"We're Baaaa-aaaack!"

Hi, everyone! It's been so long since I've posted that I have almost forgotten how to do it.

Well, "we're baaaa-aaaack!" We had a fabulous time and it was so romantic!

The weather was absolutely perfect the entire time we were in the Caribbean and everyone was so nice to us. The foldable cane that my husband, Dion, bought for me to use on the trip really helped me a lot. I don't think I could have made it without having it.



Here are a few photos from our trip, just to whet your whistles:

This is our view from the ship at Ft. Lauderdale, FL. ~ You can see another cruise ship off in the distance, ready to set sail.

I just had to show you this odd little storm out to sea. The little storm clouds got so close to us at one point, we could almost touch them, but we didn't catch it on film ~ it happened so fast we didn't realize what was happening!

Then, almost as fast as it came upon us, the sun appeared and whisked it away. I hope you can see what I mean when looking at these photos. It was all so vivid out there on the deep, blue sea...

Here's one of the beautiful white, sandy beaches that we got to visit. Isn't it gorgeous? The weather was perfect and the water temperature couldn't have been more ideal.


This is a close-up of that same beach. If I didn't know better, I would have thought it was like that Chevy Chase movie where he paid everyone in the town to act perfect during the Christmas season so that he and his wife could sell their home and get a divorce.

And then, "Oh, joy!" This is the sight we came home to when we drove in to our driveway at our home, sweet, home. I must add that we were glad to get home, though, because afterall, there's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home...



Well, everyone, aside from our trip, I've been busy writing. I took a class at the Writer's Village University and it was awesome. I'm so glad I joined there! I've made lots of new friends and joined a critique group for the first time in my life, and I've learned so much from them. I should have joined a critique group a long time ago, but to tell you the truth, I was too shy. But now that I've taken the plunge, and the Lord lead me to the perfect people, I see that it's not so bad afterall.

I'll write again as soon as I can. And I promise it won't take me five months this time!

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may the Lord bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Ahhh...The Memories!"

This past Saturday, (08 August 2009) Dion was outside walking around our property, and guess who was keeping an eye on him? Yep, our kitty, Capote. Dion got a shot of him on a tree stump just behind our yard, right in front of the gully. We have a really deep gully running the whole length of our property, behind our home, and when it rains, the stream runs so wild that you would swear there was a train traveling full speed behind our place. Some nights, though, the sound of the wind combined with the roaring stream is so soothing, that it lulls us to sleep.

Also...back in the 70's, one of our favorite places to go was a little place on Rte. 96, just outside of Ovid, called Argus's Drive-In. They had a little Restaurant with regular tables and a bar to eat at inside the place, plus outdoor tables for when the weather was good, a really nice Gift Shop for the locals and the many tourists visiting our area, and a really nice spot for Miniature Golf.

The proprietors of the establishment, Walt and Jean Argus, were friends of Mom and Dad's and they always bought their cars from Dad. Dion's father used to own a gas station in the early 60's called R & R Texaco on the corner of Rte. 96 and County Rd. 139 in Ovid, which was just up the road from Argus's, so he knew Walt Argus pretty well. The Argus' son and daughter, Rick and Cathy (?), used to come over to our house and play with us when we were little--that was a long, long time ago, but they were very happy memories.

Argus's has been closed since 2001 or thereabouts, so Dion took our "new" car over there and snapped a few pictures of the place, just so we'd have them for our memories. The place hasn't really changed at all (except that it's all run down now) since when it opened up originally (in the 50's, I think). It was such a popular place, and it was so cute in there, too. It had a real homey feel to it, and everyone was very friendly. It kinda reminded me of "Happy Days" in a way, with the comaradarie and all of that--I wish that restaurants were still like that. Every once in a while you can find one that is, but not very often. When we do, those are the places that we keep going back to...so we can hold on to that feeling of "the good ol' days".

Dana's birthday was yesterday. He would have been 57.

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Happy Birthday, Josh!"

Dion had the day off on Monday (03 August 2009) so he took me to my early morning appointment with Dr. Alexander regarding my Worker's Compensation injury of my left shoulder. I've been dealing with this since 1992, and then I reinjured it in 1993, so it's been a long time that it's been hurting. When I hurt it again really bad in December of 2007, I thought it would never get better, and since then, I have had to go to court to have things approved. I wonder if they'll still give me a hard time or not because I took so long to go to the Drs. after then. Who knows?

Anyways...after that, we stopped at Empire Vision to see if they could fix my sunglasses, but they weren't open yet. So, we went over to Penny's Restaurant to have breakfast. That has fast become "our place" to have breakfast and lunch whenever we go out, which isn't very much, really, but has been more than normal lately, I'm happy to report. I go stir-crazy being cooped up at home all the time—I feel like life is passing me by and it scares me. I'm in pain a lot, but I can't let that totally stop me from living, can I? I have to do something to get out of this rut!

