We knew it was coming, but knowing does not prepare the heart for this kind of hurt.

Oil has landed on Gulf Shores. Besides the fact that this week is my vacation, that I've been planning this for months, that my sister drove down from Tennessee...besides all that, look at what they've done to my beach!





Even though I am an "inland" resident, I can call it my beach. I can call it my beach because I live here. This beach belongs to all of us. I spend my time here. I bring my kids here. I celebrate life here. If you have been following me you know that the beach is "my" place. It's my place to relax, to unwind, to clear my head...to worship God. To see my beach in this state makes me weep. It makes me sob like a child. It makes me want to apologize to God on behalf of the whole human race for the bad stewards that we have become on a global level.




Yes, the shore line is long here on the Gulf Coast. Yes, I can drive further west and find a still-clean beach. Despite the fact that I shouldn't have to, which at this point is irrelevant, how do I know? How do I know that the water is safe? Just because it looks clean and doesn't have visible oil floating in it, does that mean it is safe? How can I be sure enough to let my children play in it? What about all the chemicals they are spraying into the Gulf to "disperse" the oil? Where is all of that going?? I don't trust....well, anyone at this point. Why should I? Neither the Government or BP has done anything to make any of us trust anything they have said so far. It's been two months, to the tune of 40,000 barrels of crude a day, and nothing that doesn't resemble trying to plug a dyke with a cotton ball has been done yet.

So, I will probably not get to see a clean beach this week. I will probably spend way to much money while shopping with my sister this week. None of that is important. The Gulf is important, the animals are important, the residents are important, the fishing/shrimping/oyster industry is important, the tourism is important. My beach is important.

BP: You have to fix this. Make this right.

* All images were found at the WEAR 3 Pensacola Facebook Page*

New digs

I rearranged the furniture!

I got bored, as women do, and decided to get a new template. A recent obsession with pin up, early 20th century (30's to 50's) and vintage led the way. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to find one that wasn't more than half naked...I didn't want people to be confused as to the nature of my blog. Once I narrowed it down to mostly clothed pin ups, I was really disappointed to find a distinct lack of brunettes. *pout* Oh well, I like my little woman that sits at the top of the page and I guess that's all that matters!

So, kick off your shoes, pull up a chair and sit a spell.

You're always welcome here :)

Awards Season

I love awards season :) I actually got this award just after my last award and I meant to post on it soon after the last post and then lost track of it in the new laptop. It was given to me by my friend Gundiva over at "Just another perfect day....", and I appreciate it sooooo much! Plus, it's a beautiful Gerber Daisy (which I love) that is orange (my favorite color!).

The premise of the award is to gift it to 12 blogs that you enjoy. I didn't have 12 blogging friends, so I did what any self respecting blogger would do...I went out to find me some friends!

We'll call this the "Follow me back" award, I'll give it and see if anyone takes the bait!

(disclosure: not all of these friends are new, some I have been getting an RSS feed on for awhile, but...you get the picture.)

Here are 12 blogs that I follow:

[carrotspeak.]

Crazy Texas Mommy

Fourchild

Just another perfect day...

Ladybug Creek

Meal Planning Mommies

My Front Porch

Preachers and Horse Thieves

Rays of Sunshine

Joy the Baker

the bitchy waiter

The Making of M.O.M

The Funky Clothespin

There you go! Lets see what happens :)

Dear Mom.....

I should be asleep. It's after 2 AM, and I actually have plans to go into work early in the morning instead of in the afternoon because of Hubby's ongoing medical issue. I should be asleep, but I can't.

I'm thinking of my mother. She passed away 4 years ago, as of May 30th. Normally, I spend that day thinking of her, talking about her, remembering, reminiscing, and generally wallowing. This year my life had been so crazy that I didn't acknowledge it at all. I didn't have the luxury of wallowing. I didn't have time to reminisce. I didn't have anyone to talk to about her. I feel like I pushed her memory away because I didn't have time. I want to acknowledge her. It may seem too personal a thing to post, but I want to share it with my friends. This is my acknowledgment:

Dear Mom,
It has been 4 years already. Does time pass in heaven the same as for us? Probably not. How is Daddy? I miss you both so much that it's physically hard to breathe sometimes. I have so much that I would want to talk to you about. So many times I wished there were phones in heaven! What it would be like to be able to pick up the phone and ask your advice or to hear you laugh again. I hear your voice all the time...you're still telling me what to do. That's what makes you such a great mom, even death couldn't make you keep your opinion to yourself. I wish you could see the boys. I know you both would be so proud of them. The Quiet One is turning 15 this year...can you believe that?? He's studying to get his permit. God help all of us. I can't send that child across the grocery store and have him bring back the brand of peanut butter I asked for and I'm supposed to be giving him my car keys in three weeks?? I don't think it's going to happen. I don't know how you and Daddy survived my teen years. Honestly, he's such a better (more obedient) kid than I was...if I had been you, I'd be dead right now!

