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    May 21

    About Names...

    Now, I have this thing about names.  Someone has a new baby, my first thought is not, "how is the mother, how is the baby?"  but, shamedly, "What did they name him/her?"  Thus my children have names that are significant.  I found a site that will tell you your different types of names, for example, en francais (and we all know I love to speak French):
    ***Your French Name is:***

    Mathilde Bourgeois
     
    So you may call me "Tildy" from now on if you wish...Of course, je n'aime pas que je suis en le "Bourgeoisie"    UGH!  J'espere que je suis en le "monarchie"  LOLOLOLOL  "Off with their heads!"   oh...never mind.... 
     
    But if I was born in the 1920's, it would be different (vastly!):
    ***Your 1920's Name is:***

    Oma Tillie
     
     
    I'm thinking I still like "Tildy" best...ou, je pense que j'aime le nom "Tildy" le millieux...
     
     
    So my children?  How did they get their names?
     
    Well... COLIN...
    When his dad and I were just dating (seriously) but not engaged, he laid down an edict..."My first born son will be named Colin" -- well, in June 1981 I thought that was such a cool name, a very popular yet serene "nice guy" in my high school was named Colin.  Geoffrey told me the story of Sir Colin Campbell from Scottish lore, and I was hooked.  What a handsome name!  So when Colin really came to be (in 1987) the only debate was over the middle name...Colin Gordon? (his father's name)  Colin Benjamin? (my daddy's name)... so I chose Colin Geoffrey (Col's dad's name !) and CGC now is the proud owner of a license to drive, will be graduating high school this June, and has turned my world around.
     
    Next... ROSEMARY
    Before I was pregnant, I had always thrown girls' names around, being obsessed with names anyways, and one name I had thought of was "Rosemary Laurel" (Laurel came from "Amadeus" where the servant girl was name Laurel, my favorite variant of my own name) -- and a friend said to me, "Sounds like a garden!"  UGH.  I had also harbored a penchant for "Merry-Lee Elizabeth", "Holly Christine", and "Lindley Elizabeth"...so when naming became a serious issue for my pumpkin, I threw out "Rosemary Laurel" and was resoundly stopped by both her dad and her "big" brother, Colin.  "THAT'S IT!"  Wait, I wasn't done... no, they didn't want to hear "Holly"...they didnt want to hear "Lindley" --- ROSEMARY LAUREL was they name they BOTH loved...with the nickname "Roey" to avoid anyone who may call her "Rosie"... so... Roey was named.  Of course, she is now "Roey B'Doey"  "Rolo"  "Roll-out" and "Rolo-Be-Dodo".
     
    And last but never least:   CUYLER
     
    Well, when I was pregnant with Colin, I bought one of those grocery-store check-out line booklets "1001 unusual names for baby" ... and in there was "Cuyler" = Gaelic for "pious".  I loved it instantly.  I held onto that name (and also the name Truan, love that too).  But when we found out Cuy was a boy, well, his Dad and his Grampa both wanted the name "Christian"...which I loved, I also love the colonial nickname "Kit" -- so "Kit Campbell" was in me for oh so many months of being very sick...but it never seemed "right".  Something ate away at me...this was my last child, I knew because I had been so terribly ill carrying him.  At the same time I had publicly given my life to Christ and was water baptized pregnant (lemme tell you, pregnant women FLOAT), but no likening to me being a "baby Christian" and carrying a "baby Christian" could convince me that was his name.  One night I finally said, "I want to name him CUYLER!  It's the name I have held onto since Colin was born, and this is my last chance to name a baby MY favorite name !! I want his name to be Cuyler!"  and my ex looked at me like I was a crazy lady and said, "Why didnt you say something sooner?  We will name him Cuyler if that's what you want"  and he became Cuyler Duncan, my favorite boys' name, one month before he was born.  So many were already calling him Christian...well, get used to it, I was gonna win this one... his name is CUYLER DUNCAN...or Cuy...or sometimes Cuy-Cuy...but forever "BOO" -- he has been Boo since he was born, now at 10 he is still known as "BOO" ... kind of like "To Kill a Mockingbird"...LOL !!  Those that know him best call him "Boo"...we can't get away from it.  Even his counselor calls him "Boo"... there are those that forget his real name and call him "Boo" --- LOL  -- but he fits both Cuyler and Boo, and will answer to both.  I am so grateful to God that I got to name this last child my favorite boys' name.
     
