10 Reasons to Fall for Fall

Fall is finally here! Though one walk outside this air conditioned building, into the hot Florida sun, and you'll call me a liar and swear it's Summer! ♪People say I'm no good, and crazy as a loon♪ (Charlie Daniels)

Trust me, it's Fall! And, I couldn't be happier! Here's 10 Reason's why:

1. ♪Are you ready for some football?!♪  I enjoy the lazy days of Summer and watching a Baseball Game, but there is nothing better than Football!

2. Halloween is my family's absolute favorite holiday! We dress up, have a feast in honor of our ancestors and exchange small gifts. And, of course there's trick r treating and then we wait all night long in hopes of catching a Glimpse of The Great Pumpkin as he rises from the pumpkin patch to bring...

3. Pumpkin Latte at Starbucks! Yum yum yum!  ♪Yummy yummy yummy I got pumpkin my tummy♪

4. Paula Deen's Ooey Gooey Pumpkin cake recipe- Fall makes me want to bake, and this one of my favorite recipes. It's like cheesecake meets pumpkin pie. Seriously, if you haven't tried it...you...are...CRAZY! What are you waiting for?! Make it, make it!

5. Fall Festivals- like the one in my home town of Keene, NH that holds the record for the most lit jack o'lanterns. This year, it will celebrate it's 20th anniversary.


6. All the new products that come out just in time for the holidays. Like this year's release of Just Dance 2 from Ubisoft. That's right, if you liked #1 you're gonna love #2! I got to try it out at BlogHer, and it was awesome! It has over 40 new tracks and I'm so ready to ♪walk like an Egyptian♪ (Bangles)


7. Holiday wish lists- I'm already planning mine! It will definitely include a Keurig, which I have wanted, ever since I tried it at my cousin's wedding in 2008. This is not your ordinary coffee machine. It is like uber super wicked cool! All you do is choose your flavor cup, (they even have tea and hot chocolate if you're not a coffee drinker,) put it in the Keurig, and in like a minute, you have a fresh cup of warm yummy goodness!



8. Fall Leaves in their pretty changing colors. Not these, of course.
 But these:
What?! It's Florida, We have to pretend!

9. Bosses Day- Who doesn't love to thank their boss for all they do?! We should totally have more of these very special days! (shhh don't tell, but I totally included that part in case my boss was reading, because we all know that some boss somewhere had that little day put on the calendar by some poor little worker so they could feel godd about the job they do.)

10. Um, yeah, um, totally running out of things... OH! I know! Columbus Day! Because we get to honor the scam artist that managed to con his way into history so we would lie to our children, once more, (as if the Santa thing wasn't enough!)

♪Wake me up when September Ends♪
(Green Day)



Mama's Losin' It

Disclaimer: I was in no way compensated for this post. All opinions are my own

Wordless Wednesday: Stairway to


Mayfel's Stairs, Asheville



♪ Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change
The road you're on ♪
(Led Zeppelin)

Post It Note Tuesday: Over Drive



 ♪Just don't know what to do with myself♪ (Cameron Diaz)


 ♪The world is a vampire, sent to drain♪ (Smashing Pumpkins)


 ♪They tried to make me go to rehab, I said no no no♪ (Amy Winehouse)



♪Staring at the blank page before you open up a dirty window let the sun illuminate the words you could not find♪ (Natasha Bedingfield)


Only Parent Chronicles

Monday Minute: Food, Phobia and Free

This is the first edition of Monday Minute in it's new home with Cristy who has a really adorable button with colorful clocks on it, but I couldn't find anywhere to grab it, so, if you want to read the other Monday Minutes' or if you want to link up yourself, you'll have to imagine a really cute colorful button and follow this link. It's okay, it works just the same :-)


(1) What’s the last restaurant you went to and what did you order? Bojangles, in South Carolina on my 11 hour drive home from Asheville, yesterday. I was excited to stop there, because we don't have Bojangles where I live. I had fried chicken and biscuits, of course! And it was Yummmmmmmmy!  ♪Mr Bojangles, Mr. Bojangles♪  (Sammy Davis Jr.)

