Losing my best friend..

It is Christmas time and all around me there are decorations and cheery people...yet today I sit here with tears in my eyes for today I have lost my Best friend...His name was Scooby and he was an oversized tank of a Black Lab...he loved to chase a stick when you threw it retrieving perfectly as a lab does...In the spring time when we tapped the Maples he always made the rounds with us to pick up the buckets so he could eat the ice we removed from the top of the sap...He would chew on anything you left in his reach when we left him home alone but he would always greet us with a smile and tail wag when we walked in...He was a bundle of energy and loved to "Wander" around the yard and gardens...he loved the kitties and his bestest buddy was a orange kitty named Prince...he Loved kids and whenever they were around he would run and play with them and from time to time he would give them a ride on his back too...he would follow me around the house all the time I could not go anywhere without him and now I must move on in life and say goodbye to my "Buddy"...I know he will be waiting for me to join him in heaven but it is really hard to say goodbye after all these years of having him quietly and patiently take care of me...Love You Scooby..

Are you a Christian or a Hypocrite?

This is a subject I have wanted to avoid simply because it can be very hard to make people understand your point of view without them feeling a bit insulted. So I will start with this statement: I understand that everyone has their own beliefs and I am not trying in this posting to change anyone's beliefs. What I am aiming for is to just give everyone my point of view...



Growing up I was forced to go to church every Sunday Morning. My parents were Catholics and back then the Catholic religion was very strict and set down many rules for their followers to follow. If you were unfortunate enough to make a mistake it would bring on a swift and "deserving" punishment...Now as a Grown up I find myself not adhering to a religion but more to the Bible and the teachings of the Lord... I find that through the years the Religions have changed so much that the basics have been completely lost...
Now that said I have to point out my experiences and why this question has plagued me...
Experience one was when I was a teenager...we had gone to church as usual on Sunday morning then a short while later that same day a person who claimed to be a devoted Christian decided that a 15 yr old made a good punching bag and that they were just making me a good Christian by punishing me for my sins(Although I was not sure what sin I had committed)...And understanding that spanking a child is necessary at times I could not see my Lord condoning beating one black and blue...
Experience two was when I was a young adult I had lost my way(after and abusive husband and other family members turning their back on me in my time of need) and was looking to find the path back to the Lord when I went into A church and sat through the sermon which was a very good sermon but then when we were all leaving I was shunned and told that my manner of dress was not appropriate for the Lord's house(at this time my only transportation was a Motorcycle so I was dressed in boots new Jeans and a new shirt with Jacket over it)... There were several of these experiences in several different churches of several different denominations over the following 10 years...needless to say this made my search to find my Lord much harder along with totally confusing me about what a true Christian was for I had seen so many sit and worship the Lord in church and then turn around at the end of that worship and degrade, insult, accuse, and discourage the fellow members of their congregation...this type of behavior made me really start doubting my faith I was not sure I wanted to be a Christian if it meant I had to practice this kind of Hypocrisy and show so much hatred to those who did not match the accepted look and lifestyle of the church...you see to me Christianity was loving all creatures of the earth and Treating my fellow man with love, understanding and tolerance just as Jesus had done....Nowhere I looked could I find this kind of Christianity around me...Then just as I was about to give up The Lord placed in my path someone who had nothing to do with the churches but everything to do with Jesus...He found me beaten and broken just putting one foot in front of the other walking through my life full of doubt and confusion wondering if I would ever find a true Christian to share my beliefs and worship with...we came together and the Lord immediately blessed me with warmth and understanding...this person taught me more about the Lord than any church ever had...He walked a path that led to the Lord it was not an accepted path according to those who go to Services on the Sabbath and walk out of the sermon and turn their backs on the Lord's teachings but more a lifestyle that copied that of Jesus...Teaching loving, and caring not just about those who came to the sermon but about all men, women, and children...together we traveled and we talked to the people... We helped where we could and where we couldn't we put them in touch with someone who could help them...We lived off the land and shared all that we had with those around us...to this day my friend's influence is strong in my heart and Jesus is in my soul...I no longer travel but I do help where needed and share what little I have with those around me...I try hard to share the knowledge the Lord has blessed me with and know that I am not perfect and sometimes need to be pointed back in the right direction but I have compassion, love, and respect for all around me...I always forgive those who have done me wrong and thank the Lord every day for the Blessings he has bestowed upon me...I know in my heart that I am Now a true Christian and living for The Lord is my life's goal...I have found Happiness and peace in my life now and am truly sure that the behavior I experienced from those who wished to conform me has done just that...It has pushed me To my Lords ways and I do not condemn their behavior for it did in fact help me to travel along that path but the question I started this post with still plagues me day in and day out for it is now a question I silently ask of everyone who "Preaches" the word of the Lord or proclaims to be a Christian...for if you are truly a Christian we can travel our path together and if you are Hypocrite I need to gently show you a better path to follow...

