Are You Afraid of the Dark?

I love movies. Comedies, dramas, suspense and even the cartoons. And as much as I hate to admit it, I do love horror movies. Not all of them, I really just don't get this new genre of horror film (ie Saw, Hostel). But the old school suspense/horror movies, I dig 'em.

So in honor of the Halloween festivities that are upon us, I give you MY top 12 Best Horror Movies. Why 12? Because that's how many I chose. Now there are definitely more on my favorite list, but these are the ones I am able to watch without a pillow in front of my face the entire time. There are lots more that I like to watch, but with the lights on and with a room full of people. I so love scary movies, but I am still a good old scaredy cat!

12) Pet Sematary - Stephen King is my favorite horror writer - who am I kidding, he's the only horror writer I read - and this one moved to the big screen quite well. Always be nice to your pets & your family, because they could come back. Super creepy movie, love it!





11) Twilight Zone: The Movie - This movie was not the 4 star, 2 thumbs up film of the year, but I think it's great. Great suspense and "hide your face" moments with a little comedy thrown in for good measure. I saw this one as a kid and I've loved it ever since. "Wanna see something REALLY scary?"





10) Children of the Corn - The Eew & Ick Factor is in great abundance in this cheesy 80's horror flick. Creepy kids in a creepy town off the beaten path in the middle of nowhere. Beware, it's disturbing. Watch it during the day with a friend.






9) Jaws - No explanation here. Just when you thought it was safe to go in the water, no one swims in the ocean anymore without looking around just to be sure!






8) Psycho - The reason I only stay at big name chain hotels that are in big commercial clumps next to the highway. It also stars the original scream queen, Janet Leigh.





7) The Fog - This is the original which was made in the 80's. So scary I can't even explain it. Limited special effects, a bit cheesy compared to what film makers are rolling out now, but made so well. What we DON'T see is very frightening.





6) Cujo - Bad dog.









5) From Dusk till Dawn - George Clooney, Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin and vampires. An excellent hour and a half if I do say so.







4) Night of the Living Dead - Man oh man. I was in college before I ever saw this and when it started I thought, this movie is old and stupid. No. Old and scary. A must see. Watch with a buddy, you'll need them.






3) The Lost Boys - Slick and young, this was the first "horror" movie I ever saw in the movie theater. I saw it after school one day with a bunch of friends. One of my favorite movies to this day. I knew Kiefer was a star before Jack Bauer was even a glimmer in the "24" producers' eyes.





2) Scream - The return of the classic horror film with extra stylish gore included. Thank you Wes Craven!







1) Halloween - This movie has it all and rightly deserves my number one spot. Suspense, thrills, gore, Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis - daughter of the original scream queen - and the man himself, Michael Myers.






I am sure my list is different than yours, but this my blog, so it's my list.
Have a spooky, creepy, scary Halloween!!!!

I'm trying to win a pink vacuum! And why not?

I visited a fun blogger and she has introduced me to a fun contest! Before I forget to mention it, go visit her her blog.

The Domestic Diva has partnered with Dyson for a great give-away. Dyson and The Diva want to give away (to me hopefully) a free PINK Dyson Vacuum! For those of you who don't know, these vacuums retail for about $400!

Number One Son, Queenie and The Flying Monkey, along with our pets, do keep our vacuum cleaner quite busy so this would be GGRRREEEAT! Not to mention, I do love me some pink.

You can enter too! Just go to The Diva's blog post to find out how to enter. The contest ends October 31, so enter soon!

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dogs Tails

Boys will be boys. That's how the saying goes. I don't use that as an enabling excuse, but the reality is that boys and girls have predispositions to act certain ways. That's the way they are made.

What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails
That's what little boys are made of !
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice and all things nice
That's what little girls are made of!

Apparently a school board in Dennis Township, New Jersey doesn't appreciate this well known fact.
They suspended a 7 year old student for drawing a stick figure holding a gun and giving it to a friend. The other child's parents complained to the school, so the school suspended the student. Really? Give me a break.
My first thought was that the school board was being ridiculous and unreasonable. Now, however, I am just floored that the friend's parents went the school and complained. I teach my children not to tattle. Oh sorry, but I do. Why didn't the parents call the little boys' parents?

