Sunday S-U-R-V-E-Y!

This is my 2nd posting today. LOL @ making up for being away?!

I snagged this little meme from Lucky Begonia's journal. Super simple... You just highlight the things you've done in your life. Unfortunately, it has transformed itself into black which will not show up against my black background so gotta go back & redo. Grrr... LOL... I know you will do this one, Sandra! Teehee... My answers are in pink. I think I am behind in my travels. ha ha

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (no but dau did)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain (only a hill. LOL)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (in the shower & in the car. LOL)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from my porch)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (several)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you were not ill
24. Built a snow fort (no but a sand fort yes)
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (no but walkathon yes)
28. Riden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (city no but country yes)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (can hardly wait to be there again)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (badly LOL)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (frequently & anonymously)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (modeled for an art class while in college)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (no but I was in a play & on TV)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (several)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (a big chunk of it but not all)
86. Visited the White House (doesn't say @ Washington DC LOL)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (fish)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury (it was a mock jury. LOL)
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee (no- this is surprising because Grandfather raised bees)
100. Had a life-death experience

S-E-X-Y

I woke up crying in my sleep. Grr @ I hate when that happens... I try to be strong, but my body always seems to come to my defense, even if it is only through a few tears...

I am embarrassed about spilling my guts out yesterday. What was I thinking when I thought that Mother had finally changed?!! The only time I remember her actually being happy about the way I looked was when I had a short haircut like a boy and I was wearing a size zero. Having my hair cut that short was not by choice... it was because of a bad haircut that had to be re-cut.... Being a size zero was also not by choice... It was because I was in a bad car accident and was not able to eat anything but liquids...

In Mother's eyes, I am and will always be nada, because: (1) I am not a boy and (2) I am no longer a size zero... It wouldn't matter to her if I had a million degrees on my wall or if I was friends with Sister Teresa. The only thing that is important to her is appearance, which is ironic, because she doesn't want me to look sexy and she doesn't want me to have a nice place to live. She hates it that I have boobs and that I live in an apartment with electricity and running water inside. Makes me want to get out of this humble apartment where nothing works and move into the best possible apartment I can afford! That would REALLY shock her! LOL...

I know I am the one to blame, because I don't want to look like a boy and I don't want to be a size zero... That is where the conflict lies... Oh, I could snap back with all sorts of words and things that I have kept my mouth shut about just to boomerang the hurt, but really, what point is there in that?!# Telling someone they are fat is just as ridiculous as telling them that they are short or skinny or that they have a big nose. No one knows our imperfections better than we do, so what makes some people feel that it is their duty to tell us we are not perfect. Do they think we are dead or blind or so out of touch with reality that we cannot see our own faults?

Like Marilyn Monroe, no one ever told me that I was pretty when I was a little girl, and no boyfriend or husband ever told me that, either, but that never stopped me from wanting to make something of myself. I am sorry that will never be enough for her. Her never ending cruelty may hurt, but I know that in a couple of days, I will snap out of it, because the survivor inside of me will NOT allow her to break me...

The moon is waxing...

There are more important things to think about...

* I will not get paid until December 15. I will have to make a hot check to pay my rent this month. I have never made a hot check before... Will it cause me problems to stay in my apartment until I get paid???! I must trust God to provide a roof over my head.

* Because of distance, I have to gas up every other day to get to and from work. I am happy that the price of gasoline continues to go down. I must trust God to provide my car with gas to be able to get to work every day.

* I have not been able to find a thermos to take something warm to eat to work, but that may be because I don't have the money to buy it right now. God knows what I need before I even ask. I will trust in Him to provide lunch. LOL

* I have eight cases so far, and those families are dependent on me to help them. This week, I hope to learn as much as I can about my job so that I do not have to depend on the knowledge of the other girls to get my job done.

* I was hired, because my bosses believe that I will be able to do this job. That means that there should be no doubt in my head that I will pass probation. God opened this door of opportunity for me. I must trust that what God has opened for me cannot be closed by a mere human being.

XX

P.S... Grrr @ computer problems right now... unable to visit your journals... will keep trying while I am trapped in the wash cycle...

The Mask

Honor thy father and thy mother... Oh, Lord, why did you give me such a hard commandment to keep?!

I haven't finished reciting my rosary... I kneel on my knees for hours and pray for my son... You would never know that I am talking about the same person...

