Boyz II Men

Saturday night I had the incredible opportunity to see Boyz II Men (Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman,and Wanya Morris) in concert at the UK Singletary Center for the Arts. I have loved this group for years and finally got to see them live, 5th row. The best part was when Shawn and Nathan came out carrying red roses as the song "I'll Make Love to You" began. Those of us in the first few rows dashed to the stage and I got a red rose from Shawn! I know I sound silly, but it was really exciting and I have that rose on display now!

The concert was great. They sang everything from "On Bended Knee" to Lonestar's "Amazed." They even sang songs from their latest Love album. It was fantastic and they really got the crowd involved in the music. I had a wonderful time.

I also went to a graduation party after the concert for a friend who graduated that morning. As a single mom, nights like these are rare. I got a chance to get out and have some "me" time for the evening. It was a relaxing and much needed break.

Now I only have two days left to work this week and I'm off until January 4th. I feel really good.

Aurea's 8th birthday

This is Aurea's Wizards of Waverly Place birthday cake from her party this weekend. I'm not posting party pictures for the sake of privacy of the attendees. However, there were about seven children there ranging in age from 4-8. My beautiful baby girl is now 8-years-old! I still can't believe it.

Aurea's birthday was on Friday. Barnes & Noble hosted a special night for her school. The children had the opportunity to sing songs, listen to a storyteller, watch a magician, and shop for books. Plus, 15% of the proceeds from purchases went to our PTA. It was hectic, but fun.

After Barnes & Noble, we went to see the Disney version of "A Christmas Carol" with Jim Carrey in 3D. It was really cute, but 3D movies have gotten expensive! The theatre is close to the mall and was also playing "New Moon." Needless to say, we had to park in the nearby shopping center and walk over since the parking lot was completely full. Walking wasn't bad since it was not that far, but it sure was cold. She loved the movie and fell asleep on the way home.

Saturday was her party and our first snow for the season here in Kentucky. Fortunately, it was only a mild dusting with no ice. Everyone made it to the party and had a great time. My parents and niece drove up for the party and stayed the night with us. They took us out to eat that evening and then Aurea and her cousin spent the evening playing.

Things finally calmed down yesterday after my family left and I put the house back in order. I finally got a chance to relax for a bit last night before coming back to work today. I'm proud the kids had a great time at the party and Aurea had a wonderful weekend, but I'm grateful next weekend will not be as hectic.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, I realize I am a few days late, but I hope everyone had a very happy and safe Thanksgiving. I went home to Glasgow to eat turkey and spend time with the family. My sister became a stepmom when she got married in September, so I finally got to spend time with my new step-nephew also. My niece was very happy to see me and Aurea. My nephew could care less that I was there, but he and Aurea had fun playing on the computer after Thanksgiving dinner was finished.

We came home on Friday. Aurea was supposed to be in the Christmas parade with Girl Scouts, but too many of the girls were sick and we decided it was too cold to go. Instead, we stayed home and put up and decorated the Christmas tree. Saturday we went to Southern Lights. It is held at the KY Horse Park and you drive through and get to look at the creative, festive trail of lights. At the end, we got to go inside where Aurea got her picture made with Santa. Back outside, she was excited to get to ride a real camel!

All in all, we had a great long weekend and a nice Thanksgiving. I hope everyone else did as well.

Kathy:I am who I am: Happy Veterans Day

Kathy:I am who I am: Happy Veterans Day

http://www.glasgowdailytimes.com/archivesearch/local_story_289132807.html

Happy Veterans Day

I know I'm a day late, but I want to say Happy Veterans day to all of the men and women out there who serve/have served in the armed forces. It is also a good time to remember everyone in Ft. Hood. My hometown created plaques for veterans to be displayed, I think that was a great idea - especially since both of my grandfathers now have memorial plaques there. In honor of all veterans, I hope you had a great Veterans day and thank you for all you do.

Halloween weekend

Halloween is one of my favorite and busiest days of the year. My wonderful son, Adam, was born on Halloween afternoon 14 years ago. I cannot believe he is now 14, but he is and he certainly acts like a teenage boy. When he was little, we would go trick-or-treating and say, "Trick or treat, it's my birthday!" He always got extra candy and presents from houses of close friends or family members. When my daughter was born and she began trick or treating as well, he used it to get extra candy for both of them.

