2008 is a leap year and today’s the 29th of February, so what was so special about this day?  Well, for one, kids, adults and everyone born this day celebrated their birthdays, after 4 years of no celebration!   Don’t they just love this day? Especially for kids who love to celebrate birthdays year after year!  Well, kids, this day is for you! 

Did you know that women have the right to propose marriage on February 29th? This is what they call "Ladies Privilege".  Hundreds of years ago, leap year day had no recognition in English law.  The day was ‘leapt over’ and ignored, and was then called "leap year". Then women had the right to propose on 29th February each leap year.   It was decided that the day had no legal status, which meant that a "break in tradition" on this day was acceptable. 

Miodestino.co.uk gives us the some tips on how to propose to that man of your dreams:

Five Romantic Ways to Propose
 
1. Try the age-old, traditional route by treating him to a romantic meal, home cooked or in a restaurant, and getting down on bended knee.

2. Give him a treasure hunt with hidden clues round the house, leading him to the ring, or you in sexy underwear.

3. Take him back to the place you first met, went on your first date or had a romantic time at, and pop the question there

4. There’s never a more opportune moment than on a romantic moonlit stroll on a beach whilst on holiday.

5. Whatever you do -don’t ask over text, email or facebook!

What You Need to Prepare Before Proposing
 
So, now that you’ve got your outfit sorted you need to prepare for what you’re actually going to do:

1. Get instant romantic lighting with candle light, (which is handily the most flattering lighting there is!)

2. If you’re staying in, cook him his favourite food, we all know the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

3. A new set of underwear will make you feel and look sexy.

4. Prepare what you are going to say before hand and rehearse how you are going to say it.

5. You can’t propose without a ring, don’t leave it at home!

Look the Best - Make up and clothes to propose in
 
You’re both going to remember this day for the rest of your lives so it’s essential that you scrub up to look like the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with:

1. Treat yourself to something new to give yourself a confidence boost, and make yourself feel that extra bit special.

2. Wear something that you know he likes on you, whether its a certain colour, a certain garment or a certain style. You’ll instantly have him magnetised.

3. If you’re following tradition and going down on one knee, make sure that your skirt isn’t too short!

4. Pay attention to your grooming, have a hair cut, do your nails, and make your skin irresistibly soft- how can he refuse?!

5. Splash out on some new and sexy lingerie because all being well, he’ll be seeing it later!

How to Know if the Time is Right
 
In order to avoid rejection make sure that the time is right when proposing to the love of your life:

1. Make sure that you have mentioned marriage before, and he has responded positively and not run in the other direction or changed the subject!

2. It’s probably best that you’ve known each other for a while so that you are fully aware of each others irritating habits

3. He’s your best friend and you can trust him with anything.

4. You still get butterflies like you did on your very first date.

5. You cant imagine spending your life with anyone else but you can imagine putting up with him until you’re both grey and old!

http://www.miodestino.co.uk/boutique/page.php?xPage=mansworld.html&sec=howtopropose

So, well, ladies, what are you waiting for!  Haha!  Now is your chance to propose to that one true man of your dreams, so grab that chance right away….Good Luck! 

Some two weeks ago I started having a toothache.  It hurt so bad so I took a pain killer, and began taking amoxicillin for the infection for a whole week.  Thursday last week, I decided to have the tooth pulled.  I set an appointment with the dentist who has a clinic at the first floor of our building the very next day.  Well, all of a sudden, I chickened out…haha! 

I asked my son to go to the dentist to re-schedule the appointment for Monday, well….which I wasn’t able to go too  Ever seen a terrified dog with it’s tail hidden between it’s hind legs?  I probably looked like that last Monday… what a coward…LOL!   Funny but it seems that the tooth began aching again and I imagined all kinds of excrutiating pain that I might go through if I had it pulled at that time  (excuses, excuses!).  Anyway, I continued the intake of the amoxicillin until I was sure my tooth didn’t feel any pain at all. 

When I got up from bed yesterday,  I made that firm decision to finally have this darned tooth pulled.  I had my late breakfast real quick, a pill of pain killer, and conditioned myself to go to the dentist.  It’s been quite sometime since I last had a tooth pulled (like over 20 years ago?), and it really scares me to think about the pain that I might feel.  I had to make myself remember the fact that I endured the pain of giving birth to three children, just to convince myself that I can endure this one too! 

