My Thoughts Exactly by Annette Kniola

I bet you thought I fell off the face of this Earth with hardly any blog posts.  Trust me, I did fall off the face of this Earth.  Literally! Over the past few months, or technically since I have submitted my tax returns, someone has been seriously messing with my identity.  Annette Kniola is no longer a safe name.  I have bent over backwards and still do to this day to clear my name up.  It has started with a someone using my name and submitting "my" own 2014 tax returns before I got a chance to submit my own.  One thing I have learned is a big red flag goes up at the IRS if you have filed joint for many many years, then one year you file single.  Right there was a flag for "both" of my tax returns.  Luckily for that, I suppose.  But the audacity for someone to use my name, social security, address, and trying to submit one child as a write off still blows my mind! Thankfully, when I did got the letter from the IRS back in A...

I have been so thrilled in these past few months because all of the traveling I get to do and how much fun I am doing it!  Being a stay at home Mom for 18 years, I have been very lucky to meet someone who wants me to travel with him.  The kids are very cool with it.  They felt it was about time! My most recent trip was to France.  For most of the week we stayed in Montpelier as I swam in the Mediterranean Sea.  And boy that sea is cold!  It also didn’t help much on the terrorist attacks that came to be while we were there.  Shortly before we had left, a man was beheaded in Lyons, then sadly many more killed across the sea in Northern Africa in Tunisia.   Either way, I just made damn sure my eyes were wide open when I was there. Enjoying the beach and the cute little restaurants were very relaxing. I tried so hard to speak French before my trip, but I find it one very difficult language to learn.  Basically I ended up...

Over the last few weeks and knowing this bear hunt vote was looming over our heads, it put me in a different place.  A place where I don’t care to be. You all know I’m a big lover on animals as most are, but to have that Florida bear hunt vote pass yesterday just sickens me. And I will be posting some graphic pictures throughout my blog just to show you how sickening it really is.  We’ll start off with this one. How does this make you feel right now? I am a realistic person and I clearly understand bears have grown in numbers over the years, but if we could have been a bit more pro-active in a stronger sense, this forthcoming bear hunt would not be happening.  Should not be happening.  I am so saddened by it. Some may say we have been pro-active as to taking these bears and relocating them to different areas, but they just find their way back.  I understand it does not always work, but has the bears hurt anyone?  Is this new hunt ou...

What is forgiveness? : to stop feeling anger toward (someone who has done something wrong) : to stop blaming (someone) : to stop feeling anger about (something) : to forgive someone for (something wrong) : to stop requiring payment of (money that is owed) What is forget? : to be unable to think of or remember (something) : to fail to remember to bring or take (something) : to stop thinking or caring about (someone) For many years during my separation and divorce, I have been and still have been asked to forgive by close family and friends.  Why I say?   They say because when you forgive, you are actually doing it for yourself.  I still have pondered that very concept to this day.  Why should I forgive those that defied my sanctity of marriage?  Our future, our hopes, and our dreams to live the rest of our lives in harmony.  Sounds nice, doesn’t it?  Who doesn’t want the man/woman of your dreams, the house, that white p...

May 15, 2015   My little man Benjamin is on the far left with his percussionist group at Cypress Palm Middle School. First of all, before I even start this blog, I was at home frustrated as hell last night because Benjamin was not ready for this concert, I was starving just coming home from work (thank God I had a pot-roast cooking all day), Ben’s shirt was wrinkled, I lost my damn phone, and we had to leave already!  Oh, the stress! (But the worst thing of it all was, “Where is my damn phone!”) So I go to my son’s band concert last night knowing we have to be there 45 minutes early, so I figured I would drop him out front and hang out in the van to catch up on my emails on my phone.  Sitting in the auditorium on those cold hard seats can be boring.  And yes, I found my phone!  Oh, the relief at that moment of despair was priceless. Low and behold, as I go ahead and park, I realize and say out-loud to myself, “Hey, I’m at Cypres...

Annette Kniola named Civic Recognition Award winner.  Naples awardee recognized for acts of compassion and kindness. Imagine that!  I actually have been recognized.  I feel like a movie star!  Lol! But really, it was nice to receive this recognition and I want to thank whoever the heck nominated me.  I can't thank you enough! It reads; Annette Kniola was named a recipient of the Civic Recognition Award on Monday. Kniola joins the ranks of others from Florida who have received this honor. The purpose of the Civic Recognition Award is to inspire people to help others and improve their communities. Recipients come from all walks of life and all 50 states. Under certain circumstances, the award can be issued posthumously. It is hoped the Civic Recognition Award will encourage people in Naples and across Florida to live their lives around ten values than enhance the well-being of individuals, families and communities. Those ten values are c...

