a Sweet Life Saga

We are trying something new at our home….time without television. Instead of waiting until the “new year” to try, and fail, at yet another resolution, we decided to give it a go now. I feel that as parents, we sometimes use our television sets as babysitters. It occupies their time and keeps them out of our hair. Unfortunately, I believe we are creating unproductive and unimaginative children. When we were little, we had to go outside and play. It’s very rare that you see children outdoors playing. They are usually inside, parked in front of a TV playing a video game or watching yet another program that is not suited for them. Prime time TV schedules have plummeted, with those shows that are not rated for children being shown at a time when they are surely watching. We’ve had enough. Instead of spending time “vegging” out in front of the TV, our children are spending time learning about something we feel is not taught in school….what it means to spend time with your family. ...

“Anyone can take a photo but not everyone can be a photographer.” No, this is not my personal mantra, but it is a quote I’ve heard several times over the past few weeks. Specifically, two of my photography instructors have repeated it many times in class. Yes, I still take classes. It’s called CPE – Continuing Photography Education. In this digital age, most people don’t feel they need any particular photographic skill to shoot a GOOD photo. And they are right. While the combination of having a digital camera and (name your preferred photo enhancing software here) produces many good images, it takes a lot more knowledge to produce a GREAT image and be a photographer. In our society, most people who own some form of a digital camera fancy themselves a “photographer” (especially if their digital camera costs more than their neighbor’s digital camera), which is quite different from “someone who likes to take photos”. My good friends Merriam and Webster define photographer as follows: ...

I would like to know how many of you out there actually receive letters from friends or family in the mail? Come on, raise those hands! That’s what I thought….no one. In our tek-no-logical world, sadly, the use of pen and paper to communicate with others has become an obsolete form of communication. Many years ago, before the invention of the telephone, it was the ONLY way to communicate with others who lived far away, or right next door, because occasionally right next door was 10 miles down the road. Writing a letter is a lost art in and of itself. Art, you say? Letter writing is not an art! Yes, it is. A few months ago, realistically closer to a year ago, I purchased a stack of letters dating back to the late 1800’s. They were beautiful. The handwriting was crisp, clear, concise and very artistic. The words were poetic. Back in the day (don’t you just love that cliché), people took time to sit down and pen a letter to a friend or loved one. They were not merely words on a page h...

I have a new post on my photography blog: http://sweetnothings4you.blogspot.com./   Check it out!  I posted it there because it focused on a photography matter...makes sense....right? I hope to have a new post here (hopefully less controversial than my last few posts) within the next few days.  Sooooooo, while you are waiting, mosey on over (that's country-speak, which I picked up from living on a small farm and around horses, for "take a look at") to my sister blog and read what's going on in my photography world.  While you're there, sign up to follow my new blog and if you are so inclined, check out my new photography website: http://www.asweetlifestudio.com/ .  I'm just sayin',      ---Margo

In 1968, the Beatles wrote a song entitled “Revolution”…which is the theme of my blog today. I believe it’s time for a good, old-fashioned revolution, or at the very least, a mediocre civil war between the conformists and non-conformists! You see, I’m a non-conformist…I refuse to go along with the crowd…a rebel per se! I march to the beat of my own drum. If I were born in a different time period, I would have been riding astride when all the other ladies were riding side-saddle. I would have been on the battlefield reloading muskets, wearing britches, while all the other ladies were taking care of the wounded. We have a president in office who has touted ‘change, change, change’ ever since he became the democratic nominee for president. However, his big plans for change have done nothing but flop like a fish on dry land. Everyone wants change, but we want change for the good of all, not for the good of those who choose to avoid work, moral ethics and abuse my tax dollars. I’m ready for...

While driving into work this morning, the radio station to which I frequently listen, held a discussion on whether or not a porn star could be a good mom. Some of the morning crew felt that you could not be a good mom, as you get caught up in a pornography lifestyle, which in turn, affects all other areas of your life. Some of the others felt you could participate in pornographic activities and be a good mom. A girl called in who stated that she was 24 years old, had 4 children and had recently become an internet “porn star” and had plans to broaden her horizons (to DVDs I suppose). She said she was a Christian and felt she was a good mom. I was a bit dumbfounded to say the least. I believe God is clear in His Word about being involved in promiscuous and sexual acts outside of marriage and what the consequences of those actions will be. When we become Christians, we set aside our old ways and conform to a new way of life. I do realize there are slips and times that we must ask for forg...

