Thursday, September 09, 2010

Of Thieves and Liars......

There is much difference between imitating a man and counterfeiting him.~ Benjamin Franklin 

A good friend of mine had her words stolen. 


A letter she had written to her father on his birthday was stolen by some woman on the web without even a second thought.

This disgusts me.

I truly hope dear readers that you never have this happen to you and please never stand by and watch it happen to someone else. Stand up, step up, be willing to help make a wrong right.

***Turns out she stole from a lot more people, The Megalomaniac Mommy compiled a list***



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Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Sometimes "Goodbye" is easier to say than you thought.....

In the last year I have done a little, shall we say "editing" in my life.....

Got rid of some friends (and family members) that I felt like I just didn't need anymore. Some of them seemed to not need me anymore either so I guess that's alright too....

I'm pretty sure in most cases it was a clean break, and it's possible that it was an easier thing to do than I ever expected. I find myself less stressed about things that used to make me want to pull out my hair. Now I'm more relaxed, ready to deal with things at a slower, more reasonable pace.

I've learned a lot too.

I've learned about the true value of friendship, support and loyalty. I used to always consider myself to be a good friend to any one that needed a good friend. Going out of my way to help and support but now I know that you can't make every one happy.

I hope I'm teaching my kids these new lessons too, I'd hate for them to be in their 30s before they figure them out. Although I suppose some lessons need to be learned rather than taught.....
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Thursday, September 02, 2010

and the horse you rode in on......

it must be nice to sit in judgment of others.

you bitch about us not visiting you but you've NEVER come here exclusively to visit us.

your visits are always part of one big trip to visit everyone.

and we usually have to drive 2+ hours or more to see you, you've come to our place twice.

not to mention that you time your trips horribly and get pissy when we can't make it there during your visit.

some of us have work and school, we lack the flexibility to drop everything and go on vacation...or visit people out of town.

plan better next time jackass.

don't lecture us about "helping" when we've done what we can from where we are, especially when we've been told it's been handled.

it's not our fault things changed, we weren't involved....at all.

turns out that they're adults and if they needed us they could have asked.

don't call here just to bitch about it....i don't want to hear about it and he doesn't deserve your guilt trip.

your balls must be brass for you to try to tell me that family is more important than friends, i can think of more than a half dozen times when you've brushed us off for your friends.

my friends ARE my family.

if family wasn't so bad at keeping in touch and being kind to each other maybe we'd be more interested in spending time with them.

honestly, i wish you'd just shut the eff up and worry about your own damn life.
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From Qweenie's Kitchen: Potato & Ham Chowder

Yay! Crock Pot meals!
 Potato & Ham Chowder
Crock pot: 3 1/2- 4 quart
Prep Time: 10-15 min
Cook Time: 8 hr on low ....*I just cook it till we're ready to eat

1 pkg Betty Crocker scalloped potatoes
1 cup diced fully cooked ham
4 cups chicken broth
2 medium stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups half & half
1/3 cup all purpose flour

~ Mix potatoes, sauce mix from potatoes, ham, broth, celery, onion and pepper in slow cooker

~ Cover and cook on low heat setting for 7 hours

~ Mix half & half and flour. Gradually stir half & half mixture into chowder until blended

~ Cover and cook on low heat setting 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until thickened and vegetables are tender.

~ Makes 5 servings

**** My tips****

I use a 6 qt. crockpot so I double the recipe except for the flour. Also it rarely ever takes 8 hours to cook, I've started it at noon and been ready to dish it up by 5.
I also love to serve it with sourdough rolls for dunking cuz it is just too damn tasty!
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Thursday, August 26, 2010

From Qweenie's Kitchen: Sweet-n-Sour Chicken

Yay! Crock Pot meals!
Sweet-n-Sour Chicken

Crock Pot version
Serving Size: 5
Cuisine: Chinese
Main Ingredient: Chicken


-= Ingredients =-
1 1/4 pounds Chicken breasts, boneless skinless ; sliced
1 tbs Vegetable oil
to taste Salt & pepper
1 can (8 oz) Pineapple chunks
1 can (8 oz) Water chestnuts ; sliced
2 medium Carrots ; sliced
2 tbs Soy sauce
4 teaspoons Cornstarch
1 cup Sweet and Sour sauce
1/4 cup Water
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground ginger
3 Green onion ; cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups Snow peas
Hot cooked rice

-= Instructions =-
In a large skillet, saute chicken in oil for 4-5 minutes; drain.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set pineapple aside. In a 5 qt. slow cooker. combine the chicken, water chestnuts, carrots, soy sauce and pineapple juice. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours or until chicken juices run clear.

