Prayers To Connecticut

My prayers, thoughts and tears are with every person impacted by the senseless murders in Connecticut.

12 girls, eight boys and six female adults - - each child was shot three to 11 times, and all the victims were shot multiple times.

Babies

Charlotte Bacon, 2/22/06, female (age 6)

Daniel Barden, 9/25/05, male (age 7)

Olivia Engel, 7/18/06, female (age 6)

Josephine Gay, 12/11/05, female (age 7)

Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 04/04/06, female (age 6)

Dylan Hockley, 03/08/06, male (age 6)

Madeleine F. Hsu, 07/10/06, female (age 6)

Catherine V. Hubbard, 06/08/06, female (age 6)

Chase Kowalski, 10/31/05, male (age 7)

Jesse Lewis, 06/30/06, male (age 6)

James Mattioli, 03/22/06, male (age 6)

Grace McDonnell, 11/04/05, female (age 7)

Emilie Parker, 05/12/06, female (age 6)

Jack Pinto, 05/06/06, male (age 6)

Noah Pozner, 11/20/06, male (age 6)

Caroline Previdi, 09/07/06, female (age 6)

Jessica Rekos, 05/10/06, female (age 6)

Avielle Richman, 10/17/06, female (age 6)

Benjamin Wheeler, 9/12/06, male (age 6)

Allison N. Wyatt, 07/03/06, female (age 6)


 ADULTS


Rachel Davino, 7/17/83, female (age 29)

Dawn Hocksprung, 06/28/65, female (age 47)

Anne Marie Murphy, 07/25/60, female (age 52)

Lauren Russeau, 1982, female (age 29)

Mary Sherlach, 02/11/56, female (age 56)

Victoria Soto, 11/04/85, female (age 27)

I vow to do whatever I can to see effect change so that no more lives are lost to heinous acts of evil such as this.

What Christmas Traditions Does Your Family Have?

My family has a few Christmas traditions that go back generations and we have almost an equal number of new traditions.

Since we moved to the Kansas City area going to the Country Club Plaza and taking a carriage ride has become a tradition. All of us girls get dressed in our finest and go see the Nutcracker ballet

A few traditions passed on when my mother passed away 3 years ago.


Here is my newest article for WorthPoint.com - Baking Cookies, Making Paper Chains, Family Traditions .

I would love to hear your holiday traditions.

As always, thank you for visiting.

I Love the Olympics

I have always loved the Olympic games but the lack of sportsmanship in the current, 30th, games is shameful.

Do we blame the easy access to social media? Do we blame the 'holier than thou' attitude of some of the young Olympiads? Lack of manners or the I don't give a shit what anyone thinks because I am in the Olympics?

If I had the honor of participating I would like to think that I am humble enough to not get myself booted because of spewing swill on Twitter. Shame on these people! I think that they should be banned from participating for life because of their immaturity and lack of common decency.

The other night when Jordyn Wieber failed... yes failed, to make to make the cut for gymnastics individual all-round competition she wailed like a baby. Yes of course she was upset and disappointed but hell she is the reigning World's Champion she should not have failed but since she did she certainly could have held the tears until she was out of camera range. I realize she is just a young girl and that she had every reason to wail and weep but where is her sportsmanship? Why wasn't she congratulating her fellow team members who did make the cut? I don't recall seeing Michael Phelps ball like a baby when he failed to medal in the 400 IM.

Summertime is Travel Time For Me

Point me in a direction and I am off. I have not traveled to any exotic locations in many years but I love to be on the road and always find a way to have the best time possible.

It is getting difficult to travel by car due to the high cost of gas and hotel prices yet with a little research beforehand I can usually find a nice inexpensive motel to lay my head while I am traveling.

Right now I am in the market for a small travel trailer even a pop-up trailer would be nice. You can stay at most RV parks for around $25 a night. Look out world when I have my own little trailer to sleep in I will never be at home.


I am a freelance journalist for WorthPoint.com so when I am on the road I stop at antique shops, flea markets, thrift stores and junk shops along the way to give me something of interest to write about. Here is my latest article if you are interested in reading it - http://www.worthpoint.com/article/michelles-antique-roadtrip-cruising-antiquing-southeast-iowa . I just returned from a seven day trip to Texas and am currently working on a story about that trip. I had an amazing time and met many wonderful people along the way.

In my mind a road trip is about much more than just reaching your destination. It is stopping along the way, taking the small highways, seeing the sights and meeting new people. If you fly down the highway at 75+ mph you are missing a number of beautiful sights.

Tell me about your summer road trips.

Fun Online Shopping Site

I spend quite a bit of time online because of my work and of course there are times when I take off and just start browsing around.

The other day I came across a nice shopping site, I was actually looking for a chair to sleep in for those times when my grandchild comes to spend the night. I found out that it is actually called a guest sleeper chair thanks to this website.

Before my youngest daughter moved back home my grandchild had her own room at our house. Some of our most precious times are when the wee one is with us for a few days. We have amazing conversations, she tells me her secrets and catches me up on what is going on with her world. She is 11 years-old so her world changes quickly.

I have a twin bed in my home office and one of these smaller couches is perfect to put in the office. That way I can sleep in the bed and she can have the chair to sleep in.

Be sure to check out this site and see what 'must haves' you can find.

My "Strongly Worded Letter" to Bank of America

My "Strongly Worded Letter" to Bank of America:

'via Blog this'

This letter applies not only to Bank of America but Wells Fargo and the worst offender of all J.P. Morgan Chase.

These greedy corporate sluts have ruined more lives than we will ever know. They are kicking people out of their homes, Chase thinks nothing of violating Federal law and foreclosing on homes owned by military personnel who are in the heat of battle protecting the freedom of us all.

If WE don't take a stand, shout loudly and just in general throw a fit these money grubbing, scum of the earth financial institutions will continue on with their ruthless ways.

Please share this link with everyone you know.