Category Archive
The following is a list of all entries from the Soap Box Chatter category.
Pettiness
Pettiness drives me insane.
People, there are bigger and better things to worry about. Don’t you realize that when you are being petty, you are your own worst enemy.
Your rant for today was brought to you buy the letter P & Y, and could quite possibly be due to my body’s reaction to healthy eating. Yes, not one chocolate Easter Egg has crossed my lips path. Well, since Saturday that is!
Day Off Please
How and when did it happen? I’ve over-committed myself……AGAIN!
When my children were little, I volunteered for EVERYTHING! PTO, fundraiser, girl scouts, boy scouts, team mom for baseball, soccer, and football, etc., etc.
As the kids got older and made it clear that I was an embarrassment really didn’t have to do so much for them, it was the permission I needed to back off. I was all like “Perfect because I don’t want to volunteer anymore so nanny, nanny, boo, boo!” (Yeah, of course I took it as a blow to my self esteem, but I couldn’t let them know that.)
I then went in the complete reverse direction and didn’t even volunteer for anything. What a difference. Of course THAT didn’t last long. With me being me, I couldn’t stand to be idle. I started small. An event here, a fundraiser there, a party now and then, nothing much. Somehow before I realized what was happening I’ve suddenly booked myself silly!
I took one of those personality test things (see below) and it was fairly accurate. Up to and including this little character flaw trait. Very interesting!
And what does this have to do with anything? Absolutely nothing. Nothing other than I’m tired and don’t feel like doing anything more than sleeping! But I can’t! Why? Cause I’ve booked myself silly!
A Little Controversy On This Fine Thursday
Here at Celebrating Women we try to steer clear of controversial posts and rarely post our opinion. Today I decided to do a little of both (sorry Suz, I just had to).
Abortion. Abortion is legal in our country. I’m glad it’s legal. I think a women should have the opportunity to make choices that will affect the rest of her life. Because it’s legal, a woman has the opportunity to make that choice and get safe medical help needed.
I have never had an abortion and I don’t think I’d be able to have one unless there were extreme circumstances. But the fact that I have that choice is priceless. I don’t condemn or blame anyone who has ever been faced with that situation. I truly believe in the glass house theory and I certainly don’t live in one.
Here’s the thing. A woman has a 13 year old son with cancer. Cancer treatment is not 100% guaranteed. She has chosen to try to treat her son with natural remedies. You can read about it here.
Who am I to judge her? Unfortunately, she is breaking the law because she fled after the court ordered her to treat her son. I’ve been taught to obey the law of the land. Do I agree with the order? No.
Why? They have taken the choice of the mother away. If 13 years prior she would have chosen to terminate the life of that child, there wouldn’t have been an issue. Let’s say she new through genetic testing that the child she was carrying would have cancer. She could have totally made the choice to terminate. Now all of a sudden, they are taking her CHOICE away.
If it were my child, I would do whatever was possible to keep that child alive. But, do you think it’s contradictory for the same courts that ruled to give women a choice can rule to take that choice away?
Again, I don’t live in a glass house and I have no right to judge her or her decision. But I really want to hear what others think and have to say about the issue.
If you are going to comment, remember the rules of the sand box – no throwing sand. If you don’t agree with me or someone’s comment, please don’t personally attack. That’s wrong. You can disagree with my opinion or the opinion of our commentors, and you can inteligently explain why you don’t agree, but if you personally attack or call names, you will be deleted.
Carry on.
I Got Nothin
Nothing witty or wise to say today. We are cruising toward the end of the school year. Woo Hoo!
Youngest son is going to be 16 in less than a month. Sixteen! That’s insane. I can’t grasp that idea. He will be able to drive (well, that is if he has a job, a car and insurance).
BTW, did you know that I was the meanest mom EVER! Seriously. Did you know that all mothers have a shiny new car in the drive way on their child’s 16th birthday? Did you know that all kids don’t have to pay for insurance until they are at least 25? It must be true. So says my son. I’m thinking that he forgot that his older brother didn’t get his license until he was almost 17 because he didn’t think that I meant about not passing in school negates the privilege of driving. If you aren’t mature enough to pass certain classes, then you aren’t mature enough to drive.
Hmmmm, looks like I was about to climb on my soap box there. Not in the mood.
I mentioned to my husband last night that I was very weepy yesterday and all I wanted was chocolate. Almost 16 year old said “That’s all I need to hear. I’m outta here. Good luck James” (Just in case you didn’t know, James is my hubs)
He’s a good man (my son). He learned young!
That’s all for today. Check back tomorrow!
Silly Words
Because I’m so easily distracted and my brain changes topic faster than a flash bulb on the Oscar Red Carpet, my brain tends to wonder off on really crazy subjects.
This time the subject was silly words. Some words just make me laugh. Some words make me think “yuck”. Some words help me associate people with their name.
The word that got me off on this tangent? Erectile. That word makes me laugh. Erectile sounds like reptile. Every time I see a commercial for a pill supposed to correct erectile dysfunction I giggle like a school girl after kissing her first boyfriend. The scary part? In my mind I see a reptile, hanging “there”. Just hanging. Limp and lifeless. You can just imagine how sex at my house goes:
“Oh baby. Let me see your reptile!”
