To all the mom's I know!

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up puke laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here".

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors. And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at baseball, football, hockey or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.

For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting.

For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.



What makes a good Mother anyway?

Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?

Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?

The jolt that it takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home?

Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation...And mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all. For all of us.

Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can.

Tell them every day that we love them.

And pray.

Please pass along to all the Moms in your life. "Home is what catches you when you fall and we all fall. "Please pass this to a wonderful mother you know. If you send this to just one person, it should make it all the way around the world by Mother's Day

Opps It happened again!

I have been tagged again and I didn't even realize it! *L* So here goes....

What you do is go to Wikipedia and type in your birthdate without the year. Here are just a few highlights *L*

Events
1959 - Bonanza premiers. First regularly-scheduled TV program presented in color.
The Soviet Union launches a large rocket, Lunik II, at the moon.
1980 - Military coup in Turkey.

Births
1944 - Barry White, American singer (d. 2003)
1956 - Ricky Rudd, American race car driver

Deaths
2003 - Johnny Cash, American singer and guitarist (b. 1990)
1993 - Raymond Burr, Canadian actor (b. 1917)
1982 - Grace Kelly, American actress and Princess of Monaco (b. 1929)

And Holidays
Maryland (United States) - Defenders Day
United States - Freddy Krueger Day (OK so this one I could do without!!! ewwww)

I've been tagged

By Nancy *L* I am supposed to list 5 to 10 ways I come up with things to put on my blog.

Well of course scrapbooking, that is number uno!
1. I post about the TTS monthly events and contests and if course my own pages. I had a sad weekend and only got 1 page done...maybe next weekend will be better! *L* This is the one page I did and I didn't get it done until Sunday.
Isn't Gavin growing so much? And he is such a happy guy! Isn't he a doll!! My blog is also a way for me to keep track of some things and come back to it and possibly use the info as journaling on a page.

2.My daily life, things that are going on with me and Jim and the family. I don't post daily, but I do post for the bigger things. My blog acts sorta like a diary for me in that respect.

3.My opinions on world events. Hey, its my blog and if ya don't like my opinion don't read it. Or do read and and give me your opinion in the comment section! It is my place to blow off some steam and for me to climb on my soap box *L*

4.My venting system. I also use my blog to write and vent when something is bothering me. Usually some family thing. It's a place for me to get things off my chest and not really talk to anyone, but makes me feel better and gets rid of some of my frustration.

5.Finally it is a place for me to contemplate life in general *L* Sometimes that is good, sometimes....well...even in my 40's I wonder about things, you know, life and the world and people and why people do the things they do and all that stuff.

Ok back to scrapbooking! *L* Of course... TTS is playing a May game(we just started today) and we are going back to High School!! *L* If ya want you should come check out the fun and all of our HS pics as our avs!! Just don't laugh too hard at my pic! *L*
Doris Castle is also hosting a challenge at TTS!! So if you are a digi scrapper or want to try digi then come on over and download the freebie and enter the contest for a chance at a $20 GC from Doris!! Here is a page I did using her Dreams kit and some of her 'Groupies' I LOVE these Groupies!! Doris has taken the guess work out of making collagey type borders and element clusters by making these Groupies! I love them so much and if you know me you know I love doing collagey type pages, that I used 2 Groupies on this page! *L*

That is my beautiful daughter Jamie! :)

Ok off I go to tag someone....*L* hmmm let's see...how about Charlee, Tara, Tammy,
Tanya, Abby and Kim!!

OMG!!!

The winners were announced at TTS for the April game, tonight in chat (I missed it because I had had a REALLY long day helping a customer with her moving sale, then PT and didn't get lunch til 3 and I just felt like crap then so I went to bed for a nap) and when I finally got on tonight Tammy, my paper partner (I was the digi member of the team) IM'd me on Yahoo with the news! WE WON!!!!!! OMG to say I was shocked, speechless, stunned...is an understatement! *L* I am still not believing it! WOW!!! *L* Have you heard that a LOT tonight Tammy?? But..WOW! OK, take a deep breath! *L* Thanks for being an awesome partner Tammy!! You ROCK!! You can see Tammy's amazing work here The Surfer Girls did ride in on a wave huh! *L*

And thanks to Diana for being my dig partner! I was the paper one on that team...The DJ's *L*

What BOS Looks like

Pun intended *L* I couldn't resist! I entered some scrapbook pages in our local fair. San Bernardino County Fair and I got the call that I had won Best Of Show!!! Hence the title of my post *L* because the LO that won was called 'What Love Looks Like' Here it is

My dad loves this page because it shows his parents (my grandparents) and thier family from the beginning of their marriage until after we lost grandpa. When my dad saw it he even cried, he was so touched by it! I guess that's when you know that a page has really spoken to someone's heart, huh?

