Greetings!  I trust all is well and that everyone is enjoying the holiday season.  The children are already out of school for their winter vacation.  That, for me, means my grandchildren are around a lot more.  Now, I love my peace and quiet as much as the next person, but, the children are so special!  LOL  Grannies have patience for them when they have their ‘melt-downs’.  Grannies know just how to make a dull day exciting and fun.  Grannies seem to know just what is needed when things aren’t going right for the little ones.  Princess pictures from online, printed out in full color, seem to take away the bad in my little granddaughter’s day.  LOL  Personally, you and I both know that the saving grace isn’t the picture, at all.  It is the time we spend with them, just finding the right picture and then waiting for the printer to slowly eject the delightful image into their little hands.  I think it could be a picture of Ed McMahon, they just need that few minutes, when nothing is as important as the child and their picture.

So, in addition to having him around more for the two weeks until after the New Year, my grandson, Nicky, missed the last two days of school before their vacation with his asthma.  When possible, I keep them home with me so their Mommy can still go to work.  (Nicky and Jaela, both, go to day care; Nicky, just for after school.)  He probably has a bit of a cold, too, because he just coughs and ‘strangles’, which makes him gag.  Oh, it’s fun!  But, he is feeling better.  Wanna know how I know?  (giggle)  Well, Friday afternoon, their last day of school, we were hanging out in my room, playing computer games and finding the Chipmunk songs we like.  Nicky, who is 7, left my room and was gone for a few minutes.  Missing him, I went in search.  I found him, sitting in the middle of his bed, just a pounding away on his piano keyboard.  He was ROCKIN’ OUT!  His keyboard has buttons which add in different instrument sounds, depending on the type music.  He had some really jazzy beat going and was going to town, rocking side to side, playing his fingers across the keys, which didn’t sound half bad!  It brought back images of Stevie Wonder, playing the keyboard and singing one of his super hit songs.

My close friend, James, gave the keyboard to Nicky when he was only 3 or 4.  No, he’s not a child prodigy, but, when I would keep the boy on a Saturday evening for his Mommy to have a night out, I often took him with me to James’ for dinner and a movie or whatever.  James had the keyboard in his den/office where we would hang out.  He let Nicky get on the keys and play around.  One night, we noticed that this little kid, this 4-year-old, was almost making a melody, of sorts.  LOL  So, James picked up his guitar and started ‘playing along’ with Nicky. It didn’t sound half bad.  They ‘jammed’ for a while, Nicky just beaming and getting in to the ‘groove’.  With that, James decided that Nicky could possibly benefit from a chance to play music, and gave him the keyboard that Christmas.  He not only seems to have an avid interest is making his own music, he isn’t afraid to try.  I’m really looking forward to these next two weeks.

I’m going to switch topics, here.  I have something I want to share with you.   I signed up to join in to a Blog Train a few weeks ago.  Though I love to go on a good Blog Train, I had never joined in on the design part.  I made the decision to get in on this one because of the nature of the subject.  I’ve been an activist, of some degree, since my bra-burning, anti-Vietnam War, anti-discrimination, peaceful demonstrating days as a young woman.  A few months back, a blog train “Against Domestic Violence” caught my attention.  (Those links are still active, by the way)  ChanniD, the lady who was behind that one, went on to add another super important ‘awareness’ to her topics of extreme wrongs needing to be righted.  This one, “Women Against Human Trafficking”, was just too much and too personal, to me, to NOT sign up.

In this day and age, with all the laws and the awareness of so many wrongs, already, this abhorrent practice is one that doesn’t really get that much attention.  Yet, the streets are literally full of perspective ‘slaves’.  The way these ‘human traffickers’ work is to snatch young girls and women right off the streets or from their own homes.  Young girls, some not even teens, yet, are just as susceptible.  Frequently, they are transported to other countries, making escape all but impossible.  This practice is world-wide.  They are then turned into ‘sex slaves’, forced to perform acts that I prefer not to list.  This whole ‘underworld’ activity is kept hush-hush, but, the clients may surprise.  There have been instances of important public officials and major business leaders subscribing to these sick encounters.  All too often, the law treats these as “prostitution” matters rather than the serious assaults against one’s human rights they actually are.  The girls are forced, by fear of death, either to them or their families.  Some are killed, some during the acts, themselves.  It is just too horrible to even think about.  Channi has put some links on the blog where you can read more and find out what you can do.  Click on the blinkie to go there; the links are in the side-bar.

Here’s an awareness ribbon for you, if you would like.  Click to enlarge, then, right click and save it to your hard drive.

The colors are deep and rich as are the beautiful contributions from the others who participated.  Here, is my part, “Out of the Dark”:

(Click on image to go to MediaFire to download)

I hope that someone enjoys using these goodies as much as I did making them.  Be sure to go visit the other ladies’ blogs that participated to collect some beautiful kits and other goodies for your scrapbooking.  Please, keep the time differences in mind, of course, and show them your gratitude, if you would, please.

I have some more things to share, but, they will wait.  My son, his wife and their children, celebrated Christmas today, since, this evening, the children go to their daddies for the two weeks they are home on vacation.  The daughter who lives with me, my two grandchildren and I, went over to their house for a really nice ham dinner and to share presents.  I enjoyed it so much.  I’m getting to spend more time with my son’s new family.  The children are wonderful!  Getting to be granny to all of them is such a great experience!  They are super responsive to me and I really do like it.

We sat down and made the final plans for when my DIL has their baby.  Kaleb, the expected son, my son’s firstborn, was actually due the end of January.  He is growing so huge, however, the doctor feels that they may induce labor early.  So, it could be any time after the first of the year, it looks like.  Either way, I will be there to take care of the other children and to take them to and from the hospital to meet their new baby brother.