No Kids Allowed!

From the time I was very young I knew I didn't want to have kids. I'm not saying I don't like children, I do - they're great on toast. (just kidding) I simply don't want to raise one. I can remember my mother laughing at me and saying, "you'll change your mind."

Uh, no, I won't and haven't.

I'm 42 and completely happy with my decision to remain single and child-less. I didn't have a normal childhood - my father was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis before I was born and when I turned 14 he broke his hip and that was that. He remained in a bed for 17 years until the day he died. I spent most of my child and young adult-hood taking care of my parents and guess what - I don't want to take care of anyone else. :)

It's always funny to me how society believes that those of us who choose to not have kids are unfulfilled in our lives. While it is more acceptable now, I still see it when I meet someone new and they question almost always comes up.

Do you have children?

No, I have dogs instead. :)

The double whammy comes in when they learn I'm not married. That's when the look turns pitying and they try to determine what is defective about me that no man would want to marry me or breed with me.

Whatever!

Society still harbors the mistaken impression that a woman cannot possibly be fulfilled if we don't have a man in our bed and children underfoot. And to add to that antiquated picture, we now have to have full time, high-powered careers and drive a Lexus. Of course personal trainers, manicures and charity work - let's not forget that part.

It's crap and I personally blame that stupid television show, The Housewives of Orange County, for keeping those myths alive. What a bunch of empty-headed, boob obsessed women! The end all be all of life isn't a perfect waistline of being seen in the 'right' car LADIES.

Sorry, had a moment.

Anyway - I laugh when people jump to their own conclusions about how I live my life. I'm fine with not having kids, between my sisters and my best friend I have about 10 children of various ages in my life. I love them, I play with them and I hand them back when I'm done. It's a perfect system.

As for marriage - its very rare that I feel lonely. I've had some amazing men in my life and I know that if I had married my soulmate then I wouldn't be a writer. (there's always a price to be paid for everything isn't there?) Am I willing to give up writing to have a man in my life?

Uh, no.

Maybe someday I will settle down (kids are still out of the question), but not anytime soon. I'm having way too much fun. :)

So tell me...

is it a bad thing when you go to get a cloth duster out of the box and the box is So Dusty that you have to dust it first?

The art of being subtle...NOT

Words cannot express...

My latest obsessions

I've always had the attention span of a gnat. I don't even consider myself the MTV generation - a generation of people who have been tested and determined to have shorter attention spans than average thanks for four minute videos - I'm just interested in everything and I'm easily distracted by shiny objects.

Some of my latest obsessions are:

America's Next Top Model - I've always loved this show. Early in my working career I was a stylist and I actually dressed people for a living. I love the clothes, the makeup - the process I guess.

Project Runway - Same as above. I love this show so much that I've actually purchased a new sewing machine and I plan on designing my own clothing for conferences. So watch out! Who knows what I will end up wearing.

Hershey's Dark Chocolate - Hey, it's chocolate - need I say more? I have finally made the switch from milk to dark, but it took a while. Now I truly enjoy the bite of dark chocolate.

Reading - some of you will laugh. I haven't had time to read the past few years and its really been breaking my heart. There are SO many good books out there and I just couldn't get into them or find the time to devote to reading. Now I actually make time to read and I've fallen in love all over again.

Eating Well - Yes, I am now obsessed with eating well. Scary isn't it? I've lost 22 pounds since early September and for the first time ever, I'm obsessed but in a good way. Before I'd beat myself up over eating a mouthful of anything 'bad'. Now, I realize there isn't any food that is bad, its all about how you look at it. I no longer live to eat, I eat to live. Will I keep this up? I hope so as I'm feeling better than I have in years.

So what's your latest obsession?

NEW COVER!!!

Is this gorgeous or WHAT? Coming out June, 2008 - more details coming later.

Thirteen Things You Probably Didn't Know About Overweight People

This is my experience as a woman of size. I do apologize is this offends anyone. :)

THURSDAY THIRTEEN!

