Throwback Thursday.. Do you remember...

So, I was checking my email and one caught my eye

reading "Retrieve your Photos from MySpace."

This had me looking further, only to discover that it took me to MySpace, in which I had to retrieve my password since I haven't accessed the thought to be gone, site since 2011. 

After a few hoops of jumping, I logged on, only to discover my old profile with ALL my old photos, which brought me back down Memory Lane, since most of them were of days either BEFORE kids or right after the first one.

So this brought on a HUGE project- I had to retrieve them, I had to SAVE them to my PC, because my head was telling me that I have the originals backed up a million +1 times, my heart was telling me that if I didn't save them I would surly lose them forever!

Now, for my Throwback Thursday, I found this picture of the day my first kiddo was born. It was February, cold, but no snow was on the ground. I got up, as usual, got ready for work. I was bending down for a Pepsi out of the case next to the fridge (I know, lecture me later!) and...gush... I was like, hmm... OK. I don't remember thinking anything at this point. I wasn't scared or shocked or anything, I just made my way to the bathroom to pad up and decided that since it probably was going to be a while until this kid came out (horror stories of 30 hour births) - I should eat the warm pop tart that I had in the toaster. So, I did!

I finished a few minutes later and called my work peeps to let them know (or their voice-mails) that I was going to be headed to the hospital to have me a baby. Then, I made my way up stairs to wake up Hubby. 

He JUMPED up! He rushed me out the door, with Hospital bag in tow and off we went. He even had the nerve to reprimand me about eating, while I should have been waking him up. (We love this story today!)

Next came the check in, make sure your in labor stuff. They wheeled me in a wheel chair- which I thought was ridiculous because I was in NO physical pain, what-so-ever.  But, I was wheeled away, Hubby trying to keep up, to Maternity. Then came the monitors and all the fun stuff. 

Around 10:00 am, I still wasn't not have contractions so they started the Petocin. Shortly after, Epidural came and the only pain that I had was a sharp, shooting pain in my back that literally made me scream and caused panic in me because I thought that I was never going to walk again. (weird sensation and feelings!)

Me and 5 YO- 2009

But at 1:58 PM we welcomed a beautiful, 7lb 1 ounce baby girl into this world.  She was beautiful! She was a really good baby from the start, very quiet and content, like she knew right where she was. 

Hubby and 5 yo- 2009

I can not believe that day, which is still so FRESH in my mind, was 5 years ago.  It seems so unreal! 

Hubby- so proud- feeding 5 yo- 2009

What is your Memory of your First Baby and the Labor experience? 

Until next week.. (sorry, gotta run, Gray's is on!)

~KEL~

Wacky Wednesday... Random Facts...

It's Wacky Wednesday Everyone!

Is everyone ready for what I have been cooking up all day? I have some good ones this week, some that are funny, wacky, and some that will just plain knock your socks off and make you say...WHATTT?

It's another Wednesday here and time for our Wacky Wednesday Random Facts.  I am warning that I found some that I was like, WOW, this week! So, without further ado, let's jump in...

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Since it is HUMP day..

Did you know that Giraffes and Rats can last longer without water than CAMELS! (bam...)

       Dreamt is the ONLY English word that ends in the letters AMT.

Bulgarians are known to be the biggest YOGURT eaters in the world! (holy yogurt! I wonder if that is where FAGE is made?)

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      0.3% if all ROAD ACCIDENTS in CANADA involve a MOOSE!  (i love moose!)  

Bacteria, the tiniest free-living cells, are SO SMALL that a SINGLE drop of liquid contains as many as 50 MILLION of them! (gross!)

       Stairs KILL about 12,000 people EVERY YEAR!  

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1/3 of all BABIES born TODAY will live to be 100 years old.  

       

Time for some CRAZY Stories...

In 1994, a woman named LUCY MORO was found GUILTY of Manslaughter after kicking her husband in the balls and accidentally killing him.  (watch where you kick!)

pinned image- ELMO KILL JAMES by HUG!!!

In 2008, an Elmo doll bought for a boy named James began saying “Kill James” after the batteries 

were changed.

