Things I'm Glad I Don't Have to Pay For

Times are tough. Not just here, but everywhere. That little traffic incident last month cost me $300 that I was not happy to see go. After kissing my hard earned $300 away (well, it was technically $295 - $100 deductible for my crinkled up car and a $195 ticket), I started thinking of all the material thinkgs I was glad I didn't have to pay for. Yeah, as a mom you can say, "I love that those little giggles are free and can get them anytime I want." The best things in life are free, but there are things in life that keep us sane and this is my short list:

Top Things I'm Glad I Don't Have to Pay For:

• Facebook Fan Page
• Email account
• Paying bills online
• Twitter
• Blogging - could pay, but I'm cheap and I'll stick with my BlogSpot.
• Grey's Anatomy - or CSI, or Flash Forward. Prime Time TV has so much to offer me to escape reality
• Showering- yes, there's a water bill, but a fee per minute or fee per shower would make showering far less relaxing
• Wasting time watching funny videos on YouTube
• Listening to Pandora

What did I miss? When trying to think of all the material things we can get without having to pay, I really couldn't think of any. My list makes me happy though. I would be sorely disappointed if these things cost me a per use fee. Could you imagine the bill you'd rack up with a fee-per-Tweet? Or fee-per-status update on Facebook?  No thanks!

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Getting Old is Weird

Hey look my ghost post inspired a story on Mother's Click!

Getting older is weird. Yesterday I pulled out my second ever gray hair. I pulled it out and examined it. You know, to make sure it really was gray and not one of my highlights. It was actually a beautiful gleaming piece of silver hair. It's funny that I'm describing it so lovingly. Some people just have really beautiful silver hair. Not gray but silver or snow white. I worked in a nursing home for 7 years of my life and have seen some gorgeous "old lady" hair. I didn't feel the same way with my first gray hair. I think it was about a year ago. I saw it in the mirror while I was at work. I probably shed a single tear. I was 24- waaaay too early for gray! But I hear that's not the case. I'm just glad I hadn't sprouted another until just now.

It's also weird to see the guys you've known forever show signs of aging. Some of them have thinning hair. I caught myself looking at a man my age the other day. Just staring at what would soon be his bald spot. That must really suck. Women bald too, though its not as common as it is for men, I couldn't imagine waking up with piles of hair on my pillow.

Women sag and droop. We get sad and have to cover up our gray hair. What is it about men that makes them look so distinguished with gray hair? Is it our "natural" instict. That instinct that tells us to marry a man who can provide and take care of the family - back to the cavemen roots? The same roots that tell men to marry younger women. The instict that says "I need to reproduce and this young female can do it for me." Hmmm.... thoughts to ponder.

I took a social psychology class in college about 5 years ago. Strange that this is all just seeping out of my brain now.. What do you think?

Once in a Blue Moon by Eileen Goudge

When I hear "once in a blue moon" the first thing that comes to mind is that it sounds about how often I read a book. When I was asked by the One2One Network if I was interested in doing a book review I'll admit that yes, I was not interested. But, then I decided that I'd give it a shot. It would give me a reason to read.

A book has got to be good in order for me to finish it. I can just turn it off right in the middle of the story- never needing to know what happened at the end. This was not the case with Eileen Goudge's latest book Once in a Blue Moon. It's no wonder Goudge is a New York Times bestselling author. She reveals the story in such vivid detail that I feel as though I'm there. A big plus in my book!

Once in a Blue Moon is a story about two sisters, Kerrie Ann and Lindsay, who are separated when they were young. Thirty years later they are leading very different lives and are reunited when they need each other the most. Kerrie Ann is a down-on-her-luck kind of girl who can't seem to get the stars to align just right. It reminded me how lucky I am to have two sisters. A gift that is often taken for granted.

The story is told in such a voice that you feel like there's a part of you that can connect and empathize with both of the sisters. Though they lead very different lives than I have, I could see myself in each of them. Learn more about this next bestseller by Eileen Goudge on her website. You can even become a fan on Facebook!