She came to my door and banged on it hard, as if she was mad. What did I do? If she didn't want me to drive her, she should have gone by herself or gotten on the bus... She stomped down the stairs, as I followed behind. When she got in the car, she quickly pushed down the button that turns the air off... and all the way up, she criticized people and told me five times that I am fat... that I need to push myself away from food... that I need to put on some hiking boots and climb a mountain somewhere... the fat talk just goes on and on...

Why is she so critical? Why is she so hateful? She says that is the way Grandfather was, but he was never like that. She criticizes everyone except the people she likes. She is always so hateful towards me, but as long as there is no one to witness it, she keeps that hatred a secret between us...

So I mention that I don't believe in being angry, that there should be more forgiveness in the world. She snaps back that she does believe in being angry, because it is a way to honor your parents and your ancestors. She says I don't honor my father because I don't have a flagpole with a flag in front of my house which is funny because she has a house but doesn't have a flagpole. I live in an apartment. I am not allowed to do that...

On the way back, it was no different. I drove all the way back with no air. She continued to sound mad at me... She continued to tell me that I am fat... She continued to say stupid things like only boys are special because they carry the seed...

It's funny how she is so different around other people. What have I done that makes her hate me so much?

How can she continue to hide behind the mask of making people think that she is a servant of God? I just don't get it...

XX

Thanksgiving 2008

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! I have no clue as to why my computer is running slower than a snail today... but it happens! LOL...
.
I know it is a dangerous time to travel, but I am playing chauffer today. I am driving Mother to spend time with family for the Thanksgiving holiday, so I will be driving six hours to get us there today. She talks all the way and she is a back-seat driver, so wish me luck! LOL... Hopefully, we should be back by Sunday.
.
Remember always that being grateful should be a part of EVERY day.
.
Wishing you a wonderful day!
XX

P.S... We are going into the New Moon... time for beginning special projects...

I have made three friends at work, maybe four. Unfortunately, they are not the ones I share an office with. The girls in my office are already whispering behind my back or should I say in front of my face? The skinny girl on the other side of the building comes into our office to make them laugh, but she never looks at me in the face... I don't want to have problems at work. The bossmen still have serious faces. I see them frequently talking alone to each other in the hall and on campus.. makes me wonder what is going on... but yesterday, the boss's secretary finally brought my letter of acceptance to me for me to sign... It is weird that they continue to do things backwards. They still haven't gotten my fingerprints or taken my picture for the ID, but I guess that will happen when they are ready. LOL

Pocahontas Thanksgiving (SAC)

Today, I found out that I will not get my first paycheck until December 15, so I am trying to figure out how I will pay the December rent. Also, because of the distance to work, I have had to fill my gas tank every other day, so I will still need gas money. grrrr

I must continue to TRUST in the Lord to provide......

XX

P.S.

Does anyone have a Family Tree chart? If so, if I have great grandparents, what are their children to me? How are we related?

I Join The Rat Race...

I started my new job on Monday, but no one told me to wear pants for training... I thought training would be about the job and what to expect, but it was about how to handle yourself with angry-aggressive clients, so it was pretty physical. The training continued into the next morning, too. We learned how to get out of different kinds of holds and how to contain an aggressive client... So on Monday, I felt overdressed, and on Tuesday, I felt underdressed! LOL...


Everyday of this week, I suffered through anxiety, wondering if they are going to keep me and if I am learning things fast enough. It takes me an hour's drive to get to work, and I get home in the dark, so it has been hard on my wallet and hard to wake up so early... The anxiety has made it difficult to sleep at night and one day I went to sleep at 8 p.m. & woke up late. All in all, I am very exhausted!

There is a refrigerator, but there is no break room & no vending machines. That means that I will not be able to diet, and I hate sandwiches, because cold food doesn't fill me up... so I am always hungry...... grrrrrrrr.......

I am working at a children's shelter as a case manager. I share a room with two other girls, whom I will refer to M and P... The girls sit at a "desk" table with no drawers, a telephone, and a small filing cabinet. I am sitting at a table with no computer or telephone and only a black pen and a red pen. That means I am feeling isolated and that also means that I will have to do all of my paperwork manually until I get a computer. The boss man says I will have the same setup as the girls, but the girls say it takes a good while to receive things after they have been ordered.

