THOUGHTS AT THREE A.M.

MOTHER STANDS OUTSIDE BURNING CAR, WHILE HER CHILD DIES INSIDE IT!!!

Okay, it was a very cold day,and in the middle of K-Mart's parking lot, where a customer sees this car burning, and calls 911. In mere seconds the firetrucks are there, trying to put out the fire, of a car, now fully engulfed in flames. A woman is standing 10 or 12 feet away, crying, screaming, " My baby! My baby!" It is horrible.Even more horrible, because it was a local happening.This is the sort of story that hurts my heart so much. I can't help but think twice before blogging on it,in the main since my heart aches for that woman. How heartbroken she must be! What torture she had to have gone through to stand there, helplessly watching such a nightmarish scene! No doubt, she must have kept hoping against hope that she would wake up and find it was only a terrible bad dream! For just a moment, I identified with her.Poor baby! Poor woman! Poor thing, poor, poor thing. And then, as always happens when it is a tragic story of a woman and a child, I put myself in her place. And then it came to me. WHAT THE HELL WAS SHE STANDING THERE FOR!? Why wasn't she in there, fighting like a crazy woman trying to get into that car? Why wasn't she defying all reason and logic, in a mad attempt to reach her child, and get them out of that burning inferno? Why would I think that? Because I know what I would have been doing, were I her! Damn getting burned, damn the possibility I might die in the attempt, I am getting my kid out of there! You say, oh, but that is unreasonable. Is it?  Who cares?! When you see your child in danger, reason has absolutely nothing to do with the case! Self preservation does not even enter into the thought processes of a mother when she sees HER BABY in trouble! Then I heard the announcer bring up the most terrifying aspect of all. The baby, her baby, was under the age of five years old! HUH? What was she doing, leaving a child that young in the car alone? She should have either been in that car with the child, or that child should have been standing by her side.Either way, that child would be with it's mother right this minute.

Last of all, I just heard a rumor that this mother had two children standing with her. This is worse than I originally thought. See, it occurred to me that she might have just stopped by to pick up one thing...she left her child in the car, perhaps because she needed to buy them a coat before she could take it out in the cold, and turned around to see the car burst into flames, and was so stunned, she could not react. But now, after hearing she had two kids with her, puts a whole new spin on this whole scenario. She took the older children, and left the baby because it was too inconvenient to take all three.Well, at the risk of sounding cold-hearted, she won't have to concern herself with that decision ever again, because the baby did not survive.

Well! Let's all hear it for doing things the easy way! PHHHHTT! (stands for a loud, wet raspberry)

OUI?

OSCAR BUZZ BRINGS UP SOME THOUGHTS ON ACTING!

They used to be called actors and actresses. But now, have you noticed, suddenly they are all "actors." When did that happen? And what is so wrong with calling a woman an actress? Since when is the differentiation of gender a bad thing? Since when is it passe? I see nothing demeaning in the mention of gender! It used to be so easy to say, for the award of an actress in a lead role...rather than for a female actor in a lead role.To my ears, it sounds cumbersome to have to spell it out that way.

Then, there is the ongoing annoyance to me, of an actor or actress delivering the line "I'm tired". Why aren't they looking or acting tired when they say those words? To me they almost invariably look way to perky, bright-eyed and bushy tailed to be saying:" I'm tired and I want to go to bed!" Even if they are playing a character who is lying at the moment, most regular people, when mouthing a falsehood, can "act" tired, even better than some award winners. It's not enough to just show up, in costume and make-up,stand on your mark, and deliver the right words! Somewhere in there, that believable persona must appear! Now, if you can't convince the audience...such as myself, that you ARE tired when you say you are, then what are you doing? Most would agree that it is rather basic to becoming a character and bringing it to life, which of course, is the actor's job. If you can't do that, then perhaps you're so caught up in  being that glamorous  star, that the art of your craft has escaped you...Or, you've got a really bad director! Or Just maybe you have never BEEN that tired! This last, I myself find hard to swallow, considering that I know it's hard work making movies. However! If that is the case, hey! Get a real job for a month,and learn how to say "I'm tired!" with sincerity.

