Thursday, May 29, 2008

You can too!

Hey, did you know that everytime you click an Advertisement on this page, I get some money! Yeppers! That is true.
I try to only put really neat Ads on the page, or Ads that might really be of interest to you so you aren't bogged down with a lot of crap Ads. So, please, CLICK away! There are so really great ones at the bottom of my blog so be sure to check those out.
Are you interested in blogging for money too? There is a group of people, of friends, that are trying to do just that, make extra money for our families. If you want more information, please check out Remember When, it is an online support group/teaching group, that helps beginners just like me. Hey wait, that is me! :O) Here is the link: http://friendshelpfriends.blogspot.com/
Have a Blessed Bloggin Day!
Mental

Too Much Ghost Hunters?

'There's somethin weird, in the neighborhood' *singing in the tune of GhostBusters song.* Ok, something is going on and I am not sure what. Here's the scoop. Over the last month, or two, I have been awoken from a 'dead' sleep by a knock on my bedroom window. Let me back up and set the stage.
I live in a first floor apartment. There are about 6 buildings in the complex and my building is the back building, my apartment on the corner. Think of a square, I would be located in the left hand, front corner. More of a rectangle actually but, that's neither here nor there.
3 times now, I have been woken up but a loudish knocking on my bedroom window only to find nothing and no one there. I am not dreaming. Let me qualify that, I was dreaming twice when this occured however it brought me out of my dream and the dreams had nothing to do with my window or my bedroom! It is a very clear, very distinct knock and it is clearly a knocking on the window. Think about it, you know the difference between a knock on wood and a knock on glass right? Yes, you do.
Last night, it happened for the third time. Not only did it happen again but, it was louder and more persistant, if you will. I was dreaming, I was not dreaming a particularly good dream but, it didn't have anything to do with my window, a window, a bedroom or a room for that matter. The knocking always occurs between 3 and 4am. Every time this happens, I wake from a very sound sleep and never see anyone there.
Just so you don't think I am totally 'Mental'..lol My husband was awakened on one occasion as well. He heard the knocking as I did, got up, and checked inside and outside only to find nothing. We both wake/woke immediatly and the window is a large, wide, window so, it would be a bit hard to knock and run without being seen.
Last nights event, being more persistent and seemingly louder, scared the ba-jeebies outta me and I am not ashamed to admit it! I woke instantly, I froze, watching for something, someone, anything to explain what was going on. Nothing. Not a hint of a shadow or movement. I am not sure how long I lay there watching, listening, afraid to move or even breath. Finaly, I told myself that I had to get back to sleep and I began to drift off again, opening my eyes for a few last looks and fell back asleep.
Remembering clearly the events upon the alarm going off, I began to question my sanity. I am watching too much Ghost Hunters? I LOVE that show. Have I opened a door that I shouldn't have and inadvertantly? Is my apartment haunted? Is someone, something, trying to get my attention, to tell me something? Am I hearing things? What is going on? I even went as far as calling the complex manager and asking her if there had been any other reports of this strange knocking and told her what had been happening. She is a 'believer' in the paranormal so, she did not think ok, heres a crazy woman. She was very kind, concerned and understanding.
So, where does this leave me? Sleepless in Indiana? I am not sure at this point. Any thoughts anyone?
Till next time....I'll be watching Ghost Hunters and sleeping as I can. Take care friends and don't let the bed bugs bite!
Mental