…and then I laugh. What a way to set the mood! This then leads to me laughing uncontrollably, which usually leads to a fart. The fart in turn leads to us both rolling over and going to sleep totally uninterested in what we started!
Which brings me to another word that I think is funny. Fart! Really, where did that word originate from? Is the “f” representative of the sound of the fart? Like “ffffffft”? And the “art” is like the “art of farting”? I know some people who have the gift of farting. I guess you could say they practice “fart art”. Bwahahahahahaha!
I think perhaps I should stop while I’m ahead. You agree? Well then, what words make you laugh?
Oh, and admit it or not, you smiled if not giggled at least once while reading this. You didn’t? Then did you at least give me that little eyebrow raise? Like, “WTF is this girl talking about? Is it internet day at the nut house? “
Life
I heard an interesting saying this weekend and have spent a lot of time pondering it.
“Life is what happens; Experience is what you gain from it.”
Think about it. We have very little control over what life brings to us. But, we can use every situation life throws at us to gain experience and make ourselves a better person.
For instance, let’s say a 1st grader has a spelling test they didn’t study for. One of the words was cat. They spell it Kat instead of cat! Most likely two things will come from this – 1) they won’t forget to study 2) they will never forget how to spell cat.
Now let’s say there is a 30 year old woman who takes awesome care of herself. She eats right, exercises, limits alcohol intake and doesn’t smoke. Has never smoked. That person has done all the right things but still is stricken with cancer. That’s life. Life dealt her a bad hand. But, how she handles it and how her family members handle the situation will give them experience in life lessons. Hopefully they will use that experience for good.
If there was ever one phrase that just totally made sense to me and changed my outlook, this is that phrase.
Let’s face it. We will all be hit with something not pleasurable or maybe pleasurable, but just something never experienced before. If we look at what is happening as an opportunity to gain experience and better ourselves, the outcome will most likely be positive. It may not be what we WANT it to be, but it will be more positive.
That’s my soap box speech for today. Anyone else pondering anything?
An Open Letter and A Strange Conversation
Good morning. Happy “Halfway through the workweek” day. What a week thus far. Busy, busy, busy. I had to hire someone, fire someone, deal will drama at home, deal with drama at work! Jeez. Can’t a girl get a break? Or at least a raise?
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On to the open letter………………………………
Dear asshat in the red car:
Please listen to me. There was an accident on the Beltway. The constable was directing traffic from my lane into yours. Me being the patient person that I am (shad up) kept a car length behind. Everyone was playing nice BUT YOU. Each car in your lane was letting a car from my lane in. Not you. No sirree. You sped up so that the car in my lane couldn’t get over. Nice!
Now, I’m not usually an eye, for an eye kind of person, but my evil twin took over. It was only natural that when I, in the exit only lane saw that you needed over and tried to get over in front of me, I had to speed up so you couldn’t get in.
Can I give you some advice? Instead of flashing your middle finger at me and rolling down your window to yell obscenities at me, could you maybe keep your eyes on the road? The car in front of you may just slam on it’s breaks. You should really pay attention next time. How’s your bumper feel? Oh, that’s right. It’s laying in the middle of the Beltway. Sorry!
Love,
Me
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Now for the interesting conversation. I was stuck in traffic behind a hearse while talking to SuZan. We started talking about whether we wanted to be buried or cremated. I was a little skeptical, but SuZan talked me into being cremated. I told her that would be fine, but it’s her job if I die first to make sure I have on make-up and cute panties before going into the incinerator. She said she would. Then I want my ashes spread over some exotic island that I won’t ever get to visit while living.
Why cremation over burial? Well, I’m a little cheap and I think it’s strange that people pay a huge amount of money for a box to hold a dead body that will be thrown into the ground with the bugs and worms. That’s the other thing. I don’t do bugs or worms. That’s gross. And disease? I mean, my body would be rotting. Gross.
I also decided that I don’t want a funeral. When I die, I want a big ass party in my honor and I want all of you bitches (and guys that read) to say really nice things about me. I want there to be laughter and, of course, adult beverages. Deal?
In fact, I went one step further and decided that, should I ever be diagnosed with a terminal illness, I’m going to throw a big ass party, announce my illness, then have everyone say the nice things directly to me while I’m still alive rather than after I kick the bucket. Oh, and I want to partake in the food that they would have brought to my family after I die. Shit, you make food because I’m dead? Hell no! I want to partake.
BTW-SuZan agreed with me on all counts. Of course, she may have been appeasing me to get me to stop talking about such morbid things!
Does anyone else ever think about stuff like this? No? Just me? Well, you’ll never be able to say I don’t plan ahead!
Have a great day!
Political Editorial…
With the political race heating up, I thought I would share one of my favorite political quotes. It doesn’t matter which side you are on to enjoy.
from the movie “Man of the Year”: “Politicians are like diapers, both need to be changed regularly, and for the same reason.”
