You think you have them all figured out and then they turn tables on you and you are totally confused.

I have never been very fond of roller coasters, especially if I'm on one, which has not occurred but a few times in my life. They make me feel like I'm going to fall off the edge of the world and my poor stomach gets so tied up into knots that my stomach muscles hurt for days. My niece and I rode a rather mild one at SeaWorld and I thought I would try it because it didn't look intimidating at all.

WRONG! How do I know for sure? My expression was taken with a camera for all the world to see, well at least those around us as we got off of the ride. Everyone burst out laughing and I was humiliated by the look of pure terror on my face. That was the last roller coaster ride and will be the last one from here to the end of my earthly stay upon this earth.

My youngest daughter made a comment on my last blog and I'm still in shock over that one. Very much like the previously mentioned roller coaster experiences. Never in a million years would I have ever thought I would hear or read in this case that she would actually say she wish she could be more like me. HOW ABOUT THAT? I am truly amazed that something so out of the blue could make my heart do a flip or two today.

She said I was selfless. Can you imagine? I have to confess I am selfless to a degree, but I can also be very selfish, but please don't anyone tell my daughter, I don't want to disillusion her after this monumental breakthrough.

Yes, Children are surprising critters. They will have kept me surprised for the last 37 years as of the 27th of this month. And now they are having children of their own. What a blessing to them, but more like a roller coaster ride. The going up part isn't too bad, it's that going down part that can really get to you.

Thanks Melo for that going up part today. I needed it more than I could ever say. LOVE YA!

Yes, we are blessed with family, but you don't usually have a choice of families. Most of us continue to be a part of the family we are born into. Sort of the luck of the draw really. It could be the best,the worse or so many avenues in between, but we can pick and choose our friends. Circumstances bring us into contact with many people, whether it is from work, through family, or so many variables within our lives there are too numerous to mention.

My best friend is one of the most precious souls I have ever known. We have been friends for the last 19 years, ever since I became her Teacher Assistant in a special ed classroom. I was her Assistant for 8 years. We became almost inseparable throughout those years, even during our summer vacation.

I talked to her this evening on the phone and through the quiver in her voice she told me she always knows I will be there for her, just like we have been through so much for one another for all of these years. She got out of the hospital on Friday after having to go back in for an infection she had developed after a double mastectomy
and reconstruction. Her lymph nodes also have cancer cells, so later this week she'll find out what the next step will be in her treatment. It had to be postponed because of the infection she developed.

My oldest sister passed away last year with cancer and now my dearest friend is fighting, and the operative word is FIGHTING! Two of the dearest people who I am so blessed to be a part of my life and two of the strongest, although I have other friends who too are struggling with cancer. They are amazing, and they make me stronger as I see how hard they are fighting this and having such a positive attitude. My prayers are ceaseless, as the Bible tells us how to pray.

If you happen to read this would you say a prayer for my dear friend Glenda? She is married, has two children and two grandchildren. She would appreciate it so much and so would I. In the meantime, I will be there for her in any capacity I can possibly be. She has been there for me through so much and I have been there for her. Right now she needs my support and love, but most of all she needs my silence as I listen. PLEASE WHOEVER YOU ARE, OR WHEREVER YOU ARE, PLEASE REMEMBER THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE AROUND US WHO NEED TO SHARE AND WE NEED TO CARE! Have a blessed week! ROIE

THE OTHER DAY I LOOKED WITH SADNESS
UPON AN EMPTY HILL,
A HILL UPON WHICH USED TO STAND
A LEAFLESS TREE, SO TWISTED, SO STILL.

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS
I OFTEN WONDERED
WHAT THAT OLD TREE
HAD SEEN,
SITTING UPON
THAT TINY HILL
A TREE OF GNARLED BRANCHES
SO BARE, SO LEAN.

I CAME TO LOVE THAT OLD DEAD TREE
VISITING IT TIME AND AGAIN,
FANTASYING THE STORIES IT WAS CONCEALING
THE WHATS? THE WHERES? THE WHENS?

THE MANY PHOTOGRAPHS
THAT I HAD TAKEN
ARE ALL THAT
LOVINGLY REMAIN,
OF THE TREE I CONSIDERED
TO BE A DEAR FRIEND
ITS SECRETS WILL LINGER
UNEXPLAINED.

I SHED A FEW TEARS AS I SAID SO LONG
THEN MY EYES GAZED INTO THE SKY,
THE GLORY OF THE EVENING'S SUNSET
EXPRESSED A FITTING TEXAS GOOD-BYE.

Yes, I used to have that title. I'm sure many of you were also privileged to have that title. Someone sent me an email and the author is unknown, but it sure touched a lot on my own children's thoughts during their growing up years, so I thought I would copy it and post it. My children are all grown, the five of them. They are exceptional adults. Oops, my proud Mama mode slipped in there!

Was your Mom mean? I know mine was. We had the meanest mother in
the whole world!

While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal,
eggs, and toast. When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. And you can bet our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too.

Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You'd think
we were convicts in a prison. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing with them. She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.
We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the
Child Labor Laws by making us work. We had to wash the dishes, make the beds,learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash and all sorts of cruel jobs. I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do. She always insisted on us telling the truth,the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds and had eyes in the back of her head.

Then, life was really tough! Mother wouldn't let our friends just
honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them. While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13,we had to wait until we were 16. Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shop lifting, vandalizing other's property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault. Now that we have left home, we are all educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents
just like Mom was.I think that is what's wrong with the world today. Not have enough mean moms!

-Author unknown

As my mature mind looks back into my school days, I remember learning to read, write and do arithmetic. Now I know we had other things, but those three things stick out the most in my brain, although, I have to admit, I have forgotten a lot of memories. The point I'm trying to make is we turned out fine and are the educators of today. I don't know about other states or countries for that matter, but our state demands so many objectives to be met, even by the kinders, that I'm afraid the basics are not having enough time to give the students a quality foundation for their future learning. I know there are other situations involved that might be having a profound affect on today's education like home life, abuses of alcohol and drugs,, the foods we eat and the list goes on and on. Yes, this world of today is certainly not the world we grew up in the 50's and 60's, but why do the kids of today have to be so filled with objectives, that there is too little time to perfect the three major subjects, reading, writing and math. More and more kids are getting behind. More and more special programs are being introduced to help these kids catch up. Wouldn't it make more sense to do like we did all those years ago. To build these solid foundations the first few years, then introduce the other subjects
and the kids would be ready to take them by storm and not having to struggle like they are doing today? Yes, there are those high learners that can keep up and get bored even. There has to be a reasonable solution out there someplace. I was just wondering if others are as frustrated as we are lately. It is the saddest thing to witness a child falling further and further behind and it seems the numbers are increasing every year.