AM~Erica Bids bin Laden Adieu

So anyway...

After a very hectic weekend, our family was T.I.R.E.D.! We went to bed early last night...like BEFORE 10:00 last night! Wow!

My hubby turned on the TV last night to catch the weather...and then we heard it: Osama bin Laden is dead! We didn't react much out of mere shock!

As so many of you know, this name has been so prominent in our lives for the past decade. [We] have been looking for this man for so long after being the mastermind behind one of our nation's greatest tragedies; certainly a defining one in several of our lifetimes. It has definitely changed how we live in our nation & how things are done.

Nearly 10 years ago, the horrific nature of terrorism was brought to light when the planes hit each of the towers of the World Trade Center on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, followed by the hit on the Pentagon. I still well up with tears & my heart breaks when I see ANY of the images from that day. Watching the towers fall, seeing the dust & wondering how life in New York & our nation would continue.

There was also an amazing sense of brotherhood (all encompassing) & pride toward each other & our nation for quite some time afterward. American flags flew everywhere. People were wearing flag pins & clothing in support. We were kinder to each other & listened to each other in our time of hurt & need. We all had opinions to share & didn't know how soon was considered safe enough to laugh & joke again.

We all have memories of how that day played out for us & it still evokes emotions thinking about where we were when we heard what happened & saw the first images...and memories of how our lives were effected.

In the time since, patriotism has faded, we have raised our voices & opinions against each other, and we have lost a lot of pride in our nations & ourselves. We have been through hard times since then, and still continue. So, who won? Does pointing fingers at each other & blaming each other really help anything?

Our troops are certainly to be commended for what they have done in these last few years since the surge after 9/11/01. We should always be thanking our troops for their tireless hours, days & years put into making sure we stay a free country. Yesterday was no different. We played the most intense game of hide-and-seek EVER! We won that part of the game!

So now with the amazing scenes from the crowds outside the White House & the scenes from New York upon the news of the death of bin Laden are so moving! With spontaneous outbursts of our national anthem & flags waving...it was joyful patriotism again. This time, not brought on by grief.

The death news brought on so many different emotions. I think it is more of an appropriate sense of relief. But our work is not done.

If you think that Osama being out of the equation has taken care of Al Qaeda, you are SO wrong! There are so many "splinter cells" out there & now there will be a struggle for power...and will will need to be on alert as there are going to be very violent threats (at the very least) as a new leader attempts to emerge. I would like to see this as a downfall for this group, but cautiously positive.

In this positivity, I would hope this would lighten the load for our troops...but it will not be immediate due to my theory stated in the previous paragraph.

Now I am going to point out that I am not the only one who thinks that a VERY abrupt burial at sea was a little strange. I do not advocate parading the dead...I was really bothered when Mother Teresa passed away & she was laid out in the open & on camera. (Please note that I am in NO way comparing Osama bin Laden to Mother Teresa...just a death situation.) I was even bothered by the video of Saddam Hussein's hanging, but it was a relief knowing there was proof. I am from Missouri, a.k.a. the Show Me State, so we tend to want that proof. I almost want that picture & documented proof of DNA knowing that it was really him that we got. To say the body is in custody with the United States & then in the same breath say his body was chucked out to sea was all too weird. Let the conspiracy theories begin...

I also made sure my children knew this morning when they got up so they would be in the know when they went to school today. I am hoping that SOMEONE at school brings this up today! My kids were in the dark about the Japan tragedy until we told them AFTER school! But that's just this school system, I know others are better about bringing up breaking news updates that effect the world as we know it.

Will all of this being said, let's all come back together, show our support for each other & our nation, and bring back our patriotism. Oh, and actually keep it up while we are at it.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica's BIG Wedding Weekend

So anyway...


