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Blog Prompt – List the names of 5-8 of your relatives and write a profile of 50 words or less for each.

My family is very small.

1.  My brother – Great big heart, loves animals and a great patriot.

2.  My nephew – Red headed, always says no, looking more like his dad everyday and our name sake.

3.  My aunt – Not much older than me, loves her daughter, talks about her grandchildren all day long, my mothers best friend.

4.  My son – Very talented, good to his parents, loves to teach, wants to see the world.

5.  My mom – Hard working woman, loves to cook big family meals, has tons of fun, always busy, misses her husband and my dad, wishes she had more grandchildren, loves living in Florida

6.  My husband – Hard worker, loves his country, loves his children, cherishes his grandchildren,  great teacher, visionary,  very opinionated, down to earth and loves his ice cream.

Here is a layout showing the last picture of my small family we had made the last time we went to Missouri.

credit – Retrodiva designs

Have a wonderful day,

Tags: retrodiva designs by Tammy
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Blog prompt: Today National High Five Day. Tell about something you did this month that you feel proud of.

Well, it wasn’t this month, but it was the play that I was just part of.  I am so proud of how it turned out and we have been hearing of reviews that this has been the best play yet put on by our drama club.

Even though I was the Stage Manger and was behind the scenes, I loved what I had to do and if I hadn’t been back there, I can’t think about what might happen.  Taking care of props and cues for the players is a hard part of the play.

Here are a few pictures of us getting the set ready.

Completed Set

My script to follow and one of the prop tables.
The cookies are props, but I had to steal one now and again.

And Mary Kay and I before the play.

High five to everyone,

Tags: retrodiva designs, womens issues by Tammy
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Blog Prompt – What are you thankful for?

My family.  My husband, my son, my mom, brother and his family and the small extended family that we have left.  I can’t imagine not having any family for the holidays and thank goodness there are people out there that open their homes to friends or strangers that don’t have anyone.  I consider my friends as family.  Heck, some of them I have known longer than some of my family.

This year for Thanksgiving will be really nice because there will be a rather large gathering at my mom’s house in Florida.  It would’ve just been my husband, me and my mom, but my mom’s sister, husband and their extended family is coming this year.  YEA!!  There will be a couple of little one’s around and we also found out my cousin is expecting again. 

It will be said again this year because its been a year now since my father has passed and Thanksgiving was his favorite holiday.  The man loved to eat.  But then again, he loved seeing all his family around.  And that was very important to him.  I know he will be with us in spirit.

I hope all my blogger friends have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, enjoy your time with your family and remember those who are fighting for this country and having their holiday overseas.

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This picture was made last year at Thanksgiving and I love this kit by retrodiva designs.

credit – retrodiva designs

Tags: retrodiva designs by Tammy
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Blog Prompt: Do you like candy corn? Why or why not?

This is my all time favorite of all Halloween candy and I can’t believe this was the prompt today.  When my son use to go out on Halloween, I always confiscated his Candy Corn.  I would tell him it was too hard to eat and give him the rest.  He never got upset, so that little “white lie” worked.  hehehe

I don’t know why I love this sweet little morsel the best out of all other Halloween candy.  Maybe because its easy to eat, doesn’t make a mess and because its just so darn good!
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My favorite costume I made for my son way back when.  He loved Ernie and Bert. 

credits – retrodiva designs

Tags: retrodiva designs by Tammy
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Blast from the past. Pick a story from your past.

When I was a little girl, I had a few grandmother’s that I could visit and have fun with.  My mom’s mother would let me come to St. Louis and stay with her in the summer, which was great!  She always made me clothes and would fix my hair pretty.

My great grandmother was very special to me too.  When we came back to the states after living in Hawaii for 5 years, we lived behind my great grandmother.  I remember that she would always have a snack ready for my brother and I when we came home from school.  My grandma was a great cook!  She would also let me play in her purse that was full of pennies.

When I was 42 years old, my last grandmother passed away and at that moment was one of the saddest times of my life.  I knew, I was no one’s grand daughter anymore.  I miss that still today.

I wrote a short story about my great grandmother and I would like to share that story with you and the layout I made to go with it.

My Great Grandmother

Her name was Ruby. A name which means a red hot temper when she lost at cards and a precious gem when it came time for her special hugs. She always stood by me when I had done wrong, but had a firm voice to keep me in line. My great grandmother, who always wore a cotton house dress and walked around the kitchen barefoot. She collected pennies, let me play in her purse and always had a biscuit and a piece of bacon on the stove waiting for me after I came home from school. My GREAT grandmother, someone I am slowly growing up to be.

credits – retrodiva designs, glitter flowers – flergs

Tags: retrodiva designs by Tammy
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With The Dark Knight setting box office records this weekend, tell us about the first movie you saw in the theater (or another movie theater story you have).

When I was a Brownie scout, we went to see Mary Poppins.  That is the earliest memory of going to a theater to watch a movie.  I just remember loving it.  The screen was so large, there was popcorn and it was a great day with my Brownie scout friends.  I guess my mom was one of the helpers, because I remember her going too. 

This was back in the early 60′s, so I can only imagine what that theater looked like.  I don’t remember the outside at all.  Wow, that was over 40 years ago!!

We also use to go to the drive in theater every Friday night.  My mom would put a pallet in the back of the station wagon for my brother and I to lay on, she would make a pizza for dinner to take with us and that was our family “Pay Day” treat.  I don’t remember any of those times going, but my mom told me that the movie didn’t start until dark anyway and we usually fell asleep pretty quickly after getting there.  So, maybe this was really date night for my parents.  hehehe

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retrodiva designs has a great July Club kit out right now that is just beautiful with blues and blacks.  The frame is a freebie from Digital Freebies.

Tags: retrodiva designs by Tammy
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I am posting this information today because I know some of you out there are teachers, state, county or local employees who will be drawing Social Security in your 60′s. 

My husband was a firefighter for 32 years and choose to participate in their pension program and not pay Social Security. BUT, he also worked in the private sector for over 12 years to make sure he had enough quarters for Social Security.  Nowadays, you need more than a pension plan to make ends meet and Social Security was going to help in his golden years.

Now that he only has 2 years to go until he is 62, we recently found out that he may not qualify for all of his social security benefits.  This is due to the Windfall Elimination Provision. 

If you work for an employer who does not withhold Social Security taxes from your salary, such as a government agency, teachers, firefighters, policeman, etc., the pension you get based on at work may reduce your Social Security benefits.  Even though you have paid into Social Security for years through part time jobs or from switching jobs, congress considered this, “Double Dipping”.  You have to work 30 years or more in the private sector to not have any deductions from your social security.  In my husbands case, because he didn’t work enough years, he will only receive HALF of his social security each month.  He should receive what he has paid in!

I could not believe what I was reading and found out that just about 1 million people will be effected by this law!  The provision was adopted back in 1983 because cuts needed to be made in Social Security.  Also in the provision, the president and congress are exempt from this law!!  Oh and lets not forget all the Social Security benefits given to illegal aliens.  That’s where the cuts should be made, not from people that have worked hard for their Social Security benefits.

HOW DARE THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS PENALIZE HARD WORKING AMERICANS FROM THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY!!  There are so many of these government employees that have to work part time jobs to make ends meet.  I know alot of teachers that do this.

How can we fight back?  You must write your Congressmen and sign the petition and maybe we can get this law repealed.  There is legislature out there, but at the moment, it’s in limbo it seems.  What’s new.

Please, if you are a government employee, your spouse, family member or friend, let them know about the Windfall Elimination Provision and how it may take big chunks out of your retirement years.

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Retrodiva Designs has come out with another beautiful kit called Wild Abandon.  It has beautiful greens, blues and browns and of course, her wonderful elements.

Here is a layout done with Wild Abandon.  I also used Suzy Hilburn key element and Gillter Mega kit by Briget Kerr.

Tags: retrodiva designs, Windfall Elimination Provision by Tammy
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