About three years ago, Adam decided he was too big to go trick-or-treating and would rather go to haunted houses. We began a tradition where the two of us go to various haunted houses or attractions. Aurea's grandmother or father take her trick-or-treating while Adam and I either hand out candy, go out to eat, or otherwise celebrate his birthday. Then, we go to the haunted places. This year we chose ScreamPark (www.scarylexington.com), Terror on Tates Creek, and Nightmare Haunted House (www.2scary.com). ScreamPark was new this year and supposed to be the best new attraction. It featured three haunted houses in one indoor warehouse. Unfortunately, it was not scary at all and a complete waste of money. Terror on Tates Creek was an outdoor "haunted" trail. It was fun, but not the best. The best attraction was Nightmare Haunted House. They change the theme every year, this year was Mercy Hospital. It still wasn't scary (can you tell we don't scare easily?), but we had a great time. Despite the lack of scarefest, we had a great night and Adam had a lot of fun. We came home and watched horror movies on TV.

Unlike most years, I had plans with Aurea on Sunday night just for us. She wanted to see Miley Cyrus in concert. I bought tickets months ago and she has been excited about seeing Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana in concert. Unfortunately, Hannah Montana is long gone. Instead, Miley attempted to reach an older audience with newer songs Aurea did know very well. Some were good, others not as great. The lights and effects were great. She rode a Harley suspended from the ceiling over the heads of the audience; this made me a little concerned, but it was certainly entertaining. The biggest problems I had with the show were Miley's choices concerning clothing and dancing. I would NEVER let my daughter wear tight, leather, barely-there clothing at any age! Her clothes got skimpier as the night went on and her dancing more provocative. Metro Station (Miley's brother is the lead singer) opened the show and the band was also not child-friendly. The show was entertaining, but it was not geared toward young children. Miley is no longer a wholesome, family entertainment choice and I'm sorry I took my daughter. She had a good time, I just hope she never learns any of those dances and she will not buy any of those outfits.

We had a fun, but extremely busy weekend. The kids really enjoyed themselves and now I'm ready for a day off just to catch up with stuff I need to do. Unfortunately, that will not be until this coming Saturday.

What was I thinking?

I try to be a good mom and stay involved in my daughter's life and especially her school. Since she is only in second grade, school is the main portion of what she does anyway. I like to know her teacher and stay in constant contact. I also enjoy being actively involved in the PTA so we can make the most of the program and be aware of what is going on with PTA and with the school.

Sometimes being an active member is difficult since I'm not a stay-at-mom who can drop by the school on a whim to volunteer in a classroom or help organize an event. Therefore, I often have to say no to requests to be involved. When the PTA President mentioned the elementary school student directory, I agreed to take on the responsibility of putting it together since it could be done from home.

Little did I know the amount of time and work this directory would entail. Let's just say her school has an enrollment of 461 students. While not all of them elected to be included in the directory, it was still a major undertaking to design and layout the directory while adding about 300 names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and parent/guardian names. Needless to say, I did not do much else the entire weekend.

I finally finished my directory thanks to Microsoft Publisher (Microsoft Word was very uncooperative) and emailed the PTA President to let her know I just needed to double check everything before sending it to her. She then informed me the school decided to overlook the deadline because students were still turning them in and they didn't want to leave anyone out and she has several more forms for me. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as just plugging them in due to the design, but at least the bulk of the project is finished. Now I'm just wondering what I was thinking when I volunteered to do this project.

The swine flu

This week has not been fun at all. Sunday night Aurea started feeling bad and it got progressively worse on Monday. We went to the doctor Monday afternoon where she was diagnosed with swine flu (they called today to also say she has a staph infection!) and she wasn't able to go to school or do anything fun. She missed school M-Thurs. and finally went back today. She has been taking Tamiflu and cough medicine. They are giving her the weekend to make up her homework, but that doesn't make for a fun, exciting weekend -especially after being sick and not being able to play with her friends all week. I stayed home with her Mon. and yesterday and her dad stayed with her on Tues. and Wed. Needless to say, it's been a difficult week for all of us.

Mon. when I was home I at least got some stuff done around the house while she rested. Yesterday though I started feeling badly and did not get anything done. I don't have the flu, but I just feel really tired and run down. My allergies have also kicked in. I think I have the rainy, nasty Kentucky weather to thank for that.

Tuesday afternoon I left to go to Franklin, TN for UK Preview Night for work and then stayed the night. I got up early on Wednesday morning and drove 4 hours back here and went straight to work. That probably did not help my immune system any either.

Luckily, I was able to work today and Aurea is back in school. Now we have the weekend to rest and regroup. Hopefully next week will be much more fun and nobody in the family will be sick.

Which is more important?