Thirteen Things You Probably Didn't Know About Overweight People 1. Pssst, we know we're fat, quite assuming we want to order diet soda with our lunches. 2. We love bright colors, will the designers please quit using the most offensive prints they can find in our clothing? Here's a hint, there's a reason why skinny people don't want to wear the elephant/tropical/giant flowered/geometric print mumu/shirt/pants/skirt that you've created. It's UGLY. 3. There is no need to stare at us, there's more than enough to go around. :) 4. Big people need love, too. 5. Just because we are overweight, that doesn't mean we live like bears in caves. We have homes, lives, careers, kids, siblings, spouses - just like normal people. 6. We like food just like everyone else, the only difference is we don't throw it up afterwards. 7. Food Addiction is just as deadly and difficult to kick as alcoholism, drug addiction, nicotine addiction. 8. Life is too short for bad food. 9. Just because we are large doesn't mean we're to be religated to the fat best friend, sympathetic mom-figure, the eternal bridesmaid or any of that crap. We're hot, sexy and ready to GO! 10. Big can be BEAUTIFUL. 11. Close the magazines and turn off the television - you're life will be much happier if you do. 12. Big people have caught on that Cosmo, Elle and other glossy magazines are not the end-all be-all of fashion. 13. Want to know what is sexy? Confidence! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week is almost over, have you read your banned book yet? :)

What strikes me as odd about BBW is those who are banning the books are usually places reserved for education. Schools, libraries etc. Seeing that these institutions are funded, at least in part, by our government who should be supporting the freedom of speech - isn't it hypocritical to allow those same instutions to ban books?

In my opinion, any institution who receives tax money as part of their funding, should not have the right to ban a book. Now having said that, I'm not saying that third graders should be reading one of my books - no how no way! It should be up to the parents to determine what is appropriate reading material for their children, not a school or library.

I think what really bothers me is, when does this end?

John Lennon's song IMAGINE could be offensive to some though there are no curse words to be found. Just the line:

"Imagine there's no Heaven,"

would be enough to spin a few conservative heads off their shoulders. Where is the line drawn between inappropriate material for children and inappropriate ideas. Trust me, if we allow these institutions to 'ban' books, it's only a matter of time before one of them tries to ban a book based on the concept, not the content.

That is REALLY scary if you ask me.

Dear Fashionista

Dear Fashionista, According to Redbook, the styles for Fall are going to be more figure conscious than the summer was. They are accenting the waist and I don't have one! What do I do?
Signed, Fashion Victim

Dear Fashion Victim, Can I just call you Victim? I, too, am in the same boat as you. I haven't seen my waist since 1994 as its been covered by my breasts. That said, this little figure flaw doesn't have to sideline you in the Fashion Rat-Race.

One of the trends for fall is the wrap - wrap dresses, wrap tops, wrap skirts etc. Buy yourself a few wrap items and when you put them on, bind that wrap so tight that the twins are shoved up and out of the way and it will create a faux waist.

Doesn't everything sound better when you use the word 'faux'?

Now, some of you may end up smothered by the girls but if you don a scuba mask, you should be able to breathe just fine. Who knows, you might just start a trend of your own!

Signed, Fashionista

Sunny Sunday

On a day when one should take time to reflect upon their life, their week and how they're making a difference in the world around them, I bring you...sexy Mormons.

http://mormonsexposed.com/

I don't think anything else needs to be said.

Friday Funnies

No photo today! A friend sent this to me and it is hilarious. While I wasn't a virgin at 30, our stories are somewhat similar. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soFhO7cWGMw

Flowers

How beautiful is this? I took this photograph at Andrew Jackson's home, The Hermitage, outside of Nashville Tennesee. I dream of having a garden such as this - it was magnificent.

An Unpopular View

Six years ago today, the world trade centers were brought down and the Pentagon burned. Almost three thousand people died. I, like most Americans, remember where I was when I heard the news. I was sitting in the basement of a State office building, alone, when the first yahoo post came in a few minutes before nine a.m.. I didn't think much of it, the news post didn't specify what kind of plane had hit the first tower, so I was thinking it was a small one, maybe a two or four seater.

How wrong was I.

Today there are ceremonies in New York, Washington and Pennsylvannia to mark this tragic event. The media call the terrorist attacks a life-altering expereince for all Americans - my question is, was it really?

To those who lost their loved ones, I would say it is a yes. Has it changed the lives of Americans as a whole?

No.

