Dee

Hi Dee, I am a newbie so please be patient with me

Hey your just a baby, Cookie. I will be hitting the big 50 in 2003 and will be able to join AARP...LOL. In the meantime I am revamping myself into a younger me before I hit 50. Now lets see there will be the botox injections for a little bit of that frown line between my eyebrows on the forehead and it will be time to change hair color. A soft auburn, shoulder lenght or nape of neck lenght would look good especially if its layered in a youthful style. I have a very young looking face otherwise. I just want to be a diva diva diva, girl. I want to slide into the DAME EDNA Everage Look when I hit my seventies. She/he is a classy looking hip old broad with her cateye glasses and purple and pink hair.. That will be my swinging 70's makeover In the meantime I will buy those thong panties and push up bras and wait for the sex goddess in me to take over. ( I may have to wait for a long time and I am having second thoughts about those panties and push up bras) I am just going to have a good time growing mature. I cant wait!!!!! If I'm a real good old gal I might treat myself to a night at a Chippendales Club. Can you picture me in Cat Eye Glasses and purple and pink hair strutting my stuff with the Chippendale Dancers who will lack teeth, forget their dentures and will be wearing long underware with hearts on them as they dance. [This message has been edited by reci (edited August 04, 2002).]

I have taken several of their online classes and they are great! AND FREE. The new class list should be coming out soon. You can reach the Barnes and Noble University Online by typing www.barnesandnoble.com. Real College professors or teachers teach these online classes. They are really loads of fun. All you have to do is buy the book or books needed for the course or borrow them from your library.

Call B&N to see if they have the books in stock Cookie. I think Arctic Homestead could be found in the Autobiography section. Its an excellent book. I am sure you will love it. By the way when is your Birthday Cookie? Mine is the 31 of this month and I have my book list birthday presents half finished to hand over to DH. [This message has been edited by reci (edited August 04, 2002).]

Who said something about Turkey and cranberry stuffing..YUM........its 100 degrees here, I have a 25 lb turkey and a 12 lb turkey breast in the freezer but I am not about to crank up the oven ....darn.....I could taste it now

First thing Midnight I am sending lots of hugs your way. Second I am crusin in a 92 Plymouth Voyager Minivan or veeger as we call the old gal. Best vehicle I have ever owned. I bought her used from a mechanic and he went over and replace everything in the van with brand new parts and never charged me. Too bad he went out of business because we are in the market for a second vehicle to take the place of veeger on long trips and just use her around town and in state trips. I have taken the old gal on trips to the Cape, up to Maine, and off roaded in New Hampshire and Vermont several times and even the worst of roads still havent gotten to her. There is not a spot of rust on her. Her insides are all shining and clean and I just spoil her. I plan to revive her if her engine ever conks out on me. Shes been a reliable old friend.

I am sending prayers your way. My Prayer list keeps getting longer and longer. I think its Great! Just hang in there...

My family and I will continue to keep you all in our prayers. It is great hearing that your mom feels in the pink. Guthrie and Geisinger are great places arent they? My stepdad have 3 quadruple bypasses at Guthrie and at one point they told my mom it didnt look good. The care that they gave him was excellent and he recovered fully. He passed away last fall but his heart was in good shape. So your out near Corning. I am down here in Binghamton. If your ever down this way come on over and sit a spell and we can chew the fat! Just post a message here telling me your coming to Bingoville and I will e-mail you my email addy... God Bless

