Chowder

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Wow, I didn't realize it, but I haven't had time to keep up with my blog! I have been so busy, what with cats, dogs and family, it has been crazy around here. Anyway, here we go again!

My mother always told me that there would be days like the ones that I have been having. She just didn't bother to tell me that they would last for months at a time. What fun! Things get nuts around here at times. My dog, Chowder is neurotic. You must understand, Chowder is like my baby. A white furry ball of fluff that is going to permanently act like a two year old child. The terrible twos have nothing on this dog! I guess he is as crazy as his human. I'm not sure, but at times I think he has me beat.

If company is over, he does these tight circles, yips and jumps on whoever has come through the door. Mind you, I have tried everything to get him to quit. I have even threatened him with a bad butt beatin', but, it never works. I guess he would make a good burglar deterrent since he stays right under your feet. He could always trip them! And Lawd, don't take him for a walk when other dogs are out and about! He acts like a total fool. I know he only wants to play, but, for cryin' out loud, please! He won't stop! 

We live in an apartment complex where there are a lot of stairways. He loves to pee at the bottom of every staircase. I have no inkling why he does this. There are plenty of bushes and trees. Why can't he pee on those? What's up with that?! 


I have seen this dog tree a squirrel in a heartbeat. He can see them a good 3 buildings away. When he does, the race is on! Yesterday, he treed one and the squirrel actually turned around on the tree, got close to Chowder and started fussing at him! I think if the squirrel would have had access to nuts, he would have been bombing Chowder with them! Of course, all I could do was laugh at them. It looked so funny. 

You know, I don't think I will trade this dog in. He is too funny, too cute and has a great personality. I guess I'll keep him.

Heavenly Levels

The last blog that I wrote, someone asked me an interesting question. I really like the comments and questions, they give me something to think about. I decided this blog will be a partial answer to the comment section, since I had so much to say and really did not want to leave a long comment. Feel free to comment or ask questions! 


Are there different levels to hell since there are different levels to heaven? I believe so. If God has created this world to have "mirror images" of the things in it, then surely hell is just the opposite of heaven and has just as many levels. Now, I am not so sure that the spirits that we see around us are in a literal hell as we think of it in our finite minds. It may be a hell of their own choosing since they are refusing to move on. 

 And, yes, the Bible does say that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. There are actually 3 different places that the deceased go to. From what I understand, those that were under Mosaic Law, or the Laws of Moses in the Old Testament, are asleep in the spirit until the day of Judgment. Those under the Davidic Law, or Christ's Redemption, in the New Testament, are present with the Lord as soon as their spirit crosses over. Those that were and are martyred for Jesus and God are placed under the Altar of the Lord until the Day of Judgment. In other words, there is a special place in Heaven for them. Do I believe that some of the spirits have stayed behind? Yes. Do I believe most of them have crossed over? Yes. 


Well, I just wanted to explain what I think is going on. I may be very wrong, or I may be very right. I won't know until I get there.


Stay tuned for the next blog!

Ghosts or Not?

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Do you believe? Do I believe? Does the Bible support this belief? It is my belief that it does. Now, I know a lot of mainstream Christians are going to argue this point, but, just hear me out.


 In the New Testament, when Jesus appeared before His disciples after His crucifixion, He was talking to them trying to convince them that He was really alive. He asked one of them "What do you think I am, a ghost?". I believe they may have thought He was. 

After studying the Bible and praying as much as I have, I know that there are many things that we cannot understand. We won't understand until Judgement. But, I do know that the Word talks about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus left behind as our comforter. What exactly is the Holy Spirit? When Jesus died, His spirit was left behind. In the old translations of the Bible, this was called the Holy Ghost. In our world, that God created, there is opposites of everything. Heaven and hell, Angels and Demons, the Holy Spirit and apparently, spirits of those that have not, for one reason or other, have not moved on. As the Chinese say: The yin and the yang. It just makes sense to me that this is the way of things. 

Now, you may ask, have I ever seen a ghost? Have I felt the Holy Spirit? The answer to both would be yes. I have been "sensing" spirits since a very young age. I always thought I was nuts. Turned out that I am sensitive to these things. As I have gotten older, I have become more sensitive. Probably because I accept it now.  

I do think that some people don't move on because they are afraid to, they have unfinished business or they just don't realize they are dead. In the past, I lived in a house that used to be a morgue. When the house was bought, we did not know this, or we may not have bought it. There were very strange things that went on there. I slept with a light on in the bedroom or didn't sleep except during the daylight hours. Not that it stopped them from being around. It was just that I could "see" who/what was around me this way.

I know that this short blog won't convince anyone they are around us, but, I am using this as a kind of catharsis on what I have gone through. I will write more about this next time.

President or Dictator?