OUI?

GOOD HELP IS SO HARD TO GET!!

You know, there was a time when I thought it was all pretentiousness when women would say, good help is so hard to get.But now that I have to have help come in during the week, I am beginning to understand. It is not a ploy for being able to pull some sort of "status symbol" game, so that ppl think you are grander than you are, or rich either. It is truth.I have had some real winners, who eventually were wooed away by more money, and I have had to come out and fire some. Those are they who make one want to tear their hair out by the handfulls.Even so, I always feel awful when have to let someone go. Even those who drive me nuts by standing on one foot and then the other, waiting to be told what to do, when there is a long "honey do" list posted on the fridge.But that's just the simple ones, who want to do a good job and don't quite get it.The ones that make me leave claw marks in the walls are those who cannot remember a simple directive such as, " I am very susceptible to any germ that I come in contact with.Please do not come to work for me if you are ill." I did not think this was difficult to understand, but apparently, I was speaking a foreign language when I said don't come to work! I didn't think it was necessary to stop her at the door and inspect her as to her health, but obviously, I was mistaken. Last Friday, I was very busy writing, and just called out, come in ! when Cherri rang the bell. Yon son was doing mop-up at work, so I went on working until he arrived with breakfast. Cherri...(not her real name) started the dishes, and cleaning the kitchen, and later on, when son arrived with breakfast, we just had our food in the dinning room, so she could mop the kitchen.Once the floor was dry, we moved into the kitchen, and it wasn't until then I noticed that she was hacking and sneezing and blowing her nose.I signed her out at the usual time, and cautioned her, now, if you're not better by Monday, don't come. I don't want your cold...or flu or whatever it is! That should have put me on my guard, but over the week-end things happened, and I was totally distracted again when she came in Monday morning.The point being, she sailed around the house, and kept darting into the bathroom, until I gave her a quizzical look, and she informs me that she still has the "sniffles", and I am thinking O.M.G.! She wasn't scouring out the bathroom as I had supposed, she was purloining my tissues for her nose! That is neither here   nor there, the thing that bothered me, was that she intentionally hid from me the fact that she was still sick! By the time my Tuesday through Thursday lady showed up the following day, I had a raging case of the creeping crud and by the next day, Yon son and I both were down with it, and had to call off hosting Sherry for Bible study because she has enough health problems of her own without adding to it for a night with us.I should have called the service to complain by that time, but unfortunately, I was too sick to care.But Thursday when they called to talk to Joey, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to say to Melody, Please tell Cherri, that if she is still sick, not to come on Friday. I am already sick, I don't need any more of her germs.She apologized for Cherri's  behavior, and said she would pass the word along. Well, somewhere along the line, the word got dropped, or ignored, and This morning, Cherri comes be-boppin' through the door with a wad of tissues in one hand, still sniffling.So, I stopped her, and asked, point blank, are you still sick? Not really says she, and looks like she's ready to attack my dishes.By now it's just my sinuses draining! So, In the nicest way possible, I said, No, I told you before, don't come to work when your sick.Now, I admire a person who is willing to go ahead and work when they are ill,but when your talking about housework, where you're touching their dishes and cleaning counter-tops and tables,and so forth, you are just spreading your germs around. Take your germs and go home, or to your next client,and come back when you are healthy! I took her time-paperwork and signed her out and though she looked very doubtful, she said alright, and left.I wished her well, and said, I hope you recover by Monday,but if not...! She just nodded, and went out the door. But, I am wondering if she really got the picture, or If I am going to have to go through the same thing Monday. I certainly hope not. She's a persistent little cuss, I'll give her that.But she seems to be the sort that a house has to fall on them before they understand what you are telling them. (Sigh) But it is true. Good help is so hard to find!

OUI?