If you read my previous post, you will know that I did watch the Royal Wedding. The ceremony, the hats/fashion, the dress, the transportation, the kiss...everything was wonderful! And the royal couple are so precious! The were like two giddy kids in love! The sparkle & twinkle in the eyes of both of them. The precious moment when William finally got to see Kate & tell her she looked beautiful (even when Harry HAD to sneak a peak). The funny little quip that William made to Kate's dad at the alter. We got to forget the horrible in the world for just a little while & focus on a joyous celebration! We also got to focus on hats galore (yes, even the ones that I think Fergie had Beatrice & Eugenie wear in her revenge against the snub of the royal family's cold non-invite). It was even more fun to see the crowds gather to catch a glimpse of their future princess & eventual queen. For those of you who are my Facebook friends know that I changed my profile pic to my big hat pic for the wedding...and for the Kentucky Derby next weekend.

Then I got to be the wedding coordinator for a wedding my hubby officiated for. We did the rehearsal with the boisterous family on Friday night, and then the wedding on Saturday afternoon. I have never seen a wedding where the entire family were ready for rehearsal EXTRA early...and guests arriving to the wedding an hour early! Talk about an excited bunch! Plus, the couple was so adorable. As a matter of fact, they both cried through the vows...so sweet! Another sweet & simple wedding with a lot of family!

THEN we went to a wedding reception of a family friend. Well, she's like my little sister & I always believe she's 8 years old. I think she hates it when I say that, but that's how it goes! The reception was a true party! She was super adorable in a full-on 40's themed short dress & pillbox hat w/ a mini veil. She was perfection! Since her dad passed away a few years ago, she didn't get the chance to get her dance with him...so she brilliantly had ALL present dads with daughters come dance in her place...with a condition: dancing to her dad's favorite song. So the daddy/daughter duos boogied down to "Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog". There was karaoke & we danced the "Time Warp"! There was even a makeshift photobooth for a chance to take 4 crazy pictures at a time! There was a peacock feather sent with each invitation, so I wore my peacock feather necklace & headband with a dress I've had for years that happen to coordinate! The bride donned a couple of peacock feathers in her perfect french braid, and the feathers were placed in center pieces, her bouquet & even the amazing 3-tier hexagon-shaped cake had edible peacock feathers on each tier.

What a crazy-amazing weekend for weddings! All so different & all so wonderful! So glad I got to be a part of each of them in some way, from watching from afar, to being hands-on, to enjoying a full-blown party in celebration.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Talks Royal Wedding

So anyway...


The talk everywhere right now is the British Royal Wedding in a couple of days of William & Catherine (which is what she is supposed to be called after the nuptials). There is a true obsession about it! Countdowns everywhere & so many shows telling you how to throw a viewing party. Even if it BEGINS in the U.S. anywhere from midnight to 3:00 AM depending which time zone you're in.

Many guys are so lost as to why there is this obsession, especially amongst their wives/girlfriends. I will tell you what it's about, but stay with me...

When I was in 1st grade, I have a memory of my parents waking me up while it was still very dark outside to watch "The Wedding of the Century" back in 1981. It was the British Royal Wedding of Charles & Diana. I remember the dress, and, even funnier, I remember them showing a model who was reminiscent of Diana showing off a copy of the dress & they tried to tell everyone it was Diana showing off this dress. Even at age 6 or 7, I knew that chic was NOT the future princess! But I still believe I got to be a part of history by watching this.

Does it have any impact on our country? I don't think so. It is more of the fact that every little girl was watching a fairytale fantasy. Guys, you have to understand that most females start planning their wedding the moment they start playing dress up. Weddings are a big deal to us. Plus we get to see a modern-day princess being made & crowned right before our eyes. We are living vicariously through her! Then we take our moment to glam it up to celebrate.

Now, Diana's son, William, an heir to the throne in a big way, is marrying a woman who is actually considered a "commoner". Diana was part of a noble family & was already called Lady Di[ana]. Kate Middleton is our modern-day Cinderella! It is the ultimate rags-to-riches princess story we read in books, watch on Disney movies, and dream of as a child. It also sets a lot of trends, not just in fashion, but culturally.