.....even when you don't feel like it! Why is it that some of the hardest words for us to say are “thank you”, especially when things aren’t going well in our lives? Why is it we only tell God thank you when all is right in the world. It’s easy to tell God thank you when we are sitting on the mountaintop all happy and smiley-faced, but what about when we are in the valley, sad and defeated? We don’t even think about saying thank you to Him. When our burdens are heavy, we forget about the wonderful blessings He’s given us and are angry about the troubles we face. All we can see is our present darkness. Even though we can’t see it at the time, there is always a positive force in our trials — God. We should make it a habit to say thank you to Him for trying times, as well as good times. First Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to give thanks in ALL circumstances. Several of the Psalms include the verse “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Regardless of your cu...

Laundry hates me. How do I know? Because everytime I place two socks into the dryer, only one returns. Someone please tell me where do the clothing items go? I'm just sayin', --M

The more you are in public, the more you have an opportunity to experience (not willingly) the bad habits and manners of those around you. This is quite unfortunate for those of us who do not appreciate or look kindly on our "ill-mannered" brethren. Today, I ate at Chick-Fil-A downtown. I sat outside to review my Bible study lesson for tonight and relax. A couple sat down behind me. While I couldn't actually see them, I could hear their voices and knew them to be male and female. As I was enjoying my waffle fries (they are the best), I hear this loud disgusting belch that reverberated down the street, I kid you not! I almost choked on my fries and am quite surprised that I was able to swallow the current bite. Apparently the female said something to the male about his poor table manners because I heard him say, "I don't care, it's a normal, bodily function." Here I was sitting outside, minding my own business, enjoying the beautiful day and a...

Just when you thought that Catholic church activities couldn't get any more bizarre..... Reverend Elvis "All Shook Up" In Sex Scandal -- A Catholic priest in New York City was suspended after he apparently used his confessional booth to pick up women. The action came after Judith Rodriguez-Lytwyn filed a $25 million lawsuit against Our Lady of the Snows in Glen Oaks, New York. She met Reverend Elvis Elano while going through a divorce when she entered his confessional and he told her, "Your presence struck me like a thunderbolt," according to her lawyer, Andrew Laufer. "For lack of a better word, he was hitting on her," Laufer said, adding that the two began dating and eventually engaged in sex. The woman ended the affair when Elano sent her an e-mail indicating he had a sexually transmitted disease he may have gotten from another woman. I'm just sayin, --Margo

If you are an active member of Facebook, you are more than likely familiar with, on an intimate basis, a game called Farm Town. Farm Town is a virtual farm. You plow your land, plant your crops and reap the rewards (coins) of selling those crops at harvest time. You even have the ability to "prostitute" yourself in the village market by offering to harvest other farmers' crops. You can sell your farm for larger farms, purchase silos, waterwells, logs, barrels, pigs, chickens, roosters, goats....you get the picture. You beg your "farming" friends to send you gifts of animals and trees so that you will not have to make these expensive purchases yourself. After all, you are saving your coins so that you can buy that farming mansion and pond you've been lusting after on the neighboring farm. However, the future of Farm Town may be compromised. My son called earlier to let me know Facebook had a new virtual farm game called Farm Ville. He's at level ...

Who Moved My Cheese , by Spencer Johnson, MD, was recommended to me by a co-worker in an effort to help understand and deal with circumstances in my life. As I read this book, I was amazed to find bits and pieces of myself in the characters of this book – Hem, Haw, Sniff and Scurry. Hem and Haw are two "little people". Sniff and Scurry are two mice. The four of them live in a maze and each day venture out to find "cheese". "Cheese" represents something different to each character, but it's never a person. The book tells how each of these 4 characters search for "cheese" and how they react and adapt to the changes they encounter. After reading this book, I analyzed myself to determine which character I mostly resembled…I am Hem. I'm in my comfort zone and even though I know there is nothing left of the "cheese" supply, I don't want to leave. I've started questioning why I haven’t changed the things I am capable of changin...

-- a five-letter word that makes a profound statement...or does it? What is peace? Peace is a state of tranquility. What does it sound like? Quiet. What does it feel like? Harmony in relationships and freedom from oppressing thoughts and emotions. We all say we would like “some peace and quiet”, NATO leaders speak of “world peace”, and of course, we all want “inner peace”. In the old west, Indians raised their right hand, palm outward, as a sign of peace towards strangers. They also smoked “peace” pipes. In the 60s and 70s (especially during the Vietnam War), people would flash two fingers as a sign of peace. President Nixon adopted this sign as part of his “I am not a crook” campaign. People wore PEACE symbols on chains around their necks. Anti-war demonstrators carried signs touting “make peace, not war”. But how can we have true peace without God? Philippians 4:7 speaks of the peace of God which transcends all understanding. Romans 5:1 says we have peace with God. 1 Peter 3:11 stat...

Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, Dizzy Dean and Eddie Collins. What do all of these men have in common? They all hold outstanding baseball records and are all members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. I’m sure you must be asking yourself, “Who is Eddie Collins?” If you are female and live with or have ever lived with a male of any age, you know SOMETHING about baseball — outside of the fact that it’s this country’s national pastime! And if you know ANYTHING about baseball, you know about a sacrifice. A sacrifice is when the batter hits the ball in such a manner that he will be called “out” in order to advance the runner to the next base. The player has to sacrifice himself as an out to help the team score. Eddie Collins was just such a person. He holds a record that has yet to be broken — 512 sacrifice hits. Eddie knew that even though he was an excellent batter, he could be more helpful to his team by sacrificing himself. He love...

As some of you may know, we have an upcoming visit to Johns Hopkins (June 24-27) for further evaluation and testing regarding Jared's syndrome. As all of you know, our last visit was not a positive visit. Jared was diagnosed with Loeys-Dietz Syndrome and we were also made aware of an aortic aneurysm, which required immediate surgery. I do not have a good feeling about this visit. Neither does Jared. I have not made him aware of my feelings about the visit because I don't want to create further angst for him. We will not only be seeing Dr. Dietz for updates on how the syndrome has progressed, but will also be seeing a spine specialist and an endocrinologist who specializes in bone disease. Jared's health has been deteriorating over the past few months and he has experienced several episodes where he passes out. I would like to ask that you remember us in your prayers -- for strength, peace and acceptance of whatever this visit may bring. I'm drowning in helplessne...

What would you do for your friends? For your "best" friend? John 15:13 says " Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends ." Would you lay down your life for your friend? My devotional story today talked about a naval officer in World War II. He said he was on a troopship carrying over 10,000 men to Europe. Early one morning as he and another officer were watching the sunrise and noting how beautiful it was, they spotted an enemy torpedo headed straight for their ship. They sounded the warning but knew it would be too late to move their ship out of the path of the torpedo. About that same time, he and the other officer noted a destroyer headed towards them -- right into the path of the torpedo. The young skipper of that vessel placed his ship in the path of the torpedo to prevent it from hitting the troopship. His destroyer sank within 10 minutes. The young skipper knew that by placing his ship in the path of the torpedo t...

Vices. We all have them. We all pay a price. However, some vices cost more than others. I’m going to pick on cigarette smokers because that is the vice that got my attention in a very drastic way today. I’m not a smoker so I have not paid attention to the price of a pack of cigarettes in a very long time. I just know it’s expensive. While picking up some junk food (I do realize I’m plucking at the speck in my neighbor’s eye while toting a plank in my own) from the convenience store in our lobby, a man came up behind me and requested a pack of cigarettes…Marlboro Menthol Smooth Ultra Light in a box. I glanced up as the clerk reached for the pack of smokes and gasped when I saw the price -- $5.05 per pack! I almost dropped my M&Ms, Salt & Vinegar chips and Reese's Cups. That is outrageous for a pack of cigarettes. Then, tack on 10% sales tax courtesy of the City of Birmingham and you have a grand total of $5.56 for a package of cancer a la carte! I paid for my calories and qu...

Recently, during a discussion with my husband, he made the statement that he did not believe in "permanency", stating that nothing was permanent. I have been mulling over this statement for a while and find I have to disagree with him. While there are many things that change as often as my hair color, there are things in this life that are permanent; it's just that our society has an "everything is disposable" mentality. Permanence, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. I believe in permanence. To me, marriage should be permanent while on this earth. You take vows before God. I married my husband with a "til death do us part" attitude...I may kill him, but we will be married until such time I choose to do so. When I decided to get my tattoos, I got them with the same attitude "til death do us part". Well actually, they won't part; they will decay with my flesh. Employment is permanent; it may not always be at the same company, ...

