REALITY SCORNED

I used the P.R.N.D.L.(park reverse,neutral, drive,and low)

2012-01-29T17:59:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone out there in cyberland is feeling fine and doing well.   I haven't written in a while, don't know why really. I think I almost forgot I even had a blog. Anyway, I'm here now.

I've teased my daughter about learning how to drive ever since she almost ran over me about a year ago. I asked her to pull the car up a tiny bit into the driveway. Stupid me, I wasn't in the car, I figured how much damage could she do? Start the engine, put the transmission into drive, inch the car forward, and put it in "park". Not so simple; she gunned the gas, and proceeded to drive over the carport and into the back yard. And me in my extremely finite wisdom jumped in front of a 1 ton vehicle and yelled, "brake!" "brake!" "braaaaake!" I literally envisioned myself underneath the car. Well, she didn't run me down, she just got really scared. Instead of turning the car off, slamming on the brake, or even pushing the emergency brake; she shoved the gear shift into "park". I heard the transmission give a low moan. I thought Oh, Lord, she tore the transmission out of the car, but at least I'm alive...I'm alive!

Last Thursday she got her Learner's permit and I got my Xanax. :)    Everything is right with the world, or at least that's what I keep telling myself. By-the-way, I was just kidding about the Xanax, I don't take it, but I might have to start.   Now she doesn't want to drive I have to make her get behind the wheel, I think she's somewhat traumatized.  She'll learn I'm sure.

On a different note; here are some videos from an awesome group called the Carolina Chocolate Drops. They're passing on the musical stylings of black bluegrass musicians. I saw them on a local television channel the other day and I'm hooked.  They are mega-talented.

http://youtu.be/lPl8qlKq41o

http://youtu.be/3BYvxFrDZ4M

http://youtu.be/OzombejhLUo

ta,
Moni

Checking In

2011-06-22T18:37:00.000-05:00

Hello, it's been a while. But, since when has it not? I guess I'm just not in any mood to write anything... I've been in a funky mood, can't really describe it...as if you cared. lol Anyway, feedback is nice every once in a while.

Hearts Fly
by Moni

Sifted though the sands of time, an outdated concept with conscious intertwined
A motive unrealized by a nation, a time unvalued by the newest generation. It sits
In a place only known in dreams where the human heart imagines it can fly; and for a time it does.

A wilted flower lay crushed beneath the feet pounding a busy street.
No one notices, no one even makes an effort to save one lowly thing; one thing so puny.
Why should they bother, they haven’t the time? They have grown cold and callous, rude and unfairly balanced. Why should they care; looking out for themselves? They forget how to love the lowly, the small, the “nothing “ that matters anything at all.

Then someone stops; some brave defiant one, pushing against the pull of the crowd. And there on the ground lay a motive un reached by a nation. It’s picked up, dusted off and tucked into front pocket.
The sun shines and the dream happens again and for a time the human heart flies.

Tootles,
Moni

Hilarious

2011-02-08T21:24:00.000-05:00

I just had to post this. I saw it on a poster in a hospital. I laughed so hard I thought I would piss my pants. Maybe it'll cheer you up too.

Another Year

2011-01-08T16:51:00.000-05:00

Well hell, I haven't been on here in some time now. I lost my way, I mean I forgot how and where to sign in. Can you believe that? And can you believe that another year has come and gone? Where did it go? I suppose it passed through the portals of the space-time continuum. According to the Mayans our global societal goose will be cooked in another year. I don't put much stock in that anyway. They were a brilliant race, but then again, they practiced human sacrifice and on occasion cannibalism. This is what I think...I think I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.

Wow, seems that the lack of my presence on the blog hasn't effected my ability to ramble mindlessly. lol Anyway, basically checking in with the nameless, faceless, person/persons who care to check in with me. lol I hope you had a very Merry Christmas. Yes; I still say and will continue to say "Merry Christmas". Oh yeah, Happy New Year too.

I'll go for now, I'll check in again soon. Maybe I'll have something important or at least entertaining to say. Till then, peace to you.

Cute video someone sent me.

Passionate About Something?!

2010-09-13T14:35:00.000-05:00

This is too good to pass up. He has a Master's in communication...really? Reeeeally? One thing I can say is whether it's genuine or fake; he sure is passionate.

"A Republican in times good, and a Republican in times bad."

Thirty Days Hath September...

2010-09-03T23:20:00.003-05:00

What a crappy ending to the month of August. Damn! I mean ever have one of those months? I feel like my psyche has been squeezed like a soggy sponge. I won't bore you with the details; believe me there are a lot of details. Basically, I have been put through the ringer. Betrayal and a an excruciating life decision that didn't turn out the way I had hoped. Where does it go from here? God only knows. Gotta keep positive, gotta keep on keepin' on.

While I'm on a rant let me just say this...I'm sick of these Reality t.v shows. Have we really come to this as a society? Are we really intrigued by who gets a rose, and what over-botoxed premenopausal housewife is doing what? News flash; a real housewife is overworked, under payed, overstressed, and trying to make ends meet in this economy. Have we really sunk so low as to be fascinated by a bunch of fist-pumping drunk morons from New Jersey(who aren't really from N.J)? And how are we mesmerized by a pretty girl with a big ass from an affluent family whose only talent is that she has no talent? Yeah, I know everyone wants their 15 minutes. But, do we have to embrace these so-called celebrities, that kind of behavior doesn't need to be celebrated. No wonder the rest of the world thinks we're idiots Here's a novel concept, why don't we celebrated those people who work hard, perform selfless acts and make society and better place for all of us?

Okay, I'm done now.

Till next time...

Check It.

2010-08-08T17:44:00.007-05:00

These guys are mega-talented. Check them out. It amazes me how in this "auto-tuned" world these guys can achieve almost the same percussion as Simon and Garfunkel in the original. No soundboard, no mixer needed; just talent. It's really all about the music....take note Kanye.

Enjoy!

amazing

still....ain't nothing like the real thing

My, My How Time Does Fly!

2010-08-05T19:57:00.003-05:00

How does that Ace of Base(showing my age) song go? "Don't turn around?" Well people don't turn around or you just may find your life speeding like an asteroid hurtling to earth. Just yesterday I was tucking my little 3 year old girl in for the night and laughing at how she pronounced the word "sheep."

Me: "okay say it again.""
Her: "baa, baa, black seep have you any wool?"
Me: "what was it again?"
Her: "seep"
Me: "what?"
Her: "seep, momma...seep!"

Still brings a smile to my face. The fact that she will be entering high school this coming school year; does not. Where in the hell did the time go!

p.s. just found out that Tina Turner was the first to sing "Don't Turn Around." So her version is in the video bar. :)

Te he he....

2010-08-05T19:53:00.002-05:00

Who loves a good pun? I do! I do!

Resolving Not to Resolve

2009-12-31T16:03:00.003-05:00

This year I've decided not to make a bunch of resolutions I can't keep; I think I'd rather just try to be a little bit better version of myself. Is that a resolution...maybe? lol My thinking is that if I strive to better myself minutely over the next year; that at year's end, I'll succeed.

And with that said let me wish each of my cyberfriends a better year and a little bit better version of themselves for which to strive. I love the words of this song.(sound a little like a prayer I used to say as a kid) This is my prayer for you.

Christ of Hope

As I travel far from kinship's
As I wonder far from home
May he grace you with his favor.
And breathe the fragrance of his love
May his angels watch and keep you
As you slumber through the night
The gentle hand of God will touch you
As he wakes you with the morning light

May he bring you hope
Hope you've never, never known
May the Christ of Hope
Embrace you evermore

Michelle Tumes

Easy Reader

2009-12-30T16:28:00.005-05:00

I hope everyone had a lovely and peaceful Christmas. My apologies for not wishing you well so, let me take this opportunity to wish you a very happy New Year. There. Done and done.

Time for an extraneous, interesting fact kiddies. Did you know that Morgan Freeman played the "Easy Reader" on the now defunct kid's show "The Electric Company" before hitting the big time? Pretty cool, huh? Had that fact in the back of my mind for a while now, just thought I'd share.

We're heading for another Auld Lang Syne and the t.v. shows are a buzz with the "best and worst of" lists. I was watching the other day and they were going on about the worst mothers. You know? Octomom, Kate what's-her-face, Madonna and Angelina shamelessly, venally racing to see who can adopt the most children. Yeah, they want to give a kid a chance, more like a chance for them to be fresh in the media circus. Since when did being, "the worst" at something; especially as crucial as motherhood, garner a celebrity status?! Pleeeeasssse! I try to be my best at being a mother, but there are plenty of other things I'm the worst at. Look out world, I'm gonna be a star! lol

Let's wrap it up here, shall we? Here's a poem for you. I'm sorry if I've already posted it. Ah, you probably don't remember it anyway. lol

P.C.

Pain speaks beyond your years
The world you created in your mind will keep you safe.
Your world is filled with truth and beauty.
Nothing hurts you there.
I want to ease you into my security somehow,
ease you into my safe season.
You stand raggedly against the rush;
the swirl of insanity.

Yes, I know you're stronger than you seem.
Life has taught you that much.
So shatter the moon before the stars have time to fall.

~~later 'gators~~

Nein Porn

2009-10-29T12:14:00.003-05:00

As if I had nothing to write about...I don't. lol Still there are times when I'm fascinated by the technology this Internet thing provides. I mean people from all over the world can read and see what one little ol' person in rural Virginia writes. I am amazed. I have a site that allows me to see visitor paths and such; so I look. I want to see who visits and what they read.

Recently, I have found a lot of visitors who apparently want to read my post entitled: "If Wishes and Buts Where Candy and Nuts, Oh What a Christmas It Would Be." A lot of visits from foreign lands. I was elated, they want to read my thoughts. Happy Day! But then my ego was ever so deflated as it dawned on me that they are not staying any length at all when they visit. I mean zero seconds. What? And the key search words are "Candy", "Buts" and "Nuts"

My, my, my! I think they're searching for porn. I could be wrong...nah.

Word to the wise. Don't include the words, "candy", "buts", and "nuts" in your title; and ego goeth before the porn.

Cyberfriends you've probably already seen this but here's and extremely cute video.

Help I've fallen and I can't get up!

Brilliant!

2009-10-10T18:35:00.005-05:00

;)

No Magic

2009-10-06T13:30:00.005-05:00

I remember; because I'm old enough to, as a teenager sitting at my desk listening to my tape of Barry Manilow. Yes, you read me correctly I liked/still like Barry Manilow. There, I said it! lol Everything I had ever learned of love in my short 14 years was due to the song styling of Mr. Manilow. The sweet, sappy melodies wafting through my combination record/AM-FM stereo/ tape player taught me that absence does make the heart grow fonder, love can be found and remembered on a New England beach, and lost in a Cuban nightclub.

Romantic love was possible for all who believed. Heartfelt, hopeless, romantic; that was me. That is until I grew up. Reality reared it's ugly head and here I am. Sure I relapsed a couple of times, once recently but I got over it. lol

Someone I highly respect once called me Byronic. As soon as I looked the word up in the dictionary, I was well pleased. I do believe it's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I'm still pleased.

Crappy poetry comin' at ya.

Living

Because I have hurt, I feel more completely.
Because I have lost the victory is savored
sweetly.
Because I have been bound, I recognize
freedom.
Because I have loved I know what it's like to be
loved.
I learned to listen because I first heard nothing.
I learned to wait in stillness for that something.
I struggled with myself, the one that I am.
I sailed on an ocean to stand on dry land.
Because of circumstance that came my way;
every time I wanted to go, but decided to stay
I found a home within myself and a heart within
that home.

Mostly, nearly done, but not all the way gone.

Peace to my cyber friends, and happy halloween,

Moni

Exisiting

2009-03-18T19:35:00.006-05:00

Not too much happening here. Ever get the feeling that you're submerged in jello, you can't move, you're just suspended in a gelatinous space of your own making, or someone else's making? That's me; here....existing. Nothing is special, nothing specific, just existing. My guess is that there are a lot of people out there doing the same thing. Hanging on, digging in deep riding the wave and waiting for it to carry them somewhere. hmmm....

Anyway, I was thinking of something I had written about 4 years ago and low and behold in church the other day the title was once again presented to me in such a way that it practically smacked me in the face. God works in mysterious ways they say. Maybe someone needs to read it, maybe I need to hear it again, maybe I feel it again. Here it is.

Rose of Sharon

Are the scars still visible?
Do they leave a remembrance of how selfish we became?
I will touch them and feel the sacrifice that was given.
As for me, I do not deserve the anguish you shed.
I am moved into my inheritance by your gift.
A blood sacrament stained through white wool, sifted
down
crevasses of knotted pine; puddled in mud, but still pure
as light.
You touched my heart, bought my soul and I happy to be
yours Rose of Sharon.

One more thing, I haven't written anything in a long while, I wish I could but as the song goes; the language is leaving me. If I did, I would love to write songs like this guy.

Other songs by Mraz on the youtube video bar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8Mz_kyRlWY
~~peace~~
Moni

Ah Amore'

2009-02-11T22:45:00.003-05:00

Back again kiddies and with a semi-new keyboard. I thought I would take my keyboard for a test spin. I'm not liking it, but I guess it will take some getting used to. I was thinking recently ...yeah I know it's dangerous for me, but I live life on the edge. I digress; I was thinking about love. That four letter word that gets us all in a tither. I hate to sound down on love but hey, if the Valentine's paper heart fits...torch it.

I was thinking of all the things that we tell each other when our hearts are full of lofty thoughts, rather of the things we don't want to hear, especially us gals. So here's my list counting down from 10.

10). We're in different places in our lives right now I don't
we mesh.

9). I was going to call you but I lost my phone.

8). I think I'm allergic to your cat.

7). It's not you it's me.

