4th of July Reflections

Today we celebrate the anniversary of our country's Declaration of Independence from a tyrannical monarchy. The fireworks, parades, and fairs are always the highlight of an American summer.

On this day, my son and I went for a two-hour drive (each way) to Hannibal, Missouri - nicknamed America's Hometown. Hannibal, as most people know, is the hometown of Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. This historic river town is home to Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Becky Thatcher, Aunt Polly and a host of iconic characters that draw us back to a time when riverboats ruled and life moved at a slower pace.

Sadly, Hannibal today isn't the quaint river town that most of us imagine. Many historic buildings have fallen into terrible disrepair. The Becky Thatcher House just reopened after a four-year renovation, but the Grant Drugstore is so bad, it's too dangerous to allow people to do any more than look in a window. An employee of an art gallery we met told us that renovations have been going on in the last ten years, but much more work needs to be done. I shake my head and wonder what Mark Twain would think about his home town if he saw it today.

In spite of my melancholy over Hannibal's deterioration, my son and I had a good time while there. The craft show was lovely, the carnival was fun, and while the fence painting contest wasn't quite what we were expecting, we enjoyed the visit. We finished our day with dinner at the local diner - Mark Twain Dinette and Family Restaurant. The diner celebrated 70 years last year and is clearly a popular eatery. The food was great and atmosphere very friendly.

We didn't stay for the fireworks in Hannibal. My son was tired and wanted to go home, so we made the drive home in time to see the fireworks in our own neighborhood. For the first time, my husband and I were able to watch the show from five different locations around our house from the comfort of our front porch. The "official" show was two miles away and not really visible from our house, but the neighbors put on a really good show. Noisy, but wonderful all the same.

I'm so thankful for a lovely day to celebrate our nation's birth, our Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms, and spend time with one of my very favorite guys.

Work Life at Macy's

The last couple of weeks at Macy's have been, well, strange. Its also been interesting. If I wrote a book about my experiences at Macy's, I wonder if it would be a best seller. Or Macy's may sue me. Time enough to figure that out later.

In any event, here we go.

As you all know, I love to play with the babies and children that come into the store. It's the high point of my day. One day I was doing just that - a little boy in his stroller was flirting with me and I was playing back. Mama and Grandma were nearby and approved. Somehow, another customer standing nearby thought she would get in on the fun and asked the baby if he could say Grandma. She asked this several times. Mama and I looked at the woman wondering what she was thinking. Then the woman looked up at me, surprised, and said to me, "Oh, you work here!" Needless to say, Mama and (the real) Grandma were irked at the woman. I simply stated, "No, ma'am, he's not mine."

The next day, while I was at Walgreens, a woman came up to me and commented on my smile. She said she thought my teeth were beautiful and wanted to know if they were my own.

Last week, at Macy's, a woman literally left her 3-month old baby in his carrier at my feet while she went to the dressing room to try on some bras. Macy's requires all its employees to take care of the customer, however, I don't think babysitting is part of the job description. After speaking to management and our security department about it, neither one gave me a good answer on the best way to handle that situation. Great. Oh, and the woman came back to claim her child after about ten minutes.

This week, I have had a customer go into a narcoleptic seizure at my register, and another customer almost pass out from Heaven only knows what.

As you can imagine, I started my shift yesterday with a quick prayer to God asking for just a "normal" day. No weirdness, please. He answered me.

Yesterday I met half the world. My customers included a woman from Turkey, another woman from Columbia, South America, a couple from Belgium on a business trip, an American woman now living in Switzerland, a business woman from Nigeria (her name would sprain my tongue if I tried to pronounce it), and an American couple celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary by traveling from Ohio to St. Louis for the first time. Okay, that last one was domestic - don't get so picky.

I have written about international customers before. It's truly amazing how global we are. I've met people from Ireland, Great Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, most of Asia, Bulgaria, South Africa, Ghana, South America, Saudi Arabia, and Italy.

Happy Memorial Day readers!

Cultural Crossroads

The world is an amazing place. Really. Most of us think that the world revolves around us or that the rest of the world lives, thinks, eats, and breathes just like we do. Some people may never meet a person from a foreign country or someone who has traveled outside the United States. Some, like me, get the privilege of having the world come to them.

Allow me to explain. For the last two years, I've been working part time as a sales associate for Macy's in the St. Louis Galleria. The Galleria is a busy place and wanderers will come through Macy's looking for something that they can't live without. It's no surprise that customers come in all shapes, sizes, colors and personalities. I won't get into the frustrations of dealing with the public here. I'll simply describe the customers who have passed through my line. Ready? Here we go . . .

I had a woman visiting St. Louis on business who lives in Switzerland. She had a delicious accent and was a delight to help. Another woman was from Italy and described her hometown (can't remember it now). She also had a yummy accent and comes to St. Louis frequently on business.

Countless Middle Eastern women, some accompanied with their overbearing husbands. Don't get me started on that subject. Some were easy to get along with, others seemed to think they were in a Pakistani street market and could argue the prices of everything they were buying. Wait, didn't I say I wasn't going to get into the frustrations here? Sorry. Not sure which countries these folks were from, but I would guess Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq/Iran, Saudi Arabia, and a few from India.

