Denise Jaden: YA Giveaway Hop!: I've just gotten back from ALA Midwinter, and LOADED myself down with new books! I have to give some of these away due to limited shelf spac...

I have my friend Leah

Dena & Leah

Hello

So I have my friend Leah who is living with me and mine (; and I feel like that movie Yours, Mine, and Ours (ha ha). I know it seems a little far fetched however it is not. I am so glad we get along because with 8 people constantly near each other it would be a mess if we didn't. "sigh" So now I am trying to link her to my blog so she can add to my growing community and also to have another perspective. She is single, beautiful, and has 2 children which in this day and age is a great perspective to have. Right? But it is getting on my nerves that I have to constantly add her to each blog.

Anyways, I am over it (not really) however since this is growing and getting different views I feel it is inadequate because I am learning that I am not that computer literate which surprised me but didn't. I should just ask my husband since he is the computer genius around here (snicker) and he does IT work constantly. Furthermore, I don't want to ask him because I want to do it on my own so I can feel accomplished. This way I can have my friend giving me some honest stuff and leave the bookish reviews, news whatever to me. I want some stuff on here about life, love and happiness from other perspectives and get that girl talk feel.

So far I have Laurie giving us her side of being 57, me on being married with children (lol) and now Leah on being single with children. Hope it can turn out that way. Oh yeah I want to tell everyone about our adventures too. (hee hee)

So today Leah and I went out for coffee since she is single I am always on the prowl to get my friend to notice guys. There was this guy he was 6' 2" maybe 6' 3" and I knew it would be her type. He looked intimidating and he had this arrogance about him, I do not know what I was thinking but I went up to him to ask hey what do you do for a living? He said "I'm a car salesman." I said "Thanks, Bye." The only reason is because Leah and our other friend Sarah were walking away and I was left standing there and I did not want to be there by myself. I might have the balls (excuse the pun) to go up to the guy but not to be left alone. Nope no way... These are my adventures and I plan to have lots more.

Bye for now!!

Christmas and Kepping up with the Joneses

Ok so we all know many people who are getting this and that but what I want is not expensive and I am not keeping up with anyone. I want books that is it. I want to be able to sit down and read without any interruptions. Does that happen? Hell NO!

I don't mind though and with Christmas right around the corner literally there will be no time ever. I do not want a bigger wedding ring, nicer car, a bigger home and all of that materialistic bullshit. I want my kids to enjoy their toys and I want to lay around reading my book. I see my husband looking at what others are getting and I wonder if he ever wishes for more.

I know I am rambling but hello Christmas sucks if your an adult and have to work at everything. Examples: Shopping (work), putting up tree, lights etc., wrapping and then to top it all off a person is spending money to make others happy. Why? I mean when did the fun get sucked out of Christmas exactly. I do everything I do for my children but come on. I want to go somewhere and lay around and have the kids run around and not be bothered. I know I know what a shitty attitude but at least I have the guts to say what the majority is thinking. Right?

So I am going to go and continue on with the hey this is great fun attitude until Tuesday when the relaxing begins :-)

I am Laurie, I am 57, a mom, and grandmother.
I enjoy and agree with what Dena wrote on the issuse of women looking for the end of the story to be all happy and joy.
Girls were taught to be sugar and spice and remember to look nice. We are the glue of our families, our jobs, and our own personal selves. We work hard, very hard. We have been the tough one. I would rather do it myself than have to let someone screw something up and I have to fix it. It could  have been done by now.
On the other hand, I love letting my granddaughters try all sorts of new things. They may make a mistake but they learn from that. With humor we learn a great deal.

My Sunday...........

Ok so my sunday consists of sleeping in until 11am. We are supposed to go to the tree lot and decorate our house for Christmas. My husband hates it and I do not blame him because it is alot of work. I used to love Christmas but now not so much I guess because I never had to do so much work until I became an adult.

I am in my Pjs just chillin watching the Hallmark channel hoping to get some Christmas spirit. I think it makes me more or less into the Christmas spirit (I still don't know) because my family is a little detached. I want to achieve the whole Christmas spirit with cookies, hot chocolate, and the smelling of the holiday (pine, holly). However, there are many variables of why that will not happen its because I am fat and cannot eat or participate into the eating part of the holidays. Which sucks a whole lot....

Realistic or Unrealistic?

Ok, So today has been a very busy day for me and my brain.

We women see movies from the time we are born to the time we die. We love romantic movies where there is a happily ever after. I think Disney started it with Cinderella and Snow White. Personally after seeing Brave the newest Disney film it pissed me off. The reason being is when the ending happened I looked at it with my girls and said where is the Prince. Why? Was it subconscious? I am guessing so since we are conditioned to find the Prince for the happily ever ending.

So as we grow older we look for our happy ending and then reality rears its ugly head. Is that fair? Hmm in a way I say yes, the reason being is because life is not fair. We are taught that from a young age and yet we are always told to hope, have faith and to think positive. Are we leading our young girls on with these dreams that might not come true?

These are questions I asked myself today because as an adult woman I often wondered if I was mislead into thinking that men were the other half of happiness. My father was a single parent who went out of his way for me constantly and yet I cannot get my own husband to do that for his children. Is that the age or is that the person. I want to believe it is the person but the more women I speak to the more I believe it is the age of how men are. How disappointing for our women?

I love my husband more than just about anything and yet I am disappointed by the lack of being a father he is. I do not believe he is actively doing these things. I am willing to overlook this because he is kind, generous, understanding, and an awesome provider. He willingly took on 3 girls that were not his biologically and adopted 2 of them. So I still have some hope or is it faith either way I am very lucky.

When I read these books I am often disappointed with my life. I wonder if that is the case for most women. We want these characters with a passion that borders on obsessive. I always wonder what these men have that many women want is it looks, personality, money or the whole package. I have heard Justin Beiber's song about love and how he could care less if he was homeless as long as he had his love. Is that true? Would these characters still appeal to us if they were poor and were going nowhere in their life. If I wrote about a begger with average looks and a domineering personality would women still swoon like they are fifteen with no cares in the world. I highly doubt it yet there is still lingering possibility.

So now I leave you all with questions and possibilities that maybe we are lead to believe in possibilities that may not happen. I am hopeful we have our happy endings like the movies and books tell us. In this day and age we need something to be positive about especially with a recession, joblessness, money problems, health issues, and rising costs of everything including children.

Ramblings of a late night woman....

Ok so here it is late at night watching romantic Christmas movies and wonder if I had a second chance what would I do. I miss the 90's and all of the crazy shit I used to do. I always wonder how many turns I took when I made a decision to end up where I am currently.

Do we always second guess ourselves? I guess we do... My friends are either divorced or separated and some are attached but is any of them happy. Do we know what makes us happy? I do not even know myself good enough to answer. Are relationships designed to be our only happiness? When we are unhappy do we blame the outside influences or the inside ones? I need so many things that I may need to concentrate on those and kind of work in my relationships whether it is my husband, kids, friends or family...

Hmmmm I am so tired and I want so many things like traveling. In January I am hoping to go to California to visit Lisa and it will be so awesome.

So what do you do when your life is stagnant? When you are not moving ahead or not moving at all? I want to change direction I need to have something to motivate me personally and not just going through the motions. I love my children and I want them to have the best life ever and I will make that happen however I want the best for me. Is that possible? I have friends that cannot make that happen yet and I wonder if that is what happening to me as well.