Short term "Pay Day" Loans

I find it absolutely ridiculous that NY or any other state for that matter believes they can regulate the legitimate short term lending companies and the Native Americans' lending practices but cannot find a way to regulate the exorbitant fees charged by "sanctioned" banks for the same "short term lending" programs they run under the guise of overdraft protection programs....

I believe that those who are in emergency situations should have a choice of how they obtain the funds needed to cover that emergency rather than being forced to follow the "Accepted" way of doing things...Yes I do understand that these loans carry a heavy interest rate and some companies that are not quite above board use predatory practices to get you hooked and keep you coming back but when you add it all up it is still cheaper when totaled than the fees charged by banks either as loan origination fees or overdraft fees if the consumer is not eligible for a typical loan...I believe that state regulators need to crack down on those who are scammers or use those predatory practices and leave legitimate lenders alone...
I also believe that those consumers who are complaining about these loan companies for the most part did not fully investigate the company they wanted to work with making sure that it was legitimate and not using predatory practices....But the complaints that really get to me are the ones that come from consumers who after investigation finds the company to be legitimate then doesn't take the time to fully read the contract thus when they started paying back the loan they were caught off guard by the way these short term loans work and the actual interest they needed to pay...
This total confusion about these amounts is completely the consumers own fault and not the fault of the legitimate loan company which stated in the contract what the interest rate would be, how much the consumer would have to pay and when the payment was due at the time of signing for the loan... This is the reason why I believe if the company is legitimate with all paperwork in order and the consumer is complaining about the interest and fees paid then they should just be given a response of "Next time read before you sign and please stand up and take responsibility for your own actions because it is up to you to make the right choices"...This type of complaining should not produce all these unnecessary regulations on these legitimate companies....

So in conclusion for any one who chooses to use these companies be sure to do the leg work first using the internet, the Better Business Beaurau and other business report/complaint sites fully investigate then read your contract in it's entirity before you sign...some of these companies actually have lower interest rates and fees due to competition it just takes a little hard work to find the correct fit for you the same as with any other financial decision you make...

For the government:
Instead of forcing people to make the decisions the government thinks are best for them it is time to let them make their own decisions and learn from their own mistakes...It is time to crack down on the scammers and leave the legitimate companies and Native Americans alone letting them have their commercial ventures...

As to the regulations limiting the Native Americans's ability to do business with people not living on the reservations...The Native Americans have a right to sell products and services to anyone willing to complete the transaction with them...They are a Sovereign Nation doing trade in this country and the same as any other government body within this country they were given the right to do so and it is time these rights were defended instead of stepped on...

Thank You For Your Service

My Creative Journey

OK this subject is something that is close to my heart and I am very proud of my accomplishments thus far.
What I am talking about is my creative journey and starting my business which are both showcased on a website hidden on the obscure back roads of the Internet. On this site you will find examples of my wonderful creations. (Oh don't worry I am still working on many more).