The Mouth has become the one that I have to keep my eye on. He turns 11 on Saturday and last week at the river he was being accompanied around the park by a high school freshman...a cheerleader no less. I'm not ready for all that. These little girls are going to have to give this mom a break. You'd be surprised though. He's a more responsible little person than he should be. I regularly give him tasks before I give them to his brother, because he is so dependable. He gets that ethic from you.

The Sweet One has your smile....big as the sky and wide as the ocean. Smiley Smiler Smilington, that's what I call him. He's so smart, Mom. He scares me a little and I sometimes catch myself intentionally holding back certain things to teach him because I know he would grasp it and I'm not ready for that. I want him to stay young and innocent. If I pushed he would probably be at least a year or two ahead in our homeschooling but I am so content with these simple days. I hope that's not wrong of me, to want his youth to last forever. I suppose moms are all the same, aren't they? I don't want the days of cuddling and giggling to stop and I somehow think that if he becomes too "brainy" it would. Maybe that's wrong of me. I want days filled with playing in the sprinkler and marveling at the bean plant we are growing on the kitchen window sill to last forever. I know that they won't, but I certainly am not doing anything to slow them down.

You would be so proud of Hubby, Mom. He's been so faithful to God. I'm so grateful that you got to see him come to know his Saviour before you left. Being the only Christian in his family has been hard on him. He doesn't see them much and when he does, there is always ridicule, but he has stayed the course. You knew that he would. But, he has found a wonderful family in our church friends. Real men that value him and point him in the right direction. He's been a wonderful husband and father because of it. He's been sick, Mom, and I'm scared. It's nothing really that bad, it's just the nature of it has weakened him and made him need me more. I wonder if I am enough.

I am working again. I am incessantly tired, but I think of you. I think of the double shifts and the swollen feet you endured for us and I plug along. My life now is so blessed compared to what you had when we were small that I dare not complain. I know how much worse it can be because I was raised in worse. Worse was our neighborhood. I am going back to school. I know that would make you happy. You always said I made a better student than anything else I ever tried to do. I guess you were right...professional student it is. I'm getting baptized. I wish you could be here.

So much time has passed, and I know that all we have between us is time, but I miss you. I miss your crazy laugh, your big warm hugs, your ability to kick my butt when I needed it, the help you always gave with the boys without me even having to ask (you don't know how much I took that for granted), I miss coffee-time, Patrick Swayze Movie Night, and your potato soup. I think what I miss the most is your face. I know you don't want for anything anymore and your not in any pain, but I wonder if you miss me too. It's hard to explain to people who still have their mothers how deeply it hurts. You knew me. The me no one else saw, the stories that even I don't remember. You took them all with you when you left.

I can't wait to see you again. For my sake, I hope that is a very, very, VERY long time. Tell everyone hello for me...I miss them too.
Love,
Mellie

Thank you friends, for letting me share that piece of myself with you. You are appreciated greatly.

Setting the record straight

For starters, this is not a political blog. I have never, ever drifted into a political discussion here, not because I don't have political opinions but because I'm a little self-centered I guess and my immediate rants and needs usually don't fall outside of the work/church/husband/child area. That being said....today I have something to say.


