Lover At Last By J.R. Ward

I finished reading Lover At Last by J.R. Ward.  I loved it!

It was wonderful to see her writing back where it needs to be.  

The book was full of adventure and the romance of Blay and Qhuinn was good, though Blay needed a few knocks on the head to wake his silly butt up!

The further development of Assail and revisiting many of the regular cast of characters was wonderful!  

To be honest, I am still thinking that Xcor is a bit of a crybaby at times but that is my opinion.  I also think a bit of re-working the Lessening Society would be in order because they are turning into drug lords and not doing what they are supposed to do-fight the Brotherhood as the originals did.

I do love the fact that in this book Qhuinn learns to accept himself for who he is and to forgive those who have wronged him...the fact that he became a Brother was heart warming and beautifully written.  Can't help but wonder if we will see the day he gets to help induct John Matthew and Blay into the Brotherhood and how he will react to that.

The next book is about Wrath once again...it will be nice to see things come around and I can only hope that in doing so, many of the loose ends will be tied up...then again, those are the reasons we keep reading them (example:  Diana Gabaldon's novels for those of us who love reading her books).  Part of me wants to see some things finished but the other part wants to see how everything rounds itself out.

I think she did a great job with Lover At Last and I can't wait for the next book.

Grandma's Birthday

Today was my grandmother's 88th birthday.  I don't count on her being here for much longer, maybe another 5-7 years, since the average ages of her 13 brothers and sisters is around 93-95 with the exception of one who lived to be 103 because of her lifestyle.

I am not being mean about this since I am looking at it for what it is...and because I love her very much.  She also doesn't do anything but sit around and read...and she has been like this for the last ten years.  Her short term memory is starting to go too.  

I love grandma even when she was being a pain in the butt, but I want to  prepare my mind and my heart for when it happens.

She has been good to me and my four siblings, she has loved us  and her daughters very much.  I never want to forget that in this lifetime.

Today also marks the 26th anniversary of the death of my step sister.  I am having a great day even though I am feeling like a bit of a let down to her.

I know my step sister has moved on from the Summerlands, but I can't help but feel like I am not living up to the potential I need to when she couldn't in her life with my family.

I am generally at peace over her now, it is hard to not be when there is so much else that needs to be done in my own life.

I still haven't found a job, but I am still looking and not loosing hope.

Weekly Blah Blah

I am beginning to get frustrated with myself.

I still can't find a job, and I feel like I am slipping further and further into a kind of disorganized person.

My sleeping patterns are such that I don't sleep when I should and wake up later in the day no matter how hard I try to change it.

My apartment has slipped into disarray and I don't know why I can't get up and just do simple things other than the dishes.

I follow directions for my unemployment, but I still feel weird about the fact that I need it and it is so little I wonder if I am going to loose it sooner than I should.

I changed some things financially but that only made matters a bit worse, but I am not mad about it, I just needed to do something to make things easier on myself.

I haven't done anything for myself or my life that is meaningful to me.  

It may have to do with the fact that I can't seem to get into a Spring frame of mind.

I am going to work on it soon.

I have been so busy this week that I haven't been able to stop, I helped my stepmother all week, and this weekend.  I did it even though I didn't want to because my stepmom is important to me and it was for a St. Patrick's Day dance so why not?  Still exhausting.

I have more news coming soon, I just don't know if I can share this just yet, though I want to.

Being An Example To The Next Generations

I have to question humanity these days.

I am sorry, but recently I am finding that rudeness, disprespect and general apathy is NOT a trait of the youth of our world, but an example they learn by-yes, you guessed it folks....ELDERS!!!

I don't understand why it is that those who are to set the example for the youth are NOT teaching them HOW to show basic human dignity and kindness.

Recently a friend of mine who is 23 years old was talked down to and treated horribly because he needed to use a ramp at the local grocery store after having walked from a parking spot far away from the handicap zone (to which he had the special plates for) because an elder had used up two of the handicapped spaces then blocked the ramp so he could load up his car.  My friend has a prosthetic leg and had recently had a heart transplant...when he said something kindly to the elder gentleman, the elder said very nastily that my friend could use the steps...when my friend told him WHY he couldn't the elder man sneered at him.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry but this newer generation IS going to becoming home and using the handicapped licenses and stickers and you may NOT see their need for it because they will cover it up with pants and other ways....they are veterans wounded in war and we have to stop and think before we judge them....my friend is not a veteran, but that wasn't the point.  He still needed those special helps for a reason and the elder gentleman did not stop and think...or look at my friend.

Our elders are NOT the only ones who have need of mobile carts and handicapped spots.

Another incident happened again only with a 15 year old young man who volunteers his Friday nights out of respect to not only his grandfather but to our military-past and present-by helping the American Legion raise money in a fish fry.

The young man is an intelligent young man, loyal and respectful of his elders...and a lady whom he has waited on on several occasions has treated him with disdain and cruelty.  Everything he does in wrong and everything he fixes is wrong.  She is mean to him and she is around my own age....what kind of an example is this woman teaching this young man?  

She, and the elder along with MANY others in this world are increasingly rude and mean to others around us.

Here is another example:

I can walk down the street here in my city and I would hear "hello" or "good day", or "excuse me", or hear a happy remark on the lovely weather....from young people, Black Americans and those who have come to this country to be citizens of this nation.  From people my age and older, I get shoved aside on the sidewalk, looked at like I shouldn't be there or ignored when I say hello myself.

It is no wonder our young people aren't being nice to us when we aren't teaching them how to be HUMAN anymore!!!

Yes, I said it!!  We are teaching them that it is OK to be rude, it is ok to be disrespectful and it is OK to have NO value for human dignity and that human kindness is NOT a good thing.  It will make it easier for them to decide to hit the button on nuclear war when they get older doesn't it???  

Everyone thinks it is the job of parents, grandparents, and teachers to teach these kids these things, and generally you are right, but when they go out to PRACTICE these teachings, we as ADULTS in the world should encourage that and be an example of what a parent is trying to teach their child, don't you think?

We should show them OTHER role models-those who are my age and older....it is the gift we give them that is more valuable than money.  

I also see nobody standing up for these young people...of course, in the case of this 15 year old boy, I am going to take over handling this woman and if I have to, I will stick up for him, I will show him that what he is learning from his family and at school can be used in the future.

It is also why I help and encourage the young people I come in contact with as often as I do.  

We all know that it is good to teach them, but to SHOW them how it is done is also part and parcel of the package and it is not just the responsibility of the parents, it is the duty of every adult to show them this.

Besides ladies and gentlemen....these young people will be running this country someday-one of them is going to be president of the United States and when they are, do you WANT to be left in the cold, because that is exactly what may happen if we don't change this and show them NOW!!!!  

Someday they will be adults and the example for another generation....what do you want them to teach that generation?