Who What When Where Why

WHO: Kelly Amber DuPriest

Birth mother of Chandler Hayden DuPriest

Daughter of Marian Cecelia DuPriest and Randall Thomas Krajcar

X partner of Maria Cuzzecreo

Granddaughter of Hazel Madeline Neill ( now deceased) and Martin Newton Neill

Niece of Gary Eugene Neill

Former friend of many.............

What: Female that exhibits characteristics of a sociopath

Female that abuses drugs

Female with mental problems

When: Unknown.....

It is unknown when the sociopathic behavior began

It is unknown when the female first started using drugs but trouble began as early as twelve years of age. Female might have been 13 when mother found a carton of beer under female's bed.

It is unknown when female's mental problems began....

Was she born with them?

Did they develop throughout her childhood?

Where: Everywhere she is present

Why:???????????????????????????????????????????????

Testimony is the latest Anita Shreve novel I finished reading. I completed it last night. If you haven't read it and you enjoy reading this is a must read. It is so cleverly written.

Late tonight, after many hours of painting, I will begin another one. It is sort of fun that I quit reading for awhile and was reminded recently of how much I like her novels. After The Pilot's Wife I read lots of her previous works and then took a break. Now I seem to want to complete reading all of her writings. It is sort of like getting to rent complete seasons of a television series and watching the year's worth marathon style. Fun!

As I have been reading, I have once again been awed by her style. At the end of the book Testimony there is an interview with Ms. Shreve and there is a website listed for her. It just recently occurred to me that my life story might just make a very good basis for one of her fiction novels. I just might contact her. Too bad my story is not ficticious.

Good News: Letter from court arrived awarding us joint guardianship of Chandler. We do not know when Amber was served the papers.

Of course the better news, as I said above would be for all of this to be fiction and for our daughter, Chandler's birth mother , to be someone other than who she is. But Chandler is safe and my husband tells me Chandler being safe is our baseline. Any thing above that baseline is a bonus.

Thursday's Truth or Consequences

I missed Wordless Wednesday yesterday. Had I have not missed it you would have seen the above photo. Although since I just took it, how could that be? Well, I guess I am trying to say on Wordless Wednesday much of the things in the picture were taking place in my life. I could just post a picture of a paint can and brush almost every day of the week and it would be appropriate for what is going on in my life.

I am too goal oriented. My husband tries to remind me when this goal is met there will just be another one waiting. I truly do know this but it is so hard for me to do anything about it. I want to see the finished product. --- One of the reasons I am so amazed I showed you the tub full of unfinished paper products--- still amazes me that they are sitting there--- NOT finished.

Anyway, yesterday I took my dad to breakfast. We decided that was a better time for us to share a meal as he wants to watch sports at night and I want to stay in my jammies and paint!

Lucky for me, he paid for both of us. Hummmm---I have some entertainment money. My brain steers the car to Costco on the way home. I purchased $60. worth of audio books and a paperback book that has been recommended to me ( The Poisonwood Bible -- anybody read it? ) After Costco, I headed to the printers to drop off some real work--the paying kind which allows me to purchase books and paper products. I had to pass right by Barnes and Noble. Being a member that gets 10% off ( I am still debating whether this is a good thing for me or not since I am not sure I actually spend $250. there each year, what with Sam's Club and Costco available to me--- yes, I have a membership to both )I had to stop and look for more of the remaining Anita Shreve novels I have not read. Got out of there just spending $40. You count it up. $100. for books ---- Even if I had paid for my breakfast and my dad's it would not have come to $100.

Yesterday I listened to eight hours of a book. I only have two disks left on that one, which is a long book. At this rate I will be going back to buy more in a couple of days! When I finish painting each night, late, I reward myself by reading a paper book in bed. Wondering if I should just be paying someone to paint. Never mind-- know it is way cheaper to buy the books. I included my ipod in the picture because I have books on it. Trouble is, it is dead-not charged. Have not used it in months so did not even think about it being dead. Listening to books makes painting much more fun. Like listening to books makes driving much easier. Remember me telling you my husband does not have the stamina I have when it comes to projects? This is really saying he is not obsessed. He is the one that caused the purchases yesterday in the way of books on CD. When I called him night before last to see how Pinetop was going I asked what he was doing-- He was listening to the rest of a book while he watched the Suns Game on television. He had the game silent. We had both forgotten our computers would play the disks. ------ Now, you see the picture----- I listen while working-----he listens while watching television------ I think it is a guy thing----- at least that is what I have been told-----

He will fix my drip mistakes though. I guess there is a lesson here--- sort of like the You get a better job if you are a college graduate lesson. He is a better painter than I am. He gets to be the supervisor. Bless his heart. As I said in my last post, he seldom, in our marriage, has gotten to be the supervisor with our household endeavors. He is past due-----and so with that truth spoken, I will go to my consequence. I will open that paint can, pick up that paint brush and paint. Oh Yes, first I will put the disk in my computer!