So, this wedding is happening in a day of super-social media & a major age of information. We have all kinds of ways to dream & put our thoughts out there. Look, I'm even blogging about it...and you're reading it! We also have this thing called TiVo or DVR. We can record the coverage & watch it later in case you want to sleep in.

Because of the array of channels out there now (way beyond the 40-something cable channels back in '81), you have your choice of how & where to watch it. Or you may choose to watch a channel that isn't even showing it. But for those who are planning on doing it, we have AT&T U-Verse...we can get the BBC. If you're gonna get coverage of this event, go hardcore & go all out! Then, you can even hold a follow-up party. You have had time to process the recipes & decorations so you can hold your own high tea in retrospect. And you don't have to do it in the middle of the night.

This is a once-in-a-life time event (so-to-speak). Keep showing it & you can have as many teas & royal parties as you would like! You don't even need to worry about running out of room on your VHS tape that you set to record on your VCR!

So, is there anyone who is planning on watching live? Anyone planning viewing parties? Anyone planning on recording it & watching later? Anyone watching it on the BBC, even in America? Anyone who doesn't care at all & wants it over with so we can get on with our lives?

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica
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AM~Erica Celebrates Tax Day

So anyway...

Today is the day, everyone! Make sure you take care of one of the 2 of life inevitabilities...TAXES. I believe you can figure out the other one.

Uncle Sam was nice enough to let everyone wait until Monday, April 18th this year so he could celebrate Emancipation Day on Friday, April 15th (the usual filing day). Well, this gave the weekend for him to get over whatever Emancipation Hangover he may have incurred.

Many people are probably quite happy with having the extra time, so hopefully you all have either got everything filed already or are working diligently to get it done & in by midnight!

For everyone who is not having to file today since either a) you already have taxes filed, or b) someone else does it for you, then we can join together in an annual protest of taxes. How do we do that? By having a Tea Party of course!

OK...that has taken on a new connotation lately with the GOP spinoff political party, but it was based on the same annual tradition...or the Boston Tea Party...whichever...

We can all wear a big hat & sip tea in protest! This is my choice. Or we can take our boxes of tea bags & dump them into the nearest body of water (i.e. ocean, river, lake, stream, creek, pond, bathtub, etc.), but this one could be slightly less effective & get everyone doing it fined for littering...and you'd be out of tea bags. Plus you'd have a larger fine tacked onto that if you choose the second option along with a full protest by not filing taxes.

Yes, the protest is tongue-in-cheek...but it just shows we all feel the same way about it. Yes the taxes are needed...but do we know what they are all going for? Sometimes we tend to get surprised.

By the way...there are a few businesses around the U.S. who give discounts & freebies for they own personal protest that they like to include the people! Watch for those!!

So...raise your pinkie & your tea cup! Have some Boston Cream Pie! Cheers to a Tax Day protest! Now make sure you go file...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica
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AM~Erica on Bullying: Take 2

So anyway...

I am once again heartbroken to hear the level of bullying going on around, even when there has been a very recent uprising against it.

A note to those doing the bullying: You are being watched & you will be caught. It is not ok. Ever.

My middle schooler has been coming home with stories that there is constant bullying going on. It has happened to him, and to several others too. Apparently much of it has been going on under the faculty's noses & they haven't noticed. There is physical, verbal & mental bullying going on daily that never gets addressed.

Take a look at that last paragraph & replace the word "bullying" with the word "abuse". It's the same.

I have said that you should try to get to know the person first, no matter how "weird" or "strange" they seem to YOU. If you don't get along, go separate ways. There is no need to be abusive the person you don't see eye-to-eye with. And I am not just talking about kids at school...I am talking about life in general. It happens all of the time with adults, too. It's disgusting. If you are so rude to go out of your way to humiliate someone that you do not agree with for some reason, then that is abusive. We all are entitled to our own opinions. It doesn't make it right to belittle someone for not agreeing with you. It is not ok to try to humble someone weaker, or that you personally deem weaker, just for your own empowerment. And it all tends to begin at an earlier age that adults allowed to happen because of "kids being kids". The lesser party is being traumatized. The bully is allowed to believe what they are doing is ok. Neither is fine.

