Saturday, September 8, 2012

Sons of Anarchy 9/11

As season 5 of Sons of Anarchy begins on September 11, 2012 we also need to remember the most important thing of that day: The terorist attack on The United States of America!

Do you remember where you were that awful day in one of the worst days of American history? I was at work and received a phone call from a friend telling me that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center.  As I looked around I saw co workers answering their phones and getting the same news from a family member.

Some of us went out into the waiting room and watched the second plane hit the second tower and our mouths fell to the ground.  As I looked around the room I saw tears on every ones faces.  Tears of disbelieve, tears of shock, tears of sadness for all the people who perished in those moments we sat watching.  Nothing like this happens in the United States of America.  We are invincible.

Finally the call came from the governors office that we could go home to our loves ones.  I went straight to my parents house as I wanted to be with them if anything happened to us.  As I walked into the hallway I can still see my father sitting on the reckroom couch watching the news coverage.  My mom soon joined us.  Then we had to make the calls.  My brother is in the Air Force and we have several cousins that were in the Marines and the Army. Two cousins working in the Pentagon area. 

Making those calls seemed to take forever.  Everyone was safe and accounted for. The days that followed for America were gut wrenching.  So many innocent people died, so many children lost their parents, mothers and fathers lost their adult children. Pregnant women had to come to terms with the fact that their unborn babies would never know their fathers.As we were not prepared for 9/11 we were not prepared for what happened afterwards.  Sending our brothers, our sons, our husbands, our boyfriends to war! So many young and innocent men lost their lives so that we let world know that we The United States of America will not tolerate nor accept terrorism in our country  We will not let the bad guys win.  A lot of men lost their limbs and their lives to protect us and the world from the bad guys.


So this September 11, 2012 when you sit down to watch the season premier of Sons of  Anarchy at 10:00pm Eastern time take a minute and say a prayer for all the men and women who defended our country and gave their lives for each and everyone of us.People ask me why I love this show and I tell them it is a feel good show! They look at me like I am half nuts. But what they don't realize is that they are a brotherhood that have each others backs no matter what the circumstances are. And I think that is something we take for granted with one another. No matter if it is your brother, sister, cousin, friend in the end it is all about protecting one another, no matter what the circumstances.


So enjoy the premier and I will be back throughout the season to talk more about my all time favorite show. I just don't want anyone to forget 9/11!

























































Tuesday, July 5, 2011

cous·in

   [kuhz-uhn] Show IPA
–noun
1.
Also called first cousin, full cousin, cousin-german. the son or daughter of an uncle or aunt.
2.
one related by descent in a diverging line from a known common ancestor, as from one's grandparent or from one's father's or mother's sister or brother.
3.
a kinsman or kinswoman; relative.
 
There are several definitions of the word cousin! From June 22, 2011 to July 2, 2011 I had the pleasure of getting to know my cousin Matt, his wife Judi and their two daughters Tatiana and Giana!
 
Now some people might say big deal! But to me it was and is.  When I was around 8 or 9 years old my mothers younger sister, Nancy, went to the Island of Guam to teach for two years and was to return to Weirton when she was done with her contract.  But instead she met a man, fell in love and stayed in Guam to this day.
 
The furthest I have moved away from home for a man was a hour away! My Aunt and Uncle had 3 boys and 1 girl. They made several trips to the states throughout the years. My grandparents went to Guam a couple of times.  And a couple of those times they brought my cousin's back to stay with them for a year.
 
When Matt was around 10 he came to live with my family.  I was 22 at the time and we all know that when you are 22 years of age a ten year old cousin is the furthest thing from your mind.  I had my own life filled with friends, parties and all that.
 
Then Matt came back to West Virginia in 1997 and I was still to busy with my friends to be bothered.
 
When I dropped Matt and Judi and Tatiana and Giana off at the airport on Saturday July 2nd I could not stop crying.  Finally now that I am a mature adult (LOL) I took the time to get to know Matt and Judi and Tatiana and Giana.  What a beautiful family. I can not even begin to explain to you how much I so enjoyed their visit and how much I miss them.  I cried all night Saturday!
 
I fell in love with Tatiana and Giana.  They are two of the most beautiful little girls that I have ever met.  Very well behaved, very well mannerd and lots of fun.  And what can I say about Judi.  What a wonderful young woman! That is until she told me she was born in 1978, which meant I was 17 at the time, which means I am old enough  to be her mother!!!!
 
Judi and Matt were a great help to my mom while they stayed.  She so enjoyed having them in her home and misses them so much.  She asked me if I would get all my pictures developed that I took while they were here and she was going to buy a special photo album to put them.  I took 173 pictures plus video.  That is how much fun I had with all of them.
 