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS TEDDY BEAR COMMERCIAL?

You know the one I'm talking about. I think it's Toyota or Dodge that has this woman, who buys a brand new Teddy bear, uses it to wash the van, runs over it, rips one of the eyes off,and the next thing you know, she is picking her daughter up at school, and says, Hi honey! Look in the toy bin! and her child looks, and smiles and hugs the toy happily saying, You found Teddy! Yeah, mom says, isn't that great?  Isn't that great? No, it is not great. It is so horribly wrong to send this message that it is okay to lie to your child, it upsets and angers me every time I see it! Children see these commercials, and wonder, how many times did my parents fool me? Parents see these commercials and think, well, that's one way of solving the problem of a child who is inconsolable over the loss of a toy.And the ideals of truth and trust go right out the window. To my mind this presents a whole new trickle down theory that in practice doesn't sound so good. If the children can't trust their parents to tell them the truth, and the parents are no longer held to a higher value system, could not the same thoughts go through the parents heads when it comes time to buy that new or newer used van or SUV? I know I would wonder just exactly what sorts of deceit and surprises were in store for me, should I purchase from a car manufacturer who finds it alright to manipulate the truth to their advantage. Situational ethics is a damnable thing. Some things are absolutely right and some things are absolutely wrong, and If you can lie to a child, you can lie to an adult just as easily,and all car salesmen are interested in is your signature on that line, no matter what they have to promise you to get it there.

To me, the Teddy Bear commercial is a red flag, of just how low an automotive maker will go to sell his products,and tells us way more about their ethics than they ever intended. They tell you nothing of value in this ad...no mention is made of their reliability or dependability as an everyday vehicle for your family. No special safety features, no reduction in cost, NO! It's all about this ugly one eyed scruffy looking Teddy bear,and how cleverly mom put one over on her innocent trusting child! That's terrible! Personally, I would have been more impressed if the mother had said to the girl, " Trixi, we saved so much money on buying this wonderful new car I was able to go out and buy you a brand new bear!"

OUI?

CREDIT CARD DEBT HELP? OR, HOW TO GET FURTHER INTO DEBT!

Every day, I get a new credit card offer.Sometimes two. Sometimes more. Usually, I just laugh, and open it, laugh some more, and file it away.I have reached their criteria for credit.Well, "ain't" that nice? Too bad, they don't reach mine! Their APR is just all over the road, or the annual fee is stupid, or one or another niggling consideration is wrong, or I just flat don't like the cut of their jib. Some are very complimentary, with a cover letter that is so flowery and suave and smooth you can almost hear dinner music. They've offered me cars, cash and down payments to purchase a new home,just for saying "YES!" to their card, with my choice of color, pattern, and theme on the actual card. How utterly, utterly divine! What it all boils down to, of course, is, they are saying, here's another opportunity for you to go further into debt! Sorry fellas. Not this little black duck! Then, there are the banks.Not just local ads, mind you, but offers from banks from all over the country, to open checking and savings accounts from as far from me as 2,300 miles away. Now, why in God's green earth would I put my trust, not to mention my money, into a bank I cannot even go to by taking a few minutes trip downtown? That just doesn't even make any sense! What good are they? They can't cash my check,or issue me any immediate checks, so what are they thinking? To me, the whole concept is completely irrational.Okay. I have covered funny, and now, silly. But I'm just getting started. Now we move on to the truly annoying. This is local, but it is so slick, it can't be the only one. There is this ad on t.v., that every time I see it, I am increasingly irritated. There is this blonde, fresh faced young man who looks like he has been scrubbed within an inch of his life, with big blue innocent eyes staring at me from dead center of the screen, and he is talking about all the terrible things soon to happen financially. Heating bills are going to go sky-high, the credit card companies are going to triple their rates, don't you get caught by surprise...or caught short, or however he words it, take out a loan with us today, and be prepared! His whole visage says he's the guy next door, whose in the know, and he wants to help you avoid problems, but what he is trading on is fear.And every time I see his face, I am reminded of what Jimmy Stewart says in" It's a wonderful life!". "Can't you see what's happening here? Old man Potter isn't selling, he's buying!" He wants to take it all away from you! He says he wants to help you...and he does. He wants to help you get further and further into debt,and then he can take your home, your car and everything you have worked for away from you. In it's own way, it is worse than the title loans and the payday loans, because at least you know they want money, and they aren't being kind,benevolent, or generous, it's strictly  business.