I was reading this article on the Yahoo Front Page. Yes, I am aware that Yahoo really isn't the best place to be getting my political news, but I was logging into my email and I saw the word Alabama. What can I say...I'm nosy. Low and behold, Alabama is making national headlines with it's primary election. Unfortunately, like it always is when they put southerners on TV, it's not positive. I can't even call this a news article because there was a distinct lack of story in my opinion. All the article entails really is a collection of video clips with commentary typed out between them. Such is American journalism these days, but that's not my point. That being said, I watched all of them. They were short clips, no big deal. Than I see the comments section. What the hell?? Over 1100+ comments (almost each comment had double-digit replies as well) on Alabama's Primary! Now, I have no problem with people having differing opinions. I welcome it in fact. I think that is one of the greatest things about our country... that brave men and women have fought and died for our right to argue with each other and I love a good debate. Today, I didn't even get 40 comments in and I was disgusted. At this point, there are literally thousands of comments from people about their opinion on the men running for office in my state and almost NONE of them were positive. These people aren't attacking the politics these men advocate nearly as much as they are Alabama-bashing. Citing Alabama and ALL of it's citizens as back-woods, uneducated, redneck, bible-thumping bigots who don't even speak English themselves and therefore unqualified to know if an immigrant were speaking it correctly. Don't even get me started on the amount of grammatical and spelling errors there were on these "better educated" Yankees comments!

As an Alabamian (not a native, but having spent half my childhood and most of my adult life here), I am appalled.

Really?

A man says something with an accent and he's an illiterate moron and they are calling us bigoted?? Just because a man speaks with an accent doesn't mean he thinks with one. I have seen the Tim James ad that is listed in the article. While I did marvel at the fact that he said it out loud, it was not because I disagree with what he says. Let me be crystal clear here: I do not believe that anyone who does not speak or read English should be allowed to be licensed to drive in this or any other state. Is that a racist opinion? No. I wholeheartedly believe it to be a safety issue. While giving the test here in 12 different languages might get us brownie points for political correctness and tolerance, it completely undermines public safety as our road signs are all printed in ONE language...English. As a nurse I can tell you that native English speakers have plenty of trouble driving as it is without throwing people that couldn't read the sign even if they had seen it into the mix! Having said that, the reason I was shocked that he said it in his ad is that normally, nowadays, saying what you really think is something that is not conducive with a political career. Even if I disagreed with him, kudos to him for being transparent. We normally learn of our politicians true feelings on issues like these after they are elected and it normally involves either a slip of the tongue or a secret recording.

Before today, I honestly hadn't seen the other ads, so apparently they weren't as well funded as the first one. I can't say anything for the African-American candidate who said Obama "fell in with leftist-radicals, played with terrorists and let his America-hating pastor baptize his children". I mean... what do you say to that? As for the Winchester-totin' cowboy running for Ag Commission, he definitely has a unique approach, doesn't he?

My only complaint here is the insane amount of hatred and filth that came pouring out of "Joe the Plumber" today on those comment boards...and we are supposed to be the ones that are full of hatred, judgement and ignorance. I can say one thing for sure- Hubby is a Yankee (shh, he doesn't like me to tell people) and his family hails from the great state of New Jersey by way of Philadelphia. You know, the "City of Brotherly Love"? Well, I have heard more ignorant and bigoted things uttered from their side of the Mason-Dixon than I hear on any given day in the "Old South". From where I stand, no matter which accent you're using, ignorance is ignorance. Trust me, other dialects get pigeon-holed as uneducated too. Do you think that any one would have listened to Albert Einstein if he had sounded like Vinny Barbarino? Doubtful. There is a reason Hubby fought so hard to lose the Philly drawl when we were teenagers...any one remember Rocky?? I hope that one day even a fraction of these people meet an upwardly mobile, educated Southerner with a sharp enough tongue to end their ignorance. I kinda secretly hope it'll be me.

Randomness.....

I am: completely annoyed at my husband's healthcare "team" (I use that word loosely) for a) bouncing him from partner to partner and providing no continuity of care. b) telling us they can no longer see him as our new insurance is now out of network two minutes after telling him he needs surgery and c) being wrong about the out of network part, which we didn't find out until we were already set up with a new doc...which I had to orchestrate as his "team" didn't deem it necessary to refer us even with the surgical need! Grrr!!

I am: secretly planning a Disney vacation...without my kids...in my head. Hey! A girl has to have a fantasy right?? I grew up in Orlando, my parents both worked there and I worked there in high school. I miss it in a way I can't describe without making myself look like a total dork. The only time I'm not planning a vacation back is when I'm actually there :)

I am: allergic to putting clean, folded clothes into the dresser. I can walk them all the way in the bedroom and place them ON TOP of the dresser they belong in yet never seem to be able to get them where they belong. I have no idea why...just something I know about myself.

I am: so short that my feet don't touch the carpet when I sit on my own couch.