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

In a haze

It's the day after the Memorial Day Holiday and as everyone knows, in order to get paid for the Holiday, you gotta work the day after. That's fine, I understand and don't have a problem with it, under normal circumstances. But, for a person who suffers from Crohns Disease, Fibromyalgia, Degenerative Disk Disease and the most incredibly painful migraines, is there a normal circumstance?
You might be thinking dang, this woman is a walking disaster. Yeah, I guess so but, most days, its liveable and some days, it's not even so bad. Then there are days when you just want to curl up, cry and die. It makes you feel alone, lost, the pain is awful and you know that no one understands if they don't suffer as you do. It never ceases to amaze me when people look at you with 'that look' and say things like, you sure do get sick a lot. Yes, unfortunately, I do. I don't like it. I don't want to be sick but, my body is what it is and does what it does. I never used to get sick, not till a few years ago.
I am blessed in that there is one person at my work that understands. She too has Crohns and she emails me notes of support, encouragement and ideas to help. She is the angel that God has sent to this job and I am so thankful for her! Thank you, AK! I appreciate you more than you can imagine. She supports me in many ways and again, I feel so blessed that she is here.
Sometimes it gets overwhelming and you just can't seem to struggle through the day in any way that makes sense. Its so sad when you think of the precious time you loose in the drug induced haze or the pain haze. Those moments are ones that are lost to you and you can't recover. They are moments lost where there were chances to create memories to cherish. So in the days that are 'good days' you fight to make the most of your time; it's almost manic at times to get in everything that you can.
Even as I write this post, I read back and wonder, does this really make any sense? It seems to but I know what pain does to my thought process. It tears it to shreds. I am most careful in these times to try to take everything slow. I don't want to make mistakes and these are the times when they happen most.
Still, today is almost over. I long for the peace that I pray will come when I lay down and close my eyes. Last night that peace did not come. It hurt too much to even lay my head on the pillow but, tonight, I think I will find it and perhaps the recuperating powers of sleep will bless me. Tomorrow is another day.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Still Learning After All These Years!

It never fails to hit me square in the face, just how much I don't know! At 18, I was sure by 45, I would know everything there is to know! There wasn't that much left to learn after all, or so I thought.
Now as I sit here, typing, my mind racing over the day, the past few days and thinking about the days to come, I realize just how much I have yet to learn and how much I want to learn! I have taken on so many new endeavors just by leaping right in and not thinking. Normally, I don't think I am the type of person to do that. Maybe I am wrong in that thinking OR, perhaps it's just that these things happen to be things that I love doing. Or think I would anyway...lol And, now that I have a chance to actually do them, I am running and jumping at full speed ahead and damn the consequences!

I have taken on Blogging for Money, Scrap Set Designing/Selling, Creating a Website, a Personal Blog, and new list on AOL, and opening an online T-Shirt Design shop. Those are in addition to my already overloaded schedule of home, work and online duties.
Do I regret it? Not for a minute! The only thing that bothers me about it is that I don't know all I want to know about all of it! I want to know it all and I want to know it right now! I simply have no patience. For myself or others, much to my regret.
So, the bottom line is, I will blunder through it all, learn as I make mistakes and rely on my friends to help me out. Works for me!
Why is it that as our lives move into the middle years and edge into the end years, we discover just how much life and the world have to offer? When we want to know, learn and grow, our bodies are just starting to rebel and wanting to slow down. Our minds start to say, "Hey, I want to take a nap now!" but, our drive and lust for life just starts kicking into high gear! Seems hardly fair at all. I believe the only saving grace in that is when we get to Heaven, we won't have the restricts of a worn body or mind, we will finally get to live the life we want, in our own rights and according to each his/her own. As for me, I plan to have plenty of chats with God about his/her sense of humor and a few other sore spots and then, leave me to my country cottage while I create, read, love, laugh and live!

Friday, May 23, 2008

Bloggin for Money!

As you know and as I mentioned earlier, my blog got approved today. Well, I didn't really explain that too well.
I signed up with PayPerPost, a friend had a link in her blog, and I got curious. She also had a little siggy in her email signature that mentioned she got paid to blog. Well, I just had to find out what was going on. So, I clicked on one of her PayPerPost boxes and it lead me to the sight.
I was MORE than ready to join! I wanted to make some extra money, who doesn't these days. I signed up, really not reading all the details, just jumped head first into it. That's what I do. I also jumped right into PayPal cause that is where the sight lead me.
So, I signed up at http://www.payperpost.com/ and got ready to start. What they do is, review your blog and when you get reviewed, they present opportunities for you; things you can blog about. That is what I have really liked so far. They don't tell you what you write about, you get to choose from all the opportunities. You can choose what interests you! At first, the opportunities are some what limited down but, when you see the large listing they have, and you know that you will have all those to choose from, it's very exciting.
I look at it as a learning opportunity as well. You find something you are already interested in in the list, you select it and go to that site to do your research so, you learn all kinds of things in the process! I can't wait to see where this all leads and in my mind, PayPerPost has presented us all with endless possibilities!
Another plus that I have found in signing up with PayPerPost is that they give you the opportunity to correct your posting should it be rejected. They walk you through what you did wrong, tell you how to correct and then you get to resubmit it again! That is a huge plus for us beginners!
I hope that any of you out there that have been considering trying to earn extra money by blogging will go to http://www.payperpost.com/ and check them out! They are well worth the few minutes you spend.
I signed up for payperpost and you can too!