(2) What's your greatest phobia? Roaches! I become completely paralyzed at the site of one, and thanks to Stephen King's Creep show; I can't even kill one for fear of the little family of roaches attacking me! *shudders*

(3) On a scale of 1 to 10, how hot are you? A 10! Duh! I live in Florida, it's freakin' hot as hell here!! ♪I am gettin' so hot I'm gonna take my clothes off♪  (Nelly)

(4) You just found out you (or your partner) are having a baby. What's your reaction? Holy shit! I thought I was menopausal!

(5) You just won a free vacation to anywhere in the world. Where would you go? Ireland in search of "me gold" *in best little leprechaun voice* I'd tour St. James Gate where Guinness is made and then it'd be off to England, France & Germany Wait! It's free! I'm going everywhere! ♪she was nowhere and everywhere at the same time♪ (Michelle Lewis)

Wordful Wednesday: Wearing Heels

I love shoe shopping. I don't even have to buy any. I just love trying them all on. I've been trying on this pair of heels by Dollhouse, at DSW for the past couple weeks. They have a great vintage style in a pale pink satin with black polka dots, and a little bow on the top.

Absolutely adorable! But, where the hell would I wear them?!  They're fine for prancing around the shoe store, but let's face it; they're totally stripper shoes! Really, who in their right mind would choose to wear 4 inch heels, unless they plan on spending part of the time with their legs wrapped around a pole?! Which they would need to do to relieve the damn pain in their feet from dancing around in these things!

And yes, I'm totally winning mom of the year, because that's my little girl modeling those very same shoes on our last visit to the store. Yes, I know! My daughter has on stripper shoes, and I took a picture of it! Shameful!


But, we had so much fun, and with her growing up, these little girl playing dress up moments are fleeting.

♪Just like a crow chasing the butterfly, dandelions lost in the summer sky♪ (Shinedown)

Monday Minute: All Lies

Monday Minute


1 - Have you ever lied on one of your Monday Minute answers? Yes, all the time. Well, now I have.  ♪Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies ♪ (Fleetwood Mac)


2 - What is on your bedside table? a lamp, an alarm clock, Rolling Stone magazine, a puppy chewed remote, Dracula DVD, and, a jump rope.

3 -Would you rather lose your sight or hearing? I am ridiculously afraid of the dark, so hearing... but WAIT! no!I LOVE music, so...sight....OOH but I LOVE reading, so...hearing...but, no I REALLY LOVE music...   ♪I would rather go blind boy than to see you walk away from me ♪ (Etta James)


4 -Would you rather give up all forms of sexual contact for a year or give up your DVR for three months? Easy! I haven't had a DVR for over a year...I'm just not that into TV. If I miss something, I catch it in reruns, or watch it online. Plus, unless it's under doctor's orders there is just no way I'd go that long without sex, nope just isn't happening!   ♪cause when I get that feeling, I want sexual healing ♪ (Marvin Gaye)


5 - Name one thing that you are proud that you've accomplished in life.  I'll take cheesy answers for $5000: I have to say my marriage. When Bear and I got married, we were so young, no one thought it would last, (even the priest said we should just live together, and refused to marry us.) They were all wrong! Our love is stronger than ever. It hasn't always been easy, but...here we are 18+ years, and we haven't killed each other yet.     ♪18 and life still counting 18 and life to go ♪ (Skid Row)

Writer's Workshop: Why blog?

Today's prompt on Writer's Workshop: Write about what blogging means to you. Why do you blog?

Why do I blog?! Well, duh! because who else is gonna listen?!