The point is, little boys love guns. Number One Son started making his fingers into the shape of a gun when he was about 2 1/2. He had never seen a gun. Not on TV, in a game, much less in real life. DH played with "guns" and he is not a serial criminal or a murderer. These boys just like to be boys and play boy games. Saying that it will damage them and cause them to be violent is as ludicrous as saying that a little girl is going to become promiscuous because she likes Bratz dolls, lipstick and draws hearts on Zac Efron's face. That's, well, stupid.

Now, I agree, some things are too violent for children, there are plenty of TV shows and video games that are not appropriate for children. And we should monitor what our children watch and do.

But to punish a child in such an extreme way for drawing a fun picture for his friend is mean. Sometimes our school teachers and administrators go a little overboard because they are trying to avoid possible issues. Example. Number One Son got in trouble when he was in Kindergarten many years ago for kissing a classmate on the cheek. He is a very affectionate boy, and I was very angry at the teachers for making him feel bad for being kind to his friend. They informed me that sexual harassment laws prohibited students from touching each other in that way. Yes. That is really what they said. I said, "HE'S FIVE!!!!"

There are so many other arguments here, I won't even go into boys playing with dolls and girls playing with trucks. Good grief. They are children, let them be children, it is their JOB to play and be creative in ANY WAY they so choose. We have taken away so much fun from our children, THAT is what is going to cause them to be criminals. But that is another blog for another day.

Have a wonderful week, remind your kids to be politically correct, only draw daisies & puppies, and to save their kisses for Mom & Dad. Just kidding!

Too... Many... Jokes...

"Kid Rock Arrested After Brawl at Waffle House."
That is the headline. I do believe that is the end of today's blog. I can't handle it.

Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Where Have You Been?

It's fall and in our neighborhood that means leaves falling everywhere. We rake and bag several weekends during the fall, trying to keep up with the falling leaves and trying to keep our crabby next door neighbor off our backs as well.

We have good neighbors, it's a nice neighborhood, everyone pretty much looks out for each other, for the most part.

This couple that lives next door to us, however, is so very special. They are retired, and do nothing but work in their yard. Not that that's bad. I'd LOVE to be retired and only work in my yard. But the Social Security Administration will only send me about $5 a month at this point I'm afraid. But these people are extreme busybodies. It's actually unnerving how much they know about people in the neighborhood.

But anyway, the best part is how much they dislike cats. They have set traps up in their yard to catch neighborhood cats. Not strays, people's pets. And they took one neighbor to court. Yes, I said court. We all made the joke about the weekend that "Fluffy got arrested." They have also sent certified letters of complaint to countless other neighbors about their cats. (again, don't ask me how they know whose cats belong to who!)

But in all seriousness, it's not funny. It's very sad that someone would be so caught up their own selfishness and be so miserable as to trap a child's cat because they thought it pooed in their flower bed. Give me a break. I know there are plenty of people out there who are not cat people, but good grief, turn on your water hose or get a squirt bottle! OR, and here is a novel idea, go to your neighbor's house. I mean, nicely walk to the door and kindly tell them in a neighborly fashion that you have been seeing their cat in your yard, can they keep an eye on it? Wow! Imagine if we started acting like neighbors and actually interacted with one another! I would be more than willing to keep a better eye on my cat if my neighbor nicely said, "I think your cat is using my flower bed for a litter box."
"Well, I bet you're right, I bet she is. I'm sorry! I'll try to keep a better eye on her from now on. Thanks for letting me know."

Instead, we just go to great extreme measures to keep our cats indoors now, and they (the cats) are quite irritated at us, but we just don't feel like messing with all the nonsense.

So, as Halloween approaches, I envision lots of black cats making visits to the neighbor's yard, perhaps in protest, perhaps as a visit from Karma (if I believed in actual Karma), or perhaps just to make all the neighbors smile.

Here is a nursery rhyme about sweet little kitties and yes, it's pretty silly, but I revised it a bit so it could be my blog title! Forgive me! My ode to the cats of the world:

Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, where have you been? I've been to London to visit the Queen. Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, what did you do there? I frightened a little mouse under her chair.

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I had my first mammogram last week. And since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to take a moment to talk about it.

• Do you sometimes forget to do your monthly self breast exam? An easy way to remember is to pick a date and do the exam every month on that date. Or even better, choose a buddy and remember to remind each other! It's easy!
  

• If your insurance will pay for you to have a mammogram, schedule one. If you think you are too young, you're not. If you don't have insurance, most health departments will do them for free or at a discount. Early detection, my friends!
  