I don't know about you, but our Government is driving me crazy. Especially our President and his wife. I guess Obama should be re-elected since he promised change, and he made good on that promise. In fact, it seems like he has changed it so much that I am loosing sight of what our country was like before he was elected to office! 

First of all, has anyone actually bothered to read the books that Obama has written? I urge everyone to read them. Borrow them from the library (you know, that place that has a lot of books that you can check out for 14 days?) If you buy the books, he gets the money. I don't know about you, but I really don't want him getting more of my money than he already does. This man hates America. He states it in plain black and white, in English (so rare these days!). He also let's us know that if there is a major conflict between world powers (or the powers that be) he will always side with the Muslims and the Muslim countries. Now, how messed up is that?

Then, you have Mrs. Obama. What a hypocrite in every sense of the word. She must change the world, she must make us get up and move, she must make us eat proper foods. I've got news for her, she is not my mother! This is a woman who spends our money to take lavish vacations overseas with her children on Air Force 1 (or 2, 3, etc...) and feeds and eats whatever they so desire. Whether it is "good" for them or not. Personally, I am sick unto death of having to cater to them and pay their bills. 

So much has been found out about this family and our government officials are doing nothing. I say fire them all and start over. They have run us into the ground, apologized to our enemies because we were a strong nation, passed a socialist agenda, etc. They aren't the only ones by far. We have the internet now, people! Do some research. Don't drink the kool-aid and be blinded by charisma! 

I do so hope that someone decent runs against Obama so that we can defeat him. Don't misunderstand me, I support the office of President, I just don't support who is holding that office at this time. I wish he were a better man. A more honest man. He's not. 

By the way, how is that change working for you? I could go on and on. I could make this more humorous. Our countries situation is far from humorous though. I wish Allen West would run for President. There is still hope. Get involved in local groups. Preferably the most conservative so that we may reverse the situation this present government has gotten us into. And, please, vote!
 

Life As We Knew It

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The 1950's. A simple time and the beginning of rock and roll. The 1960's. The start of the free love revolution, flower power, drugs, and sex. Some say good times, some say bad. A time in history that has eluded the younger generation now, and I am sure gave grey hairs to the older generation of that time. The kids today have no idea of how things used to be. Today's kids are all about video games, cell phones and computers. 

I guess today's society is all about going green, saving mother earth and allowing us to live longer. Yeah, right! Like we didn't do that when I was a kid. Do any of you remember picking up coke bottles and milk jugs on the side of the road or saving them at home? We would take them back to the store and they would give us a nickel or a dime. Then, they would send them off to be sterilized and re-used. I guess that's not considered recycling. I think it is, we just didn't call it that. And, hey, it gave you pocket money to buy a coke and candy bar. We always thought it was pretty cool. 

I really don't think we used as much electricity then, either. We didn't have air conditioning. Just a fan. We played outside most of the day. If it was hot, we got to play in the sprinkler that was hooked up to the water hose. Man, those were the days. Not only did we cool down in the water, the lawn got a good soaking, too.


We also used our imaginations a lot when we played. I can remember taking an old shoe box, wrapping different sized rubber bands around it and playing it like a guitar! Now, that was pretty cool. I guess it was our equivalent of an air guitar.


I played with my Barbies a lot. Shoes made great cars or boats for her and GI Joe. (Joe was Barbies favorite "boyfriend" 'cause he looked like he could take care of her. Ken looked like a sissy boy!) An 8 inch pyrex dish made a good swimming pool for Barbie. And, the top of socks made good Barbie dresses. I think that is pretty good recycling by a young kid!


So, to all you "youngsters" out there: this was a small sample of the way our generation recycled. It was simple and it worked. We didn't use a lot of electricity to power our toys, games, etc. When we went somewhere close by, we rode our bikes or walked. We didn't make our parents drive us everywhere. We used what we had available to play with. So, count yourselves UNlucky that you will never have that kind of fun childhood!

Little Child Lost

On this day, 34 years ago, my daughter Rebecca was born. I was so happy. She seemed to be perfect in every way. Light fuzzy reddish blond hair, all fingers and toes, and lungs that were strong enough to wake every baby in the nursery. She was a hefty 8 lbs and 21 inches long. I had to have a planned c-section because I really wasn't supposed to have children. But, that is another story for another time. 

At the time Becca was born, my ex and I lived in England. (He was in the Air Force) I had just turned 19 the month before. Looking back, I was way too young, but I really wanted a baby. I came back stateside to have her about a month and a half before my due date. I really didn't trust the doctors on the base to do what had to be done. It seemed like none of them wanted to listen to me and they were determined that I have her natural. It would have killed me and maybe the baby. So, back home I went. We returned to England 3 months later. 