We went to church, we went shopping, out to eat, to visit relatives, to visit our grand parents gravesites.  But most of all we got to know one another.  I got to know these wonderful people whom I am so proud to call my family!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Mom and Dad's Anniversary

On June 12, 2011 my parents would of been married for 46 years! That is a very long time but yet there are couples that have been married longer than that.  My father died after their 39th anniversary of cancer.

When my parent's met my mother had already had me and my brothers Michael and Mark.  I had turned 4 in April of 1965 when they married.  I have no recollection of my birth father.  My new dad adopted the three of us which meant my birth father had to sign away his parental rights.  He never looked back after he signed away those rights.

My parents had two sons together.  We were all raised as Robinson's.  None of us were treated different from the other. 

When I look back at the years my parents were married I see two hard working parents that wanted their children to have more than what they had.  My father worked two jobs to keep a family of five.  My mother worked night turn on the weekends at our local hospital (she was a nurse) so that we would have extra money.  When my youngest brother was born she quit.

My father would work 8 hours in the steel mill, came home to eat dinner, take a nap and go out to his second job.  He worked laying block, building homes, worked in an ABCC store and in his later years as the county process server.  After he retired from the mill he worked full time as a process server.  Then he was elected to office, which he kept until he died.

Even though we were grown and out of the house my dad continued to work and helped us kids out anytime we needed help.

My mom was there to babysitt the grandkids when needed.  My mom is the best baker in the world.  Nobody makes brownies, congo bars or chocolate chip cookies like my mom! 

There were struggles as every marriage has but they made it 39 years! Do I have lots of happy memories from all those years; no. But what I do have is the strength, the courage, the independence, the self confidence to know who I am and what I can do.  They have taught me to never be afraid, to beleive in myself and to know that no matter what Idid they always loved me.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

Sunday, April 24, 2011

My "50th" Birthday!

Today I turn 50! Wow! When my mom turned 50 I thought that was really old! But now that I am 50 it is not old at all!

I came into this world butt first! I am not kidding! I was a breach baby! And there have been times in my life that I have thought since I came into this world butt first I have been doing things ass backwards!!

What we don't realize at 20 or 25 or 30 or 40 that we make our own way in this world.  That we have no one to blame our mistakes on but ourselves.  You know the old saying "If I knew now what I knew at 25 I would done things differently".  Sometimes I think that but I have to say that I have had some great times over the last 50 years.  There are a lot of things I would of done differently but you can not change the past.  You can only try and do things differently in the present so that you have a better future.

Regrets? Lots of regrets! But we can not change the past we can only improve each day and make our future better.   We say and do things in anger and later regret them.  And once words are spoken they can not be taken back! I have learned that one of the most important things in life is to apologize for my actions.  I have hurt a lot of people in my lifetime and a lot of people have hurt me.  I have learned how to forgive and to ask for forgiveness.

Am I wiser since I turned 50? Yes and No! I have to say yes to the fact that only I can make myself a better person and do the best I can to treat others as I want to be treated. I can say no because I am going to make mistakes over the years.  But I think that now I have the knowledge to try and not make the same mistakes I made 20 or 30 years ago and be the best person, friend, aunt, niece, sister in law and daughter over the years until my death.

I am spending the day with my mom as it is also Easter today! And mom I am sorry I was a breach birth and caused a hard delivery!!!  And to mention all the pain I have caused you over the years! I do love you and thank you for sticking by me through all the hard times.

To all my friends and family who celebrated my birthday with me on Friday, April 22, 2011-Thank You from the bottom of my heart.  I had a wonderful time! I love all of you and thank God everyday I have you all in my life!

Happy Easter

Saturday, April 9, 2011

For Mrs A!

When we hit a certain age we learn that death is in fact a part of life.  Even though we hate the thoughts of death we all know it is inevitable. 

On Friday, April 8th, 2011 my best friend lost her mother to a lenghty illness.  But what most of you do not know is that Mary Kay and I have been friends for over 32 years. So the death of her mother has been devastating to me.  I have known Mrs. A (as I called her) most of my adult life.  I spent many Sunday's at their dinner table, went to birthday parties, visited over the Christmas Holidays.  Mrs A. never forgot my birthday as I never forgot hers or her husbands. 

As her health began to deteriorate over the last several years I still was not ready for her death.  Mrs. A had no quality of life over the last several years.  She was unable to walk due to bad hips but she still could hang with the best of us.

And now begins the grieving process. How long is it going to take me to get over Mrs. Allen's death? She was such a wonderful, funny person who always made me feel like part of the family and was very kind to me. I will miss this woman as I will miss my mom when she passes. 