This Journey started with a deep down desire to write Poems. I jotted down sentences that by themselves really seemed silly but they were all the feelings bottled up inside of me that just needed to come out. I spent my teen years writing them down then building  poems around them. Then as I got older I simply worked it into my everyday life and every big life changing moment is now down on paper with Rhyme and Rhythm. My children and Grandchildren all have poems and lullabies that I wrote especially for them.
Next from a love of watching my Grandmother create her beautiful blankets and doilies came an urge to learn how it was done. She and I spent many hours frustrated and happy all at the same time while I learned to ply crochet hook to yarn and come up with something that was actually useful. Although many of those hours in the beginning were very frustrating I would not trade a single minute of them for anything in the world. I did finally get good enough to make a blanket for my baby and one for my Mom too.
I also found that I have a natural ease with the needle if  I just relax and let the creative juices flow. Today I am still coming up with ways to apply my crochet skills to many things thus my family is getting a bit frustrated as the rooms in my house fill up with the things that my fingers must create. Yes not only is there an urge to work on something there is a deep in the soul need to do it. I can't really explain this but I sit down and pick up the crochet needle and any long stringy thing available and turn it into something useful.
 Next came my learning to weave though less frustrating than making my fingers work together with the crochet needle and yarn it still gave me a bit of difficulty at first. As I worked through tangled threads and fingers that refused to do what was wanted I figured out that this was not my true calling. Although I can weave as well as I do all of my other crafts it was not what I really wanted to do so it was a short detour on my creative journey.Although someday I do want weave another blanket.
 Then my Grandmother decided since she was a tailor and I was so good at so many other things I should learn to sew also. I learned to make beautiful tiny stitches that turn out somewhat in a straight line although my fingers became pin cushions I found that this was another thing I liked to do. There is just something calming about sitting and stitching by hand. I spent many a night while my daughter was little stitching tiny booties and hats both from clothe and yarn. I learned to create beautiful pictures using cross stitch and other embroidery stitches which again was something I found had a calming affect on me. Then came the era of plastic canvas. That was one craft I picked up easily as I had already learned to do cross stitch and embroidery which are the same stitches used in plastic canvas. My children and grandchildren all got boxes and piggy banks that year...LOL..
The following projects were made of waxes, not just candles but figurines too. Then came a stint with clay which started innocently by playing with the kids and play dough and turned into many little "statues" hanging around on my shelves.
 Next came painting (although it is not going really well) I like doing it as I can really express the way I feel whether angry, sad, or glad it doesn't matter the emotion I can set it down on canvas the same as I do on paper with words so I am still working on building my skills in that department...
I dabble in wood and plastic making magnets or pictures and sometimes other little things for the home. My most recent experimentations are with glass and the many things you can do with it...I can't waite to see what my fingers create.
I guess what I have taken so long to say is that I have looked into many of the different forms of art and can say without a doubt that I know how to express myself and my imagination runs wild! I have a tendency to try things in my creations that are not customary for that craft and find that this can lead to some very unusual results which in turn leaves me with some weird decorations in my workroom. I have saved all the little experiments along with the scraps from all the things that I have made and some day I will find a use for them all like I did with the ones I used in the collage I just completed showing my love of  Nature and Creativity. This collage is not made of paper but tiny bits of leftovers from the many things that I have made it is beautiful and framed and reminds me of my creative journey in life.
I have to admit there were times when out of necessity I had to lay my crafts aside to take care of kids or make ends meet and at those times I felt that there was something definitely missing in my life so I decided that I would find a way to keep crafts in my life and I started with making all the gifts that were needed throughout the year instead of buying them then after the kids had moved out I used my creativity to fill the many empty hours in my days.
Now what was once something done from necessity, emotions and a need to fill time has evolved into something I love to do and share with the world which brings me to where I am today and the birth of my business Redneck Kreations.
I hope that you will take a look at my site and enjoy seeing the steps of  my creative journey...
Frankie

Redneck Kreations

Garage Sales

Ok you probably are thinking this is a silly subject to talk about but I can assure my thoughts on this matter are serious. Most of us have gone to garage sales or even held a few in our lifetimes. what really gets me is the people that frequent them to buy things that they later sell. I understand that they want to buy something and make a profit on it later but when the garage sale prices are already so low that the person selling these items is practically giving them away and these people come in there trying to get them to sell it even cheaper it becomes very frustrating. The prices on these items will already give anyone looking to resell a hefty profit so why are they trying to rob the person selling them. The thing that we all have to remember is that in a lot of cases especially in this day and age these people are not selling their possessions because they don't want them but because they need the money to make ends meet.They need to pay for gas to get to work for the rest of the month or for groceries or the new shoes their babies need. Sometimes they are moving to a new city and need the money to help them get there or to settle in until the salary from the new job kicks in. They are not in the business of selling they just need to make it through one more day. So in conclusion those of you out there who make a living buying and selling garage sale items please think about someone else for a change if the price is low enough that you will make a decent profit let it be and pay it. Think about the humanity side of things instead of just your bottom line!
Frankie
Redneck Kreations

