HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WELCOME 2009 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good bye 2008!

Have a Safe and Happy New Year!!!!!

Love y'all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It just sums it up.......

Have a wonderful Non-Denominational Winter Shopping Festival!

God help me it's perfect!

Meet Figaro.....

Twas the day of Thankgiving at Mom and Dads house
We were frying a turkey no pets but our "mouse"
Dad, Hubby and I were out on the porch
Watching the water and passing the torch
When what to our wondering eyes should appear
But a small orange and white kitten...I said "No dear..."
It walked past the dog and sat atop the Tykes house
I said "no" and "I mean it" to my fascinated spouse.
"Our lease says we can't have them, we don't need the expense"
He came back at me with something that made no sense..
"Your Dad says I should learn to tell you NO"
"This is not what he meant, ask him dear...go"
As we sat down to dinner the kitten by then
Had climbed up the screen and was meowing again
So I agreed to take him far down the street
And dump him out somewhere dark and discreet.
But lo and behold I somehow became mellow
And now he is at home: Our fat fuzzy fellow:

A quickie with lots of pictures.........

Hey I have been slack! Again! I know! but my camera batteries died and instead of getting new ones I just let it sit in my purse and collect dust. Oddly I don't seem to post until I download pictures. So here we go!

We rode ponies with Grandma at the Deer Festival.

(Yes we have a festival all about Deer! It's a small town!)

We let dead brain cells take over:

We had what appears to be a blurry Thanksgiving, though I swear this picture was clear when I took it.......

We played with our cousins:

This it Cita (spelling may need to be changed!)

This is Tato:

Some of us have been productive:

Pie and Smooch built this bridge out of scrap lumber.

And I have been told they are not done yet.

And we added a new member on Thanksgiving day:

Meet Figaro...............He's a lot bigger now but is kinda camera shy...........

Happy Thanksgiving!

That pretty much all I have to say! Hope everyone has a wonderful day! May all your Turkeys be moist and your stuffing be...well...stuffed!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The best e-mail I ever read:

WHITE GUILT IS DEAD

By Tom Adkins

Look at my fellow conservatives! There they go, glumly shuffling along, depressed by the election aftermath. Not me. I'm virtually euphoric. Don't get me wrong. I'm not thrilled with America's flirtation with neo socialism. But there's a massive silver lining in those magical clouds that lofted Barack Obama to the Presidency. For today, without a shred of intellectually legitimate opposition, I can loudly proclaim to America: The Era of White Guilt is over.

This seemingly impossible event occurred because the vast majority of white Americans didn't give a fluff about skin color, and enthusiastically pulled the voting lever for a black man. Not just any black man. A very liberal black man who spent his early career race-hustling banks, praying in a racist church for 20 years, and actively worked with America-hating domestic terrorists. Wow! Some resume! Yet they made Barack Obama their leader. Therefore, as of Nov. 4th, 2008, white guilt is dead.

For over a century, the millstone of white guilt hung around our necks, retribution for slave-owning predecessors. In the 60s, American liberals began yanking that millstone while sticking a fork in the eye of black Americans, exacerbating the racial divide to extort a socialist solution. But if a black man can become President, exactly what significant barrier is left? The election of Barack Obama absolutely destroys the entire validation of liberal white guilt. The dragon is hereby slain. So today, I'm feeling a little "uppity," if you will. From this day forward, my tolerance level for having my skin color hustled is now exactly ZERO. And it's time to clean house. No more Reverend Wright's "God Damn America," Al Sharpton's Church of Perpetual Victimization, or Jesse Jackson's rainbow racism. Cornell West? You're a fraud. Go home. All those "black studies" programs that taught kids to hate whitey? You must now thank Whitey. And I want that on the final.

Congressional Black Caucus? Irrelevant. Maxine Waters? Shut up. ACORN? Outlawed. Black Panthers? Go home and pet your kitty. Black separatists? Find another nation that offers better dreams. Go ahead. I'm waiting.

Gangsta rappers? Start praising America. Begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. And please, no more ebonics. Speak English, and who knows where you might end up? Oh, yeah, pull up your pants. Your underwear is showing. You look stupid.

To those Eurosnots who foraged entire careers hating America? I'm still waiting for the first black French President.

And let me offer an equal opportunity whupping. I've always despised lazy white people. Now, I can talk smack about lazy black people. You're poor because you quit school, did drugs, had three kids with three different fathers, and refuse to work. So when you plop your Colt 45-swilling, Oprah watchin' butt on the couch and complain "Da Man is keepin' me down," allow me to inform you: Da Man is now black. You have no excuses.

No more quotas. No more handouts. No more stealing my money because someone's great-great-great-great grandparents suffered actual pain and misery at the hands of people I have no relation to, and personally revile.

It's time to toss that massive, obsolete race-hustle machine upon the heap of the other stupid 60s ideas. Drag it over there, by wife swapping, next to dope-smoking. Plenty of room right between free love and cop-killing. Careful, don't trip on streaking. There ya go, don't be gentle. Just dump it. Wash your hands. It's filthy.

