For the record, I would like to have this sign in my front yard.

Occasionally in life you run into people who are adamant about wanting to ban all guns.  In my lifetime I have ran into quite a few who wish to ban all guns on the basis that too many children hurt themselves when they find a firearm in the house.  I’ve always felt that this issue falls back on responsible parenting.  Personally, I managed to survive childhood with an arsenal of loaded guns in my house.  Additionally, I had my own firearms by age 12 along with a large collection of knives.  Nevertheless, responsible parenting and my childhood are not good enough arguments for people who want to ban all guns.  So, today I ran across a statistic that may be a decent argument.

Did you know that swimming pools are responsible for more at-home childhood deaths than simply having loaded guns in the house?  The truth is that 1 in 11,000 children with a swimming pool at home will drown in it.  Only 1 in 1,000,000 children die as a result of having a firearm in the home.  That being said, am I the only one that has noticed that a lot of people who are anti-gun have swimming pools at home?  Seems to me that their children are more in danger than children growing up with firearms in the home.

As you play Farmville, there are certain thing that you can do and it gives you the option to publish it on your Facebook profile.  Today, I was about to go nuts with all the publications.  Really, I was just trying to organize my fields and trees a little better.  Two publications said that I fertilized my neighbor’s crops.  One said that I helped five neighbors with pulling weed and chasing of random wild animals.  It published that I made it to Level 25 and that I bought a Dairy Barn to milk cows quicker.  I found a new button that publicized that I planted new crops that needed fertilized.

Then, an ugly duckling showed up on my farm.  When stray animals show up on your farm, you have the option to put them up for adoption.  Yes, this is another publication.

As many people remember from childhood stories an ugly duckling gets made fun of until it turns into a beautiful swan.  In Farmville the reason one won’t stay on your farm when it shows up is that the other ducks are making fun of it.  I got to thinking about this today.  I have roughly 15 swans on my farm that started at Ugly Ducklings.  You would think that after that many, the ducks on my farm would figure out that the different color duck with big teeth will grow up to be a bigger bird than they are.  Yet they still make fun of the ugly ducklings.  Some ducks just never learn.

I have bumps on my arms.  They are NOT contagious because the person I share a bed with does not have them.  They are tiny red bumps that blister with clear fluid then pop and itch constantly.  It’s almost like chicken pox only smaller bumps and more itchy.   I don’t know if you know what it’s like to itch constantly for two weeks straight, but I can honestly say that it’s pure psychological torture.

So, after my most recent trip to the VA clinic in Evansville, I have decided that I have the qualifications to be a VA nurse practitioner.   This woman pulled out a big black book and compared the pictures in it to my arms.  She couldn’t find one that matched so she pulled out what looked like an anatomy text book to me and did the same thing.  After that didn’t help, she actually got on the internet and went to WebMD.

My thoughts were, “Really? I could have done this much at home.” Wouldn’t most doctor’s run tests to find out what is wrong?

After WebMD didn’t help her diagnose the bumps on my arm, she prescribed an antibiotic (which she and her nurse both called a steroid) and an antihistamine and sent me home.  She said if that didn’t clear it up she’d refer me to a dermatologist.

I took my last antibiotic (or steroid depending on who you ask) today and it didn’t clear up yet.  Needless to say, I’m not looking forward to the phone call tomorrow where I try to convince this woman to refer me to a dermatologist without me having to go to the Evansville clinic again.

I’m just saying, if it wasn’t for the love of my life, my knight in rusty armor with a bloody battle ax that probably needs sharpened, I would probably be off the deep end already.  I’m only 5′1″, the deep end of the swimming pool is probably not the safest place for short little me to be.

So, back to where I was headed.  I consider myself to be an average size female with an extra large chest.  Basically, I’m not fitting into any costume in the store intended for a female.  So, I decided to get the pieces myself.

Everything was easy to find.  I even found a cute little plaid skirt that barely covers my tail end.  If I choose to bend over, everyone will see the cute little shorty shorts I picked out to cover everything up.  Not a big deal, I’m an adult around other adults.

The issue I have with this skirt is that it is in the Miley Cyrus line of clothing.  This means it was intended for a teenage girl to wear to school.   Really? Who would want their teenage daughter dressing in a skirt that her ass hangs out of?  I’m not a parent, but if you are I would suggest paying attention to what clothing your daughters are wearing, even if it’s from Wal-mart.