So, when you get those offers, or you see those ads, don't be fooled into thinking this is a good way to solve your money problems.Read every blessed word on the page, or on the screen before you pick up the phone, or answer that letter.If you can't afford to make the payments you already have, then you can't afford another card, or loan or account.You don't have to be a math whiz to figure that out...it's just that simple! These people aren't into this for their health, or to make you happy. They want you in debt, so they can make money, and they don't care who they hurt to get it!

OUI?

HEY! WHAT A RIP-OFF! NBC THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE COVER-UP!

I was upset that I got too sleepy to stay up and watch the rest of the parade on Thanksgiving morning, when I found out that there had been a mishap with the M&M balloon. And now I find out that they took all the fun out of it, by not televising the accident! Now, unaccountably, I am even more upset! Why? Well, excuse me, but isn't that just more reality T.V.? I mean, yeah, it's fun to watch the Rockettes shivering in the cold while they do their dance routine, but let's face it, we don't watch parades anymore just to see the beautiful girls and the cute balloons.NO! We want to see the fumbles and the falls and the big balloons falling down on spectators! It's exciting to know that some idiot let a bunch of inexperienced balloon handlers loose with a big helium filled disastar in a high wind, just waiting for an accident to happen! I mean, what is this world coming to if you have to be right there at the actual parade to get in on this stuff? If that's the way they are going to handle a little excitement, then what is the point of putting it on television in the first place?

Of course you know that the above was all done with tongue firmly in cheek. I don't really want to see or even hear about a nearly tragic accident in a holiday parade...but a number of people do.I have heard all of these sentiments and more being expressed, and the sad part is, they weren't kidding. So much for the inherent goodness of man, and the decency of the noble American male...God help us. How long before we are as decadent as the Roman Empire as they spiraled down to the depths of blood-lust in the Colosseum?

OUI?

MAYBE YOUR NOT IN LOVE, MAYBE YOUR IN LOVE WITH LOVE!!!

I've just been going through the offerings on the launchcast, weeding out the music I don't like,and putting a rating on everything I like, and it got me to thinking. The preponderance of love songs is indicative of the American mind set. Every woman I know, with the exception of myself, is either in love, in a relationship, or just coming out of a relationship. Okay, that's not so bad, but even those that claim to be madly in love will still talk about other men, and look at them, and talk TO them, and if the truth be known, think about them. I get embarrassed to be a woman sometimes, hearing the way these females talk! The kicker is, one minute they go on about this man that means so much to them, and the next they're staring at some strange guys butt. Yet to hear them tell it, Love is the be all and end all of everything! If they don't have a man, they have got to pull out all the stops and dress up, change their hair, go out and look for one! So, then, when they finally meet a guy, they are instantly in love again! What is that? I have an  idea that these women haven't the slightest conception of what real love is, and wouldn't recognize the real thing if it came along! To them, Love is a warm body that is pleased, at the moment to be next to hers. Soon this new man will be led off in another direction, and will leave her at a moments notice, heartbroken once again. What is sad about this whole scenario, is this woman feels rejected, and it's not necessary for her to, but she set herself up for this herself. The man in question is only to blame for letting her blow the whole relationship out of proportion. I mean, let's face it ladies, or rather, girls, since so few of us even pretend to be ladies anymore, if he did not do the pursuing, but had it thrown at him, most men will take advantage of an offer of affection, companionship and even sex, without thinking twice about it, when there is no declaration of love on their part, and therefore, no strings.That is what I would call a fair assessment of what we see going on now.This always leads to destruction on the part of the woman who has become easy, and believes she is just as free to live any way she wants, thinking she is involved in a  love relationship, when In actuality, what she is doing is sleeping around, but has convinced herself that each new man is her new love. Worse yet, These girls don't realize that behind their backs, the men in their social circle are paying attention, and keeping track. They see who she goes with, what they do, and how long the couple stays together, and how many men she has after she leaves, or is dumped by this one. It gets to be a joke. She gets names like mattress-back, or princess round-heels, and the worse her reputation is, the less likely any decent man will have anything to do with her, beyond a one night stand, or as they call it, a roll in the hay. So, the very thing she is pursuing, she has less chance to find, that being real love, with a home and family and someone to depend on when things go wrong.

