Saturday, October 8, 2016

My Ideal For Campaign Reform.. A Rant!



Ok.. here is my political rant .. we need campaign reform!! Here is my proposal
  1. Campaigning can last no more then 2 months
  2. Each candidate will agree upon a certain amount they will be allowed to spend on campaigning
  3. There will be no negative campaigning. Only about the issues that affect the American people
  4. Each candidate will be allowed 4 ads to be shown for free on all networks. These networks will be the same for each candidate. Each will get the same time on a different day and will change each week.
  5. No candidate will be allowed to be on any television show. They are not entertainers.
  6. Each will be allowed to be on 4 different news shows and only talk about what they are planning on doing for the country. No knocking the other candidates down.
  7. There will be only 2 debates to narrow the candidates, both debates will be hosted by a non media person. Only questions relevant to the polices they purpose will be allowed. No personal attacks or fighting. No interrupting by commentator or candidate. Each will get 3 minutest and 1 minute to respond. The debate will only last a total of 1 hour
  8. There will be only 2 debates of the Presidential candidates and will be run the same as above.


I am sure I can come up with some more rules but that is a good start. I truly think this campaign has been going on way to long. Because of this we have lost what the candidates are standing for. Instead of the issues and the proposals they are making, we are more worried about their “deplorable” personality which I feel both have! It is so sad that we are stuck with 2 people that no one really want in office. I am sure we are the laughing stock around the world. It is an embarrassment that both people we have to choose from have so much baggage.

The media has been having a field day with all the scandals they are digging up on both candidates. Half the battle is trying to weed out the truth and not the media bias. They are so good with editing things and only letting you hear and see what they want you to see or hear.

It is so sad that people are so frustrated that they are personally attacking each other and calling them names just because of who the happen to pick as the least of the evils. It really shouldn't have to be the least of the evils.. so sad. There is way to much hate out there...and both candidates are to blame.

We need to pray for our nation and hope that it can survive the next 4 years...


That is the end of my rant... Please don't yell at me..  

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Book Review: Camilla d'Errico Pop Manga Coloring Book



Pop Manga Coloring Book by Camilla d'Errico is a really fun coloring book. The designs in this book are incredible. The pages are full of details both with the characters and the backgrounds. The only thing I found with these drawings is its hard to use markers because the spaces are small. Now, color pencils, I found, are a lot easier to use and look a lot better.  This book is great for any age really, but I believe 8 and up would most likely have more fun with it than 8 and under.
I do want to warn you it is very easy to loose track of time coloring these pages. This book would make a great gift idea.








"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Coloring Book - God Bless America




Coloring books aren’t just for kids anymore. Now adults have an excuse to color.  Coloring helps relief stress. There is evidence that even a short coloring session can help improve focus and spur creativity. God Bless America coloring book isn’t just a coloring book but it also a reminder of how blessed we are to live in a great country.

As you color the 40 patriotic images, each page contains quotes from our Founding Fathers, historic documents, presidents, Scripture, patriotic songs, and inspirational quotes from America’s heroes. 

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever.” – Thomas Jefferson

“The clash of ideas is the sound of freedom. “ – Claudia Alta Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson.

Many of the pages have great detail to color in and some not so much. This is a simple book, but a lot of fun. This book makes a nice gift.




Purchase the book at: Click Here
" I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."