I am: watching Bill Murray in Groundhog's Day for the second time today, owing to the fact that Hubby missed it when the kids saw it this afternoon. Yes, I am laughing at all the same parts again. No, it does not feel like deja vu.

I am: really thankful for Chap Stick. I think I might be addicted.

I am: done now.

Thank You :)

Free-Range in Alabama

So, I found a new blog that I like and it got me thinking, as these things sometimes do.
The blog is called FreeRange Kids and the author is Lenore Skenazy. Apparently, her idea of parenting is causing major backlash and creating national attention. Her radial idea?? Let your kids go outside and play. Don't hover. Leave the Purell in your purse, or (gasp) you stay inside and let them go outside BY THEMSELVES.
I know. Pull yourself together. She advocates unstructured, unsupervised free time for kids. She lets her son, who is 9, ride the subway to school. They live in New York City. She advocates letting your child ride his/her bike around the neighborhood, to the park or library, walk to school, etc. She recommends letting kids over the age of 8 stay at home by themselves while mom runs to get some milk, or even while waiting for mom or dad to come home from work....didn't we used to call that "latch key"? Lenore goes on to explain that in other countries children over the age of 6 or 7 walk to school, which is sometimes miles away, as well as take the subway and sometimes a ferry to school. Her ideas have caused some problems. I read about her in the Christian Science Monitor, but apparently (according to her blog) has had to give interviews with all major media outlets to defend herself. Of course she has her supporters...a lot of them. So many people echo the same response on her comments section, " I played outside when I was a kids and I'm fine!"

I must admit that I am a free-range parent. I didn't know there was a name for it until now. In fact, I really sort of saw myself as a little bit of a mixture of relaxed and lazy when it came to parenting because I tend to compare myself to the other moms I know. In my circle of peers children are well-behaved, clean, never making messes and if they do it's never a problem for the mom to clean up after them. I live in the land of June Cleaver. So, I am actually thrilled to have a word for my parenting style: I am a Free-Range parent. I force my boys to go outside and threaten bodily harm if they come back in "one more time!" I meanly insist that they play basktball or ride the doggone bikes we spent good money on instead of playing another Wii game or having 10 more minutes on the internet. I went back to work this year and just could not force myself to allow them to return to the local public school due to the escalating gang violence, so I did what I thought at the time was the only thing I could do, I decided to continue homeschooling. My 15 yr old son supervises and assists my 10 and 8 yr old while I am gone. It helps that I don't work in the mornings. They each have a list of chores that have to be done when their father comes home from work. If their work or chores do not get completed my children will be punished. Yes, I spank my children. The older they get the less they get spanked because obviously they catch on pretty fast so spanking isn't really a common occurance, but I think the fact that it could happen is enough. In fact I think it's been like a once a year occurance for my teenager for the last couple of years. This year it was because of a spiteful sassy remark he gave me within earshot of his father (big mistake) and last year because we found him playing with matches, burning paper in his room...both highly worthy of corporal punishment in my opinion. Do I apologize for my parenting, certainly not, however I can be made to feel like I don't have it all together. Today I feel better about myself. Today I have learned what I knew all along, now I have backup, that kids who are given independance and expected to fend for themselves to a certain degree grow up to be self-sufficient, well-rounded and happy individuals. Like I said, I already knew that, but it certainly helps to hear it from another mom. Thanks, Lenore!

The Ongoing Evolution of Me

Well, this post ain't what it used to be.


I spent a good hour last night writing this post, and one second before I was finished the entire post vanished. Poof! Gone with the Wind.

The only thing left is the title.

The only thing I can say is that it makes me sad. Anyone who writes knows that writing is a purging of thoughts. Once those thoughts are out onto paper or computer screen they no longer reside in your brain. You remember the topic you wrote about, the idea you were trying to get across, but the actual words you used are a jumble. No two posts are ever alike.

Yes, I will re-write this post. Will it be the same? No. The good news is that since you didn't read the last one you have nothing to compare it to but I digress.

The point I originally set out with was this: I have decided, after about a year long dialog in my head with God, to return to school. I thought that Nursing School was my last foray into education. Apparently I was wrong, as God has informed me anyway.

