If you aren’t watching Idol this year you’re missing out on some great kids with some great talent. Danny is my favorite. Not just because he’s from Wisconsin but because he’s that good. I just love his voice and everything about him. He’s just got that charm about him to go along with his talent. It’s hard to describe his voice other then being smooth and suave. Adam is good too. He’s different and his sound is different from anyone’s I’ve ever heard before. Allison just turned 17 but she sings like she’s been doing it for 30 years and boy can she belt it out. She reminds me of Brenda Lee at that age. A little girl with a big voice. You’d never dream just from looking at her that that sound would come out of her. Kris is a gentle kind of kid with a good voice as well and cute to boot. It’s really hard to guess who’s going to win this year, unlike past years where it was pretty clear by the time they got down to the final four but not this year. It doesn’t really matter who wins this year I don’t think, except to the kids of course, because each and every one of the final four or five will make it big. And I mean big! If you’re not watching it I would check it out next week. I’d love to know what you think about these kids this year. I know I’ll go out and buy their albums.

Our house was the gathering place for all the neighborhood kids. Partly because mom and dad loved them and got along with them all and partly because they were strict with us and we wasn’t allowed out of the yard after dark. We use to take our HiFi stereo out side and set it on the porch, play our 45’s and dance in the street. Our neighbor across the street didn’t like it so much and would tell us to turn it down. I’m ashamed to say I got mouthy with her once and told her to turn down her TV and boy did I catch you know what from mom and dad. I never did that again. I use to get so mad because we always had to be home at dusk unless we were spending the night with someone and then we had better not leave their yard either. If we were at a friends house and wanted to go to another friends we had to call and let them know or else. I use to think that was so lame but when I had kids I did the very same thing to them. They had better be where they said they were going to be or they’d be grounded for a week. I do remember a scary thing though as a kid. My cousin was going to spend the night (again, she practically lived at our house) and it was just getting dark. I told mom we were going to go get her stuff and be right back. On the way to her house a car coming down the road stopped by us. I thought he was looking for someone and needed directions so we stopped to see what he wanted. He asked us if we were going to the bus stop or to the store. When we told him no we wasn’t going to those places  he asked us if we wanted a ride to where ever it was we were going. I remember being scared right away and I grabbed my cousin and told her to run. I called dad from her house and he came up and walked us back home. Do you know to this very day I can still remember what he looked like. Anyway… we use to have so much fun when we were kids. Mom and dad would put on dances in the upstairs at the little bar we go to now and chaperone. They and some other parents would buy pop and chips and we could invite some of our school friends to the dance and just have fun. They were always the parents who would drop us off at the movies and pick us up or take us to swimming or to town shopping or what ever it was we wanted to do. I think they use to get frustrated that it was always them having to do it but in the end that way they knew we were safe and ok. I remember one time they took me and Terry and her girlfriends to the 4H fair. I must have been about 12 or 13 and Terry was probably 15 or 16. I was feeling pretty cool being able to hang out with the “older” crowd and thought I was all that. That is until we met up with some boys they knew and one of whom was a boyfriend of one of the girls. One of those rotten boys looked down at me and asked, “Who’s the little kid with the smeared lipstick” Man did my bubble burst then and I came crashing down and hit hard lol. I can’t remember who the jerk was but I wanted to crawl in a hole after he said that. Nothing like deflating a girls ego eh! I don’t know why all this popped into my head today but there it is. As the song goes…Those were the days my friend. I thought they’d never end.

Wishing you all good days and good memories.

Hugs!!!

I guess it’s about time I put my favorite mug in here. I’ve so enjoyed seeing everyone’s. I got this from William when he was a year old for my birthday. He’s 17 now so I’ve had it for 16 years. I use it every single solitary day and I just love it!

I’m happy to report that Bill did not get a turkey while hunting with his buddy. In fact he didn’t have too good of a time this year. For one thing the weather wasn’t the best and another it seemed as though his buddy wasn’t all that into going hunting. When he first got up there Tom just wanted to ride the roads which is something he always does when he goes up there and the next day he just wanted to sit and watch TV most of the day. To make matter worse he’s one of those guys to flips the channels all the time. Bill said he’d start getting interested in the show and Tom would flip it, then he get into that show and he’d do it again. Finally around 2 in the afternoon they went out hunting. He heard a lot of turkey’s but nothing came close enough to shoot it. They were only out about 2 hours and Tom was ready to quit. Needless to say Bill was pretty disappointed this time. Tom’s wife told Bill that all he wants to do anymore is sit home and watch television. I’m wondering if he feels ok. Bill said he has put on a lot of weight and if that’s all he does it’s no surprise.