I dont think I can emphasize enough to take care of yourself and your children. You are going to get alot of backlash from loved ones and even friends and aquaintences. Big Deal!!! Blow it off your shoulders. They arent paying to support you are they? Its hard to tell people to mind their own business but there comes a point when you must be strong and do so. Tell them when they start to pay your bills and clothe and feed you then they can give you advice. We women always think we can go to our moms for support because they will understand but sometimes that is not the case and feelings get hurt. I think when we do that we look for words of comfort and may not get them. This is why you must control situations and only you have the power to control them. Do not let anyone make you feel insecure in your decisions. Sometimes the decisions people make are the wrong ones but people never fail. People only learn from their mistakes and it makes them stronger. Push negative talk by others out of your mind. Its all about you and your girls/ end of case. Sorry I am harping but I would love to strangle the people who try to undermine the positive feelings of a person by their negative comments. If you have a hard time saying NO to others when they ask you to do something then you know what I am talking about. Remember YOU ARE WOMAN AND WE WANNA HEAR YOU ROAR------LOL You Go Girl When your feeling down put some great music in the cd and boogie away.

LOL Cookie...your most welcomed to participate in thoughts and prayers.

You have been in my thoughts. For some reason this am I felt the need to say a few extra prayers for you. I hope all is well with you.

Hang in there...God never gives us more than we can handle. You are and will be grieving at your loss for a while. You need to Step back from the situation for a moment and make of list of what you need for you and your daughters in terms of housing, support, insurance coverage for you and the girls and any other thing you think you might need. Take into consideration that you stayed home to raise your children while your soon to be ex got an education. Put away your negative feelings. DO NOT feel guilty about wanting what you deserve for yourself and your girls. Your going to need to find legal help. Some lawyers work without a retainer and they can guide you and do whats best for you and the girls. Make sure you do get an equal share of your assets perhaps along with extra. Find a place where you can go or call to get support for your mind, spirit and body. I know this sounds crazy but look at this as a growing experience in your life. Your own personal education teaching yourself how to live and depend on yourself. Get a journal, write down what goals you want for your life. Change is scary and your life will be changing. Dont beat yourself up for being 40 lbs overweight. When your ready you will loose the weight. Work on gaining self confidence. Remember you can do anything or almost anything. These changes are changes of loss, no matter what kind of loss. Anytime you feel overwhelmed step back and take a breather and again, WRITE DOWN what your thinking or how you can deal with problems. Have a personal notebook for your thoughts and one for your needs. MOST OF ALL PRAY! God Hears your prayers. Get a copy of the poem Footprints in the Sand. Carry it with you all the time. Anytime you feel you cant get through another day or cant solve a problem read that poem and Let God Carry You In His Loving Arms over the rough spots in your life. GOD DOES CARRY YOU! I can vouch for that personally! In the meantime I will keep you in my prayers. You have alot to do. Start with one task at a time. Dont overwhelm yourself. Find others in your area who can help you with your transition into the single parent life. Its tough right now and it will be tough for a while. Remember that you learn and grow from your life experiences. You have the power to control your life. You are a life experience teacher without a degree. You have given the knowledge that you do have to your children while raising them, and to those whom you know. Be proud that your doing your best and have done your best. DONT BEAT YOURSELF UP! God Bless [This message has been edited by reci (edited August 01, 2002).]

Hi Mare, I read some of the books on your list. How did you like Into The Wild by Krakauer? I wonder if changes in the times had an effect on the main character after he graduated from college. It almost seems as if he decided to live in a shell by isolating himself from all people in general with the exception of a few. Peer Pressure, Job responsibilities after college pressure and Parent Pressure could have been the cause of the breakdown in this young man. In the Educational System in the Schools today the competition is fierce and can be distructful to the students instead of beneficial. Several Students thoughout the years at a local University have committed suicide because they felt they didnt do their best work in classes which on the contrary they were and are A plus students. Maybe the main character, the young man that the book is about just snapped and decided he was going to carry out a death wish he was harbouring inside his mind. He could not be the person the world wanted him to be so instead of letting people down his thinking processes focused on his demise hoping that his loved ones would remember him for the person he had been once.