As I walked through the lobby of my building, I noticed one thing everyone had in common – they (we) were all wearing an identification badge of some sort. The badges are all shapes, sizes and colors, just like people. But they all serve the same purpose -- to give us access to a certain place. Soooooo, I started thinking (yes, I know it is dangerous when I think, however, this is a good one). What if we all had to wear a badge regarding our salvation; to show whether or not we would be admitted to the Kingdom of Heaven? We all wear our work badges prominently displayed on our person to show we have access to a place where others aren’t permitted to go. But, given the opportunity, would we wear our “I am a Christian” badge just as proudly or would we hide it behind the lining of our coat? What if we were forced to wear a badge that listed all of our sins – on a daily basis? That each day we got up, the badge would look different according to the sins we had committed the previous day. ...

I enjoy cooking. While my own palate is not varied, (I’m a meat, potatoes and M&M’s kind of girl) I do enjoy preparing a variety of foods for my family. Whenever possible, and time permitting, I like to make things “from scratch” as opposed to opening up a mix of some sort. Stop laughing -- it’s true! Recently, my husband and I endeavored to prepare our own “from scratch” biscuits and gravy. Some of you may think this is the easiest and most natural thing in the world; however, homemade gravy has always intimidated me. I’ve never been able to get it right and always ended up with a blob of something that even the hungriest of dogs wouldn’t ingest. One morning, while preparing our homemade biscuits (a recipe we have now perfected), my husband suggested that we make our own gravy. WHAT??...Homemade gravy??...No way!! I immediately broke out in a sweat. I admitted to him that I had never been successful in preparing an edible gravy mixture. He insisted it couldn’t be that difficult an...

As I was driving on the interstate going to lunch one day recently, I found myself driving behind a small pickup truck with 3 children in the bed of the truck. Yes, I know this is illegal and I should have run them down and made my best Gomer Pyle "citizen's arrest" address, but they seemed so carefree, just enjoying the sun on their faces and the wind in their hair. Oh how I would have loved to be one of those children, riding down the road, not a care in the world. I began thinking back to my childhood, reflecting on how we spent our summers, and I found myself asking “whatever happened to the good old days?” Now to each person, the “good old days” represent something totally different, but to me, those days represent a life full of happiness, naiveté, anticipation and excitement. When I was a child we spent our entire summer outdoors. We had no video games to play nor did we have 175 channels to watch on TV. We spent all of our time OUTSIDE – which is almost unh...

Dear Margo, Lately, I have alot in common with Chad Kroeger and Santana....." every time I try to talk to you, I get tongue-tied, it turns out that everything I say to you comes out wrong and never comes out right...." Do you ever feel like everything in your life is upside down and inside out? That it doesn't matter what you say or do it's always the wrong thing? I hate it when that happens. I feel as though there is a little imp following me around, wreaking havoc in my path. Lately, that is what my life has been -- everything I say or do seems to be the wrong thing. I'm told the best intentions count for nothing if the person on the receiving end doesn't receive it as such. So, what does one do? How do you approach a situation when you think that everything you say or do is being measured and taken the wrong way? You know your heart and what you mean, but how do you convey that to another person? Signed, Nothing Seems Right Dear Nothing Seems Right,...

I'm a photographer. I own a Canon SLR digital camera. I cannot use, nor do I like to use fake cameras. By "fake" I'm referring to anything that has "point and shoot" in it's title. I am totally unable to take a decent photo with one. Amazing isn't it. You would think that if you are a photographer you would be able to pick up any camera and take a great photo. Doesn't work that way. It's like eating steak all your life then one day trying a mini-burger....yes, they are both meat, but they do not look or taste the same. Right about now you are saying to yourself "she doesn't like fake cameras because she can't use one." You would be incorrect in that assumption. I can use one in the literal sense, per se, I just can't use one to take decent photos. I like seeing things through new eyes (my camera) and through old eyes (my own -- which are in desperate need of contacts). The view through a lens is remarkable. You are given...

When one hears of a “pirate attack”, we automatically envision Johnny Depp in all of his glory boarding a wooden ship and taking the “booty” and the beauty hostage. Her lover plans an audacious rescue to save her honor, an exhilarating sword fight ensues with the hero winning (of course) and everyone lives happily ever after. We think it’s romantic and daring. Unfortunately, there is nothing romantic about modern day piracy. Through movies, such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Captain Ron”, we are led to believe the life of a pirate is somewhat glamorous, dangerous and exciting. However, modern day pirates are nothing more than terrorists, albeit not as high on the terrorist food chain as those who blow themselves up for the love of Allah and the 72 virgins they will receive upon entering Heaven, but terrorists nonetheless. They hold people and ships hostage to extort money out of other countries. Yes, I realize this is what Captain Jack Sparrow did as well, but it didn’t seem all t...