I have teenage daughters, certainly they're not listening! If they were, I wouldn't have to say the same thing over and over and over and...well, you get the picture! Even when they hear what I'm saying, they don't hear what I'm saying! If they did, I would never again have to say "don't lay the wet clothes on top of each other, they won't dry that way!" or "doing the dishes means ALL the dishes!" ♪ cause it's all in my head, and I think about it over and over again♪  (Tim McGraw & Nellie)

And, even though the dogs cock their heads to the side and look at me with focused interest, it's not real. They are mocking me! In their doggy little minds they're saying "sure lady, mmhmm, okay, right, the shoes aren't for eating, ok duuuuuuhhhhhhhh... ooh a ball!"

Nobody at work's listening, because they haven't realized how awesome I am and promoted me to CEO! Nope, and I tell them everyday, but nothing! ♪ Is there anybody in there, just nod if you can hear me, is there anybody home?♪

So...I blog!

In Blogland, I have a voice! I am heard. ♪ Under wandering stars I've grown By myself but not alone♪  (Metallica)

Mama's Losin' It

Post It Note Tuesday: Workin' For a Livin'



♪ don't you lose that number, cause I'm not anywhere that you can find me♪
(Phil Collins)


♪ I'm takin what they're givin' cause I'm workin' for a livin♪ '
(Huey Lewis)


♪ 'Cause you love me in all the right ways♪
(Bellamy Brothers)

♪ We gotta get out of this place, if it's the last thing we ever do♪
(The Animals)



That One Mom

I was Kidnapped

Help! I've been kidnapped by Shell and she won't let me go until you go over there and read my post!

Okay, so she didn't really have to kidnap me to get me to write a post, but you really should head over to Things I Can't Say and read about my moment of coolness, and then check out the other stories in the Friends You Love Blog Hop to celebrate women's friendships.

♪ I get by with a little help from my friends♪


FriendsYouLove

Friday Fragments

Mommy's Idea

*It's Friday! Can you believe it?! It's finally here, and at the same time: "What?! it's Friday?! how the hell did that happen?! It can't be Friday, yet! I don't have my post ready for Shell, yet! And, she needs it for Monday!"  Don't worry, Shell, you'll get it, and before Monday. Oh shit! I need to get this done, tonight! OMG I can't let her down! Don't worry, I have a plan!  ♪don't worry, be happy, now♪ (Bobby McFerrin)

*I am so excited about my upcoming trip to Asheville for Type A Mom conference! It's only 2 weeks away, and I just can't wait! I'm gonna share a hot tip I got from a friend, but it'll be our little secret: Asheville has THE BEST PUMPKIN FUDGE! Shhh don't tell I want it all for me! Oh, and you, of course! ♪Eat it eat it♪ (Wierd Al)

*My girls have a class together, and this weekend they have to do a creative project with a partner. Naturally, they didn't partner with each other, so I will be running them in opposite directions to get this project done. Last night, they were arguing over who's idea was better. I'm not sure who won, but I think they both decided that the other one is "STUPID!" *doors slam* it's gonna be a long year! ♪It's been a long time coming...one of us is going down♪ (Sick Puppies)

*#1 went on her first interview last Sunday, and it went really well, but she got a call yesterday that they weren't gonna hire her, because they need someone with more availability, right now. Not a bad way to get turned down, but still: THEIR LOSS! Cause she's freakin' awesome!

*How stupid was that preacher with the idea to burn the Koran?! Dumb Ass! I'm really thinking that judging those that are not Christian, does not seem very Christian, but what do I know?!

*Dear Football Season, Please stay longer this time. I miss you when you're gone. ♪football theme song in my head♪

*Dear Bear, You don't send me flowers for no reason, and that's okay because that's a lot of money for something that just wilts away, and it doesn't take a lot of money to make my day, all it took was that little text you sent my way. Thank you, I love you, too! ♪you don't send me flowers... but you send me love texts♪

Have a Happy Friday!