make money

Finally Friday!

Wow! After a long and tiring week, it's finally Friday! And a 3 day weekend to boot! Those are few and far between! I am really looking forward to it even though it is shaping up to be a really busy one!
We have plans this Memorial weekend to go to the Notre Dame yard sale. It is HUGE! They say that it is all the stuff that the college kids have left behind and that it gets totally wild! It really sounds like fun but, to be honest, I am not sure these ole bones can handle that many people and craziness. We are planning on going with my son, his wife and the kids. We have to be there at 5am! Did I mention it was a little bit crazy?! LOL I will be sure to let you know if we go and what happened!
We also plan on cooking out on Sunday with everyone. We usually spend our weekend together but, this will be our first cook out together since moving back here.
Other than that, I am really hoping to get some rest time in as well as some time on the computer to research and stuff. I haven't been able to create in a while or finish a scrap set I am working on so, I am planning to do some of that and looking forward to it more than anything.
Well, what are your plans? LOL
I hope to get some pictures in too soon. That will be something new for me to learn as well.
So much to do, so little time!
Till next time....
Mental

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Police Gear and Approval All in One Day!

Woohoo! I am so excited! My blog was finally approved! Approved to be a pay per post blog and to top it all off, the first opportunity that came my way...Police Gear! How perfect is that for a retired Law Enforcement Officer! (The only issue, I am new and still learning. Please bare with me and help if you can!)
So, to check it all out, I went to:
www.lapolicegear.com and let me tell you, this former lady in blue was in heaven! They have it all! They have the top brands in gear all they way from coffee mugs to special service items! I love the fact that you can find all range of items in any budget. The site is also laid out in a very easy to navigate format. It makes it very easy to find what you are looking for.

Easy, fun, lots of great items to choose from; with all these attributes, you can't go wrong when you vist this awesome site: 5.11
Don't forget, you can always buy from this site as a gift for that law enforcement officer in your family as well. When I was on the force, I loved getting items I needed, or wanted, from friends and family. It saved me money and was a very thoughtful gift. This site makes it easy to shop for yourself or someone else.
It's also just plain fun to see all the cool items and gadgets they have so, check it out! 5.11
(This is a sponsored post)

5.11

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Sometimes it hurts.

It’s been one of those weeks. Tons of tiny, little things going wrong and all adding up to a not so good after all kinda week. Seems I have more and more of those kinds of days, weeks and years. So, what am I doing wrong? Well, if I knew, I would change it!
The thing is, I have this…issue…for lack of a better word, with authority figures, criticism, whether it is intended to be constructive or not. Simply put, I have a major problem with confrontation of any kind! I don’t like it. I don’t like to feel insuperior, looked down upon, made to feel ‘not good enough’. I don’t like to be talked down to or even a harsh or criticizing tones. It hurts my feelings and even something more, something deeper down. I don’t know why it is, it simply is.
Everyone tells me, ’suck it up’, ‘don’t take it personal’, ‘let it roll off your back’, or ‘get over it’. Well, I do get over it, it never even takes me that long to do it. Meanwhile, I still hurt inside. There must be something in my programming that causes me to feel this way, like a little child who is being punished as that is exactly how I feel. I even cry most times. It’s more than embarrassing! Someone barely raises their voice to me or I ‘feel’ like they are angry with me and I get upset. I don’t know what it is. I have always been this way. I don’t like it.
What is worse is, if it is someone that I look up to, someone I care about, or someone I consider a friend, it’s a million times worth. The pain cuts much deeper and something happens to the esteem in which I held that person.
Is something wrong with me? I have been told too many times to count that I am ‘over sensitive’. I believe that in my case, it is not such a good thing and that it detracts from my ability to ‘function’ normally in social/work type situations. I have to admit though, there is a tiny, tiny part of me that wonders…what if more people were a bit like me, a little bit more sensitive. Would that be such a bad thing? Maybe we would all deal with each other with a little more care. Maybe we would all actually stop and think before we said something or dealt with someone in a certain manner. Maybe if we were all a little bit more sensitive to each others feelings we wouldn’t have this whole society of children now that simply don’t care about any one else. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me. I can acknowledge that. But, I still wonder.
I look around every day. I see the way that people have become, I see the way that our neighborhoods, our communities, even our relationships have become. Something is missing, something is gone. I am sure that all the psycho peoples out there can give you answer to the problem and probably even a solution but, I’m not one of those people. I am simply a mother, a friend, a person who feels, sees and wonders. Seems more and more that I look around, the sadder I feel deep down inside and sometimes, most times, it hurts.

