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Blog Slacker
2008-01-23 16:57:00
Yup! That's me! I really don't have any good excuses. I'm sure I've had plenty to blog about... I just haven't felt much like blogging. I've been keeping busy with working at the antique mall, homeschool with the kids and visiting my mom in the nursing home as much as I can.Speaking of homeschool, we've been doing this since 1996. I had planned on being done in about 5 years when the girls graduate, but then Jaxson came along. He's 2 now and Troy and I have been pondering whether we will homeschool him or not. There's much to consider and we still have a few years to make a decision. My mom's health hasn't been good. We suspect she has uterine cancer, but because of her numerous health problems, she isn't a good candidate for surgery or treatment. All they can do for her now is give her platelets when they fall too low. I had hopes for 2008 being a good year, but I sense that it is going to be topsy turvy. In a perfect world my mom would be around forever and h...
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Holidays, Birthdays and Babies
2008-01-14 20:59:00
I'm back from an extended hiatus. Life has been busy. I have survived the holidays and turning 40. Now I get to bring in the new year by learning what being a grandma is all about. We just got the news last Thursday that my newly married daughter and son in-law are expecting their first baby in September. I'm sure the reality of it all hasn't quite set in for me yet, but you can follow the whole process with me by watching my new widget in the sidebar.
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The Golden Compass: Part Two
2007-11-30 21:30:00
I have yet to see The Golden Compass , but in the last few days I've been reading more opinions and having conversations, both on and off line about the controversy surrounding this movie.I called a close friend that I attend church with. Whenever I'm perplexed by something I pick her brain to get her thoughts. She shared how she felt that Philip Pullman has an agenda, which is to further his cause of Atheism. She feels that if we as Christians pay to see his film or read his books, we are only furthering his cause.After our conversation, I was still up in the air on the matter. I feel like her feelings on the matter are coming from a place of fear. I don't much care for being controlled by fear. The issue I'm having is that if Christ is in me, how can any of this fodder effect me? Why is it even an issue? I found this little snippet on Snopes interesting:The series' author, Philip Pullman (who has described himself as both an agnostic and an atheist), has averred that "I...
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The Golden Compass
2007-11-27 15:05:00
I have yet to see The Golden Compass to give it a critique, but I got a glimpse of the preview a week ago when I went to see Fred Claus with a friend. The brief clips that were shown were intense!As a Christian, I'm excited to see this movie. I understand that there is a lot of controversy surrounding it because critics are claiming it has been written in a way to turn children against God and actually promotes Atheism.Hmm... for me, the jury is still out. I use to be quick to decide what my kids would and wouldn't watch based on the content or morality of a movie or television program. But I've come to realize that things like this promote dialog between us and the kids. As parents, we may not agree with the premise of the flick, but we're certainly able to have a conversation about the views expressed. I want to encourage my kids to think deep rather than shield them from what the world is all about.I'm here to provide a foundation for my children and I don't want to b...
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The Turkey Dance
2007-11-22 03:58:00
When I saw this, it left me in stitches! This turkey must be close to 40 lbs.! How big is your Thanksgiving Turk ey ? I hope you have better luck with yours than this lady did. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Safe Toys For Christmas
2007-11-20 16:55:00
Are you at a loss as to where to buy safe toys this holiday season? Are you frustrated with your search to find American made toys? With lead becoming a near daily concern, parents have become fed up with the recalls coming in from overseas and are questioning what's safe for their children.In my quest to find the perfect, safe toy for my little guy, I became aware of a toy company that promises to put quality first in order to give parents peace of mind. At Fat Brain Toys you'll find a predominance of American Made and European Made toys. Almost half of the 3500 toys sold through Fat Brain Toys are made somewhere other than China.While great toys are made in EVERY country, you still can't beat the safety and quality of "American Made"! While this is very much a work in progress, Fat Brain Toys is identifying all the products in our catalog that are manufactured right here in the USA. Because we carry several hundred American made toys, games, and gifts, it may be helpful to ...
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I've been awarded The Good Buzzz Blog Award!
2007-11-17 15:17:00
Imagine my surprise to wake up to this in my email this morning! What an awesome thing! Brad the Blog bee from Polliwog's Pond has bestowed me with The Good Buzzz Blog Award .The Good Buzzz Blog Award is for blogs that have generated a happy hum in the blogosphere. Whether it be for their blog in general, one outstanding, unusual or controversial post, or for something cool the blogger has done. Or even for recognizing some promising, brand-new blogs.I'm excited to be a recipient and will proudly display this badge of honor in my sidebar. It's just the kick in the pants I needed to keep moving forward with my blogging goals. Thank you Brad Blogbee!

LEAVE SANTA ALONE!!
2007-11-16 17:07:00
I caught a blurb on the morning news yesterday that 'the powers that be' in Australia are asking their holiday store Santa 's to not quote the phrase "Ho, Ho, Ho" as it might be offensive to some women. What do they want him to say? "Ha, Ha, Ha"? "Hee, Hee, Hee"? It's just not the same.I'd like to know what women were polled to come to this conclusion! I mean, okay, if Santa were to approach me and say "HO", yeah, I might be offended. But in this case, "Ho, Ho, Ho, isn't even a word, it's Santa's laugh! Since when do we determine how someone can laugh? Is this political correctness to the extreme? I think so.Leave Santa alone!

