Worst work experience of my life was working for a woman. She spent most of her time telling the rest of us how she had clawed her way up the corporate ladder…how badly men had treated her etc. She never seemed to notice that she treated us as badly as the men she described, or in most instances, worse.

I did until they found a lump twelve years ago…after a lumpectomy and “dodging the bullet” I gladly go for the mammograms, and always a follow up ultra sound…and I do this every six months because of my history. I just say a quiet “Thank You!” each time the results are free and clear.

Oh for God’s Sake! Who would give that to their daughter??? When I was a pre school teacher, my classroom was a Barbie Free zone. I encouraged Dora The Explorer…but NO Barbie! In fact, most of my three year olds knew Barbie didn’t have a job…she just had a large wardrobe! Although I must admit…one of my favorite bumper stickers is…”When I grow up, I want to be Barbie…That Bitch Has Everything!”

If you become familiar with the classics, as Diane said, you can spot them anywhere…I have bought beautiful, never worn designer items at Goodwill and the Salvation Army…its my favorite “rainy day” past time, treasure hunting! I have a Prada purse I paid 3.00 for, and a pair of designer ballerina flats that cost me 1.25! My favorite suit is made up of a Jones New York Jacket, Ralph Lauren wide leg trousers and shirt…total cost at Goodwill? 12.00!! I always get compliments on it when I wear it! Oh, and because I have an “eye” for jewelry…I cannot tell you how many gorgeous antique pieces I have found at Goodwill and the Salvation Army.

When the search team originally searched, the area was under water, when they returned, it was fenced off. One of the searchers said she had a “bad feeling” searching there, and that the area was very steep, very wet, and there were “a lot of snakes”. I believe Casey killed her daughter and waited a month to report her missing in order to assure enough decomposition would occur and possibly erase anything linking her to the body. She is a very twisted individual. Beyond sick, and I don’t think she is “insane” though I am sure her defense team will try to play that card.

“Out Of Africa” will always be my favorite movie and my favorite Meryl Streep performance. It is a beautiful movie.

Its not just Illinois - every state has their closet full of skeletons. Its politics, the nature of the beast. The “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” way of doing business. Deals are made every day, from small towns to big cities. For example, do you NOT think a “deal” was made when HRC hit the campaign trail for Obama? As in, “I will campaign my rear off for you, I’ll get Bill out there too, but there had BETTER be something in it for me if you’re elected.” It is standard operating procedure in politics, some get caught, some don’t.

Dear Santa - All I want for Christmas this year is one, blissful, “Palin Free” week here at WOW…

Ah hell…approaching fifty, I’ve been called worse!

I know that I did a fine job raising my oldest son. (Jury is still out on the 11 and 13 year old…work in progress) I know that my husband loves me. I know that I have lived a truly blessed life, and even the hard times were a blessing, as they taught life lessons I treasure.

I hope a lesson is learned…! I read this just after spending two hours with a friend who appeared at my home to borrow money. She explained in great detail that she had put her car title in hock, but still had come up short…for bills? No. For food? No. For the CHRISTMAS GIFTS she believes her grown, spoiled, daughters DESERVE. I told her I could not, would not contribute to what is obviously a problem. I told her she needed to rearrange her priorities. Some people never learn lessons from hardship, any time they come into money they blow it…repeating the cycle over and over again. It amazes me.

My small church food bank is literally begging for donations. I was stunned to see how bare the shelves were this week when I took a box of food in. My church sits in an “at risk” neighborhood, where many of the families are single parent etc. My Pastor said last week when they opened the food bank, people were lined up nearly all the way down the block…something he hasn’t seen in all the years he’s been there. I am taking advantage of the “buy one, get one free” deals at my grocery store and giving the free things to the food bank. In our own lives, we recently moved back to the small town where my husband grew up and where I lived for years before we were married. Down sized from the “McMansion” he owned when I married him and moved into the home I still owned here. Cost of living is so much less than the metro area we were in, its like night and day! Also, going from over 3,000 square feet to 1,800 square feet is a dream come true. We had rooms in the other house we never went into! I don’t miss it. I urge every one this holiday season…instead of buying one more gee-gaw you or someone else doesn’t need…help a child or a family in need, give to your local food bank…every little donation is appreciated, and much needed.

I don’t consider cancelling Christmas parties to be a major tragedy. When times are tough, Christmas is a “luxury”. I have never understood people going into debt for Christmas. So many people treat it like a job or something…”Oh, its Christmas! We “have” to do this! Even if we can’t afford it, we have to, because its Christmas!” I know when I worked for a large corporation, I resented attending the over the top Christmas party (it was mandatory) and seeing all of the money spent, when they had put a freeze on pay raises and wiped out our Christmas bonus. I found it almost repulsive to see the amount of money spent and in my opinion WASTED on the party. I would have preferred to have that money in a pay raise or a Christmas bonus. Cancelled Christmas parties? Boo Freakin Hoo.

I am still thinking about a woman who called in about this on CNN last night…she was saying how awful it will be for his children because “They don’t have a Mother and now they won’t have a Father”…ummm…they don’t have a Mother because THEIR FATHER KILLED HER! Sheesh! Justice is served. May he be someone’s “bunk muffin” post haste.

I just don’t take photos any more. Yes, we own a digital camera, and I have the nifty little video camera that was hot last holiday season, but I’ve never used it. Once in a while I will snap a photo with my phone and send it on to some one, but seldom. I miss the old Kodak Instamatic days! (Oy! I’m dating myself!)