The last time I posted was almost a month ago, but that seems to be the way it goes. I would love to blog every day. Unfortunately, even if I have something to write about - I don't always have the time. One of the joys of being a full-time, single mother and a full-time employee.

My sister got married earlier this month. I was not thrilled about it since I was really close to my ex-brother-in-law. They were married for 10 years so it was hard to see them get divorced and even harder to watch her get remarried. The wedding did not start out so well since it came a huge downpour up until the ceremony began (it was an outdoor wedding) and pushed pictures until the end. Once the rain lifted though, everyone was able to gather under the tent. The ceremony went well and the reception was a load of fun.

Aurea is back in Girl Scouts and Upward Cheerleading signups just began. Between her stuff and everything I've got going on at work lately, the fall is going to be extremely busy! It gets hectic sometimes and I wish it would slow down a bit, but then spring comes and we have nothing going on and I miss it. The Academic Team hasn't even started yet either!

The few warm days we actually had of summer have officially faded. The high today is 59 degrees, in September! That's ridiculous for this time of year.

Last night I was supposed to attend a meeting (the optional kind without children, the kind parents actually look forward to attending) and told Aurea she was going to my friend's house for a couple of hours. "A couple of hooouurs!?" she whined like it would be for days on end. I told her it wouldn't be very long and she would be okay, but she decided she wanted to stay home, in her house, with me and she was NOT going anywhere. Then, I told her I had a meeting I really needed to attend. She gave me a sad look and asked, "which is more important - me or your meeting?" Needless to say, I did not attend the meeting last night. I just don't know where kids come up with this stuff. She is only seven for goodness sake, she shouldn't be able to con and guilt me like that!

August is gone

August flew by, where did the summer go? This was unusually cool summer anyway, but it seems gone already. The kids are back in school and the crazy schedules have already begun. Aurea loves school, but gets frustrated with her math homework. She is great at reading and enjoys basically anything unrelated to math, but she gets so upset over math homework. It is frustrating and heart-wrenching all at the same time. We had our first PTA meeting that went really well. These meetings aren't generally well attended. I hope the nice turnout at this one is a sign of things to come and not just due to the fact that it was the first meeting of the year. We have also begun our first PTA fundraiser for the year. Doesn't take long does it?

I'm glad to report my book has officially sold 16 copies. While I'm glad it has sold, 16 is not a significant amount and those are from family members. If you know of anyone with Multiple Sclerois, has a family member with MS, is merely interested in the topic, or simply wants to support me - please tell them about "Multiple Sclerosis: The Many Faces of the Disease." It is available at barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com. You can find it at www.outskirtspress.com/multiplesclerosis or by going to amazon.com and typing in the title or author (Kathy Reed, FYI Reed is my maiden name). I would really appreciate it. Also, if anyone reads it and likes it, please post a review. Reviews help in listing strength on amazon.com.

We went to the Jonas Brothers concert here in Lexington. There were approx. 17,000 young girls whose screams erupted throughout Rupp Arena. I am not a Jonas fan, but they did put on a nice show and Aurea loved it. Likewise, I'm not a Wonder Girls or Honor Society fan. However, I do enjoy listening to Jordin Sparks and she did a great job as well. It was a long night, but the look on Aurea's face was worth it. I'm glad she loved her first concert.

This coming weekend is Labor Day weekend and my sister's wedding. I'm not looking forward to all of the family time this weekend. However, I have to work close to my hometown Thurs. night so I am taking Friday off and staying down there. Therefore, I have a four day weekend to look forward to. Now that is something to get excited about!

School is back in session

It's official, school is back in session. My children started school yesterday, but the differences amaze me. Adam is 13 and no desire to go back to school. He could care less and was less than enthusiastic about getting up, going, and starting 8th grade. Aurea is 7 and was overly excited and anxious for school to start. She got up half an hour before the alarm clock went off and said she couldn't wait to start 2nd grade! After school, he decided school "sucks, it's middle school." She could not stop talking about the afterschool Prime Time program. I'm still not really sure what either of them actually did in school all day! I do know she had a great first day of school and was wide awake again this morning. I'd like to think she would stay this excited all year, but somehow I doubt it.

The next few weeks are going to be extremely busy at work and at home. As most of you know, I work at the University of Kentucky. Classes at the university start back Aug. 26th and we are preparing for all of the commotion and chaos surrounding the beginning of a new semester. My cousin and her two girl, Aurea, and I are going to see the Jonas Brothers in concert next weekend. They will be coming up here to visit for the weekend so we will be busy. Labor Day weekend is my sister's wedding in Glasgow. Therefore, I will be spending this weekend shopping for dresses and shoes for me and Aurea so we don't wait until the last minute. The weekend after Labor Day is my birthday and I'm going out with the girls. I think I have a few weekends free before birthdays and holidays start, but I'm sure school events, friends, and family will quickly change that.