Because we work with classified files, we have to clean our own office. Right now, there are spider webs everywhere, which means that the office has not been cleaned since they opened or before that! LOL... That may also be the reason why we are always sneezing.

There are plans for the room to be painted, and they are looking to hire two more people to share our room, which also worries me, because the census has gone down 50% within November alone and I have only been there a week. There are also plans for partitions, so I think the room will be very crowded when all this happens... M was hoping for the bigger room next door to us, so we can have a sofa in there for when the sponsors come to visit the kids, but I think the boss man has other plans for the bigger room...

There are many legal documents, we will be doing security clearances and collecting evidence, and there is so much to memorize and learn... Training with the girls has been a bit difficult, because they start telling me things when they are doing them instead of training me from beginning to end... That means that I have bits and pieces of the middle and the end, etc, so I am way confused! LOL...

Also, the boss man has not had a happy face this week, so I have been worried about that, but it turns out that the girls made some mistakes and a file was missing all week... I have been warned that he does not like mistakes. Fortunately, the look on his face was not about me...

Also... yesterday (Friday), I was introduced to the kids, so that means that I made it to the end of the week. Yay! BUT... without notice, I had to make a speech in front of them in Spanish, Yikes! Almost everything I will have to do will be in Spanish, lots of new words I will have to use that we don't usually use in our everyday Spanish language. Yikes!!

I was included in the meeting where we discussed the three-day week next week...so hopefully, I will be there next week, too, and I will get my first mini-break for Thanksgiving day and the day after Thanksgiving.

I have never been so happy to see a week end. OMG @ this has surely been a week that tested ALL of my emotions!! LOL... I hope next week I will be able to relax and feel more confident! LOL

XX

Climbing the Ladder

LOL @ the majority is still asking if I got a job. I guess everyone missed the entry... It happens...

.

I am not sure if I have a job... The man who hired me is doing things backwards. Just last week, he was asking me for references (after he had already told me that I start work on November 17)... But I am not going to question this... I am just going to show up for work tomorrow... After all, the worst he can do is ask me to go home. LOL...

.

I think the man who encouraged this man to hire me was the man in my dream. Remember? My dream suggested that I was going to get hired by a man... I am thrilled about that, because all the women I have worked for have been exactly like Miranda Priestly... (bosses from hell) LOL...

There have been two films that have caught my eye in the last few years... "Girl With a Pearl Earring" and "The Devil Wears Prada"... mostly because these were professions that I originally dreamed of going into... I don't know if I was fortunate that life took me in a different direction... or not... It may have been to protect me from the hardships and cruelty of art and fashion design.... or from having to live in a big city far away from my family... or maybe because God felt that I would find life more rewarding by helping people... Only God knows why He does things the way He does. Whatever His reasons, it is not my place to question them...

I spent most of Saturday watching "The Devil Wears Prada"... mostly studying the fashions and commentaries, really... the colors and the combination of colors... Looks as if the only bright color used was red and it was only in accessories... a pair of gloves, a belt, a pair of shoes, outerwear... The rest of the colors were neutrals in black, brown, beige, winter white, black, black, and more black... As Vera Wang says: just a little touch of surprise... Most people wear black, because it is slimming... I wear black, because it is elegant and chic and because most of the fashion designers use it a lot... but black is also very easy to match and "mix and match," so it is also very economical.

The wardrobe strategy in the movie helps me to rethink the clothes in my closet. It makes it easier to decide which clothes to keep and which clothes to donate to charity. I have written down on paper what combinations I will be wearing this week, so that it will be easier and faster to get dressed in the morning and so that I don't end up wearing black everyday... but especially because it will take me at least an hour to drive to work everyday so getting dressed quickly will be crucial. Thank God for the time change, although I may end up getting home in the dark... As expected, the movie mentioned that the shoes are what makes or breaks the outfit... I am so worried about my back, my feet and my ankles making it through the week, so I continue to pray a lot for the improved health of my body...

At mass, the priest always prays for our protecton from anxiety... I always smile to myself, every time I hear it, but ever since the full moon, I have been eating like crazy, because I have been so nervous... There goes the Moon diet! LOL... but the dieting days continue until the New Moon, so maybe I can manage to get myself back on track... I keep telling myself to stop being so nervous... My scale no longer works and I cannot find a battery to fit it anywhere, but someway, somehow, I have managed to carve an inch off my waistline.... Oh, so happy about that!