WEIRD but TRUE...

Yawning is contagious.  Even thinking about yawning is enough. (as i myself yawn!)  In fact, there is a 50% chance that you're about to, or just did YAWN... (true story!)

 

Just for FUN!

In the original version of Little Red Riding hood, the wolf and the girl EAT the grandmother together. (EWW)

           M&Ms were developed so that soldiers could eat candy without getting their        

           fingers sticky.

While staring at the blue sky, you can see individual white blood cells flowing through your eyes. (um, weird!)

Coincidences...hmm... I think NOT!

The man who designed Saddam Hussein's secret bunker was the grandson of the woman who designed Adolf Hilter's. (creepy!)

THE ROUND UP- TOP 10

1) 37% of MEN keep their eyes OPEN while kissing- only 3% of women do this! (creepy)

 2) 52% of women in Britain, state they'd rather eat CHOCOLATE than have SEX- 87% of MEN said the opposite. (Chocolate is a substitutes for sex, and of course men said SEX, duh!)

3) A 13YO boy in Florida was once arrested for excessive farting in school. (What was that noise?)

4) The green parts of potatoes contain a chemical called "solanine" which, when consumed in high quantities are very poisonous. (Psychedelic man.)

5) Internet trolls are defined as people who use the web "only to cause trouble and conflict" (um, isn't that what a troll does under the bridge?)

6) Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone was originally rejected by 12 publishers. (In your face now!)

7) Astronauts cannot burp in space because there isn't enough gravity to separate the gases from liquid s in the stomach. (is that why "space" food is so gross?)

8) There are an estimated 100 billion galaxies in the universe. (so what makes this one with Earth so special? Makes you wonder, huh!)

9) All of the bacteria in our body collectively weighs about 4 lbs. (that is gross- Oil Pulling anyone!)

10. A study conducted by Harvard Researchers found women are happier when their males partners open up about being upset. (you think? I mean, when Hubby is upset and is throwing stuff around, IT IS NICE TO KNOW WHY!)

   

   

RANDOM IMAGES FROM GOOGLE:

 

 

 

 

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

  

Until next time.. have a GREAT WEDNESDAY Everyone!

~KEL~ 

Book Review- Tuesday.. Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts

WHISKEY BEACH by Nora Roberts- Book Review

for 3/4/2014

**Side note:  I know that I was SUPPOSED to be reviewing COMPLETE ME by J. Kenner (Stark Trilogy), but I haven't been able to pick it up this week. I have two sick kids- still, one is on breathing treatments every 3 hours and with keeping up on cleaning to get rid of these germs, I have not had  a minute to myself- sorry! Tune in next week!**

 

Book Cover from Barnesandnobles.com

I am reviewing Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts this week. I read this book in February of this year and have it still pretty fresh in my mind. I think that it should be noted that I  might do a lot of book reviews about Nora Robert's Books- I am a HUGE fan! I love to write and feel that I idolize the way that she write and captures the pictures in her stories and try my hardest to reflect that quality in my own work. 

So, onto Whiskey Beach. It is centered around an old historic home, Bluff House that sits on Whiskey Beach.  The main character is Eli Landon, a lawyer from Boston who goes back to the house, which his Grandmother lives in, after there is a murder, involving his ex-wife.  His Grandmother has a fall in the house late one evening and is back in Boston with the rest of Eli's family and has entrusted Eli to take care of the house in her absence, while she is on the mend. She really wants him to relieve some of the stress that he is under due to being under investigation for the murder.

Eli is fighting his demons during the story and relieving a lot of the past. He meets his Grandmother's "housekeeper" Abra Walsh.  Her character is presented as a bit of an eccentric, she teaches yoga, which Eli finds out his Grandmother attends regularly, she makes jewelry and does massages. She is on top of everything from getting the groceries that Eli likes, to talking to his Grandmother on a regular basis. 

There is definitely a spark between the two and during the story you watch what unfolds, all while the house unlocks its own old secrets. Murder starts to happen within Whiskey Beach's community and stirs controversy with Eli's recent visit. 