• Please take charge of your own health. If you THINK you feel something, tell your doctor. Don't worry about bothering them or being a pest. It's your body and we must REQUIRE our health care system to work FOR US! Be persistent. Again, don't apologize, it's their job.
  

• Are you familiar with "The Mammogram Myth?" Well, let me enlighten you. No, it does not feel like your breast is being slammed in the door of a freezing filing cabinet or like lying on the ice cold floor of a garage while a car is being backed over your breast.

Scene - Boss Lady at stage right, Mammogram Technician at stage left
BL: (looking at the tech) "Is that it?"
Tech: "That's it."
BL: "Really?"
Tech: "Yes."
BL: "Really?"
Tech: (laughing) "Yes."
BL: "Wow!"

It was mildly uncomfortable. And very brief. Moms, compared to pushing a large child through your birth canal, it's like a mild punch to the boob. Non-Moms, it's like a mild punch to the boob. Yeah, I know everyone's pain threshold is different, but really, it's not all that's it's made up to be!

So, to sum up what we know about Breast Cancer Intervention, Do your monthly self exam, Get a mammogram, Be in charge of your health, and BE BRAVE!

Mom, Not in Front of My Friends...

So my daughter (hereafter known as Queenie) spent the entire afternoon on the phone with Lucy. I had to ask her to hang up twice so I could use the phone. Then my son (hereafter known as Number One Son) spent his afternoon riding the neighborhood on his bike with Charles, taking a break for dinner, while on the walkie talkie with said friend, out again to ride with said friend.
I followed Number One Son out into the driveway to tell him to watch for cars as it was the afternoon drive time and our neighborhood is used as a cut through. I watched him ride across the street in front of a car (whose driver was thankfully paying attention and driving slowly). I motioned for him to come back and said sternly "Bike Ride Over."
Number One Son pedaled over and said, "Mom, not in front of Charles..."

I get that a lot these days as Number One Son and Queenie struggle to grow up and show me how independent they are, while at the same time struggling because they still need me for so many things. I feel the same way.

Sometimes I wish they could do everything for themselves, man oh man, I would have soooo much more time on my hands! But I know that's not really true! The day my children drive off in that car for the first time, that first date, college, I can't even think about right now, it's just bringing tears to my eyes just imagining it! I'm going to be a basket case.

OK, not in front of Charles, but don't expect me to let go just yet. I'm holding on to all of them (even the precious little one who is hereafter known as The Flying Monkey) until the absolute last moment I can. I'll let them be independent, but I'll be just out of sight, still able to see what they're doing, still able to hear them call for help. And I'll be there sooner than they can imagine.

So I let NOS ride with Charles, but I was posted very inconspicuously on the corner, where I didn't miss a thing. Listening to Queenie talk on the phone, watching NOS ride, The Flying Monkey on my back. (No pun intended)

Always just within reach.

Read this Blog Within Five Minutes or Your Eyelashes Will Fall Out!

I just opened one of those incredibly annoying emails that tells you to forward it immediately to at least 10 of your friends or your dog will die. This one was especially ridiculous. I won't even bother you with the contents. But I really wonder what kind of "friend" would even bother to send me something that says some great disaster will befall my family if I don't forward a STUPID email I didn't even read.

So here it is. I will NOT forward it to all my friends. Because as soon as they received my crazy chain letter, they would ban me from all friendly gatherings. And I like my friends AND their gatherings. EXCEPT the ones who send me stupid chain letters. You're off my BBQ invite list!

What is Your Title?