We had a nice breakfast and we laughed, talked and really enjoyed ourselves at Penny's. Then we went over to the drug store to pick a birthday card out for Josh while we checked on my prescription (which wasn't ready, of course!). We found the perfect card for Josh, and since they also would not make the copies we wanted made there, our next stop was "The Copy Shop."

We parked quite a ways down the street from "The Copy Shop" because it was such a beautiful day, we wanted to get some fresh air and exercise. When we opened the door to the shop, there was quite a heated discussion going on between two customers (an elderly man and his wife) and the proprietor of the shop. The proprietor was trying to convince the customers that "Obamacare" (The forced Healthcare package that Obama is trying to "sell" to the country) would be beneficial to all of us, and they just weren't having it. I thought I might need to jump in and assist the customers, but they were definitely holding their own while at the same time maintaining an air of dignity and decorum. They knew exactly what they were talking about! Of course, the proprietor kept waffling back and forth when the customer had an answer for everything she tried to point out (all of it false, naturally) and she was faltering, so she had to give up so she woundn't totally lose face in front of us (too late!). It was great to see that not all Americans have fallen for the propaganda that "Obamacare" is the next best thing since sliced bread.

After they left, we got our copies made in relative silence (which we were thankful for) and headed over to Josh's apartment. You know, I really love Josh and Chrissy's apartment. It's so bright, clean and airy. It's in a nice location and it has a great big yard—I really think they'll be quite happy there.

When we got there, I felt terrible because Josh had been sleeping—he said Noah was up late, so he looked exhausted. But Josh is always so happy to see us. He's such a sweet boy—he's a man, of course, but I can't help referring to him as a boy because he's my boy.

Anyway, we gave him his card, because his birthday is tomorrow—he'll be 22 yrs. old—it's hard to believe, but true. We went to the livingroom to talk for a while and catch up, plus we wanted to try out a DVD that we had brought with us because it would not play on our DVD player. It ended up not playing on his either, so Josh suggested that I try playing it on my computer—which I did later, and that didn't work, either. Oh well...the DVD must be defective.















I wrote a note to Chrissy and explained that she could go ahead and exchange the things that I had brought for Noah (I brought some adorable printed t-shirts for him) if they didn't fit or she didn't like them, but Josh said they would be fine.

We were just getting ready to leave (Noah had been taking his nap this whole time, but Dion wanted to leave because he didn't like being there when his "ex" was there. She acts like he doesn't have a right to be there!) when all of the sudden we heard Noah moving in his little crib. We all went into his bedroom, Josh picked him up, and he was scowling at us—he was trying to focus and wake up. I know that a couple of the pictures that I'm going to post aren't all that clear, but I have to post them anyway—they are just too cute not to. My camera doesn't click when a picture is done, so we don't know when we can click again, and the pictures sometimes turn out blurry. Time for a new camera, I guess.

When Noah heard our voices and finally focused, he was all smiles for his grandma (that's me!) and grandpa (that's Dion!). You can't imagine how that made me feel—I lit up like a Christmas tree inside. We love that little guy so very much that it's unbelievable. We are so blessed, aren't we?

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde
Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"What An Awesome Day We Had!"

On Thursday (30 July 2009), Dion took the day off from work because he was scheduled to work on Saturday and Sunday due to the special "Cash for Clunkers Sale". Thurday just happened to be the day that Carol and I were scheduled to go to the Pain Clinic together to see Dr. Ortiz, so Dion said, "Why don't I go along with you?" I was ecstatic! I was so excited that he would finally be able to get to meet "Dr. O" and see what I was talking about, so he could decide if he wanted him for his pain doctor as well.

Things were going along great; I had my clothes laid out; the packages that were to be mailed were ready to go; everything that I had to take with me was lined up; my list was ready; and I was ready to step into the shower. Then the phone rang. It was Josh. He had Noah with him and he wanted to visit, but I really didn't have time, or I wouldn't be able to get ready on time.

Dion decided to zip on over to his mom's and meet Josh there and take some pictures and then I would finish get ready when he came back. (He helps me with my shower, etc. because I'm disabled.) So he was only gone about 15 minutes and I got the bathroom ready for my shower when he was gone.

When he came back, we still had two hours before Carol was to pick us up, so we were still in good shape. I hopped in the shower and started singing away, happy because I knew my sweetheart would be with me all day, and then the phone rang again. I dismissed it, thinking it was probably just a telemarketer (they hound me all through the week, every week!), but it wasn't—it was Carol, wondering if it was at all possible if we could be ready in 20 or 25 minutes!