This really stands out to me with the candidates. I guess this is the “run till you win” race, because folks, we have nothing new here.
Thank you for your support
Over Parenting – It’s A Hard Habit To Break
Good morning boys & girls! Happy Wednesday. Sorry for the late post. We are starting a remodel project at the office. Many things to coordinate and asses to kick people to organize.
I know, that has nothing to do with the title. I sometimes feel like I must justify everything I do (including taking a shit).
To get back on topic, let me use an analogy. I like analogies.
Before a butterfly becomes a beautiful part of nature, they are in a cocoon. If someone were to help that butterfly break out of the cocoon, that butterfly would not be strong enough to fly. It would basically die. The whole purpose of emerging from the cocoon is to strengthen it’s wings so it can fly and be a beautiful addition to the universe. (Stick with me, I will tie this together.)
The trials and tribulations that our kids go through while growing up is very much like the butterfly breaking out of the cocoon. We hate to see our kids go through trials, or to be hurt-physically or emotionally. But, if we give them all the answers or continually move the hurdles out of their way, we aren’t helping them.
I’m not saying that we are never to guide them, give them advice, steer them in the right direction, or pick them up when they fell and tell them what they did wrong; but, if we don’t let them try and do or figure out things on their own, or even fall down and scrape their knee, they won’t be strong enough to be a beautiful adult and contributing member to our society.
No, I really don’t sit here and think up shit like this to write about. EVERYTHING on this blog is USUALLY related to something that’s happened to one of us. Yesterday I received a call from college kid. It went something like this:
CK: “Mom, my back hurts so bad I can’t bend over and the pain is radiating down my leg.”
Me: “Did you take ibuprofen?”
CK: “Yes, it doesn’t work. Call my doctor, he won’t listen to me.”
Me: “OK, I’ll call”
Fast forward – I call doctor. His nurse says doctor needs to talk to CK. CK is an adult. I tell her I want to talk to doctor. She says she’ll tell him to call me if he has any questions after talking to CK. I call CK and relay this information.
CK: “The doctor just called. He told me I needed to come see him or go to an ER up here at school. Find the ER for me please.”
Me: “OK”
Fast forward – I call, research on the net, call, check with boss who went to school up there, etc., etc. Call CK back. All of my suggestions were “stupid” and I “just don’t know where anything is up there.” Oh, and let me add, when I called him back he was with his friends and they were playing video games and eating Jack In The Box. (Not too much pain)
Suddenly I here a voice (strangely enough, the voice sounds JUST like SuZan). The voice said, “Sheri, he is an adult. He is not bleeding. He’s not unconscious. He can call just like you can. What would you have done when you were his age and on your own in Texas while the rest of your family was in PA?”
The answer – I figured things out for myself! It wasn’t always easy, but I did it. The best part – it made me who I am now. I am a strong woman. Although I may not always feel like I contribute much to this society, in reality I do. And, I’ve managed to raise 3 kids in the process. They aren’t perfect. I’m not perfect. But I can manage in this game they call life. For the most part, my kids can as well.
(Do you see how the whole analogy fits in?)
I didn’t like that my son was hurting. But I’ve hurt at times as well. You do what you have to do. He needed to figure out how to cope in this situation because, unfortunately, I’m not immortal and won’t be around forever. Yes, it was hard to give him suggestions then let him figure things out on his own. But it would be even harder to have a son not able to manage in life because I clipped his wings.
There you have it – raising a college kid 101! Let them fly and remember – sometimes they need to figure things out on their own!
Wow…to have a leader like this! (in our dreams)
I received this email from my MIL and was just floored. Not the shock of the content but because it was so refreshing of a read. You see, I like many Americans are tired of all the people that are “offended” by our culture, our beliefs and our values. These are the words of Prime Minister John Howard from Australia, but any American could say these same words:
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.
Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation’s mosques. Quote: ‘IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take it or leave it. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.’
‘This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom’.
‘We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society. Learn the language!’
‘Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you , then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.’
‘We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.’
‘This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE’.
‘If you aren’t happy here then LEAVE. We didn’t force you to come here. you asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.’
Can you just imagine a U.S. president having the guts to say these very words? Bush; don’t think so. Clinton; not in your wildest dreams. Bush Sr.; no way. Reagan; (maybe) but nope. Carter; not a chance (etc. you get my drift). What a breath of fresh air that would be (give me a moment I’m still grasping at this thought) if our leader simply stated “Enough” and stopped spending millions to translate all of our federal/state documents into Spanish and Vietnamese. Stopped allowing illegal aliens to NOT pay out of State tuition for the college of their choice, etc.
You see, I lived in Mexico for eight years and guess what? I learned the language, I attended Spanish speaking schools (holy cow, stand back, what a novel idea eh?) I respected the customs and complied with the laws. Because of the effort I (and my parents) put forth to embrace a culture, to learn, has made me a much better person today. Therefore, I don’t understand why people move here and expect us to accommodate them, how blind can you be?
(stepping off of my soap box now)
Celebrating Women for the Real World 