My loving better half walked me down to the dentist and gave me that rub on the back that was supposed to assure me that I’ll be fine.  Naah, it made me more nervous.  I was really nervous, but I kept that fake smile on my face just to hide my fear.  The dentist never guessed what I felt until she asked if I was ready for this…..HAAAAH!  WHEW! YES, YES, YES! I’M READY!!!  

The first needle with anaesthesia hurt some, but just for about a second, maybe.  Then there were about 2 or three others, and my gum was numb.  We let the medicine take effect for about 5 minutes, then she began "exploring" the tooth.  At the start, when she started pulling slowly, I told her it hurt a bit.  She decided to add more anaesthesia.  After that she continued working on the tooth.  This time, I didn’t feel a thing.  In less than 10 minutes, the tooth was gone!  HURRAY!   Finally off my gum!     

Well, I got through it.  I feel great!  I haven’t felt a single pain since I stepped out of the dentist’s office.  My gum bleeding stopped almost like ten minutes after the tooth was pulled. Whew!   

Anyway, I guess all that fear and imagination of excrutiating pain wasn’t worth anything at all… hehehe…

Do you like playing word games?  When I was a kid, my dad and I used to play scrabble a whole lot.  He was a great player!  Well, I’m not supposed to be surprised… he’s a writer.  He always won by all the 7-letter words he would put up each move he made.  AAAARGGH  I hated it!  But I did learn a lot from him though!  

Today I play scrabble a lot.  I guess I’ve become addicted to the game.  I’m so fascinated by the words that my computer-opponent would come up with.  Most of them I’ve never heard or read in my entire life… hahaha!  Just goes to show I haven’t been reading a lot, huh.   Just the same, I always lose.  When I’m lucky, I win… by mere luck… hahaha!  But really, I’m always amused by their vocabulary!   Did you ever know that there was a word "Qi"?  According to the Collins Dictionary, this means "variant of CHI n 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet, a consonant, transliterated as ch or rarely kh"    And I thought the letter Q can only be followed by a U!  Looks like my dad didn’t know that word either. 

Anyway, aside from reading a lot, I really think scrabble is a good game for those who like writing.  Play against the computer… hahaha and improve your vocabulary!

  Do I sound like I’m just bored today?

How can these parents be so heartless?  Day after day, we read in the news about parents abusing their own children, and we just can’t figure out why they have become so callous!  I am a mother too, and each and everyday of my life, I think and worry about my children and do the best I can for them.  I cannot understand how 2 people could just ignore the agony that this child endured while they went about their own daily activities!  I feel so much pain for this baby who suffered way too much in the hands of his own parents!  Read about this news:

www.PJStar.com – pjstar.com/stories/022108/TRI_BFRH57AL.064.php - Journal News Story reports:

Prosecutor: Baby left to die for 8 days
Parents of 5-month-old appear in court to face first-degree murder charges, may be facing death penalty
Thursday, February 21, 2008
BY ANDY KRAVETZ
OF THE JOURNAL STAR

PEORIA - Benjamin Sargent died with his eyes open, fists clenched and strapped into a car seat after eight days without food or water, the county’s top prosecutor said Wednesday.

The 5-month-old was dropped off at his parents’ house on Feb. 4, wearing a bright-blue snow suit and strapped into his car seat. Eight days later, he was found in the same position, said Peoria County State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons during a bond hearing for the parents, who are charged with capital murder for their son’s death.

"It’s the worst case of child neglect we have seen since the turn of this century," Lyons said afterward. "(On Tuesday), I told (Peoria Police) Chief (Steven) Settingsgaard that this case even rattled me."

Charged are Tracy D. Hermann, 21, and James E. Sargent, 23, both of 3012 W. Proctor St., with two counts of first-degree murder. Additionally, the charges state the parents’ actions or lack thereof, were "brutal and heinous . . . indicative of wanton cruelty," factors that could mean they face up to 100 years in prison if convicted. 

Lyons also said he might seek the death penalty for the two and has 120 days to make such a decision. State law allows a capital charge if the accused is older than 17 and the victim is younger than 12.

"He died from starvation due to neglect from these two defendants, his parents," Lyons said, spitting out the last word with contempt.

Several courthouse employees gathered in the third-floor courtroom for the hearing; many curious as rumors had been circulating throughout the day about the case. When the two walked into the room, the idle chatter immediately stopped and all eyes stared at Sargent and Hermann. 

During the 20-minute hearing, both parents appeared before Circuit Judge Glenn Collier. Sargent said virtually nothing and carried a blank look on his face. Hermann told Collier her attorney was in Hawaii so she requested a court-appointed lawyer.