She had explained to Dion that "Dr. O" was being called away on an emergency and that if we weren't able to get there early, we'd have to wait a whole week until we could get in to see him again—and I couldn't wait that long. My prescriptions were running out! So, I told Dion to tell her we'd be ready.

And we were! In fact, Carol was late five minutes and we were standing outside waiting for her! That's the fastest I've ever taken a shower and gotten dressed. I would never have been able to do it without Dion, though. And when we got home that afternoon, I felt as if I'd been run over by a Mac truck!
But we did have a great day. We went to the doctor's, and then to Shur-Save for groceries, then to the Post Office in Trumansburg to mail a couple of packages, and then on to Mom's to see Mom and Sande. We laughed and talked and had a great time.

I was so proud to be able to show off having Dion as my husband—you know what I mean, right? I mean because I'm proud to call him my husband. I love him so much and he's so sweet—that kind of showing off.


While we were at Mom's, Dion showed us the pictures that he took of Noah at his mother's place. He said that Max, her dog, was so jealous that little Noah was getting so much attention, that he was barking his head off. Poor little Noah jumped about a foot every time Noah barked because his bark is so shrill. I know that Max likes Noah—he's just a little jealous of him, that's all. He'll get over it. And when Noah gets older, I bet that he and Max will be the best of friends!

Aren't those photos all adorable? He is so photogenic! And look at those huge eyes. He is such a good-natured little guy, too. Dion and I love him so much! And his mother does, too. My mother hasn't had a chance to meet him yet, but Josh and Chrissy and Noah will be going to see her very soon—probably in the next few weeks. I can't wait. I'd like to have Jon there with us so we can have some pictures taken. Maybe Sande and Carol can go, too.

By the way—Noah is three month old today—
"Happy Three-Month Birthday, Noah!"

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Flowers, Flowers, Flowers!"

While surfing through my Bloglist and checking out friends of friends, I came upon the most delightful site yesterday. It is called Today's Flowers, and it's full of the most beautiful flowers. It's run by a woman named Denise who is really sweet, and evidently, she allows people to become "Guest Friends" and post their own pictures of flowers on her site. Here is her logo:



I'm going to start searching for flowers around here that are worthy of photographing so that maybe I can become a "Guest Friend". I would love to do that! Here's a photo that would probably be ok:



Flowers have always been such an important part of my life, whether they be real, plastic, or even silk. My husband, Dion and I are just preparing to overhaul the window-boxes on the house and replant the flowers. The flash sleet-storm that we had on the 25th of June really destroyed a lot of our flowers. I'm just glad that I hadn't purchased our hanging plants yet or they would have all been destroyed, too. When we're done with the project, I'll take photos and post them, and then you can tell me what you think, ok? But before I go, I'll post two more of my favorite photos of flowers for your enjoyment. Here they are:

This one, of course, is a multi-colored rose. The rose is the most popular flower, by far, and is available all year-round, in all the colors of the rainbow.

And, each color has a different meaning meaning, so before you send them to your loved one, it's best to ask your florist. Here's a brief list of the most popular ones used:

• Red Roses—Red roses speak of love, romance, passion, and beauty. The color red is the most popular of rose colors, expressing clarity and boldness of feeling. Red roses are perfectly suited for romantic adventures.


• White Roses—The white rose symbolizes purity, innocence, virtue, girlhood, and happy (bridal) love. It also stands for truth, humility, secrecy, spirituality, and reverence. White roses add harmony to red or yellow bouquets. And, a single white rose bud represents pure and innocent youth. White may be the most widely used in the meaning of rose colors.


• Yellow Roses—The meaning of yellow roses was once infidelity, jealousy, and dying love. This image may have been due to its once malodorous nature, which has long since vanished. The yellow rose is now admired for its sunny good looks. It represents joy, delight, friendship, and freedom (from romantic entanglements). Send them for “Congratulations” and “Get Well Soon.”


• Pink Roses—Appreciation and gratitude capture the primary meaning of pink roses. Their cheerfulness sends a message of gladness, joy, happiness and fun. Their grace and gentleness make them appropriate to send for friendship as well as for sympathy.


• Yellow Roses With Red Tips—Yellow roses with red tips represent friendship with the promise of love. We can easily hide our meaning behind the sunny disposition of the yellow rose, in case our feelings are not returned. But who knows what might happen if we add special meaning to our gift of flowers with a hint at attraction. Already have someone special in mind? Consider sending them a yellow roses with red tips birthday ecard.


• Coral Roses—Coral roses speak of passion and desire. They are not quite as hot-blooded as red roses, a useful nuance in the language of flower colors.


• Black Roses—The meaning of a black rose is death, farewell, and mourning.
  “Black roses” are actually dark red or deep burgundy in color. They are the closest thing to a true black rose, which does not exist in nature. There are a few appropriate occasions when you might like to send black roses. You can send a black rose birthday ecard anytime.