Over a year ago, I had an experience that since then has pretty much changed my life. I wrote about it in A Heart Response. The 15 minutes I spent with that girl sparked something in me that I cannot for the life of me explain to other people.Believe me I've tried. The closest I can come to explaining it is by describing it like a light bulb coming on, or an alarm going off. I spoke with my friend, who also happens to be my pastor, recently about all of this and told him that it feels like Paul's Damascus Road experience in the New Testament. Paul was blinded until another Christian touched his eyes and things like scales fell off of his eyes. Then he could see and he spent the rest of his life seeking to serve the Lord. I spent about a year prior to this in counseling of sorts with my friend, the pastor, healing over my own pain and abuse. The growth was extraordinary but exquisitely painful. After that, I feel like I can see things that I could not see before. I see pain. Everywhere I look, everyone is in pain of some sort. Everyone of us has gone through something that has left it's mark...some sort of damaged idea that we carry around with us. Some lie that tells us something about ourselves that isn't true. Everyone... and I can see it. God, for some reason, has given me the ability to see past the "face" that we put on for other people and I can see for the first time just how much everyone needs him. It's staggering. Now I'm not talking about some sort of mystical "aura" or something crazy, I just mean that when I talk with someone now, I can just about pinpoint where their pain lies. What lie they believe about themselves. It's actually a little painful for me to pretend that I don't see it and continue having the conversation while restraining the urge to speak with them about it. It's a little like someone with severe OCD walking into a room with a crooked picture frame and not being able to straighten it. You can't concentrate because the whole time you want to say, "Excuse me, I'm sorry. I can't concentrate. I just need to fix this. Thanks." I feel a little retarded actually. So after about a year of God pushing, I finally decided to call his bluff. Without telling anyone, even Hubby, I applied to a local college's Undergraduate Program as a major in Psychology. This week I received my acceptance letter. Two days after that I received a Pell Grant.

Ok God, I'm listening.

Here I sit, full-time Nurse, full-time Homeschool mother of 3 boys (one of which is beginning high school in August), full-time wife, chief cook and bottle washer....now full-time student. The whole admission process is not complete yet, but close and I'm not sure if I'll start this term or next. The only thing I know is that God directed and I obeyed. Beyond that I'm lost. I have no idea what happens next. I have this hazy idea that I might become a Christian Therapist. That was good for a few days, then I started looking into what that involved. In the great state of Alabama, counselors and therapists alike require graduate studies. A Master's Degree plus a clinical component that can take another year or two to finish after the degree is completed. Here, the only difference between counselor and therapist is the amount of clinical time. Soooo, I don't know. Am I suppose to convince my family that after my Bachelor's, I have to return for my Master's? Hubby loves me and is supportive but admits that this whole things sounds crazy to him. He feels a little like I'm wasting the education I already have. I understand and respect that. So far I haven't found a college in this whole region that offers the clinical component that I would need, so I find myself wondering what God is up to. Maybe therapy is not where I'm headed. Ok, so what then? Teaching? I'm lost. So far, all I know is that I that I feel like I took the step I needed to take. Now, I just have to wait for God to tell me where the next step is.

And the award goes to....

I got an award!...I got an award!...I got an award! I just realized that you can't see the dance I'm doing in my living room. And, no it did not resemble the Cabbage Patch in any way...not that I'm old enough to remember what that is . My good friend K. over at Preachers and Horse Thieves gifted this award to me with the following rules:

1. Grab the award by right clicking it and saving it to your computer as a pic, some place you can find it later.

2. Tag 5 other bloggers with it to continue the "Circle of Friends".

3. Write a post about it and list 5 things that you like to do.

Well, sadly I can't tag 5 others because I don't have 5 other blogger-friends...yet. I'm new to blogging and unfortunately have been blogging solely by the use of my blackberry until this month, so I have a lot of catching up to do. The circle of friends will end with me....insert sad face here. Anyhow, I can post about it and list the things I like to do. First I would like to say a big ole' thank you to K.

THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!

I enjoy your blog so much! You are hilarious by the way. I frequently laugh out loud so much reading your posts, much to Hubby's annoyance, that I eventually have to read it out loud so that he gets the joke. Thanks for following me back and passing this here award along to me. I'll return the favor some day soon.

So without any further ado, here is my Top 5 list of things I like to do:

1. Read- I am chronically addicted to reading...it's a little bit scary actually. My local librarian recently commented to me that I do not read books, I consume them. Not a bad thing necessarily, just odd she said. I check out at least a 4 novel-sized books a week, borrow books from my friends, check out books from my church library, have discovered Audio books for when I'm driving, showering or otherwise engaged and at one point had memberships to three different area libraries...like a junkie doctor-hopping for a fix.