A Geek-Wanna-Be!

Hello...
I believe that I am for now, a very, very small fish in a very, VERY large pond. What I mean is this, I am a 45 years young woman, in an age of computers and technology, who has not forgotten the good ole days and yet has this over whelming desire to be a geek. Computers are my passions and I love all the things you can do with them. The problem is, I don't know how to do all the things I want to do and I believe, perhaps incorrectly, but I believe that I am too old at this point, to learn. I want to be a geek, I do, I do! I want to have a famous blog, I want to design the most awesome website, I want to write this totally awesome computer program I have in my head! I do! I just don't know how.
So, for now, I will simply do the very best that I can do. I will continue to drewl over everyones super cool and popular blogs and web sites, I will continue to mess up my HTML and loose all the stuff on my home page, I will continue to loose all my passwords and important emails that say 'for your records'. I will continue to forget what email I stored where so I wouldn't loose it and I will continue to be a 'geek-wanna-be'.
When I get into Heaven tho, that is a different story! I know that God is saving this monster of a computer for me to play on and all I'll have to do is speak to it and it will do whatever I ask! Batta bing*!* I have the coolest blog you've ever seen! Abracadabra!*! I have the most amazing Website with all the bells and whistles! Bibbity-bobbity-Bo!*! I have this program designed and running that I always wanted to! The best parts...? I can never delete the wrong files, spell check is automatic, passwords appear like magic, it has never ending memory and processing speed and it knows what I am thinking and wanting! Wooohooo!
That will be my reward for being born a blonde who in her heart, was born a geek!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Happy Tuesday!

Good Morning,

It's Tuesday morning and I had a little time this morning before I tredge off to the trenches.

I hate working. LOL Don't we all? It's not the 'work' part I hate, it's the getting up, getting ready and getting out the door that I don't care for. I LOVE early mornings, that is not it. I just hate that I am being forced to get up early, 4:30am. I only love the early mornings when it is my choice to get up and be up.

I love the people I work with, they, for the most part, are very supportive and caring people. It's just my job that brings me down. It's a 'no brainer' type of job. I like to be challenged, to be kept busy. With my job now, I don't have that. But, it pays the bills, or kinda anyway.

I would love to be doing what I love. I would love to be on the computer all day, every day, creating, creating and creating! I love blogging, working in my paintshop pro, creating scraps, working on my psp list business, all of that. And, I do my best work late at night. With having to get up at 4:30am, staying up late is not an option.

So, I am here when I can be and create as I can but, there is never enough time in the day. It is my stress reliever, my escape. It is my passion.

How many of us really 'work' at a job that is our passion? How did you get there if you do? Why don't you if you don't? I would love to know.

Till next time...God keep you!

Mental

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Oh My Gosh!

"Hello! Computer! Do you hearrrr me?" *peering and growling at the beast* "I did NOT mean to lose that HTML thingymabob! Now you put it back here right now!"