Eli and Abra are also dealing with an intruder in both Abra's home and in Eli's, attacking Abra, while trying to reach the basement. It leads to the discovery that the intruder was in the house the the night that Eli's Grandmother was attacked. 

There is a man who will stop at nothing to destroying Eli and his reputation. 

***I think that Nora produced a page turner with this one, as I could NOT put it down. I read it cover to cover (well, on the Nook of course) in less than 2 days. I was engrossed with the budding romance of Eli and Abra, hooked with the historical house and the picture it painted and taken back with the twist of the plot and trying to find out the "who Dun it" of the story line.

ANOTHER REVIEW:

Adapted from: Goodreads.com  

After a year spent at the center of a murder investigation, Boston lawyer Eli Landon has taken refuge at Bluff House, his family’s home in Whiskey Beach. Eli’s tired of the spotlight and the accusing stares from people who believed he killed his wife during their acrimonious divorce. He wants peace and finds it at Bluff House. Until housekeeper/yoga instructor/massage therapist/jewelry designer Abra Walsh turns his world upside down. Abra seems determined to bring Eli back into the world of the living — whether he likes it or not. But there’s someone in Whiskey Beach who’d like to do more than see Abra fail. Someone’s out to destroy Eli Landon, and they’ll kill anyone who gets in their way.

Nora Roberts takes readers on an engrossing journey of love, lust, betrayal, and treasure in Whiskey Beach and I, for one, could not be more delighted.

In many ways, Whiskey Beach is Eli’s story. Eli’s a successful criminal attorney who lost a lot of himself when he was accused of murdering his soon-to-be-ex wife. He’s been hounded more than anyone could handle and it’s no surprise he begins the story a bit broken. I loved watching Eli develop over the course of Whiskey Beach. Seeing him come out of the darkness thanks, in large part, to Abra, was a joy all of its own. And speaking of Abra… What a heroine. She bursts onto the page with a palpable energy that endeared her to me from the start. I adored her strength, charm, and attitude toward life. The romance between her and Eli develops so smoothly over the course of the book that I was amazed; no one can write such flawlessly organic love stories like Ms. Roberts. Separately and together, Eli and Abra are dynamic and are sure to draw readers into the world of Whiskey Beach.

A healthy dose of intrigue from not one, but two mysteries rounds out Whiskey Beach. Buried treasure and murder ensure there’s quite a bit of suspense and keep Whiskey Beach moving at a quick clip. I won’t say much about these storylines other than they’re excellently crafted and even if you can see what’s going to happen, the way Ms. Roberts writes the story each revelation and action sequence is still exciting.

ABOUT NORA ROBERTS:

Nora Roberts- goodbook.com

aka 

Jill March
J.D. Robb
Sarah Hardesty


Eleanor Marie Robertson was born on October 10, 1950 in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. She was the youngest of five children, also the only girl, of a marriage with Irish ancestors. Her family were avid readers, so books were always important in her life. She attended a Catholic school and credits the nuns with instilling in her a sense of discipline. During her sophomore year in high school, she transferred to a local public school, where she met Ronald Aufdem-Brinke, her future first husband.

In August 17, 1968, as soon as she had graduated from high school, Eleanor married, against her parents' wishes; the couple settled in Keedysville, Maryland. Her husband worked at his father's sheet-metal business before joining Nora's parents in their lighting company, while she worked briefly as a legal secretary. "I could type fast but couldn't spell; I was the worst legal secretary ever," she says now. After their sons, Dan and Jason, were born, she stayed home. Calling this her "Earth Mother" years, she spent much of her time doing crafts, including ceramics and sewing her children's clothes. The couple ended up separating; they divorced in January 1985.

In February 1979, a blizzard forced her hand to try another creative outlet. She was snowed in with a three- and a six-year-old with no kindergarten respite in sight and a dwindling supply of chocolate. During the now famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write down one of her stories. It was then that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981 under the authorship of Nora Roberts, a shortened form of her birth name Eleanor Marie Robertson, because she assumed that all authors had pen names.

Eleanor wrote, under another pseudonym (Jill March), a story titled "Melodies of Love" for a magazine.

