Oprah has definitely changed my life in so many good ways via her show.  She gives back to society and is an example for all.  This past Wednesday's show was to bring to light the life of the "Freegan".  These people - most who don't have to mind you, but choose to - live primarily off of things - including food - scavenged out of the trash.  They are people that are just disgusted with the way perfectly good items are just thrown out to fill up landfills, that could be used or consumed.  We are a society of wasters.  We are also a society of people that just can't seem to posses enough STUFF.  Most of us also believe that THINGS will make us happy, so we buy, buy, buy to try and attain that feeling.  Those of us who have come to realize that this is not the case are truly blessed.  It is the one most important lesson I am hoping to teach my children and one that I am truly struggling with.  I am also probably the one that made it the struggle that it is now.  *sigh*  I learned the lesson just a tad late and unfortunately spoiled them early on, now that has to be undone, which is no easy task.

Anyhow, I thought I'd share this story with you from my childhood, which my family would probably die from embarrassment for me telling.....but what they don't know - won't hurt them right?  *wink*

My maternal grandfather was, to say the VERY least, a thrifty man.  He and I had a very close relationship.  I was the only granddaughter with 6 grandsons, until my little sister came along 13 years later.  I also lived with my grandparents for a while after my parents got divorced while my mom got herself pulled together - she pretty much so had a nervous breakdown after being left heavily in debt, with no job and had to rebuild a life for us.  I was about 6 when I went to stay with them, and I became my grandfather's shadow.  I learned so many important lessons from my grandfather during this time I had with him, and I truly believe I turned out the way I did due to his strict but loving guidance.  I chopped wood with him, worked in his garden alongside him, helped shingle their roof, he taught me how to change a tire and how to drive a stick shift way before I was even old enough to drive.  There are so many memories.  However, he was known by many, to be a harsh man.  He beat my uncle as a child and was verbally abusive to my grandmother for most of their lives together.  I know these things were horrible, but, I also knew another man.  I knew a man that opened up his soft side to me, and I think that must not have been known by many, because when he died, it seemed to be surprising to everyone how hard it hit me.  It also hit my oldest cousin Jay particularly hard.  I think we just had a special place in his heart, and we had just been closer to him I guess.  I'm sure it wasn't that he loved any of the other grandchildren any less, it's just that we had spent a lot of special time with him I'm sure.  ANYHOW....*smiles*....this unique and perplexing man, was always tight with his money.  He had worked hard all his life, lived during the depression, saved and invested his money wisely and wasn't going to part with it willy nilly.  My grandmother, even though life with him was no bowl of cherries, she will tell you she is very thankful to him for how well he prepared for their future.  She lives quite comfortably with no worries about money.  HOWEVER....getting to that point, took living somewhat under the principals of the Freegan.

You didn't flush the toilet when you urinated...only when you pooped.  (Yes, the toilet would stink)  blah!

You should only use 5 squares of toilet paper to wipe.  (gross - I know - I always broke this rule....)

I was only allowed about 2 inches of lukewarm water to bathe in.  (I hated bath time)  *smiles*

If you put it on your plate....you ate it.

You DID NOT leave lights on in rooms you left - ESPECIALLY after playing in the basement.  

The house was always a little chilly in the winter and warm in the summer.

The candy bar aisle lining the checkout counters were simply the store's way of trying to soak you for every last cent they could get out of you at the last minute.......so don't even think about it!

When we went out to eat at the local steak house where they charged 5 cents extra for these little pats of butter for your baked potato - you didn't EVEN ask for it.  *smiles*  Once I snuck one on my tray and upon review of the receipt at the table, it was like the great inquisition.  My mother knew it must have been me and was literally afraid for my life.  

If you were driving down the road - or highway - and you passed what you thought might be a can - (I was always on the look-out)....HECK YES....you backed up and picked it up!  It was recyclable....sometimes you got lucky and it actually had soda or beer in it!  (If you were offered a drink in a can at my grandparents house....you ALWAYS washed it!)  *smiles*

Every week, my job was to go down to the basement and smash cans with a sledge hammer - in the RIGHT WAY, with just 2 hits - center and then ends together - to take to the recycling center.

Saturday and Sunday mornings after I had been to "church" with my grandmother, it was off to the local bars....to dumpster dive.  LOL  My grandfather would help me into the dumpsters where I would fish out all of the empty beer cans for recycling.  Surprisingly, we would find full cans amongst the empties as well.  OMG.  I can only imagine what I must have smelled like.  I do remember his car always smelled like beer.  If he ever got pulled over they would have surely thought he was an alcoholic and probably driving under the influence....*smiles*  Ahhhh....good memories.  LOL

I've been watching American Idol since it started and I don't think I've ever seen such a decisive front runner so early on, as I've seen this season.  The adorable David Archuleta, only 17 years old, is to me, the apparent winner and there are still 20 contestants left in the competition.  I felt watching his incredible performance tonight, like I was watching the beginning of a superstar's career.  He has just incredible vocal control and it is so effortless.  He also looks alot like my little brother....*smiles* 

Click here to watch David's performance last night - singing a portion of John Lennon's "Imagine"

When Katie wants something....she is relentless.  It's probably the Rottweiler breed, but I've always said she has OCD.  In my last post I noted that we've been treating our Bella like a princess as of late - because she's been so sick, and because of this we've been feeding her a special diet which includes canned food - a delicacy around here.  I guess last night when I left a can sitting on the counter, it was just too much of a temptation for her.  It was 2/3 full with one of those plastic caps on it - and I'm sure that getting that off was no problem - but the food itself is very thick and when her tongue wasn't able to remove the contents - she obviously resorted to using her teeth.  Needless to say after seeing the pictures - when we found her - there was some damage done to her mouth.  Her chin, tongue, gums and lips had several bleeding wounds.  She appeared to not care in the least.  I cleaned her up and am hoping the blood will come out of the cover we fortunately keep over our futon where they like to lounge around. 

OH....and yes....I too feel she earned a can of her own....without the sharp metal slicing up her mouth.  *smiles*  Crazy dog.