Writer's Workshop: Grease Was The Word

I really should have read the prompts for Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop, earlier this week. Then this post would have been so much more informed and intelligent. Oh, who am I kidding?! Reading it a couple days earlier would have just meant a couple more days to procrastinate over which prompt to choose, and certainly, my intelligence level wouldn't have changed during that time, and as for informed?! Yeah right! As if I would've stopped staring at twitter long enough have time to do extra research! ♪ time time time is on my side, yes it is♪  (The RollingStones)

What was it about that movie? Describe A movie you once had memorized.  Well that's easy enough: Grease! ♪ Grease is the word, it's got move it's got meaning♪

As a child I made my 2 best friends watch it over and over and over with me! I couldn't get enough of it! The singing, the dancing...and, oh, that Kinicki! Forget Danny! Kinicki was the hot one!

We would all have a part. Of course, I was Rizzo, because she was a freakin bad ass! That, and of course, she was kissing Kinicki, teehee. My friends; the blonde sisters, would argue over which one got to be Sandy, and ultimately, they would decide that one was curly haired Sandy, (you know cause she's a different person post makeover.)

So, the parts were assigned, the tape was in, (dammit, it wasn't rewound!) Okay, now the tape is in, and we are ready. Push pause on the cartoon butts mooning at the beginning, laugh, FF through the slow beach scene, and now on with the movie!

The opening scene: ME! I'm up off the couch oozing of coolness, saying "We're gonna rule the school, haha!" On to Sandy in the office, then singing Summer Loving, ♪ Summer loving had me a blast♪   and on through making fun of Sandy,  ♪ Look at me I'm Sandra Dee...keep that pelvis far from me♪   through Grease Lightning, ♪ why, it could be Grease Lightning♪  doing the Hand Jive, ♪ Hand Jive Hand Jive♪  and of course ♪ Blue Moon.♪

We sang every song, spoke every part, and did every dance. It was our movie. Our special time. Our time to just be silly, be kids, be friends, and, to dream of going to a school like Rydell high, with a cool group of friends and our own Pink Ladies Club.

There was just something about that movie! ♪ We go together like shoobopdawadawadayippitydeeboomshaboom♪

”Mama’s

Post-it Note Tuesday After Blues

♪Blue,ooh oohooh ooh oh so lonesome for you♪ ( LeeAnn Rimes   )






♪Stay away Mother f**kers, it's just one of those days♪ (Limp Bizkit)



♪The sun will come up tomorrow, bet your bottom's dollar that tomorrow...♪




That One Mom

Monday Minute: Without Internet

Monday Minute



1. If you could interview any famous person, dead or alive, who would it be? What would you ask? Well, I would prefer that they be alive, otherwise it would be a one sided interview. hahaha Seriously, I would love to have a conversation with Keith Richards. I don't know what I'd ask. I'd probably freeze up like a complete idiot and be lucky to even get a word out of my mouth! ♪She's my little rock and roll ah hah♪


2. You have to give up one thing for a month. What would it be - car, guilty pleasure (ie. food, drink, fav. tv show), or sex? I can tell ya, it wouldn't be the internet! This little one week without it financial experiment, has been enough for me! Thank you very much! I love Starbucks, but coming here just so I can get online makes it more of a chore and I hate chores!! ♪I can't live if living is without you♪

3. Is there a word/phrase you say that you are made fun of for? If so, what is it? Bear and the girls make fun of me because I speak proper and say "I'll have a pint of Guinness." or "I'll have a pound of ham." Why is this so funny? Well, because apparently the rest of the world doesn't speak like that and I always end up with not enough ham and too damn small of a glass of Guinness! WTF?! I said "HAVE" not "HALF!"


4. Which is a stronger emotion: Anger or Love? Philosophically; love is stronger because anger fades away with time. But, physically? I'm suddenly strong as hell when angry! I scream in a rage and I can suddenly do anything just to prove a point! But, later when the anger fades its the love that sticks around and comforts my pain from being so stupidly angry. ♪I hate everything about you why do I love you♪ (Three Days Grace)


5. Where was your first job? Really my first jobs were babysitting and working in my Mom's office for the Summer, but the first real job that I interviewed for was a part time phone actress. And, yes, that is exactly what you think it is!  ♪Say no way say no way ya na na why don't you get a job?♪ (The Offspring)

Fragments and Confessions of a Crazed Driver




I confess...