In fact, Obama's ascension created a gargantuan irony. How can you sell class envy and American unfairness when you and your black wife went to Ivy League schools, got high-paying jobs, became millionaires, bought a mansion, and got elected President? How unfair is that??? Now, like a delicious O'Henry tale, Obama's spread-the-wealth campaign rendered itself moot by it's own victory! America is officially a meritocracy. Obama's election has validated American conservatism! So, listen carefully: Wham!!! That's the sound of myfoot kicking the door shut on the era of white guilt. The rites have been muttered, the carcass lowered, dirt shoveled, and tombstone erected. White guilt is dead and buried.

However, despite my glee, there's apparently one small, rabid bastion of American racism remaining. Black Americans voted 96% for Barack Obama. Hmmm. In a color-blind world, shouldn't that be 50-50? Tonight, every black person should ask forgiveness for their apparent racism and prejudice towards white people. Maybe it's time to start spreading the guilt around.

From the desk of Dad

In the dark and gloomy room, gazing at the tarot cards laid out before her, the tarot reader delivered the bad news:"There is no easy way to tell you this so I'll just be blunt. Prepare yourself to be a widow. Your husband will die a quick, violent and horrible death this year."

Visibly shaken, the woman stared at the tarot cards, the psychic's lined face, then at the single flickering candle, then down at her trembling hands. She took a few deep breaths to try to compose herself. She simply had to know.

She met the Tarot reader's gaze, steadied her voice, and asked:

"Will I get away with it?"

Sugar shack shock

This

= THIS:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!

These are from last year as you can tell!

Can you say wired for sound? Exhausted and sugared up all at once but loving the stash:
More pics tomorrow!

Happy Birthday to.........

Me!
Yep another year older and not much wiser wider!

Thanks in no small part to the worlds best neighbors! Yup! The cake masters have struck again!
The Hakes and my kids teamed up and the result is spectacular!

AND IT'S ALL EDIBLE!!!!!! EVERY SINGLE PIECE AND PART! The big pumpkin on top is Rice Krispie treat!!! I love Rice Krispie treats!

AND IT HAS THE WEDDING CAKE ICING ON IT!

FROM THE OTHER CAKE I LOVED SO MUCH!

(See it here along with Popstar's birthday cake that they made: http://whatdoesntkillus.blogspot.com/2008/07/i-love-being-guinea-pig.html )

My sister and her crew came over after dinner to share the wealth as it were. I only got a couple of shots before I put the camera down. But I did get to send them home with some cake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is my niece...We'll call her Barbie!

And here's something I was the last to know:

The top of the pumpkin came off and had candy in it! The kind they know the kids like. We named it pumpkin brains! We are just sick like that!

Sorry I have been busy....

For more info on why I have been so busy go to http://www.cleanupjaspercounty.blogspot.com/. Go ahead...I'll wait.

Welcome back. Yep Mom and Aunt D. and I are taking on the school board. Saving the world from one a$$hat at a time! In the mean time I have been looking into homeschooling and different alternative programs to edumacate them until we can get this guy gone. I am pretty sure we found our answer today. One of Pie's friends attends an open campus type school around the corner so to speak as nothing is really around the corner from here. But I only have to go down once a week and they will keep all the attendance and academic records so the school board can't touch me. In the mean time we have been proofing the letter to the editor and climbing up the food chain in an attempt to speed up the process. I also have to run down to the magistrate court and file a warrant today (or god help me can I do it tomorrow?) since they won't discipline her I will have to press charges. I have also found out I can file a complaint with the GA Professional Standards Commission so that will be next. *Sigh*

I am dreaming of rushing rivers and snow capped mountains.

Quiet fireside chats with friends and leaves turning for fall. I am getting forms and phone calls and questions with very few answers. Just stress, lots of stress.

Shoot- who do I think I'm kidding.............................

None of my friends are quiet.......

Cooking Pumpkin with the Punkin'

Hubby went and bought pumpkins to carve into Jack 'o Lanterns. Little did he know Popstar and I had other ideas. And everyone we know and a few people we don't would pay for it. So we popped open the pumpkins and roasted the seeds (yum!) Then we decided to experiment. So with the first pumpkin we baked most of it and boiled some of it. Both types were then run thru the blender as the food processor is out of commission temporarily.

Mommy's Little Chef

(and top rated taste tester)

Then we made pumpkin bread:

And pumpkin pie:

Then we ate them and they were good. Really. So the next day we had a bunch of leftover cooked pumpkin so we made more bread. Then Pie said he wanted more seeds. It sounded like a good idea so we sacrificed another of Hubby's pumpkins to the cause. That one we baked all of and for future reference:

If your going to make pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkin...boil it. Like potatos. It comes out smoother and makes for a better texture in the pie. The baked pumpkin pies were good but had a grainy spagetti squash kind of texture. They tasted fine and I am actually the only one who thought this but they were also the two pies that did not get eaten......Also if anyone has an idiot simple pie crust recipe send it my way please. And don't just say it's easy...mean it. I'm looking for something you just can't mess up.

