Amazing

Trudie's Treasures

   Alrighty then.  I'm proud to announce that I am now a business woman.  The name of my company is "Trudie's Treasures."  I don't know about you, but I'm really tired of everyone making a gazillion bucks on me.  My goal is to find name brand and/or quality merchandise, and offer it at the lowest possible price that I can.  Yes, I need the income - but anytime I get involved with any type of selling, I have to believe in the company and the product.
    Two of my kids don't think that I can make it work.  What I can't make work is their father - which is a whole other blog.  I have to believe in myself and get moving with this.  Please visit my store, and let me know what you think - CONstructive criticism is always welcomed.  I will also be coming to you from an eBay site near you!!  Hopefully by the end of the week, I'll have some items on the auction.  Please say a prayer, or cross your fingers for me, whichever the case may be (MelodYann)!!
   
    I'd also like to mention another talented blogger, Helen (who just happens to be Janet's sister and grew up in NJ).  I read her blog "Just Playin'" and feel like I'm "back in the day."  Her posts are short, but very enjoyable.  Helen also writes poetry and some really good stuff aka "heavy, heavy" on her other blog "Box of Rain."
    I'm so blessed to have met these bloggers because  they actually read  my posts and have extended a hand of friendship to me.  My own fam damily doesn't read my blogs!  It means a lot to me that I am read, and even if just once I caused a smile then it's all worth while.  Thanks!

Confession Time

    OK, I'll confess.  I've been very depressed since I found out that a good friend of mine died four years ago.  OK, so he was more than "just a friend," but that was over 30 years ago.  I don't quite know why I am reacting this way, I haven't seen or even bumped into him for 29 years.
    While perusing the classmates.com website, I ran into his widow's profile.  I got up the courage to email her and she was gracious enough to email me back, 3 times so far.  I was shocked.  I don't know why, either.  Flake told me that it is because I had some real feelings for him and now he's outta here.  Maybe.  And maybe it's because it was so long ago.  In any case, I'm still shaking my head.
    I did have real feelings for him, but knew that I had to let go.  He was engaged which I didn't know at the time.  They married, she gave him a son and daughter.  He died too soon.  He should have been able to walk his daughter down the aisle, be a grandfather, he should have been able to laugh, retire, travel, and dance to "Stairway to Heaven" one more time.  Ironic; he was climbing the stairway to heaven.

    This one's for you, Abro.

 There’s a lady who’s sure
All that glitters is gold
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she’s buying a stairway to heaven.

There’s a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
’cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook
There’s a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

There’s a feeling I get
When I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who standing looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And it’s whispered that soon
If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.

If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow
Don’t be alarmed now,
It’s just a spring clean for the may queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There’s still time to change the road you’re on.
And it makes me wonder.

Your head is humming and it won’t go
In case you don’t know,
The piper’s calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How ev’rything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.

And she’s buying a stairway to heaven. 

Cousins

    I found some of my cousins at Classmates.com.  It was great to find my cousins - we were good friends when I was a little girl.  My mother's cousin and her kids were so much fun to be around.  They were always laughing and so were we when my mother, brother and I were with them.
    Looking back, I'm wondering if anyone ever did this:  we used to call our cousins "Cousin" and then their name.  Like Cousin Ronnie, Cousin Natalie, Cousin Trudie, Cousin David, etc.  We are not from the south, we are from New Jersey, born and raised. We did this on both sides of the family, too.  I wish I had a dollar for each cousin I have!  I have a gazillion cousins.  We were raised around family get togethers.  It was awesome.
    I think that people used to stay put more years ago.  My dad graduated from the high school I graduated from, and I actually became friends with some of the kids of his classmates!  I couldn't raise my kids around cousins because the brother, Uncle Vito, moved his family to California and I moved "down the shore."  Good friends became "family."  Now some friends have moved away, too.  I think it sucks.

P.S.

     Just to let you see some of the people I was talking about in the last post:
(click on pix to see larger)

                                                 

Marissa, Gracie, Amanda 8/05

Michael, Natalie, Melodie 1980

Does Color Really Matter?

