Skin boat to tuna town—— OMG— that is just the funniest thing I’ve heard in a while— 

My husband and I discussed this very issue the other day.  It must be so very disheartening to not be able to have an argument (and normal people DO argue), take out your trash, or go to dinner without someone following you around with a camera or writing some tidbit of an article about it. 

We are not wealthy in the sense of having loads of money and celebrity, but by the time we had ended our discussion we had come to a mutual agreement that we love our private lives.  WE love being able to go where we want and do what we want, even check the mail in our jammies— without having it splashed on the front page of the newspaper. 

I also have to say that part of being a celebrity is the "celebrity"— you lose a little of yourself and your privacy— that’s a given.  It’s the sacrifice one makes for the life of someone in the limelight—  but I also think that people are people, no matter what their status— and we should all be able to have our private lives. 

 (But, it won’t end until people, celebrity and non celebrity, stop feeding off of the embarassment and misfortune of others.) 

 Thanks, but no thanks- we will stick to our obscure lives in the rural midwest.  : )

I think there is such a fear of offending any race that people are afraid to openly discuss race issues in many ways—  I think there is always the wildcard, in any race/religion/etc that is going to take offense and be indignant when it comes to discussion— I think people are secretly afraid of the wildcard and don’t want to be the one that is singled out for being open— I don’t think it is limited to any one race or religion—

Well, it’s just my humble opinion, and I don’t usually get involved in conversations revolving around EH, because she annoys the hell out of me and just jumps right in with both feet, having no grip on reality. I personally think she had her 15 minutes of fame, and needs to step OFF the soapbox. Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

I have a wonderful, caring, giving husband. The problem is that he has a horrible memory for dates— any date— So, we write everything on a big calendar in the Office (our activities, special days, our kids activities, etc) — He really makes the effort and always surprises me — as a result, both of our boys have really learned to be thoughtful little men. I am thankful everyday and I wouldn’t trade him for anything.

I’ve always told my mother-in-law she had a place to stay with us, and my husband and I planned to have her live with us when she was unable to live alone— She has been divorced from my husband’s father for 20 years. She has been remarried once after that, and then has been living with an alcoholic significant other for the last 10 years. She is independent, she’s only 62, and works full time. She decided she was tired of the alcoholic lifestyle and for paying for her significant other’s bills. She broke ties with him and moved in with us. The plan was for her tojust stay with us temporarily, until she could locate an apartment nearby us. I have always bragged about what a wonderful mother-in-law that I have and that I am thankful to not only have her, but my husband’s step-mother is also a gem. Well, temporarily turned into a year. And we did not mind her living with us and even welcomed it. We did find while she was living with us that she has some major issues though— she does not manage her money well (hence the reason it took her over a year to save enough money for first month’s rent and deposit for an apartment for herself), she is very fickle and will just up and quit a job at a moment’s notice (she didn’t work AT ALL for 3 full months while living with us, we paid all her bills, including her car insurance and her gas), then while living with us she became increasingly critical of not only my husband, but myself— it became harder and harder to live with her, but we love her so we tried to ignore it. We have a 5 year old and a 14 year old, and she began to come home at night when getting of work (she would come home at 10-1030pm- she works as an in-home caregiver) and would WAKE UP our children and have them up with her to watch TV and feed them and give them soda to drink (even when we asked her kindly not to do that)— Our 14 year old consistently started missing the bus because he overslept (from staying up so late) and our 5 year old began wetting the bed again and became completely uncooperative with getting up for preschool in the AM— My husband finally did have a talk with her, and she blamed it on me, saying I didn’t want her to spend time with our children (which is soo not true— she chose all kinds of activities related to going out and dancing and so on instead of spending time with us or our children— which is completely her choice, but then don’t blame us) — She finally decided to move out in anger when we asked her one final time to not get the children out of bed once we put them there, unless it was the weekend, then they could stay up late with her. We also asked her to please leave the dog in the kennel at night (she would let the dog out, feed her people food from the fridge and leave her to run about the house and potty all over the carpet- then we would have to clean it up) — It was just all too much— I love her dearly, but this woman should never live with her children. It is jus tall too much, and she is too critical and does not have any idea what it takes to run a house hold with two parents working and children involved (she never worked outside the home until her children were out of school) — I think in some cases it would be an awesome thing have have a parent live with you— but in this case it is a no go. If it does come to a time when she cannot live on her own, she will have to go to an assisted living or nursing home. My husband and I have already had this discussion, and it really was a decision on his part. He was glad to have her move out. I feel bad that it has damaged their relationship, rather than making it closer, but I am also glad that we found out NOW, rather than later, when she is in real need of care and supervision—

The thing is, she gets more negative press on her weight than those that are doing drugs and getting DUIs and misbehaving and treating each other badly. That is sad.