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, sweet and sour sauce, water and ginger until smooth. Stir into slow cooker.

Add onions and reserved pineapple; cover and cook on high for 15 minutes or until thickened. Add peas; cook 5 minutes longer.

Serve over rice.
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Friday, August 06, 2010

Life and what it takes to make one....

I work my ass off day in and day out.....people think that I'm fairly lucky to be able to stay home and care for my home and family.
I love my job and I will admit that I am lucky to have it.....but this isn't about luck this is an example of choices. My husband and I have chosen to live this way and give our children this life. This life doesn't have a lot of material perks, no vacations to exotic locales, no fancy cars or clothes or toys......but we make due.....we try not to whine about what we don't have, and forgive each other the occasional rant.
For the most part we are happy, healthy and prospering!!
We spend a lot of time together, not much apart, honestly that makes us all a little nuts but given the choice I would rather be here with them than anywhere on the planet.

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Friday, February 19, 2010

Fly, Fatass, fly!


"No diet will remove all the fat from your body because the brain is entirely fat. Without a brain, you might look good, but all you could do is run for public office." ~~George Bernard Shaw

I know a lot of people have heard about how Kevin Smith was ejected from a Southwest Airlines flight for being "Too Fat To Fly" and honestly they may or may not have cared. I did, I do and I will continue to. Not because it's Kevin Smith but because I am a "Customer of Size" too and the story sickens me.

Now I have read, watched and listened to all the sides of this thing and I have to say that the fact that SWA refuses to go on the record to say that Mr. Smith was NOT in fact "Too Fat To Fly" but instead continues to keep silent that it was simply a mix up, speaks volumes about just how insensitive people can be about "heavy" people.

I understand the embarrassment and humiliation that comes with being fat and being called out for and I understand the outrage Mr.Smith must feel for being unjustly accused of being too fat when in this particular instance he was not. So Mr. Smith, trying to reclaimed the dignity that was so unceremoniously stripped from him, tweets and sMods and whatnot about the incident on the internet. GREAT! I fully endorse the venting on the internet deal (obviously), I just wish it hadn't been met with so much ire by the "skinny" people.

Let me just say that if a salad could fix my weight issues I'd gladly eat them for the rest of my life. Snickering "Do a sit-up" under your breath isn't going to make some magic light bulb go off in my head. "Fattys" aren't always lazy, or over eaters or even slobs. We're people who have a problem that we have to deal with/ work on every day...you have no idea. Honestly I hope you never do.

I'm sorry I'm a little preachy on this....it strikes a nerve with me because I have been a traveler my whole life and I've only been a Fatty the last 10 but I've had heavy family members and demmit I wish people could be more kind to heavy people....they, we, deserve better from each other. Judgment over culture, color, religion or body type is just wrong. Why is it that obese people are acceptable targets of hatred? Why is it okay to make fun of the fat kid but not the autistic kid? They're both disorders...so what's the difference?

Chances are there is a "fatty" out there somewhere that you love, be it a friend, teacher or family member. Shouldn't we keep that in mind and stop being so damn mean to each other?

I truly hope that the snipes about Mr. Smith's weight die down and that people look at this case for what it is...because it's just not right for him to be subjected to sneers and snickers when he simply got bumped from a plane because SWA fucked up.....
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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Spring is coming...which means summer is right behind!!

I was recently contacted by a rep from The Fresh Air Fund. The Fresh Air Fund is an independent, not-for-profit agency, that has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities.

The thing is though...they need your help!


First off they rely on donations, your donations help to provide memorable summers to NYC children. So donate what you can, please.

Second, and this one is the best, they need host families! Host families are volunteers who live in the suburbs or small town communities. Host families range in size, ethnicity and background, but share the desire to open their hearts and homes to give city children an experience they will never forget. Hosts say the Fresh Air experience is as enriching for their own families, as it is for the inner-city children. There are no financial requirements for hosting a child. Volunteers may request the age-group and gender of the Fresh Air youngster they would like to host.

So please, please if you are in the NY area please consider helping out. Every kid deserves a summer in the "country"! My kids spend most of their summers at a cottage on a beautiful lake in Northern Minnesota and I know that their lives are enriched by the time spent there.....I wish I could send some of these kids there!


So what do you say? Can you spare some time or a little money to change a kids life?

Click here to learn more about becoming a host or call (800) 367-0003!

Thnx for listening.....*climbs off soapbox*


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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

There is no death. It is only a transition to a different sphere of consciousness.

Zelda Rubinstein has died. 

For those of you who don't know her by her name she was Tangina in Poltergeist (1982). 