I remember being in 6th grade (still in elementary school) & hearing that a 7th grader, a kid I used to playfully chase on the playground in prior years, had committed suicide because of the level of bullying he had endured. Some of you may remember Paul Boucher & I remember my mom telling me what had happened. Looking back, he did seem to be an easy bullying target, but I never saw that when I chased him on the playground. It was hard for me to imagine what had happened. The truth is...it did happen. It happened because the level of bullying was very real & very escalated. Paul did not get the privilege to encounter the level of education we have about bullying now, nor the resources we have too. He was a victim of "well, it's kids being kids."

Everyone reading this needs to take a step back & take a look at what they do everyday. Is there anywhere in this that you have been a bully to a classmate, family member, co-worker, passerby, person on a street corner with a sign, that person who excels more than you, that person who doesn't quite excel as much as you, the fat one, the skinny one, the short one, the tall one, the smart one, the struggling one...where does it end? Why are we so jealous? Why are we so commanding? I am sure I have bullied someone in some way...and for that I truly apologize! I never had that idea in mind! EVER! But there are those of you who do try to do such things. You even bully the advocates of the ones standing up to those you abuse.

After one more day of these stories coming out, I have emailed the principal of the school to raise the issue with him. We will see where this goes...

Please be sure to read my previous post on this.

After reading it, you will see I have dealt with it with my own kids, and it is for pointless & sensless reasons.

Try the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would want them to treat you. And Rodney King was right! Why CAN'T we all get along? I know we are human...tender, over-sensitive beings...but get over it. If you can't say or do something nice...don't say it or do it at all!

I will not stay quiet on this. Just note that you may hear more about this from me.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Wonders if It's the Super Moon

So anyway...

Tonight is the full moon. When I was employed at one of the banks I worked at, I would always keep track of the full moon & let several other employees at our branch & others know to look out for the weirdos & crazies to come out. And they would never disappoint! People get really crazy when the full moon comes out. We all kind of become our own werewolves. And it's in traffic, when you go to the store, when you deal with clients & vendors at work...EVERYWHERE! It's amazing the type of spell the moon can cast on each of us.

Now, tonight is not only a full moon...but a SUPER MOON! It's supposed to be the closest to the Earth in 18 years. So...does that mean the bigger crazies come out, or do we all become even more over-the-top? Probably a good mix of both. And I'll give a couple of examples:

1. My lil guy's 1st soccer game of the season was today at noon. We were keeping watch for rain to see if it would hit around game time. We figured, and were hoping, that we could get the game in right before the game. It was SO cold out & the sky was just getting darker. The game of 5 & 6 year olds had not been going for very long when lightening began to appear in the distance. That should be grounds for ending the game. But the game kept going. Then thunder was rumbling. This should be a sign that we should at least cut the game short. But the game kept going. Not only did it keep going, they didn't even give the option to shorten the quarters. We went the whole game time watching lightening, listening to thunder & feeling the cold front working it's way through. So all the games going on acted like none of this was an issue...until...the games ended. The teams shook hands & before the teams could huddle back up for final thoughts, the referees were running through YELLING for everyone to immediately exit the fields & head right to the cars in the parking lot due to lightening in the area! Mass hysteria & a mass exodus came on like a bomb had just hit or fire broke out. It was all strangely calm & cool until the refs blew their final whistle. WHAT??

2. One of the greatest headlines came out today that totally gave me the giggles. From Spartanburg County, SC - "Deputy: Strip Search Finds Crack Between Buttocks". Really? I never would guessed to check there!! Yes, people...someone let that out to the public. How do you miss that? Someone, quick! Send this to Jay Leno stat!

My goodness...I am afraid as what else is coming for the day. Rain already messes with people & then to add a Super Moon on top of it? Please act responsibly, folks. Because you may the weirdo out there to someone else today.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

PS ~ Don't forget that you can now receive my blog updates by email if it's more convenient for you! Just submit your email address in the "E-Follow AM~Erica" field!