I am wayyyyyyyyyyyy behind in posting on my blog! Blame T and Wendi at TTS! *LOL* J/K guys....kinda! hahaha We had a BUSY busy month there with the game in April!! But get this I got 40 pages done in April!! Wooohoooo!!! I won't post all of them here, but I will post a link to my gallery so you can check it out if you would like.
My gallery While you are there you might want to check out our NSD plans for the weekend! We have some cool prizes, Kits from TTS, etc...and for you digi gals there is a Doris Castle challenge. She will be awarding a $25 GC to her store!!! (and you Victor Valley Scrapper ladies might want to check page 2 of my gallery..wink wink) Just in case you missed it last month!! *L*

OK, it is late, I am BEAT! It has been a long long work week...and I am heading to bed!

I've been tagged!!

I was tagged, not once but twice! Coolio! My first time being tagged *L*

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

1. I have a terrible fear of going blind. It has to go back to my grandfather, because a lot of his siblings and him went blind as they aged, and my eyes are real bad. It is so bad I have had dreams about it

2. I worked for a pimp *LMAO* Now before you spew your coke all over your screen...I didn't know he was a pimp until I read it in the Sunday paper! Him and his ex wife were being indicted for running a brothel in another town, and there was a conflict of interest because one of the grand jury members was a client!!!!!! *ROTFL* I was so shocked when I read the story all I could sat for about 10 minutes was OMG OMG OMG!!!!! I quit working for him cause it just felt creepy cleaning his house once I knew what he did. *L*

3. I take a nap almost every day...yes Trish I know..it is my nap time NOW!!!

4. A online scrapper friend Charlee, helped me do some geneolgy research and found out I am descended from royalty. I am still wondering what happened along the way *L* And my g-g grandfather's family is Bohemian...maybe that explains some of the weird things about me.

5. I love working in my yard, although my allergies kill me. And I can't stand wearing gloves when I am working, I actually like getting dirty! (besides I have always been like Pigpen on Charlie Brown, even when I try to stay clean..somehow the dirt finds me)

6. I have a lot of weird food quirks. *L* I eat around things before I eat the center, I sort my M&M's by color, saving the blue ones for last, I can not stand to have my food mixed (except for casseroles) and I generally eat one thing at a time on my plate before moving on to the next thing.

7. I have fibromyalgia and would love to know what it is like to have a whole day with no pain whatsoever.

I am going to tag.... Abby, Charlee, Tara, Diana, Tammy, Tracy and Dawn!

Now I am going to do something fun that Diana has posted on her blog. I think we shoudl all give this a shot *LOL* Fun stuff....some weird..but fun. Google game so I had to do it too. Go try it; go to Google and type in "your name" Needs - and see what comes up. Mine is:
Julie needs Early Start....I dunno I am thinking I am too old for that kinda help now!
Julie needs your Help!!!..Hey who has been watching me!
Julie needs to work on her parenting..HEY, I was and am a good parent!
Julie needs a new pair of Shoes..Ok I will go along with that..how about some Birks and some Crocs
Julie needs to get out in the fresh Eire more...(or fresh air as the case may be)..I can't agree more! Now if the darn wind would stop blowing.....
Julie needs to have the spotlight shined on her...*L* ok...ummm would be nice to be pubbed again.
Julie needs complete access in the hallway..I think I have that in my home thank you
Julie needs you....I feel like i need a poster of this!! *L*


Oh and yesterday I promised to post some of my new pages I got done this week..so without further ado..here they are...Yeah there are a bunch...I have been having fun playing the game at TTS and been busy busy!!

Kudos to some

boohoo's to others. What a news filled week huh? Well first I want to give BIG KUDO's to this kid..ok he is 18, but he is still a kid to me, but has more guts than a lot of adults!!! Man I love this kid and his guts!!! Check out the surveillance video that is included in the story!


In other news...yes this is the weekend news update report, brought to you by 'me' *L* I am sure by now everyone has heard of the Imus scandal. My 2 cents is that what the guy said was disgusting, tacky and wrong (but I guess that's what he is known for....kinda like Howard Stern who I hate also) but he didn't deserve to be fired over it. Where Sharpton and Jackson get off contacting sponsors of the program and DEMANDING that they pull thier sponsorship, is beyond me. So these 2 men have so much power they can call someone's sponsors and demand they pull their sponsorship....we should be afraid...be very afraid of that! Especially when they won't even come out and speak up against the rap crap that is out there degrading women left and right and supporting violence! But that is 'ok, because that is ART' Oh bullshit it is! That is way more disgusting than what Imus said. For those who disagree with me...have you sat down and listened to BET or MYV lately? If not, then you should and you would know what I am talking about. No I don't listen to those stations, but I have run across them while flipping channels and they are filty, nasty, disgusting!!!! And if the Sharpton/Jackson team what justification for 'their people' being wronged, then why don't they put the shoe on the other foot and demand that the DA in the Duke LaCross team scandel be fired etc etc etc. That man and the woman who falsely cried rape had the potential to destroy those boys lives forever! But that is being swept under the rug by the S/J team. Two wrongs don't make a right, but the S/J team have cried foul way too many times and gotten away with it! Come on people, lets me fair here! What is good for the goose is good for the gander! So S/J get boooooohoooooo's from me this week and the man (who is black BTW) who wrote this article gets huge KUDO's from me also!
And in case you hadn't heard the girl's basketball team accepted Imus' apology!! Now those girls I am proud of! They are really showing us who the bigger man is here..or woman as the case may be :)