*Smiles in that Ha! I am blonde, I rule and you drewl kinda way while filing nails and waiting for puter to fix what 'it' goofed up!*

Yeah know, it would be sooo much easier if the computer could read minds. I mean just think, you could get sooo much accomplished so much easier. I know it can't but, wouldn't it be great if the computer did what you WANTED it to do and NOT what you made it do?!! That would be awesome!

I really believe that somewhere out there, there is a programmer that could take my ideas, make a 'Blonde' program and we would both be rich! I know just how it should go too! *Grins in that seeeeee, blondes are NOT stupid way* You just have to be able to cut, copy, paste and drag everything! Simple! Viola! Seriously, I have some really great ideas here! Especially for Web Designing! It could be sooo easy! The computer would have all the layouts, knowing the secret HTML thingy codes and all like it does, it would let you pick one, then, you could drag all your pics, music, blinkies, fav sites and all onto that page and Bada-Bing, Bada-Boom, one totally awesome Website! And see how easy that was?!

So, call me programmers! We will hook up and I will help you out! I am off now to the sale at the mall and of course I have my phone!

*Smiles in that I told you so kinda way and checks the mirror one last time*

Friday, May 16, 2008

That was fast!

Yesterday I was happy to see a free sample offer in my email box! Wooohoooo! Free is always great! It was from Tide, their official site. It was for Tide with Dawn in it.

Now, I am a die-hard Tide fan and user. I pay the price for Tide rather than buying 'generic' laundry soap as I do with most other purchases I make for the family. So, I was excited to see this offer for a free sample.

Following the instructions, I went to get my free sample. It was maybe 3 minutes after getting the original email.

Did I get my free sample? NO! I got an error message instead. This offer has expired. Wow! That was fast.

Why did they bother so feed me this little morsel, this tidbit of good news only to yank it all away? Just to let me know that he who holds the freebies has the power!


Altogether, the day just went the way of the freebie. Too fast and too empty.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Demerol Time!

Today is one of those days. The pain is almost more than you can take, it hurts like heck to just sit in this chair and type. My body touching the chair is extremely painful! It brings tears to my eyes and every time I move, it becomes excruciating. And I move because it hurts so I wiggle to find comfort only, there isn't any.

I dread the walk to the printer. The thought of walking down stairs...makes me want to cry with the anticipation of what is to come.

I sit here, talk when spoken to and do my best to hold it in. Concentration is out the window and the fear of what did I forget to do, what if I forget what I am supposed to do, the mad dash to the sticky notes to write down what my instructions are is making me crazy. I pray that no one notices and that no one asks me what is wrong or how I am. I will loose it. I can no longer stand up straight when I head to the ladies room. The pain is pulling me down.

Doctors haven't helped so far and how could they, I have no insurance so, I can never follow up on an emergency room visit. I am afraid to go into the ER now, I owe so much money. I live in pain and I don't know what to do any more.

Ibuprophen is ok but when it hurts like this, for these days when even the merest of movement or touch is like shooting flames, nothing I have in my purse can touch it.

So, this blog probably doesn't make much sense but, I know there's someone somewhere out there that feels like I do, living with pain and can't get help for it because they don't have insurance. Forgive my rant today, forgive my spelling today...well, ok, forgive my spelling every day. See, I had one smile in me today.

Till next time....God Bless and keep you,

Mental

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Computers Hate Blondes!

Somedays I hate being a “blonde”! Maybe I should say geek challenged. It never fails, I set about the day with all these goals to get accomplished and the computer shoots me down! The computer kicks my blonde butt all over the place!
For instance, I decide today that I am going to add some things here, to this blog. I go to the widgets, cute name by the way, and pick out one I want to try. I get this…this…instruction page. It tells me do this and do that, then go here, do this, this and that, go back to that and do THAT! Make sure you do THIS! Yeah right, NOT! I can NOT read instructions and have the slightest clue as to what they are saying! *Deer in the headlights look ensues*
I didn’t even set this blog up myself! A friend did it for me. Did I mention he is a computer God? Well, he is! So, where does that leave me? In a place I have no clue how to get out of…geek land! It is true that I am a geek-wanna-be but, that a geek is what I want to be when I grow up! For right now, I just want to blog! I just want this computer to DO WHAT I WANT, WHEN I WANT IT! That’s not hard, is it?
Heck, I can’t even log on! I can’t believe it! I don’t exist! The computer failed to recognize me! Hello! I am here every day how can you not recognize me? You see me every day! So, what I do is, go to an old email I got on moderating a comment and sign on that way. Woohoo!! Take that you stupid computer!! That one recognizes me and loves me…nanee, nanee boo, boo! Pretty smart for a blonde, eh?
*sticks tongue out* I win! The blonde beat the smarty, smarty computer…..