The weather outside might still say the season is summer, but all of the hustle and busy schedules of fall are certainly here!

It's almost August!

I received my author copies of my book! I'm really excited. Now I get to pitch it to stores in hopes they will agree to place it on shelves. Right now, it is only being run as print-on demand. While this is great and cost effective, I'm hoping to actually see it sitting on shelves in bookstores. I have one store buyer who has agreed to review it and then let me know whether or not they will carry it. I will not name any names yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. In the meantime, it is available at: www.outskirtspress.com/multiplesclerosis.

Life is starting to become hectic once again. I have a very busy week this week. My daughter's back-to-school bash is next week and then they start school on Aug. 12. I can't believe school is only two weeks away! That just does not even seem possible. I'm sure life will be extremely busy once school starts. I guess that's all part of the fun though.

I'm still trying to adjust to being single. It's only been four months, but it feels much longer. I do not have a problem with single part - I actually enjoy being able to come and go as I please and work my schedule around myself and the kids. It's also nice to have time just for myself. The problem is that this can be very lonely, especially at night when the kids are in bed and I'm awake and alone. I'm adapting and taking it one day at a time, but some days are easier than others.

An Awesome Weekend

This weekend was wonderful. It has been a really long time since I was honestly able to say something like that. I'm so happy things are finally starting to look up for me. After everything that has happened in the last few months, I'm glad to have good news for a change.

It's official, my book is published! I found out last night. Since Outskirts Press is a cross between traditional and self-publishing, the book is not on shelves anywhere. However, it is on barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com. The title is "Multiple Sclerosis: The Many Faces of the Disease." It is the story of my Aunt Suzanne and her battle with MS. The author is listed as Kathy Reed. Please do not think you are in the wrong place, Reed is my maiden name. As soon as I receive my printed copies in the mail, I can take them and actually pitch the book to local stores. Hopefully, my book will be on actually shelves soon. Regardless, it is available on the World Wide Web. I met a lifelong goal and I'm thrilled!

I bought a car on Saturday. I spent most of the afternoon at the dealership, but I drove away in a 2008 Pontiac G6 GT. Thanks to a wonderful friend and employee of the dealership, I got a nice discount and I tried in my old Daewoo. I got a great deal on the car and I'm very excited about it. I'm having fun just driving around now. Unfortunately, I am stuck at work right now, but this afternoon will be nice.

Saturday night I took my daughter to the Bluegrass Fair. I was really impressed with her. I paid for her to ride the rides. However, she is usually scared of anything tall or fast, so I did not expect her to ride many of them. She did though. She even did Ring of Fire, a ring roller coaster that goes upside down. She didn't like it and swears she will never do it again, but she braved it for the one ride anyway. That's not bad for a 7-year-old! She had so much fun that I had a hard time getting her to leave.

The kids both had wellness checkups on Friday afternoon. Aurea is 4'10" and Adam is
5'2". They will both be passing me up in no time! They both received clean bills of health. Yeah, that is always good news to the ears of a parent.

All in all, things went great this weekend and I'm just hoping this week is just as great and productive. I hope everyone else has a great week!

Summer

July 4th was great. I did end up going over to my friend's house. We had a nice cookout and fun listening to music and talking. I met a couple of her friends who were really nice. Even the fireworks were still fun, despite the rain that decided to pour down just as it was getting dark enough to actually do them! After the fireworks, we still visited for awhile. It was a great night.

Aurea has decided that she wants to play soccer. I'm concerned because she has never wanted to play soccer or been very athletic. She quit gymnastics because she couldn't listen and focus enough to actually learn anything. She did great in cheerleading. She expressed no interest in soccer or any other sport until we received a brochure in the mail from Upward (the church program where she cheerleads for basketball in the winter) for soccer registration. Now she suddenly wants to play soccer. I don't mind her trying new things, I just hate to pay a huge registration fee just for her to start and then back out. I guess we will see how things go.

Adam is doing great. He is so excited that the new Harry Potter movie starts today. This is "our thing," we always go to see the Harry Potter movies together. I was hoping to take him tomorrow night. Unfortunately, I probably won't have a babysitter tomorrow night and I don't think Aurea could handle the movie. We will see it sooner or later though.

