My Thoughts Exactly by Annette Kniola

Interesting title, I agree.  But it's also what's happening to the area in which I live and I find it very disturbing. I writing about this today because we as parents, or any parent for that matter, need to wake up!  Me included. Quit enabling your children! It has become to the point many have become helpless in this world of work and society, and since have turned to nothing but parties and drugs, making their future ability to function in this world completely obsolete. They think it's just easier to smoke a little or take a few pills to make that dysfunctional feeling go away. It's so sad really. It seems to becoming an epidemic. Not just where I live, but all over the US. I am seeing it with my own eyes and I don't know quite know how to handle it.  Yes, I may have my boys tightly gripped and overseen the best that I can do, but I also can't be everywhere either.  They are the ones who have to make the right choices and stand on their own two feet. 

There are times I just sit back and shake my head, always wondering what is in the minds of our local authority.  Well, come this Tuesday, I will be especially curious as to the turnout of this ATV park that has been dragging on for over a decade. Long story short, a very long time ago, many ATV'rs rode in land that wasn't even theirs to begin with.  It is now called the Picayune Strand State Forest. Once kicked off the land that was not theirs, the South Florida Water Management District promised to build them a 1 square mile park. Well, that failed and it should have just gone away because promises are worthless. But no, in return our county then sued the state and was awarded $3 million bucks! Every time I read about this story,  I find it simply ridiculous.😕 ANYWAY...nothing has been accomplished and here our county still sits with $3 million bucks in the bank.  More than likely over these 14 years, it was never with interest either.  By now if this county coul

Exactly, where the hell have I been?  It's been two months since my last blog and time has just been flying by!  Gee, maybe cuz we had a hurricane or something?  Next thing you know, I was off to Germany. Sheesh! I do have three blogs started, just never seem to be able to finish.  Teenage Wasteland, Irma's Wrath, and Oma.(Which means Grandmother in German). I promise to work on those soon.  I was just lucky to have internet when I came home from Germany this past Tuesday.  We went a whole month without and it certainly can take a toll on working out of my office. Thing is, when I write, I'm best in my office, door closed, and total quiet.  Can't say I have had that 'til just about now.😀 This is short and sweet because I felt the need to get at least a few paragraphs out there to let you know I still love to write and to hang tight!  But just for the hell of it, here's a few quick thoughts. The hurricane sucked and I need a new roof. Kim Jong Un an

In the days since the latest "so called" peaceful demonstration in Virginia, this country seems to be falling apart and it really disturbs me. I mean really, what is this country coming to? I guarantee we are all feeling the same way when it comes to what's going on lately.  I have never actually been in this situation before; Ya know, when you are at the point where you don't dare talk about one's valued reasons or thoughts on certain subjects. Geez!  And in my eyes, the last straw was the removing of the confederate statues.  Can you believe I am actually with Trump on this one? Who would have thought.😏 We need better thought out decisions whether any statue or any monument deserves to be placed on a pedestal or if needed to go into a museum. (Aka Ghosts Of The Past). But for now, I say everything stays, and those removed, need to be returned. I wonder if there can be an executive order placed on that? It's like we are re-writing history each

  So I come home last night from ladies night out at the Blue Martini here in Naples.  I was asked out by my friend Sandy because not only did she want me to meet her roommate, but to get out and enjoy some fun.  All I can say is, "Ole(d) what a night!"  Kind of a creepy and interesting all wrapped into one. It all began around 7pm for the happy hour.  I walked in to meet them at a table near the back. The place was pretty busy and a band was ready to go on.  I found Sandy and met her roommate Nancy, who was 67, 17 years her senior, 19 years mine.  But she certainly didn't look it.  She looked fabulous, as did Sandy.  I, on the other hand, was not as fancied up like the rest of the place, but that's fine. I looked cute enough.😊 Sitting with them already, was a man by the name of Ken.  First thing that went thru my head was, "Wow, they are quick to make moves."  But actually, Ken had an open table to sit at and he invited them to sit with him.  Ken

I could not help but to post this today on what I read last night on Tamara Paquette's post on Facebook.  So deep and so surreal.  I also extend my condolences again to the Riner family.  Having four boys myself, I cannot imagine my boys losing their Dad. ~Annette ************************************************************************************************ By Tamara Paquette Today begins the trial for Rene Miles, a drunk driver with an incredibly bad driving record who killed our friend and colleague, Cecil Riner, in a car crash right in front of my house. Over a year ago, Miles got drunk at his company Christmas party and climbed behind the wheel. Going east on Golden Gate Boulevard, he crashed his Pathfinder into the back of Julie Beauplan's Durango, forcing her directly across the median, and right into the path of Cecil & Jessica Riner 's oncoming minivan. They were on their way to her company Christmas party. Our grandson was playing in