I don't like snakes, have never liked snakes. They are sneaky, slimy and seem to strike at the most inopportune moment. Of course, I can't really think of an opportune time for them to strike...but still.... What "skeers" me is that these were being shipped on a plane. Did the passengers KNOW they were traveling with snakes? Is this something that should be disclosed pre-boarding? I think so, as I would definitely make alternate travel arrangements. WHY didn't they drive them to their destination? Why would they subject passengers to crawly reptiles in an enclosed environment, where, if they got loose (which they did) there would be nowhere to run? Trapped, literally, like rats in a cage. What is even more frightening is that said snakes were never found. WHY? According to the "reptile expert", the snakes [probably] somehow escaped outside the plane after it landed. No they didn't; they crawled into the passengers' luggage and surprised them when...

The internet has been around for a while. You would think there would be nothing left out there to astonish, shock or amaze me. But you would be wrong in that thinking. I recently read a story, as I'm sure you did also, that now, Clara Mosokowitz of LiveScience.com , has determined your marriage will be successful if you smiled in your yearbook photos. WHAT? WHAT? If I smiled in my school photos, my marriage will be successful and less likely to end in divorce? WHAT? You have got to be kidding me. Do these people have NOTHING better to do than to search through school yearbooks that have been thrown into the recycling bin and create bizarre stories with statistics? How did they even come up with an idea like that? Oh, look, there's Matilda, she didn't smile in any of her school photos. She will be unsuccessful in her marriage endeavors with Leonard, George, Frank and Tom. Does it matter that Matilda didn't smile because she had just lost a tooth, got braces or heaven ...

Good pirates (very good looking and a little smelly, which can be tolerated somewhat because of their looks) Bad pirates (not good looking and very smelly, which is NEVER tolerated -- if you are unattractive and stinky, then you definitely have a problem) Got it.....get it.......GOOD! Just want to make sure everyone knows the difference. This is part 1 of my pirate rant. With today being April 15th, I bet you thought it would be on something funny........ like taxes .... I'm just sayin', --Margo

No, I may not know Jack, but I definitely know the speed limit around town. Two weeks ago, while still in my euphoric fog from visiting Cameras Brookwood (which it's really not in Brookwood anymore so they should probably change the name), a Homewood police officer had the audacity to pull me over....for speeding! It always amazes me how idiotic most police officers sound when they pull you over. They say things such as "did you know you have a tail light out?"....yes, I do and I'm on my way to purchase the bulb to replace it; "did you know you have an expired tag?"....yes, I know, I received the new sticker in the mail today and haven't been able to get home to paste it on over the old one, see, here it is; "did you know you were speeding?"....obviously not or I would have slowed down before I reached the location of your radar gun. SHEESH....if you are a police officer reading this, PLEASE come up with more original lines. You sound like the...

Once every blue moon I will make a “run for the border” and eat at Taco Bell for lunch. A couple of weeks ago I had a craving for something from there, so I went downstairs to grab some lunch. I ordered my usual -- 2 crunchy tacos and a drink. Everyone that knows me well knows how picky I am about my food. I like tacos; I just don’t like them with cheese and lettuce. Bizarre, I know. I like them with meat only. In addition to my tacos, I also like a side order of nachos with peppers. When I received my order there were no peppers! An abomination, as what are nachos without peppers! They are not chos! They are chips and cheese. That would be like ordering a hamburger with no meat – which is actually pretty common because no one is ever exactly sure WHAT is between the buns at fast food restaurants. It resembles meat, but what is it truly? But I digress. N E Way, I asked the cashier, who by the way had a nasty attitude, what happened to the peppers I ordered with my nachos. I didn’t have...

I believe exercise is way overrated, after all, look at the number of toned, fit, perfectly healthy people who drop dead every day! As I sit here eating my Snickers® bar (reduced fat I might add – as I’m only eating half the bar, I ate the other half yesterday), I’ve been contemplating the pros and cons of exercise. Pro – if I exercise, I won’t have cellulite. Con – I’m going to sweat. Pro – I won’t be out of breath after climbing 2 flights of stairs. Con – gym memberships are expensive AND other people will see me sweat. Pro – I can go without hose in the summer because my calves will be toned. Con – I do that anyway and offend many. Pro – I will have more energy. Con – that translates to having the energy to do more work. Pro – I really can’t think of anything else, but my list of “cons” is endless. Now, I’m not an advocate for being lazy and not exercising at all, I just don’t believe in the rigorous stuff. Bending down to put on my shoes constitutes exercise -- right, after all, I...