About equal in number to the Middle Eastern ladies would be the Asian ladies. Once again, I couldn't begin to guess where they were from, but China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan sound pretty good to me. Sometimes, I found it interesting that the older ladies were accompanied by the younger "Americanized" family members and they act as the translators. Language barrier is a real issue on my job.

An American woman came through and told me she was heading home to France. I asked her if I could go with her and she laughed. Turns out she is a missionary and living in France. I tried my hand at French and failed miserably. She was very gracious about it and I told her to have a safe trip "home."

If the customers weren't colorful enough, our employees easily add to the pallet. Two employees hail from South Africa, another from Spain, a manager from the UK, another employee from Bulgaria and another from Croatia. The gal from Croatia really sounds like she's from Brooklyn, but who am I to judge?

Maybe I should get a job at the United Nations.

Nah.

Walking . . . What a Great Invention

Since my car is in the shop today, I found myself having to run errands on foot. Fortunately, most of my errands involved retailers near my house. The weather today wasn't too bad, so I put on a warm coat and started on my trek. Little did I know what a wonderful world awaited me.

You never really realize how much your car isolates you from the outside world. We get caught up in our own little worlds and never truly notice things, places, or people as we drive by. Once the car "shield" is removed and you are faced with the outside world, perspective changes.

My hike started with Overland Hardware. Had to pick up a few things there for the old coal bin/new pantry that I was determined to finish. I had time while walking to think of questions about electrical wiring (don't know a thing about it except it doesn't like water). Overland Hardware is located in the heart of downtown Overland and I took notice of a new restaurant at the old shuttered Hacienda Restaurant trying to get ready to start business. A new paint job, new sign, looked like they were doing something with the roof. Hmmm. Hope the food will be good. Passed the vacant Overland Medical Building. Nothing new there. Ritenour School District offices were on my right and I noticed a historic marker that told me the original Buck School was located there before the Civil War. Very cool. Noticed the new gaming store still hadn't reopened since a planned remodel. Looking through the window, I didn't see much evidence of remodeling anything nor any life in there at all. What a shame to see it die before it had a chance to take off. It was a great idea. Maybe location issues? Guess I'll never know.

I conducted my business at Overland Hardware and got answers to my electrical questions. Need a contractor to solve the problems - no money, but they gave me a recommendation for someone. Began to head back towards home and Walgreens along the way. Had to wait for one of Jack's prescriptions, but that was okay. Not really used to walking that much, so the rest was welcomed. Bought a small bag of peanuts and perused through the Christmas merchandise.

After Walgreens, I began the second to last leg of my journey to Dollar General which just recently opened. I can see their store from my house. Along the way, I passed a small tailoring shop. I've passed this shop at least a million times in the 20-something years I've lived here and never really paid any attention to it. Since I'm in the process of selling my mother's tailoring supplies, I thought I would stop in to see if this business person knew of anyone needing a sewing machine and/or serger. This idea would never have occurred to me if someone at Macy's hadn't suggested I talk to the alterations department about my sewing machine dilemma.

The tailor was working with a customer, but she talked to me while she worked. It turned out that she is in the market for a new serger and wanted more information. Of course, I didn't have any info to tell her and being without a car today prevented me from running to Mom's apartment to get the serger. I promised her the info by tomorrow. We traded business cards and I happily went on my way. Hope this lady buys the machine.

Dollar General would be my last stop before home. Along the way, crews were working on the sidewalk. Looked like something to do with the sewer system. A big mess. A small shop was vacant. The old Overland Ice Creamery had been purchased by someone else and they made it into a pizzeria. Wonder if they are any good. Don't know anyone who's been there. Cut across the parking lot and arrived at Dollar General. Wandered around the store a bit, gathering things that we needed. I love Dollar General - it's a fun store.

Paid for my purchases and headed home. Had a choice of cutting through a couple of yards to get to my house or just being polite and taking a little longer route. I chose the longer route. I saw fences and wasn't sure if I could get over them without looking ridiculous. As I passed the neighbor who lives behind me (I'm on their street), I saw the front of the new shed they were building. Nice little shed. I  had to laugh since they were building it out of wood and it looked pretty similar to ours. If I think we inspired them, I'm afraid I'll give us way too much credit.

My adventure came to an end when I arrived at home. Hopefully, I'll sell a serger. If I like this lady, I might send some business her way. Now, I need my car back.

The Vacant House

Since the start of this disastrous Great Recession, the news has been rife with record numbers of home foreclosures. As with many things, the reality of it seems very far away until one day, it parks itself squarely in front of you. No, we aren't losing our house. Yet. But a dear friend and her husband just lost their home of many years to foreclosure.

As I pass their former home, I'm struck by the memories and what had been the comfort that they were always there. Our friends knew our children since babyhood. Both families watched each others children grow up. Her kids moved on and started their own families. Mine are finishing up school and taking those first steps into adulthood.

In the twenty plus years we knew each other, there were births of children, litters of puppies, deaths of loved ones, illnesses overcome, swapped recipes and garden tips, prom nights, graduations, Christmas decorations and Halloween candy. A ready and helpful hand was only a phone call away.

The empty house echos its past. And like all empty houses, it awaits another family to claim it as their home and begin a new set of memories.