Aurea has a dentist appointment today and both kids have wellness checkups on Friday. Fun, fun! Seriously though, I'm trying to get doctor appointments, errands, and all of the not-so-fun stuff out of the way before school starts back. Hopefully, this will prevent having to go during the school year and kids having to miss classes. That is the plan, let's just hope none of the appointments require a follow-up a month from now (school starts Aug. 12)!

Happy 4th of July

I am excited that a long weekend and the Fourth of July are almost here. It doesn't seem possible, but I am looking forward to it nonetheless. I am going to a cookout both tomorrow and Saturday night with friends. Saturday will also include fireworks and meeting new people. My friend invited me to her house. I won't know anyone there except her, but I guess it's about time I met some new people and get to socialize a little. I feel like I've been living in a bubble this past year. I think part of my new socialization is due to being single. Part of it is also due to simply living here long enough to finally start meeting people. I have probably met more people and been more socialable in the last three months than I have been in a very long time.

The kids are having a great summer and can't wait for fireworks this weekend either. Aurea has been creating an ongoing wishlist of things she "just has to have." I don't believe a 7-year-old needs a new computer and the dsi is slightly expensive, along with the huge trampoline and several other items she rattled off. I am considering the dog, but I just don't know yet if I'm ready to take on another pet right now. Then, a couple of nights ago, she asked for a baby brother or sister! After I explained that was not going to happen, I started thinking a trip to the Humane Society didn't sound so bad. I'm still debating on the dog, the baby is seriously out of the question!

I love that Aurea is still young and able to fantasize and not fully grasp certain aspects of life. It shows innocence, but it can also be frustrating at times. That makes me glad Adam is old enough to understand babies don't come from storks or from simply wanting one to appear. He also understands more about life. It's amazing to see the difference six years age difference truly makes. They are truly miraculous and I learn something new from them constantly.

Anyway, one hour until my three day weekend - I'm ready! I hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July!

King's Island

Wow, I can't believe it's July already! Where has this year gone?

Last weekend was great. Aurea went to visit her dad and my mom and got to attend a weekend dance camp. She and my niece had a ball at the camp and can't seem to stop talking about it. Adam and I went to King's Island. The two hour drive there wasn't so bad since we left early in the morning, but the drive home was annoying since we were exhausted and our feet hurt. It was so much fun though.

I think the best part of King's Island was Boomerang Bay (the water park). We went down almost every water slide or ride they had and got a great suntan in the process. My shoulders even got a little sunburned, but it was worth it. UK had a special day there with a picnic for students/faculty/staff/alumni with reduced price admission to the park. The food was great. I am afraid of heights so I'm not big on roller coasters. Adam did get me to ride Vortex, but I could not do Diamondback. Sorry, just couldn't! The Drop Zone was the only ride he went on without me. We did so much though. We left our house at 8 am and got home around 11:15 pm. I was in bed by 11:40!

Aurea is enjoying her new summer babysitter and getting to swim everyday. Unfortunately, she's been asking for a puppy and last night she asked for a baby brother or sister! That is NOT happening, guess it's time for a trip to the Humane Society.

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

This is not June as I know it

This summer has been very strange. All it seems to do anymore is rain, the only upside to all of the rain is the appreciation I feel when the sun is actually out and shining brightly. Wednesday night, my hometown got hit with three tornadoes. My dad and uncle run a dairy farm and lost two cows and a calf in the storms. Several trees and fences were uprooted and thrown. The kiddie wading pool (full of water)in the backyard was lifted over the house and dropped into the front yard (still full of water). My dad says the family farm looks like a warzone, that is awful! I'm just grateful nobody was injured in all of the damage. The electricity was out for a few hours though. Seriously, this feels more like March than June!

Aurea got stung by a bee the other day while playing at the babysitter's house. Apparently, a piece of moistened tobacco and a penny applied to the sting eliminate swelling and reduce pain from a bee sting. I never knew that!

Everything else is going okay here. We are just staying very busy. I took the kids to Red Robin Monday night for dinner. I had never been there before. They have the best burgers and bottomless fries, I really recommend going if you get the chance.

The kids are now gone to visit family members for a few days and I am home alone until they return (probably Monday). I really don't know what I'm going to do for four days with no children! I will miss them, but I know they are having fun.

Next weekend, Adam and I are going to King's Island, so that should liven up the summer a little. I managed to get concert tickets to the Jonas Brothers in August and Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana in November for Aurea. My kids should be happy, instead they are bored! Go figure!

