damama1

09:41 am: changes?
All around me the world is changing. And that's a good thing. People change or is that growth? Politics is changing. that is a GOOD thing. New inventions, new opinions, new jobs, new economy, new wars, new peace, new homes, remodels, realignment, new hairstyles, new cars, etc,etc,etc. Everything is changing. I, for one, have always enjoyed change. I like new things. I like going new places, new foods, new people, new attitudes. We all have to change. If we don't we become stagnant. Change means growth.
But the one constant in my life has been family. Granted the family has changed. It's added new members,lost a few members, has aged and well grown but its always the same family. Family is always there for you, whether you want them to be or not. Some times they butt in but the mean well. They can ne nosy or standoffish. You will always LOVE your family. You don't always LIKE your family. But they are FAMILY.
Family gets together for celebrations, and mourning. They see you through good things and bad. They are there to give hugs and yells. They shock you, surprise you, support you, demean you, push you away, bring you closer, shut you out, bring you in their confidence, lean on them, lean on you, hug and kisses, pushes and stares.
You can't chose your family as you do your friends. And that's a good thing. Some of my family, I would not chose as I am sure they would not have chosen me. God or fate brought us together. Some cosmic force did a raffle and put us together. I know I won the grand prize.

09:21 am: how I spent my summer vacation
Well summer is over. John has gone back to college in pursuit of that degree. Andrew left for basic training. (Marines don't call it boot camp) and Michael starts high school on Tuesday. Where did it go? I had such plans for this summer. I was going to paint the dining room. I was going to buy area rugs for the living room and redo the hardwood floors. I was going to buy curtains and drapes for the windows. I was going to finally get rid of a ton of old clothes by cleaning closets and dresser drawers. I was going to totally dismantle the boys bedrooms and fumigate them.
Instead of all this what did I do? I enjoyed my family. I grew up watching them and hopefully they grew also.
John Sr. is now working a job that he comes home from tired but not exhausted. He is happy and not miserable. He comes home joking about his job and not bitching. We talk instead of yelling. We have money but far from rich.
John Jr. ended one relationship and started another. He worked and went out with friends but spent time with us. He realized that yes we are his parents but we are not complete idiots. We had good conversations, went to the movies, played cards (Texas hold-em)and went camping. He went to the shore with friends and was shocked when we said "Have a good time". We gave him a beer. What the heck, he turns 21 in Sept.We talked about just about everything. World events, wars, peace, religion, drinking, cars, girlfriends, friends from childhood and current friends, houses and homes, relatives and relationships, love and hate. What an intelligent man we have. He's my son. I'm proud.
Andrew is off on his grand adventure. He graduated high school in Andrew fashion and threw everyone a curve ball by joining the Marines. He spent the summer working out to improve his physical condition to make it to basic. He changed physically but also mentally. He started showing an interest in world events and home events. He spent time with friends and family. He became engaged to a wonderful young woman. Welcome to the family Amy. Good luck with us. Ha! Andrew was and hopefully will always be a "mama's boy". When he was standing waiting to board the bus to leave this past week, he kept looking back. I will never forget the look on his face. He's my son. I'm proud.
Michael has grown into his own person. He's 14 trying to be 18. He wants to be known as Mike and not John and Andrews younger brother. He has developed a wonderful sense of humor. He has long brown hair, much to his brothers dislike, but he's Mike. He has vast assortment of friends that call or come over morning, noon and night. He has always been our "social butterfly". He still has that childish out look on life that the world is a great place made only for him. He also thinks that mom and dad can fix EVERYTHING. While he wants to be Mike, his own person, he does not want to give up on Michael, John and Andrews brother. He is looking forward to the adventure of high school. To Michael everything is an adventure.He's my son. I'm proud

This is how I spent my summer. This is my family. I'm proud

08:12 am: my marine
Well he did it. My son, Andrew is a US Marine. After many setbacks and problems and extra paperwork and wavers to be signed, Andrew was sworn into the USMC on July 3rd. Officially he is not a Marine. He is known as a poolie. In boot camp he will be called a recruit. Only when he graduates from boot camp will he be called a Marine. He starts boot camp on Aug. 21st. This would have been the day he would have started college. We are not sure how he gets there or when he leaves. All that info will come shortly, I hope.
I am so proud of him. I am also scared for him. All I can do is pray for him. He will be training with the Reading barracks to get him physically ready. Every Tues.,Wed.,Thurs. he meets with them for PT. He needs to be able to do 2 dead arm pull ups during boot camp. Right now he can do 0.
Andrew is a fighter. He has had to struggle for many things in his short life. But he did it. He is a fighter. Maybe he gets that for me. haha.
Today is the 4th of July. Our country's birthday. Today we salute the men and women who fought (and many died) keeping us free. We also remeber , with pride, the others who went to foreign soil to protect others. While I have disagreed with many of our countries "war" policies, I have never, never put down the warriors. The men and women in uniform that go where they are told to fight an enemy we never knew we had. I actively protested Vietnam and Iraq I and much to my chagrin, only passively protested Iraq II. Now I have a soldier. While he is enlisted in the reserves, he could still go into harms way.
All I can say is "Give PEACE a chance".