Our beloved friends are starting a new chapter in their lives. Even though they no longer live nearby, they will always live in our hearts. We miss them terribly and hope that their path becomes brighter and better with each passing day.

Talking to Teens About Current Events

The mess in the Middle East, the global economy, the Great Recession, unemployment, the presidential race, and a host of other big news are all over the TV, Internet and radio. While adults don't have trouble talking about the news, how do you get your teens to talk about it?


Right now, teenagers are really still children. They don't have to worry about current world events because, well, it's our job and world events are, like, totally boring. (eye roll here) To a degree, this is true. However, if parents are to teach analytical thinking, discussions of current events need to take place. These discussions ideally should happen at the dinner table, but can happen in the car or any other place where your child is a captive audience.


Some schools are encouraging teachers to engage students in these discussions. My own daughter came home and told me of the debate in class on the Republican presidential candidates. Talk to your child's teacher and see if conversations on current events are taking place in the classroom. If not, find out why. 


It's really amazing how teens interpret the world around them. It makes them feel valued when you ask their opinions on issues in the news. Those opinions may or may not necessarily match yours. That's okay. Respect your child's thinking and have a great, insightful conversation. It beats nagging about homework.

Why Am I Scared of 50?

Okay. This is it. I'm going to admit it. I'll turn 50 this coming May. Already some of my friends have reached this milestone and they are handling it very well. Okay, maybe I'm a big chicken. Maybe I just can't wrap my head around the fact that I will have existed on this Earth for a half a century. AUGH! I'm freaking out already! A Half Century! That's soooo OLD! That's, um, 50 years! Okay, give me a minute. Calm breaths, calm breaths.

Okay, I can do this. 50 isn't so bad, right? Afterall, I've seen some big culture changes in just the short amount of time I've existed. Microwave ovens, personal computers, cell phones, color television, remote controls, recliners, Facebook, texting, gas at almost $4.00/gallon, video games, VCRs and DVDs. Not sure if that compares to what the Greatest Generation (my parents) experienced, but it feels like it's pretty close.

Tonight while I was slicing apples for our dessert, I wondered about my grandmother. How did she feel about turning 50? I wasn't even born yet. I was just a kid when my mom turned 50. I don't remember how she handled it. Of course, my mom likes being old. Sometimes she's very strange like that. But this raises an interesting question - each generation has it's own definition of "old." Just a few generations ago, if a woman lived to see 50, she was lucky. Now 50 is considered the new 30.

Another friend of mine posted on Facebook, "If you haven't grown up by age 50, you don't have to!" Maybe that's the mindset I need to take. Okay, ladies, who wants to go cruisin' with me on my birthday?

Then and Now

September 11, 2001

That morning we woke up to a normal sunny fall day. The kids were getting ready for school - Jack Jr had just begun 5th grade and Sami was officially a 1st grader. I took them to school as usual and headed off to my job as a technical writer at Enterprise Rent-a-Car. I turned on the radio to listen to my favorite country music station, only to hear that a plane crashed into one of the towers in New York. I thought, "oh my word, what a horrible accident."

That was the last moment of our innocence. 

When the second plane hit the other tower, everyone knew - this was no accident. The reality of it was incomprehensible. Who could do this and why?

I arrived at work to see everyone else in a state of shock. No one could concentrate. All of us, as well as the rest of the world, were scrambling to get more details from the Internet. The Internet was jammed from all the traffic.

More tragic news came in about the Pentagon and the plane crashing in Pennsylvania. It seemed the world was coming to an end and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I was thankful the kids were safe at school and sheltered from the horrors that were unfolding that day. I knew I was going to have to explain it to them that night, but I had time to figure out what I was going to say, or so I thought.

September 11, 2011

My son is now 20 and in college studying computer engineering. My daughter is 16, a junior in high school and the captain of the color guard squad.

Sami saw the Pentagon Memorial when Ritenour's band visited Washington DC on Memorial Day weekend. She said it was a beautiful tribute to those who died that day. Jack still looks at the planes flying across the skies and continues to hope those planes don't become weapons again.

These kids were so young when the world came to a crashing end. Our world will never be the same again, but we can only hope that these young people will make the world a safer and better place for their children. I believe that would be the best way to honor those who perished ten years ago today.

God Bless us all.

A Memorable Memorial Day

Memorial Day is, indeed, a special day set aside to remember those who have sacrificed so much so that we can be free. We honor those with parades, special tributes and ceremonies. Years ago, my young son participated with his Cub Scout troop in placing flags on the solders' graves at Jefferson Barracks Cemetery. This had particular meaning to him because his grandfather (my father) was buried there. We don't know if Jack put a flag on his grandpa's grave or not, but I'm sure my dad would have counted it as so.

This year, my daughter, Sami, participated along with the Ritenour High School Color Guard and Marching Band, in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC. To say this was a once in a lifetime opportunity is an understatement. Each of the kids scraped and sweated to earn every dime to pay for the trip. Some of these kids are seniors and had just celebrated their graduation ceremony last week. This trip also represented Sami's first ever trip out of state. I wanted so badly to come with her, but I couldn't come up with the money to pay for both of us. It was all she could do to earn the money for herself.

