HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

MySpace Comments

MySpace Comments
It's finally here! Halloween 2008 has arrived on a Friday! Yay! Party at Whitney's tonite and I'm looking forward to seeing all of our friends in their Halloween costumes! It will be a hoot! Trick or Treat Everybody! Be safe!


MySpace Comments

My TV Boyfriend

If you haven't had a chance to check out the new TV show Sons of Anarchy on FX it airs on Wednesday nights here and there's an encore on Sunday nights. You really should check it out if for no other reason but to see Charlie Hunnam who appears on this show. As Gigi always says he's my "TV boyfriend". He is definately a bad boy! Gotta love it when he rides that Harley!

Halloween Funnies!

Vote for Ashley 08!!!

You just have to go to this link!!!!
New Presidential Candidate... It's someone you know!

Hi,

There's an effort to elect an unknown random person as President... and it's someone we know! See this news website about the surprising new nominee:

http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=46832&altf=Btimfz&altl=Lfoesjdl

Jot back a note to let me know what you think!

The Pumpkin Gutter

Folks you have got to go to this link and check out these pumpkins. Absolutely fascinating. Make sure you watch the video and visit the gallery as well.

http://pumpkingutter.com/


Enjoy

I early voted!

Halloween Partying

Best Graphics - Top Comments

Halloween is just around the corner and I just wanted to share some of my all-time favorite ideas for Halloween entertaining since Whitney is having her big extravaganza I figured I’d share some of the things I may do to contribute to my best buddy’s party!

I love to serve fresh veggies or fruit using a hollowed out pumpkin as a bowl. You just cut off the top and clean it out, leaving the top in a jagged edge design. Use little mini pumpkins to hold dips! It’s so cute.

You can also use clear plastic gloves to freeze ice hands to throw into the punch bowl, it keeps it cold and looks great!

Also you can make great centerpieces for your tables by filling vases with dried flowers, brown leaves and empty branches, use a black ribbon bow around each one.

A fun game that is an alternative to bobbing for apples is to hang apples by their stems with thread from the ceiling and let party goes try to see how many times they can bite them.

Take lots of Halloween photos of your guests. If you have a party, leave disposable cameras around so everyone can take photos.

All of these ideas are easy and inexpensive. Maybe you can use them at your next Halloween event. Have fun!

The Apple Pie Gang

Pictured above is the "Apple Pie Gang"...we held a large club meeting at my house last night. In attendance were...Me, Brian, Ryan, Pat, Doug, Mike, Whitney, Daniel, Brittany, Rhonda, and James. We celebrated the making of a rather large batch of yummy "apple pie" and if I told you the ingredients I'd have to kill ya. Ha ha! It really was a ton of fun! By the end of the night several people were singing, and playing a variety of instruments from the guitar to the spoons! It was hilarious! Another crazy fun time at the Kendrick house.

Real Friends

I was reading the news on my PC this morning and ran across a little article that said, "You can expect to make 363 friends during your life but you'll only be able to call six of them your true friends, a survey has found."

It made me think about my circle of friends and how much I treasure them. Take my best friend for example. We talk everyday, most times more than once, we have fun, we laugh with each other everyday, I mean it...we laugh with each other every single day, sometimes so much it hurts! We tell each other secrets we don't even share with our husbands and never doubt that we can trust each other. I wouldn't trade her for the world and I know she is a true friend for life. She isn't superficial or fake, it isn't hard to be her friend, it is just comes easy.

But I disagree on the number this survey came up with. So who are my TRUE friends? I'm not going to count family but my mom is definately one of my besties for sure and my hubby of course. That would be Whitney Woo (mentioned above), Cheri (who I've known 20 years), Kelli (I've known all my life), Pete (I've known my whole life as well), Doss (a co-worker), Beth (known since high school), JR (my neighbor who is true thru and thru), the 2 Pats; Pat K. and Pat P. (both just top notch guy friends), Gigi (we've known eachother since high school and had our babies together, we've had our ups and downs but we've always known we'd be there for the other in the end), James (who is another top notch guy friend), and Kim (who I miss a bunch and who always loves to hear about my soap opera family struggles and keeps everything to herself), Tina (my hair stylist for 18 years...she's a wonderful human being), and David P (who I compare notes with about our terrible teens everyday). Hey...I think I've gone way over 6...let's go back and count and see how many are in my circle of true friends. That's 14...and I feel like I've left someone out...I hope not.

Well...I guess I have to end this post for now...Whit is on her way with a Pumpkin Bagel for me from our favorite place downtown. I love my friends!

Congrats Autumn

I just wanted to say congrats to my beautiful cousin Autumn who is in the picture above. Just found out she is engaged to the cute fellow here with her, he is in the Marines and she is in college in NC. Congratulations you two and best wishes for a long life together!

Fall Festival 2008

Well another Kendrick Fall Festival has come and gone...as usual there was a good turnout and everyone had a great time. There were plenty of kids dressed up for the costume contest...some of their outfits were just adorable. Randy and I won 3 out of 4 of the games. The food was plentiful...so were the deserts. Yummy! Doug ended up doing 6 hayrides around the block. I was happy that my Dad and Brenda got to come this year for the first time. I think they enjoyed their hayride. Missy was able to bring Courtney and CJ too...this is their second year at the festival. Courtney had a blast with her friends from the church. The haunted forest was just tooooooooo scary! But we love it! Too bad Whitney chickened out and wouldn't go through. Maybe next year Whit. Ha ha.

Later that night we helped my neighbor Junior celebrate his 57th birthday. We had a blast with him, Whitney, Rhonda and Daniel. Junior sang some Elvis and entertained us all. Happy Birthday neighbor. WE love you.

Profile of a Sociopath...do you know one?