6). Long distance relationships never work.

5). Sorry I have to spend the weekend with a sick friend

4). My mom's brother's cousin's friend died and I had to
attend the funeral.

3). I had to work late.

2). I may have looked at her, but I'm going home with you.

1). I swear to you I didn't know it was Valentine's Day!

Of course, none of these have ever happened to me personally. hehehehe!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GluCM_ggMvw

Bitter me? NOOOOO. Everyone have a happy and love-filled Valentine's Day.

~~Moni~~

Still Alive in 2009

2009-01-31T01:09:00.003-05:00

Well now it has been sometime since my last post and although I'd like to think there are a few malingering bloggers out there who still read my blog; the prospects are grim. But if there is anyone out there who gives a flying fig as to what's going on in my lil' old life; here's a chance for me to catch you up.

How's my life going? From the title, I guess you could conceive that I'm still alive. That's about it. Installing a floor in my kitchen( it ain't easy), watching idly by as my daughter becomes a teenager this year(especially not easy), and enduring the financial hardships of too many Americans(damned sure ain't easy), that's what I've been doing these days.

As much as I complain, I do realize that things could be worse. So I guess I'll try to stay on the sunny side of the street, I just need to find it.

P.S. If you're looking for a film that will move you try Gran Torino.

Written, directed and starring Clint Eastwood, I think it's Oscar worthy. I heard that Clint Eastwood received a Golden Globe, not for acting in or directing the movie, but for cowritting the title song , Gran Torino. I have downloaded on my blog's Video Bar(1st video). Take a listen.

P.S.S. bu-bye

Keeping Up With the Keeper Uppers

2008-09-12T13:47:00.004-05:00

So it has been a while, and I must let my writing muscles no matter how puny; atrophy. Recently I got roped into hosting one of those parties that women folk have from time to time. You got your Tupperware, Mary Kay, Avon, Candle Parties, Pampered Chef, Home Interior....you get the point. It's not that I have anything against these parties as a way to socialize, make a little extra money or what have you, it's the hard-sell pressure that's put upon one to keep the circle of parties going. I mean where does it end? When you've saturated the market, when you've called on all your friends and their friends; especially if you live in a small town, what then? People soon see you coming and try to think of ways to avoid the subject of having one of these damned parties. Because believe it or not, it actually costs the person whose hosting the party. The very person whose trying to help out by having a party is forced to make their house presentable, invite people, supply refreshments and such.

Never again I say! My mom and I invited 20 people and 2 showed. Maybe we're just not the social type. lol And another thing that erks me is the fact that some people go to a person's home just to see what they have. I've never been that way and don't intend to be that way. I'm not into keeping appearances.

Hey guys help me out are people not visiting my blog because I had to change the stat counter and I don't think it's installed correctly. Any suggestions?

Take care my lovelies,
Moni

Blessed

2008-08-18T18:58:00.002-05:00

In everything there is a lesson, some nugget of wisdom; some purpose providing us with a building block to a better character. "What doesn't kill us only makes a stronger," type of thing. Thank God this time the building block came at not such a painful price. to all my blogging friends and to answer your comment Blue; a resounding, "Great!" Mom had the surgery to remove the tumor, which was about to spread. They got all the cancer and she didn't even have to have chemotherapy. I'm really grateful and blessed.

Not thinking negatively and not looking back, just taking what was given and moving forward.

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers blogging buddies. Special thanks to my life-long friend Pam and my boyfriend Patrick for all your support. But most of all thank you Lord.

~~til' next time~~
Moni

Go Phelps!

If "If's" and "Buts" Were Candy and Nuts....

2008-06-13T23:12:00.004-05:00

Oh what a Christmas it would be. I have a blog? Ya don't say! I hope everyone who reads is safe and well and with you one's you love. It's true it is I; the lonely blogger, the seldom blogger, like a late night D.J. with one lonesome listener. Ha, I just equate myself in this way because it's 12:30 am on a Friday night and I can't sleep.

How have I been? Why thank you for asking. ;) Geesh! I tell you that my life seems to have gotten worse. Facing major life choices; my illness, and my mother has been diagnosed with cancer and I won't mention the financial crap that keeps floating to the top of the stress pool. Ooops, just did. Major decisions, life altering decisions hang on every thought, and damned if I can find my happy place, I think it packed up and moved to Fresno. ;)

Oh yeah, maybe there is one bright spot, well a personal hurdle...hurdled. I did write a song(lyrics and my own melody), go into the recording studio and sing it. I was so nervous. I have a whole new appreciation for professional singers now, it's not as easy as it looks. I must say I had some talented people guiding me. I don't think the song will go platinum anytime soon. lol

The title of my post, how does it tie in? Well that's my friend and his unconventional wisdom and support for which I am very grateful. I was crying on his shoulder one night and lamenting that "if" this happened, "but" that didn't happen. And he said to me, "If, if's and but's were candy and nuts, oh what a Christmas it would be. It made me laugh. Love ya P.

And to my lovely internet friends if you feel inclined to pray for me I would greatly appreciated it. Another saying on a church sign read, "When it pours, he reigns." True, true.

See ya next post,
~~Moni~~

Waiting For the Other Shoe to Drop

2008-03-17T08:02:00.004-05:00

My friend told me recently that I live my life waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now for those of you who have never heard that saying; myself included, I'll explain. I live my life in anticipation that anything good in my life won't last, in this case, a relationship. Eventually every relationship that I have will dissolve. I was told that it was a self-prophesying thought pattern and a recipe for failure. Geesh, I never really realized that about myself. In my mind this sort of mentality is pessimistic, and I never figured myself as a pessimist, I always thought I was an optimist. While I will admit that there is a grain of accuracy to this "arm chair" psychology, I have my reasons. Thanks my fiend for the faux self realization. Ha!

On a less sarcastic note: Here is one of my favorite poems for your reading enjoyment.

Lullaby
W. H. Auden

Lay your sleeping head, my love,
Human in my fathers arm,
Time and fevers burn away
Individual beauty from
thoughtful children and the grave
Proves the child ephemeral;
But in my arms till break of day
Let the living creature be.
Mortal, guilty, but to me
The entirely beautiful
Soul and body have no bound
To lovers as they lie upon
Her tolerant entharted slope
In their ordinary swoon,
Grieve the vision Venus sends
of supernatural sympathy
Universal love and hope;
While an abstract insight wakes
among the glaciers and the rocks
The hermits carnal ecstasy
Certainty, fidelity
on the stroke of midnight pass
Like vibrations of a bell
and fashionable madmen raise
Their pedantic boring cry,
Every farthing of the cost
all the dreaded cards foretell
shall be paid, but from this night
not a whisper, not a thought
not a kiss nor look be lost
Beauty, midnight, vision dies;
Let the winds of dawn that blow
Softly round your dreaming head
such a day of welcome show
Eye and knocking heart may bless
find our mortal world enough
rooms of dryness find you fed
By the involuntary pours
Nights of insult let you pass
Watched by every human love.

Happy Easter and God bless

You Never Know Until You Know...You know?

2008-03-15T15:24:00.007-05:00

I suppose I should update even though writing is that last thing I'm thinking about right now...my head is a cobweb of confusion. I'm hoping that everything will eventually be sorted out as time goes by. I've had a nasty case of pneumonia, which took me forever to get over and that lead to something else even more serious. To top it all off, I developed a blood clot in my right arm as a result of an I.V. Stupid me, I worked while I had the pneumonia and did the powers-that-be care?! Hell no! they just wanted a warm body. It was all about the bottom line folks. Bitter, me? You bet.

All of this bought me a week's stay at the local hospital. I'm out now and much better. I plan on getting a lot better. So there you have it.

Hope your week is going well. ;)

LOL every female in my family has a crush on this guy. It's a cute commercial.

Yule Be Estonished

2007-12-11T00:48:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'll apologize in advance for the corny pun title of my post. Hey, it was funny when I typed it. lol I've been a very bad blogger indeed. I really mean to blog it's just that I can't find the time. Nah, we all know that's a bunch of hooey don't we? I simply lack the discipline to set myself down and write. And so sadly to say, that I miss visiting my friend's blogs, but for some reason my computer won't let me post a reply to anyone on blogger. It's strange and I'm sorry Zombie for not replying to your last post.

I have become so wrapped up in the daily doings of life that I don't seem to have any creativity left, I really miss writing, (songs, poems blog posts ) I just don't feel it anymore. It's scary, that something that could bring so much satisfaction could be disolve into nothingness if not used , if not harnessed and kept alive. Shit! Maybe it was a fleeting thing anyway.

Never mind me folks, I just get a little introspective towards the end of each year; a "could've, should've, would've" kind of mentality.

"So this is Christmas," Lennon sang, and because it is that time of year I wandered as do all the other blind lambs into the dark forest of commercialism associated with the season. I went looking for a Wii gaming system for my daughter. I can't find one anywhere so I did the logical thing and drove 60 miles away to a mall that promised to have them. When I got there and inquired about the Wii, the salesman looked at me as if I had three heads and said, "We don't have any."
"Are you getting some in?" I asked
"I don't know." he replied
"Well do you know where I could find one?"
"on ebay, but you'll pay upwards of $700.00.
"Wha?!
My car probably isn't worth $700.00! And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Is this the sort of feeling I want to pass on to my daughter? That Christmas is a time of getting fancy presents that will be out dated in a couple of years? Definitely not!
This is my prayer, let me teach my daughter to want the good gifts like love, hope and peace. Gifts that can't be wrapped, but instead wrap your soul.

...And so this is Christmas, and what have you done? Another year over and a new one just begun.
Merry, merry Christmas and a happy New Year let's hope it's a good one without any fear....John Lennon

God bless,
Moni

Day Tripper

2007-10-20T00:05:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe more like 4 day tripper. And no; not the kind of day tipper Lennon was refering to in the song. ;) It turns out that I did go to New York to see my friend and it was a nice trip. First, I drove to Baltimore to meet up with him and we saw the Orioles play the Yankees at Camden Yards. That was really an unexpected treat. I was never that into baseball, but was coerced into watching it as a kid due to the fact that we only had one t.v. I'll have to admit the game is much better when watched from the stands. I had such a good time that I think I'll have to go back. We toured the Babe Ruth museum and had lunch at the harbour, spent the night in Baltimore and then drove to New York.

We spent a full day to taking in the sights in NYC; not nearly enough time. We took a wonderful boat tour around Manhattan, saw all the touristy things there are to see in the Big Apple without having to brave the subway or traffic. After the tour, it was on to Times Square and then ending with an awesome Indian meal in Greenwich Village. All in all, I could say that I had a good time and it was really a learning experience for my daughter who has never been to really large city.

I enjoyed the sights, but as it always seems to pan out, we had an argument on my last day there. I guess everything is as right as rain now, but you know angry words linger in our subconsciousness for a long time, sometimes they never leave us. I don't know how this goes, so I guess I'll just go with the flow.

I hope everyone out there in bloggerdom is doing fine and dandy and that all is well on your side of the computer screen.

tootles,
Moni

I Told You I Was Trouble

2007-09-20T12:12:00.000-05:00

Wow! Where has the time gone? It's been approximately two months since my last post. I didn't realize I was so busy in my droning life as not post. Truth be known my gentle people, is that I'm in a doldrum, in a rut, in a funk. Yes, that's right I've taken a trip to Funktown, not to be confused with Funkytown. Unlike Funkytown, Funktown is not fun. lol

I have a chance to go to New York again to see my friend and this time I was going to take my daughter so she could soak up a little culture and see, a really big city. But alas, my friend and I aren't getting along to say the least, we are on rocky ground. I pose this question to you anyone in cyberspace out there listening; Ever been in a relationship that's not quite what it should be and will probably never be what is should? A stunted form of something lasting, but never really evolving, ever been there? Maybe it's me...damned likable, giving too much, backing down and giving in? ha! I should know that long distance relationships don't work...they just don't. Yet again, I am befuddled and heartbroken. When will I learn?

Oh well I'm sure my readers don't want to read any more of my ranting, so I'll stop.

On to a new subject, shall we? I'm really digging Amy Winehouse's music. She's unique, I like her style. She's got a musical style reminiscent of the 60's soul singers. I love her voice, she sounds like she's studied at the school of hard knocks. Her soulfulness runneth over.

So, she doesn't want to go to rehab, she still got a damn fine voice.

~~peace~~
Moni

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

2007-07-28T20:52:00.000-05:00

Oops! Summer's not over yet? Oh well, in spite of my 5Th grade dreams of having to deliver the "How I spent my summer vacation," report in front of the class wearing my only my pj's and a honkin' zit in the middle of my forehead; I shall tell you. Do inquiring minds want to know?,(not really) but I do have an insatiable need to ramble on about mundane things occurring in my mundane life. ;)

I have been busy, not that I'm pompous enough to think that my days have any more or less time in them than anyone else's do, but they have been crammed. Same old same old here; working 12 hour night shifts, trying to pay the mortgage, braces, bills...the usual.

One good thing did happen, my friend from NY came to visit. We took my daughter to King's Dominion and we had a grand time. He stayed for three weeks now he's gone home and I miss the hell out of him. On a brighter note, he's supposed to come back around the end of August so I'm keeping my fingers, toes and eyes crossed. lol I look pretty funny. Anyway, that's what's going on on my side of the keyboard. How about you?

How are you spending your summer vacation?

Totally unrelated to my post, just a very funny picture.

99.9% Angle

2007-06-15T19:46:00.000-05:00

Oo I'm posting two times in one week...that must be a record. I just have to share something; a couple of cute moments. My daughter up until now did not get my sense of humor. When I tried to make a funny she would just look at me, cock her head to one side, and say, "Momma you are crazy." I in return, tell her that she needs to develop a sense of humor.