    I love names.  I still hold fast to TRUAN...I think that is an amazing male name...I do like Christian as long as the nickname is KIT...for a girl?  Lily is beautiful, as is Holly, Lindley...I  will wait for grandchildren...Colin has already declared his first-born son will be named "GABRIEL"  well I am cool with that...let's hope his future wife is.  I see his father in him!!!  Rock on!
     
    If you are reading this, tell me your FAVORITE boy and girl name...did you name your child that?  Why not if you didn't?  Why do you like it?  Why not?  Tell me about the names...I love names...and the stories behind them.

    For those who really know me,

    ...this won't be much of a surprise...I answered a questionnaire about myself, and it came back pretty accurate:
    ***Your Five Factor Personality Profile***

    Extroversion:
    You have low extroversion.
    You are quiet and reserved in most social situations.
    A low key, laid back lifestyle is important to you.
    You tend to bond slowly, over time, with one or two people.
    Conscientiousness:
    You have low conscientiousness.
    Impulsive and off the wall, you don't take life too seriously.
    Unfortunately, you sometimes end up regretting your snap decisions.
    Overall, you tend to lack focus, and it's difficult for you to get important things done.
    Agreeableness:
    You have high agreeableness.
    You are easy to get along with, and you value harmony highly.
    Helpful and generous, you are willing to compromise with almost anyone.
    You give people the benefit of the doubt and don't mind giving someone a second chance.
    Neuroticism:
    You have medium neuroticism.
    You're generally cool and collected, but sometimes you do panic.
    Little worries or problems can consume you, draining your energy.
    Your life is pretty smooth, but there's a few emotional bumps you'd like to get rid of.
    Openness to experience:
    Your openness to new experiences is low.
    You're a pretty conservative person, and you favor what's socially acceptable.
    You think that change for novelty's sake is a very bad idea.
    While some may see this as boring, many see you as dependable and wise.
    May 08

    Celeste

    Back in 1992, when I lost my mum, a few days later in the "Critter Corner" of the local paper was a dog looking for adoption -- an alaskan malamute.  When we called, they told us they really wanted to place her with her friend who was found running with her.  So we went to the Plymouth Pound and not only saw the malamute, but her golden retriever/collie friend.  We adopted them both.
     
    This isn't the story of the malamute, Fantine, I will save that for another time.  This is the story of her "sister" Celeste.
     
    Celeste was Colin's dog.  He wanted her for HIS dog.  In the beginning, two dogs were too much, and I almost gave Celeste back (forgive me, please) but obviosly kept her.  She had a golden retriever face and a collie body, so beautiful and silky -- one ear stuck out, the other lay flat.  There was never a mean bone in her.  She was love and patience all the way.
     
    When my daughter was little, she ran into the driveway...Celeste ran behind her and shepherded her back, keeping her safe from running into the street.  She possibly saved Rosemary's life.
     
    She lost her life-long companion and sister, Fantine, to bone cancer in 2001, and was terribly sad and lonely.  Then she was annoyed when we adopted Liberty, the puppy.  Libby was just a pain to her, and it was very clear.  Celeste was the alpha, and wanted Libby in her place, preferrably far away.  When my ex and I split, Libby ended up with him, and Celeste stayed peacably with me.  It was clear, even in 2003, that she was an old girl, things were tough, and incontinence was an issue.  We could not part, and took her to the vet to keep her comfortable.
     