Remember my most recent ex-boyfriend? The one that cleaned out my tackle box.  Specifically, he took my stringer.  We had a dog named Diamond.  I made him leave her here when I kicked him out and he moved into his other girlfriend’s house in Derby.

On September 23rd, Diamond disappeared.  Within a week I knew where she was and how she got there.  These are the benefits of living in a small town.  Apparently, my ex (Jeff Fight) got his friend (Chris Aders) to come to my house while I was asleep and take my dog out of my yard. I did not report it at that time because if I did he would just come take her again.  I really didn’t want to lose my dog twice.

Today is October 15th.   My step-dad called me after talking to the rumor mill.  He said that Jeff was in jail in connection with break-ins around Derby.  He also said I should call the sheriff about my dog.  So I did.

I happened to have the number to the sheriff dispatch on my table in case Jeff would show up out here.  We had a no trespass order that would send him to jail if he stepped foot on any of these 10 acres.  So, that’s the number I called.  The dispatch took my info and a deputy called me back.

In the conversation with the deputy, I learned that he has heard Jeffrey Fight’s name a lot lately and he is trying to build a case to put him in jail.  He didn’t specify the reason, but he said they’re headed out to his house tomorrow for the third time and he will look for my dog.  I gave him a description of Diamond and he said that he didn’t see her, but there were a lot of dogs there.

The Perry County paper today said the sheriff’s department arrested two juvenile’s in connection with break-ins around Derby.  Through unnamed  sources I know that these two juveniles were to two oldest kids of Jeff’s new girlfriend.  The list of items that they supposedly stole was too long for them to accomplish this without at least one of the three adults living there to notice.  This list included a trolling motor and two four wheelers.  You can’t hide those under your bed.   I’m just saying.

So, there you have the details.  None of this is a theory.  I just have the right sources.

Have a good day! I’m off to 50 cent taco night.

However, yesterday Fox News was on the television as I getting ready for my little cousin’s birthday party.  They were discussing the “Stimulus Package” and the effect (or lack there of) it has had on the economy.  Then, they asked Indiana governor, Mitch Daniels what he thought of it.

The average person would know to comment on the package and how it affected their state.  Not Gov. Mitch Daniels.  He chose to gloat about how Indiana already had the “major moves” project building new roads before Obama got into office.  My reaction was, “Shut your pie hole and get off my television.”

See, when Mitch Daniels first got into office he called all Hoosiers fat and lazy.  That pretty well did it for me. So, on Fox News yesterday he just reminded me of how self-centered and arrogant he really is.

Becky still has access to the internet right now.  She was the only one not puking so she drove.  The Devil was supposed to be the designated driver.  Or so Mr. Drax said.  Becky drove Drax home so he didn’t pass out.  The Devil stayed at the bar trying to pick up a chic.  Becky is now on her blog about to publish this story.  How does this make you feel?

For anyone that knows me, or has been where I have, I’ve been extremely nervous about this new person in my life.   (I’m 26 years old and about to sound like a teenager, just deal with it.)  I’ve been hurt so many times in my life that every time I find someone new the same thought is in the back of my head, “When is this one gonna turn out like the rest?”

So far, he is not the “typical guy.”  This is a good thing.  I’m getting spoiled and enjoying it.  I actually feel like I’m living my own fairy tale right now.  So, the question remains, “Is it actually possible to be this blissfully happy?” Honestly, I hope so because I’m enjoying every second of it.

So, to the person that can look into my eyes and know what I’m feeling, all the questions that I’m trying not to let out were answered in my horoscope this morning.  To me it said wait and see, but I’m going to go ahead and share it with the world anyway.

A new person in your life is sparking some questions in your own mind — where are you going — how soon do you need to get there? Answers won’t come easy, and they shouldn’t. If they do, you’re probably just telling yourself what society expects of you. So just let these questions simmer for a while and don’t put too much pressure on finding an answer right now. Sooner or later you will come to some conclusions that will give you a firm foundation and a plan of attack.

First, when I got out of the shower my dog was laying on MY bed.  I said, “Diamond, do you really think you own the WHOLE house?”  She gave me that look.  You know the one.  It say, “Well Duh! How could you not know that?”

Later, I took a twelve year old to get a hair cut at Fantastic Sam’s.  The lady asked me how he wanted his hair cut.  I said, “He’s twelve, he can speak for himself.”

Finally, Wendy’s.  I asked for two waters and he said, “No, I put them in separate bags.”

Yep it’s been a good day.  It’s about to get better too.  I’m going to play pool with the person that has my head in the clouds right now.