So I advise you to always let the people close to you always know how much they mean to you!

For Jim, Rick, Susan and Mary Kay please accept my deepest sympathies over the loss of your mother. She will truly be missed and know that I loved her very much.  And Mrs. A I know you are no longer in pain and at peace. And I also know you will have Heaven whipped into shape in no time!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The Weir High Class of 1979

Throughout my high school years I always ran around with girlfriends who were older than me.  There only maybe 2 people from my class that I was close friends with and continued to be friends with.  One of those friends passed away a few years ago from cancer and the other one pissed me one day and I quit being friends with her.

I went to my ten year and twenty year reunion.  I had a blast at my ten year and a so so time at my twenty year.  I did not make it to my thirty year because I got to drunk the night before at the ice breaker!!!

Last year we had our first annual Christmas get togehter and tonight our second! I honestly have to say what a wonderful time we had.  I not had seen a few of the people since we graduated 31 years ago.  God that is a long time not to see someone. 

It was so nice to catch up on everyone and what they were up to, how many kids they had, what their kids are up to, who has grandkids!  It was nice to just sit and eat and talk to all these wonderful people.

I am so glad that I put forth an effort to get reconnected these last two years.  We all stay in touch via Facebook but to see each other in person after all these years was the best Christmas present I could ever ask for.

So the my classmates of The Weir High Class of 1979: "We are still mighty fine"

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

For My Grandparents: Sherwood and Victoria Higgins

As my brothers and I were growing up we spent more time with my mothers parents than my father's parents.  We were always at my grandparents house as children.  My grandparents would of been 101 years old had they lived to 2010!
My grandfather passed at the age of 80 and my grandmother at the age of 94! Today I spent the day scanning pictures of my grandfathers parents, his siblings and my grandfather as a young man.  I also scanned pictures of my grandmothers parents, my grandmother as a young girl and her siblings.  I scanned documents that are over a 100 years old.  My maternal great grandmother came to America from CzechoSlovaka and my maternal great grandfather came to America from Austria. My great grandmother arrived in America in 1906 and my grandmother was born 3 years later.
It was fasinating to look through all these pictures and documents. The unfortnate part is I have no history of all they met, how they ended up in Weirton, WV! Why did they leave their countries of birth? How could they leave their families and come to this strange country?  I have no information on how my grandparents met or what their life was as children.  I do know my grandmother quit school in the 8th grade to go to work because her father died and she had to help support her family.
But you know what ? All that doesn't matter because what I do have are great memories of these two wonderful people who played such an important part in my life.  The sad part is it took me a very long time to realize how important they were.  I was lucky enough to have realized that  before they both passed. 
My grandfather was a very quiet man.  I never heard him raise his voice, not once.  My grandmother on the hand was the dislipian! What she said went and you never opened your mouth to say: "but why"? Her word was higher than God's word!  Trust me! 
Today as I scanned all those pictures and documents I began to realize how much I miss them and today made me realize that I was truely blessed to have the best grandparents in the world. 
So if your grandparents are still alive, let them know how much you love them and how much they mean to you!


Saturday, December 25, 2010

Nick and Christine

My pride and joy are Nick and Christine! My 18 year old nephew and my 14 year old niece! My how fast they have grown.  I held Christine when she was 3 hours old and our first Christmas together she fell asleep on my chest as I lay on the couch watching "A Christmas Story".

Now their both to big to lay on my chest, their both to big for me to cradle in my arms, their to big for me to rock to sleep.

But they will never be to big for me to hold in my arms and tell them how much I love them and how much they mean to me.

I never married and do not beleive in having children out of wedlock so they are the children I never had! I have attended football games, volley ball games and now basketball games.  No matter what they come first in my life.

They are the reason I live and breath! There have been times when I have been so depressed that I thought to myself I just want to lay down and go to sleep and never wake up! But then I stop and think I would miss out on Christine and Nick's lives! I don't ever want to do that

I know as a teenager family is not as important as our friends are but you reach an age and you realize that family is important.  Hopefully it is not to late when we realize this.  I was one of those teenagers and I am sure a lot of us have been one of those teenagers.  And I know that I am not the most important thing in their lives right now but no matter what I will always love them and I will always be there for them 24/7 no matter what.  They are young and experiencing life as a teenager and in  these times it is hard to be a teenager. More so than when I was a teenager in the 70's!

But no matter what I am their Aunt and I will always love them and they will always make my life better because they will always be a part of my life and they will always be connected to me.