Thursday, July 7, 2016

Punderdome A Game Review

When I saw this new game I thought it sounded fun to play.  Punderdome is based on the live  game show in Brooklyn New York.   So I gathered some friends to give it a try
First you need at least three people to play.  There are 200 game cards and 2 pads to write puns down. The object of the game is to come up with puns to match the cards and win mystery envelope prizes.  The mystery prizes are up to the host to get.  It doesn't come with the game
We had a group of 3 to play.  We found it kind of hard to come up with puns.  Guess we aren't that great at it.   Maybe after playing it more we will get the hang of it.  
If you have more then 3 people you can play in teams which can make it a little easier. 
Out of 1 - 10 I would give this game a 6.   I am not sure I am a big fan of the game yet.  Like I said maybe after playing it more we will have it figured out.
"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

9781101905654

American The Big Melting Pot

I know there has been  a lot of angry talk over immigration.  A lot of people feel that we should stop letting people into the country while others want to let even more in.  
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Those who are coming into our country are not like the people who fought to get here in the past.  When  those who  came to America to make a better life , they were proud to learn our history, our language, and wanted to become an American.   Even though they might have still spoke their language at home,  they still spoke English elsewhere.  
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Now our country has to change to make it easy for our new people coming in.  Instead of learning English, we have to have everything with different languages.  Call customer service and you end up with at least 2 different languages to choose from.  Schools are changing also.  
In stead of melting into our country, they want to have their own country stuck into ours.  I am afraid that sooner or later there will be so many little "countries" that American won't look the same anymore. 
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I am not a raciest, and I hope I haven't come across like I am.  I am all for people coming to America for a better life.  I just hope the are coming for the right reasons and not for what they can get from the country.  We need to all pull together, work together and live together to make this country even better.
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Thursday, June 30, 2016

Orange Is The New Pavement

I have decided that summer is now the season of orange barrels!   I know that the roads are in bad shape and in need of repair but pleeeassseee  lets do one or two roads at a time.
I am so sick of trying to find new routes to get to where I am going and no sooner do I find a replacement road; more barrels are put out and another road is closed!
This summer here in Grand Rapids seems to be worse then normal.  I feel like every road heading north and south is ether ripped up or completely closed.  I am so sick of orange signs, orange cones and barrels. 
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Why or why can't they complete one road then go to the next one.  It seems like they love to rip all the roads up at once and let them set a while before doing much work on them.  When going past the road construction it always looks like hardly anyone is working on the road.  I think they have so many ripped up that they don't have enough workers to get them all done.  It seems like they could save a lot of money by working on one or two roads at at time.  Put all the workers on those couple roads and get them done faster, then move to the next road. 
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Look at all the money the city and state could save by not having to buy so many signs, barrels and cones!  I think I might look into buying some stock in the orange cone and barrel company!
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I feel so sorry for the business that are held hostage due to road construction.  Some make it though the mess and some don't.  If it didn't take them so long to get the road completed it might save some of those poor business!   
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Lets end the season of orange.. lets hope that our government officials can find a better way to repair the roads with out having to rip up the whole area at one time!
Ok.. end of my rant for today
Until next time take care...

Monday, June 20, 2016

The Water-Saving Garden by Pam Penick Book Review


After our home was hit by a tornado a couple years ago we lost a lot of trees.  Our yard now gets a ton of sun which doesn't help the grass and plants, they are constantly needing water.  I saw this book "The Water-Saving Garden" and though this might give us some ideas that will help.

After reading the book I learned what plants work with less water, different containers to use, and water ponds.  I wish it covered more for people who live in the midwest.  It was geared more for the western states.  

The ideas were somewhat complicated and costly.   I wish there were more ideas that would fit in everyone's budget. I did enjoy the colorful pages full of plants and gardening plans. 

I would diffidently recommend this book for anyone that lives out west or who don't get very much rain.  It is an easy read and full of good information on plant and container choices. 


"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Happy Father's Day Daddy

It has been a few years now since my dad passed away, but it is still hard on Father's Day.  I miss his voice, his smile, the mischievous twinkle in his eye, his teasing, even his snoring.  I truly miss his hugs and the love that he gave.  My dad was the best.  He would do anything for my me and my sister.  He was always there for us. 

My dad was a hard working man.  He would work two jobs so we could have braces, musical instruments, go on trips etc.  He worked 40 - 50 hours at Steelcase in the desk department and then come home gulp down dinner and go to the high-school and worked as a janitor.  On top of working he also kept the house and cars up,  built things, remodeled the house, and played with me and my sister. 

