This Stop Willoughby

I've been MIA this week.  Again.  Honestly, sometimes there aren't enough hours in the day to do all the things I want to do.  I've been busy with a project that I'll tell you more about very soon.  In fact, it has to do with a giveaway, so keep your eyes peeled!  An Award Kathy and Seashell from Two Hands Full Of Daisies gave me the following award: Thank you very much!  I'm so flattered that you would pass this award on to me! Here are the rules: List 10 things that make you happy. (try to do one of those things TODAY!) Tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day. Make sure to link back to the person that tagged you!   Ten things that make me happy: My family The end of winter (if it ever ends) Reading and writing blogs Music (see my player at the bottom of the page for some of my favorites) Cooking/baking Survivor and pizza on Thursday nights The ocean Family road trips and vacations Watching a good movie Reading a good...

Today, at 10:30 am, my son turned 17.  I still remember the day he was born like it was yesterday.  We were at a family birthday party when my water broke.  He was a few days early, and being our first child, we were a little unprepared.  My husband had to make the 30 minute drive home to get my bag (which wasn't packed, I was procrastinating) before we could head to the hospital. After an agonizing night of pitocin assisted labor and a last minute decision to perform a c-section, we were rewarded with this little guy.  Hours after he was born. Just before we were discharged (a rare picture of me). With daddy on his first birthday.  He has a bigger car now. The time has gone so fast.  Here's my little guy today, with his girlfriend.  Happy Birthday, seventeen year old!    Willoughby

My son has a birthday coming up.  He'll be 17.  Last year, when he turned 16 and got his drivers license and his own car, I didn't flinch.  This year, I'm feeling a bit more melancholic.  I guess it's starting to sink in that he's racing toward adulthood at warp speed.  Where did all that time go?  Did I make the most of it?  I hope I did. I've been thinking a lot about his worst birthday, especially after reading Tracie's latest post at Stir-Fry Awesomeness , where she posts about her son's birthday and her life ten years ago (it's a great post, stop by and read it if you haven't already).  I didn't want to share the story on his actual birthday, I'd rather reserve that day for a happier post, so here it is. Foreword:  Brevity is not one of my strong suits.  While I did not intend for this post to be a mini-novel, it has become one.  I appreciate your taking the time to read it, despite it's length. Febr...

So far, it's been one of those days.  It started when I woke up this morning with a wicked case of heartburn (I had a piece of bacon last night, sometimes the grease doesn't sit well with me).  After popping a Zantac, the burn was gone, but it was replaced by stomach cramps.  I still managed to get through my morning routine, but it slowed me down.  I kept trying to pick up my pace, but that seemed to make things worse.  It reminded me of a little iron trivet that my grandma used to have in her kitchen.  It said "The Hurrier I Go, The Behinder I Get".  That couldn't have been more true for me.  I nearly shattered a bottle of perfume while frantically blow drying my hair at the last minute.  I dropped the jar of jam on the floor while I was making my daughter's lunch and I spilled coffee creamer on the counter when I refilled my coffee. We got a light dusting of snow in the early hours of the morning, so I wanted to leave a mi...

Technically Speaking I'm keeping my fingers crossed that of my technical difficulties are over.  I have been reading and commenting on blogs without any problems this morning.  I haven't done anything differently or changed any settings, but everything seems to be working.  Let's hope it lasts. Raking It In We live in a small town so there are far more teenagers looking for jobs than they are jobs available.  Especially considering that so many adults are currently out of work and willing to take jobs that were formerly done by teenagers.  So when my son's girlfriend was looking for a way to earn some extra money, she looked into jobs that can be done online. I'm always skeptical about work from home opportunities so I did a little research.  I spent some time googling the names of the companies that promised to pay for online help to see if the were legitimate or scams.  In my search, I came across a website that investigates and reports...

Technical Difficulties I've been having some technical difficulties over the past few days.  I'm having trouble accessing some of your blogs.  I'm also having a problem leaving comments on some of the blogs that I can access.  For some reason, the comment area will not recognize that I'm signed in.  It happens sporadically, so sometimes I can leave a comment, sometimes I can't.  I don't know if it's blogger or my computer that's causing the problem, but I am trying to get it worked out.  In the meantime, I haven't forgotten you! Projects I've been busy with a few projects so I haven't posted a new blog in almost a week (I have still been reading your blogs, though).  I should be back on track within the next few days. Giveaway I am planning a giveaway very soon and I'm pretty excited about it!  I don't want to let the cat out of the bag just yet, but I want to tell you that the prize will not be strictly for women....

My first exposure to the internet was back in 1996 when my husband and my son bought me a WebTV* unit for Christmas.  I didn't have much of an idea of what the internet really was, but I was excited.  I had seen an advertisment for WebTV and it looked like a lot of fun. One of the first things I learned about were bulletin boards (an early version of forums).  WebTV had a feature that allowed you to choose your interests and then it would display a list of bulletin boards you might like.  Under the entertainment category, I found a bulletin board for M*A*S*H.  I've always loved the show, and when I found out Larry Gelbart, one of the shows writer/producers was a contributing member of the board, I decided to check it out. At first, all I did was read the posts.  I was nervous about posting any questions or comments of my own, but when I saw that Larry was answering questions, I got up my nerve and posted one.  He didn't answer right away but anothe...