Yeah, well, but then Matt Lauer is not exactly the epitome of an upstanding citizen anyway, right?

I agree- isn’t it great that as a nation, we are teaching our children about the IMPORTANT things in life. Teaching them that what a person looks like, what size they wear, and what a number on a scale is what the basis of a person is all about. Sad— very sad. It’s no wonder that women think of themselves the way they do— why we criticize ourselves and see only the negative about ourselves, rather than cherishing the positives and the real substance of a person that makes us who we are, like our personalities, the way we laugh, the sense of humor we eminate, and the mere prescence of being a wonderful woman role model for those in our lives. Yeah, weight, it’s sooooo important. I know there are many people that would give anything to have just ONE more day with a person that they have lost and loved no matter what their weight. Now, that’s heavy.

My first marriage, I took this advice— we went to the justice of the peace and said our “I do’s” and that was it— no honeymoon, no reception, nada. That marriage lasted a little over 5 years— I remained single for 6 years following that marriage, and my 5 year old son introduced me to my current husband. (Thank goodness for small miracles becuase I was DONE with dating— vile routine) My current husband and I felt that a wedding was necessary, however we are both very realistic people and feel that it is ridiculous to waste money on things that really don’t leave you much to show for spending— We had our wedding in a Catholic church, with a Catholic priest— We rented a tux for him and I bought a dress for $300 (it was beautiful) — the reception was in the reunion hall of the church, it was a potluck reception— flowers were what I carried and we made our own swags for the pews in the church— One of my best friend gave us our wedding cake as a gift (she made it, and it was beautiful, the fountain, the silver dragges, the fondant with heavenly filling), and a friend of ours Did all of our wedding photography for $200 (and gave us the negatives so we could print what we wanted) — Only 25 people were invited and I hand made all of the invitations (calligraphy and silver leafing included)— We pulled off our entire wedding (2002) for less than $1500 total— and I will tell you, the ceremony meant so much to both of us. I think we would have regretted not having done it. We have beautiful memories from it, and photos to live with. It was dirt cheap by most standards, but it was priceless to us. So, I say you shouldn’t “NOT” have a wedding, but you have to remember what is important and to whom it matters.

Yes Dahling!!

I so agree— My husband and I, when we were deciding on a home to buy, we could have afforded a much more luxurious home than what we actually have (mind you, our home is very comfortable and we love it)— but we made a conscious decision to buy a home that fit our NEEDS, and that we could afford ALONE if something tragic were to happen to either one of us (that way we don’t have to worry) — We also moved OUT of town and away from all the people that we found were trying to “keep up with the Joneses” — Granted we have wonderful friends, but I guess we look at things a little differently sometimes. IT’s not just a point of view— it’s a lifestyle choice- we don’t do without, our kids have video games, we are modern, but we put family time, interaction with our children and their education, and our marriage first- not the material things in life. I would never make it on a fashion runway, but my needs are met. My husband would not be considered “successful” in the material world, but he provides for his children. I think we all need to stop and realize that you can’t take it with you— one day when we are dead and gone, we will never look back and think, “you know, I REALLY should have spent less time with my family and worked more so I could pay for a swimming pool/big screen tv/luxury car —- When I leave this place, I want to know that I invested my life wisely in my family and marriage.

Ha! Belinda, I relish the last tidbit of advice you have— I don’t know that I could manage knee high boots and a miniskirt at the same time— I would be trying to keep the boots UP and the skirt DOWN— OY!

That’s when we need to remember the lessons we try to teach our children about rebuking peer pressure— and not folding to the “fantasty version” of what real women should be. I have no issue with cosmetic surgery if it makes you more confident— but at some point, we all have to come to the realization that we are only human and accepting our frailties and quirks is what makes us the people that we are.