The other day she made me laugh so hard that I almost pissed my pants! What can I say there is no dainty way to phrase it. We were riding in the car and she said she was hungry so I offered to take us both to a Mexican restuarant. I told her that we could pick up some "to go" orders for my parents. "I'll call them and see what they would like, " I said. I dug through my purse only to find that I didn't have my cell phone with me. Seeing my frustration she picked up the cell phone clip and informed me that I had some of my phone in my purse. I sarcastically took the clip from her hand and pretended to have a conversation with my parents asking them what they would like for dinner. She looked at me, rolled her eyes and without missing a beat said, "Momma you are so crazy, you didn't even dial the number." I found that hysterically funny...she got me good.

Then in another conversation she preceded to tell me about going to a town festival with her father. She said, "Momma don't ever let an elderly woman who can't spell too well paint your face." "Why?" I replied. She said, "Because instead of painting 99.9% Angel on my face she put 99.9% Angle." "So all night I was a 99.9% Angle." Ah hahahahahah!

That's my baby....99.9% pure Angle!

Have a good weekend people. ;)

That's How It's Supposed To Be

2007-06-13T19:52:00.000-05:00

There are certain movies that air on television that no matter how many times they air, I am compelled to watch. I mean I've seen these movies at least 20 times if not more, but each time they are played...I watch. I'm helpless I don't have the discipline not to watch. The movies are: Braveheart, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Princess Bride, and Forest Gump.

It's not one particular characteristic of these movies that draws me, it's just the cumulative bits put together as a whole. It maybe because I love, frrrrredom, sappy romance, fairy tales and rooting for the underdog. Ha!

Four Weddings and a Funeral came on the other day and although as I stated before I've seen at least 20 times; I watched it again. One of the things that stuck out in the movie and that spoke to my heart was the funeral scene in which one of the friends read a poem by W.H. Auden.

Funeral Blues, by W.H. Auden is, what else could it be by the title; a funeral poem. But bare with me, one particular line was a revelation to me. Here is the poem in it's entirety

Funeral Blues

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,

Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,

Silence the pianos and with muffled drum

Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead

Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,Put crêpe bows round the white necks of the public doves,

Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,

My working week and my Sunday rest,

My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;

I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.

For nothing now can ever come to any good.
W.H. Auden

See the line about the "North, South, East and West?" That's the benchmark. That's what I want. Someone that will mean all that to me and I to him. That's what love should be....

;)

Twitterpated

2007-05-10T13:24:00.000-05:00

Was it Dylan or Peter, Paul and Mary who sang the words, "the winds of change, they are a blowing?" I slightly remember hearing a protest song with those lyrics, of course I was just a toddler so who knows? I'm kind of like a servant idiot when it comes to song lyrics...well, I guess just an idiot or else I would remember who sang them, now wouldn't I?

"Stay on topic Moni!"

The winds of change are more than just a blowin' they are a pummeling! They are a beating me down. I think it's something like my 100th post. Yipppeee! Wooo Hooo! Strike up the band! ...and all that jazz. Haven't had much time to blog due to the fact that I'm working 12 hour shifts. Blessing or curse, the fact remains the same, there are still the same amount of hours in a day as there were before. Who's to blame?...capitalism of course.

Though I won't open this whole debate(can of worms) about Capitalism. I will say that I don't think it's a bad thing. I have a friend who happens to be a socialist. We get into some fiery debates on the subject. And while I do agree there should be some reform in the health care along the lines of making it a socialized system, I think capitalism in it's contained form is a good thing. Even though my neighbor from a third world country who owns half the town including the local store, just mucked with my phone line without my permission because he wanted to cut down a 100 year old tree that falls on my property because he's afraid it will fall on the house he just purchased next to mine; I say good on you man! And though we have spent at his convenience store comparably enough money to pay one year's tuition to that private school his children attend, he still can't find his way to spot us a penny if we happen to be a penny short. That's why my family goes to his store and I have yet to step foot inside it. Greed...he knows how to work Capitalism.

Moni chant's a rant again, some things never change. That's it gentle people. Have a good one.

Quote of the day:

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

Dr Seuss

A Few of My Favorites...Well, Except for the Last Thing. ;D

2007-04-23T19:58:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to do this for a while now so without further adieu...

Socking political correctness in gut whatever the situation...Zombieslayer's Movie Review.

Giving us a view of what it feels like to be innocent, frightened and on the outside looking in...Scott's story Hard Love.

And a face truly made for radio...Moi.

Stunned and Sad

2007-04-16T15:30:00.000-05:00

This is aweful...my prayers go out to the Hokies and their families.
Virginia Tech.

Iran outraged by Hollywood war epic - Yahoo! News

2007-03-14T11:27:00.000-05:00

Iran outraged by Hollywood war epic - Yahoo! News

300 Cans of Whoop Ass

2007-03-13T14:32:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the less than savory language my dear readers, but that's what came to mind when I read the following article. So there ya go, an aptly titled post. See preceeding post about the article. For some reason it wouldn't let me hyperlink, but it would let me blog it and I'm too lazy to type all this stuff again... ;)

It seems that our Iranian(Persian) friends are upset at the new movie . They claim that somehow it's a dig at their violent past. They were also upset because they were portrayed in a negative light in the movie Alexander.

"Hollywood declares war on Iranians," said the headline in the reformist daily Ayandeh-No of the film which tells the story of the 300 Spartan soldiers fighting off ancient Persians in the Battle of Thermopylae.

American cultural officials thought they could get mental satisfaction by plundering Iran's historic past and insulting this civilization," Javad Shamaghdari told semi-official Fars news agency.

Look at this way, The Persians weren't only ones in that time frame to be bloodthirsty savages. The Spartans were too, they were just smarter. That's why 300 cans of whoop ass were open, allowing the Spartans to hold the pass at Thermopolea for three days before the Persians took it.

It's a movie people; a movie probably loosely based on history..or not, but still a movie!

I think I'll go see this movie, I like the quasi comic book animation feel it has. Plus, 300 bare chested men with abs a glistening ain't bad either.

Moni

Rest High On That Mountain

2007-02-21T15:51:00.000-05:00

One of my friend's favorite sayings is: "Life is what happens when you're busy planning it." I believe I paraphrased that, supposedly John Lennon said it first...smart man. But, regardless of who said it, or how it was said, you get the picture.

I was busy planning my life or what I like to think of as planning and then or course, the inevitable happened..."Life". What do you do, but ride the wave and see where it takes you? I mean that's really all you can do; pray, do the best you can do, and then there it is.

That being said, here I was, just back from my trip when I got a call from my half-sister. She and I haven't spoken in 20 years, but not for reasons that come to mind. We weren't angry, hurt, or even slightly put off, we just drifted in different lives. I wasn't raised in her family. A long time ago my biological father made a choice to live under his manipulative wife's rule(my stepmother). I was not part of that plan, and so I was ousted. I tried to maintain a relationship with my father, but it just didn't happen.

Long story short, my sister informed me that my father wasn't doing well. I called him but never got an answer, so I assumed I had an incorrect telephone number. Well, recently I ended up in the hospital, nothing really serious, had some tests run and I suppose I'll live. :) But when I was in the hospital word got to my aunt, whom in turn, told my sister. My sister told her mother as life would have it my father ended up just down the hall from me in the same hospital. Divine intervention, me thinks. My stepmother stopped by my room and when I questioned her about the trying to contact my dad, her response was yes I knew you were, we just didn't want to answer the phone. What?!!! Ah well, divine intervention held both my dad and I captive in the same hospital just several rooms down from each other.

I went to see him, I.V. still in my arm, we had a talk and when my stepmother left the room I prayed with him. And then it happened... For 40 years I have waited to hear the words that my father spoke... "Well, you know Monica, I always loved you." I wanted a retort, I wanted to fuss, I wanted to tell him that he could have said that so many years ago, but I didn't. I simply, replied, "Daddy I love you too.

My father passed away last Thursday and he is finally happy and free from the tyrannical rule he chose for himself.

My sister has been the intercessor throughout this whole process and I appreciate that and hopefully we will maintain a relationship as a result.

I'd like to say to all my readers(all two of them) to not let a moment of this life pass you by without saying what you have to say. Life is...well, you know. :)

...and to my dad, go rest high on that mountain.

Love,
Monica

Ch...Ch...Ch...Changes!

2007-02-20T13:39:00.000-05:00

Whew! What a beginning to a year?! Lots and lots of stuff happening here! My trip to NY forced me to make little changes to my life and the way I view things. One good thing is that I became a Vegetarian. Yeah, yeah I know. How could this be? This from a woman who's personally mantra is Jimmy Buffet's, "Cheeseburger in Paradise." I have no qualms with filleting, frying, and fricasseeing animals that, cluck, moo, or oink. Slap 'em on a plate baby and give me a fork! No offense to the Veggies that consider it a ethical decision though. :)

It's just that my friend; the one I was visiting, is a Vegetarian. It was a week without meat and I actually began to feel a lot better. So, since the first part of January I've been meatless. Still can't get into tofu though. Ah well, everything in due time I suppose.

Oh, and to my Cajun friends, Laissez le bon temps roulet! Oops, I think that might be a bit late. I think today is Fat Tuesday. :)

F.U.S.S.

2007-02-20T12:55:00.000-05:00

You know I've never stooped so low as to humiliate someone via the Internet. I promised myself that I would never take up a personal vendetta or spread gossip about anyone. I am the type person, that if I have something to say; I would say it straight to your face. My hand has been forced.

You coward! You unbelievably vain, ego maniacal twit! You took the product of the lowest point of my life and you distorted it. You wallowed in it, using it as glue to piece together your minuscule ego, which I suspect is not the only small part of your anatomy. You had ample opportunity to stop it, oh but you egged it on. And now, three years later, now that I am so over it, you pull it back out and humiliate me and up your social creditability in front of your cronies. If that's what it takes for you to feel better about your miserable self, then I feel sorry for you.

But, if you think for one moment that you've crushed me or anything to that effect, then you have another think coming.

I'm giving you 5 business days to rectify the situation, otherwise I will contact my attorney. You see even though it was a gift, there is a company that holds a collaborative copyright. How funny is that?!!!!!

The Big Apple, Where's This Thing Going?, and A Good Movie

2007-01-12T18:52:00.000-05:00

I just got back from a week in New York. All I can say is that it was a learning experience. You know the ones that you endure for a time and all the while wonder why you chose to, but when viewed in hindsight's rear view mirror elicits a certain fondness and lesson that you wouldn't trade for the world? Since I was low on funds I took a bus to NY. There's nothing like waiting in Queens for three and a half hours in the cold at closed convenience store that doubled as a bus station. Sitting on the floor of the Port Authority at 3:00 am brought back memories of sleeping on the cold floor of an airport in Yakota, Japan. The thing is that when I experienced the latter I was about 17 years younger. The body can't acclimate as well anymore. ;D

As for the reason for my recent trip...well let's just say I don't know where this thing is going. I suspect it will go the way of all the rest, but heck can't have an experience without the experience. And as Forest Gump would say, "That's all I have to say about that." ;)