I Am A Drip

It is true. I am a dripper. There, I've admitted it. My husband hates it. I really don't mind it so much. I don't drip all the time--just every now and then. What is the big deal, anyway? Now, if you know me, at all, and you know my husband, at all, you know this is all out of character. I am the one that normally spouts the saying, " If something is worth doing, it is worth doing right." I am the one that wants all the baseboards caulked. My husband has latched on to my dripping and I can hear him over and over again, in my head, saying," SMOOTH"! Does he think I am not smooth on purpose? From what I can tell, it doesn't matter how many times I go over the area with the brush-- if I put on the paint, there WILL be a drip or two. He is a better painter than me. Trouble is, I have more stamina. Yesterday I painted from 2:30 in the afternoon until 10:00 at night, straight---well, I did stop to eat a bowl of chili. Anyway, it is sort of comical to me and it is sort of nice for him to be so much better at a craft type item than I am. I have been given the suggestion to do all the priming and I am to put on the first two coats of paint. I am to leave the final coat for him to do. This way he can sand and fix any of my drips. Sounds like a deal to me --- But wait a minute--doesn't that mean I am doing three coats and he is doing one? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh---what a drip I am to be setting myself up to do more of the work---- What kind of a drippy deal is this?

Simple Updates:

Cardiologist Appt. yesterday netted another appt. for a stress test. Doctor is 90% sure all if just fine but making sure. Liked Doctor, Liked Nurse, Hated the fact the Doctor looked young and everyone in the waiting room looked OLD. Seemed like I was the youngest patient around. I think what bothered me the most about it is I am not that far away from having someone thinking the same thing about me when I am ten years older and visiting the cardiologist. Maybe I won't have to visit one again or maybe by that time I will think I don't look as old as the 80 year olds or maybe, heaven forbid, I should evolve this much---it will be perfectly fine with me for everyone, including myself, to be the age we are.

Amber: Heard through the grapevine a couple of things.

1. The old truck she had been driving when arrested for the DUI had been retrieved out of impound ( by whom we do not know -- maybe the owner before Amber?) and was at a repair shop. It got stolen from the repair shop. The detective wanted us to be on the look out for Amber possibly driving the truck. Seems they think someone stole it that had a key.?????

2. Amber was driving some friends to The Lions Den ( local bar ) and got pulled over-- don't know why she was pulled over and don't know what she was driving. Anyway, she got arrested again for driving on a suspended license. Don't know anything else---

Pretty much it---must get back to my painting. May you have a smooth day without any drips involved!

Trick or Treat

I keep wishing this reality with my daughter was just a trick.

It most certainly is not a treat.

It is a treat, however, to have a part in making our grandchild's life as stable as possible.

Grandy and I are in the valley together for the weekend.Chandler is spending Halloween with his best friend so he is a happy camper. They are visiting Haunted Houses and what could be more fun on a Saturday night Halloween! Grandy will drive back up on Monday morning to be in Pinetop by the time Chandler gets home from school.

I have been thinking today of some much happier Halloween evenings when our kids lived just across town and we would go trick or treating with Chandler. This Halloween Grandy and I are hiding out in our den with the lights off ( I know, we are awful --- we really are ) as Grandy watches the Texas football game and I read blogs and work on my Christmas cards. Just not up to answering the door and giving out treats to all the ghosts and goblins. Fighting off the ghosts and goblins of my mind. Truth is though, I am doing alright. Much better of late since we have not had any Amber drama.

Painting took place today.

Painting will take place tomorrow.

Monday I go to cardiologist.

Monday afternoon I paint.

Tuesday I paint.

Wednesday I paint.

And so it goes---- we are making progress but it is slow.Trying to be alright with the slow part---

To our knowledge Amber has still not been served with our papers for getting shared guardianship of Chandler. Her next court date is November 18th. I hope we are not tricked again by another delay---

Happy Halloween and please know it is a treat to have this computer and this connection to each of you.

Round Two

Wordless Wednesday

Monday Monday

I slept better last night because I took a sleeping pill.

I am thinking about getting an alarm system for this cottage. There is one in the valley home and it helps me rest easy at night. When Amber was a teenager and on the streets running around keeping unsavory company I was always a little afraid. I did not think she would harm us but I was afraid someone she came in contact with or--- well--you can figure out the rest. Consequently I am uncomfortable. I think the alarm system would help relieve my mind at night.

Yesterday I spent two hours playing around in Photo Shop Elements. It was the first time I had done anything with it at all. I read a little magazine about it to familiarize myself somewhat and then I closed my Mac and opened up windows operating system. I had purchased tutorials and was going to begin my lessons. My tech guy ( husband) is not here and I was not able to open the downloaded files. Boo. I have figured out though that I love my iPhoto program on my Mac so much that I am going to purchase Photoshop Elements and the tutorials for my Mac. I am pretty excited about the upcoming possibilities of what can be done with photos and creating layouts. I have never done any digital scrapbooking and while I don't actually create 12x12 layouts I like to make little books and I certainly could use it in my business of creating packaging products.

My other time filler yesterday was working on a Christmas project/cards. I started this progect for my cards for last year and in October when we got the wind knocked out of our sails the project stayed put. I "made it over" for this year but I must say, it is much more time consuming than I had thought it would be. I am determined to get it done this year and out the door. I want that tin tub I showed you to be getting smaller in the next year!

I saw on the weather that it is going to get quite chilly up here on Wednesday. I think the highs are going to be in the 30's. We go down to the valley on Thursday after school. I am hoping it does not snow up here!!!

Saturday night I stayed up finishing the Anita Shreve novel, Light On Snow. It was very good. I just started her latest novel out only in hardback right now, A Change In Altitude.

That's about it. I am working on that Christmas project today along with correcting something on a packaging project to go to production. I am picking up Chandler from school this afternoon to take him to the dentist for a teeth cleaning appointment.

I hope you all have the nicest Monday possible.