• Hot Pink Roses—Dark pink and hot pink roses express thankfulness, appreciation and gratitude. Use them on any occasion when you would like to say “Thank You.”


• Blue Roses—Light blue roses are often called lilac or lavender. They tell a recipient of your enchantment with them, and of love at first sight. The blue rose also symbolizes mystery and yearning for attainment of the impossible.


• Peach Roses—Peach roses express appreciation, admiration, sincerity and gratitude. These positive and gentle emotions are perfect for sending flowers to friends and business associates...to say "Thank You" and "Congratulations."


• Purple Roses—Among blue colored roses are the purple roses. The purple rose represents majesty and protection. It has also come to symbolize love at first sight.


• Orange Roses—Orange roses “turn up the heat” and represent enthusiasm, fascination, even desire. Consider these to add "spice" to your floral message.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Then, some added information that I thought that you may like to have:

Meaning Of Color Combinations
Red and White.......... Unity, harmony, and bonding
Red and Yellow......... Happiness, joy, celebration, and congratulations
Yellow and White...... Harmony
Yellow and Orange.... Passionate ideas

How Many Flowers To Send?
Single Red Rose........... I love you, I still love, new love
Single Rose, Any Color... Thank You
Rosebud..................... Pure and lovely, beauty and youth, innocent heart
Two Roses Entwined..... Engagement or marriage is eminent
Bouquet in Full Bloom.... Suggests "full flowering" of the emotion conveyed
One Dozen Roses......... Gratitude
Two Dozen Roses......... Congratulations
Four Dozen Roses......... Unconditional Love

I hope you've enjoyed this posting about flowers as much as I have. Don't forget to visit Today's Flowers as soon as you get a chance. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"This Sure Has Been A Looonnngggg Week!"

Dion and I finally have our new (to us) car on the road. He took off a couple of hours from work on Tuesday and we went to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to have it registered, etc., and everything went perfectly.

Sadly, on Wednesday evening, we had to attend the calling hours for the father of one of my two best friends named Penny. I think I've spoken about them before. I call them: "My Penny's From Heaven". One Penny's name is Penny Flora (she's not the one from Wednesday night) who used to work with me for Cayuga Auto Parts and also Allan's Auto Repair. We also used to be roommates and she was a bridesmaid in my wedding. She's been my best friend for about twenty years and I love her to death! The other Penny is Penelope McGill. She's been my hairdresser and my best friend for about eighteen years. I've known her father for just about as long, plus, when I used to rent an apartment from Penelope's sister, Patti, her father used to live right next door to me.

He was a sweet man who was lonely and just needed someone to love. He married two women that were not right for him and seemed to abuse him. They took advantage of his giving spirit and I do believe that they broke his poor little heart, but he never complained. He always had a smile upon his face. And now, praise God, he is with the Lord and reunited with the wife of his youth, the mother of his four loving daughters: Patricia, Pamela, Pandora and Penelope. Frank Peabody is now in Glory; he is happy and without pain. We don't have to feel sad for him anymore. I thank the Lord for that!

Please remember to say a prayer for Penelope and her family, won't you? Her husband, Doug (I call him Doogie!) and their children, Jon Philip (J.P.) and Faith, will be missing Frank and will need prayers for comfort during these coming weeks as they adjust to this tragic loss. Please also pray for Patricia, Pamela, Pandora and their families as well. Thank you.

My 84-year old mother made a peanut butter birthday cake for my twin sister and me (it's our favorite!) and it turned out so cute. Let me describe it for you: The cake itself was a yellow cake with peanut butter icing. (Yummy!) There was a bird in the middle of the top of it, flowers and candy sprinkles surrounding the bird, then chocolate buttons lining the whole outside of the cake. In addition to it being a very pretty cake, it was very moist and delicious! Check out the pictures. Am I right or am I right? (hahahaha!)

Mom also sent over enough ziti and meatballs for a couple dinners for both of us. That was scrumptious as well. My mom is an excellent cook—the best in the county, for sure and maybe the best in the state! I guess I'm prejudice, though, right? I've always thought that Mom was actually the best cook in the whole world, but I didn't want to go overboard and say that. That would make me sound quite juvenile, wouldn't it? ("Well, too bad! That is what I believe! So there! Naa-naa! she says, as she sticks her tongue out at the people looking backing at her.) LOL!

Speaking of moms...Dion's mom—one of my favorite people in the entire world—is in the hospital right now. She drove herself to the doctor's office yesterday, because she hadn't been feeling well for several days and thought it was because she had switched medications, and they sent her to the hospital. She had them call Dion at work so that he could take her to the Emergency Room (ER). I'm so thankful that he was not delivering a part or a car out of town, because then he would have felt terrible. This way he was able to take almost the entire day off and wait at the hospital with her until she was waited on, then when Aunt Betsy (his mother's sister) got there, they waited to hear what the results of her CT-scan and x-rays were.