Looking for a good movie? Go see We Are Marshall. You won't be disappointed.

~~~~peace out~~~~

;)

2006-12-18T10:45:00.000-05:00

Milad Majid
Selamat Hari Natal
Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar
Joyeux Noel
Froehliche Weihnachten
Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Nollaig chridheil huibh
Feliz Navidad
Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon
Sawadee Pee Mai or souksan wan Christmas
Nadolig Llawen

Merry Christmas!

Yep, so I learned

2006-12-07T13:57:00.000-05:00

As I enter into another year of my life that will eventually pass; Lord willing and the creek don't rise, another lesson is learned. And I as go into another birthday; party hats and candles to be blown out before they inevitably set the fire alarm off; I'm a bit wiser.

How you say? Well because now I know that even though a person may have the best of intetnions and all the well wishes in the world it doesn't necessarily equate to your warm fuzzys being received by the intended recipient Forgiveness seems to be something that; while meant well, when asked for may or may not be given. We are all human and we all at one time or another screw up and we all at least once find ourselves in need of another's forgiveness. So what is one to do when they feel the need to push their pride aside and humble themselves to ask for heart felt forgiveness and the forgiver is not accepting? Say it , mean it and then MOVE THE HELL ON! That's what I'm gonna do, I'm done beating my self up...hey this is quite therapeutic.

Remember life is short, so I'll say it now. I love you guys. ;p

Hey You In the Back...Pipe Down!

2006-11-16T21:09:00.000-05:00

Hello, hello, helloooo! It's me, I'm back and just as boring as ever. Here to subject you with more of my droning chatter. I have found that blogging is like a muscle, if you don't use it, you loose it. Getting back into the swing of things, exercising my blogus maximus, which ironically is performed while sitting on my gluteous maximus. Lousy poetry coming right at ya.

Amber Solace

Mountains carpeted with green, yellow, and red colors streaming,
sleepy mother nature prepares for a winter's nap.
Steamed apple cider chases away the dread of winter cold.
Under a round, orange, harvest moon, lovers snuggle.
They bask in the warmth of summer's last glow.
Crunching leaves beneath my feet sing me an autumn lullaby,
and whisper another season's retreat.
The Cornucopia is full reminding me in vision that I should be
thankful.
For this... and Indian Summer revisited.

Okay Ralph Waldo Emerson, I ain't.

It's the thought that counts people. Ha!
And with that said, I'd like to wish all my American friends a Happy Thanksgiving and all my international friends; a happy autumn solace.

Moni ;)

This Blog's Life

2006-10-28T09:41:00.000-05:00

Howdy all my friends out there in cyberland, tis me Moni. Did you ever read the book, This Boy's Life,by Tobias Wolff? Well, you should. It's wonderful and the movie by the same name is wonderful too. It stars Leonardo Dicaprio and Robert Dinero... very powerful! What does this have to do with the meat of my post? Nothing, it's just a segway to my title. hehehehe

I'm babbling as usual, ever notice that when I don't have anything specific to say...I do that? This blog's life has been stunted due to technically difficulties, I haven't posted for a while. Okay, I'll fess up, I had a falling out with my ISP, and I ever so politely told them where they could shove their monopolizing, "so called," service. So, here I am at the mercy of the local library. And my friends if you have emailed me, I'm not ignoring you. You are valuable to my sanity, and I thank you for sticking around. ;)

I will eventually get another ISP, and when I do all the world will be in it's proper place. Ha!

Until then, take care and I'll catch you on the flip side. :)

Abyss-mal...Not Really

2006-10-15T19:12:00.000-05:00

A good note as we look into the deep abyss that is my social life. Had a date this weekend, a pleasant one. ha! My arrested ego was revived.

Doctor: "Give me a bolus dose of ""nice looking younger man staring into her eyes, STAT!"
Nurse: "Yes doctor!"
Doctor: "Looks like it's working, but we're not out of the woods yet."
Doctor: "I want a following dose of "common courtesy and gentlemen-like behaviour."
Nurse: "Done!"
Doctor: "Let's get ready to shock with "not expecting any post hanky panky."
Doctor: "Everyone...Clear!"
..........beep.................beep.....beep...beep..beep,beep,beep,beep,beep,beep.
Nurse: "Good work doctor!" "Looks like another "fragile hope in men and dating" has been saved."

Unfortunately, there wasn't an overabundance of chemistry present, bet hey; it's a step in the right direction. ;)

Have good week people. :)

Brief Epiphany

2006-10-09T10:18:00.000-05:00

Anybody that's held on to my words long enough to get to know me, knows that I don't believe in chance. I believe everything and I do mean everything has a purpose. In my world there are no chance meetings, no chance happenings, no strings of fate. Life is a master plan, in the Master's hands.

Every person we come in contact with; we influence in some way and vice-versa. Think about it. Our words tear down, maintain, or build up. So, I go on... I live, I learn, I laugh and I cry. And sometimes it hurts, but sometimes I see a small light in the darkness that drives me onward. This weekend a small light visited me. I will say to the light, I have learned so much from you. I have learned things about myself that maybe I didn't want to know. I have learned how others see me and how worthy I am and how good it feels when someone else sees it too.

That light stung me, confounded me, and yet soothed me so much. And though it is growing dim and I feel it slipping into the shadows, I will remember it's glow and be grateful to the one who sent it. "Goodnight light"
Margaret Wise Brown

A wise man once told me that he hoped I would find my path and that it would be ablaze with light. That is my wish for you my friends. Find it and walk in it.

Thomas Kincade

What is Going On?!

2006-10-03T12:28:00.000-05:00

Recently there has been an outbreak of school shootings in the U.S., the most recent being that of gunman going into an Amish school and opening fire. How do you contain something like that or what's more how do we prevent it. How do we prevent some sick twisted bastard from going into a schools and opening fire on our children? It's just a disgusting scenario that keeps repeating itself.

We can't send our kids to school to learn saftly. It's not like they're not already threatened with drugs, sex and peer pressure. How can they learn in an unsafe environment? They can't! I don't have a clue as to what to do about that...you can't police every nutcase.

I'm just disgusted...

The sacredness of life should never be taken for granted. Dedicated to the innocent ones who've lost their lives in the past couple of weeks

Sacred

Looking through the open window of a small ttnenment apartment; she sits...
The tears slide down her cheek and she catches each on like a precious
gem, as it falls into the concaveness of her lap.
Fear and anger flash in his eyes and he speaks.
"What will we do?"
"I didn't want this!"
"We don't need this."
She smiles through the pain and with the voice of a child whispers,
"Life is sacred and love will make a way."

He creeps slowly as if walking on a half frozen pond.
Joints scream out with the memory of too many worn years.
Carrying her favorite yellow roses, bending; he coerces his body to
move in a fashion unfamiliar since youth.
He places the flowers on the ground beside a marble plaque and gently whispers
to the wind, "Sadie, fifty years are not enough."
He hears her respond with the call of winter calm
"Life is sacred and love will make a way."

Too much distance between you and I.
Too many misconceptions on your part and mine
Throw them into the vast void that seperates us.
Lock them away, never to be remembered.
We haven't any time to waste, not one minute.
"Life is sacred and love will make a way."

Bless and be safe.
Moni

SWM Seeks Loving Soulmate for a Lifetime of Romance, Moonlit Walks, and Lazy Sunday Afternoons Spent Lying in Bed Reading the Paper.

2006-09-20T12:13:00.000-05:00

Yeah right? Bite me! A year ago I was thrust into the world of dating, it's a jungle out there, let me tell you. I had been married a long time and wasn't used to the subtle nuances/lies being spread about like fresh manure on a rose garden. Oh, but I'm getting a crash course in the Dating 101, especially Internet Dating 101. Why is that being on an online dating service makes a person think they have carte blanche to lie, deceive, and downright manipulate such false indentities? Don't they not know that they will be revealed inevitably? I just don't get it.

I've been on a particular dating service for about 4 months now and so far I've met a man who said he was former CIA, made a million dollars before the age of 30, and could find me, and kill me and no one would ever know. (please?!) Oh yeah, and he was taught how to cook by French mercenaries. I met one guy who I upset to the point that now he's not going to talk to me anymore, because he said I liked to play games and for the life of me I don't what I said, or did to allow him to draw that conclusion. I met a man who was clean cut, cute and intelligent, turns out he only wanted cybersex; which, by-the-way is what a lot of them want.

I think men don't know what they want(with the exclusion of the guys who read my blog...maybe), but it's true. You're a mystery wrapped in an enigma, served up on a plate of indicsion and washed down with a big glass of confusion. Or maybe it's just me. :)

If you're reading my blog and you've got a significant other, someone who rocks your world, then hold on to them with all your might, because it's freaky out here.

Take care,
Moni ;)

Where Have I been? lol

2006-09-11T17:15:00.000-05:00

Forgive me bloggers for it has been 10 days since my last post. I know all my readers are just waiting with baited breathe to read my witty post....yeah what a crock? lol Let's see what do I have to tell you. Not much really, I got fed up with my job, and resigned, they wouldn't give me any hours. Besides, they are closing in the near future so I would have lost it eventually. Ah well, say a little pray for me.

On my side of the world: My mother and I went to a store today and she decided she would stay in the car while I bought a few things. I was in the store trying to decide which under-carbonated, over-caffeinated, beverage I should avoid when I see my mom out of the corner of my eye hug a lady and say, "you go girl!" It seemed kind of strange for my mother to walk up to a total stranger, give a hug and offer an over used mantra of encouragement. Hey but, stranger things have happened. Later after the woman had left, my mother found her way to the soda aisle.

"Do you know that woman," she asked.

"No I don't, but I hope you do." I replied.

Then she proceeds to tell me how the woman had entered a local songwriting contest to come up with a catchy jingle to promote a good image for a particular neighboring city. I had heard about the competition because they had advertised heavily on the local channel. It was an attempt to give the city a new image, a face lift, make it somewhere somebody would want to call home. Yada, yada...anyway the jingle had to contain the words, "we love this place." My mother was following this songwriter's struggle, because evidentially the city tried to steal the song. They didn't want her singing it, they didn't invite her to any public appearances, yet they still wanted to use it. She had to sue them for rights to her own song.

Not that I'm a good songwriter by any stretch of the imagination, I didn't enter simply because I couldn't in all good conscious write "I/we love this place." That would be a major lie that I couldn't perpetrate. lol

Have a great week. Cheerio, pip-pip, ta, ta, and all that jazz,

Moni :)

9/11

We will never forget.

Shhh...It Happens

2006-09-01T07:16:00.000-05:00

Well it's rainy and unseasonably cold here and I guess I should be happy about the current weather. Afterall, it was a welcomed break from the soaring temperatures just the week prior, that was so akin to living 10 feet from hell. I hope Florida isn't getting hammered.

Now, on to the preposterous land of pop culture obsession. Believe it or not it seems that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes'(TomKat) baby daughter's poop has been given a tribute and set in bronze. Yep, it's true. The fecal folly; not a real poop just comemerative poop, will be on exhibit in a museum and then auctioned off on Ebay. I know parents are proud, but this is ludicrous. Bronze your baby's first shoes, pacifier, even tooth, but for the love of all that's decent, don't bronze their poop. Anybody who's ever had to change a few thousand diapers will tell you that it's not endearing, it's human waste people! I'm sick of the celebrity's offspring being heralded like the second coming of the Messiah.

And in the immortal words of Forrest Gump, "It happens," "And that's all I have to say about that."

I'm bringing this back, I'll bet you never missed it. If you haven't guessed; it's my quote of the day.

"Let me fall, let me glide." There's a moment in which fear and dreams must collide." "Someone I am is waiting for courage, the one I want, the one I will be come will catch me." So, let me fall..."

"Fall"
Cirque D' Soleil

Have a great Labor Day weekend gentle people and I'll catch you on the flip side,
Moni
:)

A Good Read

2006-08-29T17:35:00.000-05:00

Hey all you cyber lads and lasses, loyal readers(I don't have any), or just those passing by...read this

My friend Scott was published for the first time. His story is an intriguing, and dark glimpse into the tormented mind of a man fueled by guilt , yet seeking redemption. So think I anyway. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

I'll bet you're going to frame that check huh?

:)

Just Because

2006-08-27T09:06:00.000-05:00

My daughter took this picture yesterday while we were doing some yard work. Well, others were doing yard work, she was taking pictures.

:)

Ah ha! Here's another. My dog wreaking havoc. She's a shameless hussy

Redirected

2006-08-24T15:49:00.000-05:00

Okay, I realize now that nobody wanted to read that, but still it was a release. Onward and upward.

It appears that the t.v. show Survivor has slinked to a new low or maybe it's just damn fine t.v.; a reflection of the diversity of real life, a mirror to the masses.

Survivor has decided for it's next season to segregate contestants according to ethnic group. This decision has ruffled feathers among civil interest groups and fueled speculation that reality tv has gone too far.

Hmmm? Racism or just good ratings? Too each his own, and quite literally.

Article

Sometimes You're the Windshield, Sometimes You're the Bug

2006-08-20T20:42:00.000-05:00

I don't want to post, I don't have anything to post about that isn't cynical, disparaging, and downright depressing. Yes, folks it appears that this entire week I have been the bug. Not just a little bug on the windshield of life, but a big fat greasy, hunk of a splat bleeding a pool of neon green blood. It's been piss ass week in this PollyAnna's life. It's getting harder and harder to get back up after I've been knocked down.

So there you go; no words of hope, wisdom, enlightenment, or entertainment(as if there ever were) from my experience, just a big cluster**** Maybe after I work my way out of this tribulation, I'll find a way to look back and find that I have learn something...maybe. Not today.

Until then, all you cybersweeties have a wonderful week.

Moni

Oh Yeah Say My Name!

2006-08-12T15:12:00.000-05:00

Okay, it's getting old...I'll stop now.

Pure Fluff...That's Hot.

2006-08-10T09:31:00.000-05:00

I wrote this about a year ago and posted on a forum. The folks on the forum seemed to like it. I think it relates perfectly to society's deminishing standards. Look at our youth's choice of icons

You Know Who

I want to live like you know who,
shopping all day for the right pair of Jimmy Choo's,
strolling down Rodeo Drive,
with my little doggy in a Gucci bag by my side.
I want to tan till I'm golden brown,
and hit all the hot spots in Hollywood town.

Spend daddy's money 'til the sun don't shine.
Show my bum and everything else in a video
and not try to hide.
Why shouldn't I? If you've got it flaunt it right?
I won't be seen in the same outfit twice.

I'll change my friends like I change my socks,
And start a new catch phrase just by saying,
"That's Hot."
I want to star in a reality show that has a written script,prove that I'm normal by shoveling cow shit.

Over exposed, totally saturated into a pop culture icon,
Spending my 15 minutes till it's totally gone.
So many details of "you know who," I know.
Because she seems to be on every entertainment show.
Ahhh, to be blonde thin, stinking rich and famous too.
Wouldn't you like to live like, "you know who?"

Okay here's a serious attemp.

Mill Town Disappearing

An angry smoke stack pokes through the clouds.
Busted out window panes stare unblinking into the
daylight.
Rusted chains and padlocks guard the doors and keep
desperation locked in.
A looming dinosaur of brick still stands...stands still...quietly stands.
It watches over a barren parking lot overcome by weeds,
forgotten memories, broken dreams.

Further down the street; Main Street to be exact, all is not gone.
Fast fading store fronts stitched to the road, refuse to
unravel.
Although they are reminiscent of what was, not what is; they
do not fall, never fall...just fade.

"What do you mean at 50 I have to find another job?"
"It was good enough for my father."
"He worked hard, didn't he?"
"This was his life, this was my life."
"I know no other."
"I'm a simple man."

"Dupont, Bassett, Stanley, Tultex, where did you go?"
"How will we fare?"

"How you fare, we do not care."
"We've gone to Mexico."
"We hear it's cheaper there."

To: Nellie and all the people whose apple pie dreams didn't fully bake.

Moni Meets Mona, Sort of

2006-08-07T17:17:00.000-05:00

Despite my usual uncouth way of talking, my gross misspelling of words and general lack of knowledge regarding higher intellectual pursuits, I have experienced a little bit of culture. I know, it's hard to believe, but true. Once such run in with culture and class was a trip I took while my ex and I were living in Germany.

We were fortunate enough to take an inexpensive bus trip to Paris, France. I scheduled the trip and it just so happened that my boss at the time was born in France, so of course she wanted to go. She and her husband signed up and they became our instant traveling companions. Notice, I said my boss was born in France, but she was American... Not the type of adventurous American that is open minded to other cultures, but the spoiled type of American; the one that complains about everything while traveling, the quintessential, "ugly American." So while I wanted to visit the Eiffel Tower, Arc D' Triumph, Moulin Rouge and other sites one sees while visiting Paris; she and her husband were only interested in getting a t-shirt that read Hard Rock Cafe Paris on it. Geez!

She complained about Versailles, she didn't want to go all the way to the top of the Eiffel Tower, she complained about everything. The trip became Le trip from Le Hell. I finally gave her a piece of my mind in La Louvre, and she was offended of course and her and her hubby went one way and me and mine went the other. There, ah sweet release! The one thing that I wanted to see most was the Mona Lisa, I had wanted to see it since I was a little girl and now here I was in one of the most famous art museums in the world. I went over to where the masterpiece hung prestigiously on the wall, and there she was...surrounded by at least a hundred people from a tour group. I couldn't see her! So I began jumping up and down to catch glimpses of her. My ex saw me doing this and rolled his eyes. Then, out of the corner of my eye I could see him motioning for me to hurry. He said in a sort of hushed yell, "We've got to go, we're going to miss the bus!"

Merd! Merd! Merd! I had come all that way, endured my bosses incessant whining, and been so close and still didn't see Mona! It's a euphemism for my life. I have to jump up to see glimpses of greatness, and never really getting a full view before I'm reminded of my true station in life; then summoned to get back on the bus with the rest of the morons.

Ces't La Vive.

They Say it's Your Birthday!

2006-08-04T17:39:00.000-05:00

da da da da da da da da...Happy Birthday to ya! da da da da da da da da

It's Valannin's birthday and since I have no official birthday poem to render and he's probably at this very moment getting three sheets to a nonexistent wind, I will offer a toast.

***holds up her glass*** er..hum: "To it and at it, and to it and at it again. If you don't get to it when you get at it, you'll never get to it again."

Cheers Val! ;)

I'm in the Mood

2006-08-01T18:21:00.000-05:00

The mood for plugging that is. Get your minds out of the gutter! ;) Yeah, I know what you're all thinking. She's stalling because she really has nothing to post about. Not true, not true! Take a gander at this guy. Yeah I know I gacked it from Steelso, Uh huh, I still read your blog you know that. And thanks for sharing...your blog that is.

:)

Never Discuss Politics or Religion...Unless of Course, it's the Politics of Religion

2006-07-31T16:15:00.000-05:00

I was told all my life that if you wanted a peaceful evening with friends or family, never discuss religion or politics. But, I seemed to have sparked an interest in the religion topic with my friend Valannin. Let me tell you what I know about Val; he's absolutely brilliant, he's funny, he's witty, but he has this one flaw. He thinks he's right about everything. That's all I know. ;p

Mr. Valannin is looking for some good debate..er, discussion on the topic of his last post. And since he's bored with a simpleton such as I spouting my personal beliefs, he would like to hear varied opinions on this topic. Ha! So all my lovelies out there in cyberland who read my blog(not many); mosey on over to The Pantheon Outcast and indulge Mr. Val.

This is a plug, I really do respect Valannin's views, I just don't agree with all of them. Anyway, check out his blog, not only does he entertain, he makes you think.

;)
Moni

The Laws of War...?

2006-07-26T18:50:00.000-05:00

Every hour of every day I'm learning more.
The more I learn, the less I know about before.
The less I know, the more I wanna look around,
Digging deep for clues on higher ground.
UB40

Wolfie Blitzer's telling me that Hezbollah's blaming Israel for aiming their phosphorus filled bombs distinctly at civilian targets. And in retort Israel is saying Hezbollah's bombs are purposely filled with ball bearings, which is against, "The Laws of War," which I can only assume, they are referring to the Geneva Convention. It's extremely tragic about the loss of human life, but isn't that what war is designed to do. Kill? It's unfortunate that there are no nice bombs. Word to the wise, don't mess with Israel. Did Patton say, "War is Hell?" Well, whomever said it was spot on.

Here's a thought let's put the world leaders in the ring and let 'em duke it out, a la old school style. Yeah, I know I'm overly simplistic...it's who I am.

Bless all the people of God's green earth
Moni

What tha?

2006-07-24T20:14:00.000-05:00

What usually comes next in the above phrase? I think you can guess. That's exactly what I saw when I tuned into one of my favorite shows last time it aired. The world's going to hell in a hand basket. Moni's getting ready to rant so clear the room of children and small pets.

I was watching a showed called Nip Tuck the other night. I'll have to admit it's one of my guilty pleasures. It's like a soap opera on Red Bull. Provocative kicked up a notch and sprinkled with medical terminology. I expected it to be risque, but what I saw the other night while watching said show was nothing short of porn. Yeah, unadulterated porn! What? Have the Neilson's lost there ever-loving mind. FX shame on you, you can bet your sweet t.v. guide, I'll start writing a letter. This particular episode showed a Menage et toi and not only that, all three actors where buck naked and doing the nasty from two different sexual positions. Okay, so it comes on late at night and so it's on FX; still no excuse.

I used to criticize people like Tipper Gore as over reactionary, what with the censorship of the music industry. But, ones prospective changes when you factor in the fact that no matter how you try to protect your children against vulgarity in the media(all types), you can't be with them 24/7. I remember disobeying my parents and sneaking up after they thought I had fallen asleep to watch the Exocist, I'm still checking under the bed for that one. Frankly, I'm scared for my daughter. This wasn't HBO, or any of the other movie channels, it was basic cable!

Shame on you FX...shame! Nip Tuck should be retitled Nip F****. I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore. Who's with me?!

Something Written

2006-07-16T15:58:00.000-05:00

Relapsed Elusive

On a bench underneath a Weeping Willow you sat, gazing at the river below.
I ran to you, arms out stretched to hold you, but you weren't there.
You vanished just as the morning mist does when scorched by the sun.

I wept and the willow wept with me.
We wept leaves of remorse that fluttered down to a swiftly flowing
River destined for an ocean of despair.

Once on a busy street I saw you walking; newspaper tucked neatly
Under your arm and a cup of coffee in your hand.
You hurried past me and my mind choked on your essence;
A conjured memory, a faint surreal ness.
I called out to you, but you did not respond , you
Were simply swallowed by the droning mass of
People concerned only with their daily doings.
My hope was swallowed in defeat.

In a crowded pub you were; drinking and laughing with your friends.
I asked the waitress to send a note.
You looked back in my direction as if you were looking through a window,
A blank stare graced your face and your eyes held no familiarity for me.

Was this my destination? I had finally become invisible?
Diminishing into transparency with no identity, no presence, no me.

Then, a strange ringing in my head, my eyes pried open, only the cursed alarm clock.
I killed it, sent it to an untimely death on the floor.
There,on the floor beside it lay a folded piece of paper.

Once unfolded, the paper revealed a picture.
A picture of a construction scaffolding and on it painted in bright orange letters: "I LOVE YOU."
Now I remember.
Now I know.
You tried to say it.
I know.
Moni

If I smile and donÂt believe.
I know I'll wake from this dream.
Don't try and fix me, I'm not broken
I'm the light living for you so you can't hide Don't cry.

Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping. Hello?
I'm still here, all that's left of yesterday.
Evanenscence

Ah That's Nice

2006-07-11T17:40:00.000-05:00

Back from my mini vacation. I had a wonderful time, although, I wish I had had more time to visit with my friend Mary. I didn't even get in a proper chat. I logged over 700 miles on my little hoopty car over the past three days. What have I learned through the experience? Never let a 10 year old be your navigator. Ha! My daughter did her best and was quite honored when I appointed her to her position.

Finally, we arrived at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, and wouldn't you know it half way through my picture taking fury, my battery ran out. I had just charged it overnight. Go figure. Technology and I are very unsteady friends. I did take pictures of the event and I did get to see Albannach, one of my favorite bands. To hear them is to like them, to see them performing is to love them. Even though they are missing their original leader/band member, they still make you want to get up and dance.

Dance is what they did in the quasi-mosh pit in which I was standing. But oh, thank you Mary for saving me a spot so close that I could catch Jamsies' sweat as he was flinging himself about. Oh yeah! You can't help but feel the rhythm and chant the rhyme while they're playing.

My daughter and I sat down and watched the caber toss, hay toss, and whatever that thing is that I call a ball on a cord. Ha! Anyway, she was not interested in the Scottish dancing competition, or the piping competition. Instead, she was enthralled by the pole vaulting competition. I was enthralled by something entirely different, but we won't get into that now. (wicked Moni!) :p

All in all, it was a nice trip; just too short.

And how was your weekend?

BTW--Mary, Breezy says the lyrics go:

Grigolie, Grigolou
Come up and fight ye cowardly crew.
I'll ha yea for my pot o' stew.
Ya feart ta fight wi me. (probably not correct) ;)

Sliante'
Moni

Kilting Me Softly

2006-07-04T12:50:00.000-05:00

I don't know if I'll be able to make it to the Highland Games this year, I'll miss my once a year fill of M.I.K(men in kilts), Celtic music, Scottish dancing and most of all visiting with my friend Mary. All is not a total loss though, my daughter's coming back from Florida and yesterday I watched a lovely tour of Scotland on the Travel Channel. Then I turned the channel and watched Four Weddings and a Funeral, so in a visual way I got my M.I.K fix. :)

Anyway, to all the my American blogging friends Happy 4th. To all my other blogging friends, Happy Tuesday!

Congratulations and a Happy Birthday

2006-06-28T19:58:00.000-05:00

I'm in the process of trying make my blog all spiffy. After all, I've been blogging for nearly a year so it's time for a change. This guy is absolutely phenomenal at blog skin design.

Anyway, I just want to extend a congratulations to Scott for getting published...you're going places man!

And to my dear loon friend Nuala, I wish you a very happy birthday and I'll try to make it to the chat to help you celebrate. Woooo! Hooo!