Kathy:I am who I am: NAMIWalks 2009#links

NAMIWalks 2009

I am participating in an event that is both very important and very exciting to me. It is NAMIWalks for the Mind of America, NAMI’s signature walkathon event that is being held in Lexington , KY at Kentucky Horse Park on October 10, 2009.

I walked last year and it was a difficult journey, but I made it through and was very proud of myself for achieving my goal. I am registered to walk again this year.

I would like to ask you to come and walk with me or to donate to support my participation in this great event. Visit my personal walker page to sign up: http://www.nami.org/namiwalks09/LEX/klogsdon. It features a link to my team's page where you can see who else is walking with me. There is also a link so you can donate directly to me online. Donating online is fast and secure, and I'll get immediate notification via e-mail of your donation. Any amount would be greatly appreciated, since it is going to a good cause and will allow me to participate.

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the largest education, support and advocacy organization that serves the needs of all those whose lives are touched by these illnesses. This includes persons with mental illness, their families, friends, employers, the law enforcement community and policy makers. The NAMI organization is composed of approximately 1100 local affiliates, 50 state offices and a national office.

The goals of the NAMIWalks program are: to fight the stigma that surrounds mental illness, to build awareness of the fact that the mental health system in this country needs to be improved, and to raise funds for NAMI so that they can continue their mission.

NAMI is a 501(c)3 charity and any donation you make to support my participation in this event is tax deductible. NAMI has been rated by Worth magazine as among the top 100 charities "most likely to save the world" and has been given an "A" rating by The American Institute of Philanthropy for efficient and effective use of charitable dollars.

Thank you in advance for your support.

June update

For Mother's Day, Aurea gave me some green tea and a poem. I loved the poem, I have it put up safely. However, I'm not a big green tea drinker plus I kept forgetting about it, so I hadn't consumed it. Yesterday though, she told her new babysitter that mommy hurt her feelings by not drinking her tea! I felt so bad so I went home and fixed supper and had the tea with my supper. You should have seen her smile! That smile made it worth the tea and just reminds me of how little things excite children so much.

Adam and I are going to Kings Island the end of this month, he is really excited. So am I, I've never been. I can't wait to go have a day just the two of us. It's also UK Day at King's Island so we got reduced price admission and picnic tickets. It's going to be a lot of fun. Aurea might be going to a dance camp that weekend.

Outskirts sent the interior proofs of my book and everything is finally coming together. It won't be long now until my book is officially ready to sell. It is so exciting! I can use this good news right now.

Everything else in life is crazy and chaotic right now. I'm glad to have some small stuff in there to help see the silver lining.

Memorial Day Weekend

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. We had fun and the rain didn't come in until yesterday afternoon. The rain has been a constant lately, so I was glad it held off for the most part. It did sprinkle Sunday, but not for long.

Anyway, I took Adam and Aurea to Guntown Mountain and Dinosaur World on Saturday and they had a blast:
















Sunday, I went to my grandmother's house and collected a few items. Then, yesterday I kept Korey and played with her, Aurea, and Aurea's friend all day. It was a nice long weekend.

Back at it

Well, it's Monday and I'm back at the office. I am not a big fan of Mondays, or of mornings in general for that matter. I miss the weekend already and it's not even lunch time yet! I guess I'm in for a long week. I believe part of that comes from the fact that next weekend is a long weekend and I'm ready for 3 days off. Unfortunately, one day will be spent cleaning out my grandmother's house. I miss her, but picking through old furniture and found "treasures" does not sound like a fun day. On the bright side, it is a long weekend so I still have two days for other things.

This weekend was good. I took Aurea and we met Jennifer and Korey and went to Korey's school playground to let the girls play. Most of the weekend, Aurea spent outside playing with her friends or playing her new Wii game. I printed some photos with the new PhotoSmart printer I bought a couple of months ago. I also put up some pictures and reorganized some things around the house. I guess being single again does have some advantages.

The interior proofs for my book are almost ready! I'm really excited. I hope that means we are close to being ready to sell it. I can't wait! It will be on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, outskirts' press website, and whereever else I pitch it and get it accepted.

Now, I need ideas. Being down to one income is not helping my life at the moment. While I hope my book comes out and sales wonderfully, I'm also realistic that that may take awhile. In the meantime, I would like to try to do something from home to make a little extra money. The problem is, everything I find on my own is some pyramid scheme or a complete scam! Any suggestions?

My chaotic life

I haven't felt like blogging much lately, so thank you to any people actually still reading this. I have had so much going on in my life that blogging just had to take a backseat to it all. I'm glad to be able to come back and write about some of it. I won't get detailed though since it is mostly personal.