Here is the article in it's entirity

Imus isn’t the real bad guy
Instead of wasting time on irrelevant shock jock, black leaders need to be fighting a growing gangster culture.
By JASON WHITLOCK - Columnist

Thank you, Don Imus. You’ve given us (black people) an excuse to avoid our real problem.

You’ve given Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson another opportunity to pretend that the old fight, which is now the safe and lucrative fight, is still the most important fight in our push for true economic and social equality.

You’ve given Vivian Stringer and Rutgers the chance to hold a nationally televised recruiting celebration expertly disguised as a news conference to respond to your poor attempt at humor.

Thank you, Don Imus. You extended Black History Month to April, and we can once again wallow in victimhood, protest like it’s 1965 and delude ourselves into believing that fixing your hatred is more necessary than eradicating our self-hatred.

The bigots win again.

While we’re fixated on a bad joke cracked by an irrelevant, bad shock jock, I’m sure at least one of the marvelous young women on the Rutgers basketball team is somewhere snapping her fingers to the beat of 50 Cent’s or Snoop Dogg’s or Young Jeezy’s latest ode glorifying nappy-headed pimps and hos.

I ain’t saying Jesse, Al and Vivian are gold-diggas, but they don’t have the heart to mount a legitimate campaign against the real black-folk killas.

It is us. At this time, we are our own worst enemies. We have allowed our youths to buy into a culture (hip hop) that has been perverted, corrupted and overtaken by prison culture. The music, attitude and behavior expressed in this culture is anti-black, anti-education, demeaning, self-destructive, pro-drug dealing and violent.

Rather than confront this heinous enemy from within, we sit back and wait for someone like Imus to have a slip of the tongue and make the mistake of repeating the things we say about ourselves.

It’s embarrassing. Dave Chappelle was offered $50 million to make racially insensitive jokes about black and white people on TV. He was hailed as a genius. Black comedians routinely crack jokes about white and black people, and we all laugh out loud.

I’m no Don Imus apologist. He and his tiny companion Mike Lupica blasted me after I fell out with ESPN. Imus is a hack.

But, in my view, he didn’t do anything outside the norm for shock jocks and comedians. He also offered an apology. That should’ve been the end of this whole affair. Instead, it’s only the beginning. It’s an opportunity for Stringer, Jackson and Sharpton to step on victim platforms and elevate themselves and their agenda$.

I watched the Rutgers news conference and was ashamed.

Martin Luther King Jr. spoke for eight minutes in 1963 at the March on Washington. At the time, black people could be lynched and denied fundamental rights with little thought. With the comments of a talk-show host most of her players had never heard of before last week serving as her excuse, Vivian Stringer rambled on for 30 minutes about the amazing season her team had.

Somehow, we’re supposed to believe that the comments of a man with virtually no connection to the sports world ruined Rutgers’ wonderful season. Had a broadcaster with credibility and a platform in the sports world uttered the words Imus did, I could understand a level of outrage.

But an hourlong press conference over a man who has already apologized, already been suspended and is already insignificant is just plain intellectually dishonest. This is opportunism. This is a distraction.

In the grand scheme, Don Imus is no threat to us in general and no threat to black women in particular. If his words are so powerful and so destructive and must be rebuked so forcefully, then what should we do about the idiot rappers on BET, MTV and every black-owned radio station in the country who use words much more powerful and much more destructive?

I don’t listen or watch Imus’ show regularly. Has he at any point glorified selling crack cocaine to black women? Has he celebrated black men shooting each other randomly? Has he suggested in any way that it’s cool to be a baby-daddy rather than a husband and a parent? Does he tell his listeners that they’re suckers for pursuing education and that they’re selling out their race if they do?

When Imus does any of that, call me and I’ll get upset. Until then, he is what he is — a washed-up shock jock who is very easy to ignore when you’re not looking to be made a victim.

No. We all know where the real battleground is. We know that the gangsta rappers and their followers in the athletic world have far bigger platforms to negatively define us than some old white man with a bad radio show. There’s no money and lots of danger in that battle, so Jesse and Al are going to sit it out.

To reach Jason Whitlock, call (816) 234-4869 or send e-mail to jwhitlock@kcstar.com


*stepping off my soap box now*
*Stay tuned for the layouts I did this week!!*