~~~hugs to you both~~~
Moni

Love and a Covered Bridge

2006-06-27T16:14:00.000-05:00

Fact is stranger than fiction, or is fact simply a cosmic future remake of fiction? It boggles the mind. Can it be said is that Hollywood holds a dimly lit candle to fiction? Oh hell, you decide. I just so happen to have one of those deciding stories in my blogging bag. Here goes:

The recently renovated Jack's Creek Covered Bridge in Woolwine, Virginia relinquished a lover's secret. While renovating the support beams of the bridge, workers found two love notes written two years apart. One note was from a woman named Nancy and the other was from a man named Robert. Nancy's was dated two years prior to Robert's and they read something to this effect(not verbatim):

Dear Robert,

"I'm thankful for the love we shared."
"I will love you forever."
And so on and so forth.
Nancy

Dear Nancy,
"On this day I let you go."
"I will look for you in the beauty I see in this world."
yada...yada...yada.
Robert

Looks like someone saw Bridges Over Madison County one too many times. Now, let's all breathe a collective, "Ahhhh." You know you want to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The technologically challenged Moni is back, but I swear I did not cause this interruption in service, this time...this time.

Later my frisky little ponies,
Moni

Onward!

2006-06-15T11:03:00.000-05:00

Life is a journey taken on a train.
With a pair of travelers at each window pane.
I may sit beside you all the journey through,
or I may sit elsewhere, never knowing you.
But if fate should mark me to sit by your side,
let's be pleasant travelers; it's such a short ride.

I have been blessed to sit beside some beautiful people along my ride. You know who you are, and let me say thanks. "Thanks"

Happy Father's Day!

To: Scott, Mark, G-dude, Zombieslayer, McFox, and Valannin(maybe?)

Of Birthdays and Such

2006-06-12T11:53:00.000-05:00

Will miracles never cease? There is more in this world than is revealed to the naked eye. lol You will not believe this... I bought a pack of cigarettes for my stepdad this weekend and because I don't smoke I didn't know what exactly to get. It's like the Spanish Inquisition when you buy them.

"Would you like menthols?"
"Do you want the regulars?"
"Do you want the hard pack, or soft?"

After the barrage of questions then came the question of all questions...the piece de' resistance, "When's your birthday?"

Whaaaaa?! Yes, ladies and gentlemen I got carded when buying a pack of cigs...I was shocked, taken aback so much so that I couldn't remember my birthday. I am loooooooong past 18 and it's been about 20 years since I last got carded.

Needless to say, I floated out door. God bless that young, nearly blind cashier! ;P

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My daughter is turning 10 tomorrow. I'm going to put a brick on her head to keep her from growing.

To my Breezy:

A Song For My Sunshine

She shoves rainbows in her pockets.
She catches stars in a mason jar.
She carries wishes in locket for pony out in the yard.
But, all I can give her is a song.

I'll sing a song for my sunshine
when she goes to bed each night.
I'll sing a song for my sunshine,
and then turn out the light.
And she'll drift in dreams and the scheme of things,
and what tomorrow might bring.
But, what tomorrow will bring is days too fast, and time
that won't last and before you know it she'll be grown.

So, I'll sing a song for my sunshine because
my heart will always be her home.

:)

A "Non-Goodbye"

2006-06-09T07:20:00.000-05:00

You know my grandfather would never say goodbye. Although he left numerous times to sail on a ship to ports unknown while he was in the Navy; he never said goodbye.

Why? Because he felt as though the word goodbye was so final, so definite. I feel the same, and so I will not tell my friend ZombieSlayer goodbye.

The daily doings of life have pulled him away from blogging for a while. Zombie I will sorely miss your anecdotes and political incorrectness. You were one of the first bloggers to post on my blog and I appreciated that so much.