William went home Sunday night and I miss him already. It was just him and I over the weekend with Bill being gone. Saturday night we went out for dinner and took a ride. Nothing much but it was nice to just hang out with him. He’s so funny. He was watching Who’s line is it anyway on Youtube. Remember that show? He sat here laughing like crazy and of course that makes me laugh at him. His dad told me he bought me some chocolates from N.Y. but he forgot to bring them with him when he came to pick William up. How much do you want to bet that when I do get them they will be  half gone lol. William loves chocolate as much as I do.

I pray that the swine flu doesn’t get as bad as they think it might. It scares me. I have that hand sanitizing gel in my purse and you can bet I’ll be using that every time I go somewhere. So friends be diligent and do what you can to keep yourself healthy.

Take care and have a great day.

I’m a little behind everyone showing my mode of transportation but here it is. It’s a 92 skylark and I love this little car. We got her in 98 and has about 110,000 miles on it.It still runs great and looks pretty good for as old as it is. I haven’t had to put much money in either over the years. It gets me where I want to go and back so I’ll keep it until either it breaks down or I do.

I have an appointment in about an hour to get a haircut. I’m way overdue for one so I’m sure Kay will be pretty surprised when she sees the condition it’s in. I’m looking pretty shaggy these days so it’s time to diva up again. Bill left this morning so I have to pick William up after school. I hope it’s not raining then like it’s trying to right now. I hate driving in the rain. I thought they said today was suppose to be nice and sunny. I should know better then to listen to the weatherman by now shouldn’t I. They said it’s suppose to get to 71 but I’m having serious doubts about that. It’s only 48 now and the day is half over. I think mother nature is having pms or something lol.

Well I better go and get my face on so I can look pretty again after my hair cut. Here’s hoping you all have a wonderful day!

Hugs
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How nice it was to wake up and see the sun shining this morning. I tell ya spring is sure having a hard time making it to Wisconsin. We get one or two nice days then it turns rainy and cold and damp and just plain yucky. Some places north of us even had snow over the weekend. This has been the longest winter in history I think.

Bill’s leaving tomorrow for turkey hunting up north with his buddy. That means it will be just me and William here for a few days. He will be back Saturday some time. It looks like the weather will be good for them, at least I hope so. Between you and me I think it’s my turn to go somewhere. I’ve been stuck at home for what seems like years now. I think the last trip I took was when I went to Seattle and I’m climbing the walls. And if the water doesn’t stop leaking into our basement we probably won’t be taking any trips this year again either. The ground water is still so high from last years flood and of course when the snow melted made it worse yet. Bill plugs one leak and the water finds another way in. It’s so frustrating. I might just go buy me a plane ticket and fly of to paradise again hehe.

Isn’t it funny how things pop into your head just out of the blue. I was thinking of our youngest son last night about how happy I am for him that he found such a nice girl. He’s had some doozies (to put it bluntly) in the past and I worried that he would end up with a couple of them. He’s so easy going and always wants to please everyone and because of that a lot of them took full advantage of him. The girlfriend he had that popped into my mind last night had me worried for a while. He was just out of high school and she was a senior when they started dating. Even though she was kind of flakey I like her at first but then she started using him. One time she talked him into not making his car payment so he could buy her a dress she wanted. Needless to say I went through the roof. She wasn’t getting along with her parents at the time either and that bothered me too. He would pick her up every morning and take her to school after he got out of work. Well...one morning he came home from taking her to school and I noticed his car was packed full of her stuff. I asked him why and he said she is moving in. She was 18 at the time so her parents couldn’t really do much about it. But I could. I told him she’s not living here. So after he goes to bed I went and woke him up and asked for his car keys. I got in his car, went to her house and took all of her stuff back to her parents. I told her mom that she can pick her up from school and that she’s not moving in with us. They all were pretty shocked I did that but I had too. He was sad of course for awhile and they did break up soon after but it turned out to be the best thing for him in the end. I’m sorry I made him sad but I’m not sorry for doing what I did. She would have drained him dry and made his life a mess. The girl he has now is just a sweetheart and I’m so happy for him that I could just cry. I don’t know why that came back to me other then that I’m just so happy for him now and I don’t have to worry about him anymore. That’s what all us parents want for our kids isn’t it, to be happy.