Ritenour High School Marching Band was invited to participate in the National Memorial Day Parade by Missouri Representative Lacy Clay. That by itself is pretty impressive. What I found out tonight was that Ritenour beat out about 15 other Missouri schools for this incredible honor. Not only that, Ritenour represented ALL of Missouri - no other Missouri schools were in the parade. Ritenour students showed their state and school pride by putting on an awesome performance for the whole country to see.

I'm so proud of all of them, and especially, of Sami. Great job guys!

Somebody Stop the World - I Want to Get Off Here!

 

I don't know about everyone else, but my head has been spinning for about three weeks and it doesn't look like it will be stopping very soon. Coming up with blog topics and timely ones has been a challenge. It's certainly not for lack of material. Here we go:

The world has witnessed a royal wedding with it's share of controversy (a lavish royal wedding in the middle of a severe economic recession), the queen's two granddaughters showing all of us that even royals can only have taste in their mouths, and lots of reminiscing over the Prince's late mother's wedding. My personal opinion on the whole thing is this - quit your complaining already. The wedding was rather played down compared to Charles and Diana's wedding some 30 years ago. Kate's dress was spot-on as far as I was concerned. Princess Beatrice and her sister, Princess Eugenie, showed the world expensive tastelessness. They were probably irked because Mum wasn't invited the the nuptials and decided to be the tacky relations. Get over it - we all have people like that in our families.

Then there's Osama bin Laden. Frankly, I'm glad this monster is dead. Am I morally conflicted over feeling happiness over his demise? Not really. He didn't lose any sleep over killing 3,000 innocent Americans who were no threat to him. He was clearly a threat to the rest of the world. Fail to see a problem here. However, if I have to endure another analysis of his life, his favorite videos, or his favorite sub-machine gun, I swear I'm going to scream. The monster is dead - let's move on.

Now, my personal life has been even more eventful. In a matter of days, we celebrated mine and my husband's 21st wedding anniversary, my son's 20th birthday, Mother's Day, Valley of the Flowers Parade in which Ritenour Color Guard marched, and my 49th birthday. In the middle of all this "happiness," however, we also lost my only living uncle. He was 87 when he died. Emotional rollercoaster? You could say that. The agenda isn't finished yet. My son just had his final exams, my daughter is preparing for her final exams and practicing for the National Memorial Day march in Washington DC in just two weeks.

With all of this going on, I really haven't had a chance to absorb anything. Even my daughter told me today that she still hasn't had a moment to mourn her great-uncle's death.

This is sad. The world really needs to slow down a bit so we can get off.

My Ramblings on Free Speech, Politics, and Responsibility

Yesterday at a Tuscon supermarket, Arizona Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot while speaking to the public about her efforts to serve them in Congress. Twenty people were injured and six were killed in an unspeakable shooting rampage by what appears to be a mentally unstable man, Jared Loughner. A 9-year-old child who was developing an interest in politics was among those killed. The irony of her death is that she was born on 9/11/01. The question a lot of people are asking, is why?

There is some debate on whether the hostile political rhetoric that has been making headlines could be partly to blame. Sarah Palin's website with gunsights on a map of areas she wanted to take aim at changing is especially scary and, no doubt, a public relations nightmare for the Palin camp.

Political vitriol is nothing new in this country. Our history books tell us many stories about brawls in the Senate and duels between politicians. Early 19th century American history was rife with angry discord over states' rights, slavery, a national bank, and foreign affairs. Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Andrew Jackson were all political figures who drew fire and made their own fire during their time in office. However, we are modern day America now. Bloody Island is merely a historic footnote and our senators and representatives, supposedly, know better than to start fist fights while in office.

Free speech is a wonderful thing and should be fiercely protected. However, with all freedoms, comes responsibility. Sarah Palin could have made her point just as effectively by not giving her stamp of approval on the graphic image of gun sights on a map of districts she wanted to change. Push pins, American flags, butterflies, whatever. But no, she chose something very dramatic, disturbing and implied violence. I am not saying Palin is directly responsible for Loughner's actions. No, Loughner made his decisions based on whatever logic he was using at the time.

Americans are angry right now. We are all hurting. But our political leaders, locally and nationally, need to bear in mind that words have impact and we need to be responsible for them. I am begging our public servants to please do what you are supposed to be doing - representing the people and our country. Shootouts in Tuscon are not the answer. But blockading policies that may possibly help our country just because you can isn't an answer either.

Frankly, Palin and the Tea Party have always scared me. Her ability to whip people in to a froth is both frightening and borderline illegal. It is illegal in this country to incite riots. Palin can stand up and say whatever she wants - that's protected speech. But getting the public riled up is quite another. I really believe she is not directly responsible for this shooting, but I also hope that her political future is toast after this.

Introducing . . . . Miss Octane

Never in my life would I have thought I would write anything praising a creature I have long feared. I truly love a lot of animals - dogs, cats, horses, gerbils, hamsters, and all baby critters in the zoo. I could probably get used to frogs and lizards, but it would be a stretch. However, as far as dogs are concerned, there are three breeds that always frightened me almost to a panic-stricken paralysis. Those three have been Rottweilers, Dobermans, and Pit Bulls. I have known people who have owned each of these dogs and they have always sworn to the breed's gentle nature, "just a big couch potato," and anything else to convince me that I'm buying into a myth. Of course, this argument loses a lot of steam when at a later time, the dog in question has to be put down because it got loose and bit someone. Hmm, yea, I'm really convinced now.