I learned in March that you don't necessarily know someone and what they are capable of as well as you think, even after three years. Some people just do not have respect for other people and do not see what is wrong with hurting them. I will not go into detail, but it is now an ongoing situation I will have to deal with for months or even years to come.

My grandmother passed away in April, she was 95. She lived a nice, long life. It hurt when she went, but we all knew it was time. I was just grateful I had the opportunity to say goodbye.

My life has been very chaotic since March and I'm ready for things to settle down. It is much quieter at home without a man around. Work has also calmed down since UK had its graduation last weekend.

Aurea is doing well. She is ready for school to be out. However, due to makeup days for snow and ice, she won't be out until June 4 this year. Adam is enjoying track and school events, but he is ready to finish school too.

The publisher sent the cover proofs for my book. I'm really excited and anxiously awaiting the interior proofs so we can finish production and get this book ready for sale!

Carrots, Eggs, & Coffee!

Carrots, Eggs, & Coffee!

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three p ots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she=2 0asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but a fter a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happine ss to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The bright est future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!!

March Update

I'm worn out today after walking all over campus running errands. I'm just glad the weather is finally nice, I hope it stays this way. I could handle 70s, much better than the nasty cold we have been having.

If any of you read, Because I Said So, the blog by Dawn Meehan -- Her book is finally out! I'm really excited. It wasn't supposed to be out until April 1, but Amazon.com sent an email a few days ago saying my order was scheduled to arrive sometime around March 19th - I actually got it yesterday. I was happily surprised to come home and see the package on the doorstep. I can't wait to actually read the book now.

Speaking of books, mine is coming along slowly. My author rep and I are at that stage - yes- insert picture here, no - don't add that there, etc. It's a lot of picky stuff at this point, but I'm glad to be here. If you don't get through the picky stage, you don't get published!

The kids are doing great. Aurea finished Upward Cheerleading for the season. I am really glad. She had fun, but it was busy for awhile. Adam finished soccer in time to start track! They are both busy kids. Aurea is taking voice lessons and that is it for right now. Spring Break is right around the corner. Actually, the University is on Spring Break this week so campus is really quiet. My kids, however, have a couple of weeks left before they get off.

My family is driving me crazy yet again. I really don't want to go into specifics on here, but let's just say some of them like to get into business that is no concern to them. It's really frustrating.

Otherwise, things are pretty calm these days.

I'm getting published!

It's official, my book is in the early stages of publication. I really don't know when it will be out yet, but I'm excited just to reach this point. My dream growing up was to publish a book on or before the age of 30, I have until September to get the book out and meet my goal! LOL I think it will be out before September, but if not, it's still coming and I'm very happy!

Adam has strep throat, but he is recovering. I hate it when the kids are sick. Aurea was sick last week. I think a bug is going around or something. It could also be weather-related. There is an expression in Kentucky, "If you don't like the weather, wait 30 minutes!" This especially applies this time of year when Mother Nature just can't decide if she wants to make it snow, rain, or be 60 degrees one day and 30 the next. I will be glad when Spring is here to stay.

Saturday is Aurea's last week of cheerleading for Upward. She's going to miss it, but she is now taking professional voice lessons, so I think she will be okay. Her last academic competition is this weekend too. Adam finished soccer. We are slowly wrapping everything up.

Everything else is going okay. I would write more, but I really need to go to bed.

Don't Quit

A friend sent this to me a few years ago, but I've kept it because it helps me when I'm feeling down. Even if I'm not down, it's still a great reminder we can all use. I think in tough economic times this really applies. I really hope everyone enjoys this poem.

Don't Quit
by William Murray Angus

When things go wrong,
As they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill
When the funds are low and the debts are high
But you have to sigh
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must,
But don't you Quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns
As everyone of us sometimes learns
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out
Don't give up though the pace seems slow.
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup
And he learned too late when the night came down
How close he was to the golden crown

Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when it seems the worst
That you Mustn't Quit!

January

I'm back again. I'd really like to post more, but it just doesn't seem to work that way! Christmas was pretty good here. I'm not a big fan of holidays, but the kids really enjoyed it and I had some time off from work to spend with them.