Zombie, "no goodbye's" only "see-ya-later's" ;)

God bless you and your family
(((hugs)))
Moni

p.s. see ya in the compound? ;P

G.R.I.T. (Girl Raised in the South)

2006-06-06T10:53:00.000-05:00

In the movie, My Cousin Vinny, Joe Pesci's character asks the burning question, "What is a grit?" I am a grit. No, actually a grit is a byproduct of corn that can be tasty when boiled and lots of butter, cheese, sugar, or whatever is added. All grits aside or on the side, there is certain air in the south, a certain something that squeezes wisdom out of the simplest of things.

Other parts of the country may stereotypically view us as inbreed, ignorant, and living houses on wheels with trucks sporting gun racks and a bass boat bigger than the actual domicile gracing the front yard. No, sorry to disappoint, but we're not all like that. I'm sure, just as I'm sure that not all New Yorker's are loud obnoxious and rude. ;)

But alas, this post is not about stereotypes. It's about good old down-home wisdom served on a plate as steaming southern colloquialisms. This is my favorite thing about the south, the tried and true sayings that I have found no where else except here. I've lived lots of places, but southerners have a way of putting things that just make you say, "Hell, life is like that afterall." So, set back and enjoy and see if you can spot some wisdom, because you won't find these in any text books.

1). People would rather climb a tree and tell a lie, than stand on the ground and tell you the truth. **on ethics**

2). No one wants any apples 'til they see someone else in the orchard. (men pay attention, you're especially guilty) **on relationships**

3). Can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. **on doing the impossible**

4). Even a blind hog gets an acorn sometime. **on hopes that bad times won't last**

5). Along those lines. The sun don't shine up the same dog's ass all the time.

6). Whatcha you know good? (got gossip?)

7). Can't a cat look at a king? (took me a while to learn the meaning)

8). Pretty is as pretty does. (sounds like Forest Gump, but my mother said that long before the book or movie)

9). He/she ain't got sense of enough to pour piss out a boot. **on common sense**

10). I can't think of any more right now, but feel free to add your own.

Ya'll come back now ya hear.
Moni :D

Run With Faith

2006-05-22T09:03:00.000-05:00

Look what I found, or should I say listen to what I found? I thought I lost it, but it turns out that my parents had it. I wrote this along with my friend R.T. She wrote the music and I wrote the lyrics, she's the one singing.

I hope this inspires

Run With Faith
all rights reserved,
recorded at Daxwood Studios

I Believe in Fairies, Dragons, Good Men and Other Mythical Creatures

2006-05-18T17:51:00.000-05:00

That's how the bumper sticker on the car in front of me read. I acknowledge with a silent "amen" to it's exactness and mentally filed it in my "witty and true" sayings file. End of story, not exactly. A couple of months ago I was chatting with a blogging buddy(a good man), who had posted an intriguing post on men's roles and how they had changed over the years. I stated in his blog that I didn't personally know any men who remained faithful to their marriage/relationship for an extended period of time, much less stepped up to the plate as head of the household. I pinned on my bitter divorcee badge and wore it proudly. It seemed as though most of my women friends, family, and even acquaintances were all sisters in a sorority of scorned women done wrong by ego driven, narcissistic men.

Of course I was wrong...

Struggling with my romantic side, I searched for an example to prove me wrong and voila' I found one such mythical creature; my friend "A" "A" had single-handedly, by example, changed my perception and this is how he did it. "A" had fallen in love with a terminally ill girl despite warnings from his well-meaning friends. They told him that it would only hurt when by the time she reached 25; give or take a few years, she would die and leave him standing in a puddle of tears and regret. He didn't listen to them because he believed in spite of her condition, she was worthy to be loved, worthy of the near perfect condition within the human condition, worthy of the thing that inspires all that is inspired. They questioned his logic, but love laughs in the face of logic, and still he did not listen. "Moni," he said. "I would rather have a few years of "now" with her than all the years of "later" without her." I cried, he cried, then I hugged him and told him he was a good man."

No myth here.

Sometimes I'm wrong, and sometimes I admit it...sometimes. :)

To "A" and "C" God bless you both.

The Conversation

He

If I could I would extract the last breath from my lungs and breathe it into you.
And if I could, I would lay down my life at your feet so that you would have a life to live.
I existed before I met you, but I never lived until I saw my reflection in your eyes.
There was a half written story of me that was never complete until you wrote it.
I began with your beginning and I will end with your ending
squeezing every moment of togetherness until it is as dry as a desert stone.
Only cynical unbelievers will try to instill man-made logic and tell us we must abide by it.
We will close our ears to them and open our hearts to immovable faith
and there we will live my angel.

She

If you see it for me, I will believe it for me.
I am fragile this is true.
But you with me; we are a force to be reckoned with
Never could I have dared to let myself trust until now.
I have fought all my life for my life.
We put on the same armor, we go into the same battle,
and we will be victorious
passionately compassionate for one another
our hearts soaked in immovable faith
from the Omnipotent One.
And there we will live my angel.

The measure of a man is not proved by his possessions, but by how easily he loves.

In My Life I've Loved Them All

2006-05-03T23:11:00.000-05:00

Dear Readers,

All two of you. Ha! :) I'll be taking a break from blogging for a while. I've met some wonderful people on my blog, people I consider my friends. They have become more than someone on the other side of cyberland sitting in front of a computer pounding out words of wit on their keyboards. They have indeed become my friends. And as such, I wish to keep you all within my heart and I will.

I've lost the urge to put my feelings out there, and therefore, the urge to post in my blog. I started this blog with the notion that if someone I loved could write his feelings down, then I would have the courage to do the same(thanks blondie). I have had the courage and have experienced the thrill of having others read bits and pieces of me. I thought keeping a blog would help me to write, I don't think it has. But, it has helped me get through some dark places and for that I am grateful. I hope to visit my friend's blogs and keep in touch, I'll leave the blog open for a time in case I feel the urge to post again. I've got to go, I've stayed to long at the party already.

Bless,
Moni

Bust a Rhyme

2006-04-30T15:02:00.000-05:00

The first is dedicated to my favorite unpretentious, uber talented, actor who just became a daddy. No, it's not TomKat, or Brangelina...please! Congrats Mr. Boyd!

Exquisite Tomorrow

If I had but one chance to prove my existence
one chance to see a continuation
of the light that leads onward
it would be sentineled in your softness, your newness,
your uniqueness
rendering the promise of a new foundation
that was me and now is you
touching the face of beautiful inheritance
you are counted as a brilliant blessing
Tomorrow is exquisite...tomorrow you learn, I lead, and we love.

And this, just because...

Bound

to be
bound to dream without sleep
a room without keep
and languages only lovers
speak
with me.

with me...
down the road of a heart traveled
thread of dreams unraveled
chasing your presence
on a path damp with tears
cold "use to be's" and told "remember when's"
memories that won't end.
to be...bound.

Writers to the Left of Me, Writers to the Right...

2006-04-26T18:36:00.000-05:00

Another fine story by Scott!

Hard Love

This story tugs at my heart strings. It exposes the character's fears and impending situation with eloquence and within the confines of 250 words! Lovely.

Fire on the Mountain

2006-04-20T18:08:00.000-05:00

A year and a half ago, I was in a dilemma, a pickle, a conundrum...a mess. I had cried my last tear over a marriage that was no more and kicked my arrogant, domineering, self-centered, cheating exhubby to the curb. Around the same time, the hospital I was working for down-sized and I lost my job, and then, I had to move. I remember at the time I called my song plugger and told him that I could no longer afford his services. He told me that he regretted my situation and loosing me. Then he said, "Look on the bright side, you should be able to get two or three good songs out of this." Ha! I was living the lyrics to a very bad/good country song. The only things I was missing were trains and prison time.

Despite three major life stressors, I muddled through and moved back to the small town where I was born. I hated moving back to this one-horse town, where they roll up the streets around seven o'clock every night. But, I couldn't do it own my own, I had my daughter to think about. And so, I moved back to be near my parents. Grandparents are wonderful babysitters, and you don't have to pay them. As soon as I moved back I began to see reasons why I had left in the first place. The line between the "haves" and the "have nots" had widened even more since the knitting mills and furniture factories moved to Mexico. Thanks Clinton/NAFTA...there's a whole other post. My new home was the land where the Good Ole' Boy network still rivaled any big money corporate conglomerate. In my smugness, I critiqued everything here. I hated the way business was done, the way the school system was ran, and just the general backwardness of this place, that is until recently.

I got served a big piece of humble pie this week. A mountain in a neighboring county was struck by lightening and it caused a huge brush fire. We haven't had any rain so needless to say, the fire spread like...well, like wild fire. I've lived in lots of places, but I have never seen a community pull together like this one has. All, I repeat all, of the firefighters in our area are volunteer. Everyday Joe's scraping out a living in an area with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation are trying to work in the day and fight the fire at night. And residents who aren't fighting the fire, are providing hot meals, places to shower, and moral support for those who are. The local high school closed temporarily to provide the firefighters with a place to sleep. There are fire fighters helping from neighboring states and even as far away as California and Oregon; they say they have never been fed so well and treated so good.

The fire has been burning for 7 days and still burns as I type. I'm praying for rain. God just let it rain. I've looked at this place through the eyes of a stranger and now I see it through the eyes of a family, a community and a neighbor. They say that perception is reality, my reality is now real. This place may be backwards, it may not have all the popular restaurants were you can sip Apple Martinis, but it does have people who are willing to help each other. People, who at the expense of property and life, are still willing to go the distance for their community. That my friends, I have found, is a pretty good place in which to live.

~~Peace~~
Moni

Pluggery and a Thank You

2006-04-18T11:55:00.000-05:00

I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to a forum. Mark Pettus, journalist, author and cowboy poet, has started his own writing forum. It will contain helpful hints for would-be writers, book discussion and just general chit-chat. I've only read one of his short stories, but it was fabulous and I hope to see his book, Transit Gloria in book stores in the future. So check it out. ;)

Thank You

I'd also like to thank Blue Skies for the lovely Easter card she sent me. Blue you are such a positive and uplifting person. Again, thank you.

People Just Go Out of Their Way to Make You Feel Good.

2006-04-06T19:31:00.001-05:00

I'm a pretty laid back person. I try to get along with everyone, I try to be patient and slow to anger. But sometimes...sometimes, I just want to slap the smug smile right off a haughty face, especially when I feel as though I'm being ignored. It grates on my last nerve when I get lousy customer service or the lack thereof.

I am in the process of changing banks so I went to a couple of banks in town to compare. Actually, I should say financial institutions since two of them were credit unions. At the credit unions I stood there for about 10 minutes before anyone even acknowledged me, and when they did, they acted like they didn't want to help me. They must have had enough business, because they didn't seem to need mine. I don't have a million dollars...suprise, but boy if I did I would certainly show them. I was dressed nicely, but that doesn't matter, everyone should be treated the same.

Two true stories that prove you shouldn't judge a financial statement by its cover.

When I was a Customer Service Rep for a bank, I worked what they called the platform. The platform was a place to open accounts, cd's, IRA's check book reconciliation; you get the picture. One day as we were getting ready to close, in fact the gate was closing, a woman appeared at the gate looking confused. I could see that she hated the fact that she had just missed getting to the bank. One of the CSR's told her curtly that we were closed. I asked what she needed, she said she wanted to start a savings account. So I opened the gate and she came in. She sat down at the desk and she told me that she had a check to deposit into a savings account. I started the paper work and took the check. I had to pick my chin up off the floor when I looked at the check...$250,000.00! A quarter of a mil!! It was legitimate, a deceased uncle made her beneficiary on his life insurance policy.

Yeah...

My grandparents were both hardworking, blue collar, down to earth people. My grandmother worked in a knitting mill from the age of fifteen until the day she died and my grandfather after retiring from the Navy, worked in a furniture factory until the day he died. So you can imagine them driving into a car dealership, his cologne being furniture varnish and hands stained the color of cherry wood and she riddled with tiny fuzz balls. Not the kind of people to buy a new car, especially not a brand new sports car. The salesman took one look at them and quickly ushered them to the used car lot. My grandfather tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen. Fed up, my grandparents left. They left, went to another car dealership, bought a 1968 Chevy Camaro and paid cash for it. And yes, my grandfather did drive by the first car dealership and let the salesman see the commission he lost.

Yeah...

Have a great weekend my lovelies. :)

Fly!

2006-03-30T14:32:00.000-05:00

I love this sculpture; the lines, the strength, the nobleness. It speaks to me.

It whispers, "Moni though your feet are plastered to the ground, look how big your wings are." "Surely you can fly."

Happy Birthday HH! (belated, because I'm a bad Loon, a bad pen pal, and a bad friend) Ha!!

2006-03-28T15:27:00.000-05:00

I've been a horse's arse for I didn't know it was your birthday. I'm sorry so here's my ceremonial birthday poem to usher you into another year.

Ode to a Hillbillyhobbit

Loon gal, you are highly regarded.
You introduced me to Clann An Drumma...see what you started?
Oh picture queen you make us all sigh,
Supply me with my beloved Billy pics and fuel my desire.
Celtic lass and fellow lover of (MIK's), men in kilts.
I lift your glass and with Guinness will fill.
Far and wide and wide and far
lovelier still is your heart.
For letting me cry on your shoulder and be your friend,
To you these birthday wishes I do send.

May your days be filled with laughter and your nights be filled with love. ;p Happy Birthday! ((hugs))

I had to post this: What do Scotsman wear under their kilts?..."oh there's a moon out tonight."

Remember When?

2006-03-26T15:15:00.000-05:00

It's wonderful how intertwined our experiences are with our senses. Every memory is tagged and triggered with sight, sound, touch, scent and taste. The other day I was driving and my mother and daughter were riding in the car with me. I had to stop short and instinctively my arm flew across my mother's chest as she sat in the front passenger's seat. Now I know within reason that my arm could not defy the laws of physics and undoubtedly anything that is set in motion will stay in motion until it meets an object of equal or greater resistance. The resistance not being my arm in this case.