I was reading something today and it occurred to me that I know or knew people who fit this description...I just thought I'd share.

The profile of a Sociopath

Glibness and Superficial Charm

Manipulative and Conning They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.

Grandiose Sense of Self
Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."

Pathological Lying
Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.

Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.

Shallow Emotions
When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.

Incapacity for Love

Callousness/Lack of Empathy
Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.

Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.

Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.

Irresponsibility/Unreliability
Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.

Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.

Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.

Do you know one?

Cartoon: Halloween is gonna suck this year!

Happy Anniversary!!!!

Just wanted to give a shout to Whitney and Daniel to wish them a Happy 1st Wedding Anniversary today!

Beautiful fall weekend.

It was a beautiful fall weekend in Tennessee! Our yard sale on Saturday was a huge success! Jenny and I got rid of our junk and made a killing. We also had alot of fun. Papaw Aaron enjoyed the kids while relaxing in the sun. Sunday was even warmer and our neighbors hooked up their horses and enjoyed a wagon ride. Brian got some more building materials and did more work on the new bathroom. Some sad news though...we got the pool completely closed and covered for the season. Boo! We hope the weather is the same next weekend for the big Fall Festival here at the Kendrick Farm. Cross your fingers for that.

Laundry

I just had to share this that my mother forwarded to me by email. I just thought it was so true.

Things aren't what they appear to be. A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning, while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees she neighbor hang up the wash outside. 'That laundry is not very clean, she said, she doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs another laundry soap. The husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang out the wash, the young woman would make the same comment. About on month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband, 'Look! she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this? Her husband said, 'I got up early this morning and washed the windows.

And so it is with life: What we see while watching others, depends on the purity of the window through which we look through.

Yard Sale Time

Looks like we are having a yard sale tomorrow at Dad’s place. His house gets alot of traffic being across from the park. I have spent 2 evenings going up and down the attic stairs hauling stuff down and loading it onto the trailer. Needless to say my rear end and legs are killing me this morning. All the more reason I’ve decided to move the treadmill back out and put it next to my new stand up washer and drier downstairs. I spend so much time down there doing laundry and everything is cleared out now so I’ve got plenty of room. With the satellite TV I can listen to all of my favorite Sirus stations as loud as I want while I'm working out and I love it. Brian has finished painting the walls and is very happy with the end result. The walls as you go downstairs were painted this hideous blue color and were dirty looking. It always looked like you were walking into a dungeon or something. Now it is bright and clean. I guess we will paint the stairs and the basement floor next. Anyway…it’s really looking up.

He is still working on the old laundry room area. So far the interior ceiling is out, and it is gutted. We removed the old window and covered it with plywood…I guess next we will be cutting the wall for a door from our bedroom into that area. I’m not really sure though…I am letting Brian handle all the details…this is his project. I will be so happy to get another bathroom though.

Anyway…I have tons and tons of stuff to sale tomorrow so I should have a really big wad of money by the time it’s all said and done. I have everything from clothes, to baby stuff, to microwaves, household items, pictures, dishes, weed eaters, Halloween decorations and costumes. I think I may even have a kitchen sink. So if you need any of that junk come on by.

The Secret is Safe With Me

What is a secret? I think a secret is just a hidden truth. So why do we share our secrets? In my opinion the act of sharing secrets helps people in their lives, to free their minds. Frank Warren once said, "We think we're keeping secrets, but the secrets are actually keeping us.” I believe that having someone to tell it to is one of the fundamental needs of humans.

In my life, the sharing of secrets has always taken place within relationships. Most secrets are part of a larger tangle of truths about our own lives and the lives of others. Sometimes we are afraid of our secrets so much that we fill our lives with distractions in an effort to avoid being alone with our thoughts. The more our mouths are able to speak the hidden truth, the closer we can draw to others.

According to the Twelve Step programs, we are as sick as our secrets. But if we can find a safe place to share our secrets we can begin to work toward healing.

I have shared secrets before and had that person run right to another and tell them…even after they were specifically asked not to do so. This is something that is hard for me to swallow maybe because I take pride in the fact that I am the type of person who takes confidential information to the grave. Secrets or confessions should be shared between friends, but a word of caution from my personal experience, if a friend becomes uneasy around your honesty they have not yet begun to be honest with themselves. I think you are a more admirable person and friend if others can trust you, tell you secrets, and be comfortable knowing that it is safe with you.

A trusted friend shared a secret with me just yesterday. I was honored that this person felt he could entrust me with this information that he had kept hidden away and I can assure him that his secret is safe with me. I hope it helped him ease his mind as well. Frederick Buechner is quoted as saying, "I am my secrets. And you are your secrets ... our trusting each other enough to share them with each other has much to do with the secret of what it is to be human."

Mean Moms

Someday when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell them, as my Mean Mom told me: I loved you enough . . To ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home. I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep. I loved you enough to make you go pay for the bubble gum you had taken and tell the clerk, "I stole this yesterday and want to pay for it." I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken 15 minutes.
I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, and tears in my eyes! Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect. I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart. But most of all, I loved you enough to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it. Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm glad I won them, because in the end you won, too. And someday when your children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them.
Was your Mom mean? I know mine was. We had the meanest mother in the whole world! While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast. When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for! Lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. And
you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too.
Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were convicts in a prison. She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them. She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less. We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work. We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash while she lay awake at night thinking of more things for us to do. She always insisted on us telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds and had eyes in the back of her head. Then, life was really tough! Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them.. While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16.
Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other's property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault. Now that we have left home, we are all educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like Mom was. I think that is what's wrong with the world today. It just doesn't have enough mean moms!

Voila!!!

Viola! My Halloween decorations are now complete. Even got a real cat in the scene! We are ready for the ghosts and goblins!