In the meantime, we had gone to check on her the night before and brought Max, her dog, up to our place to watch him because it was getting too hard for her to keep letting him in and out to go potty, so we're going to keep him for a few days. He always settles right into the schedule here like he's always lived here because he had to live here for three months one time when she went into the hospital. She had major surgery and we almost lost her—it was pretty scary. Max was so glad to see her when we were finally able to return him to her. It was so precious when they were reunited. He must have thought she was gone forever! That's him in the photo. We just adore him, and he loves us right back.

It turns out that Barbara has a very mild case (thank the Lord!) of diverticulitis and she also has a urinary tract infection (UTI)—not good, either one! She must be absolutely miserable. No wonder she hasn't moved an inch off her couch in days. And now she's going to miss the festivities for her "60th High School Class Reunion". That is such a shame. Please pray for her speedy recovery, ok? I love her so much! She's been just like a second mom to me ever since I've been 14 years old—that's fourty years! Can you imagine that? Wow!

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Cars, cars, cars!"

Dion and I have been driving ourselves crazy trying to find a car (pardon the pun) these past several months, and there just hasn't been anything worthwhile out there. For the past 20 years, Dion has always bought his cars for a substantially reduced priced through his job, but that is not an option anymore. I can't imagine why they have taken that employee benefit away, but it has really caused hard feelings throughout most of the rank and file. Thankfully, Dion is not the type to let it bother him—he knows that the Lord is the one that provides for him, not his employers, so he doesn't worry or hold a grudge. I'm so blessed to have Dion for a husband—I love him so much!

Anyway, to make a long story short, I think we've finally found one. We're really excited. It's a 1999 Mercury Marquis LS, Limited Edition. It's light blue in color, just like the one that we had before it that we loved so much. We had to let my twin sister, Sande's husband, Allan, tow that one away because it had a broken frame and it broke our hearts as well because we loved that car, but with a broken frame, it just wasn't safe to drive anymore, and Dion feared for my safety. He's such a good man.

So, if all goes well, they'll deliver the car some time today and we should be able to drive it on Monday. I've posted a picture of the car so that you can see what it looks like. Isn't she beautiful? Those wheels are the exact ones that we have, also.
Now all we have to do is come up with her name. Do any of you out there have any ideas? Let me tell you the names of some of our other vehicles so that you'll know how we usually name them:

• 1963 Chevy Impala = "Bullet"


• 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass = "Rocket"


• 1973 Honda motorcycle = "Punkin"


• 1970 Honda motorcycle = "Goldie"

I'd appreciate it if you'd post your ideas by commenting to this posting. Then I can choose the one that I like the best. I'm really having a hard time thing up a name for this one and usually they come to me quite easily. I'll be trying to think up one tonight, but I sure would like it if someone out there would give me a helping hand!

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"We Went To Court For Our Pistol Permits And It Was A Nightmare!"

My husband, Dion, and I both needed to go before the judge on Thursday regarding our applications for pistol permits and for me, it was an absolute nightmare!

Let me start off by saying that it is our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. With that being said, the following is the story, to the best of my recollection, of what happened on Thursday:

Dion and I submitted our permits, and because I wanted to be honest, I stated that in addition to wanting to use a pistol for target practice, I also wanted one for personal protection. I submitted a letter with my reasons, which included the fact that Dion drives for his job now and quite often gets home late, plus we live close to the Five Points Correctional Facility. My biggest reason was because of the stalker that I had and although I had hoped he wouldn't bother me again, I always wondered about it in the back of my mind and I wanted to be safe rather than sorry.

Had I opted to request the permit for target practice only, which would have meant that I would have had to have been less than honest, I would never have had any of the problems that I am going to describe to you and that is why I think this whole episode was ridiculous and uncalled for.

Almost as soon as I entered the courtroom, the judge, after saying a polite "Good Afternoon, Mrs. Hammond," put me on the defensive. He treated me as if I were a defendant in a criminal case. He wanted to know what medications I was taking, what dosages, and how often, and I wasn't able to list all of them precisely, but I also told him that I wasn't sure what he was getting at. He also wanted to know what my disability was, so I told him that I had osteoarthritis in both knees and both hips and also RSD. Then he wanted to know why I wanted the permit now, when I could have asked for it anytime. I told him there were all the factors in the letter, but he didn't seem to think those reasons were good enough because: Five Points had been there for five years, so why now? And the stalker hadn't been around for eight or nine years, so why now? I told him that for one thing, we had just now saved up enough money to buy a gun. Then Dion also explained, also, that our 17-year-old son had just become interested in target practice, so that was another reason, plus the fact that he had just started the new driving job. He wanted to know why I had to have a 357-magnum. I explained to him that the gunshop owner had specifically picked that gun own for me because it was a "ladies gun" and that I would be able to cock it, because of my hand problems. I told him he could call and check with him if he didn't believe me. I also told him that it was a little tiny thing, but he said the bullets were a large caliber. The judge said he would take it under advisement and that he needed to send my file to the sheriff so he could do some checking.