Becca was not a normal child. She slept all the time. I would have to wake her up just so she would eat. She didn't start crawling until she was almost a year old. No matter what I told the base pediatricians, they would tell me she would be ok. Becca finally started walking when she was almost 2. By then, we were on our way to the states. She was my precious girl and I protected and loved her so much. Her dad and I were divorced right after she turned two and a few months later I met her step-dad. 

Becca did drown when she was three. We don't know exactly how long she was in the pond, but, we looked for her for an hour. The Sheriff's Dept was on their way when we found her. She was revived by her step-dad while we were on the way to the hospital. I was so scared for her. I thought I had lost her. It was awful.

After the drowning, I became pregnant with her brother. Jase just loved his big sis. By this time, Becca was in Kindergarten. She hated it. She couldn't seem to catch on to reading and the things the teacher taught her, she seemed to get backwards all the time. 


Things went on and on. I had taken her to Doctors, Psychologists, Psychiatrists and the whole nine yards. All I ever got told was I had to be a bad mother. 


Finally, when Becca was 11, I couldn't do anymore. She was out of control, calling CPS and threatening all kinds of things. She was just having such a hard time in school and no one seemed to know what to do. Finally, I called her Dad and told him I needed help with her. He hadn't seen her since we were divorced and he thought I just had to be doing something wrong. Her Dad took her to live with him and his wife. Becca really upset their household. Her Dad finally had her hospitalized in a Pedi-Neuro Unit for testing.


Poor Becca. She was so confused. We found out she had Autism. They were just starting to diagnose Autism, so I knew nothing about this kind of thing. I think he tried to help her the best he could, but she ended up living with my sister for a while. Then, when she was 16 (she had already returned to her dad) she ran away.


I did not hear from Becca till she was 20. She was grown up with a husband. And, she was still as unpredictable. She just left Sam six months later and she disappeared.


She contacted me again when she was 22 or 23. She had gotten mixed up with some really big druggies. She ended up pregnant and homeless. I let them come live with us until I couldn't stand it anymore. The drugs were relentless, the Satan worship was relentless and I couldn't get through to her or her boyfriend. Finally I had enough and sent him packing. She chose to leave with him. I couldn't force her to stay. My hands were tied. 


I let her go. She had a daughter in December of that year. Her name is Morgan Ileane. I have never seen her. She is 11 now. I think Becca gave her up or sold her. 


We did find Becca about 5 or 6 years ago, living on the streets of Dallas, strung out on drugs and no sign of Morgan. Everyday I think of both of them. I pray for them and love them very much. My hope is that Becca found someone to take Morgan, to give her the love that I can't. My other hope is that Becca is clean and she knows that no matter what, Mom will always love her and have hopes for the little child lost.....

The Rapture or Left Behind??

I thought I would type this as 6 pm approaches. Some preacher has said the rapture is going to take place at 6 pm and it will happen at 6 pm in whatever time zone you are in. Let's say you are in England, then the rapture would occur at 6 pm on the 21st. And, people on the east coast of the US wouldn't happen until it is 6 pm their time. So, in a nutshell, it must be a rolling rapture. Cool thought, but, as far as I can tell, shouldn't it already have happened overseas? Or am I mixed up again? I haven't heard of a large group of people disappearing from over there. And, right now, in the US, on the east coast, it is past time. I haven't felt a giant earthquake yet. Remember, there was supposed to be a giant earthquake that shakes the whole earth. 

I really feel for this preacher and his followers. It is so sad. They spent all their money, quit their jobs and were just so sure. I looked at his website last night just to see what he was saying. This man thinks he has cracked a mathematical code in the Bible and that God himself has given him the knowledge to do this. For some reason, he thinks he has found the "true" Biblical calendar. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not making fun of these people. They truly believe what this preacher is preaching. 

I have been studying the Bible since I was 9 years old. The very first book that I read was the Book of Revelation. It scared me unmercifully. But, I understood most of what God was trying to say. As I have studied and gotten older, I understand even more. The "Rapture", as man has decided to call it, takes place before the Tribulation. And yes, rapture is a man made term that is not used in the Bible anywhere. The real deal is Jesus is going to call up the dead in Christ first. This does not mean their bodies, by the way. The bodies are a moot point. It is the spirit that will be caught up. (So, all you wandering spirits, get ready!) Then, those that are alive will be caught up in the air. This does not mean the body, either. It is the spirit. Now, I don't claim to know how He is going to do this, I just have faith that it will be done. It may be a mass destruction thing, or, it may be something else that happens. I also know that the Bible also says that "no one knows the hour or the day, not the Angels in Heaven and not even My Son, who sits at My right hand." Now, what makes this man and his followers believe that they will know the exact date and time when Jesus doesn't even know? 

