Perfect Moment Monday

Boxes drug up from the basement? Check!
Placed said boxes randomly about the room with no rhyme or reason? Check!
Put in chick flick and ready to rock the house Christmas style? Check!



HOURS LATER...

Let the holidays begin!!


PERFECT!

I Capture
Perfect Moments.

Shout Out Sunday!

It's Baaaccckk!!!

Here's how Shout Out Sunday works, my friends:

Choose a blog that has moved you. A daily must read. One you stalk. One that makes you laugh, cry or scream at the monitor. A new blog you would like to give exposure to. Someone you would like to introduce to your readers and send a warm fuzzy while you're at it.

Write your post, linking your chosen blog in it, grab and paste the button code below. When it's live, put the url in MckLinky (also below). Lets try to visit them and some leave some comments, m'kay?

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MckLinky will run from midnight Sunday through 6:00am Monday:


Now, for my Shout Out Sunday recipient!
This week I would like to give some SOS lovin' to my bloggy friend Bridget from Don't Blink. She is a Mommy of 5 beautiful children, a loving wife, loves the Lord (and ain't afraid to say so). Her blog is brilliant and has proven SNL wrong time and time again because (as she says),

"Not All Homeschool Moms Wear Prairie Skirts.."

(Yes, I kiped it off her sidebar)

Love your blog, Bridget.. thank you for sharing your beautiful family's adventures with us!

Dad & Me Part 8

Once The Son got all settled into his best friends Grandma's house, school began. Bless her heart, she got him to every appointment imaginable.. from the dentist, to the doctor and he even got his drivers license. School clothes, supplies, senior portraits.. he well on his way to having a wonderful, normal senior year.

Out of nowhere, his relatives started coming out of the woodwork. Grandparents (from his Mom's side), Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Where they had been hiding out the previous couple of years is beyond me (don't even get me started) but they suddenly came out en mass. Could it of been She Devil sending out the Red Alert?

I'm sure it was.

Mind you, the entire time all this was going down, NONE of his family knew I was involved. He didn't want any issues because they all thought She Devil was an innocent princess and he was afraid of yet more retaliation.

Talk about heads in sand, right??!

Family chatter buzzed about Poor She Devil.. she was being harassed by the local police and had done nothing wrong. Of course, the version they all heard was the spin about how she stepped up and tried to help Dad. And The Son..

Blah Blah Blah.. Cry Cry Cry..

As senior year rolled on, The Son lived up to the teenager reputation. When he got his license, his Grandpa gave him an old truck and he was all about cruisin' with his friends. I told him it was time he got a job (JUST LIKE I HAD TO) and he drug his feet for months. He started talking back to Best Friend's Grandma and on one occasion, when told he had to go visit Dad, refused.. saying he would rather hang out at the mall instead.

(Insert needle across album noise here) ~ 'Scuse me?

When I caught wind of THAT little episode let me state for the record that yes, I called and tore into him like I guarantee he had never been torn into before. I was DONE hearing his, "Poor Me" stories and only getting calls when he needed extra money for this and that (from Dad's account). Remember he cried over how he never got to see Dad and now that he could go at his own leisure he couldn't be bothered. The boy that I felt so badly for got every wish granted.. then turned into lippy little punk.

Nice.

In June of that year I flew out to visit Dad again. It was The Son's graduation day but I had long since decided I would not attend. Much to his delight, I'm sure--how would he explain THAT to his family?

Auntie, Best Friend's Grandma and I checked Dad out of the nursing home and took him to his favorite restaurant. It was a wonderful time. He wrote on his note pad and kept asking me about the status of the criminal case against She Devil. I had not heard from the detective in quite some time (par for the course--he was nearly impossible to get a hold of) and made several attempts to reach him by phone.

By some stroke of luck, while in the restaurant parking lot I got the detective on the line. He seemed rather confused by my call and when I told him we were just checking in he informed me, "The case has been closed.. a few months ago, actually. The Son refused to give a statement.."

I about passed out.