Maybe you're wondering why this whole thing has bothered me? Well, first of all, the judge treated me as if I had done something wrong by asking for a permit. I hadn't. It's my Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and that right is not to be infringed upon. And secondly, he wielded his "power" like a sledge hammer and hammered away at me, disrespecting me for no reason at all. I, who have never even had a traffic infraction, was made to feel like a common criminal, for merely asking for something that was my "right" to obtain in the first place.

So, needless to say, I'm not at all sure that either of us will be getting our permits. He may have just wanted to give us a hard time, but it's hard to tell. The court stenographer at least had the decency to act as if his show of bravada embarrassed and disgusted her, which made me feel better at the time.

The only good thing about the whole day was the fact that we got to see the kids. First we went to see Josh and Noah while Chrissy was at work. I wish Chrissy could have been there, too, but it couldn't be helped. I hadn't seen Noah in about a month and he has grown so much. He was all smiles for his grandpa and me.

He is the most adorable little guy, and he's so good-natured, too. Josh took him for his shots on Wednesday, and I guess he cried a little, but was really quite good until later. He probably started hurting later in the evening and didn't know how to tell anyone because, gosh, he's only two months old!

Noah stood up on Dion's lap, all by himself, and just looked around, without any trouble at all. He's so strong, and he's so smart, too! I held him for a while and the moment that Dion looked away, Noah was trying to get his attention. He started crying and waving his arms, and I said, "Look honey, he's trying to get your attention!" so Dion turned around to look at him again and then Noah smiled a great big smile and started cooing. It was absolutely adorable.

Then we stopped in to see Jon for a minute, the went on home. It was a great finish to a lousy day, but after seeing the boys, everything seemed right with the world again.

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Happy Fourth of July Weekend!"

I have some really wonderful news. Chrissy, Josh's wife, got a new job! Remember how she used to work as a cashier at the P&C Foods grocery store right near where Dion works? Well, now she works as a bank teller at the Five Star Bank in Geneva, New York (I'm not sure which one, though). From what Dion says, she basically went in, asked if they had any jobs available, filled out an application, was interviewed, and then was hired on the spot. I'm really not surprised at all. Chrissy is very smart, she is also very pretty, and she presents herself to the public in a professional and pleasing manner. I bet she'll boost the business at the bank, too. Furthermore, I won't be surprised if she moves up to a position with more responsibility in a short amount of time, too.

She's an intelligent girl and I bet she'll do well at the bank. I hope she loves it there. I want so much for her to be happy at her job! I don't know what she aspires to be, but if this makes her happy, then I'm happy, too! It only makes sense that if you are happy in your job, then it will carry over into your home life, because it is equally true that when you are unhappy in your job, it definitely carries over into your home life.

I am certain that this kind of job is bound to increase Chrissy's self-esteem, and I'm so happy for her. I think the world of that girl and I pray that she and Josh will be able to get over whatever hurdles they are experiencing right now in their young marriage, especially for the sake of precious little Noah. I don't know if either of them can even fathom what is really at stake if there marriage were to break up. Let's just pray that it never reaches that stage.





Jon was supposed to spend the weekend with us this weekend, starting right after he was done with work this afternoon, but we never heard from him. Dion's not feeling well, so he said not to call anyone because he doesn't feel like talking to anyone. I hope it doesn't backfire on me like it always does. I usually get blamed because they think I'm the one that's keeping him from calling!

I understand, though. He just did not feel good. And when you're feeling like that, you just don't feel like chatting, and I'm never going to go against what Dion says not to do. He's the boss. And if anyone gets angry, then so be it. I have to obey my husband. They Bible says so, and this was not life or death, or illegal, or anything like that...so my choice is to always obey him in those instances. He would never ask me to otherwise, anyways. He's a good man, and I trust and love him totally.

I'm just hoping he'll feel better by tomorrow. I'm so worried about him. He's so run down and worn out from work. They run him ragged and they don't even appreciate him!

Well, here's wishing everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July weekend! We also hope that the Tea Parties around the country had a great showing. If Dion hadn't have been sick, we would have both been there, too!



Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"What A Flash Sleet-Storm We Had Yesterday!"