What, I timed out?? What do you mean by that!! ? I didn’t know I was being timed!

Here's the Deal

Good Morning Bloggin Peeps,

It's Wednesday so that is a HUGE plus!! Why you ask? Cause the boss is always out of the office on Wednesday! Let the chair dancing begin!! *insert whoop whoop sound*

Did you know that the other night on ABC's Nightline, there was this woman who blogs, for money, although I don't believe it started out that way, and she makes....get this....40k a month!! Now that you've re-read that or, remember that you already read it in my last post...*blonde moment* I want you to know that I have the same goal for me!! I kept saying, "ya know, I should get paid for as much time as I am on here! Dang, I would be a flippin millionaire!" I don't know if you are like me but, I am constantly catching flack from my Hubby about spending so much time on the puter. I constantly hear, "It's not like you get paid for it!" or, "If we had a penny for every hour you spend on that thing, we'd be millionaires!" Well fasten your seatbelt, Hunny cause I am in that race!

Ya know, it's not even that I am a money person, I'm not really, it's just that I hate it when I see the look on my kids faces when I can't buy that piece of candy once in a while, when I can't sign them up for soccer, when we can't go see a movie, when we can't order pizza!! I am so sick of it! It breaks my heart when they look at me, throw their arms around me and say, "It's ok, Mom, we can do something here like have our own picnic or play monopoly." They shouldn't be comforting me!!! I am the Mommie!! I comfort them!!

So, now I am on a mission, a mission to make more money AND to help other families do the same thing! When I grew up, we didn't cry at night constantly wondering how we were going to be a damn gallon of milk!! And today, gas in my area hit 4.00$ a gallon!! Come on!! When is it all going to end??!!

That's the thing folks, it isn't. So, it's time to stand up and take a stand! You may not care about my family, and that is part of the problem at it's core (but that's another blog) but, I do care, about mine and yours! Surprise! That is why I am going to learn all I can about making money with this silly blog!! I have to! 'I can do it' is my new mantra!!

I also started a group of people who are in the same boat, hey, aren't we all? And, we are going to do this together and support each other to get it done!! All for one and one for all!! While you all are laughing at me for this 'hairbrained' notion, check out Dooce.com, that's the lady that makes 40k PER MONTH doing this silly little thing on the computer!! When I grow up, I want to be just like her!!

Till next time.....smile.

Mental

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Did you hear?

Hello Friends,

When I got home tonight, I had an email from a friend. Apparently last night on one of those news shows, I believe it was NightLine, a woman was featured who blogged. Now as you know, blogging is not unusual but, this woman made money blogging. Again, not unusual but, what she makes is...it blew me away!! She makes 40,000.00$ a month!!!

Once you get yourself up off the floor, read what I said again...40,000$ a month!!! I want to know how!! How does she do it?? How can I do it too?? LOL I have decided to find out!! My partner who does research for our Blogging group will figure it out. Once she does, I promise, I will share it with you too!!

If you don't believe me, just check out Nightline for yourself and see!! Here is the link: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=4836738&page=1
I hope that works right. I am still learning all this.

Anyway, have a great night, wherever you are! Until we talk again, may God keep you!

Mental

I learned something new today.

Hiya friends...