Eleanor met her second husband, Bruce Wilder, when she hired him to build bookshelves. They were married in July 1985. Bruce owns and operates a bookstore in Boonsboro, Maryland called "Turn the Page Books". Since getting married, Eleanor and Bruce have expanded their home and traveled the world.

In 1992, she adopted another pseudonym so as to publish a futuristic-suspense novel series. She first decided to use the pseudonym D.J. MacGregor, but discovered that this pseudonym was used by another author. In 1995, her first "In Death" serial novel was published under the pseudonym J.D. Robb. The initials "J.D." were taken from her sons, Jason and Dan, while "Robb" is a shortened form of Roberts.

Eleanor has also been known as Sara Hardesty, because when the "Born In" series was released in U.K. it carried that name instead of Nora Roberts. She has since changed publishers.

Eleanor has been plagiarized by another best-selling romance writer, Janet Dailey. The practice came to light after a reader read Nora Roberts' Sweet Revenge and Janet Dailey's Notorious back-to-back; the reader noticed several similarities and posted the comparable passages on the Internet. Calling the plagiarism "mind rape," Eleanor sued Janet Daily. In 1997, Janet admitted to repeatedly plagiarizing from Nora Roberts' work and that both Aspen Gold and Notorious lifted heavily from Roberts' work. Both of those novels were pulled from print after Janet's admission. She acknowledged the plagiarism and blamed it on a psychological disorder. In a settlement, Janet paid Eleanor an undisclosed sum, which Eleanor donated to the Literacy Volunteers of America.

A founding member of the Romance Writers of America (R.W.A.), Eleanor was the first inductee in the organization's Hall of Fame. She also is a member of several writers' groups and has won countless awards.

**Recommended Books**

Inn Boonsboro Trilogy (these are ecelent!)

Wedding Quartet

Sign of Seven (really good Trilogy!)

Midnight Bayou (my favorite!)

Cousins O'Dwyer (new triology- read the 1st book and LOVED IT!)

 

 

Enjoy!

~KEL~   

Marriage Monday.. is he marriage material?

He tells her that he is NOT that guy who settles down.

He tells her that he is NOT looking for a wife.

He tells her that ANY guy who tells you he wants the same woman for the next 50 years is lying.

Sure signs that he MAY still have some "growing" up to do!

I was recently talking with a friend of mine, who, like a lot of women, (including myself), has had a guy who has been in and out of her life for the past ten years. I have been in her life for the past five years of those and have watched this guy come back in and out, breaking a piece of her heart each time. 

Their story is like every story you hear about when you hear about "the guy who is in and out of her life" - she "loved" him at one point, still does in fact and think that he keeps coming in and out for a reason.  She is holding onto the hope that this time is "IT" - unfortunately, thus far, it has been anything BUT.

Her guy was married around the time they started, whatever you want to call it, their love affair. This broke her heart. He ended up with a kid and a divorce and since has been closed on the subject of commitment or labels, as far as she is concerned. At one point he even went so far to have something going on with her and then told her that he had a girlfriend. 

To be fair, this stuff is all in the past. He has reverted to the line that it isn't her, it is him. He has told her that he is not the kind of guy that settles down and she deserves better. I, for one, have heard this line a few times in my early dating years. I think, at one point, I even heard this from Hubby. (long story- maybe next weeks topic)

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So, they had a break, but started a "friendship" back in March of last year. They really didn't see each other until September/ October-ish of last year. It sounded to me, as an outsider, friends with benefits, but then, something happened. He started to let her in a little at a time. I told her to have fun, don't get attached and for God's sake, don't change who she was for him! (He harps on her for emotions, craziness and blah blah blah!) 

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Well, a few weeks ago, they are still re-kindling a romance she finally got to meet his son (he is 6 and yes, this was the first time she EVER met him- kind of strange, right!)  But, before that, he told her about one of his friends and asked her to look him up on Facebook. Something about them all going out  together. Well, this friend starts to call her, and her guys relays the message that his friend thinks she is cute. WTH?  I got weirded out by this! I guess said friend has a committed woman who is super young, playing Wife/Mommy and all that but he goes outside of their relationship to maintain happiness. RED FLAGS!!

