And so it goes. My mother in law's funeral was today and the service was beautiful. I only hope she was able to look down and see what a great job her son did pulling it all together and standing on the podium calling her an "angel on earth" which, to him, she really was all his life. I can only hope my sons will respect and love me as my husband did his mother.

Now that the sad stuff is over - or at least the formalities of the sad stuff anyway - it's time to shift our focus onto our youngest son's high school graduation on Friday night. I am so nervous! It's very different when your baby is graduating, I think. This is a kid who wasn't even supposed to LIVE past 6 or 7 years old due to seizures but not only did he live, he thrived, stopped having seizures at age 5 (thankfully, due to the ketogenic diet) and is one of the smartest and wittiest people I know.

This week is going to be very, very busy so I will have to catch up on everything I missed over the weekend. I'm still here, still reading and rating, still reviewing, etc. I'm just not as visible as I was because everything is so rushed right now.

It will soon slow down, I HOPE!

If you see a "phantom rate" - or a number of them - know that "Patty was there" but didn't comment. :)

By the way, I wanted to wish all of you dads out there and all of YOUR dads a belated Happy Father's Day. Once again it was a bittersweet day for us, with both of our dads gone but our sons made THEIR dad happy by going golfing together and bestowing gifts upon him. It's funny how life is really just a big circle and things keep going round and round. Hope every dad had a great day on Sunday!

RIP Barbara Therre June 13, 1928-June 17, 2009

My mother in law died suddenly in the nursing home she was living in just a couple of hours ago. The entire family went to see her on Saturday for her 81st birthday and she enjoyed the chocolates we gave her and got to see all of her grandkids and even a great grandchild. She was surrounded by love and, although she wasn't quite aware of everything going on, her bright smile and remarks told us she knew...

She wasn't sick and had no particular health issues. But today, my husband got a call that the staff had found his mom "unresponsive" and blue. They administered oxygen and she was resting comfortably they told him. As he was driving there to see her, I got the call that she had passed away. We still don't know what happened and we may never know. 

I am so grateful that her last days were filled with her family around her and that she was able to enjoy her birthday cake. Barb was the last grandparent my kids had and the last parent my husband and I had left. A sad day, today is, but yet the knowledge that Barb didn't suffer like the my parents and Don's father is comforting.

I feel so torn because my son is graduating from high school next week, a feat that I thought would never come to pass. He's a man now and I'm so very proud of him. My happiness about his accomplishments this past year is tempered by my sadness over the loss of my mother in law.

She was proud of Chris. Proud of all her grandkids and her great grandson. She was VERY proud of her son, my husband Don. She adored him and he took good care of her. She's at rest now and I'm sure she'll be with her beloved husband and my parents watching as our son receives his diploma wearing his cap and gown next week. He will be honored for his major accomplishments in the hydrogen fuel cell car project he participated in and I will cry. Again.

A busy two weeks is upon me so forgive me if I slack a little bit. I'm going to try to keep rating and writing and doing what I do but there's so much happening that I may end up playing catch up in July.

And now I'm off, we're making funeral arrangements and graduation arrangements at one time. Kind of funky but this is life. And it's death. And it's always, always complicated.

Red Tag Crazy - Crazy Deal Sale!

Today all day! Friday, June 12. Red Tag Crazy is a one deal at a time designer clothing site that sells for 50-90% off off retail prices. You will NOT believe the prices! Today, everything is going FAST and, because it is a Crazy Deal Day, sales are final. They're usually not. So know that most items are true to women's sizes except for Zlush brand that is a junior's line which runs one size small in general.

Save $5.00 on the first purchase by using this link when you register at RTC. You'll give me $5.00 too if you buy something. You will have that $5.00 there after registering to use whenever you want. Today, tomorrow, next year. You'll use it TODAY!

http://www.redtagcrazy.com/refer/4811

You know I never solicit or advertise anything here but this sale is way too good to pass up. If you don't want to use the link above, that's fine. Just enjoy the sale. I did write a review on RedTagCrazy.com. Check it out and I am in NO way affiliated with them. Just buying every designer piece I can for prices that I usually pay at WalMart.

It's nearly June and I haven't yet felt the SAD "awakening" that I usually do at this time of the year. People affected with Seasonal Affective Disorder have a tough time in the winter months because of the lack of sunlight. They feel like hibernating essentially. Generally right around mid-May, the awakening happens when we get our energy back and we find ourselves looking around and saying, "Wow, look at all I have to do. I'm going to get it all done and then go out for a run after!"

That isn't happening for me yet. I'm still sleepy and lethargic although my mind is once again racing which is the start of my body catching up with it.  I hope that by this time next month, I'll be "summer Patty" with more attention span and more energy.

That is not to say I am not here all the time because I am. This is one of my homes away from home (along with twitter, which is insanely addictive). I am writing, reading, commenting, doing all the usual stuff but I may not be commenting on EVERY review I rate. If I am rating a bunch of your reviews, I'll comment on a couple of them and then rate the others. Just know...Patty was there. :)

Non members, you can rate our reviews too? Well, you can click that little green YES (or No) button to let VP know if our reviews have been helpful. Remember, it isn't whether you AGREE with our opinions, it's whether we informed you of those opinions in a manner that made you understand why we rated as we did.

I wanted to take a second to thank vivasuzi (http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutme/vivasuzi) for running a cool "Dancing with the Stars" contest and for keeping track all season long of our picks and pans. And for my very own special mirror ball trophy which you can admire here: http://img34.glitterfy.com/139/glitterfy223444297D30.gif - We don't JUST review stuff here. We hang out! If you're on the fence about joining the site, just do it. We're the friendliest bunch of shopaholics you'll ever meet and I really mean that (The friendly part, not everyone here is a shopaholic here....much.).

Here's to sunny days, sweepin' the clouds away!

Mother's Day is tomorrow and I'd like to wish all of you moms out there the very best day of all. I also would like to wish YOUR moms a Happy Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is bittersweet for me. My wonderful mom died in 1996 after an amazingly courageous and very draining four year battle with the aftermath of two brain aneurysm operations. She was hospitalized for the entire time except for three days when she went to a rehab facility. They messed up and gave her oral pills, which she could not swallow, and she ended back in the ICU with aspiration pneumonia. She was really on her way, we thought.

Through my mother's experience, I realized that you simply never know what tomorrow will bring. You can't be sure of anything in this life. Love the people around you all the time, remind them often, and know that anything can happen in the blink of an eye. Enjoy the time you have with your loved ones now.

And again, to all you deserving moms out there (and me too! lol) HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! It's a wild ride but so worth the worry and stress when your kid(s) make you smile from your heart.

This is a busy week for me and I will be all over the place catching up with work I should have done all month long. I wish I could stop procrastinating! I bought a book on how to stop and I swear, I have been putting of reading it. It sounds funny but it's TRUE! I look at the book and think, "I'll get to that tomorrow." Well, tomorrow's always a day away.

We're getting inundated with new reviews and new reviewers and that's great. Welcome to all the new members and please, stick around and enjoy the site. Jump onto the discussion boards and have some fun or ask some questions. If you aren't sure about how to do something here, you can always ask on the boards or even ask a member who has a bunch of reviews posted already. The members here are helpful and want you to succeed. That is why I love it here. We don't compete. We work together to make Viewpoints the best site that it can be. It starts with management and trickles down to the members. It's more of a family than a "I have more reviews/Helpful Votes/views than you" type of place. SUCH a change of pace from other sites, believe me.

Not a member? You can still click YES when asked if a review was helpful. We all try hard to bring you our honest experiences and,even if you don't agree with what we say, it IS what we experienced. If you read a review that you don't agree with, jump in and write a review of your own. We love to have all points of view so consumers can get as many opinions from people as possible. This helps them to make an informed decision. And that's why we're here!

And now, I am going back to procrastinating. I'll get around to reading that book...um...tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow! :)

I don't recall a time I was ever so proud of my son Chris as I am right now. I said in my last blog that he was off to California to enter the Shell Eco-marathon in Fontana. I had NO idea the scope of the trip he was about to embark on.

He and eight others worked tirelessly on a hydrogen cell fuel car, building it from the ground up. They were one of only five high schools from across the world to participate in this competition which encourages young adults to make the most fuel efficient cars possible in three different categories of fuel. Most teams were from colleges like UCLA, LSU, and Penn State. 50 teams in all converged on the track to compete.

Well, after a rocky start on his trip (a missed flight, a bad motel stay, getting hit with high speed sprinklers that knocked over their tents, super high heat, etc.), the competition took place today. I sat there watching the updates with knots in my stomach. Refresh, refresh, refresh. Then I saw it: Fuel Cell Award - Cicero North Syracuse HS 2nd 1431.3 MPG ($1000)

Chris' team did it! They came in second to Penn State University and managed to make a car that actually gets 1431 miles per gallon! When he left, he told me there was not a chance that they could possibly place. There were so many colleges and technical schools competing and their school got a late start and couldn't even paint the car. They ran out of time! I told him it didn't matter. They were making history just being there. But, as I watched the Twitter updates of the awards ceremony, I was filled with pride and awe when I saw that the CNS team came in second. It's such a huge accomplishment and one I am just so happy to see my son involved in.

THIS is what motherhood is all about. I'd cry but I will wait until late tomorrow night when Chris steps off the plane and I greet him at the airport. Oh no...now I have to worry about his plane trip back home! A mother's worry is never done! lol.

Now, back to work. Did you see all the new reviews piling in? I am reading and rating and commenting as fast as I can but wow. So many new reviews in all categories. We're growing by leaps and bounds! That's a very good thing! :)

CONGRATS CHRIS AND THE CNS TEAM!

I just waved goodbye to my youngest son, 18 year old Chris, who is leaving on a jet plane to go to the Auto Speedway in Fontana, CA to race the hydrogen fuel cell car that he and eight others made this year on their own time. This car took months to prepare and hours upon hours of hard work and now, all that work is being paid off by seeing the car in competition with others across the country.

As I waved goodbye to my son, duffel bag in hand, ear buds blasting his favorite music as always, I tried to smile. He's about to embark on an adventure. But, although I was smiling and waving, my heart was racing. He's never been so far away alone before. Alone without me. Alone without his family right there.

I know kids his age go to foreign countries and move across the country to live but Chris is different, at least to me. When he was four years old, he was stricken with ravaging seizures. Seizures so intense and so multiple that he barely had time to breathe before another took over his body. We went to hospital after hospital and he was put on over 16 medications and nothing even slowed down the seizures. Finally, we were told that there was nothing that could be done and to cherish the time we had with him. Each seizure was ravaging his body and damaging his brain. He wouldn't be with us long.

Well, a miracle happened back in 1994. We found Johns Hopkins Hospital and the ketogenic diet. Our insurance denied us but we sold what we could, borrowed what we had to, and went to Baltimore. 18 days after Chris started the diet, he had his last seizure and has not had another in 13 years. He is on no medication and he has no damage at all from the thousands upon thousands of seizures he had.

But as I watched him walk away, all grown up, ready to take on this experience, all I could think of was the little boy he once was and how close we came to losing him. To be honest, I'd keep him home where I could see him forever if I could but clearly, THAT isn't going to happen and surely isn't healthy for him. But that fear grips me still. Years after the inconclusive tests, five different hospitals, the sorrowful looks on the faces of the doctors who treated him, the year long precise diet that took all we had to stick to, and the holding of our breath to see if the last seizure really WAS the last seizure, I can't help but feel afraid. Afraid something will happen and I won't be there. Afraid...of...the unknown.

I know he'll be fine and will come home late Sunday night with stories and pictures of his trip and it will be a great experience. I know this. But until Sunday night, I don't think I'll do much breathing. I feel like holding my breath will make time fly - or something. Everything is on hold in my head until Chris gets home. But I have to work and I have to live so I will. I won't call him every five minutes and I won't obsess about what may be going on. He's having the time of his life and I'll hear all about it soon enough.

Now, I shall immerse myself in work. Is it Sunday night yet? :)

I want to wish those who observe the holiday, a very HAPPY EASTER.

This is a weird year for me as far as Easter goes. My kids are grown up at 18 and 23 and are insisting they do NOT want an Easter basket. This will be the first time that they won't be getting one. I always made them one filled wth candy and snacks they liked as well as gifts. This year Dan wants baseball cleats and Chris wants a PSP game and beef jerky. Weirdness.

My sister Laurie and her family are in Mississippi for the week and I won't be with them this year. Another first.

My older sister will be with her own grown children so my little nuclear family is on its own this year! I miss big family get togethers even though, when we had them, I thought I hated them!

Nonetheless, I feel blessed to have my husband and sons by my side and even my best bud Mickey, my scaredy cat Princess, and my terror of a 9 month old kitten named Boo. Or Baby. Or whatever we feel like calling him. And there are times we call him names I won't type out. lol.

I hope all of you reading this will have a wonderful holiday if you observe it and a wonderful weekend if you don't. Get together wih your family and enjoy the madness! I always wished I could have a quiet holiday at home without all the mayhem, kids running around, people all around, noise, etc and now that I have that this year, I can't wait for the next holiday when were all together driving each other nuts again!

And now, I am off to make little Easter bags for my kids. I don't care how old they are, they secretly want at least a LITTLE something Eastery. Marshmallow chicks? Check. Hollow chocolate bunnies in boxes? Check. Score Bars for Dan? Check. Fruit Roll ups for Chris? Check. Easter grass that everyone hates? Check. Ahhh...I feel better now. :)

Don't forget the reason for the holiday!

I was just playing an April Fool's Day joke in my last blog when I said I was leaving the site as you see below. But I wanted to write a new blog right away so no one actually believed I was leaving and taking all of my reviews with me! lol.

I really, really enjoy Viewpoints. I enjoy how the staff interacts personally with the members and how we are all very much a part of shaping the site. On many websites, the members get swallowed up by the rules, the red tape, the powers that be, and the detachment that takes place when a site starts to grow. But not Viewpoints. From day one (and I was here practically FROM day one), the staff here, including Matt who one would think wouldn't have time for us little guys, Jolie, all the tech guys, and, later on, Meredith jumped in as friendly as the rest, were open and inviting to us all. As the site grows with members and staff, the tone hasn't changed one bit.

I go straight to the people I need to go to and they answer me personally and right away. I never have to wonder if they got to my email or if they even care what I have to say. They prove to me every day that they all do care what I have to say and they listen to my suggestions. They listen to all of our suggestions, ideas, frustrations, and questions and they address them in a very swift fashion.

To me, that's priceless. It's so rare to be a part of a website where everyone gets along and there isn't any backstabbing and no drama. Trust me, a site like this is a rare find and I am well aware of that and thankful to be a part of it.

I am here for the long haul and enjoying every minute of my tenure here.

So now...go gimme a Helpful Vote on one of my reviews! Hahaha.

It is with great sadness that I have to announce that I will be leaving Viewpoints effective immediately. I will be taking down my reviews as well. I hate to do this but I just feel it's the right thing for me to do at this time. Maybe, at some  point, I will return. But for now, I guess I can only say one thing ...
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APRIL FOOLS!!!

I am NOT going anywhere. I love Viewpoints and won't leave until I'm dragged off the site kicking and screaming. Bwahaha. Did you actually believe what I said? Sorry about that. Heheh.

Now, please go and leave me a Helpful Vote on one of my reviews. ;)

A little trivial rambling: I found an Avon rep and got the product I wanted for half price! Gotta love that!

I just spent five hours watching Discovery Health's trauma, ER, and mystery diagnosis shows and I'm terrified to move in case something like I watched happens to me. Good choice for a Saturday night, right? Sheesh.

I'm catching up on member reviews, meeting new members, and writing more again. I'm enjoying learning about all the products and services I didn't know existed but the downside is that I tend to BUY stuff I didn't know existed if the review I read is convincing enough. And many have been lately!

Non Members! Did you know that you can vote whether a review is helpful or not? You don't have to sign up or do anything but chick the YES button after the review where it asks if the review was helpful. Of course, you can clock the NO button but please do so only in the case where the review you read is truly not helpful. Even if you disagree with an opinion, the review is still helpful if it gives the experience of the reviewer and does so in a way that helps consumers understand why the reviewer had a positive or negative experience. If you disagree, please join and write your own review! The more reviews and opinions, the better for consumers who are trying to make wise choices based on honest experiences.

If you have any questions or want to communicate with anyone here, you will need to join and then you can leave a comment on any review or on anyone's profile page. You can even leave a private message for a member. Jump in and join. We have discussion boards that are both informative and fun and a lot of ways to connect with people as well as win sweepstakes and other recognition. See ya around the site! :)

Do YOU sell Avon or know someone who does at a discount? I'm interested in trying  a couple of new pricey products and I know some Avon reps give discounts to their customers. I used to have a great rep but she vanished. Leave me a comment if you are an Avon rep or know someone who is - who gives discounts! I want to try these new products but not for the face value prices. If I like them, I will be glad to continue buying from the rep and will use the rep any time I buy Avon products.

Having said that, it was warm out today and SUNNY. Mickey and I went out and took a walk in the sun and we both needed that. The end of winter is coming (although I expect at least one more heavy snowstorm) and I'm soooooooooo ready. I even cleaned my toilet and bath tub today! Isn't it amazing what a little sunlight will do for a person who has SAD? It's truly an amazing thing to watch myself bloom like a flower in the spring and wilt like one in the fall.

Helpful votes! I want some! Non-members, just click YES if you read any of my reviews and it gave you any info even if you don't necessary agree with my opinion. If you don't agree, please jump in and write your own review of the product or service. The more reviews, the better so consumers can compare and decide whether they want to try a product or service based on varying opinions.

RIP Andrew. You would have been 34 years old today. Died March 13, 2009.

Wow! it's MARCH already! Time "marches" on, indeed! Only about six more weeks before the sun starts to shine more and my SAD starts to lift. SAD is Seasonal Affective Disorder. It's a real affliction that is caused by the lack of natural light. Most people get winter blahs but people with SAD get winter "All I want to do is sleep and cry" disease. lol. I laugh because I have had this for several years - probably all my life but no one actually put a name to it - and I know how it goes. I reach a low in January and February, start to feel a bit better in mid to late March, get some energy in April and BOING!!!! Feel better in May. Suddenly everything is easier, more fun, less stressful, and just all around better. Weird, weird affliction SAD is but there are ways to help yourself out. I am just too blahh to do anything to help myself out. Ha!

But anyway! I have been branching out and writing reviews in other areas than beauty, exercise, and wellness and I like it. But I feel somewhat inadequate when talking about things like electronics since I know so little techy stuff. Then again, if my reviews help the average consumer looking for a simple opinion on a product, maybe they will appreciate my non technical approach. I hope so because I plan to review several things that I normally would never tackle. Things that come with a "user's manual" and that have "specs". Oh the anxiety!

Non members - you can mark our reviews helpful or not without having an account here. Just do it! No personal info required. I just hope people realize we all have varying opinions but, if they read a review and found anything in that was helpful at all, we appreciate the helpful vote. We all try very hard to be upfront and honest as well as informative. Our experiences may not mirror yours and, if not, please join (It's painless) and write a review expressing your point of view. The more info people have, the better able to make a buying decision they will be.

Hi Kids!

My migraine is backing off and I'm happy to report that I am in full write and read mode. I'll be reading YOUR reviews and rating them all week. Gotta catch up with all my pals and all the great new writers here.

Non-members! Do you know you can rate our reviews Helpful (or not)? Just click on the YES (or no) button after the review when asked if the review was helpful. Please don't rate no if you don't agree with the opinions because, really, opinions are just that. Better than rating no, jump in and write a review and tell us your experience! If you find that the review is informative (even if you don't agree with the conclusion), please take a moment to rate us Helpful. We thrive on feedback and love to see those Helpful votes go up!

Thanks to all who expressed concern over my computer virus and then my major migraine. You guys are awesome!

Patty