The legacy of 911 doesn't have near the impact the bombing of Pearl Harbor did. Americans haven't had to change their lives over 911 while Pearl Harbor changed us as a nation. Yes, the security at airports is a pain in the butt, it is illegal to photograph bridges, (love to see them try and enforce this one) and packages that are over one pound must be handed to a postman rather than dumped in the mailbox. A portion of Americans will tell you they feel safer now than before 911, in my opinion that is an illusion. How can we be safer in the skies when our luggage and our bodies are searched but less than 1% of cargo is checked out?

Pearl Harbor ripped the mask of complacency from the nation. During a time when our allies were at war, we didn't want to get involved so we kept our blinders in place while we manufactered cars and refrigerators. Some of our armed forces joined in the battle long before Pearl Harbor was destroyed. These brave men became pilots and conducted raids with England's Royal Air Force. It wasn't until the destruction of Pearl Harbor that our government made the decision to get involved.

See any similarities?

War has been waged in the middle east for over six hundred years. From time to time we dip our toe into it but we've never made the commitment to jump in with both feet. Then, after we were attacked, we invade the wrong country at the cost of tens of thousands of lives.

I truly feel for the families who lost loved ones on 911. I feel for Americans in general as we were, for a brief moment, shaken out of our apathy toward the goings on in the world. Yes, there are people who hate us, who want to kill us - but it goes deeper than that.

The news keep saying how this is the day that changed America and I maintain that the opposite is true. This day is important to American history, it is important to those who lost their loved ones, it is important to those who were, for one brief moment, shaken from their slumber - but that time is gone. Most of us have returned to our lives with very little thought to 911, that is the sad reality of this days events, six years ago. What will it take to make us understand that the America we thought we inhabited is now only an illusion?

Flooding in Ohio

In the past three days we've received something like 8 inches of rain. Seeing that we haven't had hardly any all summer, this is a good thing. Of course the bad part is the ground can't handle it falling all at once.

For some reason the news channels are reporting the flooding in Ohio is near Cleveland...not even close. (Where in the heck do they get their info??) I live just north east of Columbus and the worst of the flooding is about an hour away. So when you see the clip from 'near Cleveland' where the man is being rescued via Coast Guard helicopter - no, that's Shelby, only two counties away.

Here in my town we've had extensive flooding as well as has Columbus. Luckily it has been property damage only. My neighbor's tree came down...right across his car and it missed his house by four or five feet. A small yet very important distance. :) It's supposed to rain for the rest of the week with many of the showers being pretty heavy. 'Okay Mother Nature, we got the memo!'

One of the ministers I work with through the Police Department called last night and he's organizing a caravan of food up to the Shelby High School to feed those whose houses are under water. So in about an hour my car will be loaded down and I'll be headed north. I can only hope I'm the macaroni and cheese car - I'm HUNGRY!!

Book Review: Blackmailed by Annmarie McKenna

BLACKMAILED
by Annmarie McKenna
ISBN: 1599982137
Samhain Publishing

Brianna Wyatt is being blackmailed by her father for an heir. If she doesn't follow through, her father threatens to put her handicapped brother into a home where she can no longer protect him. Her father wants her to get pregnant by Cole Masters, a very weathy and powerful man.

When Mr. Wyatt appears on his doorstep wanting to whore his own daughter, Cole is sure he's about to be blackmailed. Taking Brianna into his own, they concoct their own plan to thwart her father but he fails to take into account that he desires Brianna and he can only hope that Tyler Cannon, his best friend and fellow menage partner, will want her as well.

This is one HOT book. I'll be honest, I wasn't prepared to enjoy this book as much as I did. I've always been a one-guy kind of girl so the concept of menage was foreign to me. Now, I understand the allure. :)

Some of the plot points were a little contrived, but seeing that this book is about fantasy it more than fulfills on it's promise. So if you're looking for a spicy menage with two utterly yummy males, BLACKMAILED is for you.

Marrying for Love...or Money

Yesterday I happened to catch a few minutes of The View (I know, I couldn't run fast enough) and Joan Rivers was a guest host. Keeping in mind that she is a commedienne, she asked the question, "Would you rather marry for love, or money."

Of course the romantic in all of us want to scream, 'Love, of course' but, I'm afraid I have to hedge just a bit.

I'm forty-one (for twenty-nine more days at least) and I've been in love, serious, head over heels, I-want-to-breed-with-him love three times.

Guess what, I'm still single.

The first one - we grew apart. I was young and he was nine years older than I was. Trust me, a nineteen year old really doesn't give good conversation.