However, a few weeks ago, I met a lovely young puppy of about 8 months old and her name is Octane. Miss Octane is a pure bred Pit Bull Terrier. Her owners are our neighbors and they, wait for it, swear to the pit bull breed's gentle nature and that some people just don't treat these dogs right. Yea, I know better, right?

The first time I came over to their house since they got the dog, I was braced for angry barking (pit bulls are territorial dogs by nature and breeding) and expecting my neighbor to wrestle with the dog to keep it from lunging at me. Not the case at all. I walked through the door and was immediately greeted by a beautiful tan dog with a white chest who calmly walked up to me, sniffed my fingers and looked up at me with soulful brown eyes. Her expression was all puppy, "will you play with me?" She uttered no sound at all - not even a growl. After she gave all my fingers a thorough sniff, she proceeded to lick my hands and then moved to sniff a few other areas that all dogs like to sniff (never mind where). I couldn't believe what I saw. Octane decided that I needed a more proper greeting and jumped up on me to say hello. Standing on her hind legs, she came about even with my chin. (I'm 5'3" tall or short.)

I bravely scratched her behind her soft, velvety ears and we became instant friends. She loved having her chin rubbed and laid down on the couch for a tummy rub. As my neighbor and I visited, I watched Octane and how she interacted with my daughter who was already there hanging out with a friend. My daughter knew not to take off her shoes for a good reason - Octane likes to chew on bare feet. She also likes shoes, but apparently bare feet are more fun. 

When the princess would get off the couch, she would do it in phases. She would lift her upper part of her body and place her front paws on the floor, stretching out as far as she could go without having to move the lower half of her body from its original place on the couch. Octane is also very effective in letting you know when she wants attention. She jumps on your lap and pushes you out of your seat. She also puts her big head in your lap - a huge surprise for a breed known for fighting.

Octane is still a baby, but she has already won over my heart. I don't know if she is truly an example of the real nature of pit bulls or if she's just a very submissive personality; but I told her that she's giving pit bulls a bad rep. I don't think of her as a pit bull - she's a pit diva. And I think she knows it too.

I'm still afraid of pit bulls as a breed; however, Octane is too sweet to be feared. For more information on pit bulls, visit United Kennel Club's web site - http://www.ukcdogs.com/WebSite.nsf/Breeds/AmericanPitBullTerrierRevisedNovember12008

Reflections

There are many milestones in a child's life that remind the parents that their baby is growing up: rolling over, walking, riding a bike without training wheels, first day of school, first date, and the chiller - learning how to drive.

This weekend I took some time to teach both my kids how to drive. My 19-year-old son is taking his time with this and I really should be thankful. The insurance costs would have killed me if his driving didn't. My 15-year-old daughter is more than ready and has been backing the car down the driveway for almost a year now. She keeps pushing the line by edging the van closer and closer to the street.

Our first foray into the world of automotive independence was a good one. While both kids joked around about wanting to zoom down the empty Northwest Plaza parking lot at 80 miles per hour, spinning donuts and trying to run over each other, they did very well. I really believe they both will be very responsible drivers. Of course, I still have to restart my heart whenever Sami says, "10 points for every pedestrian I hit!"

Crab Grass

No one can look at my front yard and exclaim, "Oh my, I saw that yard in Better Homes and Gardens!" In fact, I'm pretty sure that if I even suggested my yard be featured in any magazine, it might be Better Weeds and Dumpsites. I never claimed to be a gardener, even when I actually try. I really admire those dedicated gardeners who cultivate an oasis around their homes. Gardening is truly a talent.

Today I was weeding my weed garden which had successfully choked out any sign of floral life that Jack and I placed in it this past spring. The crab grass has literally taken over my pink iris to the point you can't even find the iris leaves. When I pull on a vine of this nasty stuff, it keeps going for about one or two feet before it finally breaks. It has so entwined itself with my moss rose plants, that I can't pull out the crab grass without taking the moss rose with it.

Crab grass, known in botany circles as digitaria, is actually found in most areas of the world. I don't think it's growing in the Arctic Circle, though. I really do believe that crab grass is more than just a weed. It's the curse of the Devil. Call me crazy, but who else could come up with something that is almost impossible to kill, keeps growing no matter what the weather (drought kills everything else but this stuff), and seems to have no pests to feed on it? I've pulled out enough of this stuff to wrap around the world twice!

Sometimes I come across a sprout of crab grass and start to pull on it. It won't budge. I often wonder how deep these roots go. From what I have found, the roots are rather shallow. I really don't believe this. I, frankly, believe the roots go straight to the other side of the world. There is probably some poor farmer pulling on the same crab grass weed that I am and we are having a tug of war.

Some scientists predict that roaches will survive a nuclear holocaust. I think we should add crab grass to this list too.

A Message for My Readers

I've been told that my blog is revealing too much information about my family and events that I thought would be okay to share. Since this is creating problems within my family, I will no longer blog like I have before. I'll still post things out here, but not in the depth I have in the past.

I always review my content with family members before I post, but apparently, this isn't enough. Therefore, until I can find something to talk about that won't offend anyone, I won't be posting for awhile.