If you recognize yourself in any of this, I am sorry for you, but there is hope.You must realize that you are in love with love, and that isn't good.Try to pull yourself together enough to see that no man wants to just be with another girl, she must be a special girl, who has more going for her than just what she can do in the bedroom.Educate yourself. Focus on your career,your family, your health, and being a woman of substance.If you refuse to be a slave of your passions, and work on your character, personality, knowledge, and intellect, then a man worthy of you will come and find you,and be willing to work to get you.

OUI?

KATRINA "VICTIMS"! SO HOW MANY OF YOU LEFT YOUR PETS BEHIND???!

First! I apologize in advance for what I am about to say.But I am going to state my case, clearly,because if I don't, I may burst a blood vessel! I am for forgiveness, and love, and God knows my heart. I have forgiven the "unforgivable" multiple times, but this is such a rage in my heart and mind, I've got to get it out! While watching the stories of devastation and rescue in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it came to my attention that THOUSANDS of dogs and cats were left in houses, and CHAINED TO PORCHES, while the owners left them that way, and ran for shelter! Unless I miss my guess, a great many of those were the same people outside the shelter, days later, yelling HELP! HELP!HELP! into the cameras of news services as they drove by.It is to those individuals that I now address my remarks. You, sir or madam, are the lowest of the low! How could you? What kind of ox-headed baboon chains a dog to a porch and then leaves it to starve, or drown protecting your home, while you run for cover? Have you any idea what you have done? What kind of rot is stored up in your soul, that you would do such a thing to a poor defenseless animal? Leaving it there, tied up, or locked behind doors, with no way to find food, or keep from drowning! I saw the footage of dog after dog after dog, chained up on porches, left with no food, no water, with flood waters rising up around them, or loose dogs and cats swimming through that filthy water, searching for their master or mistress. Lost, starving, bewildered,scrawny terrified little creatures, who should have been thought of and protected by the ones who left them to their own devices. It is to your shame you must carry that thought around with you the rest of your miserable life. You don't deserve to ever have a dog or cat again! Never! Ever! It is possible that in your panic, you forgot about Fluffy or Rover, Misty, Fifi, or Bear...but I am here to remind you! You let them down! You abandoned them in their time of need,and that makes you a basically rotten human being worthy of scorn and derision. I don't know who you are, and the people helping you now don't know who you are, or what you have done, but you know, and I hope you feel like the cruel, heartless cad you really are. I hope that you think twice before you bring even one goldfish into your home again, knowing what you have done! You don't deserve the love, companionship and beauty of owning a pet, if you can't take any better care of it than that! Can you imagine the loneliness, the gnawing hunger that must have consumed that poor cat you left locked up in your house,or how terrified it must have been as the flood waters rose inside the house,and they couldn't find a way to get away from it? As I write this, I have to keep stopping to calm down, because I am just shaking with anger, and righteous indignation. To be fair, I also saw some few individuals wading through the water with their puppies in their arms, or swimming through with their dogs, and my hat is off to them. They know how to be responsible and keep their dogs or cats with them. But the vast majority did not. Now, the humane society has to go house to house, and collect all these abandoned dogs and cats, and try to collect and corral the ones roaming loose,and chances are, since there are so many, a great number of those dogs and cats will not survive to be rescued. But you don't care about that, do you, you jerk? You've been rescued now, and have got food and water, and a warm dry place to sleep, and that's all that is important to you,isn't it? Well, I hope you read this, and can't sleep a wink for a long, long time! 