07:26 am: growing old
If I can pass on any advice to my children it would be; Don't let your kids grow up. My parents gave me this advice on the birth of our oldest son. John is now 20 graduated from college with 2 associate degrees, has a nice girlfriend and is going back to college for his bachelors in management. It hit me hard when he graduated high school and now he is a college graduate. Son #2 has hit me even harder.
Andrew graduated from High School on June 13th. The ceremony was held outside on the football field on a gorgeous spring night. I cried from the moment I seen him march in in his cap and gown till I was able to hug him and the end. My boys rate the success of events by the number of tissues I use. This was a 20+ event and rated a complete success.
To say you are proud of your child seems trivial to some. I AM PROUD of all 3 of my boys. Boys ha! John is 20, Andrew, 18 and our baby Michael is 14 wanting to be any age but 14. He will be entering High School next year. Oh God, I'm getting old.
Andrew threw us all off track these past 2 weeks. While we were planning on his attending college in the fall with his brother, he was planning an entirely new career path. Andrew has become interested in the Marines. We have talked to the recruiters and got all the details. He wants to join the reserves which would (barring World War III) would keep him out of harms way. (MY pacifist heart is jumping for joy). He has a choice of 2 jobs. One is driving humvees, the other is intel. He is leaning towards intel. Even though he is 18 and can join without our permission, he has it. All we are waiting for is his medical records and then he will go for his physical. When he passes that he will be sworn in. My son, the Marine. Hooyah!
When we got used to this drastic change, he did it to us again. He proposed to his long time girl friend Amy. Oh God, I'm getting really old. Amy is a great young woman. They have been dating for 4 + years and are totally committed to one another. She attends college in North Carolina to study nursing. She and her parents live in NC since Amy graduated last year. She is already a member of our family and this just makes it official. While we knew the engagement was coming, it was still shocking. Our only rule is that they wait until both are out of college. THEY BETTER.
Enough for now. I need a tissue.

07:55 pm: smoke II
Ok so last time I was interrupted by a terrible thunder and lightening storm. If I go back to my childhood, I remember my mother telling me about angels bowling for the thunder. This one was so bad I think it was God was just down right pissed.
Back to my smoking. I am sick and tired of being treated like a leper. So I smoke. I know it is bad for me. I do not need to be hit over the head. I don't smoke in peoples homes if they don't smoke. I excuse myself while attending my sons baseball games so I don't smoke around others. What I do in my own home is no ones business but mine. I pay taxes on the cigs I buy. I pay federal and state taxes. I even donate money towards cancer research. I am not a mass murderer, child abuser, sexual pervert, embezzler or devil worshiper. I am a smoker. Leave me alone with my smokes.

07:48 pm: smoking
Hi. My name is DaMama and ..and..I hate to admit it but...I AM A SMOKER! Is there a 12 step program for me? I have been classified as a bad person. I have been banished to the outside to enjoy my one and only vice. I try not to curse (I never take the Lord's name in vain), I have never abused my children, I attend church and pray for everyone who asks (even those who don't), I don't gamble my children's inheritance away (except to use the nickle slots in Ac and the occasional lottery ticket). But because I smoke, I am a bad person. I am banished to the back alleys and street corners to get my fix. People say that smoking causes insurance rates to rise due to the effects of smoking. Did anyone stop and think that we get sick because we are forced to smoke outside in all kinds of weather? The heat and humidity, the rain, the snow and ice. Restaurants went smoke free because of the effects of second hand smoke. Maybe if they had spent some money on a good ventilation system, the complaints would have stopped and I could still enjoy a good smoke after a meal.
Thunder and lightening. Will post more later.

07:33 pm: the beginning
So why do I enter the growing ranks of bloggers. The reason is simple, to vent my frustrations. I am a VERY VERY VERY opinionated person. I am loud and passionate about my opinions. My family gets tired of my voicing them so I need to vent some where. Forgive me in advance my sometime rants.
Todays gripe is Barbaro. I love animals. They are Gods creatures but give me a break. There are local web sites to send a HORSE, get well cards. There is fund raising to help with medical bills. It's on the national news about how heart broken the jockey is feeling. IT'S A HORSE!!!! Get a life people. Use your time to send get well wishes to people in hospitals and nursing homes. Give your money to help the homeless, Katrina relief, AIDS or cancer research. THINK about what you are doing. ITS A HORSE.