I hope you have enjoyed my previous blogs - my goal has always been to inform and entertain. I'm very proud of my family - that's why I talk about them. My wish has been to have my readers enjoy my family as much as I do.

Thank you.

Wrapping Up Summer 2010

Wow! This summer has zipped by faster than any I can remember. Maybe because my kids didn't have time to be bored. Maybe because I was so busy I didn't have time to notice any boredom. Whatever. Tomorrow marks the first day of school for Ritenour students and I'm relieved. Now the days will have more structure and less "fly by the seat of my pants" feel to them.

Jack didn't do much this summer. He is now officially accepted at Florissant Valley Community College and will finally begin his degree program in computer engineering. He's taking baby steps to this, but it beats sitting in his room all the time playing video games.

Sami, on the other hand, kept me so busy that I barely had time to see my husband and son. She finished summer school with passing grades and went directly into Color Guard practice. We just found out that Ritenour band and color guard have been invited to march in next year's Memorial Day parade in Washington DC. So now the intense fund raising efforts begin. Sami needs $650 to be able to go and we don't have the money. They have already had two car washes and haven't raised a tremendous amount. They will be having pizza sales later and that promises to be a big draw. In the meantime, Sami is looking for odd jobs to bring in money. She has spent the summer walking a dog for an elderly lady and also helping clean her house.

Girl Scout Gold Award Update

It looks like Sami will be painting a mural on the wall of a building located in downtown Overland to be a scenic backdrop for the newly built Erickson Plaza. Ritenour art students are supposed to help with this project, but Sami needs to submit drawings to the art teacher in charge. She also has to present these ideas to the mayor and Overland Business Association. Pretty intimidating, but I know she can do it. Another girl in her troop will be taking an adjacent wall for her Gold Award project as well. Hopefully, the girls will be in sync with their drawings. The whole project is pretty daunting.

Will post updates as the project comes along.


Summer 2010 - Part 2

Sami made a new friend this summer. Well, actually, they have known each other since Sami started dating Trent. The girl is one of Trent's sisters. Tonya came to St. Louis to visit with her dad and I took the girls out to the Butterfly House and the Magic House. They both had a ball. Any awkward feelings between them (Sami and Trent are no longer dating) vanished when they went into the Magic House. I never saw two girls have more fun. Sami had a few "Lucy" moments (Lucy Ricardo of "I Love Lucy") like crashing into a mirrored wall in a funhouse maze and pressing her face into a peg board only to have her upper torso also press through to the other side.

On the way to the Magic House, I took the girls to Kirkwood Farmer's Market to look at the fresh boys, um, produce. Yea, produce, not boys. Produce.

I'm not sure how long this friendship will last since Tonya lives with her mom in Oregon, but they seem to get along great and Tonya is such a terrific girl. Only time will tell if this friendship is meant to be.

Wave goodbye to Summer 2010 and say hello to a new school year. Hope Sami and Jack make it a good one.

Parental Outrage

There are some things that happen in this world that just shouldn't happen. Things that defy logic sometimes and leave one wondering, "what is going on in that person's mind?"

This past weekend, one of Sami's friends (and someone she values as a sister) was physically assaulted by her boyfriend. This cretin began with making insipid demands on her, then insulted her, then proceeded to strangle her and punched her in her pelvis when she tried to defend herself by kicking him in his private area. The girl was injured badly enough to be rushed to the hospital where she was treated for deep bruises to her vaginal area.

Here is where the story sounds sooooo familiar. She "loves" him and refuses to press assault and battery charges on him. The guy took off to Winfield to cool off and the next day, the girl drove up to Winfield to pick him up at a friend's house after he apologized tearfully and told her how much he loves her and it won't happen again.

This is also where Sami's safety was compromised. This girl, on the promise to Sami to spend quality time together and go out for a drive, took her all the way out to Winfield without bothering to tell Sami or anyone else where they were going. Sami was a little frightened because she didn't know where she was and couldn't contact me without alerting her friend. Furthermore, this girl knew that Sami was not allowed to be around this monster nor the friend he was with. Winfield is an hour's drive away, so Sami was no longer in control of her environment and safety. A very frightening scenario.

My anger has many facets right now. I would like to take that monster boyfriend and string him up by his privates over a pool of hungry crocodiles. However, crocodiles are endangered and I don't want to harm them with garbage. Therefore, let's stake him out over a very large ant hill inhabited with swarms of fire ants. Might need to take him to Texas for that, but I'm cool with it.

I'm also angry with Sami's friend for allowing herself to be so manipulated by this guy. Everyone has been telling her to get rid of him, that things will only get worse. Apparently, he has tried to strangle her before and she never told anyone. In addition, she expected Sami to lie for her and cover her actions. AND, she betrayed my trust in her to watch over my 15 year old child while they were out. When I texted her and told her of my upset and sense of betrayal, she lied to me and then brushed me off with a flip, "Whatever." She also betrayed Sami's trust by not telling her exactly where they were going until they were half way to Winfield. As a result of this excursion, Sami is forbidden from going anywhere with this girl unless either her mom or I are present. Sami is not the one in trouble, this girl is.