XX

Lao-Tzu: LOVE

What is she doing? Why is she always heading out the door?! LOL... Stop asking! ha ha ha ha...

@->----

While I have the time, I've been busy trying to find a new nest... I should have been writing about the apartments as I was seeing them. I hope I don't get mixed up. LOL... At all of them, you have to be working for a certain amount of time before they will consider you, which means that I will have to spend two hours driving everyday or stay overnight at Mother's, which would be hard because she doesn't have good electricity.

@->----

My favorite places have been the townhouses.

@->----

One of them is two bedroom/1-1/2 bath with a fireplace and french doors that go into a small backyard covered patio. The kitchen is a bit crowded, but it has good kitchen storage and an open bar. There are ceiling fans in the dining area & in the master bedroom. The bedrooms are upstairs. The windows are small and the closets are small. It is a pretty dollhouse apartment, but I felt kind of crowded in it.

@->----

The townhouse I like best has fenced security. It is a two bedroom loft with 1-1/2 bath. One of the bedrooms is smaller, and it is a loft overlooking the living room. I would like to use it as an office/craft room. The apartment has ceiling fans, a cook-friendly kitchen, washer-dryer connections, and a small backyard covered patio. There is also a gym on the premises for an extra $10 a month. This one is a little more money than the other townhouse. I don't remember the closets in that one except that there was good storage under the stairs... What I liked best about this one is that the fenced gate will make me feel more secure, and it felt more like a house.

@->----

As far as price, the cheapest apartment I found is a two bedroom- two bath with a covered front porch. It is a $99 move in with $100 deposit and an application fee. There is one walk-in closet in the middle of the apartment... wierd placement, I know! The closets in the bedrooms are small and the windows are only half windows. (grrr)The kitchen was the biggest disappointment. There is a small pantry, but this is clearly a kitchen that was built for a very tall skinny woman who only eats sandwiches and potato chips and perhaps a dill pickle on special occasions. The kitchen has very little storage and it is so crowded that the cockroaches will have to walk piggy back. I have no idea how I will be able to reach the cabinets, because a stepstool will not be high enough and a ladder will not fit. Also, there are no washer-dryer connections, so I will have to drag my laundry to the laundry facilities on the premises. The only good thing is that the rent is cheaper than the rent I pay now. Because of price, this is the one I am most considering, because it will be the fastest for me to move into, and I would have an extra bedroom and an extra bathroom. It has a six month's lease, which should give me time to bring the rest of my stuff from Rockport and to work on saving some money, because I am in great need of a better car. This would be the best short-term goal, and if things work out according to plan, after six months or a year of living there, I can consider moving into the townhouse that I would rather be in.

@->----

P.S. The full moon is here. Time to diet.

Happy Veteran's Day!

Thank a Veteran today!

I was supposed to be on my way out and I'm still here! LOL... Just had to say THANKS to all the Veterans out there. God bless you for your many unselfish sacrifices to keep America free.

Turn The Page

Happy Moon's-day! LOL @ I know how most people hate Mondays, but I love them!

@->----

This is a tag that I made this summer. It was my first tag with animation. It is a bit off, so don't look too closely! LOL... LOL @ the pun on Bettie Page... and YES! I have some Bettie Page pumps just like those! I love shoes. LOL @ is there a girl out there who doesn't love shoes?! I just wish I could keep wearing my high heels. After that freak fall where both my ankles got caught underneath the concrete stairs, my ankles continue to hurt so bad, and wearing anything but flats is torture. I have been praying for healing of my body, but mostly for my legs and feet, because most jobs will not allow you to wear flats. Last week, I had to wear heels and I suffered for it for two days afterwards, but I thank God that my feet didn't have to be cut off!!!!! Oh, how I continue to fight to be able to stand on my own two feet... literally!!!!! LOL

@->----

So, people keep asking me how I am doing. They snagged the tag on a previous entry, but didn't read the entry... It happens.... Will you take the time to find the entry or not?!#... Or will I have to fill you in?! Hummm... That is the question...

@->----

This will probably be a busy week for me, so I have no clue if I will be able to post much or not... I may have to be MIA this week (Missing In Action) and/or forget about having to cut and paste the letter "d." LOL @ for those who don't know, I am missing the letter "d" from my computer. It is such a pain to cut & paste....

XX

@->----

P.S... The moon is almost full! Don'tcha just love it?! It's calling my name to go out for a moonlit walk this evening... It's almost time for that Moon diet...