I was playing around on my blog today, with the settings, layouts and colors, just playing around. I didn't push too many buttons tho cause I know the damage I can do when I get to pushing buttons! I learned that a long time ago, after I blew up 5 computers. what I learned about today was the 'description' section of your blog. I didn't really have anything at that moment I wanted to say, and didn't think it would matter, so, I just threw in a little blurb and went on. Later when I logged back on, I saw that it did indeed matter and it showed up on the front page! LOL

Lesson learned....IF you push the buttons, find out what the buttons do!! :O)

Till next time... God Bless you!

Mental

Monday, May 12, 2008

Great Info for Mommies in South Bend, Indiana

Hello...
I have some really great info for all you mommies in the SouthBend, Indiana area!! A great deal has been found and is legitimate! The information follows:

Goodson Court Discount Grocery 1905 Goodson CourtSouth Bend, IN 46613
Hours are M-Th 10 am to 7 pm; Friday 10 am to 9 pm; Saturday 10 am to 2 pm
Accepting Cash, Credit, Debit, Check and EBT

Located just off Ironwood and Calvert/Milburn, very close to Lincoln Way. Big red building.
All boxes of cereal are $1.50,Salad dressings are 59 cents, Soups are 50 cents.
They have diapers, dog and cat food, candy bars, energy drinks, lots of canned non-perishable items.

They'll give a free box of groceries with a $50 purchase.
It's worth checking out.
(They don't carry milk, eggs, fridge or freezer items.) But what they do have is at a great price.
I hope this helps someone out there struggling like we all are! We Mommies need to stick together, like we used to!!

Blessings!
Mental

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing everyone out there a Happy Mother's Day!!

I hope your day is filled with tons of love and laughter!

MentalNotez

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Greetings Friends!

Today is a Saturday, it's only 11:30am and its been a wild one so far!! Grammy is babysitting this morning so, it's hard to get anything accomplished with an active, VERY active 3 year old running around. :O) We have had cat puke issues, toilet over flow issues and banging head tears issues!! Can you spell Val-i-um?! LOL

I am going to start blogging to help earn extra money! Everyone can use extra cash right? With the price of gas and food, we all can use the extra help!!! I am hoping this site will be my main blog for this and hopefully, I will have a bunch of extra Mommies and Grammies who want to do the same thing too, in one group, who will kick butt at it! Wanna see what ideas I have? Email me!

Well, back to the madhouse. I look forward to hearing from you!

Mental from the Mental Home

Friday, May 9, 2008

I Believe!

Do you believe in magic? As for me, I say with a resounding ‘Oh My Gosh, YES, I believe!”

There is so much wonder and magic in this world that even with a million life times, we would not experience it all. I am a Christian so you might be asking, ‘Ok, if you are a Christian, how can you say you believe in magic?” With a smile I say to you…I believe because magic is just another word for wonderful, for miraculous, for glorious, for ‘Oh My Gosh!, for spectacular! And where do all these things come from? God, of course. So, for me not to believe would be anti-Christian. Let me explain….

This weekend, I watched two of the best movies I have seen in a long, long time. First I watched ‘The Golden Compass’ and second, ‘Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium’. I simply fell in love all over again.

With ‘The Golden Compass’, people of that world had animals who shared their lives with them, felt their pain and when something happened to one of them, animal or person, the other felt it. These animals were called demons. Now rest assured, they were far from what we associate with the word demon! In fact, these animals were symbols of the spirit/soul of the person. In this movie, children were the most important character and though many adult stars were in the movie, it was their purpose to play second fiddle to these children, the main character especially. I will try not to give too much away but, there was this ‘group’ of adults who were experimenting on the children and what they were doing is, ripping a little cut, as they called it, between the child and the demon. What entailed after that was simply hideous!! The child then lost their imagination, their wonderlust, their ability to be a child. They were forced to ‘grow up.’ They had no more child like wonder, no more wanting to pretend, no more playing, they became in essence, lifeless souls. Another word for it, they became adults in little bodies. This broke my heart. To see the glory of a child, the spark of life, the magic, ripped away by a person that is supposed to be the caretaker, the nurturer, the teacher of children…it was a nightmare. Imagine it. Children are born of the miraculous, they are born filled with all the magic of the universe, they are the magic of God brought to earth. Children are innocent and always see the magic in the world. We all have seen it, in their faces, in their eyes, in the preciousness of their faces while they sleep. We’ve seen their magic as they gaped in awe at the dinosaurs of long ago, in their fierceness as they played superhero chasing down the bad guy, we have seen it in their tender worry over a hurt animal and we have seen it in their eyes as they look up at us, when they don’t feel good, knowing a simple kiss from Mommy or Daddy will make it all better. You can not tell me that there is no such thing as magic in this world for I see it every day in the faces of my children and grandchild. Perhaps truly, children are God’s greatest magical gift to us!

