goodbye 2013, hello 2014

Well friends we have made it another year. I'm ready for the new one. If you are reading this thank you for taking the time to do so. Didn't get a lot of writing done this year but next year plan on doing some more, if you can take my silly writing.

A lot happened this year people got older some of us didn't make it. We lost someone we worked with due to cancer she was a fighter. She would say, pray for me I'm not ready. But God was ready for her. Another family friend got diagnosed with bone cancer just before Christmas this year. Let me just say cancer is a bitch. If you think about all the good and all the bad that happened in the world this year I'd have to say that the bad won. The bombings that took place in Boston to the tsunami that took place in Thailand. The tornadoes that hit Oklahoma and Texas to the hurricane that hit Mexico. People in Russia are being beaten for who they are. A&E network fired one of their characters and the list goes on. So much devastation no one is ever prepared.

When I think about the bad I have to say that I am one lucky person. I still have my family, still have my health, still have the love of my life. I get giggly inside when I encounter a sugar free desert. I take all the small good things that happen and blow it out of proportion to celebrate. For example when Heather was an illegal immigrant for about a month when the ordeal was over I celebrated it with wine. When the car kept going back to the mechanic over the inspection not passing I finally jumped with joy that it got its sticker on its windshield. See what I mean little victories are the best.

Did I mention that when DOMA died I cried, but cried from victory.

The year 2013 was good to us. Did a lot of tastings this year some where new like wine tastings in cedar springs, cheese tastings, beer tastings, candy tastings, coffee tastings......anything tasting is good. For 2014 I plan on doing soda tastings wonder how that will work. One thing I enjoyed doing this year was photo scavenger hunts. Found out that they are so much fun. Don't believe me try one. Maybe it's a plus for me since I take photos of anything. Randomness was the best this year. Example; waking up and grabbing breakfast tacos and going to the bookstore patio and eating them. We are fools I know.

All I can tell you from experience is that if I died today I can say that I have lived my life to the fullest. I don't have any regrets. I pretty much do anything I want just can't afford the big things but that is not ruining my groove at all. Ask yourself that question "have you lived to the fullest?" don't question what the heart wants just do it.

Please, please don't start the new year exercising. I mean how many of you actually kept last years resolution. Instead start something else. Be kind to one another the world is only here for us to live it. Next year will be better than this one we can only look forward with last years memories not regrets.

When midnight hits a flash of memories will start popping in your brain. You may feel sad, you may feel happy, it's okay to cry. When you sum up in one minute what the year was like take all the bad that happened and embrace it, it has made you stronger. Take all the good and be thankful. If you look to the left and look to the right and that person that was there is no longer there you will be okay things happen for a reason. People change you, I know they have me. So I may be on your right I may be on your left but if I'm not there at all well think about it, what happened this year.

I'll leave now before I start on my rants. But want to leave you with this.....are you wearing your red undies?

Cheers to you my friends and may 2014 be wonderful.

money talks

We live in a country where we have the capability to say whatever we want. Yes "Freedom of Speech" or do we really?

I don't live my life this way by choice, I live my life because that's just who I am. When I talk about myself I talk about me and the people in my life. I can't speak for everyone else. I can not and will not be categorized in a group to be miss interpreted or hated. Earlier this week a famous superstar mentioned that being gay leads to bestiality, but let me ask you this...REALLY?! In the past, from my hearing not seeing, have I only heard of straight people having this type of conduct. Never had I heard this about an LGBT person, but I might be wrong. He also mention a racist comment but I am assuming no one caught that because everyone who cared was only the LGBT community. I hate to say that I am labeled in a category that shouldn't even matter to this man. The way I live should not ever be important to a public figure, especially a superstar, unless he pays me to live the life I live. Just in case you don't know who I am speaking of it's Phil from the now more famous show Duck Dynasty. If it wasn't that popular it is now.

The thing is that I don't hate him nor do I feel offended by what he said. I can't blame a man that was taught to think this way. You can't get mad at ignorance, just brush it off and continue with the next person that feels this way. People will always find a way to make your life somehow their business. If I happen to be somewhere and the show is on I'm not going to change it. You can't blame his family for him thinking the way he does, but you do have to think about the fact that if he said it then his family grew up with this in their life. You can not grow up in a christian home with your father raising you with his ideas on the rest of the world, and not share some of those views. Just not possible.

He was fired from the show and that's when everyone that supported him got mad.

Let me explain why this was the only correct thing to do when your boss fires you from running your mouth.

I'm going to put myself in a similar situation so that we can understand how this should have not been a surprise.

I'm at work at a regular J O B I start running my mouth but I shouldn't because I never know who will hear me. I say some inappropriate words and go ahead and make racial slurs. Someone goes back and tells my manager what I said while someone else I work with gets offended. What do you think will happen next? I will have to sit down with my manager and he will ask to confirm what I said and if it's true do you think he will spank my hand? No. He will have no choice but to fire me.

The difference here is that I am a nobody that got fired, and here he is, a superstar making bank that got fired.  So what is the big idea? Is it because he has money? Yes.

"Freedom of Speech" is a strong phrase. We all have it. It's constitutional, but can we get away with it?  Depends on who you are...

As a person, you cannot fix hate with hate. You, my friend, really don't have freedom to say whatever it is that comes to mind because there will be consequences.  There will not be half a nation backing your words, backing YOUR "Freedom of Speech".

The thing that made me feel a little sadness in my heart was that fact that I saw friends and family say they stand with Phil. They see the life of a christian man that believes he, like others, can pick and choose what parts of the "good book" to follow, and what parts to overlook. I do believe in God, and love Him wholly.  No MAN can tell me that just by following what God created in my soul...me being LGBT...that I will NOT get to Heaven!  But I guess I can't blame these friends amd family.. They fell in love with the Reality TV star that gets paid to be just that, a star, not the real man he is.

So please if you are that upset that a superstar got fired for saying what you and I would have gotten fired for, then you are living in the fantasy world. Reality TV is not ever really Reality TV.

By the way don't worry no animals were hurt in the making of this blog by a member of the LGBT community.

loosing sight

We take things for granted and we don't know how lucky we are for the simple things in life.

I wake up every day at four in the morning by my lovely neighbor who wakes up to make her husband lunch for work. Her bright kitchen light shines in. I can see that.

I head on the road while it's still dark towards work and wonder about all that are still in their nice warm beds. I can see the street lights.

I am at work sick wondering how I need to make my money to support myself and my family and wonder why all these other people are up so early. I can see them rushing to start their day.

Through out the day I hear people complain about one thing or another. I can see that through their facial expressions.

I walk into the ladies restroom and notice how a lady would even leave it looking the way they do. I can see the mess they left behind

It doesn't dawn on me that after seeing all that I have so far I'm still lucky to see it.

A woman comes in with two little girls. The two small children are between nine and twelve years old. She walks with one on each side. One daughter won't let go of her mother's hand. The other just listens without missing a word. The woman needs help filling out her paper work. She feels her girls are too young to help. She is loosing her sight. We help her. I look at the girls and feel sadness because they are now going to grow up so fast and won't be able to live a regular kid's life. By the age of thirteen they will be adults. Those two girls love her, their mom. They are too young to understand how life will be from now on but they will cope. As they left us, the mother asked for extra help and the oldest girl got upset "mom I can do it for you". She is already being a strong little girl. She won't get to physically see her babies get older only they will see their mom grow grays.

I am thankful for my sight. I may get irritated at times with my glasses but I am still thankful for my everyday small images that these four eyes capture.