Neat Site for you readers out there!

Good Reads - Lets you list and rate the books you have read. See what your friends are reading and helps you find friends in your area who are readers too!


my 'currently-reading' shelf:


my 'read' shelf:

Rodeo Girl!

In Risa's blog today she wrote about her son wanting to be a cowboy. It brought back so many memories of me, wanting to be a "rodeo girl". From as early as I can remember I wanted a horse. My neighbors had several horses and every opportunity I got I rode. I remember watching the horse shows at the fair knowing one day I was going to be there too. My dream of owning a horse came true at 13.

This is a posting from my other blog I had on Yahoo 360. Notice the cowboy hat...they guy(a real rodeo rider) who trained my horse after he bucked me off and I was terrified to ride again, had it fitted just for me. That thing was so tight on my head it left a red mark, but it never fell off!

MY FIRST LOVE

Yes, that is me, awkward and dorky looking with my first love of my life. His name was Double Moon and I was 13. Ever since I could remember I wanted a horse. I purchased Double Moon with my own money and was the happiest girl on earth! He was only 2 years old and only "green broke" meaning he had never been ridden with a saddle or bridle. He was quite a handful but I loved him more than anything in the entire world.

The above picture was taken at the Pelkie Fair and boy was he beautiful that day. A couple of months before he had bucked me off and I was terrified to ride again, but I got back in the saddle and we won several blue ribbons in the horse show.

I sold Double Moon 2 years later because he was a lot to handle and I wanted a car. I sold him to a family friend and he died in their barn a couple of years later in a terrible way. For many years I had horrible nightmares about him, that I did him wrong and that he was after me. The guilt of letting him go was eating me up. I still miss him terribly.

One of my many job perks

Today is Administrative Professionals Day and like every year my boss treated me to lunch today. We we went to the exclusive Huron River Hunting & Fishing Club, where we just were for lunch earlier this month for my bosses 60th birthday. It is a private, members only club for the big wigs in the area. I think this is the best lunch I have had yet. I had the surf and turf which consisted of a 6oz fillet and a 5oz lobster tail with potatoes and snow peas. It was so good! He insisted I also have a drink, so I had a Bloody Mary. Then the dessert tray came around and he insisted I have dessert, so I took the biggest piece of cheesecake I have ever seen back to the office. Now I am ready for a nap.

Busy Weekend

This weekend was one of the busiest weekends we have had in a long time. Eric had his space derby for cub scouts this weekend. Last year he came in 6th in the first round in every heat with my boss helping him carve the rocket. This year I did not think he would have any better luck, because I was the only one who helped him this year and was a bit discouraged in seeing all the perfect looking rockets at Friday nights test runs. I commented to Eric when we got home about all the perfectly painted rockets that the parents had obviously done. His response was: "Mine is perfectly painted to, isn't it mom!" (he did it all by himself). "Yes, Eric! It is wonderful!" I said and decided I did the right thing by letting him do the majority of the work, even if he wouldn't place again.

But very much to my suprise, in the first group of 6, Eric came in 1st place in every heat. From there he competed with the other group of Wolves top 2 rockets and he came in 3rd in the den. It was very exciting and he was so happy to place!



After the space derby I had to hurry him to a birthday party where they roller skated for 3 1/2 hours and ate pizza and ice cream, had their faces painted and had a guy making balloon swords, animals and hats. I stayed for awhile and talked to some of the moms, but went home and did some laundry and cleaned. The birthday party was a sleep over, so I had a night to myself. Me and a friend went out to dinner and had some much needed girl talk.

Sunday morning after I picked Eric up was his first meeting with his big brother. We all went to the park and Eric played while I found out a little more about Nick. Then Nick pushed Eric on the merry-go-round and all of a sudden there were 20 kids on it! Then they kicked around the soccer ball for awhile, he pushed him on the tire swing and then we went back to my apartment where they played catch for a little while and then went in and played video games. Eric was trying to cram in as much as possible! He stayed for 2 1/2 hours and they had a great time together.

Eric's got a Big Brother!

