This little girl, the Doodlebug, as I call her (my niece E), has me by the heart strings, actually, all my niece and nephews do but I must admit I haven't been tortured and horrified by anything like this before. 

When my nephew Travis was little, I used to take him to all the He-Man movies, watch the cartoons, watch Rainbow Bright, and other shows.  With my nephew Adam, it was Winnie the Pooh (he claims it was I that I watched it more than he did, which may have some truth to it) and he remembers that we used to watch the movie, Dirty Dancing, and Adam would pretend to be Johnny and dance on the tree log.  Ah, good times. 

Now, here is the contrast and shows how much I love her... and perhaps how nuts I am.  I've been DVRing Barney & Friends for her every day and then taping the eps on a videotape so she can watch one episode after another.  I'm wondering why on earth I don't just go out and buy some DVDs of Barney so I won't be tormented so.  For two straight hours while I was reading my textbooks for school this past weekend, I was subjected to Barney.  I found myself reading ahead to the listening music exercises just so I could tune out Barney.

There is one song that caught my attention and I agree with it, Everybody Needs a Nap, and I wonder why nap times aren't set aside for adults too.  It's pure discrimination... perhaps I'll start a petition because it needs to be a law that everyone gets a nap every day. 

Tomorrow my sister Susie is having knee surgery and I will take care of her and stay with her until Wednesday.  I'm taking my laptop with me for work but unfortunately, there is no internet connections so I'll be cut off from the world.  I intend to take some good DVDs with me to keep us well entertained.

I spent the majority of the weekend doing homework but at least I'm not so stressed as I was (I cannot stand being behind!). I enjoyed a total PJ day yesterday, rested my knee, and pottered around getting some things done.  I watched my DVD of Wild Hogs and snorted and giggled just as much as I did in the theatres. 

No news on the kitty yet, I am pissed the animal officer never came back with a trap and the kitty is still here.  I cannot stand to see her waste away so I'm still feeding her.  My dad said he would call this morning and take care of it for me because he knows how hard it is for me.  I want this kitty to find a good home with someone that can help her behavioral issues or if she is lost, that her owners find her again. 

A dear lady and friend, Merle, gave me the Inspirational Blogger Award last week and I'm completely honored to be among all those who are inspirational.  Now, it's my turn to give the award to five deserving people. There are more than five who inspire me so this was difficult to narrow the awards down.

The first award is to the Sweet and Sassy, Vickie.  She inspires me in many ways each and every day.  She fights MS (Missy) with such strength, even when she does not feel that she as the strength to fight.  She is always there for me no matter how she feels and makes me laugh and feel better about what I'm going through.  She listens to me ramble on and on; never complaining.  She is a true and dear friend and sister of my heart.  I am blessed to have her in my life and I do not know what I'd do without her.  She's one of the few that really understands when I say I'm "tired," which is more than being tired at the end of the day; it's bone tired and exhaustion.  I'm sorry that she understands because she goes through the same thing.  If I had one wish for her, it would be that she could tell Missy where to go and be rid of her. 

The second award goes to the incredible Raggedy.  She inspires me because she deals with so much pain but doesn't let anything get her down.  She's a wonderful friend and has a wonderful sense of humor.  She cares deeply for others and I feel her presence wherever she is. I wish strength for Raggedy and keep her in my prayers so she can rise above all she deals with. 

The third award goes to Monica, who calls herself "The Good One," but I really know what that means.  ;-)  Monica has a strong driving force to fight for any injustice.  She is a talented writer and has an incredible way of expressing herself.  She puts others before herself, especially those she loves.  She gets through rough times on faith and will.  She too is a good friend to me and is a sister of my heart.  I wish happiness for Monica; peace, health, and love.  She's fought long and hard for others and now someone special wants to fight for her. 

The fourth award goes to Eve, who struggles with health issues too but regardless of what she goes through, she's always worried about me.  She's a special lady who has so much love within her and I pray that life will go her way and she won't have to fight such adversity on a regular basis.  She is also a sister of my heart and she deserves to be happy, healthy, and live in harmony. 

The fifth award goes to my dear friend and a sister of my heart, Emma.  She was my first true friend who I met through the internet, over eight years ago.  Emma and her husband Pete encouraged me to begin blogging over six years ago and I am grateful to them.  Emma is a wonderful writer, she has such a special heart, and I love her dearly.  She understands me without me having to explain; which is the kind of connection we have always had.  Although she has tough times, she's always concerned about me and she inspires me to keep going just as she does.  She's got a brilliant sense of humor and is a talented gardner.  I enjoy listening to her Alternative Kitchen Garden podcast as well as the Emma & Pete Show. Pete is an inspiration to me as well; he's a man of many talents and isn't afraid to try new ventures.  My wish for them is to have the world appreciate them as much as I do and for them to be successes in their personal businesses and truly love what they do. 

I want to mention two more ladies who are an inspiration to me.  The first is someone who used to have a blog and I feel she deserves this award as well.  My sweet friend, Dawn (also a sister of my heart) also deals with health problems and it seems as if it's one thing after another but she doesn't let it get her down for too long.  She writes me daily to see how I'm doing and she is always there for me whether I need a giggle or to vent.  She has such a giving heart and thinks of others and hates to see anyone in misery.  My wish for Dawn is for good health for her and her husband so they can enjoy life together.

Lastly, but certainly not least, is Ellen.  A kind, loving, incredible woman who fought valiantly against cancer.  She passed away last Thursday.  She inspired me to fight no matter the odds just as she did.  Her husband Curtis never left her side and their love will never die.  Thank you, Ellen, for enriching my life and I pray you are at peace.  I will keep Curtis and your family and friends in my prayers that they will be comforted.