Where ‘The Golden Compass’ scared me with nightmarish fiendishness, ‘Mr. Magorium’ made me cry as if my heart were surely breaking and would never heal again. It was simply a stunning movie, beautiful and so simple that I believe the majority of viewers will miss 99.9% of the truth, and absolute magic, in this ‘story’.

Mr. Magorium is the curator of a toy store…I stumble at those words as they simply can not describe Mr. Magorium! His toy store is magic and it is alive with, and of, magic. Malory is the store manager and Eric, who is about 10, works with her there. Mr. Magorium is going away. He wants things to be in order for Malory to take over, this is something she knows nothing of. Mr. M hires the Mutant…an accountant from ‘the agency’. He says that account-ant means really a mutant, and they call him Mutant right from the start. :O) When you know the fullness of the story, the name Mutant for the accountant is even richer in meaning! I smile so hugely as I recall this movie and my feeble attempt to fill you in on it.

Mr. M promptly advises Malory that he is going away and he is leaving the store to her. She is quite confounded by just what he means by ‘going away’ and 10 year old, wise beyond measure, Eric, fills her in. “He means he is going to Heaven and leaving you the store.” No fuss, no muss and that is the correct order of things, making perfect logical sense to this wonderful, wise 10 year old. Malory is however stunned and promptly refuses any such thing. He can’t go away, she can’t run the store, she was getting a ‘real’ job and on and on.

Malory is a pianist as well as the manager of the store and she is a pianist who has lost all faith in herself and in her music. As the ‘last day’ of Mr. M is swiftly ending, we begin to share in the finding of the magic once more by Malory for she truly has not lost that magic at all, she only lost the belief in herself. Losing the belief in ourselves is such an utter tragedy and something we do every single day if we don’t take care of that belief, nurturing it and keeping it healthy and alive! Malory takes Mr. M on an outing to show him all the wonderful things he will miss if he goes away. Instead, we get to see the magic of Malory that Mr. M has seen all along and it is wonderful and inspiring! We also get to see that perhaps Eric will be the one to run the store after Malory for Eric is indeed a wonderous, awesome soul. Eric is someone you instantly fall in love with despite his quirky look and manner, or maybe, because of it. Maybe I fell in love with Eric because I saw in him a little of myself AND the person that I always wanted to be. We even get to fall in love with the Mutant as he grows up to be a child and learns what it means to believe again.

This movie is….there are no words. Simple and in that simpleness, a wonderous, glorious, stunning, reminder that there is magic all around us, in every piece of our lives AND within us. We simply stop believing in magic when we stop believing in ourselves for we are Gods creations and thus, magic.

As for Mr. M…he dies… I say that and I smile, laugh and cry, tears of loss and tears of joy, all at the same time. You will have to watch it to understand this last tribute to Mr. M.

Times are hard!

Greetings All....

With gas prices soaring and thus, ALL other prices soaring, things are really getting rough out there. And, it feels like there in absolutely nothing we can do. Sure, we can change some habits that we have, clip more coupons, drive less, cut out un-necessary purchases/bills but, what about people that already do those things and STILL are being swallowed up by this never ending monster!? What do we do? Cry? Pray? Shout? Scream? I just don't know.

Today, I plan to search for more coupons and pray some more. I simply don't know what else to do! I believe there have to be work at home things that are legitamate and I would love to check into that but, how do you find them, knowing for sure you are safe and they are legitimate. I haven't a clue.

I just feel so lost in this madness right now with NO light at the end of the tunnel!

Till next time.... God keep you!

Mental