glenn with two n's

Ever had a friend you knew your entire life? I have a few. When I was a kid, I would go to Magnetawan with my nan and pop to visit my cousins, but I always played with my friend Glenn. Now Glenn wasn't very tall, but he was larger then life! All of the bad things I learned, he taught me! Haha! He taught me to spit all over my best dress! He showed me how to refill my parent liquor cabinet with water after drinking their booze. He also, in his funny way, taught me that being yourself is good. I hadn't seen him in about 4 years when I ran into him. He was with his little daughter, what a beauty. We talked and laughed and it was like old times, only Phinney lost his potty mouth. Once he went home, we chatted nearly everyday online. How I enjoyed waking up to his late night rants about prostituting seniors and hams at the IGA. And then as if a rug had been pulled out from under me, he was gone. Died two years ago at 38. I have to admit I think of him all the time. Today would have been his 40th birthday, and I hope you, Glenn with 2 n's, have a harem of women, a bottle of whiskey, and a smokin fast car. Although you could be crude, you were one of the most caring men I ever met! I never did send u the bill for my dress, and at midnight after a few vodkas, I will hide the bottle under my bed, just as you taught me, because I have made it a tradition since you have been gone. Miss you terribly, signed your not so ugly or fat friend... Xxoo!

guess I just never realized...

What a wonderful weekend! Wow! For so long I never realized what it is like to be someone's priority, let alone the top of their priority list! Now, some of you think I am just trying to brag, and most of you who know me, know I am truly not.

My older sister asked me when I would come for a visit, my dad had been asking, my baby sister too. So we decided this was the weekend. I also thought what better a weekend for Dean to be inducted into the family. Also, its my birthday Tuesday, so it felt like a weekend away! I had been super stressed about Dean meeting my dad. Anyone who knows my dad, knows he is the sweetest guy and you have to take him with a grain of salt. I had prepared him for the worst, and prayed for the best. I, for lack of better terms, am a redneck. Meet my dad once you will know. Well, they got along great! He met everyone and they all liked him. But what's not to like? Why was I nervous about it? Sometimes we put pressure on ourselves for no reason, and when we do that, we put pressure on others too.

I honestly can say, this was the best birthday weekend I have ever had. Dean went out of his way to go away, meet my family, and make sure I enjoyed myself. That is unconditional love... Now if I can just get over the anxiety of getting older.

kinda sad in today's society...

I know lately when I have blogged I am not talking about my healthier lifestyle. I like to blog lately about my opinions. It just seems so many things have been going on lately, but I promise by weeks end, healthy lifestyle blog coming up!

I had been reading on everyone's facebook about a little girl from Huntsville who had committed suicide because she had been bullied. How sad is this! What are we teaching our children? I remember when Tanner was a wee guy starting school and he was maybe 4, and his friend Trevor looked different. First year, Tanner didn't notice, second year either. By the third year Trevor was in a different class room. Tanner came home and said that some boys in his class were calling Trevor retarded. I said to Tanner, sure hope you weren't. I also explained to Tanner that everyone is different. A little tick, a big tick. We all march to the beat of our own drummer. About two weeks later, I get a call from the principal asking if I could come to the school and pick Tanner up, he was being sent home for fighting. When I got to the school, there was my boy upset, sad and being told he shouldn't have had a hands on incident at school. I take him out to the car and he is full out sobbing. I wasn't giving him trouble, I asked what happened. Tanner admitted that a grade 7 lunch helper had called is friend retarded! He also said, that he had talked to the teacher after first lunch break about it. But by second lunch break the same lunch helper was making fun of both of the boys and finally Tanner saw red and snapped! He said "Mom if Trev is retarded so am I!". I walked back into the school with my upset boy and spoke to the principal. I asked her if she had looked into any of what he said. She said that the lunch helper had said they were miss behaving and that Tanner beat him up. So I got Tanner to tell her what happened. Wow, things changed a bit... What is it going to take! I was bullied for years because of my size. I felt like a social outcast. And it amazes me, sometimes when I run into people now, how they act like because I am smaller, we were best friends when I was a kid... You tortured the hell out of me! Made me feel less then I truly was! I know we are all guilty of it at times, but that is something I truly try to teach my kids... UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!

My heart goes out to this family. I read on someone's facebook that the bullies need to be prosecuted. I agree, I also think not only the bullies, but their family should have to be counselled!!!! It is such a terrible thing in today's society to have all this hatred running rapid! Today I am going kiss my kids and tell them its ok everyone is different, and then I am going to do what I can to protect them from the bullies out there... Once a mama bear, always a mama bear!