I tell you, I am a believer. I have faith and a lot of it. I am way too far from perfect. But, I choose to believe what the Bible tells me and God lets me have a sense of, than a mere man.

Everyone have a wonderful evening, be not afraid, and try not to ridicule these poor misguided people too much!

So Much For That!

I know, it's been a few weeks. Not that anyone is waiting with baited breath, mind you! I have so many things running through my mind that even I can't keep my thoughts straight. Oh, I try, but then sometimes thoughts are scary things and I just want to quit thinking. Never happens, though! 

Today, a young man in the 6th grade came over to visit. He is a young neighbor of mine. He brought his two chihuahua's to play with my dog and cat. He is a well mannered young man and has very few friends his age. I think he really prefers the adults to other kids. I guess I don't blame him. He is different from the other kids. He wears cowboy boots, cowboy hat, jeans that actually fit, carries a walkie talkie on his belt and talks of more grown up things. Poor kid. He is picked on unmercifully by the other children in the complex. That really irritates me. Why are kids so cruel? I remember them being mean when I was a youngster. I was different from the other kids. My parents were strict, I had a curfew, mother made me wear perms in my hair, long dresses, and I had glasses. The girls were especially mean. The boys, not so much. And, I keep thinking about this young man and others like him. What are his hopes and dreams for his future? Are they like mine were? Does it bother him that the other kids are so mean? And when he grows up, goes to a class reunion, is he going to find that the stuck up kids are still stuck up like I did? What makes these kids think they are so great that they have to be cruel and then carry it on in later life? Is it maybe that they are insecure? My hope for this young man is that he remembers my kindness, my respect and that he grows into a fine man. That he has at least one true friend in life. 

Think on these things, parents. Teach your children compassion, empathy and understanding. Teach them that love is the greatest gift and that above all things God wants us to love each other as we love ourselves. Maybe, just maybe, the world would be a little better place for us. Until next time, my friends. Peace.

Mother's Day

I just want to say Thank You to all Moms out there who work hard to raise their children. Have a wonderful Mother's Day and hopefully no one will overlook your worth. 

Mother's Day seems to me to be so commercialized now. I prefer the handmade things that kids make and the hugs/kisses that they dole out. (The messier the kiss, the better!) Motherhood can be so rewarding. And, it can be very painful. Like Mothers everywhere don't already know that fact! 

I, myself, appreciate that we have a Mother's and Father's Day. Most parents need to be honored. Of course, there is always the handful of parents that needed to use better contraceptive! I've seen some of those personally. 

Anyway, Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there who work 24/7/365 days to make sure your children grow up healthy, strong and loved. We need more moms like you in the world.

Oh Lordy!!!

I thought I'd give ya a little hint of my craziness on this first blog. I figure I'll get better at this stuff in the next few days. I just have to remember the crazy things I think of during the day. Like,  these women in the store that have 10 kids following them and they are pregnant with another one. Sometimes, I just wanna slip a pack of condoms in their basket with a note that says "Your welcome!". For cryin' out loud! At least I was smart enough to stop at 2. Course, I didn't learn the first time, so I had to have a second one. Believe me, I caught on to what caused that real quick! Really, I love my kids. I just hope one day that my son will kindly live on his own, before I am dead already! (Actually, I love having him here and I have to stop myself from "babying" him...hahaha!) 

Speaking of kids, I saw something in the great land of "Wally-World" the other day that just made me wonder what kind of kids we are raising. I witnessed this little girl pitching a big hissy fit over some toy. She must've been about 6. She was really going at it. I stood and watched in amazement as her dad turned his back and started walking away! First rule of parenting: Never, under any circumstance, turn your back on the little buggers. You don't know what they are going to do to you. Apparently this man never heard of  the First Rule. I think now he wished he had. His little girl started screaming, yelling and throwing herself around. Well, not only was she throwing herself around, she was throwing toys off the shelf. I had to just shake my head. I'm telling ya, things are looking grim for us when some fancy dude tells us to just walk away from kids when they are pitching a hissy fit. I personally find that pitching one with them works better. Not only do you feel better for relieving some stress, you get to see them looking at you like you are nuts. But, it stops them cold. And when they stop, you tell them "well, now you know, it's kinda silly, isn't it to act like that?" They get the message.  Of course, it is kinda hard to pitch a fit in the store with everyone watching, so I've thought of other ways to get them back when they get older and can appreciate it! One of the things I thought of doing when they were about 11 and 14 was to put money in one of those money changers. Ya know, like a $5 or $10. Then, when the change starts coming out start jumping up and down, yelling "I WON!!!". I never got the chance to do it, though. So sad.  If anyone decides to try this, shoot an email off to me and let me know how it went. I need as many good laughs as I can get!

Well, I will post again as soon as my brain decides it's rested enough. I think Chowder is ready for bed.