The little rat, not wanting to get on his family's bad side (and continue riding Grandpa's Gravy Train) totally bailed on Dad.

The Son's new name? He Devil.

Dad & Me Part 7

PART SEVEN!? Really? Holy cow.. I apologize for the longer posts but if I keep them short and sweet (like I normally try to) we'll be at this for-evah!

Moving on..

The Son wanted out of She Devil's home asap but also wanted to stay in the same town. What kid wants to move weeks before his/her senior year of high school? I didn't blame him a bit.

The Son's best friend lived with his grandma and the kids had been tight since the second grade. She said she adored him (and Dad) since they first met and was very nice. We became fast friends via phone calls and emails. Although her gut feeling was the living situation wasn't optimal there had been no proof and the subject was never broached. Completely appalled when let in on the true happenings, she wanted nothing more than to make The Son's senior year the best one ever. He would move in with them.. no ifs, ands or buts about it.

We devised a plan and our version of shock and awe commenced.

Early one Saturday morning several pickup trucks showed up unannounced at She Devil's apartment. The Son was adamant neither she nor Lazy Husband had a clue as he was afraid of some type of retaliation. With good reason. Husband was outraged and let everyone know it. Obviously seeing his meal ticket checking out the raving began (and didn't stop). On the Son's heels, he ranted and bullied about what an unappreciative, little weasel his young brother in law really was. After everything they had done for HIM, how dare he pull a disrespectful stunt like that..

Blah Blah Blah.

Surprisingly She Devil cried and helped him pack. It came off as her having an, "Ah HA!" moment. Had the realization finally kicked in that she hadn't taken proper care of her little brother? Was it regret or perfectly timed tears? Could someone be so heartless?

Final Answer: Hello? It's She Devil..

Although this was the beginning of a new chapter in The Son's life, the Do Over he dreamt of, there was now a chink in his armour. The hour of She Devil's tears and display of remorse (MIA for the past several years) rocked him. Maybe she hadn't been as bad as he made her out to be. Maybe he had blown things out of proportion.

The one promise I had made Dad was that justice would prevail. She Devil and Lazy Husband were going DOWN. I had the evidence.. the detective had the statements in hand and the bank even provided photos taken of She Devil at the ATM machines withdrawing cash. All I needed was The Son to tell his side. He was our sole, star witness. Slam Dunk, right?

Of course not...

Giving Thanks

I Am Thankful For

*My wonderful husband
*Amazing Nantie
*My incredible family and friends
*Our beautiful home
*My bosses (that have yet to send me packing)
*The therapy this lil ole blog provides
*Relatively good health all year long

Most of all, I am so very thankful we got to be a little part of Jack & Jill and Mannie & Sunshine's journey. I pray they still feel the love we poured over them and their souls never forget their time with us.

I wish you all safe travels, a wonderful day filled with family and friends and comfy stretchy pants to lounge in later this afternoon!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, MY FRIENDS!!!

(P.S. Goooo Broncos! - no snickering, please..)

Go On.. Grab A Button..

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(See Dawn, I finally did it!)..

Healthy Kids Thank-A-Thon

In the spirit of the season CCIC is giving thanks for healthy children

Healthy Kids Thank-A-Thon 2009

I am soooo sorry for posting this so late (I've been spinning).

There may still be time to submit. Go NOW!

Perfect Moment Monday

This past weekend was another great reminder of how precious the gift of time with family truly is. The Good Lord has surrounded me with angels throughout my whole life's journey and this trip was no exception. My amazing best friend Bren, wonderful cousin Kadi and awesome Auntie carried me through yet another trial. I never could of done it without them.

No way, no how.

My Perfect Moment was being in the moment with my loved ones.

I Capture
Perfect Moments.

Doin' A WiFi Dance...

I'm at the airport, alive and well.. awaiting my flight home. It was an emotional trip (to say the least) but more of that to come. Unlike glorious DIA, I had to PAY for WiFi and I only have an hour to surf.

So wrong.

