A Stinky Halloween

You have most likely heard of a scary Halloween, but I am going to tell you about a stinky one.

A few years back our family went to several local haunted houses. Someone got the great idea to drive to Fremont. They have a place that takes a hay rack ride into the haunted woods. We all remembered it to be a pretty awesome place. It turned out to not be what our memory thought it was.

On our way home, I drove, my husband was in the front seat and my daughter and one of her friends were in the back. The ride to Fremont takes you on dark highways through farm land. For some reason, unknown to any of us, my husband loves the smell of skunk. One of these dark highways takes us past a dead skunk and he is more than happy to "smell it up before it gets away".
   

I hate the smell of skunk and should have known better than to make an issue of this smell.

The smell was so strong I began to gag as I was driving down the road.  Encouraged by my gagging and the laughter from the back seat, my husband opens his window all the way. I am now yelling and gagging because he begins fanning the smell into the car at me and shouting "ahh skunk yum yum". The back seat is laughing probably to the point of wetting themselves.  What could I do but pull over to the side of the road, which, let me tell you is no easy task while tears stream down your face. I did find the shoulder of the road and got out of the car just before "loosing it" (a small portion of my dinner, of course).

I was furious and the fact that I was the butt of the joke made me even madder. 
That was the last time ever that I will drive my family to haunted houses.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Net

About my blog songs.

I know that I have mentioned being computer illiterate before. I have been wanting to put my music to my blog since the beginning. Today I have sat at this computer for 6 hours. I am just stubborn enough to not let the task beat me. I can finally claim victory. Let me tell you about my song choices.

• Let the Waters Rise - The song that has the line about being in the eye of the storm.
• Lessons Learned - I have just always liked the song, but the meaning has changed over the years for me. Not sure why there is a 06 before the title but for now it is there to stay,
• I'll Stand By You - Love the song, love the line - Nothing you confess, could make me love you less, I'll stand by you- I am thinking of incorporating this somehow in my tattoo (another story for another day). Songs can take on whole different meanings if you envision holding or rocking one of your children.
• Heal the wounds - I was inspired when I heard this song.
• Have You Ever Seen The Rain - A version done by the Rammones that I have sent to my son. He is going to learn to play it on his guitar for me.
• Jesus Take The Wheel - I did a post about this song and had wanted to attach it to that post.
• Crystal Ball - A song by Pink that my niece and I listen to when we are together. One time she asked me what it meant. I told her that I see it as meaning that years ago when I looked in the crystal ball I saw an easy life. My crystal ball is now cracked because life is not always easy. You have to learn to deal with setbacks in life.  She said ok and began singing it at the top of her lungs.
• 3 little Birds - We found this song on my sons computer. I am not wanting to analyze the reason he had a Bob Marley song recorded at this time, maybe he just thought it was funny. I am going to pretend that he was telling me that everything is ok. 
• Lean On Me - When looking for versions of this song I saw this one and was interested because it is  by a group or person called Stormy Weather. Curiosity got the better of me.  It is so strange that it just makes me laugh. I can see my daughter and sister and I trying to sing the dum dum's and do do's at the camp fire some night.  That's funny, I don't care who you are!
• Against The Wind - I did a post on this song also.

So there you have it. My song choices for now. Even if I am not happy with how all of it looks,
 I am so sick of trying to make changes to it,
 that this is it for now.

Net

The Holy Family Shrine

Today I went to the Holy Shrine located by my home town. I have always been interested in going there, but never really found the time. An experience that I had this week put this desire to go to the shrine back in my mind, That, and also my friend Suz told me she is volunteering there. Today I just had to go and I am so glad I took the camera, it is beautiful.

Last week our Pastor told us that if we did not listen close enough,

we will not hear what God is trying to tell us.

SO, I had a talk with God.

Through out my blog I have always referred to the challenges my family has faced as "the Storm".

I was thinking of the storm and told God I needed help hearing him,

 cuz whatever he may be saying...

I just wasn't getting it.

The next day on my way home from work I began to flip through the radio stations. I pressed the button for the christian music station. There was a song playing, I have no idea who the artist is and have not heard the song since, but one line jumped out at me...

You're in the eye of the storm

Net

This song is now on my play list. I now know the line actually says:

You'll be next to me cuz you're in the eye of the storm.

I know how you feel big fella

If you have been to the Omaha zoo, you know that you will always see the big gorilla sitting in the outside area. Actually I have no idea if this is a gorilla, but for this post, that is what I am choosing it to be.  When I was growing up, the big gorilla's name was Casey. Pictures of this animal will always make me think of Bob M. In elementary school we took the once yearly field trip to the zoo. Every year they took you into Casey's indoor cage.  Every year we got to stand as many kids as we could onto Casey's chair, which also happened to be a scale. We were to see how many kids it took to weigh as much as Casey. No idea how that turned out each year, but we did it anyway. One time, I think maybe in 6th grade, we were standing inside the cage and listening to the story of maybe what the gorilla's ate. Bob M was in the corner standing with a bunch of his friends. Behind him was a smaller sized door with bars over it. I remember glancing over and seeing a black hand and long arm reaching out towards Bob's shoulder. I don't remember what happened after that, I know it did not grab him, but I imagine he moved rather quickly.  This is how I remember this random zoo story, Maybe it was not even Bob M who was grabbed for,

 but he is who I think of when I see these gorilla's.

It does not matter what year you see them at the zoo, a gorilla is always striking almost the same pose as the one in the above picture. A few weeks ago, my daughter went to the zoo and this was one of the pictures she took. This time I did not think of Bob M, but instead saw myself in this animal. 

No jokes, I have gained a little weight but that is not why I saw myself.

I remember, after my sons accident, feeling as if I was being watched by anyone walking by. I remember the fear of walking out the door and expecting to see the news media or judgmental people.

But,

 I also remember how important it was to me that we all hold our heads high

and be proud that we were a united family. I imagine that this big guy is also feeling stared at,

but it seems to me that he is determined to remain proud! 

Net