So by this point we were over run with pumpkin bread. And that's when Pie- our super eater- informs me he doesn't really like pumpkin...well except for the seeds. Now bananas on the other hand......Well why not.....So I pack a bunch of pumpkin bread up and send it with Hubby to work and drop some off at my parents house and send some to my sister.... by his time pumpkin and banana breads both...in a vain attempt to make room in my fridge for real food. And there is still no room in the fridge. So what do we do next? Pie and Smooch decide to invade the neighbors house one day and come home with about 500 cookies of assorted types.

Mean while back at the ranch....Popstar and I got bored and made peanut butter cookies....doh. (Get it DoH...as in cookie??? Yeah too much sugar....sorry) So out come the zip-loc bags and back into distribution we go. At this point I have stopped taking pictures and gained 5 lbs.

Folks I need a hobby! That does not involve food......

But a good time was had by all...except the victims of the distribution process some of whom now see orange around the edges and waddle away if they see Hubby with a cooler.

At least I am in good shape for Thanksgiving desserts and Christmas breakfast.

I have been so slack.......

Please bear with me as I go through my slack ass stage that I can't seem to shake. I actually have some stuff I need to get up here but multiple little demons have jumped on my keyboard preventing me from doing it. It seems every time I get a chance to sit down at the computer I have 8 other things to do and only enough time for 3. So those of you who I regularly read know I am not lost.....simply misplaced for the moment.

I do however want to leave you with this inspiring thought my sister was kind enough to share with me today:

A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year. That means that, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon.

Makes you proud to be an American, huh?

Another Gem From The Desk of Dad......

Financial Advice we can all get behind........

Retirement Plan Investment Tip:

If you had purchased $1000.00 of AIG stock one year ago, it would now be worth $56.91.

With Washington Mutual, you would have $4.58 left of the original $1000.

With 'Fannie Mae'(FNM), you would have $11.34 left.

If you had purchased $1000.00 of Lehman Bros one year ago it would now be almost worthless; less than $0.86.

But, if you had purchased $1000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling refund you would have $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle.

This is called the 401-Keg Plan

I am so retiring in style...................

I need your help........

I have been calling schools all day. Public and Private, day cares and churches. And the one thing they all have in common is that my 3 yr old cannot attend any of them unless I receive public assistance. Even the one INSIDE the local primary school. So I can pay the taxes that heat and cool the school, buy gas for the buses bought with those taxes, and pay the teachers salaries. But unless I am on or qualify for public assistance I cannot avail myself of these programs. I have to pay - on average- $105.00 a week to educate my child. And you want the kicker.....it's not actually a K-3 program. It's daycare that "follows" the K-3 curriculum. So for $105.00 a week they can teach her to pick her nose, or finger paint with pudding all day. And I am the only person who will care. And not in the school I already pay for, nor can I use the buses my taxes provide.....nope. No such luck...at least not for me. I have to pony up for gas and insurance and maintenance on my personal conveyance to get her to the relatively expensive K-3 type program and back. So I have to get a job. So I can pay more taxes. So they can put in more of these programs I can't use. So more kids on public assistance that I am already feeding, providing shelter for, and paying for medical care on can go to school for free. That is where y'all come in:

You are members of the public!!! Will you assist me?

If in nothing else then in understanding why we voted for the a$$hats that came up with this lame brain idea..........................Thank you......Thank you very much.

**Update 11:31**

I finally found a daycare that has actual K-3 and is not State, Federal, or lottery funded. It is private so I do have to pay but they have a half day program from 8 to noon that is only $55 a week and includes all supplies, breakfast, and lunch. Plus a certified physical education teacher comes in on Wed. So I still feel f***ed but at least I get a meal or two for my money.

Well Popstar does. I get a part time job...heh.

For every action......

OK folks I too am getting tired of the cliches...but I am really starting to wonder. First things first: we hit Fresh Air BBQ Friday night. It was good. If you ever get a chance eat there......yum!No doubt as to why they have won awards. I did begin to wonder why they called it Fresh Air about two hours after we ate there. Best I can tell someone was being sarcastic. But dinner was good and we went to bed. Rise and shine Sat morning...ate breakfast hit the local KFC and decided to find a local camp ground and wander the trails (They claimed it was only 1.25 miles but I don't think so and neither do my feet): This is the shot I forced them to pose for:

I have no idea why Hubby's tongue looks black. I have seen his birth certificate...no chow in him.I like the new banner up top better but this is cute too.

Popstar liked the minnows and frogs:

She did not like being interupted to take a picture.

Smooch was mostly content to sit and watch:

Pie found pay dirt in the form of a youth group touring the area....And was willing to swim for his supper:God help me I felt like yelling "He's only 12!!" But Hubby, having been 12 himself once, wouldn't let me. Now had it been one of the girls Hubby would have been chunking rocks. Youth group or not.

Had a wonderful time. Will be going back soon.

But as the saying goes:

No good deed goes unpunished:

30 pack of beer cause it's Saturday and Ga doesn't sell on Sunday: $14.99

Two packs of Winstons: $5.69

Two new tires: $140.00

Popstars new vocabulary addition: priceless

Ain't life grand?????????????????