I LOVED that movie, moreover I LOVED that character........some people just don't appreciate a tiny psychic like I do.  

I realize she did other things, she had a long and very storied career, but to me she will always be Tangina.

ALWAYS...

Thank you Zelda for helping to save us from the scary beasties that live in the snowy TV screen....We REALLY appreciate it.....




RIP Tangina!
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Monday, January 18, 2010

Thank you, ah thank you very much.....

We finally got our holiday thank you cards done....yeah I know....late.

I know some people think thank you cards are an outdated ritual that have no place in modern times. As a matter of fact why send hand written thank yous when an email or phone call will suffice?

Well because it's a nice thing to do.....imagine the look on your gift givers face when they get the mail and begin sorting through the daily pile of junk mail and bills only to find that little hand addressed envelope....

...and then they open it and read that not only did you like the gift but you're so glad they thought of you on your day (or holiday) and that you miss them or love them or plan to see them soon....

....and they smile....they smile because you have added just a tiny bit of sunshine to their day. Out there in the world of junk mail and bills someone appreciates them and cares how they feel....

And that to me is what makes it all worth it...

OH AND....my kids wrote theirs this year without a fight....YAY!!
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010

It gets a bit sticky sometimes.....

I believe that more unhappiness comes from this source than from any other - I mean from the attempt to prolong family connections unduly and to make people hang together artificially who would never naturally do so.~~Samuel Butler


I'm on Facebook, as are many many people in this world....

Unfortunately with the fun of re-connecting with long lost friends and family comes the down side of being in a better position to catch shit from those same people...

Yesterday I hit my limit....I don't want to hear from some of these people anymore. I am NOT the whipping boy for their issues and I refuse to allow them to treat me as such. So....

Dear Family,

Just because we are related doesn't mean we are friends. there are many things that I do in my life that you won't like, just as there are things you do that make me nuts. You have the option to ignore those and love me anyway (as I do with you for the most part) OR you can choose to be a total ass about it and let it ruin our relationship for good.

I did not move as far away as I did to hurt YOU. I did it for the benefit of MY little family. At no time were YOUR feelings considered when my husband
and I made this decision for our financial future.

To lay blame, for not seeing us, at our door is ridiculous. We make trips to your neck of the woods every couple of months. That you choose to act oblivious to that or just plain ignore it is on YOU, not me. I think it's the most horrible bunch of crap that you would imply that even though I have driven 6 hours with both my kids (and usually with both my dogs) to a whole other state I should then drive one more hour just to see you when clearly it would make more sense for you to bring your ass to me.

Don't tell me about how much you'd love to see my kids more often when you make no effort to do so on your own. You are the adult. You have a car. You can come see us at anytime, I have extended invitations on many many occasions and have been shot down.

I refuse to feel guilty because YOU weren't told about a family gathering that I attended (and you did not) when it was in the town where you live and you were just too lazy to pick up a phone and ask someone. I didn't plan the gathering...I announced my plans to stop by on my way through town on Facebook, and since you are my 'friend' I figured you'd see it. Other family members did and they showed up.

I have had the same cell number for 9 years. I don't change it, despite leaving the state 4 years ago, because I want to be accessible to you. Your number changes fairly often, mine does not. That you would have the balls to say I should have called you is dumb. YOU should call me. I've called you repeatedly over the years...it's your turn. There is no reason you can't pick up a damn phone and call me.

I refuse to feel guilty about everything I do. I refuse to put forth all the effort in our relationship anymore. From this day forward I will treat you as you have treated/treat me.

I have figured out over the years, thanks to your behavior toward me, that I don't need you. I have a wonderful family of my own making. I have 'sisters' I love and who love me. My kids have 'Aunts & Uncles' that most people would be lucky to have. And though we would love for you to be a part of our lives we don't NEED you to be if you don't want to be.

On that note let me just add....

The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.~~Richard Bach


Thank you for your time.




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Friday, January 08, 2010

Happy Birthday to The King!!

"The King" being Elvis Presley of course.....





Happy 75th Birthday Elvis!

Thank you for all the great music you left behind and all the artists you've inspired!
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Books, books...I love them...

Recommended by Qweenie

A Charmed Death
The Trouble With Magic
Armed and Glamorous
Grave Apparel
Hostile Makeover
Raiders of the Lost Corset
Designer Knockoff
Killer Hair
Red Knife: A Cork O'Connor Mystery
The Queen's Fool
Thunder Bay: A Cork O'Connor Mystery
Just One Look
The Everafter War
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
The Eyre Affair
Snow Blind
Dead Run
Phantom Prey
Monkeewrench
Drowning Ruth


Qweenie's favorite books »

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