The things that are most on my mind right now, I am not ready to tell the world about.  I am also sick of the news.  So, here are a few questions I’ve been pondering:

Why do some men with mullets and pony tails wear cut off shorts to Olive Garden?

How can a mother stay sober long enough to get one son from Missouri, but not long enough to raise the one that “lives” with her?

How can a 24-year-old be less mature than a 12-year-old?

How can spending time with someone you just met take the stress of the rest of the world away?

When did that wall around my heart go away? And how did I miss the memo on that?

How can two people have the same group of friends for years, hang out in the same place, and be so alike and compatible, but not meet until just now?

There you have it.  If you know me, then you know exactely what’s going on in my life.

Most of my friends that I met in the Navy are out of the service already.  The few that are still in aren’t being deployed.  The people I knew from around here that went into the National Guard did their duty and came home safe. 

Someone I graduated high school with is now a United States Marine.  His name is Walter Haney and he’s headed out to sea today.  All I’m asking is for anyone reading this to please pray for him and the other Marines he is with.  I have yet to lose a friend to this war, and I don’t want to start now.

After I graduated high school in 2001, I went to college in Arkansas. I was sick of this place. It seemed like every time I thought I had a group of friends to hang out with, one person would decide they didn’t like me. Then, it seemed like I’d lose at least 5 friends. Mom kept telling me that it’s just high school. She said that they would grow up eventually. I just figured it was me.

Well, I was gone from 2001 until 2005. The first thing I learned is that it wasn’t me. I really was a likable person. In Arkadelphia, Arkansas I fell into a large group of friends that liked to party a lot. I had the time of my life. So much so that I forgot to go to class and flunked out of college. Looking back it was worth it. That group of friends gave me the confidence I needed to go through the next few years of moving around a lot.

After flunking out of college, I lived in Bloomington, Indiana for a while. Loved it!! I was either working at Wendy’s or hanging out with my friends. The problem was that before I moved there I had enlisted in the Navy. So come April 2002, I had to leave. I cried when I left. Actually, I cried myself to sleep at night while I was in boot camp.

The Navy took me to Monterey, California after boot camp. A lot more beautiful than Perry County, Indiana. I loved it so much that I wanted to stay. If I had the money, I would probably go back. The price of living is like 5 times higher than here so that’s probably not going to happen. I was in Plume’s Coffee Shop one afternoon when this guy named Mickey found me and showed me around town. He introduced me to a group of some of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life. If the Navy wasn’t keeping me busy, I was at the Transit Center (large outdoor bus stop). We partied a lot, debated the meaning of life, solved the world’s problems. Two people in that group decided they didn’t like me. No one else in that group had a problem. They stayed friends with me and with the people that didn’t like me. That’s what friends do.

As the military goes, you can’t stay in one place too long. By the end of 2003, I was on my way to Georgia. The man I married in California turned into something different when we got to Georgia. I tried to hold it together, but there’s only so much one partner can do without the help of the other. Let’s just say I wasn’t allowed to leave the house except to go to work.

Well, after we separated, I was free! I went out a couple times and found myself in the Metro Coffee House. Great bar! Yet another group of friends that had each other’s backs no matter what. When one of them decided he was mad at another, they were both still invited to the Superbowl parties, etc. After I got out of the Navy, I couldn’t find a job. I didn’t have a choice but to come home in 2005.

After I started going out the the bars (Cantina and Alpine), I easily found friends. All of them were people that I had never met before. Within a year most of them moved away. Lee Hulse went to Indianapolis (I think). Big Dan went to Santa Claus with his fiance (but he calls everytime he’s in town). Sherri is in Hardinsburg, KY. Everyone else is just scattered. I found more friends pretty easy, but those are the 3 that I miss.

So, here I am in Perry County trying to find friends again. I thought the issues in high school were gone, and this should be a fairly easy task. Boy was I wrong. In the past few weeks, I have had to make new friends, TWICE. My back started easing up enough to move around about the time I kicked Jeff out. So I headed out to find my old friends. Don’t know what I did, but they turned their noses up at me. A few didn’t, but then one specific person didn’t like me anymore and BAM lost my friends. When that person’s not around they’ll still talk to me, but I’m so sick of those games.

Less than a week later, I stumble into a group of people that enjoyed muddin, camping, bonfires, etc. Oh yeah!! I was having the time of my life. Then, one person decides they don’t like me and the rest tell me to F-off. This is starting to feel like high school again.