Just wanted to check in and let everyone know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Will try to get Shout Out Sunday up this evening when I get home (but not making any promises). A few hours is better than nothing, right?

Happy Sunday, Ya'll!!

Radio (Err, Bloggy) Silence

I'm off on a jet plane this morning and my destination has no Internet access. (AAACCCKKKK! Right?) No, I'm not headed to 1984 (although if I was I would have a stern talking to with my high school aged self--1st topic? hair & makeup then on to what boys RUN FROM real quick like, then..).

Anywho..

There is a good possibility I won't be able to post again until Monday. Yes, I could of prescheduled posts but that would've taken more energy than I care to imagine. Of course, I might just surprise ya'll (find some unsecured WiFi somewheres or hijack a car and find a Starbucks) and pop up when least expected..

Stay Tuned!

Dad & Me Revisited Part 6

The Son's story sadly unfolded. He confirmed many things that Dad was able to communicate to us. She Devil had fallen on hard times and asked if she, the husband and her children could move in until they got on their feet. They promised to pay rent (much unlike the story I heard later--her family was told that Dad asked them to move in to assist him-rent free, of course).

Some other high (er, LOW) lights..

**Not only were they helping themselves to Dad's ATM, they also had The Son's social security checks put into their names (calling themselves "guardians"). They were just rolling in money, weren't they?

**The Son had not been to a doctor or dentist in two years (they didn't have time to take him).

**Although 17 1/2 he wasn't driving yet.. he didn't even has his learners permit(again, no time).

**They wouldn't take him to see Dad because, you guessed it, who has the time?

**They hadn't bought him new clothes in forever and school was just about to start.

They had moved out of Dad's house and into an apartment. The Son went along.. where else was he to go? I about fell out of my chair when he told me they put their young son in his own room but The Son (almost a legal adult) was rooming with their 8 year old DAUGHTER.. WHAAAAAATTT???

For the record he was not comfortable with that.

It was common for them to eat dinner before he got home (he swore he wasn't rolling in all that late) and just leave a note directing him to leftovers. Often they took off as a family and left him behind.

He was pretty much fending for himself.

The Son had nothing nice to say about She Devil's husband (making it sound like all the bad things they had done were his idea). I wasn't buying it but kept my opinions to myself. They let Dad's house go to H.E.Double.Hockey.Sticks (the inside was trashed and when something happened to the sprinkler system they wouldn't fix it--the once lush yard was overgrown and burned). It was a wreck and they didn't give a hoot.

That crushed The Son.. it was his childhood home. Oh and She Devil's also but it must not of held the same sentimental value. Not uncommon for the heartless..

I digress..

The more we talked the more comfortable he became. My heart softened and was mush as his story unraveled. Dad had mentioned me once or twice but I was pretty much a ghost of the past (ya, that reality continues to hurt, let me tell ya). He wanted out of their home and begged me to help him. I was totally on board and was going to do everything I could to make it happen.

I went home that night and retold the sad tale to DH. We decided that if that poor kid had no place to go, by golly, we would move him here. That's how you take care of family. You have their backs and are there when the chips are down (even if you've never laid eyes on them). Right? RIGHT?!

Um, no.. not always..

Perfect Moment Monday

Some people say Perfect Moments can be found right outside your own front door..


So true..

I Capture
Perfect Moments.

Shout Out Sunday

Here's how Shout Out Sunday works:

Choose a blog that has moved you. A daily must read. One you stalk. One that makes you laugh, cry or scream at the monitor. A new blog you would like to give exposure to. Someone you would like to introduce to your readers and send a warm fuzzy while you're at it.

Write your post, linking your chosen blog in it, grab and paste the button code below. When it's live, put the url in MckLinky (also below). Lets try to visit them and some leave some comments, m'kay?








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MckLinky is open until 8am tomorrow morning.



Now for my Shout Out.. This week my SOS goes to cousin Kadi Prescott.
Not only does she blog here she's a Social Media Maven
and has relaunched True Femme (the inspiration for SOS) with her partner in crime, Danielle.

