A Firey Fourth

We had a great time at Knights Stadium watching a great game and awesome fireworks (pictures below), but on our way home around midnight we came upon this - a fire. We were heading down Rea Road and saw a brush fire taking up the backside of someone's yard and no one was around - the houses were all dark. We turned off and drove through the neighborhood until we found the smoke, and then the fire. Rick rang the doorbell of the 2 houses in front of the fire, while I dialed 911.

Thankfully Rick found a garden hose and started putting it out before it reached a large tree. The Fire Dept. and Police came and were able to put a stop to the rest of it, but my hero husband had gotten most of it out with that little garden hose before they got there. The neighbors were so appreciative. It was kind of scary to think a fire was burning in their back yard and they didn't even know! Glad we saw it.

Before the fire excitement, we had lots of fun at the game. Rick's dad bought the family tickets and we got to watch the game and awesome fireworks! Here is the whole family with Rick's Aunt Elaine in town from NY. (Doesn't she and my MIL look alike!) The Knights won 11 to 2 and needless to say, we were all exhausted - especially two little boys I know and love!

No longer InStyle

I have a confession to make - I am a trash magazine junkie. I love them: People, US Weekly, In Touch. I even get Country Weekly I am such a geek! One of my favorite things to do before vacation is stock up on the latest trash magazines to read while I'm gone. Another magazine I like, not really trashy, but I like it is InStyle. I usually pick this up at the grocery store, but when I was in Ulta a few months ago they were doing a promotion for it. I signed up for a subscription and enjoyed getting this magazine delivered to my house. I particularly enjoyed all the great tips on putting outfits together for less and what the best make up deals were out there. Then one day, as I was flipping through the latest issue, I saw this: Where her hand is going I'd rather not think about. Then a few pages later was these:

I am rising two young men, and am praying my husband doesn't come to see me as just the person who picks up his laundry and keeps the Pepsi stocked in the fridge. With that in mind, I wondered what my 9 year old would think if he looked over my shoulder while I was reading this magazine and saw this:

I don't know if you can tell, but that's an actress completely naked. You can see her whole back side and part of her breast. What finally did it for me was a page where celebrities were asked what their favorite website was and designer Tom Ford listed a free porn site. Not joking - it's in the June '09 edition.

I'm sorry, but this IS a magazine aimed at women, right? I mean, am I missing something here? What makes the editors of InStyle believe ads like these are going to appeal to me - a heterosexual female? Put an ad of a cheesecake and pasta in there and I'll buy ten copies and hand them out to my friends. This stuff not only does NOT appeal to me, it repulses me. The articles in this magazine are helpful and informative, but the cost of my sons seeing these pictures are no longer worth it to me. They would never get these images out of their minds and I would never be able to forgive myself. So until InStyle can figure out how to print a magazine for women that doesn't offend women, I will no longer buy it.