Time for me to get dressed and start my day. I will be at your place soon to wish you a good day.

Our son’s called yesterday and invited us up for a just because day. Our son and Terry’s son live by each other in a duplex. Their wives are twin sister’s so it works out very well for them. They bought their kids a trampoline the other day and they always looked like fun to me so I had to try it. I’m usually pretty apt to try most anything once depending on what it is and I’ve always thought these looked like lots of fun, and it is.

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Let me tell you it isn’t as easy as it looks. No, I didn’t try any fancy moves, just jumping was an achievement in itself. It was fun though and I’m glad I gave it the good old college try. It was a nice day for most of the day but later it started raining again. We ordered pizza and just sat around a visited. We love these little out of the blue get togethers. That’s the best part about summer, it makes it easier to have spur of the moment gatherings.

Ok, I’m on my way to your house. Hope you’re home!

I took this information off of Oprah’s site today. I hope all of you will copy the letter below and send it to your representatives, I am. Our states have to fund this act or it will expire. If they can bail out companies they can bail out our children and help keep them safe.

Help Get Funding for the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was passed on July 25, 2006—20 years after Adam Walsh's abduction. The act established a National Sex Offender Registry law, but recent news reports reveal most states will not be in compliance with the law by the upcoming July 2009 deadline. If senators and state representatives don't comply with and fully fund the act, it will expire.

To contact your senator: Go to Senate.gov to find contact information for the senators in your state. Search for your senator by name or state by clicking the arrow from either drop-down menu. Contact information will be provided. To send an e-mail, click on Web Form below his or her name. E-mail your letter to make a difference.
To contact your state representative: Go to House.gov and click on Write Your Representative in the upper left-hand corner. Select your state from the drop-down menu, and enter your ZIP code, including the four-digit ZIP code extension. Contact information will be provided. To send an e-mail, click on Send a Message. On the state representative's page, click on E-mail the Congressman/Congresswoman, and e-mail your letter to make a difference.

Write to Your Senators and State Representative
If you choose to write a letter, fax, telegram or e-mail, you may use the following sample letter. Feel free to modify it how you see fit.

Dear [Senator/Congressman/or Congresswoman]:
I am sure you share my belief that we must do everything in our power to help protect our children from sexual predators in our communities. That is why I am asking for your help today.
I am extremely concerned about how we track registered sex offenders in our country. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an estimated 100,000 sex offenders are unaccounted for and not living where they are registered. Because law enforcement agencies are too underfunded and overwhelmed to track them, these dangerous predators are free to roam undetected from state to state, targeting and re-offending more innocent children.
The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, which was signed into law in 2006, created a National Sex Offender Registry, but recent news reports reveal most states will not be in compliance with the law by the upcoming July deadline. Supporters of the law acknowledge there are adjustments that should be made to the law, but they are adamant, as am I, that the basic purpose and spirit of Adam's act must be upheld. The act calls for a National Sex Offender Registry,
which is critical to the safety of our children.
I implore you to reexamine this law with fellow lawmakers, reauthorize it and see that it is fully funded. I realize our country's current economic crisis will not make this charge an easy one, but what could be more urgent and of greater importance than the safety and well-being of our children?
Sincerely,
(your name here)

♥I just got home from getting the big squeeze (mammogram). Man I thought the girls were going to pop lol. At least it’s over and done for awhile again. I should be set for the rest of the year with medical appointments and I’m happy about that. It’s one of those nasty necessities.

It’s a bright sunny day and the temp is heading for the mid 60’s. It’s about time if you ask me. The nights are still going to be chilly though. I don’t know if spring is having a harder time arriving this year or if it’s just that I’m impatient. The year we had weather wise was the pits with two rotten winters in a row and of course the flooding we had so I think I’m just being impatient.