Oh yeah, Nick congratulations on making straight A's your first semester at WVU and Christine congratulations on making the Weir Middle School basketball team.  You know I will be at the games shouting: "Go Christine, Go"!  I love you the two of you with all my heart.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

For Pia and Christine

Today was my last day of work until 01/18/11! My job is so stressful I had to ask for medical leave.   My doctor told me if I do not get my blood pressue down I am going to have a stroke this afternoon! She doubled my blood pressure medicine,  put me on an anti depressant and an anti anxiety drug!

One of my coworker's husband had a freak accident yesterday and she now has to decide when to take him off life support! How do you make that decision two days before Christmas?  My other co worker is having her first Christmas since her husband of three years died in April!

Another friend is having her first Christmas since her father passed away eight months ago!  Another friend had her husband of thirty years tell her he wanted a divorce yesterday!

We never know what each day is going to bring us! We never know where we will be when Christmas comes around! We will never know who will be missing from the dinner table Christmas Eve or Christmas Day!  We never know.

I thought my life was in the dumps even with my health issues but it does not compare to what my co workers and friends are going through this Christmas.

I have a lot to be thankful for and two people that I am very thankful for is my sister in law Pia and my niece Christine! Tonight they showed up at my back door with meatballs, soup, chocolate chip cookies and a minature Christmas tree for me.  She even bought lights, bulbs and a bow for the top and oh a beautiful gold mat to sit the tree on top.  It is sitting in my picture window. 

And for those of you that do not know me or Pia we did not start out as friends when she and my brother married.  It took us a very long time to get to that place we are now- more than sister in laws! It took us a very long time to tell each how other we love each other! And tonight as she was leaving I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tight and told her "I Love You". And then I turned to Christine, wrapped my arms around her and said: "I Love You". 

" I Love You" for  letting me forget about my stressful job, for letting me not worry about my blood pressure, for not letting me worry about my friends and co workers, for making me feel so loved!  Thank You!  You have made my day such a good day! 

Saturday, December 18, 2010

The Most Wonderfual Day of the Year

So I woke up in a so/so mood today but I knew my day was going to get better because I was having dinner and a movie with the girls!  I have several groups of friends that I run around with and each group is a great group of women but each group is different.  This group I call the football mom's because I got to know them thru the football boosters when my nephew was playing football in middle school and high school.  Their boys went off to college this fall and well I have no children! Each year for Christmas we get together to dinner and catch up with everyone.  Instead of a movie we decided to do some Christmas shopping! We had the most wonderful time shopping.  Laughing at Barb because when we came out of the mall there she stands with her buggy from Walmart filled to the top! She looked like the bag lady with  her buggy full of bags!  We laughed at Linda because she had never been to Ollie's- the biggest discount store next to Big Lots!  She was totally amazed that they had made shelves out of plywood and block's!

Laughing at myself after I almost slammed Tracine's foot in the car door! Laughing at Tracine because the cash register at K-Mart broke down just as she was checking out and there were ten people behind her! 

Listening to Ruth and Pia talk about their sons and their love lives! Oh to be young and in love! 

After shopping we all ride back to Linda's house that smells of fresh baked goods.  Her wonderful husband made us a dessert! 

Oh what a wonderful day I had with these women.  Women who make me laugh, women who laugh with me when I laugh at myself over something stupid I have done.  Women who accept me for who I am and do not try and change me.  To these women I say thank you.  Thank you for letting me be me and thank you for being my friends.  I love each and everyone of you and from the bottom of my heart I want to say to you: "BW'S FOREVER"

Friday, December 17, 2010

It's That Time of Year!

It is hard to beleive Christmas is just 8 days away! How fast 2010 went by! Did we all complete our new years 2009 resolutions? I know I have not. Why do we make them if we aren't going to complete them? Does anyone have an answer to that question?  Should I make new ones this new years eve? Do I plan on keeping them/completing them? What do I do?

I have decided to just take each day as it comes.  I am not going to make promises to myself if I am not going to keep them.  We don't know what the future holds so how can we make resolutions each new years eve?  I never dreamt that I would soon be approaching my 50th birthday and never married, never had children, have lost half of my family to family squabbles, have speant half of my life being a coulda, shoulda, woulda, person.  I swore I would never ever be one of those kind of people.

But as I look back over the last 49.5 years I have.  So I guess what I am saying to all you young people out there: take a chance, do things on the spur of the moment, be impulsive at times.  Don't let life pass you buy and one day wake up at the age of 50 and say to yourself, what the hell have I done with my life?

Live your life like it is your last day on earth.  Do something that when it is done someone says: "I never thought they would do that"!  Enjoy life and make the most of it !  Enjoy everyday of your life!

Oh Yeah: "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year"