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So, she had mentioned all this to me and I was like- HUH? People do this, yes, but not everyone. What is the point? I find this one hard to pinpoint because that is part of the zero-tolerance that my marriage lives by. (This went even before marriage- commitment is commitment.) 

Well, I was just curious as to why he told her friend said she was cute- it seems to me like a swapping of some sort was in question- ewww.. 

I guess that over the past weekend something happened and the topic of the friend was once again rehashed. The Guy went off on my Friend about how he was not marriage material and how any guy who says they want to be married to the same woman for 50+ years is a liar.  Guys like that don't exist. He was so rude to her, pushing her away and breaking her down. 

I was told all this today. My first take is that he is scared.  He is having feelings for my Friend and is pushing her away because he doesn't know how to handle it all. He knows that the open relationship is a hot trigger for my friend and is using it to his advantage. The problem is that he hurt her by the words he spewed at her and really cut into her self esteem. 

I told her that he is messed up and shame on him. If it were me, crazy would have been unleashed. I don't like guys who want to tell you how YOU feel, how they think THEY are or anything else for that matter. I would have told him that I was stopping at the damn store to pick up some Midol for his cranky ass. She just took it. Poor thing. 

I told her that she needs to realize that she is better than him and until she pushes him away, he is going to continue to use her for a door mat and God Damn it- for her not to dare be a place he wipes his dirty feet. I also told him that he goes back to her all the damn time because none of his other hoes will put up with his shit, but she does, so she is an easy target. 

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The biggest problem with this whole picture is, this guy here, he is almost 40 years old. I think I would be a little more sympathetic and even open minded had she told me he was in his mid twenties- right!

I just hope she can pick herself up and get herself out there, but I am worried, as a friend, that she is going to be blind to anyone who comes along because she is really hung up on the thoughts that he keeps coming back into her life because God is trying to tell her something.  I keep telling her that God is just trying to get her some. Period.

I think that I can kind of relate to her because I was one of those girls who had the on again/off again relationship that seemed to drag on forever.  We had a lot of road blocks because we were 14 when we started "dating" - and were each others first true loves.  The kicker was that our families were close. 

It lasted for far too long and went NO WHERE, every time.  I would be heart broken or pissed.  But I never let his sweet talking break me. I always kept myself out there and kept dating and if he came back during those times he was S O L.

It wasn't until right before Hubby that I met up with him, saw a side that disgusted me and left him at the bar around the corner from his house. We had a fight because he said he could NEVER be with me because of my Mom. He said he hated my Mom, his Mom hated her and his Step Dad did too.  I couldn't handle that and walked away, never looking back. 

Who knew he was onto something.. (shame on me)

But, while I loved him, he was my first true love and all that good stuff, I am SO glad I didn't end up as his Wife. I am one luck Bitch! I have a superb Hubby and couldn't ask for anything better. And look at my children- BAM! 

Life has a funny way of turning out. Hind sight always plays a big role, somewhere or another!

Hubby, I and our first born

I just hope that Mr. One liner, I am not Husband Material would get a clue that he has a great girl wanting him- not anyone but him, and the reality of it all is that his stubborn, selfish ass should be ALONE!

Ugh, Marriage Material.  When do guys get it- or does it just have to be the right person? 

Kind of interesting...

Until next week- that is a Marriage Material wrap! And by the way, you don't get to have your cake and eat it too! It doesn't work like that. That is the dumbest shit ever - why even be committed? 

Until Next Time...

~KEL~ 

 

Say Whatttt..Sunday...Gossip, Gossip, Gossip..about the Stars, of course!

This week I wanted to switch it up a little bit. I know everyone is all about the Oscar Buzzz.. well, honestly, I don't watch the Oscars. My reason is simple, The Walking Dead- duh!

But, while there is a lot of buzz, I won't be discussing, today at least.  Instead, I am just going to discuss some things in Hollywood and on TV that are interesting me.

That 70's Show, Married..