Trying to get back on the road to self-sufficiency

Ok I have been really angry the last few days and I can tell you I had to wait this long to sit down and write this out because if I had not done so it would have been downright crappie...The subject of this post says it all...I am sooooo irritated with the systems and people in this country...first for a little history...Ten years ago I went out of work because of a broken back and because it was a sudden loss of income things got bad...I had just bought my house...I skimped and saved every penny so that I could repair my credit to get the loan for the home then bam I was right back in a bad spot since the insurance companies could not decide who was supposed to pay for my injury it took four years to get a steady income again and by the grace of  God we made it through till then on what little my husband was making...finally this year after numerous rehab hours I am as good as I will ever get and although I am not back to what I used to be I have been starting slowly to get my business back up and running and after fighting so hard to get my credit score back up to what used to be considered an average score (the second time around) I applied for a loan only to find that because I was still making payments on some of the old bills and now they considered my score poor credit I would be denied...yet through the overdraft protection program at my bank I would be allowed to have my account be overdrawn to the same amount I wanted for the line of credit and that is just fine with them...well of course it is because that way they get to collect all the fees...I can't run the business without the extra cash flow until it takes off again and so I am stuck in a place I never wanted to be...
Now as you all know the government, banks and public are all screaming about those who are collecting disability and other benefits yet when one of us tries to make it back to being a contributing member of society there are no stepping stones there to help us reach our goals...I so want to be self-sufficient and not rely on anyone's help but there needs to be a way for someone like me to get up out of the ditch and back on the road...I have never and do not now want a handout but a hand up would really be appreciated...
I just wish that there was some kind of program; somewhere to get low cost loans that takes into consideration the circumstances behind the things on a credit report and that sees you as a human and not a number...a program that did this would also be able to realize that not all who have a certain credit score are there because they were irresponsible but that for some it was just a matter of circumstances and since those circumstances have changed they would be able to handle the responsibility of paying off a loan...a small low cost loan (less than 10,000) would allow me to be totally out of debt, off of disability, and running my business with a profit because I would be able to have the capital needed to get started in the right direction...but alas there is no such program to be found and because of the way things are I am not able to reach the goals I have set and must still rely on others to help me make ends meet...there is something so wrong with this scenario that some one somewhere needs to step up and fix it...there needs to be a way that some one can get ahead and not have to be stuck on the rolls or not have to go back on them once they are removed...a way that gives them the ability to keep their health insurance and other programs until they are totally self sufficient and not just half way there...If they came up with this kind of a program then the rolls would go down and stay down and those who are able that did not work to improve their circumstances would be weeded out easily and those that are working hard to become the best contributing members that they can be would not have to feel the stigmatism of needing the hand up.
      I know that at this point you are probably all asking yourselves why don't I go out and get a regular job well here is the answer to that question due to the extensive damage to nerves and muscles from my injury I am still disabled I cannot stand for more than ten to fifteen minutes, sit for more than 20 minutes at a time and I live with excruciating pain most of the time so I need to be able to set my schedule in a way that I can sit, stand and lay down as needed so that I don't fall and cause further injury to my back and legs...well as you can guess that kinda rules out an 8 hour a day 40 hour a week job...and since I have chosen to go back to creating beautiful Items to sell I can sketch and paint laying down or stand and sit as needed I can even lay down and crochet, do needle point or apply the appliqué to my quilts or pillows and if the pain has become unbearable I am able to take my pain medication as needed instead of having to put it off in order to be unimpaired on the job or driving home ...
In conclusion to all of you out there that say we are all bums or lazy now you know the circumstances behind my dilemma and though I would not wish what is happening to me on any one I do wish that you could stand in my shoes and see it from my perspective and I can guarantee that you would probably not make it one hour let alone the many years that I have had to deal with the reduced capabilities of my body and the excruciating pain that I have suffered along with the name calling and ridicule from those around me, nor the frustrations of dealing with a broken system of government and banking on a first hand basis...So do me a favor all of you who are better off than I am before you comment on those of us on this side of the fence...stop and remember this one saying that in this life is so true..." But for the grace of God there go I" as I do when I see those that are worse off than I am and in most cases you will change your mind about making that comment you originally thought was justified...Also please quit complaining so much and help us come up with a solution to the dilemma instead of adding to the stigmatism that is keeping those who are truly in need from going to get that hand up...Please open your hearts and your minds become part of the solution instead of part of the problem...one final thought: "If you were me what would you do"?

Frankie

Redneck Kreations

About this blog

Hello every one I am starting this blog and I am not sure where it will lead or how often I will post here...but to start it out let me explain that it is going to be about my thoughts on many subjects...I have been trying to figure a way that my views could be heard and finally I came up with the idea of starting this blog...So here goes... I will be posting my thoughts here for all to read and comment on and maybe we will find that our views are not so different after all...or maybe we will have a stimulating conversation on two different views of the same subject...Where ever it leads I am willing to go...The question here is are you willing to follow?... Come along for a fun filled journey...Hope to see you soon...