2. Go to the beach- Now, I know this one is a little cliche, but bear with me. Going to the beach for me is not so much a recreational experience as it is a spiritual one. I have lived near the ocean my entire life, except for a 3 year stay in Tennessee that I hated. Its my place for silence and solitude. A perfect trip to the beach involves no children, no tourists nearby, no husband...just me, the sand, wind, waves, seagulls and God. The beach is my place to worship God. Better worship happens between God and me on the beach than in the middle of a church worship service.

3. Eat! - Ok, so I know everyone likes to eat, but I LOVE to eat! I love it! I'm an Italian/German gal married to an Italian/German guy...eating is not just physical, it's emotional. If I ever have to resort to soup and sandwiches, hotdogs or something frozen I almost feel the need to apologize to my family for feeding them crap. We have a homecooked meal almost every night, if we can help it. If I'm not home Hubby cooks like a pro and picks up the slack. You can keep your "fast" fixes... give me Chicken Parmesan, Caesar salad, mashed creamed potatoes, garlic string beans and hot rolls.....now that's love, baby.

4. Gardening - true confession: I am an admitted and convicted plant killer, BUT this list is of thing you LIKE to do. It doesn't necessarily have to be something you're good at...I think. I love plants and flowers. I love looking at them, planning how I'm going to pair them up, buying them and then getting dirt under my nails and planting them. So, they often die but then I get to go look at more and the cycle begins again!!

5. Crochet- I protest...this list is starting to make me sound like a little old lady. Again, let me explain. When I was a little girl, my mama taught me how to crochet. It was something we always did together. When I was all grown up I learned out to do delicate needlework like doilies. The concentration required to do that kind of thing is like nirvana for me. When I'm working a detailed piece I hear nothing, see nothing, think of nothing else. It's completely absorbing and I forget any and all current issues and problems....and I've been able to gift some wonderful gifts to friends for almost no money at all!

So, there you have it. Me in a very tiny nutshell. Hope you enjoyed!

Whew!

This title speaks volumes. Ya'll I am tired. Not tired...that's the wrong word...I am thoroughly exhausted. I have been working and working. I wish I could say I was working my butt off, but alas it is still following me around! Some good things have happened in my blog-absence though. A long talk happened with the boss and I was finally able to have LPN added to my job title. After all the time I have spent kicking myself for not going on to become an RN, I have never been so happy to be an LPN! It still isn't the greatest situation. I got asked if I felt "comfortable enough" to clean a 1 inch cut on some kid's forehead yesterday. Not bandage, mind you, clean - as in apply saline with a gauze. Oh well. At least I wasn't told I'm not qualified enough for that too. It kills me. I am blessed to have this job though. Wonderful things have happened recently because of the extra money in the house. I was finally able to get rid of my delapidated minivan! Mama's got a new car. Yay! We are able to cover our financial situation with wiggle room and put some away. I kind of forgot what it felt like to make money. It feels good. I miss being at home. I miss my kids. I miss the relaxed environment. I miss knowing what my day will be like or what to expect. My body is a frayed bundle of nerves. Its been weeks since I felt like I've had enough sleep. I need a nap...badly. My days off aren't really like days off, they are more like recovery. I can't say that I am enjoying them properly because I'm so worn out. I am super excited that I was able to get Wednesdays off this schedule for a bible study and also 4 days for Spring Break! My sister will be visiting :) Consequently, I have to work 4 weekends in a row. Oh, I hope I catch my groove soon. I am sorry that I haven't blogged lately. I have wanted to. I miss that too! I want to take a minute to apologize for ignoring my comments. I didn't receive them until this week! I don't know what happened, but I wasn't notified about any of them. I cried when I read them. The Christmas holiday was so bleak and horrible for me. I didn't think that anyone knew what I was going through, but you were there all the time, cheering me on. Thank you to anyone who visited my blog or left a comment. I would like to say a big ol'"Welcome" to my new follower GunDiva!! Thank you so much for visiting. You are the first person to "find" me on this thing called the internet. I am appreciative of your patronage darling ;) Hopefully it won't be long before I can post again. Thanks for joining the journey.