If there was something that me or my sister might want we would give him that look and he would find a way to get it for us.  On our birthdays he would always have a gift just from him.. he loved to make it very hard for us to open it.  He would put it in a wooden box then layer it with all kinds of stuff, other boxes, lots of duck tape, anything he could think of to make it hard.  It would take us a while to open it but it was always worth the struggle!! Sometimes all that would be was a note to tell us to look somewhere else!  In the end it usually was a pretty piece of jewelry.  He loved to buy jewelry!  Sometimes dad and mom would hide a tiny box in the birthday cake. 

My dad's childhood was tough.  My grandma was very loving but his dad was very tough.  He had a very bad temper and my dad could never do anything right.  My grandma had to work so my dad was pretty much on his own during the day.  They had a garden and my dad was out helping grandpa till it and for some reason grandpa didn't think dad was doing it right or something so he got mad and hit him over the back with a new shovel.  The handle broke in half on my poor dads back.  You had to be very careful around grandpa.  After dad graduated high school he left home and joined the Air Force to get away from it.  
 

Because of what dad dealt with grandpa he never raised a hand on me or my sister.  He left the discipline to my mom.  This did not make mom to happy being the bad guy all the time.

I remember we wanted a dog and mom was totally against it.  Next thing you know, dad is coming home with a little bundle tucked inside of his coat.  Poor mom got stuck having to have another dog! 

My dad was always taking us somewhere.  Every summer he found a way for us to travel.  He had a truck and made a homemade camper for the back of it.  My sister and I would sleep on the table and my folks on the sides of the camper.  It wasn't that comfortable but it worked.  We got to see a lot of this wonderful country!  Our last trip we made as a family my dad took us though 13 states in less then 3 weeks.  It would have been a little longer but it was cut short due to a horse injury.  My sister wanted to go on a trail ride and we were in North Dakota.  The town we were staying at had trail rides so we went there.  For some reason the horses were spooked during the ride and went wild.  My poor dad fell off and got stomped on by a couple horses.  He ended up with a bruised arm and broken rips.  We ended up having to cut the trip short and head home.  Even though he was injured he drove all the way home.  He wouldn't let poor mom drive. 

When I graduated high school I started working at Steelcase.  I worked the night shift.  Many times dad came to my rescue.  We had a blizzard in 1978 and I got snowbound in Grand Rapids because I worked nights the roads were impassable.  Dad and mom came and helped dig me out after a couple days to get me back home.  Another time I went to an auction with a friend and was dropping her and the items she won back at her apartment.  I had my purse in my arms so I sat it in the trunk so I could help get the chair out for her.  Well, stupid me not thinking closed the trunk with my purse still in it.  Both sets of car keys were in my purse so I was stuck.  It was after midnight and I called dad and he came to the rescue.  He had to pull the back seat out a bit and with a coat hanger was able to pull my purse out.  Needles to say I never had both sets of keys in my purse again!

He was also the best grandpa in the world too.  After I had my daughter he was madly in love.  He would sit with her for hours rocking her.  When Stephanie was a toddler my folks bought her a big play house.  She would beg my dad to crawl in there with her so he and my mom would take turns playing in the house with her.  He was always making her things.  He started buying her stuff and making her furniture for an apartment some day.  Stephanie and my dad were so close, he even showed her how to drive. 
 
I miss dad so much, we all miss him.  But I know he is around us all the time.  

Happy Father's Day Dad....

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Estate Sale Clients Drive Me Crazy! A Rant


I run a small estate sale business which I use to love, but after six years of dealing with crazy clients and grumpy customers the fun has pretty much disappeared.