Collier ordered the two held without bond, pending a hearing Friday afternoon when it is expected that Lyons, who has indicated he will prosecute the case, will present more evidence as to why the two should not be released pending trial.

Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll said Wednesday afternoon Benjamin weighed 10 pounds when he was found by police. He was nearly eight pounds at birth, she said.

Reading from a prepared statement, Lyons said police found the infant sitting in his own waste, all the while strapped into the seat which was in a crib.

A person who was staying at an unattached garage adjacent to the house had seen Benjamin at some point, thought it was "odd" that he was still on the living room floor after being dropped off and moved him, car seat and all, into the other room.

There Benjamin sat for eight days, most of which both Hermann and Sargent were home, "playing video games, watching TV, feeding and caring for themselves," Lyons said afterward.

Police had interviewed Sargent, who at first told them he had moved the baby "once or twice," but later conceded that he might not have moved Benjamin at all during the week, Lyons said.

"The person from the garage tells police that Benjamin was found just as he had left him eight days earlier," the prosecutor said.

Hermann’s last contact with her son was the night before police were notified. Then, she allegedly told police she "looked at the baby in the crib and presumed he was sleeping so she said she stuck a bottle between the baby and the side of the car seat so that when he woke up, he could grab it and feed himself," Lyons said in open court.
"In case the court had missed it earlier, Benjamin Sargent was five months old," he said, staring directly at Hermann.

The house, Lyons said, was in complete disarray, with clothing everywhere and spoiled food left out. The temperature in the baby’s room was nearly 80 degrees and was also filthy, he said.

Hermann then left for Iowa to meet with a man she had met over the Internet, the prosecutor said, noting that she allegedly told police "that Benjamin was not her duty and that it was James’ responsibility."   When asked if either exhibited signs of mental illness, Lyons said they showed no such signs from the state’s point of view.
"Police noted that she seemed callous and somewhat annoyed with the process, something similar to what she showed in the courtroom today," he said.

Prosecutors from Lyons’ juvenile division have already begun proceedings to permanently remove Hermann’s 3-year-old daughter from the home. That child was staying with another family member but is now in foster care with Department of Family and Children’s Services.

I just saw the movie Juno last night.   It was a good movie, but in my opinion, I wouldn’t let my 15 year old daughter see this movie.  The culture of the teenagers in that film isn’t at all similar to the culture that our own youth are raised in this country.  Or maybe I am mistaken, that should be, in my family.  

First of all the main character, Juno, only 16, and her friend, Leah, already seemed to be comfortable in engaging in sexual activities at that age.  It was like a usual thing for them.  Being pregnant in their school almost seemed like an “everyday thing” around the campus.  I do think it was good for her to decide on pursuing her studies despite her pregnant condition, but all that just isn’t a common thing that occurs in the day-to-day life of our children here.

There was one particular characteristic in Juno, though, that really struck me most.  It was her sense of responsibility for the mistake that she had already committed.  Even before bringing up the issue to her parents, she had already made plans and decisions on how to go about correcting the mistake that had been done.  I’m not saying that she was making absolute correct decisions at that moment, but children her age, well, generally, would just panic and simply not have any idea as to what to do in that situation.  For Juno it was either an abortion, or adoption.  And she decided on the latter.  In my time, I just bawled and waited for my parents to make the decision for me.    And I was 23 at that time…. and, well, look what happened.    I guess that’s what made Juno a strikingly different child in my point of view.

The father and the stepmother, and the friend Leah… they are definitely the best.  They respected and supported Juno for the decision she made.  They would be the kind of parents and friends anyone would ever want to have.  On the day Juno met the adoptive parents she chose for her baby, Mark and Vanessa, she was rather odd and too sarcastic.   I should say too straightforward.  But her father “let her do the talking”.  I considered that as a clear sign of respect for his daughter’s opinions and decisions.   And the stepmom… she was simply amazing!  I just loved the part where she snapped at the ultrasound technician who was voicing out her unsolicited opinion about the situation.   I thought that woman was too fresh and had no business making comments at all.  

When Juno insisted on continuously visiting the home of Mark and Vanessa, I was afraid she was probably falling in love with Mark simply because they shared the same interests, and were getting along too well without Vanessa around.  I thought it was all going to become complicated when they started dancing!  But I was wrong!  Juno didn’t want anything but for Mark and Vanessa to be a couple who were completely in love with each other and ready to have her baby. 