*I rather like my freckles.
*I haven't shaved my legs in a while, so don't touch 'em they're a little prickly.

*I'm behind in my bills. I want to do better with finances, but I also want to enjoy life! I'll get it together, soon...maybe.
*Sometimes my friends annoy me. I love 'em but sometimes...errgh

*I know the feeling is mutual...though I don't know why anyone would be annoyed by me, because I'm so freakin awesome!!

*I don't know why this song just popped in my head ♪Amadeus Amadeus, rock me Amadeus♪ (Falco)


*I drove to work with no lights on this morning! I didn't do it on purpose, of course, but, I've always wondered how someone can drive without their lights on in the dark, and not notice! Now, I understand. My panel was lit up, my lights are usually on auto, so I assumed they were on. Until, the third car pulled out in front of me, I swerved, and hubby asked if they were even on. Oops! Sorry to all those people I honked at! Crap! I didn't have my freakin' lights on! What the hell is wrong with me?! ♪I don't wanna die, sometimes wish I had never been born at all carry on carry on♪ (Queen)

*I haven't had internet at home for the past couple days, and while I hate it, it has also been nice to get caught up on some magazine reading. This makes Bear very happy because I'm a magazine collector. Not like, "ooh, I need another magazine for my collection!" not that kind of collector. I just love to read magazines, and I don't want to throw them away until I read them! Because that would be a waste! So, they pile up, until I go to the Beach or hubby gets on me about the damn height of the pile nicely asks me to get rid of them, (because clutter is his enemy,) or like now, I don't have any freakin internet! I just don't have anything else to do.

Mommy's IdeaSmart and Trendy Moms



September is Women's friendship month and to honor it some bloggers came up with a blog hop idea to build new friendships. The idea is to reach out to a follower that doesn't comment often, and ask them to do a guest post for you on a Monday so you can get to know them better. I'll be joining in as guest at Shell's place in a couple weeks because , yes, I'm a total slacker, and I just don't comment enough. If you want join in the hop.Check it out. Oh! and their also hosting a BFF contest for cool prizes! So, if you think you have the bestest bestie, you may want to enter!


FriendsYouLove




Ok, that's it for now, but, only because these dang people that write my paycheck are all over my ass to do something for a change I have to work, not because I've run out of things to say. so, who knows maybe I'll post again later, because, heck it's my blog, and I can do what I want! ♪It's my prerogative, I can do what I wanna do♪ (Bobby Brown)

Writer's Workshop: Obsessed

This weeks prompt at Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop is: Write an open letter to a celebrity

Dear Celebrity Tweeter,

Helloooo, over here. No, not you, her! yes, you! why did you ignore me? I thought we were friends. You accepted my request on FaceBook. I always respond to you when you tweet, always! Your requests to follow this link or give to that cause, I do them all! I listen intensely to everything you say, because that's what friends do! Friends, listen! Friends, are there for you when you need them! So, where were you when I needed you?! ♪I needed you and you 'weren't' there♪ (Anne Murray)

I send you one little tweet, just one small question, and you couldn't take 140 characters out of your day to respond?! What's wrong with you?! I thought we were close! I thought you cared! You always tweet about saving the world, but you won't do anything to save our friendship! Well, that's it! We're through! That's right! See that lower number up there in the followers column? See it? that's me! I'm gone! Done! So you just keep sending your little tweets, but I won't be reading them anymore! You watch your gonna miss me! ♪You're gonna miss this♪ (Trace Adkins)

Oh, and by the way, you're not much of a celebrity anyway! I mean, really what have you done lately?! You're not even on Celebreality or anything...and you call yourself a star! Well, you're not a star at all! you're nothing! I'm done!

Goodbye!

So I guess that's it? You're just gonna let me leave?! You're not even gonna try to stop me?!

Wait! what?! was that tweet for me? It was wasn't it? I mean, you didn't say my name or anything, but I know you were talking to me! Oh, you love me? Oh, I love you too! ♪Infatuation tion tion♪ (Rod Stewart)

I'll never stop following you!