P.S.S... This weekend, I was able to add the gadget that allows you to see the updates of the blogs that I am following!!!!!!! Yay @ I finally got it! I set it up so that only ten of the latest entries show on the sidebar. I am so excited about this, because maybe now I will be able to keep up with people's journals. I am loving Blogger! I have dial-up, though, so I am still having trouble seeing some journals because they put too much animation in one entry. I pray that someday I may be able to see your stuff, Sugar! LOL...

Six Things About Me

I was tagged by Louise of http://stardustlouise.blogspot.com/ to complete this "Six Things About Me." I am having a hard time thinking about new things to say, because I have already said most of it on my sidebar and on a previous entry... Let's see...

1. I am a Moon Child (Cancer) who was born on a Sun-day. That explains why my life has been an eclipse! LOL... Most of my life has been very sad, but I am always smiling, hopeful, and optimistic.

2. They say that a child cannot survive without love, but somehow, I made it, and although I have yet to find love, I am still here.

3. I have had a bad spirit ever since I was raped when I was five years old. I have tried many times to get rid of him, including an exorcism, but he will not go away.

4. I have lived twice. When I died, I bargained with God to permit me to raise my girls, so He allowed me to come back to life. I thought my life would be over when they were on their own, but He continues to keep me alive, so that means that He still has work for me to do!

5. My first husband took my oldest when she was about six or seven and never brought her back. He hid her between marriages and affairs, and I never saw her again until she was about to be married.

6. I have many health problems, my body is in constant pain, and envy follows me wherever I go, but no one is the wiser & I have a hard time asking someone for help. There have been many times when I have proved the doctors wrong. The power of the mind can help your body to do more than you ever thought you could, and a cheerful attitude of gratitude always puts a smile on my face, no matter what I am going through.

7. (here is a freebie!) I love Richard Gere. Can you tell? LOL... He looks like a guy that I used to date and fell madly in love with. It took me three years to get over him. When he came back, I felt as if I was finally cured, because I didn't love him anymore... It happens... We make a cute couple; don'tcha think? LOL

Now, an even harder part... trying to find someone who hasn't been tagged yet! LOL... I will be sending my notices by email.

Little Girls Magic

The WordArt in this graphic was another Challenge of the Week... I messed up on the other tag I made, because the part I wanted to erase would not come off when it was animated, so I just gave them this one. LOL... I guess it is okay, because some people sent me emails, commenting that it is beautiful... I think they only said it coz they are my friends. LOL

.

This week has truly been a Week of Miracles. I share the joy of the jubilant faces at Grant Park when Obama made his Victory speech. This truly is a miracle that a common black unknown man who started out with nothing is now our President elect! What a beautiful story! It is a joy shared around the world that in America, all things are possible!

.

Unfortunately, not all people share the same thoughts... Mother is angry. I wonder how many people out there feel like she does... It brings back childhood memories of Martin Luther King and President Kennedy... The young voters of today have only witnessed the last 20 years of politics, which have not been good... We had the possibility of change when Lincoln, King, and Kennedy were alive, but people stopped them from making progress for America by taking their lives... I fear for the Obama family. I cannot help but pray for their safety...

.

Miracle number 2 is that the price of gasoline has gone down to $1.83 a gallon. I hope the price of gas will continue to go down...

.

Miracle number 3 is that I received $25 from one of my readers. This came as a great help, because I was able to use the money to pay part of my electric bill...

.

And last, but not least, is Miracle number 4... I passed my drug screening and my security clearance. If it is God's will, I will become part of the working world again on November 17th... I will be a case manager for a non-profit children's shelter... The job is on the other side of the Valley. I have no clue as to how I am going to manage to move over there, but I continue to trust in God to provide.

.

XX

Vogue-Vogue-Vogue

This was a Challenge for this week. I think it is the grooviest. LOL

I received an unexpected surprise in the mail: $25.00 check from a reader. OMG @ how beautiful is that? A gift from a total stranger! I won't use the name here, because she and her husband may want to remain anonymous, but I want to publicly thank you for your generosity during my time of need.

I continue to wait on the results of a background security clearance... Prayers requested here.

XX

Obama's Victory Speech-04Nov08

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference. It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and always will be, the United States of America.It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.