No, her writing is not for the faint of heart.. it's edgy and real. She tells it like it is. On top of her ever-overflowing plate, throw in raising 7 (SEV-EN) children. When we have two kids, I'm spinning... I seriously have no idea how she pulls it off.

All that and she still finds time to help friends and family. The girl has never met a stranger. In the midst of my Dad's Epic Saga she and her husband selflessly came by my side. They were angels at a very dark time (stay tuned, that story is yet to come).

Keep an eye out.. she and her family will be featured on a followup Super Nanny episode as well as another segment of Dr Phil.

Kadi, thank you for being you. The world is a much brighter place with tender hearts like yours. I look forward to meeting up soon and giving you a hug in person.

Dad & Me Revisited Part 5

I needed help getting She Devil and her brood out of Dad's house. I wanted to remain off the radar for as long as possible.. never in a million years would she of suspected I was now a player in the game (and I wanted to keep it that way). The County (thrilled that I was helping) came to my assistance. A person of authority left a message for her stating they needed to speak ASAP. Probably figuring her con had run it's course, she actually returned the call. Wow, right? She was advised they needed to vacate the property immediately and they complied.

Easy schmeasy.

After they moved and I had the Power Of Attorney finally in hand, I went about the business of shutting down unnecessary accounts. Gas, water, cable, electric. It was no surprise it took longer than anticipated. Phone calls made, POA faxed, waiting for days for approval to take over the accounts. With everything slowing getting shut off, what was the one thing that sent The Son into a tirade and come a callin'?

No cell phone service, of course.

By then I had been on the scene for a couple of months. I was speaking to the nursing home reps almost daily and we had established a good rapport. I was their key to payment and they had the power to let him stay (or make him go). As long as we were making progress, they were happy. We needed each other and Dad needed all of us to play nice.

About a day after I had the cell phones shut off is when it really hit the fan. I got a call at work from one of my nursing home contacts and there was urgency in her voice. The Son had shown up.. with a posse. There was shouting in the back round. Some lady was yelling about lawyering up.. it was utter chaos.

Bring it.

I calmly asked her to tell them to pipe down and put him on the phone. Boy howdy, was he peeved. He demanded to know who in the (bleepity bleep) I was and what in the (bleepity bleep) was going on. I waited for his tirade to pass. When he finally stopped yelling I asked him if he was done. He said yes and I proceeded to introduce myself, "I'm Melissa, Dad's daughter" ..

DEAD SILENCE. He knew exactly who I was and that rocked him.

Firmly (but totally in control) I railed on him. Amongst other things I wanted him to know what I thought of what he, She Devil and her husband did to Dad. Where had HE been? Why did it take his cell phone getting cut off to get him to the nursing home? Dad had seen him once (the home had requested they bring something for him to wear and The Son had brought USED clothes-I kid you not). I was purging the previous few months of frustration and wasn't so nice about it. When I was done once again, there was dead silence. Then he cried, quietly told me his side of the story and my heart broke.

And I felt about ----> <---- big...

Rest In Peace, Sweet Gavin

When you have a moment please visit Adam, Karen and Madison at The Owens Family. This past week their sweet Gavin went Home to be with Jesus. Although he is healed, the family is left behind to grieve. Please keep them in your prayers for peace and surf over to share words of encouragement.

Thank You.

Dad & Me Revisited ~ A Recap

Before continuing on I wanted to take a breather and say a few things..

For all of you that are just joining us I've been telling the tale of Daddy and me. What does that have to do with fostering or fostering to adopt? Nothing. But it is a part of my journey I wanted to share. There's actually a moral to the story and to be quite honest, I need the (free) therapy writing provides.