At the risk of sounding unChristian and cold-hearted, I'm really getting tired of this girl dragging us into her drama. She upsets her mother so badly that the poor woman sobs while at work. The mom calls me in tears and manages to choke out the latest outrage. I'm at a loss as to how to counsel her. My heart breaks for her - her daughter is her only child - and like most parents, she has big dreams for her. So do I for my kids. No parent should watch her child make these kinds of decisions and be abused, but that is what this woman is dealing with. Sami's friend doesn't realize how her actions literally paralyze those who care for her - including us. I'm to the point that I can't do any work unless Sami is in school. When she's home, she's running out the door and I'm chasing after her.

I keep praying that this girl will straighten up and fly right, but we all have heard the unhappy endings to these abuse situations. I truly hope this isn't her future. I'm asking all my readers who believe in prayer to please pray for this girl and for Sami. This is no example for Sami to have, although, she sees the abuse and knows it's unacceptable.

Sami's Girl Scout Gold Award - The Process Begins . . .

Sami's status as a 15-year-old is getting rather confusing. She is a freshman in high school, but a senior in Girl Scouts. She's also approaching young womanhood and leaving her girlhood behind, so is she really a Girl Scout or a Young Lady Scout? Okay, maybe I'm nitpicking here.

One of the things that the young ladies in Girl Scouts work on is the Girl Scout Gold Award. This is the highest award and honor that a Girl Scout can earn. She must be at least 15 and a registered Girl Scout, and, I think, have earned her Silver Award. Sami seamlessly earned her Silver Award last year with her previous troop working on a bird sanctuary in one of the Girl Scout camps. It was lovely and all the girls worked hard on it.

The Gold Award is going to be a completely different story. I promised Sami I would chronicle her progress here on my blog, so prepare to be entertained (I hope).

A few weeks ago, she and I attended the Gold Award workshop to learn how she should go about earning this award. The three-hour workshop was the most grueling session I have ever attended. I'm sure the ladies who put together the presentation put a lot of thought into it, but really, they made it more complicated than it needed to be. Sami was so overwhelmed, she broke down and cried.

The seminar started out pleasantly enough. The girls each found their seats after registering, some of them from the same troop. Sami was the only one from her troop, so she didn't know anyone there. That's never a problem for Sami, as my family and friends all know. Before long, she was chatting it up with the two other girls at her table as though she had known them her whole life - Yep, that's my girl. She must get it from her Irish ancestors.

The presenters were two women who, near as I could tell, must have never given a presentation before. Please forgive my business snobbery here, but I've done enough presentations to recognize a newbie. These ladies not only bounced around in the slide show, thus losing most of us adults in the back of the room, they bounced around in their lecture as well. One Girl Scout leader sitting next to me quickly gave up trying to take notes and looked very frustrated.

Midway through the presentation, they had an icebreaker. Why they waited until this point to do this is anyone's guess. Sami enjoyed the icebreaker and at that time, traded e-mails and phone numbers with her table partners. (Her Irish grandfather would have been so proud.)

The rest of the session was more confusing with each slide and this was when Sami broke down and cried. Not hysterical sobbing - that's not Sami's way, but quiet tears rolling down her cheeks. No one stepped forward to help her calm down until break time when I went to her to see if she was okay. I knew she needed help and I asked one of the presenters if Sami could just have a printout of the slide show. They said she had all the information in her possession and didn't need the slides. Trying to calm her down, I whispered to her that I would go over everything when we got home. I was thinking that passing the health care reform bill in Congress would be easier than this mess.

When we got home, Sami put down all the material she gathered from the workshop and just walked away from it. I think if it spontaneously combusted, she wouldn't be upset. A few days later I reviewed the material and placed an call to her Scout leader. The two of us talked about what her first step should be and we boiled down everything to more manageable steps for her. We found that this process wasn't as bad as presented and if Sami stayed focused on the small, baby steps, she could get it accomplished without too much trouble. Her leader pointed out to her that she already began several of the steps without even knowing it. We assured her that all was going to be okay.

She feels better about this now and began discussing ideas for her project just the other day. I think we have begun.

High School, Special Needs Students, and Winning a Game

Recently, media sports departments across St. Louis have been heralding the unbelievable winning shot by a special school district student at a Kirkwood High School basketball game. Now this story grabs my attention on several levels - let me explain.

Kirkwood High School is my alma mater - I'm class of 1980 - so, of course, I'm proud that Kirkwood had a good game. It's great that this young man's shot won the game - no doubt. I think it's wonderful that Kirkwood and the basketball team welcomed and nurtured this young man to realize his dream. This brings tears to my eyes and makes me believe that there are good people out there - especially in my old high school. The news media hasn't really mentioned David Stillman's special needs; there really isn't any reason to. David clearly had all the support and then some to overcome whatever those needs were. His family and teammates are all very proud of him - and they should be.

My son has Aspbergers Syndrome. When he entered Ritenour, he wanted to try out for the swim team. The athletic director encouraged it. I spoke to the swim coach who also encouraged Jack to try out. While Jack is socially awkward out of the water, in the water he is a totally different kid. Or at least he used to be. He tried for a week to pass all the tests for the team and didn't make it. A couple of the boys teased him. The coach pretty much informed me that she didn't have time for him. The other members of the team seemed supportive but nothing much more came of it. Jack never went back. I placed him in classes at a public pool in St. Ann, hoping to improve his strength, stamina and confidence. The instructors there didn't want to waste their time with him either. Jack has never been back to a pool since.