The scenario did however; illicit a memory of my late cousin David. David died in January and I'm having a difficult time understanding the finality of it all. He was the brother I never had. Anyway, it was a good memory and my knee-jerk attempt to hold my mother back in spite of the fact that she was wearing a seat belt was followed by a, "Remember when..?"

She hadn't remembered when, so I told her the story.

David, his twin sisters and I were always arguing about who would ride in the front seat whenever we went anywhere together. On this particular day we were all going with my aunt somewhere, I can't' remember where, but we were arguing about who would sit up front. My aunt, frazzled to her last remaining nerve, blindly pointed to me and David. Elated we jumped in the front seat, I sat in the middle and he sat at the door. I'm dating myself here, but back when I was a kid safety was not as big of an issue as it is now. Yes, we rode our bikes without helmets, climbed trees and hung by our knees out of them, and no one wore seat belts. Not smart, but that's the way it was.

So all of us kids and my aunt were crammed into her orange VW station wagon putting down the road when for some reason my aunt slammed on the brakes. Out came the arm right across my neck and because David was younger and smaller than me; right across his mouth. Everything was quiet except for the sound of a lip being split and David crying, "Maaaaama?!" He felt his lip and looked down at his hand to see the blood.

My aunt took one look at the blood and freaked out, she turned the car around and drove straight back to their house. The rest of the day was a bust because we didn't go anywhere. Well, not a total bust, at least not for David because for the rest of the day he got all the ice cream he could hold.

I wonder if he remembers?
;)

Who Needs a Mullet?

2006-03-16T21:17:00.000-05:00

I was going through my demo's the other day and came across this. I wrote it about 4 years ago and it was the third song I had ever written. Someone said to me, "You know, you ought to write a beer drinking song," and here's my feeble response to the suggestion.

{My ex sister-in-law thought it sounded like Achy Breaky Heart, by Billy Ray Cyrus(he worked the mullet). Pfft! I don't think so, well maybe a little.} It's kind of fun and a departure from my others...so take a listen. And then laugh behind my back. lol

Another Heart Breaks ***Click on the preceding title and then again on the title to listen***

((hugs))

Love Rollercoaster

2006-03-11T21:37:00.000-05:00

Say it ain't so?! I heard on the radio today that a crucial part of my childhood memory is going to erased to make way for a resort. The powers that be, have decided to close the Myrtle Beach Pavilion, and this season will be its last. A piece of history is to be bulldozed over into a pile of rubble next year. The Pavilion ,; located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has welcomed tourists with an old time carnival feel for over 50 years. During that time it has become a vital part of Myrtle Beach's history. I remember when I was a growing up our family used to take a trip to Myrtle Beach every summer. We always stopped at the Pavilion to ride one of the oldest wooden roller coasters still in operation, The Swamp Fox. The thought of future generations being deprived of whiplash and queasy stomachs, just makes me a bit sad.

One ride, called the Avalanche, pushed the limits of centrifugal force to the maximum. The ride operators would always play Beach Music through the speakers; they were partial to the song, Love Rollercoaster, by the Ohio Players. There was nothing like having music booming in your ears, the wind blowing through your hair, and smelling the scent of popcorn and cotton candy as it wafted through the warm summer breeze.

I met my first summer love at the Pavilion and now it's leaving, giving way to progress...er, Capitalism. It was probably bought out by Japanese investors. Well, I guess I'll just have to rely on memories and polaroids to recapture the innocence and freedom of summer days spent at the Pavilion.

What's next, the Boardwalk?

"Life's a beach, and then they ruin it."

Here's a joke for you.

A couple had a baby and they named him, "Odd". Upon hearing the name all the staff in the nursery snickered. And when the baby got older and went to school he was teased unmercifully. All throughout his life he was teased about his name.

One night when he was 58 years old he turned to his wife and said, "I've had enough teasing, when I die all I want on my tombstone is the day I was born and the day I died...nothing else!"

About 10 years later he died and his wife kept his wishes. She bought him a beautiful marble head stone and put only the date he was born and the date he died on it.

But his efforts were all in vain because every time someone would pass by his grave they would take one look at his head stone and ask, "Isn't that odd?" ;D

Have a mighty fine week gentle people.
Moni

Thrice As Nice

2006-03-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

All I've talked about in my series of Sappy, Sensitive, Singers are men, now I've got to give props to the ladies. I had written this a while back and had it saved as a draft. Well, I know everyone is hanging on my every word.(sarcasm);) So here's my pick.

The lovely and talented Alison Krauss, sure you may have heard of her or you may not have. If not, then you may be living under a rock. Alison got her start in Bluegrass, and she remains primarily a Bluegrass musician. That's what I like about her, she stuck to her roots. Blessed with an ethereal voice, she could have performed any kind of music, but she stayed true BLUE. Ha! She and her band Union Station helped revive public interest in Bluegrass music with their wonderful performances in the movie, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? Dan Tyminsky, the guitarist for Union station sang for George Cloony's character in the film. Alison paired with Sting for the movie Cold Mountain for which, they performed the movie's signet song, My Ain True Love...simply beautiful. She also performed with Brad Paisly in a classic country ballad Whiskey Lullaby. One line in that song which epitomizes Country music, "He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger," good stuff.

Alison Krauss is truly a talented singer who's sure make you think twice about bluegrass and Country music.

You can learn more and listen here.

This concludes my series, I know you'll miss it, but life goes on. ;P

Ta,
Moni

Sensitive Sappy Singers: Part Deux

2006-02-25T16:56:00.003-05:00

Going along with the previous post, I feel that my job isn't done and I would be doing a grave disservice unless I mentioned a few more SSS's. So here again is my pick for Sensitive Sappy Singers number two.

This singer started at the tender age of 9 and went on to wow audiences with his multi-faceted, almost unearthly talents. He sings both classical and pop and has had the dubious honor at a very young age of filling in for opera great Andrea Bocelli. As if that weren't enough, he sang at the Super Bowl, the Vatican and appeared on the tv show Ally McBeal. I'm talking about none other than musical prodigy Josh Groban.

In an age where singers gyrate, boy bands have no instruments, and bootylicious, breast-baring, babes sing about their lovely lady lumps, it's refreshing to know that there is a shining beacon of hope that true talent still exists in the musical youth of today. That beacon rings brightly within the beautifully baritone notes that flow effortlessly from Josh's vocal chords.

So he can sing, you say. Yes he can, but it's not just that he sings it's how he sings that catapults him miles away from the mediocre drone of singers his age. He sings in English, Spanish, Italian, and French. He doesn't speak them fluently but no one would be the wiser because his articulation is immaculate. He does speak Japanese As if that weren't enough, he plays seven different instruments including piano, drums, and flute, just to name a few.

I tell you if you look up the word "talent" in the dictionary you should see a picture of this man. All ages appreciate true talent and as a result, his songs transcend the ages. When I went to one of his concerts last year, I saw fans ranging in ages from 6 to 60. I was nearly deaf by the end of the concert, not because the music was too loud, but because the applause was thundering. I've never heard applause that loud.

And of course with his kind of talent you wouldn't pair it with superficial song lyrics. So needless to say, his lyrics touch your heart and lift you to higher plane.

You can listen to some of them here.

Oh, I almost forgot he's damn fine looking and if I were about 15 years younger, I would set my hat for him, as my mother would say. Ha, who I am I kidding? I'd just be 15 years younger. ;p Hey I could be the "Demi" to his "Ashton".

I recommend his Closer album for starters.

Stupid Law Enforcement and Sensitive, Sappy, Singers

2006-02-21T17:56:00.000-05:00

It's a strange day in which we live where everyday incidents happen that just make you want to say, "What the..[insert expletive]?" Yes, that's right people it's time for another episode of IT BOGGLES THE MIND!

You know it's been said that justice is blind, but in this case it seems to be quite amorous. Who said it was okay to let the fox in the hen house just to see if there were chickens present? Evidentially the Spotsylvania County Sheriff did.

Secondly, as I predicted on another forum, this guy has a top ten video in the US. Hey, I'm kind of good at spotting talent. lol This creative crooner uses his cranium to crank out beautiful songs. Deep brooding, and socially reflective; he scoops his soul out into his songs, and truly shares himself to the point of emotional rawness. Already known for his ballads in the UK, he's sure to shoot straight into the stratosphere in the US. Some of his critics have labeled his songs pure saccharine, but I beg to differ. One need only listen to his commentary-like song written about the war in Sarajevo(No Bravery) or his tribute to friendship(Cry)to know that's not the case. I offer my opinion and that's all it's worth, take a listen and you'll find his music worthy.

~~later~~
Moni ;)

One Mo' Time

2006-02-19T18:43:00.002-05:00

Now Scott, was that nice? No, it wasn't. ;P hehe You are a man of your word. ;)

I've been tagged.

Current Clothing--blue silk shirt and brown pants

Current hair--red, naturally wavy, the length is to the middle of my back.

Current mood--worried, yet encouraged

Current refreshment--diet cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper

Current annoyance--my ex, and his girlfriend

Current avoidance--same

Current smell--none really

Current thing you ought to be doing--probably cleaning the house...like that's going to happen.

Current IM--nobody

Current jewelry-- a gold victorian reproduction ring on my left, a ring on my right, two silver hoops in each ear, one stud in my right ear cartilage, and two necklaces. Hey, I like jewelry and it doesn't look gawdy...really it doesn't. ;)

Current Book--Smoke Jumper by Nicholas Evans (He wrote the Horse Whisperer).My daughter gave it to me for Christmas...she's so sweet.

Current worry--my mom's in the hospital being checked out, and I worry about my bills, but I know the Lord will handle it. So, I try not to worry, it doesn't help. Still it's hard not to worry.

Current Love--my daughter, my parents

Current longing--to get a major financial windfall, it sure would help.

Current disappointment--can't go to Scotland..ah well maybe one day.

Current Music--not listening to any now, but earlier I was listening to Back to Bedlam by James Blunt.

Current Favorite Book--hmmm, I guess The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks

Current Undergarments--Ha! Wouldn't you bloggers like to know? Actually I'm not wearing any. ROTFL!

Current desktop--just windows

Current plans for tonight/ the weekend--I don't know, I really don't have a social life. You think I spend too much time on the computer? lol

So what are you currently doing--Thinking that my life sounds pathetic. Ha! ((hugs)) Tag, anyone who want's to be tagged.

;)

2006-02-15T16:41:00.000-05:00

Hey I wasn't baiting when I said that tagging was no fun when done by oneself, I was joking. lol
Oh and by the way, Mark you used a line from the Princess Bride when you tagged me. You don't miss a beat do you? So, "As you wish," here's a Me Me.

Four jobs I've had:

Respiratory Therapist
Customer Sevice Rep for a Bank
I worked briefly for a German souvenir shop and as video rental clerk.
I volunteered as a Dental Assistant for the Air Force and hospitality host for the USO.

Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over: excluding the ones on my profile
Lord of the Rings Trilogy(yeah I'm a geek, what of it?")
Plains, Trains, and Automobiles. (John Candy was a genius)
Shrek
Forest Gump

Four Places I've lived:
Virginia
Philippines
Germany
Mississippi(it was Biloxi and I sooo miss Nawwwlin's Ya'll)

Four T.V. shows I love:
CSI (I dream of being a Crime Scene Investigator)
Nip Tuck
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson(His hottie Scottiness has written a book due out in April. Aye, I cannea wait!
Sponge Bob Squarepants (embarrassing) Well, not really because my daughter and I watch it together.

Four Favorite Dishes:
Crablegs steamed in garlic and roasted red potatoes ***drool** I miss Joe's Crab Shack.
Pachuga De Pallo, Ha! I know I spelled it incorrectly...chicken with cheese sauce
Pork Bi Go Gai (Korean) misspelled, of course.
Slaw dogs with French fries...you can tell I live in the south. It's a Va/NC thing.

Four sites I visit daily:
not really everyday,
but my blog
my email
my friend's blogs
Panta-loons

Four places I'd rather be right now:
Kure Beach in NC...I know it's cold, but I like to go to the beach in the middle of winter pre-tourist season. It allows me to clear my mind and sometimes I find it gets the creative juices flowing.
On a tropical beach somewhere getting a massage by a gorgeous cabana boy.
Scotland
shopping for household decor--too bad I don't have any money.

Dull as a mud fence...yeah I know. Ha!

Forgot, now I'm supposed to tag someone. Ohhhhh Scooott, tag!

Bless,
Moni

The Grapevine

2006-02-12T15:05:00.000-05:00

She ran as fast as her six year old legs would carry her, down the driveway her grandparent's house and into the backyard. Once she tripped over an untied shoelace, fell and scuffed her knee. Not giving it a second thought, she picked herself up, brushed the tiny pebbles from her knee, and continued making a b-line for her place of solitude. Stopping just short of the entrance, she paused, took a deep breath and entered her world.

Her world was only an overgrown grapevine, long since void of any maintenance, and the fox grapes it once produced were only a memory. But to her it was a magical kingdom. Its gnarled ceiling contained wisdom, and the grape-leaved wallpaper resonated the warmth of hope. Just four foot high, and barely able to accommodate a step stool, somehow imagination stretched it spacious enough to house all the imaginary creatures she would entertain.

As she took a seat on the her crusty, vined throne, she titled her head to face the ribbons of sunlight streaming through the twisted cells of the old grapevine. Just being under its roof made her feel safe, as if in a womb-like state. Nothing could touch her there. Nothing could interfere with the fairy tale world she created for herself within the gentle confines of her tangled palace

Strange that she would find peace in such a place, but wherever one finds it; they must and she did.