A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen. McCain. Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead. I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden. And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure. To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them. And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America. To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done. But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep. It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth. This is your victory.

And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education. There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.
I promise you, we as a people will get there. There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too. And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope. That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

Monday Funny

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?

SARAH PALIN: Before it got to the other side, I shot the chicken, cleaned and dressed it, and had chicken burgers for lunch.

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn’t about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don’t really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where’s my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken’s intentions. I am not for it now and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken doesn’t realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he’s acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I’m going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he’s guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmers Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I’ve not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn’t ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn’t that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart-warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken 2008, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken 2008. This new platform is much more stable and will never crash or need to be rebooted.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

MY DAUGHTER'S FIRST JOKE: To prove she wasn't chicken!

p.s... Did you notice that most of the comments said the chicken was a he? Only a rooster is a he. LOL

Some of you may have noticed that I have not given my political views about this election. Yes, I have them. LOL... It's just that some of my readers keep trying to convince me to vote for the person they want to vote for.

The way I see it, I am amazed at how this election is making everybody come out of the woodwork! Hooray at how America is allowing their voices to be heard.

P.S.S... lol... It is time to start making Thanksgiving tags. If anyone has a scrap kit of American Indian elements, beads, feathers, tubes of live pilgrims & Indians (not cartoons), let me know.

Time Change

I love Fall! In the Fall, I am one hour Younger!

I bet you like it, too, now that I've told you the Secret of Fall! LOL

The moon continues to wax, as it works it's way towards becoming a full moon... I can feel success right around the corner... I foresee a new season of increase, a new season of abundance, a new season of promotion, a new season of success... Refresh my mind, my body, and my spirit, Lord, so that I can be ready when the time comes for me to return to the World of Work.

All Is Vanity

I made this tag by trial & error. I will have to revisit PSP to see if I can figure out how I made it. LOL... Sorry @ no blank available at this time.

In the Valley, as in Mexico & other Latin cultures, people have been busy preparing for the Day of the Dead. It is a three-day celebration of two cultures: Indian and European. The celebration begins on October 31st, but November 1st is the day when we celebrate All Saints Day in the Catholic Church in memory of the Saints who served as an example to us, and November 2nd is known as All Souls Day, the day when we celebrate the lives of friends, family, and people we admire who have gone before us...

@->----

The culture believes that we have three deaths: death when our body stops functioning, death when we are buried in the ground, and death when there is no one left to remember us.

@->----

Just like the Egyptians, the Aztec, the Mayan, and the Toltec Indians used to bury their dead in earthen pots, surrounded by things that they would need in their after-life. The legend of the Day of the Dead is that when we die, our soul goes to the Land of the Dead and once a year, it is permitted to return to earth to visit with our loved ones... so for this culture, Death is not to be feared, and it is not a time of mourning. Death is a time of joy.

@->----

Preparation for the Day of the Dead begins early, because so much more is involved than it is for Halloween. It is a busy time, because people are busy preparing for their deceased"guests."

@->----

The first major project is decorating. Altars are prepared by stacking empty boxes at different levels and covering them with a cloth. The altar is adorned with sugar skulls, candles, marigolds (the flower of the dead), pictures of Saints and deceased relatives and idols, and things that the deceased loved when they were alive, including their favorite meals, cigarettes, and beer or liquor.

@->----

This is an altar for Selena Quintanilla Perez. She was the lead singer of Selena y Los Dinos. I like the special surprise of her face at the bottom of the altar, surrounded by marigolds. Yes, shrines may also be set up for Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, or other famous people who had special meaning for the people who prepare the altars in their homes.

Yes, you will see food, cigarettes, and beer or liquor on the altars, according to the likes of the deceased. Blankets and pillows are laid out for them. A special setting of food and drink is also left on the table for them. Everything is prepared as if they were greeting a guest who is alive. This requires a lot more preparation than it does to leave out milk and cookies for Santa. The celebration also continues with song and dance and parades in the streets with people dressed as skeletons.

This is a "Nicho." They are little 3-dimentional boxes with skeleton figures inside of them. This one is called "La Historia de Un Amor" (Story Of Love). The boxes are usually funny and picture skeletons doing everyday stuff. Some nichos are of celebrities like Marilyn Monroe or Elvis. Wish I could find them on the Web. LOL... These are especially popular uring the day of the dead celebration, but people display them in their homes all year around.

I love this one. LOL