I hope the Stillman family knows just how fortunate they are to have such a supportive environment for David. This young man will always treasure his great accomplishment for the rest of his life. I wish I could say the same for Jack. I don't know why Ritenour would not help him more. Kirkwood is a wealthier school district than Ritenour, but that's no excuse to discourage the efforts of a special needs child. Jack just wanted to be a part of something and was denied the chance. David became a part of Kirkwood history because someone gave him a chance.

Congratulations David on a great game.

New Year's Eve and the Decade

I'm not so sure I like this title, but I'll go with it for now. Happy New Year everyone!

Everyone and his brother is looking back on the past year and the past 10 years, so I will throw in my version of this decade. Here goes . . .

2000 - Y2K, yes, we survived the "end of the world as we know it" scenario that was bandied about all the previous year. Glad that ended peacefully. Somewhere in this time frame (my memory is a little fuzzy here, so forgive me), didn't the Rams win the Superbowl? Didn't Big Mac smash Musial's batting record too? I may be off by a year or so, but I remember thinking, "What a way to start off a new century!" My little girl was in preschool and my little boy was in 2nd grade and had a horrible crush on his pretty teacher. I remember he wanted to change his name to "Chuck." I found out that was the name of the pretty teacher's boyfriend. I had just been promoted to technical writer at Enterprise Rent-a-Car and was making a pretty good salary. Things with Big Jack were difficult but we were getting by and finally getting bills under control.

2001 - 9/11 changed everything and the world will never, ever be the same again. My young son saw a plane in the air one morning and asked me if that was one of our planes or an enemy plane. A 3rd grade boy shouldn't have to worry about such things. Ever since, I had nightmares about a plane crashing into the school where my children were. We live only a few miles from Lambert Airport - it could happen.

2002 - I got laid off from Enterprise Rent-a-Car due to reorganization. It came as no surprise, I had long felt that the technical writing department had outlived its purpose. I miss a few people I worked with there, but not a lot. Enterprise gave me the leg up to start my education and begin a career I had been talking about for a long time. A few months after Enterprise, I began a retail job at Michaels. I thought I would only do it for a few months until something better came along. Little did I know I would be the event coordinator for Michaels for three years. I came out of the job stronger than when I went in - I learned how to manage projects and run my own department. That was something I never believed I could do before. The pay was deplorable, but the experience was valuable.

2004 - I began the year by enrolling at Webster University to begin my bachelor's degree in advertising/marketing communications. The kids thought it was really cool that Mom was in college. My young daughter asked me after I came home from my first night in class, "Mommy, did you make any new friends in school?" It would be a long time before I actually made any friends at Webster, but now I can say, yes, I believe I made some friends. My young son was in middle school and found the transition from elementary school to middle school was too difficult. He had to be placed in a special classroom for students with learning issues. My husband's mental and physical health continued to deteriorate.

2005 - Around this time (exact year is irrelevant), we found that Big Jack's father had Alzheimer's. My mother fell down her basement steps and broke her neck. After much physical therapy, she was able to come home but we soon moved her out of her house and into an independent senior living apartment complex. Her downward spiral had only just begun. I quit Michaels to take care of her.

2006 - My son was in high school and my daughter was in middle school. Jack's time in high school would always be a struggle. Sami started out with a bang - honor roll and student government and then the downward spiral began in 2008.

2009 - This year had bad year written all over it. Big Jack lost two uncles early in the year and it wasn't long before his father's physical health would rapidly deteriorate and Jim would pass away just before Thanksgiving. Big Jack had a mental and physical breakdown over the summer that eventually lead to a complete overhaul of all his medications. He is doing much better now - he's in counseling and has lost 100 pounds so far. Things are slowly looking better for him. Sami had an emotional meltdown that landed her in Edgewood. Counseling hasn't been much help, but involvement with a different Girl Scout troop, her high school color guard team, and some horseback riding seem to be helping her adjust to her new surroundings. She began high school this year and it's been a tough transition.

Jack finally graduated from high school - a little late. He is having trouble making the transition to "adult" life where he makes his own decisions. The sour economy hasn't helped his outlook, nor mine since it looks like I will be graduating in the spring of next year. Unemployment is the worst its been since the 80's and I remember those awful days. A bright spot in all of this gloom - the country elected its first black president, Barack Obama. It's too soon to tell if he's an effective leader.

I finished two internships - one at Veteran's Administration and another at Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis. Both internships were great experiences and I hope they will lead to jobs soon. Thanks to the wonderful social networking web site, Facebook, I am getting to know my husband's family members in Alabama that I would never had gotten to know otherwise. I had originally scoffed at such silliness as Facebook and MySpace, but now I'm an avid user of FB. MySpace is too young for me and Twitter is just plain annoying. Also, I am finishing the year with a completed collection of family recipes that have been received with great enthusiasm.

My outlook for 2010 has been it can't get much worse. Actually, it could but I don't really want to go there. Every year I try to think positive about the upcoming new year. So I'll continue to do just that. God Bless everyone in the coming year! Happy New Year!