The best gift I received for Christmas was both one money can and can't buy. No, I'm not crazy (at least not about this LOL!). My wonderful son used money he had saved up, had my mom take him to the store, and picked out and paid for a beautiful watch for me. Yes, the watch is gorgeous and my son has great taste in jewelry. I love being able to show this watch to people. However, it is about so much more than a piece of jewelry. A 13-year-old boy picked out and paid for a watch for his mother for Christmas. He could have had my mom buy something and put his name on it or he could have picked out the watch and asked somebody else to buy it for him. No, he did it all on his own. He spent more of his money than I think he should have, but it is the thought and love that went into this gift that means so much more than the gift itself. I am so proud of my son. He truly made me feel loved and blessed.

Santa brought Aurea the Wii for Christmas and she has been on it continuosly every since. Adam got a new weight bench from Santa. I really don't see the need or desire for him to lift weights, but hey, he wanted to get fit before football season comes back around. I think he and his friend had more fun putting it together than they ever will actually using it! I finally joined the 21st century, Kevin bought me my first MP3 player for Christmas. There were more presents, but I think everyone gets the general idea.

I came back to work on Jan.5th, but it has been nasty weather ever since we got back. It has snowed this entire month. Monday we got snow that has since been followed by more snow, ice, freezing rain, and a basic state of emergency as thousands lost power and countless trees fell to the ground. School has been out all week, something that Fayette County does not do. Also, UK cancelled classes and shut down the University Wednesday, which it has not done in years. We were on a two-hour delay Tues. and Thurs. Today is finally back to a normal schedule, but the snow started back up again, so who knows what this afternoon holds. I know my road is still ice, it's awful! I will be really happy to see Spring come. Right now, I'd just be happy with temperatures climbing above the 30s!!

In other news, I got notification from Outskirts Press that my manuscript has been accepted for publication! Below is the email they sent for my acceptance:

Dear Kathy,



Thank you for submitting your book to Outskirts Press for evaluation. We are honored you have chosen us to publish your book with us. On behalf of our manuscript review team, I am pleased to report that we have accepted Multiple Sclerosis for publication. Congratulations!



The next step is to assign one of our professional Author Representatives to help you through the publishing process. You can get started today with a deposit (just $35) that is applied toward your publishing package.



Before I explain some of the options and services at Outskirts Press, I’d like to touch on our thoughts about your work. You have an interesting and timely composition. Your organization and thesis are clear, which compliments your voice to create a tangible, poignant narrative. You use this along with solid sense of dialogue to really let the reader ‘in’ on what’s important. That creates value. Overall, your work demonstrates strong writing with a dialogue that paces and develops nicely. Your writing has an air of eloquence as you write about this difficult topic of Multiple Sclerosis that is especially notable, your sincerity is obvious and I think many readers will gain valuable insight from your research and experiences watching Aunt Suzanne suffer through this disease’s progression. Your book is well written and it’s clear that you have put a good deal of thought and effort into the planning and presentation of your manuscript. I see you have included some images, so you’ll be happy to know that Outskirts Press has a graphics review team that will help review and format those images to the best print production quality possible for publication. Based on your goals, there may be extra fees involved, and your Author Representative and production team will help with those and any permissions required when the time comes.



With that being said, you are in good hands with Outskirts Press. Unlike other self-publishers, you never really do anything yourself with us. Along with your Author Representative, your book will be assigned to a production team to handle interior formatting and cover design. And after publication, you will have access to the strongest base of optional marketing services and author support in the industry. Take a peek at some of what our Author Support department is doing now: http://outskirtspress.com/marketing.php



One of the main advantages of publishing with us is that you always keep 100% of your rights, 100% control, and 100% of the profit. No other publisher out there will offer you the level of value, flexibility, and customization that we do. So, while services like editing, custom cover design and Book Reviewer Submission Service are highly recommended, they are completely optional.



In all cases, it is important to consider your goals. Do you hope to see your book featured at a local bookstore or are online sales sufficient for you? Either way, we have custom pricing plans for you to choose from, and options that can help you meet your goals, like the Retail Returns option available with our Diamond, Pearl , and Ruby packages.



Outskirts Press takes pride in offering the best of both worlds: combining the advantages of independent self-publishing with the advantages of a traditional book publishing company. And you have an invested friend to guide you along the way.



Congratulations again on your work. When you’re ready to start publishing with the help of your personal Author Representative, simply log-in to your Author Center at http://outskirtspress.com.authors.php and click on the large START PUBLISHING button for your next steps. We look forward to working with you.



Sincerely,

Manuscript Evaluation Team

www.outskirtspress.com


I'm a little nervous about the whole self-publishing aspect and have not made a final commitment one way or the other. However, I'm just really excited that someone appreciates my work and accepted it for publication!! If anyone has any advice, please let me know.