The second one - turned out to be gay. Hmm, I knew we got along just a little too well and he had fabulous taste in furniture. I caught him wearing my leopard print skirt early on in the relationship - I should've known then.

And the final one presented me with a pregnant mistress on Christmas Eve when I expected a diamond ring. "I love ya honey, but she's nineteen and a gymnist." (refer to number one)

Don't get me wrong - I'd love to marry for love but anymore I'll take the cash. Looking back, no matter how hard I wanted those relationships to work, I ended up paying for it in the end. Next time around, let him pick up the tab.

Book Review: First Kiss by Kylie Adams

FIRST KISS
by Kylie Adams
ISBN: 0-451-21581-8

Yes, this is an older title. What can I say, I'm a book-a-holic with very little time to read. :)

Kiki Sonntag is an out of work soap opera actress with the desire for an A-list lifestyle that wars with her lackluster paychecks. While shopping with money she doesn't have, she meets Tom and Kristen Brock, the 'IT' couple of the tabloids and someone Kiki would kill to be photographed with.

Only it didn't work quite as she'd hoped.

Caught on film in a so-called compromising position with Tom, Kiki is on the run from the paparazzi and she finds herself checking into the oh-so-exclusive Affair hotel. Run by the very hunky Fab Tomba, a notorious playboy, Kiki settles in to wait for the madness to die down. Instead of finding peace and quiet, she's drawn in by Fab's personality and sexy smile. Because of him she decides that hiding out in his arms might not be such a bad thing after all.

I was lucky enough to meet Kylie Adams before her first book, FLY ME TO THE MOON, was released. Fabulous person, funny and quirky, her personality is reflected on every page. FIRST KISS is packed with enough name dropping to make any fashionista swoon. With a fast paced story line and a chick-lit feel, FIRST KISS is a fabulous read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, escapist read.

Foto Friday

I learned to paint many years ago when I met a wonderful man who showed me the colors. I continued painting, he did not.

That saddens me.

I now do 3D art in mixed media. This is done in acrylic with a photograph in the center and a variety of other objects such as sand and grass too.

If you are familiar with the musical, RENT, then you know what this is about.

I gave it to a friend for his twenty-seventh birthday and now we no longer speak. (and no, it has nothing to do with the painting - it has to do with deception and hiding things)

That makes me the saddest of all.

Car-gasms!

I spent the past week on the road which is something I just love to do. I cannot get enough traveling in each year and I can only wish someone would finally invent a teleport device. I'd be zipping everywhere!

As a passionate lover of American Heavy Metal, I have a big love for hot cars. When I was in high school I would date the boy with the hottest car rather than the best personality. Shallow? Yes, but a girl has to have her standards. :)

One of my current loves is the Ford Mustang. When I was a child my father had a midnight blue convertable with white interior. SUH-WEEEEET! I begged him to let me have the car when I turned sixteen and it didn't happen. He sold it. Later on he told me he would've kept it had he known how much of a collectors item it would become.

DOH!

My family had a long affair with the volkswagon. In the early seventies we had every model they made, the beetle, super beetle, hatchback and stationwagon. I was always fascinated by the fact they could float like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Another car I adore is the Thunderbird. I like the originals and the new ones though unfortunately they have stopped making them. (sniff) That was going to be my mid-life crisis car but I'm thinking I might swing back to the Mustang.

In the mid-ninties I purchased a Chevy pickup truck. I loved that truck - it was fab. I am big into gardening and having that truck bed to haul around my purchases is so incredibly handy. I'm thinking I may purchase a pickup for my next car.

Currently I have a Jeep and I adore that car. It is a Liberty 4x4 and its a tough little thing. I drove all around the Gulf Coast doing the Katrina thing and it never let me down. Seeing that I practically lived in the thing for several months, that is something. :)

So what is your fantasy car?

Foto Friday

Normally I post a photo on Fridays but today I'm going to do something a little different. A friend sent me this link and I'm going to share it with you. The images are painful to watch but as I've always said, the truth is the truth no matter how many times one tries to deny it.

It is past time to bring our troops home.

Crayons...

Did you know the average American child goes through 720 crayons before they turn 10? Sheesh - when I was a kid we received the customary box of 16 each year before school and if that didn't last the year we did without. I didn't even get a box of 64 until I was well into fifth grade. :)