SHERRY IS HOME,AND SHE HAS A WARNING! DON'T GO TO THE HOSPITAL!! DON'T TRUST THE NURSES!!

My best friend finally called me. She is home  from the University Hospital in Iowa City.Gosh, but it was good to hear her voice again! She is a wonderful person, with a great sense of humor, but I guess things are just terrible with the nursing profession right now. You know, just not being cared for properly can put anyone in poor humor, but it's going some to make Sherry that way! Everybody usually just loves her.Apparently, they neglected her needs, did not write things down, or respond to her calls when she needed them. I know there is some sort of labor relations thing going on with nurses right now, but if they are so unhappy with whatever it is, why don't they just go on and do something else, instead of making the patients suffer? The food was insufficient, and terrible, and Sherry LIKES hospital food! For lunch, on the day they sent her home, they gave her jello with no fruit in it, low-fat vegetable soup, coffee, skim milk,and that's it! No crackers, no toast, no sandwich, nothing of any substance! Now, she is a heart patient, who was there being treated for an infection.There is no stomach problem, she's not diabetic, or on a diet.There was no MEDICAL REASON for such a menu. Irregardless of what she asked for, this is what she got! Now, how lame is that? They sent her home, absolutely Starving...and having been gone for several days, there was nothing to eat in the house. Now, how did they expect her to recover from being so ill, with no better nutrition than that? Answer: they don't care! Okay, the nurses aren't responsible for what the kitchen sends up to the patient, but they heard her comments when she said she was still hungry, and knew she had quite a trip ahead of her before she got home...and they did nothing! But besides that, the whole stay was bad.She would call for the nurse,and they did not come to find out what she wanted for hours and hours...and as I said, she's a heart patient! When the doctors were around, they would respond,otherwise...No! You might say, well, that's just one person, at one hospital, but wait.Before she went to that University hospital, she was in a local hospital. The nursing staff had the same lackadaisical attitude, and the food was no better! If anything, it was worse! She was in the room with another lady, also a heart patient. For lunch one day, they received the following: Sherry got  A PIECE OF TOAST WITH PROMISE on it, and the other lady got  AN EGG! She said, even if you put them both together, you still wouldn't have the beginnings of a good breakfast! No juice, no coffee, no milk,no fruit, no cereal...not even a lousy cup of tea, for goodness sakes! Now, I already knew that nursing care in the local hospitals had fallen off pretty badly. The last time I was in the hospital, it took me hours and hours just to get a heating pad for my sore back, and at bedtime, there was no nurses coming in offering us backrubs to keep from getting bedsores, or a decent snack with which to take my nighttime meds.If I was lucky, I got a very small cup of juice and some stale saltines! (YUK!) And, at the same time, we had nurses sailing down the hallways with cans of pop, and talking about the wonderful dinner they had! How insensitive can you get? Likewise, in the morning, there were no nurses coming in to check and see if you wanted to have help taking a sponge bath, because I had had back surgery, and could not shower! No! I was left to my own devices, until I got to feeling so ichy sticky and sweaty that I DEMANDED a bath.. and that was sketchy at best. And then, I also had to DEMAND that the nurses change my bedding! They weren't going to do it, because I couldn't get out of bed. What are they now? Some kind of prima Donna's that don't know how to make a bed with a patient in it anymore?What have we done now, reverted back to the dark ages, where nurses were no better than pick-pockets and were only there to get their wages while they watched you die? And the hospitals themselves are no better. Our area hospitals used to be just what the name implies. A place where sick people go to get better. Not anymore. We now have a multi-million dollar hospital, that got an award for being so  BEAUTIFUL. However.There's something wrong with it. I only boasts 20 beds.The rest of this huge hospital, is housing doctor's offices,the entrance is a huge lobby, with a living room setting, with couches and chairs, and fireplace to stare into, and a grand piano, and then upstairs, labs, and x-ray suites,operating rooms, and the only nurses you see are glorified office girls.Perhaps, that is what they want to be, but If I had taken nurses training, I would be insulted by such a thing! This is the hospital that is so hard up that they can't send a full meal to one patient, but sends one an egg,and one a piece of toast! I now have to rethink my plan, should I have any kind of medical emergency. Going to the Hospital would be  BAD! I WOULD HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF RECOVERY IF  I STAY HOME AND DO IT ALL MYSELF!  My son, at least would see to it that I have decent food, and would help me take a sponge bath. and change my bedding! Why rack up huge hospital bills, for no care?