Snapshot

2006-02-09T18:13:00.000-05:00

I had written this big long post comparing writing to photography. Comparing me writing lyrics to that of taking a snapshot and how seasoned writers; real writers, develop their characters much in the same way that an old fashioned photograph was developed. It was a cool post, I and then hell, I don't know what happened I erased every bit of it. So here's the jest of it. There are some brilliant writers who post on my blog, and you seem like really nice people. Now I have mustered the courage to let you read what I have written. So what do you say, you read my writing, critique it and make me a better writer? Be forewarned, my grammar stinks, and the story line and character developments are weak. Also be reminded that sometimes you need to be cruel to be kind. Thanks and big hugs.

Here goes.

Prologue

Between a dreamlike state and shadows that brush away the business of the day, there exists a place of serenity; a place where cares melt into the twilight.
I am going there.
Will you come with me?
Will you forget all that you have become and assume a peaceful mind?
Cry with me.
Fall with me.
Imagine with me.
Rejoice with me.
The outside world need not we are here.
We are lost in our own world and we can be found only if we choose to be.

Note: I tried my hand at writing a children's book and failed miserably. It fizzled before I finished it.

The beginning of chapter one is on the next post. If you don't want to critique me that's just fine, I understand.

That's the Night That the Lights Went Out In Georgia...er Anywhere.

2006-01-29T10:02:00.000-05:00

I guess you guys already knew these existed, but I didn't...stupid, naive, ideological me. Electromagnetic Pulse Bombs; no "ka boom!", just silence and darkness.
Check
this
out
It's a rather lengthy read, but note numbers 9 and 12.
You can bet your sweet bippy that Russia has this technology and is, or has already given it the radical Islamic community. Such an unholy alliance but hey, they need oil too.(she wrote with a sarcastic scowl)

"Nuclear war would really set cable back."
Ted Turner

No duh Ted, try one of these EPB's on for size. It'll set you back to the 1800's.
;D

Lidocaine and Lollipops

2006-01-27T18:34:00.000-05:00

Why the title? I like the way it sounds; numb me up and give me some candy! Yep, I'm beginning to pull myself out of the funk. Oh no, no, no don't funk with my heart...Hehe! More Blackeyed Peas please.

Moving on--I'm still in the process of moving. Yes I know I've been saying I'm moving for a while now. I mean it this time I'm out the door...and into my own house. Well, not really my house; actually the bank owns it, but I have the luxury of calling it mine and being in debt for the next 20 years, ha! Scary stuff, but I'd rather do that than give the money to someone else. I've got a lot of work to do on the house, it's not a new house. I'll muddle through I guess.

I always feel like somebody's watching me

--or in this case listening to me. Am I the only one who feels as though President Bush is committing an illegal act by being able to wire tap anyone he feels like without a warrant? Like it's not an infringement of our IV Amendment rights? Once we deviate from the Constitution it opens the flood gates of chaos. I know some may argue that the Constitution is outdated and inpending circumstances qualify the powers that be to ignore it. What about our individual freedom? I could go on about this, but I won't. What do you think..legal or illegal? (for some reason the above link is not a direct link..just click on "Spy Controversy")

Quote of the day---"It is better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for who you are not."
(Don't know who said it.)

;)

Tears and Rain

2006-01-21T20:17:00.000-05:00

Damn it! It's not fair that you would go so soon. When were kids I laughed with you, fought with you, and got into to trouble with you. And what do I do now...now that there's one less person to share my childhood memories? We celebrated our birthdays together because you were born on the same day as me. You always made laugh me with your laid back ways and your goofy smile. And I am sad beyond belief when I see your son doubled over, nothing but moans and tears escaping him. I wish I could bring you back, or at least write something befitting the kind of person you were. But the words won't come, they just won't come.

I want the world to know that you were a good person, a person who lived his life with respect for others. A person who had a heart for humanity. And God you have left a great big hole in our hearts! I miss you terribly; my cousin, my friend, and the brother I never had. There's nothing to hurt you now...nothing will hurt you now.

In memory of David...who passed away suddenly.
May God hold you in his arms.
January 5, 1968- January 20, 2006

Livin' in Babble-on

2006-01-19T19:02:00.000-05:00

Today was not unlike any other day at work except for the fact that my boss had a brilliant idea; brilliant in her mind, terrifying in mine. She is a former news reporter and worked at tiny radio station in the town where I am employed. We have on occasion done advertising spots on the radio for our office. She's wonderful at that sort of thing, so why bother me with it?
She said to me today, "You know I think you should do a spot on the radio." I'm feart people. In high school I was terrified of public speaking, in college; less terrified... but still ill at the fact of having to speak in front of large groups of people.

I envisioned myself as one of those hick car salesmen with the thick southern accent. You know the one's who haunt the airways late at night. You know the one's shouting at the camera or mic, "Come on down to Big Al's(totally fictitious) and save, save, SAVE!!!!! "We gaurunnnnteee you won't find a better deal!!!!" Auuuugggh!This too shall pass, I guess.

***off that topic and on to another***
Hillbillyhobbit hear my screams among the throng of other technologically challenged people.

The sic pic won't work for me no matter how hard I try... believe me, I would use it if I could get it to work. Thanks anyway my friend.

~~~peace~~~
Moni

Sanity Is So Overrated

2006-01-13T19:00:00.000-05:00

Maybe I shouldn't post while in such a foul mood. Ah what the heck, it's good to get it out of my system. :)

False Forever

One flesh torn in two
One heart ripped from it's cage
Nothing left of us
fragmented me
fragmented you
shards of forever reflected in my eyes
Refusing to let go; I molded something
from nothing.
Clenching love's petal in my fist,
it's essence bleeding into my skin as I sank.
The fragrance left nothing but rumored happiness.

In the beginning I cried lover's tears;
tears that could fill the well of silenced between us.
And now, at the end, I wear a coat of numbness that
shields me from your raining indifference.
Leave.
I know you want to.
Search for your "self" wherever you can find it.
Design a destiny that excludes me.
There is nothing left for me to give
that you haven't already taken.
There is nothing left to say but..."Goodbye".

My apologies to the brilliant writers who post on my blog, I know that was difficult to stomach. Ha! ;p

On a brighter note: I never talk about my daughter on my blog, but I just want to take this chance to say that I am so proud of her. If not for participating in the creation of her, I would truly loathe my ex..no wait,I still do; well maybe not as much. Anyhoo, my daughter has been accepted to participate in the Miss Virginia Junior Pre-teen Pageant. She's not only pretty, she's smart, and fearless. Okay I'll stop bragging. ;) I won't be blogging for a while, because I'm moving. Tune in next week...same Bat time...same Bat channel.

bless,
Moni

Clean Slate

2006-01-02T17:33:00.000-05:00

Whew! I'm glad that year's is over and done. I guess for some of you it was a good year so spill it. Name one good thing that's happened to you in 2005. Then name something good you'd like to happened to you in 2006. Go on...I dare ya.

The Song

2005-12-22T22:23:00.000-05:00

Okay folks thanks to Valannin I finally got the song downloaded. I hope this link works. I write mostly for male artists, because demo's are received better if a male is singing it. It isn't right, but that's the way it is. And keep in mind, it is a Country song. All comments will be graciously accepted and maybe even heeded. ;)

Here is We'll Go Dancing

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!!!

2005-12-22T19:48:00.000-05:00

I'm still here and still having computer problems. Maybe it's me, instead of me having user problems it could be that I'm a problemed user. Ha!

I digress now back to the post. It hasn't exactly been a banner year for me and that's putting it lightly. But am I discouraged? No. I look forward to 2006 with a wide-eyed enthusiasm that can be likened to that of the kid in A Christmas Story when he gets his Red Rider BB Gun. Check back with me in a couple of months and I'll let you know if I'm still enthused. But, for now I am.

This time of year puts me in a reflective mood. A time during which I look back a the last year and do a little "mind mining". As corny as it may sound, I search my life looking for that diamond of truth, or nugget of wisdom. It has been slim pickins' this year. Except for this little ruby of reality:

Family is important, loved ones hold more treasure than a sunken pirate ship, and our words can build up or break down.

Yeah, yeah, there's no revelation there and it's been said before. But, this is my Chistmas wish for you; that you're able to spend more time with your families, love up on your loved ones, and let your words be an encouragement to others.

The Baby King

A woman said to her baby son,
"You will be great among many."
The baby cooed and then smiled at his mother's words.
The husband asked of his wife,
"How are we to raise the manifestation of a miracle?"
The woman replied,
"God has graced us and he will provide."
And the baby slept peacefully keeping the future of man in his tiny being.
As he grew older, God did provide.
Only the provision was made for us.
Prophecy completed in the form of:
a king,
a savior,
a redeemer,
and a friend,
beginning with our beginning and present at our end.

Merry Christmas....and don't shoot your eye out. :)

What's a Modem?!!

2005-12-06T20:22:00.000-05:00

Yesss I do know what a modem is... ;P Mine seems to have bit the dust. Anyhoo, I got a new one installed and hopefully I'll be able to catch up with the rest of the internet world. I'll download the song and you guys can give me your opinions. Later though; I'm tired and I'm going to bed.~~~~~~~~~TTFN~~~~~~~Moni

Musical Notes

2005-11-28T15:41:00.000-05:00

I wish I knew how to post audio links. Anyway, I received my compilation cd today...Finally!!! One of my songs is on it. I've been on another compilation cd with other unknown lyricists before..but this, this one is very good, It's not just cookie cutter country, it's jazzy and popish too. It really showcases the artist's talents. I must say, my feeble attempts pale in comparison with some of the others. Nothing will come of it I'm sure, but I'm hap, hap, happy to be in the presence of such talented people. I feel as those my limits have been exposed. Ha! ;) I would actually buy this cd. The demo singers are awesome.

other musical notes: A friend of mine whose mega talented and aptly equipped with a beautiful crystal clear voice, helped me record a song about a year ago. She wrote the music, I wrote the lyrics and we recorded it. It was a very interesting and informative experience. Anyway, she got a copy and I got a copy, I sent mine to my song plugger, which I no longer am able to afford, and she kept hers, letting people here and there listen to it. She just told me she gave it to a friend of hers who was heading to Iraq. I couldn't be more pleased to know that. The song was a gospel song, a labor of love and it makes it all worth for me just to entertain the thought of it inspiring someone else...especially a soldier far from home.

later gators,
Moni

Glorifying Degradation

2005-11-27T16:02:00.000-05:00

This is something different than what I usually post. I usually keep my posts light, I figure this world is so full of a serious drama that people don't need me bringing them down. But this topic has been on my mind lately, not because I'm enamored by it, but simply because I just don't understand the philosophy of thought behind it.

I don't understand how pleasure is derived from pain. I, of course am talking about the Dominate/submissive(D/s) lifestyle. I'm not trying to judge becuase I do not have the authority to do so. Yet, I've come across some blogs that deal with such a subject. These people seem to lead a very normal life and seem to be highly intelligent but their actions astound me. Oh I'm not naive', I know this sort of stuff goes on, but I had no idea it went way past the bedroom. It is an entire lifestyle. Beyond the bedroom one tells the other when they can eat, when they can shower, when they can urinate, etc...

What in an individual's psyche would allow them only to achieve sexual gratification by being beaten or beating another? I'm not talking about a playful little spank on the rump or, a teasing hair pull. I'm talking about an all out beating. I read this one blog where the submissive was beaten until she was reduced to nothing but snot and tears. The object; as so stated, is not about the dominate one caring for the submissive and attempting to bring them into eurphoric awareness of their inner being. That's a bunch of hooey! It's clearly about exercising absolute power over another human being. And what of the submissive? How do they justify needing a "session"? Do they not think themselves worthy of having a deep physical love that lifts them to another level of consciousness? Pain is not a freeing emotion, it's crushing...it's debilitating. Pain doesn't lift you, it brings you low, it suffocates you.

Physical love, when it's an extention of emotional love can be freeing...love is a "freeing" emotion. Love brings hope...hope allows us to dream. In our dreams we are lifted to a higher place. Pain does not equal love and love does not equal pain. The way I see it, when people delve into such a behavior they degrade the ones who have suffered actual pain. It makes light of anyone in the human race who has ever been crushed, oppressed, enslaved, and in pain beyond that of their own choosing. But it's easier to live that life knowing that at anytime one bores of it, they can stop it. The afore mentioned didn't have that luxury. Again, I'm not judging, what happens between two consenting adults is their business. These are my views on the topic. I guess we really don't have to understand everything that goes on in this world because no matter how we try, we won't.

As vanilla as I want to be,
Moni ;)

Turkey Day!

2005-11-19T20:17:00.000-05:00

Now my friends I know you're hungry for a tasty morsel of the Moni wit. (this is sarcasm people). Now laugh damn it! I have nothing to say except for this. I wish all of my cyber buddies and all happenstance readers a very peaceful and happy Thanksgiving. I wrap my cyber arms around you and your families and give you a great big (((hug)))!

And I will subject you to some of my lousy poetry. I've been told that my regular poetry is too deep and melancholy..so here ya go, something light and fluffy.

Turkey Day

There is a time for everything under Heaven,
a time for cooking,
a time for table setting,
a time for stuffing yourself until your buttons pop,
a time for getting together with relatives;
whether you care to or not,
a time to sit at the "kiddie" table although you're 30-something
years old,
a time to ask Aunt Sue for the stuffing recipe that she's never
ever told.
a time to watch football even though you haven't a clue,
what a quaterback, tightend, and fullback actually do.
a time to be thankful, to reflect, and to be with the ones
you love.
a time to tell Tom Turkey, "Your time's up bub!"

I know, it sucks on ice. ;P
And with that said, I ammmmm outtta here. ;)