Toodie mentioned in her blog how she met her hubby so I thought I would share our story. We met at a wedding reception that was being held at the little bar where I go for thirsty Thursday’s. He asked me to dance a couple times then asked me for a date for the next weekend. He had just gotten out of the navy a few months earlier and I was still in high school. He’s 7 years older then me. We dated for a few months but because I was so much younger then him I couldn’t go to the places he went. He had a friend who owned another bar where he liked to go and I couldn’t go with him so after awhile he quit calling. He started dating women closer to his age then. When my best friend got married we got back together again at her wedding reception and started seeing each other again. But I still wasn’t old enough to go to the places he went so once again he quit calling after a couple months. One of the women he dated between the times I went out with him told a friend of ours to tell me that he was hers and I was to leave him alone. I just told our friend to tell her that we’ll see about that lol. Thank God for wedding receptions because it was at another one that we were both at where we got back together yet again. This time after we’d been dating a few months I guess he thought if he married me I then could go with him to places other then movies or the speedway lol. Besides, his dad told him to either marry me or stay away from me and leave me alone lol. We were dating during my senior year in high school and because he was so much older I didn’t think he’d want to go to the prom so because of him I missed my prom. That was ok with me though and don’t feel as if I missed anything even today. June 25th will be our 43rd anniversary. And they said it wouldn’t last lol.

Happy Easter and may God Bless all of you and your families.

Hugs

I’m finally done painting. For now at least, I still want to do the living room and laundry room but those will wait for fall. Right now I don’t care if I ever hold another paint brush as long as I live. The kitchen was the hardest, it seemed the longer I painted the bigger it got. It just kept growing and growing lol. I’m happy with it though and it sure needed it. Boy, the dirt you find when you start digging into things. I didn’t realize I was such a pig lol. I would love to refinish my cupboards and I still might do that before summer is over, just not right now. So anyway, here’s the dining room. You might be shocked at the color but I always wanted a red wall so now I have it.

Hadn’t put anything back on the walls when I took these.

I was going to paint the kitchen a burnt yellow kind of thing but changed my mind because of the curtains. Now I’m glad I did.

I love trees as you can probably guess from the pictures. I think they are so interesting and I love looking at them. There are no two alike ever and I find them appealing. Bill loves eagles so our favorite things go together nicely don’t ya think? I need to move that shelf over a bit and will do that later today maybe. It sure is great to have nice clean walls again. Kitchens get so nasty, especially around the stove. I know the Angel plaque doesn’t quite go with everything there on the wall but my daughter bought that and I love it so there it is.

I met my sister’s for thirsty Thursday last night and it felt good to get out and relax. I was up and down that ladder so many times and boy my leg muscles wasn’t liking it one little bit lol. So just to go sit and gab was just what this old girl needed lol. I got a nice surprise when I got home. William was here and is spending the weekend with us. I guess he called while I was gone to ask if he could come down. Like we would say no lol. Silly boy.

I’m going to color eggs today to hide them on Sunday when the rest of my loves get here. I still have to make their baskets but that won’t take long. I have all the stuff to put in them as I bought those weeks ago. I love it when all the kids are here.

Well, I’m sure I have missed a lot of what you all have been up to so I’m sure I have a lot of catching up to do. I will try to get around before William wakes up and takes over the computer.

Have a great day!

Hugs 

You can guess from the graphic what I’ve been doing. I started painting the dining room Thursday, finished it Friday then spent Saturday shopping for curtains. I had a devil of a time finding some I tell ya. I almost took you up on your offer Cindy but I finally found some in the Janesville Shopko. Thanks for the offer though. Bill and I went to the Penney outlet store on Wednesday and I did find some there that I liked but after I finished painting I didn’t like them at all against the paint so I took those back yesterday before I went to Janesville. I am happy with the new look. Now all I have to do is get things hung back up on the walls and it will feel like a new place. Next is the kitchen and I’m going to start that right after I post this. I’m anxious to get it done and would like to have it done by Easter. Wish me luck. Oh, I did keep one of the curtains that I bought at Penney’s as I think (I hope) it will go great in the kitchen when I’m done. I dread doing the living room but it has to be done too. So that’s on the to do list too. The hardest part is moving everything out of the way and taking things down but I’m sure you all know that. Thank God for strong sons huh. They were sure a big help when it came time to moving the computer desk out so I could paint behind it. So, that’s why I haven’t posted or been around to visit. I have thought of all of you though and will be back soon. I hope all of you are well and I will see ya soon. Take care!

Hugs