How Irish was AM~Erica?

So anyway...

Since yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, it was our goal to work on eating something Irish, not something colored green (that happens on Dr. Seuss' birthday). Because of our ever-crazy schedules, and the research between me & my hubby, we had oatmeal for lunch, and then by the time dinner came around, we needed to have someone else cook for us. So we had to get a close-to-Irish meal. We landed at Bob Evan's where there was good selection of homestyle meals. It was either going to be there or Cracker Barrel.

So the kids didn't necessarily take in anything close to Irish, but my hubby & I tried. I went with a Haddock fish & chips (fries/potatoes) with a big roll & a side of coleslaw (cabbage). And on the positive side, we had a great waiter who was definitely in the spirit with a GIANT leprechaun top hat & a fun, silly humor to match! He was great!

Then we decided to figure out dessert. Since pudding is big in Ireland, that's what we went with...plus it is cheap...uh...I mean..."economical".

So I made pudding & we ate it while watching "The Quiet Man". It's a great movie that takes place in Ireland that is in a whole different time & culture. I love the wit of the Irish in Innis Free. Maybe that's the Irish in me. But I wonder how concerned I should be that it's my hubby's favorite movie...hmmm...It is certainly NOT your typical John Wayne film either! Interesting trivia about it: this movie was made to try to raise money to make the movie "Rio Grande". John Ford used John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara for both films. You're welcome.

So, we had a good day & hope to be much better prepared for next year! As with all the other foodie holidays.

So I am going to try to make my mom's Erin's Lush in cupcake form to see how it turns out. Then, once again...maybe next year...

What did everyone else do for St. Pat's?

OK - Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

PS ~ If you prefer to get my blog updates by email, you may now enter your email address in the "E-Follow AM~Erica" field at the top!
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AM~Erica LOVES Celebrating with Food

So anyway...

Earlier this month was Dr. Seuss' birthday. You better believe we enjoyed green eggs & ham to celebrate. I love doing stuff like that. And if you know me well, then you already know that fact about me.

However, I missed a few key "holidays" to have themed food for! SHAME ON ME! So I am making a list of days during the year to have particular types of food on.

This week, I missed Pi Day. We should have had pizza at least. And yesterday was the Ides of March. We should have eaten Caesar salad. We even missed Chinese New Year AND Mardi Gras. So getting these marked for next year.

Tomorrow, however, is St. Patrick's Day. Even though it's a Catholic holiday (green), and we are a Protestant group (orange), I still plan to celebrate our Irish heritage. I just read that corned beef & cabbage is more of an Americanized Irish meal - go figure. That's ok by me...I really do not care for corned beef anyway. I'm pretty sure my kids would look at me like I was even crazier than I already am. So I am on a mission to put together a slightly Irish meal for tomorrow. So I am researching now.

My kids are (sadly) not fans of mashed potatoes. I would love to do a shepard's pie. So I will put the idea out there for anyone else...why not do a shepard's pie loaded baked potato? Just put the pie filling right on top of the potato? Or scoop out the potatoes & do a shepard's pie appetizer by filling the skins & then mashing the potatoes to put on top!

My mom makes this great salad/dessert for St. Paddy's Day. I consider it a dessert. It's Erin's Lush. It's a layered dish with a crust, cream cheese layer, pistachio pudding & whipped topping. YUM!! I have decided, since I'm on a big cupcake kick, that I may try it as a cupcake! If not this time, then I will stick to trying a lemon-lime & orange layered cupcake.

I will let everyone know what was decided on. The potato may end up being a French fry or tots of sorts...we will see.

In the morning, I would love to put together my own coffee concoction that some of you may have seen/heard me mention before: Tingling Leprechaun. It's coffee, chocolate, Irish Cream & mint. It can be served hot or cold & it could be spun into a liqueur version. And it is delicious!

Hopefully I will do a better job at keeping up with themed foods for certain days.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

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AM~Erica is Prepared

So anyway...