I do believe I have come to a point in my life, and I am sure many of you have as well, that no matter how blessed we truly are, it's never enough.  Have you found yourself in this position yet? I wanted to write about it because I feel that with the amount of work I do now, it's never good enough for me or for anyone else.  If you know me well, I am the person that constantly strives to stay ahead, but I find myself slowly falling behind lately and it scares me. Falling behind in what way, you ask?  For one, like each and every one of us will say, it's money.  I constantly bring myself to exhaustion to make money and to stay ahead.  Like most my readers that do follow me, they know I have gone thru a very hard divorce a few years ago and have four boys under my roof.  Not so easy when you are single and trying to make ends meet.  Daniel, Nickolas, Benjamin, and Matthew The boys are getting older and with that comes much heavier financial obligations.  Yes,

Just like the old lyric goes, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, I find myself a bit confused as to who is who?  The 1871 nursery rhyme by Lewis Carroll goes like this; Tweedledum and Tweedledee Agreed to have a battle For Tweedledum said Tweedledee Had spoiled his nice new rattle. Just then flew down a monstrous crow, As black as a tar-barrel; Which frightened both the heroes so, They quite forgot their quarrel. In my world of 2017, unlike the 1871 nursery rhyme, I have now evolved this rhyme into my own words. Words that stand out portraying my 5th grade students school, Sabal Palm Elementary, and the unwise pep rally recently held. Though my rhyme is more than likely completely opposite of the real one, I found myself wanting to be creative and write it how I see fit. To give you a little background before you read it, I want to tell you a little something that happened last week at my son's school.  We have a new Principal at Sabal Palm Elementary and apparently s

So are you over it or what?  Have you come to the conclusion our new President is a nut case and hopefully they can find a way to impeach him?  I'm dead serious. Just read this recent tweet by a Trump analyst Daniel Dale; So true.   By the way, a gaffe is a blunder.  And yes, many Americans have become numb.  Wanna know why?  Because they voted for him and are too much in shock to realize what a horrible mistake they made. Reminds me of that blog I wrote some time ago.  No, not a blunder, but the fact that he's insulting and crazy.  Go ahead and read it.   I'm a Democrat. So shoot me! And the lies folks!  Can you believe there is actually a list in detail , showing true lies versus the real facts.  All 129 of them as of March 17, 2017.  Again, Daniel Dale doing a fine job keeping us informed.  You should follow him on Twitter and learn a few things.  Lol! Here's the site to all the lies; Trump's 129 lies and counting!   To those who did vo

Hmmm, where do I begin...? This story is about my dog named Duma.  A dog that has been with me for quite some time and has done nothing but strain this household each and every way.  Why do I keep him?  Because I love him and he would just move on to the next family and take his bad habits with him.  So, I live with it. It all started almost 11 years ago when we were just finishing up on building the house. Two big scary looking dogs showed up out of the blue and start hanging around. They looked like large pit bull mixes. Well, next thing you know, I started to feed them.  Probably the biggest mistake I ever made.  Anyway, before you know it, they continued to lounge around the pool, the driveway, under trees, and where-ever else they desired.  Eventually taking off for hours, then only to come back again.  This went on for days and no one seemed to care nor be looking for them.  Gypsies they were. The last thing I wanted was another dog. Let alone 2 more!  We already had a 7 mo

Happy New Year 2016!  (Yeah, I know it’s 2017) This is my yearly recap of my past year and blogs throughout 2016.  I am seriously lagging here. It's already the 30th of January.  So today, I write! If interested in my 2015 blog, you can find it here and on my blogspot site:  “2015″ http://kniola.blogs.naplesnews.com/2016/01/06/2015-by-annette-kniola/ To begin, I definitely will say, the year 2016 was the most trying year I ever had since my divorce.  I did the best I could to hide it throughout the year, because I am the positive happy type and I hate writing about dreary bad things.  That's just not who I am and never will be. But in a nut shell,  I was pretty much in bed sick for half the year.  There was still many good times and bad, but let's just say I'm glad it's over.    My family 2016                          January came and went pretty quick.  Majority of December thru April, I was in bed watching Netflix probably 85% of the day,