    We adopted two bullmastiff pups, so now we had three dogs, and Celeste was very annoyed, yet I am sure they kept her young as she tried to keep them in line.  Again, she was the alpha !!  But she had terrible arthritis in her spine, and in September of 2005, we knew it was time for her to leave us.  Our vet, a Christian, came to the house and we led her gently into our woods, where she peacefully drifted off.  She is buried next to her sister, Fantine.  She was 15 years old.
     
     

    a furnace and many blessings

    Ok, most people don't get up in the morning and say, "I am so grateful that my furnace is broken!"  But by the time I went to bed last night, I was grateful my furnace was broken.
     
    I was up early, around 6:30 doing laundry.  Worked down cellar till about 6:40AM...came up to read the news online...started hearing funny noises from the cellar and -- yes, believe it or not -- I dismissed them.  It almost sounded like the washer was unbalanced, or I had put sneakers in the dryer - you know the sound.  Well, it happened again, only louder...and a third time, very scary sounding.  I went to the cellar door and was met by steam...tons and tons of steam, like a white out in the cellar.  I managed to get through it far enough to see that it was the water feed to my boiler that had given way, and was spewing tons of scalding hot water everywhere in my basement, most notably, where I had been just minutes before.
     
    Ok, I am clueless.  I call Bay State Gas, they told me to turn off the switch at the top of the stairs.  Ok, my basement now is flooding.  I called my friend Kim, she always knows what to do.  Well, she was asleep, poor sweetie, but she told me to call George at our church.  I did, he said, "I'll be right over !"  And he was !!  What a blessing!  He found the main water shut off valve and stopped the flooding...then he, my oldest son, and myself son hurriedly worked to get stuff out of the basement.  It was a mess.  Years and years of stuff left undone.  Now there was no choice.  George left for church with a promise to be back.  Because Colin was nervous being left alone, I had no shower, and was stressed, I stayed home, and fell dead asleep.
     
    I also called James for reassurance...he laughed but then told me today that someone had to make me laugh at the situation, and not feel so overwhelmed, and he made sure I knew that he really TRULY cared about me and how I was doing.
     
    Kim called me (she had stopped by but I was still "dead asleep") and promised to come over later on.  Meanwhile, George came back and was a very calming effect.  We worked more and scooping out the basement.  Then paused on the porch for a chat...Kim arrived...It was awesome.  So George left and the second shift kicked in.
     
    Kim just knew when I needed a hug, she could just sense it.  Sometimes it was overwhelming, and other times she had me laughing.  No mildew, no rusty water was too much for Kim !!  Snowboots and all (oh for a camera -- she really rocks in a crisis).  Then we had clam strips and onion rings (can never go wrong there) from Charlies Too (http://www.charliestoo.com/menu1.html) and pretended we were camping because we couldn't wash our hands.
     
    All of a sudden, the pipes started steaming again, that made us nervous.  Not able to reach George, Kim called another friend at church, Tom, who came right over and was able to isolate the boiler and restore water to the rest of the house, and give some great advice about a new furnace. 
     
    My ex then arrived with my younger two and inspected the mess...he took the soaking wet laundry that had gotten caught in the flood, and took it back to his house where, I am told, his fiancee is working hard to help us out !!  Praise God !!  He also helped us haul trash to the curb, another BIG help.
     
    So, why am I happy that this happened?
     
    1.  I could have been seriously hurt had it happened only minutes earlier.
    2.  I have friends who love me who race to my rescue and let me cry on their shoulders.
    3.  It is spring time.  Who needs their furnace right now?
    4.  I needed to clean my basement, flooding takes away a lot of sentimental value.
    5.  I have refinanced, and one of my goals was to replace the furnace anyways.  Tom pointed out I was only getting about 60% efficiency from this one...High gas bills, no heat...this is truly a blessing.
     
    So you see...there are so many more blessings in this, more than I could have imagined, it is not even possible to go down cellar without a smile on my face, for the wonderful people in my life who love me, for God's perfect timing...I am blessed indeed.  Praise GOD !!!!!  YOU ROCK !!!!
     
