Where Have Our Manners Gone?

 Sometimes I really wonder what goes through peoples’ minds before they make a comment, to a stranger, especially.  I mean, in this day and age where certain, ahem, freedoms, are in the news every day, and many people feel the need to express themselves with bumper stickers, t-shirts and even tattoos, I have to ask myself, “Is this progress?”

I remember when it was okay to hang out with your same gender best friend and people NEVER would have thought, much less asked, about something more intimate between the two.  Nowadays, thanks to Hollywood and the standards (or lack thereof!) that they set, you can’t have a same gender best friend without experimenting. 

I am going to blame it on . . . . wait for it . . . TV!  Not only do we have everyday common voyeurism going on in magazines and online news sites, we have “reality TV” . .. I’m sorry!  How real can it be????  You have a camera in your face 24/7 – go ahead, be yourself!  And if you have to squelch your values, morals and beliefs so that you can become a star . . . . SO WHAT!?!?!?!

I literally could go on for hours about this – but I won’t!  I just want to be sure that all of cyberspace knows that I am a heterosexual, Christian female who spends LOTS of time with her female friends.  Nope, I won’t be wearing a tattoo or T-shirt that says so, and my car isn’t my own personal billboard either.  But, that’s me! 

Now, you won’t have to ask, presume or ASSUME (do the break down of that word; don’t MAKE me break out my crayons and draw you a picture!) any differently!  And, by the way . . . . it is none of your business!  And, your personal and/or intimate life is none of mine!  We are all children of God, and our choices (unless they harm another person) are OURS – to make, pursue, and answer to God for! 

Please be kind to one another – we all have our own struggles and need to see a friendly face to remind us that we aren’t fighting this fight alone!  Thank you!

Christmas 2010

So I have decided, in the last few years or so, that I really need to try to give meaningful gifts for Christmas. And meaningful, to me, means something that is hand-made, something that will promote memory making moments (like a board game or puzzle) or some type of gift with heirloom potential.

This Christmas, I made watches for the women in my family. For my 3 sisters and my sister-in-law, I made them each a watch that was a color that they wear/like. I tried very hard to match every piece of it to their personalities and style.

For example, one sister is not about girly, blingy jewelry, so hers is cute and chunky. Another sister is simply elegant, so hers was pearls, in two colors and some accent beads. The face on hers was screaming her name, when I found it!

The hairdresser sister is all about big, blingy jewelry, so even the watch face is big and blingy! That was my first one – and what fun it was to discover that I LIKE to bead! Who knew???

My sister, DeAwna, has been beading for years, but I never had any interest in pursuing that hobby. When I told her that I had done a beading project (I didn’t give her any details, because I didn’t want to spoil the surprise!!); she said “WHO is this???” Then we both laughed!

The best part of giving gifts like this – I am just as excited to see them open the gifts as they are to open them. That is the joy of giving!

I am thankful for my savior, Jesus Christ, who gave His life for me – with just as much joy of giving.

The only sad part of Christmas is that it does end, and we have to wait 364 more days for it to come around again. Maybe I will think of some really great way to make that feeling last all year round!

The Results are in!

I have conducted an in-depth study: The Benefits of Cheap Toilet Paper. The following is a list of benefits that I have discovered:

Oh, that's right - THERE ARE NONE!!!!!!

Do the math, people! Yes, you buy that 64-pack of TP that is one measly ply, and you pay 1/3 the price for it. But, when you have to buy said 64-pack 4 times in the same month, is it REALLY saving you money? Considering a person has to use HALF the roll to do the job correctly???

Obviously this is a pet peeve of mine . . .