Oops! I think you accidentally blocked me, but, don't worry, I created a new screen name, so if you're looking for me, I'm over here now. I'll send you some tweets so you'll know it's me.

Signed with reciprocated love,
Your biggest fan

♪you are an obsession, you're my obsession, I will find a way and I will have you...♪ (Human League)



Mama's Losin' It

Pouring My Heart Out: A Dad Shouldn't Need a Reason




I believe everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason isn't clear. Sometimes we don't like the reason, and refuse to see it as anything more than circumstance, but everything, everything, happens with purpose.

The facts:
My father lives in Northern GA.
I haven't seen my father in 13 years.
During those 13 years, I've spoken to him once.
Growing up, my father never called me, he told me to call him collect.
His excuse then? He didn't want to have to speak to my stepdad.
His excuse now? He doesn't want to bother me.


Initially, not talking to my Dad was an experiment, a test. I wanted to see if he would call me. As the months turned into years, the years turned into stubborness, turned into hurt, turned into anger. Why couldn't he just call me? What was his excuse now? Didn't he love me? I'll show him! I just won't care!

Grasping on to anyway that he had ever wronged me, I fueled my anger. I was convinced that without my grandparents pushing him to see me, I would have never known him as a child. The pedestal I had once put him on as his little girl came crashing to the ground. My Superman was broken, and along with it, was my heart. How could a father ever cast his daughter aside? And, how could anyone not want a relationship with such beautiful granddaughters?! ♪Blackbird crying in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly♪ (the Beatles)

13 years is a long time. In that time, my girls have grown and blossomed into beautiful ladies. They are the flowers in my garden. ♪Every rose has it's thorn, just like every night has it's dawn♪ (Poison) Yet, my father knows only their pictures. He was not there to be a grandfather to them. They do not know him, and could pass him on the street like any other stranger. He missed seeing them grow.

On Monday, I accidentally changed the wallpaper on my phone from a purple eye with butterflies to a picture of mountains. It was pretty, so I thought: "what the hell, I'll keep it." Later, that day I found out I won a conference ticket to Type A Mom, in the Blue ridge Mountains of NC.

I struggled with whether it was worth the cost of getting there, and paying for the hotel, and almost said "no" when Shell told me she was looking for a roomie. This would save me some money, and Bear assured me that we could find a way to pay for it, so I decided to go.

Yesterday, as I contemplated driving (11 hours) or flying, a thought creeped in about visiting my Dad on the way there. I very quickly pushed this thought back down where it came from, reminding myself that there was no reason to see him. Afterall, he would never come to see me.

Last night, my phone rang. I almost didn't answer, and when I did, I expected this strange number to be a bill collector. On the other end of the line was my Step-Mom. My Dad is in ICU with a severe gallbladder infection. They are trying to get him stable enough for surgery. He will be in the hospital for at least 2 weeks, and will need 12 weeks to recover if all goes well.

She was calling me, because when my Dad was told how bad things are, the first thing he did was tell her to call me. Me! He thought of me first! Not my little brothers, but me.

I'm his daughter, and deep down I know he loves me. I just don't agree with his old ways of thinking: that because I am married; I am now my husbands responsibility. My husband is THE most important man in my life, and always will be! But, that doesn't mean that there isn't room in my heart for my Dad.

So,  I will drive to Asheville, and along the way I will stop to see my father. As his body works through the pain, I will try to work through the pain in my heart. Everything happens for a reason, and this reason is clear.


Being a father doesn't end when your daughter turns 18, or gets married. Being a father means being there, even when the girl doesn't know she needs you. When she thinks being stubborn is proof of her strength. When she hopes to make you proud with everything she does; she needs you to say that you are, not just quietly approve. If you are a father, declare your love for your child everyday! She may not need you every day, but she does need your love!

♪Oh, with all that I've done wrong, I must have done something right

To deserve her love every morning and butterfly kisses at night♪ (Collin Raye)