It turned out that she was in love with Paulie.  Funny, but I never felt anything at all between them.  .  The boy was as naïve as an 8-year-old kid.  They were just like a couple of kids who were like real good friends.  Paulie didn’t seem like the kind of guy a girl would fall in love with.  Not just yet.  He really seemed too naïve to even have any idea what on earth love is all about. 

As a whole, I did like the movie…. I don’t know about the rest, but I still wouldn’t let my kid watch it… at least probably not until she turns eighteen….what do you think?

 just my point of view…

ANYONE ELSE BUT YOU

 You’re a part time lover and a full time friend

The monkey on you’re back is the latest trend

I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else

But you

Here is the church and here is the steeple

We sure are cute for two ugly people

I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else

But you

We both have shiny happy fits of rage

You want more fans, I want more stage

I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else

But you

You are always trying to keep it real

I’m in love with how you feel

I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else

But you

I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of a train

I kiss you all starry eyed, my body’s swinging from side to side

I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else

But you

The pebbles forgive me, the trees forgive me

So why can’t, you forgive me?

I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else

But you

Du du du du du du dudu

Du du du du du du dudu du

I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else

But you

Heres a little slideshow collection of pictures which I lovingly dedicate to the one person who has opened my eyes to the true meaning of love and happiness….. 

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Many thanks to his mom, Gayle, who took the time to collect and send these precious photos to us… I really, really do appreciate it!

Friends

Anger is only one letter short of danger. 

If someone betrays you once, it is his fault; if he betrays you twice, it is your fault.

Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.

He, who loses money, loses much; He, who loses a friend, loses much more; he, who loses faith, loses all.

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.

Learn from the mistakes of others.  You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.

Friends, you and me…You brought another friend…And then there were 3…We started our group…Our circle of friends…And like that circle…There is no beginning or end…

Yesterday is history.Tomorrow is mystery.Today is a gift.

So now, let’s see how many circle’s of friends we can make by simply adding your link on this Friendship Meme!

1- Catsy Carpe Diem, 2- Catsy Downloads, 3- Out of the Blue, 4- A Day to Savor and Relish, 5- A Piece of Idea, 6- Write Shy, 7- Stupid Wise, 8- http://onlinememorylane.blogspot.com/, 9 - http://www.jk-nocargo.blogspot.com/, 10- FIELD OF DREAMS, 11- Teacher’s Corner, 12 - Runaway THoughts of Emz, 13 - Our Journey to this so called Life, 14 -My ViewPoint, 15 - Your Blog Here…

I just like to thank you Emz for making me a part of your circle of friends…. and I want you to know that I am one person who definitely values the TRUE MEANING  friendship!

I would also like to pass this to my own friends Arlene, Keli, Shirley, Janine, Raquel and Marie Grace..have a nice day!

If you think life is your life is tough, think again….

usachinese.com

This was the controversial photo that won South African photojournalist Kevin Carter a Pulitzer Prize in 1994. Taken on March 11, 1993, the photo depicts an emaciated Sudanese child crawling towards a United Nations Food camp located a kilometer away, while a vulture sits behind, seemingly waiting for the child to die so he could finally devour her remains.  Whatever happened to the child, her ultimate fate remains unknown.  

This photograph was published first on March 26, 1993 in The New York Times and The Mail & Guardian, a Johannesburg weekly.  The reaction to the picture was so strong that The New York Times published an unusual editor’s note on the fate of the girl.  Mr. Carter said she resumed her trek to the feeding centre.  He chased away the vulture.  However, Mr. Carter came under heavy criticism for just photographing — and not helping — the little girl:

"The man adjusting his lens to take just the right frame of her suffering might just as well be a predator, another vulture on the scene." Thisisyesterday.com

hbo.com

Kevin Carter was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography on May 23, 1994.  Two months later, he committed suicide by taping one end of a hose to his pickup truck’s exhaust pipe and running the other end to the passenger-side window. He died of carbon monoxide poisoning on July 27, 1994, at the age of 33.  

When I think about the life of the child, and the life of this photographer, I always find myself being content and simply grateful for what I have and everything that is bestowed upon me in my day-to-day life.   We are truly blessed and we should be thankful for all the graces that we continuously receive every single day of our lives!

"In the midst of hopes and cares, of apprehensions and of disquietude, regard every day that dawns upon you as if it was to be your last; then super-added hours, to the enjoyment of which you had not looked forward, will prove an acceptable boon." -Horace.

…just another moment for gratitude…