do they know that so many of us think about them often, not just on an anniversary of that day, but throughout the year, year after year, sending silent love and support to all those people we don't even know.

This country is the United States of America, emphasis on united. Where is the unity now? What has happened to this country? Will we ever have the respect of the rest of the world again? Will we ever respect each other's right to be an individual and not sheep being fed from the trough of slop similar to brainwashing? Will we? Ever?

September 08, 2006

Straight A's in School at What Cost

The Psychotic Patriot forwarded this post from MSNBC to me as it relates to the education issue that is of utmost interest to me.

"Parents want their kids to excel in school, and they've heard about the illegal use of stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall for "academic doping." Hoping to obtain the drugs legally, they pressure pediatricians for them. Some even request the drugs after openly admitting they don't believe their child has ADHD."

[...]

"Academic doping — using these stimulant prescriptions in an effort to enhance focus, concentration and mental stamina — first started on college campuses, especially Ivy League and exclusive, competitive schools. Now, the problem is filtering down to secondary schools, Yates says, and more parents are playing a role in obtaining prescription ADHD medication for their teenagers."

[...]

"One of the biggest problems in adolescent mental health is motivation,” says Rater. “And this medication doesn’t effect motivation. If a kid is not all that motivated, it’s really not going to help."

There ya go. Motivation. Back to how a good teacher is an inspiration.

I have to wonder if taking it to this level, described as academic doping in the article, is not for the children but rather to make the parents look good. As parents apply ever more pressure for their children to excel, it makes one pause and ask at what cost should the results justify the means. We have to believe, actually we want to believe, that parents are meaning well, that their main focus is on the education available for their children and they want their children to benefit from a good education that will help secure their best future.

September 07, 2006

Good Teachers

This is a post of interest from Truthdig with great comments (like the following one) discussing and debating the future of education.
"The fact that you did not find them compelling would indicate that you still subscribe to the philosophy that the education is all in the information; and, quite frankly, that depresses me."
I would like to add just one thing to this comment by Stephen Smoliar regarding the four items Paul Cummins suggests as a starter, and that is the need for attracting high quality teachers and high standards that each teacher is regularly measured against so the teachers are constantly challenged and excited to teach. I hope the future for my grandchildren will include human contact with a knowledgeable, encouraging teacher who challenges them to want to learn and want to read and want to participate in this oh-so-diverse life. If the students of the future are only exposed to technology and taught via computers with little human contact, how would the students develop social skills and learn to deal with their own feelings and disappointments and triumphs? Education is such an important issue with the impact to change or destroy the future.
That is HUGE. MONUMENTAL, but seems to be of little interest to so many people who are interested in the present only, in the mundane, titillating things they choose to spice up their lives.

September 05, 2006

We Cleaned Out Our Cupboards


Ten days ago I was experiencing headaches, slightly blurred vision, and low energy level. Nine days ago we discarded all products containing refined sugar and refined flour. Gone. Outta here. I have to admit that after a couple days I was definitely wanting my Coca Cola. Even got a tiny bit testy and cranky. The transition from all the sugar to all natural sweets is not only bearable, it is another adventure because we decided together to make the change and we are doing things together to make the journey interesting. Like making whole grain bread in the bread machine. Wow, have you smelled fresh bread? Amazing. When my sweet boyfriend brought up two questions: Why do humans need a sweetener, and what is in Splenda, we investigated the ingredients in Splenda. Do you know what is in your artificial sweetener, and do you know how it is processed? You should Google dextrose and Maltodextrin and then go find out about Phenylalanine. We did. So after only nine days my headaches are history; my energy level has improved; my vision is clear. This is surely a good thing.


September 04, 2006

It Should Be So Easy To Get That Education

When I found this article about education, my innards started churning. Of course it would be nice if the student financial aid had not been cut. That would sure help get that education, wouldn't it.
"If you keep getting a good education, it increases your standard of living but also helps this country remain strong economically," Bush told members of the Seafarers International Union at the Paul Haul Center for Maritime Training and Education, which is run by shipping companies in Piney Point, Md.
Well it seems that is not necessarily true anymore. That college education isn't guaranteeing a good job like it did twenty years ago. But the part that really caught in my throat was the part about IF we want to remain a productive part of society, Yee Gods, that was not a quote so it seems to be the writer's short version of something said in the delivered speech. But for some reason, the way the story was delivered sparked its own controversy. Let's hope there will be enough jobs in all our futures to sustain us and position us to live those productive lives!

Trackback: Atrios

An Anniversary Prompts a New Beginning

Yesterday was a significant anniversary in our house. It was the one year anniversary for my boyfriend and me. In tribute to that special landmark, I am starting my very own blog. I am not a writer, more of a reader, but this is going to be a fun and challenging adventure. My posts will be short and sweet and to the point, and on varying topics of interest to me. There are not rules or regulations and no promises to write every day or even to make any sense. Freedom. Yeah, that's the ticket. I so enjoy surfing the blogs and reading hundreds of blogs each day; perhaps once in awhile something I will post will be of interest to someone out there.