I double dog swear this started out as one or two posts and.. well.. in true bloggy fashion, has morphed into a saga. Here are the first four parts to get you up to speed:

Dad & Me Revisited

Dad & Me Revisited Part 2

Dad & Me Revisited Part 3

Dad & Me Revisited Part 4

Admittedly, I have been struggling with how to tell the next series of events. I want to be fair (but another part of me wants to throw a certain someone under the bus and expose them for all it's worth). I've spoken to family members, close friends and have prayed on just how much I want/need to tell. It's not cool to bash someone just for the sake of doing so (knowing full well they cannot defend themselves). I have no doubt at the end of the day, I would feel badly for lashing out. There are always several sides to a story (although mine is the correct version, right?).

;o)

Please bear in mind when all of this really started to go down, it was just weeks before The Son's senior year of high school. 17 is a selfish, know-it-all, self righteous age. It has been the one thing I have had to remind myself over and over (andoverandoverandover) again.

I believe one day years from now The Son look back with many regrets and poor decisions made will haunt him...

Dad & Me Revisited Part 4

With the help of my Uncle and Auntie, I became Dad's Power of Attorney. Finally, we could bust into his accounts and get a clearer picture of what all was going down financially. The nursing home was chomping at the bit.. for the year he had been there he owed them over $40,000 and obviously that amount grew daily. The bank account should of been relatively untouched (except for the automatic house and car payments) with several thousand sitting in there. His pension and social security had been direct deposited that whole time. I had hopes of writing the facility a check to knock that balance down a bit. So what was the account balance? -$400

I almost threw up.

On top of adding online bill pay to cover all their incidentals, She Devil and her husband helped themselves to Dad's ATM card. What happens when you withdraw more than what's really in there? Penalties. There were pages and pages of overdraft penalties.

Mind you, Dad had been with this financial institution for roughly 50 years. I won't name names so we'll just call them Mel's Cargo. In those five decades of banking, the account was pristine and he did not ever bounce a check. Not once. So how on God's green earth could over one year's worth of overdraft continue to go on without any red flags? It was thousands of dollars in penalties. Why wasn't some type of freeze put on the account for investigation? How about even a phone call?? Their answer: It was DAD'S responsibility to monitor his account. Um, hello? Dumped at a nursing home, can't talk, can't walk, hasn't gotten mail in over a year. How, prey tell, was he supposed to do that?

*Crickets*

They had no answer but still stood behind their policy.

Mel's Cargo & I went roundy-round. Undeterred, I still opened up a fraud investigation against She Devil and her hubby for elder abuse with the bank and the local police department. I poured over all the bills and paperwork and picked out everything that was not legit. The next few months was chock full of spending hours on hold, leaving messages that went unanswered and being bounced from one person to the next. Red tape galore. Still I held fast that justice would prevail. Why? Aside from the truth I had Dad's high school aged son on my team and he was going to help as a witness.

Or so I thought..

Perfect Moment Monday

My Perfect Moment has been several months in the making.. In spring I try to get into my gardens and rip (er.. gently, lovingly) and tear out all the old junk. Basically get it all cleaned up and ready for summer. Last spring, we were in the midst of life with Jack and Jill (our 4 1/2 year old placements) and clean up time came and went... I needed to give a full day to tend to the yard.. it didn't happen.

To my dismay, our front walk was overgrown and looked liked this..


And this...


The only big fans of my disaster were..


This past weekend the weather was amazing and Nantie, DH and I hit the yard work hard..


And VIOLA!!!!


MY PERFECT MOMENT!!!


Nantie said the only picture missing is me on Sunday.. curled up in the fetal position on the couch..

I Capture
Perfect Moments.

Shout Out Sunday

Yes, it's Saturday and I've posted this early. The SOS meme is new and I wanted to give ya'll enough time to put your posts together and spread some bloggy love. Once it has been out for a while I'll start posting it on Sunday morning. In the meantime, MckLinky will be open from Noon Saturday to 6am Monday (MST).

Here's how Shout Out Sunday works:

Choose a blog that has moved you. A daily must read. One you stalk. One that makes you laugh, cry or scream at the monitor. A new blog you would like to give exposure to. Someone you would like to introduce to your readers and send a warm fuzzy while you're at it.