My husband, Dion, drove his 1973 Honda CB750 motorcycle to work yesterday (to save on gas money) and his boss sent him home early — just in the nick of time. It seems that while the finance manager was in his office, he heard on his radio that a storm was heading their way in a hurry, so he got on the internet and checked it out. According to Doppler radar, a sleet-storm was almost overhead, so he looked out the window, and sure enough, he could see that the sky was a hazy-looking black, not too far in the distance. He called Dion into the office and told him that he better head on home, because he was aware of how dangerous it would be for him to ride his motorcycle in a storm like that.

In the photo above, the bright white circles that you see are chunks of marble-sized sleet falling down at the very beginning of the storm. The winds were whipping around and tearing the leaves off our trees. Dion was even able to catch a leaf in mid-air in the photo. Do you see it on the right up there? He did a great job, didn't he? However, I have decided that we need a much better camera than what we have, if we're going to expect to take nice, clear shots. I'll have to start saving my coins right away.

Back to the story: The skies had been clear and the weatherman had predicted a sunny, clear day when we listened to the weather report yesterday morning, but we weren't totally surprised to hear that they were "off" in their prediction; we were just stunned that it was "off" to this extent.

In the next photo above, (with the water pump in it) our poor kitties have run for cover, and the sidewalk looks like it has snow on it doesn't it? Well, it's hail stones! And this is still just the beginning of the storm. The wind is tremendously strong and even though our camera doesn't do it justice, the sky is getting dark and has that eerie look to it that it gets just before a tornado comes zipping through causing untold destruction.

My 84-year-old mother was glad that I had called her to warn her that the storm was on the way, because she and my grand niece, Olivia, (my niece, Audra's daughter — my sister, Carol Lee's only grand daughter) were out by her swimming pool, laying in the sun and/or swimming. Mother lives fives miles away from me and the weather at my house had been exactly like hers only minutes before. She tried to call my twin sister, who lives another two miles beyond her (because that's the relay we follow to warn each other of storms coming — and I'm usually the one that starts the relays and I have to call my mother and my other sister, who lives about seven miles in another direction, too) but she must not have been home because she never answered her phone, or returned her call. Anyhooooo...

In this final photo, you can see that our sidewalk has totally disappeared. It's filled with thousands of little hail-stones, and boy, are they cold and hard! We have an aluminum roof on our home and it almost sounds like someone is shooting bb's at us. I'm glad Dion's home because it's kind of scary. And no, it's not more proof that "Global Warming" is true. That garbage is a hoax! If you want to know the truth about it, please read my story here.

Also, please watch this video:


Well, it's time to get up and fix Dion his breakfast and pack his lunch for work. I guess he'll be driving the truck today — it sounds like it's thundering outside. Oh well. So much for saving gas money, huh?

A couple more important notes: First, our prayers go out to the families and loved ones of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, who both died yesterday, 25 June 2009. (It's the same date that my grandmother, Dorothy Denise Davis Carpenter ("Grammy"), passed away on in, gosh, I think it was 1995, at the age of 99 — she would have turned 100 yrs. old that August, less than two months away.)

Second, please pray for my sister Carol Lee's husband, Allen (everyone calls him "Foo"). He had to be taken to the emergency room last night. He had about four episodes yesterday where he couldn't catch his breath and almost passed out. The first time was while he was on his tractor, and he was able to get off it before he got hurt. He went in the house to lay down for a little while, thought he felt better, then went out to hang the laundry. It was beastly hot out and he could not catch his breath, felt a weight upon his chest (does that remind you of anything?) and fell to his knees). He went back in and layed back down for a few more hours. This kind of thing happened two more times!(Why do men have to be so pig-headed and think that they can fix everything on their own?) I guess he finally figured he better call Carol and get some help, so she took him to the hospital.

When they got to the emergency room, they took him to: "Trauma Room Two", which happens to be the very same room that Audra was admitted into when she was in that near-fatal car accident years ago where she got hurt so badly and received the horrible brain damage that has changed her personality and her entire life so much. It's been a rough road for her, but she's a real trooper. Anyway, they took a CT-scan of his brain and thank the Lord, he hasn't had a stroke, but they kept him overnight because they think there is something wrong with his heart. So, please pray that he'll be alright, would you? I love him so much! And of course, Carol; their daughter, Audra; they also have a son, Bret; and Livvie (that's Olivia); and the rest of the family love him, too.

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Happy Father's Day!"

First of all, I want to say "Happy Father's Day" to my husband, who I truly believe is the best father in the whole world. It's not easy being a part-time father when your children have been ripped away from you and then you can only have them every other weekend. Trying to keep a close relationship with the kids under those circumstances is difficult, at best, but he has done an amazing job, especially with Jon, the youngest.