SO, NOW LET'S REVIEW.Nurses no longer nurse.They only take vitals, push pills,and give shots.There is no patient CARING INVOLVED. Hospitals no longer care for patients, they house doctors offices,labs,operating rooms,and vie for awards for aesthetic beauty...they have kitchens, but only offer the good food to the doctors and nurses, and if you are LUCKY?  enough to be a patient in an actual bed, you will be left pretty much on your own, laying there croaking for help, and waiting a long time for it to come. You will get no bath, no backrub, and no sympathy for any difficulty you encounter, UNLESS you have tons of money, and can send out for your own food,and have your own servants go home and bring you your own heating pad.On the upside, there are televisions and phones in every room.

Okay? It's official. Going to the Hospital is not a good thing!

OUI?

I WANT TO KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED! WHERE DID EVERYBODY GO?

I am the one everybody runs to when they have a problem, or need some cheering up! No brag, just fact! I am the first one they call when the bottom drops out of their life,and they want to dump on somebody.And I have yet to say to them, look, I have problems of my own! Go solve your own difficulties. No. I never could, never would, turn anyone who needed me away. Now, I am down. I need someone to talk to, to listen to me. But, My best friends aren't available. Sherry is in the Hospital, Out of State, out of town, and I can't call her, and she can't call me.I won't know what is going on with her until she gets home,and decides to call.Not her fault, can't blame her. That's just the way it is.Mogwi is out of State too. I talked to her yesterday, and her problems (naturally) took presedence over mine, because she has gotten herself into a terrible pickle.So, when she ran down, I mentioned that I was grieving  over my two uncles who just passed away, but then, I dropped it.Her problems are here and now, and mine are JUST emotional.Oh, I'll pull out of it, but it sure would be nice, if I had a friend to talk to.So, it's hard to be all up and fun and talkative.Right now, I'm lower than a snakes shoelaces.Now, that's low, friend.My two Favorite Uncles. Gone. Within 5 days of each other.Buried within 5 days of each other.No way to get there, but I was able to screw up my courage and call Auntie Jean, Bud's widow.She sounded fine.She was so sweet, you'd a thought I was the one who'd lost a husband, instead of her. No, that occured last year, in April.I got through our anniversary, and the 1 year anniversary of his passing, and the second year anniversary of my first daughter-in-laws passing.And then yesterday, was My Mother and Father's wedding anniversary...and they are both gone...and it's all just coming so fast, that things are just kind of piling up on me.Now the dear little old neighbor lady came to our door today while I was napping, and told Yon son that her baby brother is dying.It's getting to the point that I am almost afraid to asnwer the phone, or the door. Any more, it's bad news.

And yet, The joy of the Lord is my strength.I can endure all of this, because the holy spirit keeps bearing witness to my heart that God is with me, and he gives me the peace that passes all understanding...so I'm going to stop dwelling on myself, and I'm going to pray for my family who was able to make it to the funeral, I'm going to pray for Sherry and Mogwi, and for Marge's baby brother, and for Marge.And, maybe somewhere, out there, there is someone who will pray for me.

OUI?