In Perry County I can count my friends on one hand. I went to high school with one, another has his daughter on weekends, one is a bartender, one used to be in the Navy, and the other holds the bar up at the Cantina. Three of those I never see outside a bar. There are various other people that live in Perry County that I would call friends if they would talk to me somewhere other than online or through a text message. When I see them in public, I say hi and it’s like I don’t exist.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a loner by any means. I’m actually a very sociable person. I love being around people. However, it angers me when people turn their noses up at me because they don’t want someone else seeing them talk to me. So far, that’s been Perry County lately. If I had the money, I’d leave again. My only hesitation would be leaving my family and two of my five friends.

First, I was in the Navy for 3 1/2 years and ended up with a general discharge (under honorable conditions).  Besides my career, all I really lost was was the Montgomery G.I. Bill.  At the time it wasn’t that big of a deal because I was happy to start with retail jobs and work my way up to a good paying factory job. 

When I was in the Navy, I hurt my back pretty bad.  It wasn’t due to an accident.  It was an early onset of degenerate disc disease caused by going from a lazy teenager to an overworked sailor.  They say that condition isn’t supposed to hurt.  Well, it does.

Earlier this year, the pain in my lower back and the nerve pain in my legs finally got to a point that I couldn’t handle it anymore.  It caused me to fall to my knees at work.  Since February,  I haven’t been able to sit up longer than a couple hours at a time.  Standing and walking were limited to occasions that were absolutely necessary.  Needless to say, I’ve been off work since February. 

Over the past few weeks, I’ve gotten myself to where I can sit up a little longer and walk a little further.  To find something to earn income for myself  and work around the pain I started selling quilts on Etsy.  That venture keeps growing slowly.  I thank God for that.

In case you are wondering, I do have a plan.  I want to go back to school.  Earlier this year I filled out a FAFSA only to find out that I made too much money last year to get financial aid.  So, I’m going to wait til I file taxes next year and fill it out again.  They’ll go on this years income and I will get financial aid.  I’m going to go to American Military University online to get a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.  I want to use that degree to either be a Corrections Counselor or a Parole/Probation Officer. 

As you could imagine, for someone to get into that particular career field, it would be important to have a clean record.  Lately, I’ve been working really hard to keep myself away from situations that could get me into trouble.  Also, while in the Navy I learned (the hard way) that appearances are important when it comes to your career.  So, while I understand that people do change, I would prefer to find a group of friends with no felonies and no recent jail time.  That seems simple.  However, it has proven to be a very difficult task.  That doesn’t mean that I’m going to ignore everyone with a record.  I’m just not wanting to spend the majority of my time around people that are in and out of jail.  I’m sorry if that makes me sound mean, but for the first time in my life I’m starting to take care of myself first. 

I’ve had this criminal justice dream for quite some time.  It’s time for me to start making it come true.

First, here is Boo and Jack.  This adorable little decoration is made from wool with a process called needle felting.  Boo and Jack can be found in SacredCat’s store on Etsy.

Next, is a fabric “Trick or Treat” banner by AddieBugs on Etsy.  Unlike paper banners, this banner is re-usable year after year.  It would look great displayed at a party or in your home.

Third, here is a quilted jack-o-lantern.  Have a baby with older siblings that like to trick or treat? Keep the baby warm this Halloween with this quilted jack-o-lantern from Becky Morton Creations.  It’s the perfect size for a stroller. 

 So, there you have a few of my favorite handmade Halloween finds this year.  Please join me in making this Halloween a Handmade Halloween.

For the past couple of days, I’ve been thinking.  I’ve made the decision to buy as many handmade things as I can from the people that make them.  Handmade items are quality, durable items that can be used. 

Why would I buy handmade instead of mass produced?  Think about it.  If you buy a bracelet from CastleBeadBiz on Etsy, you a paying the person that runs that shop to make a bracelet for you.  If you were to buy a similar bracelet at a retail store, you’re paying someone to make it, someone to sell it, someone to supervise both of them, someone to do payroll, someone to coordinate sells, someone to coordinate a work schedule, etc. 

I like simplicity.  So, I’d prefer just to pay someone to make it for me.  Most cities have places where local people sell the stuff they made.  In my town they are at flea markets, fairs, and festivals. 

If you can’t find something in your area, there are multiple places to buy handmade online.  BuyHandmade.org has a short list of sites that sell handmade items.  It’s on the right and you may have to scroll down.  Or you can search for what you want on your search engine.