So, here's the 411 on Boss Lady here. I love God, I am a Christ follower. Now, I say it that way because I feel like the term "Christian" while very descriptive (it means "Little Christ") is way overused. A bit like "Awesome" or "Fabulous" or even "Love." I am a Christian in the fact that I believe Jesus Christ died for me and was resurrected 3 days later. I also strive to live like Christ ("Little Christ").
OK, so that in itself doesn't make me special or any different from any other church attender, does it? I'll answer that for you. No.
But there's more to being a Christ Follower than just believing Jesus is the Son of God. It involves demonstrating to others that you are a Christ Follower. Not by wearing your "I'm a Christian" t-shirt. By acting like one. Basic Golden Rule here. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I tell my children that on a daily basis. Treat others the way you want to be treated. That is what Christ did when he walked among us. He hung around with prostitutes and criminals (tax collectors were specifically named, but that's another blog topic). He didn't hang around with lily white church people who roll their eyes at torn blue jeans or black eyeliner. In fact, he condemned the self righteousness of the Pharisees.
So, what I'm getting at is that I sincerely hope that as a Christ Follower I help people see Christ. Because they're certainly not going to see Him in some churches these days. Some of the most hateful, selfish, self righteous, mean people I have ever met in my life were church people. Yes, it IS sad.
I spent many many years of my life in a Baptist minister's household. And I met some wonderfully kind people in those years, many of whom I am friends with to this day. I also met some frighteningly mean spirited people who didn't seem to care who they hurt along the selfish way.
Now, before you think that I am cynical and sad in need of some major quiet time, hear me out. Yes, I am cynical. I admit it. But I do love my God and I am doing all I can to instill the foundation for that love in my children. We go to an incredible church that is very "non-churchy." Worshiping God, being fed from the Word in such a creative way, and going to a place where my children beg to go is a very exciting . We have met some great friends there as well.
But I am ever cautious, I don't trust church people. I probably won't for quite some time. That's sad as well. But it's something we're working on.
But here is the good news. I'm a CHRIST Follower. Not a Church People Follower.
Church people don't love me unconditionally. Obviously.
Christ does.
Church people don't continue to smile and be proud of me when I make the wrong choice.
Christ does.
Church people don't sacrifice their life for me.
Christ did.
And I am so glad He did.
My goal is not to be a "Church Person." I want to be a "Christ Follower."
The two are very different indeed.

Oblivious

I know you have all encountered people who are oblivious to the world around them. Oblivious that there are other people going through life around them. You know, those who are busy talking on their cell phone in the grocery store check out line loudly enough for the butcher in the back of the store to hear. Just an example.
I know I have been guilty of being oblivious myself, but I do try not to be.

I had to go have a wonderful pap smear & mammogram today, always a joy, a yearly appointment I look forward to with great anticipation. Not really. My doctor's office treats a melting pot of patients, from women in for routine checkups, moms having prenatal exams, postnatal exams, women battling infertility issues to women dealing with serious health issues such as cancer.
I encountered an "obliviot" this morning while in the "2nd waiting area." (I love that obliviot term - I'll try not to use it often, as I did not create it)

This lovely young woman (I guess she was a woman as she was visibly pregnant) was waiting in the waiting area, obviously for a prenatal visit. She looked all of 15. Really. And she had a cute little boy with her, a toddler, probably not quite 2 years old. He called her Mama, so I assume he was hers too.

Her apparent age is not what griped me, for age does not equal obliviousness. (Some of the most considerate people I've ever met are young while some of the most oblivious people I've ever encountered are old & crotchety) What I found annoying was her need for all the women in the waiting area to look and smile and comment on her precious little one. She would talk to him, smile, and look at all of us for approval. Granted, he was adorable. But like I said, this office treats a variety of health issues. How arrogant for her to look to the woman next to her for smiles about her baby. That woman might just be infertile and have wanted a child for years and the teenager next to her with 2 babies is rubbing it in her face.

OK, yeah, that probably was not the case and this young woman was probably just blessed with good young genes. But do you get my point?

My son has speech issues. He is almost 4 and we struggle to understand pretty much everything he says. This toddler I was sitting next to this morning spoke much more clearly than my son does. It makes me sad for him when I encounter children who are at the level where I think he should be. But I very rarely say it out loud. Because there are plenty of children out there with much more serious problems. They have health problems affecting their quality of life. We are so very blessed to have wonderful, beautiful & healthy children and if we have to go to speech therapy with one of them a few times a week, so be it. I am not oblivious enough to think that my child's verbal communication problems are the end of the world.

OK, so I guess you're about to ask, what is your point, Boss Lady, and how exactly what this poor girl you're dumping on being oblivious?
Well, now that I've typed it all out, nothing, I guess. Other than bringing her forty-leven bags of toys to an OB/GYN appointment for her toddler to play with in the waiting area. And the "look at me & my cute kid" face she brought in there as well.

I should've brought my kids. Talk about cuties! Then someone would be blogging about me.

Hello, how are you? Very nice to meet you.

I'm the boss at my place of employment. Sometimes it's not fun. I like to think I'm the boss at home. Sometimes I just think I am. That's my name. Not a reflection of my posts, just an explanation. I am new to the blogging world, just looking to voice my opinion and express my views on the world. Some posts might be intelligent and thought provoking, others maybe not so much! Bear with me!
I am looking forward to getting to know you and to many fun, intelligent conversations! I hope! :)