For some reason, Josh, the oldest, pulled away from his dad almost right from the beginning. It tore Dion (my husband) apart, but my advice to him was to stop forcing him to come for visits. He was 13, he kept running away and hitch-hiking home, which was dangerous, and he was never punished for doing it by Dion's "ex" (which probably would have put a stop to it right away). I think "she" liked the idea that Josh didn't want to be here, but I believe it was because none of his friends were around and there really isn't that much to do around here. We were not able to ply them with every toy and gadget they wanted, like they were accustomed to at their other home, so being here probably seemed quite boring by comparison.

Thankfully, those things didn't seem to be as important to Jon as they did to Josh. Jon has always been insistant that he be allowed to come on his weekend, and he even tries to come on other weekends, too, if he can. He genuinely loves his father, and miraculously he loves me as well. Not to say that Josh doesn't love us, because I know that he does. I just don't think he knew that he did until he became a father himself in May of this year.

We are so proud of Josh. He's turning out to be such a great little daddy. He reminds me of the way Dion feels about him and his brother, Jon. I don't think they have any idea how much he loves them, but they will someday. Those two boys are the light of our lives and we both love them more than words can possibly express. And now, we have little Noah, Josh's son and our first grandchild, to love as well.

Men are such different animals, aren't they? Luckily, most are learning that it doesn't make you less manly to express your feelings or show your concern for someone. Quite the opposite, in fact. A man that can say, "I love you" or "I'm proud of you" to their son and/or daughter, is a big man in my eyes. I praise God that I had a father like that, and I'm proud to say that I have a husband like that, too.

Finally, I'd like to say "Happy Father's Day" to all those women out there that are having to/have decided to take on this role that was not originally/traditionally intended for them to fulfill. Sometimes, sudden changes can occur so that the family unit is no longer what it once was. It could be as a result of divorce; a death in the family; a parent in the military is away on duty for an extended time; or other unforeseen circumstances. No matter what the reason, the women that step forward to take on this responsibility should be commended. It's a big job, just as being a mother is, and that is probably why they each have their own special job duties and descriptions.

Like the former Miss California, Carrie Prejean, I believe that the Lord intended marriage to be between one man and one woman, just as I also believe that said couple was supposed to be fruitful and multiply, whenever possible, and if that was what they wanted (and no! I would never agree that an abortion was ok, because abortions are murder, plain and simple!). In addition, I believe, without question, that the Lord intended that "she" was to be the mother, while "he" was to be the father...and oh how far we have travelled from those simple truths.

At any rate, God bless all of you that have opened your homes to children in need of them, and who have given them love and direction. I pray that you give them proper direction, because we are all held accountable for what we teach our children, and rightfully so. Children are like open books, and it's such a huge job to be a parent. But it's also the best job, the most rewarding, and the only one whose benefits last generation after generation, while also increasing exponentially.



"Happy Father's Day and God Bless You!"


Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!

"Photos of Noah, Our Grandson, at Five Weeks Old!"

Dion, otherwise known as "Grandpa," dropped by to see our little grandson, Noah, and his mommy and daddy on Wednesday, 09 June 2009, which happens to be my twin sisters', Barbara and Beverly's birthday.

Chrissy is such a lovely girl, and she, Josh, and Noah look so happy together. When I see photos like this one, it makes me wish for just a moment, that I could turn back the hands of time, so that I could have shared moments like that with Dion, but it's such a waste of time to do that. Besides, if we were to change anything in either of our lives, then we wouldn't have the life and love that we now have, and that would be a tragedy, so forget it! I love things just as they are. I only pray that I have many, many, many more years to share with Dion, because I love him so much!

As you can clearly see, little Noah totally loves his daddy! He stares up at him, listens to his voice, and seems to worship him...and believe me, the feelings are returned! Josh loves that little boy so much that I think it's overwhelming to him at times.
And, Josh will finally be able to realize how Dion feels about him! That's a good thing!

While Dion was taking photos and talking with Josh and Chrissy, all the sudden, Josh said, "Watch this, Dad." Josh had been holding Noah as he was standing on his lap, and then Josh let go. Dion couldn't believe his eyes! Little Noah was standing there, all by himself, at five weeks old! Is that amazing or what? It looks like he may beat his father's record, because Josh was up and walking at ten months old, so we'll see what happens.

Josh wears his grandfather's sunglasses now; you can see them best in the picture at the top of the page. They belonged to Dion's father, Duane Richard Hammond. How I wish Duane were here to meet Noah in person. Noah would have been his very first great-grandchild!

I bet Duane would have gone over to Josh & Chrissy's and tried to pick Noah up, and take him with him to different places all the time, but he would have had a big fight on his hands, because I think that Dion is going to be doing that himself.

I think that Dion is surprised at how much he loves the little guy, but I'm not! I knew he would! I can't wait until Noah looks up at Dion one day and says that magic word, in his sweet little boy voice: "Gampa!"

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Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!