I really don't understand why people wait until the last minute to contact us for a sale.  Even though they know they are going to have one, the home has been empty for months, they are going to sell the house soon (like yesterday) etc.  They call me and think I can do their sale right away.  They need it done in a week or so.  I am sorry.. it takes some time to pull their stuff out of the cupboards, closets, and attics.  It takes time to clean their dirty dishes, organize their messy garage.  It takes time to price each item.  If it was that easy why don't they do it themselves!

I usually come in to a big mess.  Papers all over, food stuck on dishes, mice poo, dirty rooms.  We basically come in to a pig pen.  And the clients wait to get the items they want to keep out so we have to work around their stuff.

Then I get the clients whose items are in their eyes worth a lot.  This makes it very hard for me to sell and then at the end the client isn't happy because there is a lot left.  So then it ends up going to an end buyer or to a charity.  If they would just let me do my thing.

I get clients who have me come in and see what they have to sell and then when I come back to get started all the good things have been taken out.  Family have changed their mind about selling said items...or I get them taking things as I am getting the sale ready.

I do not understand why these people even call to have an estate sale.  If you aren't going to let the person do the sale the way they think it should be, why bother calling for someone to do it.  They need to trust the person they are hiring to do the sale instead of making it so difficult.

Yes I use to love starting a new sale.  The fun of digging out buried treasure and setting up the place so it looks like a show room.   Now I just hold my breath for the next problem to arise.  Get it ready and get the hell out of there before they drive me more crazy.

Customers are no better.  They come in complaining that the prices are to high, yet my prices are lower then Goodwill is, or an antique shop.   They are more willing to pay top dollar at a antique store then my bargain prices at the sale... go figure

So thanks for reading my rant.. I am done for now ... lol

Take care, until next time....


Captain America Civil War Review





My daughter has been wanting to see the new Marvel movie Captain America Civil War, so today we decided to check it out.  I am not a big fan of action movies but I have enjoyed the past Marvel moves.  With the cast that was listed I figured it wouldn't be much different then the other ones.

Well, I was wrong... this one dragged on and on.  It starts out with Captain America's friend Bucky captured and being reprogrammed by the Russians.  Then it jumped to the Avenger gang doing their thing.. saving the day, but this time with some collateral damage.  A building accidentally was blown up by one of their members.  Now they were getting bad press and the government wanted to control the group.

Here was the bad guy setting up scenarios for the Avengers to fix and by doing so he was able to make the group look bad.  He also found the book with codes to turn Bucky into a bad guy again.

The whole movie moved very slowly.  I wish they would have expanded the story more.  It seemed like it was missing some substance.  I did like the conflict that the bad guy made with the Avengers.  Half were for letting the government control what they do and the other wasn't.  This caused a huge riff in the group.  Of coarse Tony was on the side of the government and Captain wasn't.

The bad guy was getting his vengeance by watching the Avengers fall apart. I wish that they would have expanded on this more instead of moving around the concept until the end.

A new character was introduced in this installment.. the Black Panther, and a appearance of a young Spider Man.

If you are a die hard Avenger fan you will probably like this move.  I wish we had waited until it went to the cheap movies or Netflix.  I am not sure it was worth the $8.00 a ticket to see it.   Hopefully the next one will be better.

How May We Hate You Book Review




How May I Hate You by Anna Drezen and todd Dakotah Briscol

When I read the description of this book it sounded like it would be pretty funny!  I am sure that working as a concierge you would meet a ton of crazy people.  

Well, after starting to read it I found it a bit boring and gimmicky.  Granted, there was some stories that were pretty funny, but that was the problem.  There were only some stories.

The book felt very chopped up with a ton of boxed things like quizzes, word searches, erratic illustrations etc.  It made it a very difficult to read and to keep my interest.

In between the craziness were some pretty funny stories.  It would have been a much better book if they would have just kept to story telling.  

This is a 144 page read, if you can make it that far.  I had a hard time pushing myself to keep going,  I kept hoping it would get better. 

I don't feel that I could really recommend this book to my friends.  Better to check it out at the library so you don't feel bad skipping pages.