Geez, my writing skills are flying out the door!  I feel I never get time to write anymore.  Seems between work and kids, I don’t have enough me time to actually sit my butt down and write. Thankfully, I have today.  Peace and quiet here at the house, doing loads of laundry in between.  Tons to do, yet never enough time to do it all!  But as I always say to myself, “One day at a time, slow and steady.  Stay focused.”  I guess it must be working because life is going quite smoothly and that’s always a good thing for anyone really. Today I wanted to give an update on our Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park.  I attended the April 7th meeting at the Commission chambers for a roundtable and found it a bit uplifting.  I also stayed after for the soccer complex update as well.  I feel better about that already too. I did see that Brent Batten did go ahead and wrote something up the other day since the meeting.  It was a g...

Well, I can start by saying, I am a bit set back by the recent events over the newly merged fire districts and what I thought was a clear and concise vote, right down to the very end.  Now I’m all fired up! All of last year, both Big Corkscrew Island Fire District and North Naples Fire District went ahead on working at bringing the residents of both of these districts together for consolidation.  A vote which was was passed by over 70% of voters years prior.  Yes, both districts had their work cut out for them and they showed their true colors throughout all of last year.  I truly commend them for putting up with all those stressful meetings and personalities that went with it. Pure exhaustion! All of last year, it seemed as though we had meeting after meeting after meeting to merge both these districts into the one.  And as of November 4th, 2014, it was successfully voted on and passed.  A great accomplishment by far.  And of cou...

February 27, 2015 What a whirlwind of my life in this past year.  I find myself in an interesting place in which I find the love that ran so red, seems to be turning into something running in a whole different direction, and I cannot put my finger on as to why?  It seems to be fading and fading rather quickly.  Unfortunate by all means. I see myself as a very strong, happy -go -lucky sort of individual in which sees life as grand and wants to try to live life to it’s fullest.  I’ve enjoyed the blissful times of marriage, the priceless gift of children, to the holidays, family, and friends.  Life is a wonderful blessing and I make sure I appreciate all that is handed to me.   But there are times when things turn into something unexpected and unfortunate and that seems to be the reason I am writing to you today. Honestly, I don’t know how to go about writing this.  I am beginning to feel looked upon quite differently in my wor...

So I just got home from the movie Fifty Shades of Grey, and I’m feeling blissful, naughty, excited, sexy, curious, motivated, and yet compelled all in one. Nice! Oh, and please do not read this until you have watched the movie.  I would hate to ruin it for you.  And by the way, this blog is rated R(Adult Content). Seems crazy but I guarantee any woman that goes to this movie feels the same.  Most will not admit to the fact of how we “really” feel about the concept of the movie, but the sale of the book pretty much tells you how an exhilarating adventure it could be. The movie itself brings the little bit of naughtiness to the screen. Very well done in my eyes.  And boy, it certainly got my eyes wide open!  Lol!  Now mind you, I am going to get a little loose here in my blog.  And if you can’t handle it, then move on.  I can have my cake and eat it too, ya know! So where is my Fifty Shades of Grey?   The thought of ...

February 4, 2015 There are so many different things going on, I just figured I might as well throw them down on one blog. To start, the boy Marcos Aleman, who was shot and killed here in Golden Gate Estates a couple weeks ago.  I began a blog called, “Where’s your Kid?”, but have yet to finish because there were so many ways I could have approached it.  I found myself all over the place with it, so I didn’t finish. On that blog, I couldn’t decide whether to say, hey, what’s going on with parents these days and why can’t you keep tabs on your kids?  Or, hey, when will we learn that these kids seriously need recreation other than carrying and selling pounds of pot just to have fun?  Or, shut up Annette, the likelihood of you with four boys and the statistics, it could easily happen to you.  So from all of those three approaches rambling in my head, I just decided to let that one go. Yes, poor decisions made that night by these boys, but I am...

The theory or reality of Collier County’s decision making may result in implications of injustice brought on by the community of District 5.  All because of one man and a vision. And the simple question is, why? I think we all have an idea of what this blog is all about.  Yeah, that’s right, it’s the idea of the county taking the decision into their own hands to make damn sure a soccer complex comes forward as the citizens in District 5, after numerous meetings, have come to the conclusion that we have no desire for such a concept, and will stand by the fact that we deserve our Big Corkscrew  Island Regional Park. Not only do we deserve a park, but District 5 earned it years ago as park impact fees came in at the amount of $23 million dollars over a 13 year time span. Then we all know the history of that.  That $23 million ended up in every other district but here! Then over the past several years with the enlightenment that this park is next i...