Write your post, linking your chosen blog in it, grab and paste the button code below. When it's live, put the url in MckLinky (also below). Lets try to visit them and some leave some comments, m'kay?




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Blogs that receive a Sunday Shout Out will get the code for this button to put on the sidebar (if they so choose):


Now, for my shout out!

This week I would like to pay homage to the lovely Ms Christy from
Butterflies In The Carline. She is a Mommy of three beautiful daughters, a loving wife, an artist, photographer and a true supporter of friends old and new. She and her family appeared on Super Nanny and is a frequent commenter on Jo Frost's forum. She quietly goes about blogosphere holding others up and I am proud to call her my friend. Christy, you are salt and light and we all love you, girl!

Please surf on over and give Ms Christy some bloggy love.

Dad & Me Revisited Part 3

After finding out where Dad was living, the following weekend my Uncle and Auntie made the 2 hour drive to surprise him. It was a day of great joy and sadness. Heartbreaking to see a man once large and in charge unable to care for himself. In the year he had been dumped at the nursing home, one neighbor had come to visit. He had been outside and off the property once. They loaded him and his wheelchair up in the car, went out to eat and to Walmart. He really wanted a beer (had to settle for the root variety) and soaked up the fresh air and sunshine like a sponge.

He was in 7th Heaven.

The following month I visited. He knew I was coming but we showed a day early to surprise him. The three of us walked into his room (he was still in bed even though the nurses knew we were coming) and he was thrilled to see them. He nodded politely at me, not knowing who I was. It had been 20 years. I'll never ever forget the moment standing next to his bed when I said, "Hi Daddy, it's me.. Seesa.." (my childhood nickname). He grabbed my hands and rubbed them on his cheeks and cried.

We all cried. A lot.

I had grand plans of swooping in and saving the day. She Devil and her family were still living (more like squatting) in his home, completely leaching off of him. His monthly checks were direct deposited and somehow.. magically.. all the bills were being paid online. Mortgage, car payment, gas, electric, ALL their cell phones. Did I mention they got hold of his ATM card and helped themselves whatever cash was leftover? They had a nice little con going on (and a voiceless victim). I was about to put the kibosh on all that. And fast.

Dad's one wish was to have them prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. It's called Elder Abuse and that would be a felony. You can't dump a human being and steal everything right out from under them and get away Scot-free. Justice had to prevail, right?

Wrong. In a big way.

Shout Out Sunday Reminder!!

Please don't forget to be keeping your fav blogs in mind for this week's Sunday Shout Out! It will run from Saturday evening through Monday morning (I'll remember to keep MckLinky open longer this time, I swear!).

--->CLICK HERE<--- to get the lowdown..


I'll have sidebar buttons to give to your chosen blogs to let the world know they got your shout out.

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming, er, blogging...

Dad & Me Revisited Part 2

.. But before I spoke to the county the next day...

I called my Uncle (Dad's brother) and Auntie that night to tell them the news. Although they had accepted The Wife and did their best to play nice, Dad still managed to fall out of their lives several years prior. After a big loan, as a matter of fact. Yes, he hurt us all in different ways but time and forgiveness had healed those wounds. We still held hope we would see him again and prayed he was ok.

Sadly, I found out his life had not stopped spiralling out of control.

Remember the little girl I mentioned in my previous post? The Wife's young daughter she had from a previous relationship that I felt sorry for? I've gotta say, as the story unfolded that sympathy went out like the wash. The poor little girl Dad raised as his own had turned into a She Devil.

No joke.

So, why was the county trying to track down someone who knew Dad? Come to find out, a year before he had suffered a stroke that rendered him paralyzed on one side and wheelchair bound. She Devil and her husband (who had moved into Dad's house with their kids before the stroke) took him from the hospital when he was released directly to the nursing home. They literally dumped him there like yesterday's trash never to be heard from again.

She Devil is an understatement.

The facility had his medical records but needed, you know, the incidentals .. like information for PAYMENT. Dad had been there for must over a year and they were unable to contact her (she couldn't seem to find time to return phone calls) and his unpaid tab at the nursing home was $40,000 and climbing. They were desperate. They needed information about his social security and pension and tap into it pronto or the county would become his power of attorney and liquidate.