ABOUT HOW MAY WE HATE YOU?

Most people think hotel employees are effortlessly cheerful, naturally helpful, and genuinely like their work. 
 
Most people are wrong.
 
Find out what really goes on in the world of hospitality with this hilarious book full of funny and absurd stories, anecdotes told in dialogue, factoids, and hoax pop quizzes by two veteran concierges who paid their way while working at a combined 50 hotels in and around Times Square. They are very pleased to help you learn: 
·         The Truth About Bed Bugs
·         The Mythology of “Loyalty Programs”
·         The 411 on Hotel Residents
·         And so much more
 
Filled with photographs and infographics, How May We Hate You? is both romp and commentary on the hospitality industry and life behind the nametag.


"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review"




Sunday, June 5, 2016

Digging Out

I have a very hard time getting rid of family things.   Each item has some kind of memory.  Somethings even still have a familiar smell.  It is amazing what won’t trigger a flash back to my childhood.
My house has been topsy turvy for a while now.  A few years ago my daughter was living in a dorm and ended up having to come home due to illness.  We moved her back home and all her stuff got dumped in the basement.  Because she was so sick I spent most of my time taking her to the ER or the doctors.  I never got to the basement to organize and figure out what to do with her stuff.
So, as time progressed.. so did the mess in the basement.  I just never could find the time to get down there and straighten it out.  I was busy with my new estate sale business and trying to eBay.  I also was helping my folks and taking my daughter to school and doctors.
A few years ago my dad passed away and a couple years later my mom sold the house.  Well.. as you can guess I brought home a lot of stuff.  Things that held so many memories.  So now all of that is mixed in with the stuff.  Plus, eBay stuff is all around too.
Since my estate sale business has slowed down I have been trying to organize the house.  I am working in the laundry room right now.  Today I was pulling out containers that I haven’t looked into for years.  Totally forgot about them.  I opened one and found a bunch of Precious Moments.. hmmm they are going in the sell on eBay pile.
I opened another box and found a bunch of old books that I had when I was little.  I stood there and looked at each of them .. remembering when mom would read them to me and my sister.  What to do with them.  I didn’t even remember I had them.. do I keep them or sell them.  We do need the money right now.  Ok.. I bit the bullet and put them in the eBay pile.
Then I opened another box.  Inside all wrapped up was snack dishes from my grandma’s house.  There were three different sets.   Oh no.. now what am I going to do.  These were grandma’s, how can I get rid of them.  I totally forgot about them, yet they mean a lot to me because they were grandmas.  Ok.. stop it now..be smart…I doubt that I will ever use them.  We do need the money.  Grandma would understand.  Ok.. I will get rid of two of the sets and think about the other.  At least that is a start.. right?
I remember grandma using those snack dishes at her card parties, showers and ladies get together’s.  What ever happened to those days when pretty dishes were used and friends would get together for the afternoon and have fun.  It is sad those dishes aren’t needed anymore.
So my eBay pile is getting larger.  Now I need to take pictures and list things.  Never ending project trying to dig out.  One thing seems to lead to another.  Oh well.. tomorrow is another day.  I will keep chipping at it, who knows I might get it done before I die!
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Until next time.. take care…

Help Mother Nature Is Confused!


The past year has been pretty crazy for weather.  Living in Michigan you pretty much expect ups in downs in Mother Natures mood.  But this year.. oh my she has been pushing the edge of Bi Polar.