I've been keeping up (or trying to) on the horrifying images, stories & updates coming out of Japan. They are certainly getting it from all ways!

With "Snowpocalypse" that happened not long ago & with the Japanese scenes being called "Apocalyptic", everyone is scrambling to Revelation for guidance...again.

I will NOT downplay what is happening...this is tragic & of course there are "signs of the end" attached to it. All of this going on does not help but feed the crowd concerned about 2012 being the end.

However, there are people putting out there that "this is the end" & "here are the signs". The bible passages are being taken out of context as the following passages remind us that only God knows the end. We must be prepared for whenever that time comes. Signs like this have happened several times through the ages & the end has been prophesied each and every time.

Folks, we don't know. We just need to know that we must be prepared at any time.

Awful things are happening around us that are definite signs of "THE END", but that time is NOT specifically put out there. Sure, it could be tomorrow...and it could be another thousand years from now.

Anyone who has put an absolute time on the end of all is wrong. The Rapture was supposed to happen back in spring of 1989, and now it is supposed to happen on May 21st of this year (sorry to my daughter, that's her birthday). But the fact is...WE DO NOT KNOW!

We must always keep watch. Live like everyday is your last, but live it fully in the name of Jesus Christ. But do not live it out in vain.

If you take out your bible, or find one, you need to read Matthew 24:36-44.

With Japan being hit by the earthquakes, tsunami & nuclear meltdown scares, of course it looks bleak. This is not a time to point fingers but to band together. I am a large believer in taking care of our own, don't get me wrong, but it's major tragedies like this that the world must come together. What Japan has & is going through is catastrophic. They do not have the resources & manpower/peoplepower to deal what they are going through. This is where we must step up. This is also part of our preparation for the end times...whenever that may be. We are to take care of those less fortunate & help them get back on their feet so they can once again continue on their own.

The Red Cross does do a lot & so does UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief). I highly suggest one of these to help give to so they, who are trained to deal with these crises, can help out over there. Pray for them & support them with gifts & donations that they are looking for to help in the efforts.

In the meantime, prepare yourselves. Everyday is the beginning of the end. I do not mean that negatively. I look forward to the day when I have eternal life in heaven through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Am I terrified of what is going on? Yes. I am terrified for the people having to go through this. Am I afraid? Well, not really. I continue to prepare my heart for whenever that day comes. Because at anytime it could be THE end or our own end.

So when you start quoting the bible about the signs, please complete the thought & text by reminding everyone that we do not know when the end is, not even the Son. Only our Father in Heaven knows when that will be.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica on Lent

So anyway...

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras...Fat Tuesday! It's the day that is supposed to be your last big shot at the stuff you love to do or eat before Lent kicks off with Ash Wednesday the following day.

Lent is a season of preparation in Christianity to get ready for the culmination of the prophecy of the Christ on Easter - it lasts 40 days, minus Sundays. It's the time when we remember that Jesus [the] Christ sacrificed himself for the sins of ALL people. It's a solemn season where we fast/sacrifice something to focus on Christ in meditation & prayer instead of the consumption of whatever it is that takes our focus away from Him.

Now here's my reminder:
Everyone tends to make a big deal about what they are giving up for Lent. Some people even give something up without even knowing what Lent is about. It's a spiritual thing & not meant to be a popular society-trend tradition of "something you're supposed to do." With this in mind, there is no need to announce & make public what your personal sacrifice/giving might be. When we do that, we have become like the pompous Pharisees that told everyone what they were doing because they were so "holy". Do NOT be the Pharisee, but instead make it known to only you & God. If it is something that you need to let someone else know because it is for dietary reasons, etc., then do NOT make it a big ordeal; instead quietly make your current needs known when necessary. It might effect dinner with the family, or watching a TV show with friends. But keep in mind the true reason of the piety behind what you are doing instead of turning into a Pharisee during the Lenten season.

I hope everyone has had or is having a fun & safe Mardi Gras, but remember what Lent is truly about. And may you truly have a thoughtful & blessed Lenten season.

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica