Fish Fry-Day Featurette: Wheel-Chair Mommy

I met this lovely woman during the Monday Mingle cruise and can I just tell you that her smile and demeanor is totally infectious. IN- FEC- TIOUS! (Can I stress that more?) She has a wonderful smile and is super cool. So I am sure the first and foremost question to most normal folks is "Is she really in a wheel-chair?" To which she is....and she has the cutest short vlog on MomTV about herself, so when you stalk her blog be sure to check out her super sweet video.

Also, I asked her about how she became bound....well I shouldn't say bound because this woman is in and out of her chair like a toddler in and out of their clothes. But I asked her how the accident happened and she sent me to her fabulous uncensored FAQ which answers all of our most "curious" questions. Admit it....you are curious. My husband was curious. So let the beautiful, happy (since she will slap you silly telling you that you make your own life happy), young, and strong Priscilla tell you her story and her fun blips here on my blog. Enjoy the sweets of Wheelchair Mommy!

• Tell me, why do you blog?

I blog as an extension to the baby books and I love connecting with other moms/women :)

• What is your real life job?

I stay at home with my 2 prince charming boys, William and Lucas!

• What is your favorite drink?

Mmmm.....Mexican Martini!!! TEQUILA!!

(Oh we would have to watch out.....whew...this woman and I would end  up closing a bar!)

• Where do you live in the world?

Texas (Yee Haw!! Sorry...LOL)

• Your favorite quote?

"Changed, but still the same" by me in 1999 after my wreck.

 (I love it! I think we are still the same people with a whole new outlook and perspective on life...you know....perception is reality.)

• What is your life motto?

Live to make yourself happy!! (Amen sister!)

• So...I had to ask...how long have you been paralyzed and have to get around by wheelchair?

I have been paralyzed for 10 years. The date was September 12, 1999. It was my first fall semester at college. I say first FALL because I also took a class over the summer. Yea, I’m a dork. Whatever.

• Can you feel....you know?

And for this one.....head on over to Priscilla's awesome blog and read more about her "life is what you make it" with her adorable boys and her super sweet husband who got her some sweet gifts for Valentine's Day.

Fish Fry-Day Featurette: Adventures in Juggling

I just love this woman...after my own heart I tell you that Laura and I could be wine soul sisters! She has a heart of gold and I was laughing so hard I was crying because I feel her on so many levels with life. This week's Fish Fry-Day Featurette is Laura from Adventures in Juggling. You might know her on Twitter as NICURNMama and we LURVE her!

• Tell me why you blog?

I blog because if I don't surely I will lose my mind. I am juggling a life filled with a husband in the midst of a dear-god-get-over-your-self mid-life crisis, 5 children at all ages and stages from young adult to adolescence to school age (with special needs), an amazing grand-baby girl whom I get to spoil, err, watch while her mama works, a career as a NICU RN where I get to cuddle babies, save lives and pursue my calling. What else would I be doing but juggling and blogging about.

•  What do you do in real life?

Silly rabbit....see above!

• Tell me your favorite drink; alcoholic or otherwise?

Water, red-red wine, diet coke. they all give my body, mind and soul exactly what they thirst for.

Let's seriously give her a big AMEN for that!

• Where have you lived in the US world where would you like to live again or move to?

Oh I am so well traveled...in my trailer trash girl mind...I was born in California, raised in western Pennsylvania where the dialect has its own special musicality...and vulgarity...and I settled back into northern Cali where I married, fell in love, pursued my career/passion, birthed 4 babies, adopted one more to complete the family circle and moved to the Central Valley of California to challenge my teenaged daughter, my politics and to afford home ownership.

 

• Favorite Quote?

Life is not measured by the breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.

• Life Motto?

Um...my favorite quote. Plus my life is truly an adventure.

Now head on over to Laura's joint and feed her...seriously get her feed. I know I am since (I suck..she wasn't in my feed...I know slap me..okay that's enough...you are getting rough) reading through her posts. She is ever so strong and has a helluva sense of humor. God love a woman who only comes out stronger!

Want to be a Fry-Day Featurette with The Fish? Fill out my fast questions and let's have some fun! You don't even have to be a blogger to play along! This is to get to know you....are you a super sweeper, are you a mommy who has special needs children, how about are you a dad...a totally kick ass dad, maybe you are a college kid, or are you addicted to us crazy mommy blogs? Come tell me in the quick questionnaire! 

7 Hearts in 7 Days this February

A dear twin mama friend (and bloggy buddy) of mine who is raising 3Boys and 1Hubby...and really you never know what is next with a bunch like that is hosting a great week long look into the lives of mothers and children with Congenital Heart Defects. Her event is 7 Hearts in 7 Days

I read her stats about the condition and they are astounding. Plus the information, the support and the powerful reads are ever so wonderful to each and every mother. Be on the look out this February as she hosts some super moms facing these unique challenges and help bring awareness to the condition that face these families.

Blogs are Heartbreak Warfare

While jogging tonight I suddenly was overwhelmed by emotion. A huge sweeping wave that I have been fighting; for how long who knows. Tears came streaming and I fought them, I fought the burn. I used the excuse of the cold night air and the fact I just sprinted three-quarters of a mile, the burn in my chest, the ache, just the run. Then I smelled manure. Yes, that is it, just the manure for the rye grass seed of the prima Donna yards of the Arizona winter.

The burn faded as I began to power walk and breathe swiftly, the manure had subsided, the wave was now a tsunami. What was this feeling, why the onset of sadness, the overbearing feeling of emotion beating at my chest, weighing on my heart and mind. I felt as my head were in a tailspin, my eyes gravitated to the night sky to gaze upon the stars to ease this ache. My iPod was shuffling songs with varying beats per minute to keep me in line with my jog when finally I was floored by John Mayer.

I had listened to the song many times before, not a problem. Suddenly this song meant so much more to me today, at this moment than it ever had before. I realized the pain I was feeling was that of the last year and most recent events in my and others lives. The cost was my emotional toll of all these events. So much of my own emotion has been laid ever so bravely, albeit sometimes foolishly (to always wear my heart on my sleeve), with my blog. I have watched others do the same. Most recently a mother who experienced the most horrific tragedy fell victim to more pain because of her choice to bravely share an experience, to avoid her solitary confinement of despair, shock, and grief. Others have been victim to bad blood of failed business relations, failed friendships, even families are ever divided. In some situations the division could equate to infamous literary feuds: Montague v. Capulet and Hatfield v. McCoy.

Each story a heart, each heart a soul, and for each soul is one person sharing his or her story. Most share the story out of love, the love of writing, the love of life, the love of children, the love of their story because so many feel their pain, their joy, whatever the distinguished emotion, their situation is not exclusive, and yet so often we look at the blog, the tweet, the update as true social media, notwithstanding the true MEDIA aspect of news. Our posts are not FOX news, a breaking story from CNN, but a simple soul, an individual sharing their love for their life and the experiences they share no matter how callous, heartless, devastating, shocking, appalling, or deplorable.

Our blogs, our updates, our Tweets have become quite literally, and thank you John Mayer, Heartbreak Warfare. Jealousy fuels because of the lack of PR exclusivity, bombs of hate between former friends (and family) who cannot come to civil terms, families feuding for lack of understanding, compassion is the last to be shared by those involved or by the trippers. I am truly saddened by the many events of this year; the loss of my grandfather, the deterioration of the relationship with my sister (which if you know me and my blog, I have always shared such a special love for her), the deterioration of my friend and her sisters relationship, friends driving knives deeper and deeper, people being petty, not wanting to eat crow, swallow pride for the sake of humility, maybe even an ounce of humanity, compassion. No one has to be the best of friends, but a bit of human compassion could be called upon, only more pain is what remains.

I leave you with the lyrics to this song that resonated such powerful emotions within me, also my farewell into the New Year as I reflect on the year that was, the year to come, and my hope for this holiday is that the ugly line to fade and people start crossing the lines into humanity, compassion, empathy.

Our blogs are not news, we are people, ALL of us. We all have a heart, a soul, we all feel at some level.

Lightning strikes
Inside, my chest to keep me up at night
Dream of ways
To make you understand my pain

Clouds of sulfur in the air
Bombs are falling everywhere
It's heartbreak warfare
Once you want it to begin,
No one really ever wins
In heartbreak warfare

If you want more love,
why don't you say so?
If you want more love,
why don't you say so?

Drop his name
Push it in and twist the knife again
Watch my face
As I pretend to feel no pain

Clouds of sulfur in the air
Bombs are falling everywhere
It's heartbreak warfare
Once you want it to begin,
No one really ever wins
In heartbreak warfare.

If you want more love,
why don't you say so?
If you want more love,
why don't you say so?

Just say so...

How come the only way to know how high you get me
is to see how far I fall
God only knows how much I'd love you if you let me
but I can't break through at all.

It's a heartbreak...

I don't care if we don't sleep at all tonight
Let's just fix this whole thing now
I swear to God we're gonna get it right
If you lay your weapon down
Red wine and Ambien
You're talking shit again, it's heartbreak warfare
Good to know it's all a game
Disappointment has a name, it's heartbreak warfare.

Did We Need to Go There

My blog has never been one for controversy. I leave controversy to many face-to-face communications. Body language can be read and understood, as can eye movement, facial expressions, tone. Tone is often hard to communicate in writing. One must be a skilled author to have the finesse to emit tone in the conversation. So controversy as I said is left to the true verbal arena so as not to encounter miscommunications or to misunderstand.

So my tone is about to go to a beaten path NEVER taken before. EVER. I will probably lose blog followers and I am deeply sorry. I will not yield nor apologize for my personal life, my personal decisions, something that completely affects me, with the exception of my husband as he was a very intricate part of my life in this decision.


Once upon a Thanksgiving in 2009 a young woman who spent two days prepping, cleaning, cooking and baking, not to mention caring for her three children. Might I add, two of which are twins in case you are just tuning into the Fish Film @ 11, and I work a full-time job, a real. full time job. Not just the job of mom, you see that is my first job, my real job is my third job, my second job is wife, and my fourth job is business owner. So you see I truly have FOUR FULL time jobs....ah hell five if you add all the housework. So back to it, I was cleaning up after a much enjoyed pie hole stuffing event. Family was gathered on my couch, every seat taken,  reading Black Friday ads, friends were conversing, laughs shared abound. As the crowd began to simmer and disperse I thought I need to call my dear friend who so lovingly called to share in her thanks and love on this day. But in addition to the love to be shared was the hate that this ugly world can bring. Not hate by my friend, the hate of strangers, the hate of those who put up a loving facade to avoid confrontation, the hate spewed behind anonymity to win out in some delusional war of words.

Please be advised that the images you are about to see are repulsive, obscene, disgusting, and horrid. All directed AT ME. I debated on posting these images and by rehashing information I so prayed to disappear, but the glutton in me took pictures of the proof of hate generated by people.

For privacy reasons the images were removed and can only be viewed by invitation only. 

As I said. I apologize for any and ALL of you to read this ugliness. I was so physically ill on Thursday I could barely sleep. I was shaking, I was borderline inconsolable. My husband, bless his heart, reassured me to ignore this. It would go away. It did not. The pain did not go away. These people have NOT. GONE. AWAY! The Twitter account STILL EXISTS!!! I thought the account had been deleted, however, I was wrong and hatred breeds and multiplies and yet another account can be created in anonymity so as to further the cause of hatred.

Now here is my beef. I have no problem with someone gossiping at or about me. Whatever, sticks and stones okay. But a FULL ON CHARACTER ASSASSINATION will make this Lionesses blood boil! My sweet little guppy fish exterior will molt into the full on lion bitch I am! What else....NO ONE. I do stress NO ONE has any of this information in the blogging community...oh wait. With the single exception of my sister.

YES. You know her. Brittany Greer. Brittany Hudson Greer over @ The Greer 5.

My flesh and blood. I had attempted to try to keep this between the family. A family feud that she clearly took too far in divulging my personal information to sheer strangers for their personal use to attack me. To belittle, to judge, to bring me shame, to destroy my character, to inflict pain, I can go on and on. Clearly a reprimandable offense correct? One might think considering that a third party went so far as to assassinate my good character, to attempt to destroy my friendships, my networkings, or maybe because the cretin who created this account thought it may be funny to bring pain to someone such as me. If you believe in this.....keep on being a subscriber to your community that is "generously" run and operated by Mom Dot. Because my information seems to have been so "generously" shared and detailed...although I will state that the details in these tweets are clearly misinformed, out of time line, and clearly NONE OF ANYONE'S FUCKING BUSINESS. I also encourage you to continue to be a member of a community that does love to breed controversy as my personal life so clearly became a hot topic in a forum for enjoyment. Or hell maybe just in an email but regardless, the two involved ARE members, very active members of that community. Which further suggests that the negative behavior of public humiliation, belittling and degradation is A FUCKING OKAY with these people. I would love to publicly humiliate...man...I would be such a big girl to do that.

To post pictures of random strangers and discuss their situations may they be unfortunate with other random strangers and call it "fun" or "comedic" hell albeit fucking hysterical right...just a joke.

FUCK YOU and you know who you are. Are those tweets a fucking joke to any of you? If so....I dare you to leave me your FULL NAME to leave up for public humiliation. I also dare.....no....I challenge the lowly individual who so PROUDLY created this account with the original intentions of bashing MY friend Kristin, whether you like her or not, who then decided to turn the object of their desire to me...I CHALLENGE you to come to my blog and apologize to me. Furthermore I CHALLENGE the cretin and or CRETINS who acted in such a distasteful, vulgar, unbecoming, and plebian manner to PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE to myself and Kristin on Twitter and on a blog post that shall stay posted for AN ENTIRE WEEK. To allow those who read it to show their disdain to you. To show you how much of an uncouthful coward you were and are for hiding behind anonymity, your keyboard, and indecency. I also challenge Miss "I am the Community and this is my blog" so shoot me an email...we'll discuss the details like adults.

Ad or Review, Sweep or Sham

The FTC has ruffled so many feathers lately among bloggers and advertisers. I find the ruckus to be rather amusing. The FTC is based on fair trade for consumers and vendors alike. My personal dealings with the FTC were brought to my attention over 10 years ago when working in the car business. You see that MSRP sticker...what we call the Maroney, is there because of the FTC. The "Buyer's Guide" on all used cars is really a FTC disclosure that dealers were or are not implying nor stating that the vehicle you are purchasing used has any warranties implied or there within, but the vehicle is "As IS" if not otherwise stated.

Full disclosure is fun.

Now here is what is even more fun. When PR or a vendor asks for you to review their product they are basically asking for advertising, free advertising on your blog. Well I should not say FREE, because technically PR paid for the product and or "sample" to send to you for you to promote and you receive and keep said product for payment. But here is what is fun about bloggers. Some claim "cut and paste" of press releases, which is completely fine as LONG AS the press release adheres to the FTC guidelines of "deceptive, unfair advertising" [Source: FTC, 2009] and to be sure that the wording is not making specific "claims" expressed or otherwise.

Your opinion is one thing, the copy and paste....well no harm really in doing that UNLESS the press release falls into the aforementioned of "claims....deceptive and/or unfair advertising." In which you and the advertiser will be fined. Plain and simple.

Now.....lets move past the already rehashed and regurgitated bullshit of ads, reviews, FTC, bloggers, blah blah blase and into Sweeps. Yes, giveaways, contests, swag for loot whores. We are all loot whores. Who does not want free goods. Who does not want anything free? Sweeps have been scrutinized heavily on the conduct, the integrity, the moral fiber in which they are threaded through the blogosphere and otherwise. All the rules are basically the same, Tweet, follow, comment, blah blase.

Did you know this is more than likely against the law? Yes. Just like the claim telling someone that their charitable contribution is unlawful for extra entries into a sweep, your blog sweep....MY BLOG SWEEPS are more than likely unlawful. While we are offering the "no purchase necessary" catch line, technically we are requiring people to visit our blog to enter. They have to enter that way right? Guess what...NOPE. In fact, we can offer postcards for entry. Don't believe me....read more....then have fun bickering and creating rules amongst yourselves. Be advised....the FTC also has oversights into sweepstakes as well.....if you thought the FTC was crawling up asses before....maybe you should be more aware of your "compliance" and actually read up on the FTC, what they do, how they represent YOU, other consumers, etc.

FTC Advertising

Rules Governing Sweeps

This post has every intents and purposes to be informative.
In no way attacking, finger-pointing, accusatory, and should not be considered as such.

Are there any rules about ads for contests or sweepstakes?

Sweepstakes-type promotions that require a purchase by participants are illegal in the United States. Other agencies, including the United States Postal Service (USPS) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), also enforce federal laws governing contests and prize promotions. And each state has laws that may require promoters to make disclosures, seek licensing, or post a bond. Since state laws vary, check with the Attorney General's Office in the state(s) in which you plan to advertise. If a contest or promotion involves telephone calls, the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule requires specific disclosures, such as the odds of winning a prize, how to participate without buying anything, and that no purchase or payment is required to win. If pay-per-call services are involved, the FTC's 900 Number Rule requires certain disclosures. For more information, ask the FTC for the publications Complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule and Complying with the 900 Number Rule. [Source: FTC, 2009]

Working Hard for My Money

Can you hear Donna Summers? I can. Brings me back to the 80s. So I read this post and maybe some of you did too about getting paid to blog. Now before I get hit with tomatoes and you all decide to leave nasty comments that I will leave for everyone to see....and guess what...I don't respond with nastiness...so comment away. Why do people feel some entitlement to be paid to blog? I mean I can understand if you are hired by a company i.e. Mattel, DeVry Institute, Daimler Chrysler, HBO Films, etc then I can see a paycheck being yielded for services DELIVERED. You, as a writer for aforementioned company could yield a paycheck.

But blogging because you are a stay at home mom who originally started out as just a stay at home mom who blogged about life as a stay at home mom who is now a semi-interesting blog that does some product reviews and did some giveaways in the past does not entitle you to be paid. Why? Let me explain.

You are a mom. That is a job right? Yup. Where is the effing money for that job? Oh, you mean you don't get paid to do that job like the Nanny, the babysitter, the daycare service that watches your child when you actually go to a JOB that pays you a check? Or how about that maid? Do you get $180 a month to clean your own house? Nope. Or better yet, how about the lawn service....are you being paid the same amount as (phonetic for you here) Hey Seuss (Jesus) to mow the lawn, rake the leaves? Right.  You see you got into blogging as an outlet, as most did.

An outlet to share angst, pain, sorrow, frustration, pain, and all the in between of being a mom. So your blog became popular because women, men, and the like enjoyed your readings, maybe they still do enjoy your readings, in fact maybe your posts resonated with the audience. Then one day PR approached you. A simple, hey would you try this out, we will send it to you for free and you write about it. Okay. No harm, plus its a free product. Really, who would turn down free schtuff? Heck my family is known for free schtuff, ask my sister Brittany Greer, my step-dad, his motto for the last 20 years "If It's Free It's for Me." You take said product, try it out, see if you like it, family likes it. You tell your family and friends and then you blog about it. Mission accomplished. I like some products and some I do not...I say so...my kids say so....or if we like the product but do not like features...we say so about that too. YOU SAY SO.

When did that become a paying job? Like motherhood? Or better yet I actually went to the panel. Someone who knows diddly shit about blogging, social media, product reviews, I went to the husband. I asked him.

"What do you think about bloggers who do product reviews suggesting or even going as far as demanding and asking for pay for "time and services" to review a product?" Guess what he said.....

"So what, they are whoring out their blog for cash? They feel they have some entitlement because PR ASK'S, yes ASK'S them to review a product? Do they keep the product too?" I nod in acceptance. "Sounds to me that is more prostitution....that would be like charging your husband for a handjob when you don't feel like telling him no...you aren't in the mood or charging him hourly rates for the few seconds he lasts in bed when you should have told him NO."

From the mouth of a man. Who has nothing to do with blogging. Who really, doesn't know all the in's and out's of my blogging, my product reviews, social media, etc, etc. He just sees that I am a happier person, that I am not working my ass to the bone everyday in an office, that I am home with our kids. I blog to share my experiences as a mom, woman, wife, inner child, and human out of my head and I would rather type it because thank the heavens for Bill Gates and freaking spell check because my handwriting would be chicken scratch in a journal. He sees that blogging has given me an outlet besides our awesome therapist and besides arguing with him. I go blog because I like to, and no one has to pay me to do this job.

If I get some products along the way that my kids or family enjoy and hey some PR company gets some piddly exposure on my blog for it...so be it. Whatever. They get the same exposure by hiring my granny to pass out "All Natural TAY COES, please Come try some TAY COES, ALL NATURAL, 100% NATURAL" at the frozen food aisle of Costco. Only granny doesn't get to take home and eat those TAY COES, I do.

I don't need my blog to tell me I have self worth. I don't need bloggy or PR windbags to justify my worth or influence. I don't need numbers. Stats. Followers. Minions, sheep, or a fracking forum and online community to tell me about my self worth.

Why? Because I am a 31 year old woman, wife, mother. I put myself through college while married, raising one, birthing twins during a class, thus raising three all while going to COLLEGE. I wasn't awarded the luxury of college right after high school or wealthy parents. I also worked full time since I was 14, then from my home as a successful loan consultant at the age of 25. I have worked for multi-million dollar franchises and Fortune 500 companies. I have been a manager before most ass hats were even figuring out their college major (yes at 20 I was a manager). I am beautiful, snarky, have an IQ that would make the temperature of a hot, July, Arizona summer cry. I also have a heart of gold, am loyal, friendly and genuine. I have friends in REAL LIFE and friends online, and guess what. THEY COULD CARELESS  what my stats are, my followers, my tweets.

No one pays or paid me to be a mom. I made a CHOICE! I made a choice to become a mother. Just like I made a CHOICE to blog, I made a CHOICE to do product reviews, giveaways, and promotions, PR doesn't shove anything down my throat. In fact a lot ask....and I kindly say...not at this time...or that is not right for my family...just like PR says to bloggers who have approached them....See how this is a two way street. I choose to do it, because I enjoy it. Just like I enjoy being a mother. So if you want to pay me for being a mom....I think I may have resentment, just like other paying jobs I have had in the past. If you want to pay me to blog....I hope the payment is for a topic or product I like...because I only speak the truth on every level. The jobs I love and enjoy are the ones I don't have to yield a paycheck, but if I get something out of it, like a product or even a PRODUCTIVE child and adult who has their own self worth....I can sleep at night. Thank you, Good Day.

My Conversation

The virtual diary. The Weblog of old and blog of new. A typepad diary to release inner demons, woe on politics, spew nonsense on the grandest scales, possibly invent a new comedy facet even Shakespeare could revel.

Diaries are not always meant to be read while others are published; some are for shock value, some are for reciprocal relations (not feeling alone in the world), and some are just written diarrhea that communicate nothing but allow us something else to stare aimlessly into a monitor.

While I am not "expert," self-proclaimed "guru," or self-proclaimed "top blogger" I do claim to be full of shit. Honestly. I have a lot of minutiae in my life that has molded me into the productive human being I am today. For example, I have been laboring in the employment arena for over 15 years. I am also an adult-child of an alcoholic. You want to know about alcoholism and how the "disease" (for lack of a better word) can destroy a family ask me so, I can tell you first hand. I can also share with you the art of being proactive, rather than reactive. Although sometimes reactions can be fun if you really want to spice up your dull suburban life. Other experiences include the loss of lives, lives I took part in creating but clearly an upperhand had other plans beyond my control. Experience life on drugs, the detox, share how even a prescription drug to keep you from feeling nuts can send you into a downward life spiral of dementia, then rising again anew.

Sometimes my blog makes sense. Sometimes my blog is a surprise of epic proportions where I can show the Skittle rainbow and then taketh away by showing you the dark depths of an inner child scorned by hurt and deception, smoke and mirrors. Sometimes I engage you in a comedic touch and others I attempt to engage you in a conversation and they aren't always superficial or "socially acceptable."  I also am in no way attempting to win any award, although I have some friends that I cherish who think I invented sliced bread and award me so, for them, I am full of heart, eternally grateful. (aka Ally,

Which brings me to a blog post I read today from a bloggy friend of mine who feels she is not of influence. What is influence really? Influence as I understand the meaning is that an action will have an effect. Sounds scientific...possibly not. I look at influence and the laws of cause and effect from a Buddhist standpoint.  For every cause there is an effect. Example: A lonely cow is in her field, she sees a herd pass, she joins the herd. The cause a herd passes your path, the effect, you become part of the cattle. (see where I am heading)

For example, the effect of turtling (hanging in one spot and one spot alone) where the flow of any traffic is impeded, the effect is that traffic will begin to gather around. That is not a gravitational pull, but your wide ass obstaining from moving, thus preventing in some cases bloggy constipation. However, if you act as a honey bee, visiting flower here and flower there, the results may not be immediate, but the effect is cross pollination, pollination period, the want of the flowers, for you the honey bee, to return each and every time. I felt my bloggy friend is very much the honey bee, while others are turtling excrements merely taking up space.She is the steady and constant bee on her pollination route, and one season soon, she will reap the rewards of all she has sown.

Blogs, emails, posts, Tweets, texts, and phone calls can all be a conversation. Short and sweet. Long and meaningful, or merely scripted fum is chum or is it Chum is Fum for the masses to gobble. (Yes that is a SpongeBob reference.....) Either way, the influence is the effect that is caused by what was said, how did you resonate in that individual (the cause), good or bad, he or she is clearly reaching for conversation, whether you choose to listen or answer proactively is up to you, because I see that both listening and proactive responses are participation in a conversation. You cannot converse if someone is not listening, and even when you think you are alone in your conversation, someone, just someone may be listening. Hold steady, hold true, and do not lose your love and feeling for your conversation. The cause of conversation is in effect influence.

The Five Fish Welcome You, Mona, and Moxie Media to Arizona!

Hey everyone I am Mrs. Fish, number Two Fish of the Five Fish, and you know me as Karie!

Welcome everyone to my great state of Arizona where myself and my kids are natives! In fact, my kids are fifth generation Arizona residents and third generation Natives! I was dancing around like a teen so honored and thrilled when Francesca and her Moxie team asked if I wanted to play along and host Mona for a tour of the states and the bloggers who live around the U.S. What fun to make Arizona a stop along the way! We took Mona around town and around the state with us. Please enjoy the sights that Mona will be sharing with you including my quick Vlog entry.

(Beware...totally unscripted, unrehearsed, pulled out of my arse...

since that's how I roll...with the MOXIE baby)

Mona Trip Vlog from Karie Herring on Vimeo.

Some fun facts about the state of Arizona and our travels with Mona:

• 48th State to the Union. Dedicated on February 14, 1912. So the state is young and HOT! Wewt!
• Home to the Grand Canyon, the Mojave, Sonoran, and Painted Desert, & Meteor Crater to name a few
  
• Home to Cactus League Spring Training and 14 MLB teams that train here(and adding more!)
• The World Series Champs Arizona Diamondbacks
• NFL National League Champs Arizona Cardinals
• Five Major Interstate Highways and 14 US Highways
• Three State Universities, NAU, UofA, and ASU
• Home of the Saguaro Cactus which is also a federally protected plant here in Arizona
• Some of the largest copper mines are found here (hence the name the Copper State)
• We have skiing in a variety of climates from water skiing less than 20 minutes away to snow skiing just over two hours away.
• Arizona has the largest Private air museum that Mona experienced with the kids. She was in awe with all her moxie that others can and have shown such great courage.
  

I won't ruin any more for you...Just come visit our beautiful state and see for yourself! Now here is a little slide show of all the wonderful things we did with Mona while she was here with the Fish in Arizona!

Moxie Movie from Karie Herring on Vimeo.

Thanks again Francesca and Kacey and Moxie Media Girls: Angie, Kathy, Jill, and Laura this has been a wonderful trip and opportunity and I am glad to be a part of your new venture with Moxie Media!