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It seems like just when I am ready to move the ending seasons clothes out and the up coming in she likes to play her little tricks and switch the weather back.   One minute it is warm then cold.   This winter has been a confusion.  Seems like it took forever for the snow to come, we had none for Christmas… but as soon as Christmas was over and then you get in the mood for winter to end the snow comes in tons!
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The past few months we have been having a variety of weather.  A couple of days of warm 50 degree weather then dropping down to the 30’s and snow. After a few days of snow it is back to warming up again.   The poor trees and flowers are totally confused. I know I am!
I hope Mother Nature gets on some pills soon so we know what to plan on! lol
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Until tomorrow… take care

The whole Coconut Cookbook Book Review

I love coconut and when I saw this book it peaked my interest!  Not only is it a book with all coconut recipes,  but it also has gluten free and dairy free.
The author Nathalie Fraise has started the book with information on the benefits of coconut.  I never knew how really good coconut is for you .. I just loved the taste! lol
It helps with inflammation, helps the immune system,  boost the metabolism and more..
There are many different forms of coconut that I  never knew of, such as coconut vinegar or coconut nectar.   He also tells you how to make coconut milk and butter.
Of course starting out the first chapter is breakfast dishes, all of which have some form of coconut.  Some of the recipes are pretty different such as Banana Cauliflower Farina.  The next chapter is the main course, then is salads and sides, followed by snacks, drinks then ending with deserts.
The book is nicely illustrated, but I do wish there were a few more pictures of some of the dishes.  I also think that this is a book for more accomplished cooks.  A lot of the recipes look pretty difficult and complicated to me.   Some of the ingredients may be difficult to find in some areas also.
Even though it might be more of a challenge for me to make some of these recipes, I still plan on giving it a good try.  I love coconut and they look to yummy not to try.
I would give this book a 4 out of 5 rating.  Worth checking out!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nathalie Fraise is a natural foods chef and nutrition educator, and the creator of the cooking app and food blog Vanille Verte (www.vanilleverte.com) where she shares tasty and healthy, nutrient-dense recipes. Her mission is to inspire people to reclaim their kitchen and cook for themselves and their families, as she firmly believes that this is the very best road to health and vibrancy.

ABOUT THE WHOLE COCONUT COOKBOOK

The Flower Workshop Book Review

The Flower Workshop Book ReviewWith spring on the mind I decided it was time to learn more about flower arranging.  The Flower Workshop by Ariella Chezar looked like it would fit my needs.
After receiving the book, and thumbing though it the beautiful colorful pages got me excited to get started.  There are a lot of interesting tips for flower arranging in the book that I had never thought about.  Such as just using foliage for arrangements.  How simple and elegant they can be.
Author Ariella Chezar goes though the different solid color arrangements and how to put them together.  The different types of flowers that you can use to make an arrangement and how to decorate with them when done.
I really enjoyed the colorful pages and easy read.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys flowers, and entertaining.

Bathroom Insanity or Bathroomgate

As I have been reading about the Transgender bathroom issue it makes me wonder .. with everything that is going on with the world we are worrying about where people are going to go pee.
I find it silly .. for one thing, if people are worried about who goes in what bathroom stall who’s to say it doesn’t already happen?  Really, usually the men and women’s bathrooms are right next to each other.  If anyone wanted to be a peeping tom or pervert how easy to just slip in.  I am sure it happens but no one hears about it.  Now that the Transgender folks want to use the bathroom that they feel comfortable in it has become a big issue.
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In a women’s bathroom there are stalls with doors. Unless you look under the stall you are away from everyone.  I find that a lot of Transgender women look better then regular women.   Some cross dressers you would never know.  Who knows.. this could have been going on all ready but just never knew about it until now.
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 Back in the olden days people would go out behind a tree or use an out house which was used by ever one. I doubt they really worried about it.  As long as they peed against the wind they were good to go.  lol
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I feel if someone wants to do harm the are going to do it whether or not there is a law.  How easy for the bad guy to slip in the bathroom and hide.  I doesn’t have to be a Transgender person, just because they are a little different doesn’t mean they are going to do something bad.  There are plenty of regular folks who are bad that molest children or take pictures of people in the bathroom.  It is not fair to think that Transgender folks are bad.
Lets stop worrying about something dumb.  There is enough really big things in the world to worry about.  Lets all pee in peace!
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Until next time take care….