Did I mention she and her family continued living in his home rent free the entire time?

Dad couldn't speak but was able to write with his bad hand. When the county asked him for names of family or friends to contact that he thought may assist him I have no doubt the list was very short. He scratched out my name. Last he heard I had moved to CO (but that was 1990).

And he waited.

My heart broke when I heard his story. My head spun. No matter what he had pulled in the past he didn't deserve that. He went from being a pompous, prideful man to one who couldn't even form words. All alone. I tried to look on the bright side. At least things couldn't get any worse, right?

Boy, was I wrong...

Dad & Me Revisited

Some of you may remember my dad and our little saga. For you who don't .. my senior year of high school he decided to pull a big, fat midlife crisis and took up with a gal in her late 20's (mind you, he was in his 60's). Mom tried really hard to keep the marriage together (counselling, etc) but to no avail.. their 30 year marriage was over.

Mama purchased a nice condo and lived well within her means. Dad (who was once just as much of a penny pincher as she) married the girlfriend and proceeded to spend every last dime (and then some). Their relationship was drug and alcohol fueled and spiralled madly out of control. In the midst of the hell he continued putting Mama through (constantly trying to take her back to court after the divorce) he wanted me to give The Wife a chance. I won't even repeat the words I used in my reply (but they went something like $$$%@%! $@@&% $&^#%@!! So on and so forth). He walked away from me and didn't look back.

We heard about them through the grapevine as time went by. Dad had a few heart attacks (it's no wonder-considering the life they led), lost their custom home to foreclosure and cars got repoed. She had a young daughter from a previous relationship and in the early 90's they had a son together. When I heard that I truly felt sorry for the kids. I couldn't even imagine their home life.

Before Mama passed away we heard that The Wife had died. She was still quite young (not even 40 yet) and we assumed it was cancer. Dad was nearing his 70's raising a 5 year old boy. So wrong. Years later I would find out that it wasn't cancer but chronic alcoholism that took her life. The booze killed her. I still can't fathom how much drinking it takes to have that happen.

Our lives marched on..

In the spring of 2007 (20 years after their nightmare began), I got a letter in the mail from a county in California. It read, "We are contacting you in hopes you may know (Insert Dad's Name Here) as we are attempting to find family members or friends. If you know him please contact immediately at ..."

The following day I called...

Perfect Moment Monday

Ahh, the dog days of ... Fall?

I Capture
Perfect Moments.

Full Circle's Shout Out Sunday Kickoff!

In the past I've tried to do shout outs for blogs I enjoy reading. Some are already quite popular with tons of readers and others are new, trying to find their voice. One of the cool parts of my bloggy journey has been the opportunity to lift others up along the way (as my mentors have done for me). Like the Hokey Pokey, my friends, that's what it's all about.

Inspired by True Femme's positive message and juju, I've decided to take this idea to the next level and create a meme. Here's how it's going to go down. Choose a blog that has moved you. A daily must read. One you stalk. One that makes you laugh, cry or scream at the monitor. A new one you would like to give exposure to. Someone you would like to introduce to your readers and send a warm fuzzy while you're at it.

Write your post, linking your chosen blog in it, grab and paste the button code below. When it's live, put the url in MckLinky (also below). Lets try to visit them and some leave some comments, m'kay?

Scroll down for my Sunday Shout Out!




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Now it's my turn..

My shout out is for lovely Lori from Weebles Wobblog. She is an adoptive mommy, loving wife, amazing writer and a gentle spirit. She has tons of followers and is adored by one and all. She has taken me under her wing and allowed me to cry on her virtual shoulder. To top it off, she's hysterically funny. Let's face it, she's the whole enchillada. Wicked smart and beautiful on the inside and out. If you are one of the few that haven't met Lori, please go over and give her a howdy do.

Thank you for being my friend. Girl, I look forward to our mojito.