    May 06

    Birthday Party

    Don't miss the skating/arcade party !!!!  Sunday afternoon May 21 at Skatetown USA in Whitman !!  Lots of skating, lots of arcade playing, pizza, soda... oh yeah, we are gonna rock the rink !!!!!
    May 03

    Repatriados...

     

    Oh if this were only true...

     

    Now before you go booing and hissing me...I believe that anyone has the right to come into this country to seek a better life...hey, except for Native Americans, there is not one person here whose ancestors did not come from another country.  My mum was first generation American, her mum having been born in England.  HOWEVER...they came legally.  That's all I ask...if you are seeking a new life in the United States, come legally, fill out your paperwork.  Is that too much to ask?

    Illegal Immigrants Returning To Mexico For American Jobs

    May 3, 2006 | Issue 42•18

    MEXICO CITY—As dozens of major American corporations continue to move their manufacturing operations to Mexico, waves of job-seeking Mexican immigrants to the United States have begun making the deadly journey back across the border in search of better-paying Mexican-based American jobs.

    "I came to this country seeking the job I sought when I first left this country," said Anuncio Reyes, 22, an undocumented worker who recrossed the U.S. border into Mexico last month, three years after leaving Mexico for the United States to work as an agricultural day laborer. "I spent everything I had to get back here. Yes, it was dangerous, and I miss my home. But as much as I love America, I have to go where the best American jobs are."

    Enlarge ImageIllegal-Immigrants-C.jpg

    A group of Mexican workers make the dangerous trek home across the Rio Grande for their lunch break.

    Reyes now works as a spot-welder on the assembly line of a Maytag large-appliance plant and earns $22 a day, most of which he sends back to his family in the U.S., who in turn send a portion of that back to the original family they left in Mexico. Like many former Mexican-Americans forced by circumstance to become American-Mexicans, Reyes dreams of one day bringing his relatives to Mexico so that they, too, may secure American employment in Mexico.

    Despite the considerable risk illegal immigrants face in returning across the border, many find the lure of large U.S. factory salaries hard to resist—at 15 percent of the pay of corresponding jobs in America, these positions pay three times what Mexican jobs do.

    Still, the danger is very real. When 31-year-old illegal Arizona resident Ignacio Jimenez sought employment at an American plant in Mexico, he was shot at by Mexican border guards as he attempted to illegally enter the country of his citizenship, pursued by U.S. immigration officials who thought he might be entering the country illegally, and fired upon again by a second group of U.S. Border Patrol agents charged with keeping valuable table-busing and food-delivery personnel inside American borders.

    "It was a nightmare," Jimenez said. "Many became disoriented and panicked, and some were mixed in with immigrants going the other way across the Rio Grande and ended up swimming to the wrong country."

    He added: "My cousin almost drowned. They fished him out and sent him back to wash dishes at T.G.I. Friday's."

    Many say the trip across the border as illegal Mexican-American emigrants offers them a chance to land the American jobs in Mexico they never have been able to get as illegal Mexican-American immigrants in the U.S.

    "It has always been my goal to have a good American job," Johnson Controls technician Camilla Torres, 27, said. "Many Mexicans now see Mexico as the land of opportunity. Mexicans will not stop trying to get here, no matter how much the Mexicans wish we would not."

    Indeed, the trend of illegal re-emigration is causing great resentment among the local Mexican population, and tension between Mexicans and illegally re-entered Mexicans—dubbed repatriados—continues to build.

    "I hate these Mexicans, always coming back here to Mexico from America and taking American jobs from the Mexicans who stayed in Mexico," said 55-year-old former Goodyear factory manager Juan-Miguel Diaz, who lost his job to a better-trained repatriado last March. "Why don't they go back to where they went to?"

    Still, Jimenez, Reyes, and hundreds of others say they have no choice.

    "The American Dream is alive and well in Mexico," Reyes said. "If I work hard, save my money, and plan well, I will be able to send my children to a good school—and who knows? If they study hard, perhaps they will get jobs someday at the new plant General Motors is building in China."

     

    Sorry, this article was too funny NOT to include !!