For several years, thru different agency's I have been trying to get a mentor for Eric. I originally called Big Brothers when I first became a single mother when Eric was 3 years old. They told me that the child had to be 7. I was disappointed, but continued to look for other agency's. We tried with Catholic Social Services for a year with no success when he was 6. When he turned 7 I called Big Brothers again and finally, they have matched us with someone! We met today for the first time and I couldn't be happier with the match. I was a little discouraged at first because the people they kept calling me with just weren't what I had in mind. For example, a 59 year old. The conversation with Eric was funny though.

Me: Eric, Big Brothers called today and they said they might have a match, tell me what you think. His name is Chuck.

Eric: I like the name Chuck.

Me: He's 59 years old.

Eric: Does he exercise?

Me: They said he likes to run.

Eric: I like running.

Me: He's divorced.

Eric: That's ok, I don't want no wife hanging around.

Me: You don't want to wait for someone else ?

Eric: Well, does he like video games?

Me: Probably not, older men don't seem to.

Eric: OK, we will wait for someone else.

And we waited and waited and waited. The weird thing about Big Brothers is your first meeting with the match is your commitment to each other for a year. I did not like that. They tell you several details about the person, but you can't meet them first. I was about ready to give up. But then they called with Nick. He is 22 years old, athletic, went to college, has a good job. I was nervous, but he seems great. He and Eric are getting together next Sunday to hang out for the first time and I am very excited as is Eric. He wanted him to come back today.

Disgusting!

My boss received these as a joke gift for his 60th birthday from his daughter and passed them on to me for Eric to enjoy. These things are DISGUSTING! I myself did not try any but Eric did and shared with several friends. I thought they were regular jelly beans with gross names...no, these jellybeans actually taste like vomit, earwax, earthworms, boogers, rotten eggs, sausage, black pepper, soap, dirt and pickles! Eric brought them along to his den meeting for cub scouts on Monday and the leader was a bit perturbed when the boys kept running to the water fountain and garbage can to rinse and spit after eating these things. The funny thing though is they kept going back for more!

"It's magical. It's incredible, and it just arrived! The new Discovery Box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, the jelly bean preferred by Harry Potter, holds 10 wild flavors, each in its own little pocket. Discover the wild flavors of EARWAX, BACON, DIRT, SPINACH, GRASS, BOOGER, SARDINE, BLACK PEPPER, ROTTEN EGG, EARTHWORM, SOAP, and SPAGHETTI. And, everyone's favorite VOMIT! Think of stinky limburger cheese, think salami gone bad--that's VOMIT all wrapped up in the disguise of a jelly bean. Fortunately, the beans come with a mystical guide to help you recognize the flavors."

Soccer in the Rain

Eric had his first soccer game tonight and it was a wonderful 44 degrees and raining and windy for the wonderful 1 hour game! It was not much fun for us parent spectators as we were all freezing!... but all the kids seemed to not mind....some even had shorts on! Our team "The Cleats" got beat pretty bad, but it was only the first game...they have a couple of practices now before the next game so they should improve.







Stretching before the game.













Eric at goal.















Some video footage! Eric comes into the picture after a couple of seconds...

My Life is Just Not Exciting....

I wish my life were a little more exciting so I would have something to write about, but it is pretty much the same old thing everyday...work and come home and do the mom thing. I am excited that it is getting warmer though so we can spend more time outside. This past Saturday we went on our first bike ride of the year and Sunday we went to the park were Eric played and I walked laps around the park. Two weeks ago we did make our way up to the UP for Eric's Spring Break week and Easter. I swore last year that I would not do it again...there is just to much dang snow, but I asked Eric which he preferred...the beaches of Florida or grandmas and he chose grandmas so up to the UP we went. Below are some pictures of our week.


Eric and cousin Grayson taking a rest while snowshoeing and the long trails we went on behind my mom and dad's house.

Uncle Ben and Eric - Eric loves Uncle Ben because he has all the fun toys...snowmobile/motorbike/4-wheeler and he lets Eric drive!








Eric and my Aunt Kim's boys coloring Easter Eggs














and Eric with his new skateboard.















Eric and his HUGE basket in which my mom went a little crazy with candy!



I just love the look on his face looking at his new bubble pencil!















This is my mom and dad's new house that they are building.