Out of the Mouths of Babes.
2007-11-14 17:19:00
I just made my son "repeat after me". It went something like this...M: Mom, I'm gonna obey you tomorrow.J: Mom, I'm gonna obey you tomorrow.M: I'm not going to talk back to you...J: I'm not going to talk back to you...M: ...because I love you,J: ...because I love you,M: And you're the cutest mom in the whole world!!J: And I love you!
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Quality of Care in Nursing Homes: Rant and How you can help
2007-11-08 20:03:00
Independence is something many of us take for granted, myself included. We come and go as we please, walking to and fro, going about our daily lives. Simple tasks like taking a shower, brushing your teeth or using the bathroom are things most of us do mechanically and without giving much thought or effort.Now can you imagine what it must be like to be completely dependent upon someone else for your every need? What if you can no longer perform activities of daily living on your own? What if you're unable to communicate to someone that you're uncomfortable or in pain?Many times, families put their elderly parents or grandparents in nursing homes so that they will be taken care of in their old age. My mom is in one such place. She made the decision to move there 5 1/2 years ago. Due to her declining health, she has become more and more dependent on the CNA's and nurses for her care. When she entered the home, she got around with the use of a walker. About a year ago, she stopped wa...
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Countdown to the Big FOUR-OH!
2007-11-01 18:59:00
The day is quickly approaching that I will reach the ever dreaded milestone of turning 40. Fifty-five days to be exact. It happens to coincide with Christmas, so you holiday shoppers take note!It's odd, in my mind I still feel 25. I often wonder how ridiculous I must come across to people. You'll find me wearing low-rise jeans and t-shirts as opposed to a flowery polyester ensemble that some of my slightly older counterparts wear. Is it time for me to start acting more mature or does the old adage hold true that you're only as old as you feel?I recently started a new job at a local Antique Mall. As I stroll through the isles the memories come flooding back with the recognition of relics from my past. Maybe 'relic' is the wrong choice of word for this post, but we'll go with it. I see my mom's white china with the painted gold edges, the metal 'Happy Day's' lunch box I coveted as 3rd grader and the delicate golden watch that my grandmother wore. If I let myself ...
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Breast Cancer: A Cause for Awareness
2007-10-27 06:13:00
At the age of 69, my mother went in for a routine mammogram. They found something suspicious looking and scheduled her for a biopsy. She didn't bother telling any of us kids about it for nearly a week. That's when we learned that her doctor scheduled the biopsy for eight weeks out! This was a great cause for concern, as we have heard statistics tell us that early detection is key in fighting cancer. We were immediately on the phone with her doctor, insisting on an earlier appointment. They complied and we got her in early the following week.Once the biopsy results were back, they informed us that my mom did indeed have cancer. Because of the lack of urgency and concern expressed by my mom's doctor, we convinced her that it would be in her best interest to find someone more suitable for her treatment and care. We took her to Creighton University Medical Center. Located there is The Center for Breast Care.The Center for Breast Care at Creighton University Medical Center is...
More About: Cancer , Awareness , Breast Cancer , Waren

Will You Blog for Boobs?
2007-10-25 19:08:00
As most folks are aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I plan to take part in the 'Blog ging for Boob s' awareness campaign that will be held on Sunday, October 28th. Will you join me and blog for boobs too?Blogging For Boobs is an event that is hinged around the need to make people aware that they should regularly self-examine breasts for lumps or growths. Whilst men are susceptible to developing cancer of the breasts and should also self-examine, the much larger percentage of those afflicted with the cancer are women. Globally, approximately 1.5 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.Be sure to go to Je Maverick's blog for full details on how you can participate and help raise awareness. You'll also find avatars, buttons, banners and badges to sport on your page if you choose to take part in this blogging event.

Money Woes
2007-10-20 18:04:00
Today has been one of those days, but it's been coming for a while now.This past June, my oldest daughter Andi got married. The engagement was short. We had from February-June to get everything in order for a traditional wedding and reception. Because it was all happening so quickly, we weren't financially prepared. At my insistence to do our best to give our daughter a nice wedding, we ended up acquiring more debt then we could manage.So here we are, 4 1/2 months later and we're strapped beyond belief. There has been discussion between my husband (Troy) and I about our options to clear up the debt.Troy taking a second job. He currently works in the Engineering Dept. at University of Creighton Medical Center, so it seems a bit beneath him that he work at McDonald's, but we don't have time to waste being prideful.After being a stay-at-home mom for 13 years, I've taken on a job at our local Antique Mall. I'm also doing research into making an income online through bloggi...
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About Me
2007-10-19 16:50:00
Welcome to my blog. I'm Deanna. A Midwest mom, living life as I know it. My house is cluttered with books, teenagers, music, toddlers and love. With three teen daughters and myself, the estrogen flows freely here and I have much compassion for my husband of 16 years. His only ally is our two year old son. One would think the battle of the sexes would ease up after the marriage of our eldest daughter this past June, however it has only intensified as the remnants jockey for position. I believe our son is ahead in the rankings.As hard as I try, my thoughts are not always my own. I have a dream to be a writer and I'm learning not to listen to the voice in my head that tells me 'I can't'. Sometimes spiritual, sometimes not, you'll find my creative writings, news commentary and the occasional topic to perchance evoke thought and discussion. You never know, something intelligent and even profound might slip out. I strive to be candid. After all, honesty about oneself is ...