  My daughter Melodie Ann (34) called me from Florida and we had such a weird conversation.  I was crying, it was so funny.  She has my grand-daughter Grace staying with her until this Monday.   Grace lives with her dad a couple of blocks from me in NJ  (Exit 88).
    Now, you've got to understand that she has 4 girls and a son.  Mel is carrying on a conversation with me, her daughters, her son, her niece, and her husband while talking to me.  Right now my daughter is trying to talk Grace into wearing other colors beside black.  Grace (13) responded by telling her aunt, "I have hyperhydrosis."  Aunt asks "what the hell is 'hyperhydrosis'?"  Grace explained to her that her arm pits drip and black's the only color that doesn't show the sweat ring.  Auntie told her that "mine  used to 'cry' at your age and so what, you sweat, you sweat there's a ring, so what."  Meema (me) over the phone says "oh bullshit, she just wants to wear black, if anyone has hyperhydrosis, it's me!  My whole body sweats!"   
    Now Melodie is telling her husband "Gracie's telling Mandie that she has super-halitosis so she can wear black."  Danny walks away just shaking his head.  Then she was studying a map on line and asked her son, Billy (17) "what are these little thingys."  Billy says "who cares what they are" so she repeats it in the form of a question:  "You don't care what they are?"  Apparently not.
   Back to the sweats:  I'm telling Mel that "Gracie doesn't have a problem, I do, even my scalp sweats."  Mel answers "my tongue sweats!"  So I totally go back to laughing my butt off.  Now Mel's arguing with her daughter, Mandie, about what color wedding gown she should wear.  Mandie is 12, and not dating, let alone planning her wedding.  She's telling her she should "wear taupe, if you're pure, you're pure.  Some people just don't look good in white."   Mel is 1/2 Sicilian and lives in Florida.  Her hubby is Puerto Rican-American.  She and her girls are all dark.  Nat's part Swedish, has blonde hair, blue-gray eyes, and her skin is snow white.  Mel, "look at Aunt Nat, she doesn't look good in white."  She's trying to tell her she doesn't have to wear white.   Mel wore an "ice pink" satin and champagne beaded lace wedding gown that I made for her.   It wasn't because of her purity or lack thereof, it was because pink was "in" for wedding gowns.  Now if you watched "Days of Our Lives," you'd remember that Jennifer married Jack in a pink wedding gown.  It was after Jen's wedding, but we both fell in love with the idea.
    Now Mel's telling me that the gay flag is a rainbow.  "What's the name of that gay skater?  He was skating around with one."  OK, Mel...

   While we're on the subject of "Melodie Ann," I'd like to mention another awesome blogger whose name happens to be "MelodY Ann."  The name of the blog is "Searching for a Rainbow."  This woman is a genious and needs to be published.  She has it all as a writer.  She has started writing "The Book  of the Century:  Girl."   Only the first two chapters are done, but done with total brilliance.  If you have a sense of humor, and an imagination, you'll love reading it.  MelodY also writes incredible poetry that you can picture in your mind's eye - total mind candy!!   Please check her out, a link to her blog is under "Amazing People, Melody's Rainbow."
   

Blogging . . .

   I guess my "site pal" was a bomb.  Here I was thinking that it would be unique and stuff.  Turned out that it was annoying to some people who complained to Googlepex who in turn threatened to suspend me until I stopped my blog from talking.  It doesn't have to start up when the window opens - I just thought it would be fun.  Wrong.  It is fairly simple to operate, and can have a start button on it.  I think it's really unique, and I thought it was amazing.  Maybe on someone else's blog, someone who knows what the heck they're doing.  Anyway, there is a link to the site where you can get one if you want one.

   I got a dumb remark on my last post that I decided to delete, only because of the name that they chose to use for themselves.  I don't appreciate it.  The remark wasn't very earth shaking, either.  I invite anyone's criticism, but prefer a little manners.

   I have met some truly amazing people since I started blogging.  They are listed under "Amazing People" with links to their blogs.  I'd like to share a little about each of them over the next several posts.  I check their blogs every day looking for new posts.  Some amazing people have gotten lost or stopped blogging.  There are other amazing people who leave comments on my blogs that really touch my heart, and help me keep blogging.  I am truly blessed with their caring enough to cheer me on when things are rough.  So here's a very sincere "thank you" to all of them.

  The first blogger that I started to follow was Janet, "Cog Blog."  Even though she has a life, a family, and a job, she took the time to try to get to know me a little.  Janet was originally from New Jersey, and now lives in Vermont.  She has a wonderful sense of humor that is reflected in her posts.  We seemed to become friends so easily, and share the same views in a lot of areas.  Check out "Cog Blog" and I'm sure you will enjoy it, too.

   "Blogging" has really helped me in so many ways.  Through my blogs I am able to explore myself and sometimes find answers to things that I question, find things to amuse myself and hopefully others, and work through some of the really tough life events that knock the wind out of me.  So, thank you again for taking the time to read a post, and commenting when the spirit moves you!   

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm

 

How did such a beautiful world get so ugly?
    Why did I dream about my ex-husband last night?
    Why does time "fly?"
    When will there be an end to obesity?
    Why aren't we feeding OUR children?
    Do animals go to heaven?
    Is death similar to birth?
    Why must we go through such trauma in life?
    Aren't all murderers mentally ill?
    What goes on in a brain that tells a person to kill?
    Why do we wish to be young when we're old?
    If we were created in the image of the Creator, is God a monkey?            
    Why is sex a sin?
    Why is abortion legal AND
    Why is disposing of a live baby at birth considered murder?
    Is George Doubleya Chevy Chase's doppelganger?
    Why is polygamy illegal?
    Can we really trust drug manufacturers?
    Can we really trust a doctor?
                                                             hmmmmmmm
   

   

Hello

Hello, I have removed my site pal from this post due to the complaints received by Googlepex.  I wish to apologize for this, and let you know that I appreciate your problem with hearing the audio over and over again.  I was amazed that I actually got it posted and running, please excuse my lack of experience with this.  If I figure out the way to use it allowing readers to choose whether or not they want to hear it, I will post with it again.  If not I won't bother you with the unwanted audio again.  Thank you for visiting!