LOL CAT, I only hope Ed Takes the Bait.....grin

Hey Ed, Is that Drive In Theater still in operation on the Cape. You could always take your hunny to an outdoor movie there, bring a picnic basket with finger foods, spread a blanket on the hood of the car to help your picnic along, dont forget the flowers, flowers are important, You could show you how much you love her by serenading her operetta style with a tune, in the open air during the intermission of the movie. Dont forget to stand on the hood of your vehicle and proclaim your love for her in front of all the movie goers along with bursting out in song. That should mean a lot to her/ or embarrass her because you cant hold a tune...... After the movie ,park at the local beach and take a moonlite stroll hand in hand. Recite her a poem or anthology of love poems that you memorized, while your walking, then I am leaving the rest up to you. Dont forget to buy her a nice piece of jewelry and leave little love notes on her pillow or other places around the house............ [This message has been edited by reci (edited July 30, 2002).]

We may take a weekender or a five dayer to the Cape this fall depending when I have my surgery. DH has the second week of Sept off and we both agree we need a mini vacation. Is there alot of traffic in Sept up there EdandPeg? We usually come to the Cape in June but with buying the house this year we are taking the summer to work on it before winter sets in. We have always taken that main road on the cape and the traffic drives me nuts. Your a local, can you share some off roading tips for the weary traveler?

This is a good read.

I wish I could photocopy them for you too see snowmom but because they are of an older age I dont know how the process would affect the print. Who knows, you just might make it out to NY some day. Never say Never...LOL thats my motto.

Arent those books great Twila? I dont know why but I just couldnt get into Okes other books after the Love Comes Softly Series. I thought Love is her best work although some may think different.

I hear you loud and Clear Mrs. Zou. The humidity is horrid.

Sometimes just sitting and listening to the quiet. In the winter I love sitting in the front windows looking out at the first good snowfall of the season. In fall its smelling the fragrance of burning leaves and wood. In Spring its the awakening of the slumbering blossoms on the trees and other foliage. Everything comes alive and to be able to see the transition is wonderful. Summer Storms full of lightening, thunder and rain electrify my soul. It makes me reflect on how life comes full circle. I love watching the deer come into the backyard foraging for food then disappearing into the woods as fast as they appeared. Listening to the spring running down the mountain, sitting with my guitar strumming some tunes, reading, writing. My list goes on and on.................someday to be cont.

When we moved we brought the added cludder with us. Now we are tossing out things we havent used for years or have donated them to free clothing banks in my area we volunteer work at. I get tired of all the clutter especially the mail that piles up.

Hi Lowlander, Carla Emerys Book is great. If postage wasnt so expensive I would send you some books I have that are extras. It cost me over 50.00 American Dollars to send a 1 pound pack to Swindon once. You have a good idea with your LETS Group. I would gladly trade extra copies of books that I have with others. We do have a used book store in the area which sells used books and barters your used books for other books in their store. I have yet to get there but it will be soon. I plan to stay and roam through all the books most of the day. I have tons of cookbooks. I collect them. You would have a great time looking at them. [This message has been edited by reci (edited July 29, 2002).]

Hey Midnightmom, you should have your son visit Peter. I think he is still on his working farm outside of Nashville in Franklin Tn. Have you read The Walk West by Peter and his then wife Barbara. Its a good sequel which National Geographic Sponsored.

LOL Cookie. I am sure you will enjoy most of these books if not all. The Love Comes Softly Series is wonderful. The others are too. I really enjoyed Arctic Homestead. Its a very down to earth survival story thats a true story. So are the Walk Across America Books along with Ellie Stewarts Book. The movie that was made from her book is called Heartland. If you would like a copy of the movie I would be glad to make one for you. Just let me know. The NEA endorsed it highly. Also have you read or seen the movie , The Education Of Little Tree? Its a very good movie for kids and adults. To Snowmom: I have noticed I have to be in the mood to read lately. Must be that premenopausal hormone that making me feel like this. If I do find a good book I usually read it within a day. My DH is into the L'amour Books and Zane Grey as well as Science Fiction. L'amour has written the books with our families last name but they are fiction. When my husband did his family genealogy he checked into this. The rain has stopped so I will head outside for a while.. HAve a good Sunday.