Well, for starters, did you hear that Ashton and Mila are finally engaged! C'mon Jackie and Kalso, took your L O N G enough! I am super excited about this, I think it is because I grew up on That 70's Show and watched them on the screen, even if they were actors, who knew it was an insight into the future?

Mila Kunis- Happily Engaged!- from People.com

If you see the picture above (which I snagged from People.com) - look at her face- she is so happy! Plus, she looks a little preggers. (sorry, just saying- her loose clothes and puffy face)- but Ashton did a good job with her bling bling.  Can't wait for them to walk down the isle!!!


How about the Bachelor, anyone?
Well, truth be told, I have not watched the Bachelor, I don't really think, ever. Honestly. I don't even know how it happened. I mean, I was sitting there one night, after getting my children to bed and BAM, there it was on the TV, playing and all I could do was WATCH.  So, now I seem to be hooked. WOW.
I have not followed closely, so I have no idea who all those ladies on the upcoming Reunion? show are, but I have watched, solidly, for 2 weeks now.
The HOT TOPIC seems to be Andi. I am glad she left. She was shady! Sorry, my thoughts. I think that she forgot that she was on TV and that this guy had/has a pool of women fighting for his attention. Her story kept changing too.  One minute she was riding on the fact that he talked about himself, next minute she was declaring that she doesn't really know him. I was confused and happy to see her go!
When it comes to the two ladies left, I don't see him with Nikki. She seems to young. Sorry, but she was almost immature to me. But, Clare seems to smile and pose for the cameras, like she is trying to be a breakout reality TV star.  I hope that my read on her is wrong, because it seems like they might be able to make it work, I just think she is looking at Juan Pueblo as a stepping stone into the industry. (again, just my take on it)

Juan Pueblo Galavis, Bachelor- People.com

Good Luck Juan Pueblo!


Its a Rossdale Son.. again..
It's another boy for Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani.  They welcomed baby #3 on Feb. 28th- Appolo Bowie Flynn. Congrats to them, for sure. Poor Gwen, I feel her pain, although my Girl Pack is at 2 and stable. It is tough with all of one sex but I am sure they are awesome parents. 
The article I read said that Bowie and Flynn are each of their mother's maiden names. I was a little thrown back with the double middle name- I think that is pretty common in Hollywood now a days, but this time, i get it - it has meaning and that rocks!

Gwen Stefani showing off Baby Bump- People.com

Enjoy- wonder if they will have baby #4? hmmm..
 
Real World - Ex-plosion
Because at this point, it is a self indulgence that I even tune in. I can't help myself. Again, another one of those shows that I honestly have not watched since, my senior year in high school. I can't stop watching it now. I am hooked. I tuned into the last episode and totally went into it thinking Cory is a douche-bag and ended up thinking that he is just hurt and a dude and that is how he wanted to deal with it, even if it wasn't kind. 

Real World Ex-Plosion cast- 2014 - from MTV.com

I feel for Jamie too though.  No one expects that to happen, unless your planning, and for Cory to berate her did SUCK! I am happy she "told" her story but wished she would be used it as a chance to inform America. I am assuming from the "after" show that she had an abortion or it was just a "scare" - but she could have used it as a teaching moment, if she had an abortion, use that time to say, look, it was not the right time for me and I would not have been able to properly care for another being and I chose the best option for me at this time in my life. I wish that people could shed some kind of positive light on the option that is out there. Instead it is always negative, and I know, I am still on the fence, but I think that EVERY situation is different. If you are a woman who has had multiple abortions, I lack sympathy for you. If you made a huge mistake and know that you are not ready for a baby, I give you props for being brave and unselfish for that baby and the world it could of potentially been brought into. I also believe that if you take the proper measure to ensure it does not happen again, you are a smart person, if a baby is not in your thoughts at that time of your life.

OK, get off your soapbox Kel!  I just had my moment, but other than that missing key, which was kept a secret by Jamie, I think that this show is fully of TV drama- but they do seem to be getting along better than expected...until next week, from the looks of it!
BAM!
 
Well, that is all I have for today!

Enjoy your Sunday... 

~KEL~