Happy Birthday to my mom..and Friday fun

Well today is my Mom's birthday! Happy Birthday Robbie Gilbert! She is coming up with some friends and we are all going to the Warren tonight to watch "Funny People" with Adam Sandler. I'm excited to see it, as I love ALL Adam Sandler movies, and this one looks really funny.

Well I had to take Payslee to the vet yesterday.. She had not been feeling very good, and puking, so I spent $100 to find out she had...............GAS! lol.. Oh well, better safe than sorry.

We did the smackdown this morning. I voted for Blake Shelton. I would vote for him on his 'Twitter' tweets only! He is hilarious on Twitter. You should follow him..He cracks me Up! http://twitter.com/blakeshelton

I've so loved the rain, and I'm looking forward to the weekend.. You all have a good one!

Trent Tomlinson Tuesday!

Well yesterday Trent Tomlinson stopped by the Studio. I love him. He's the guy that sings "One Wing in the Fire" and "Drunker than Me" and many others.. I love his music. I have been to see him several times, and he always puts on a great show. Check out my WEBISODE with him:


It was kinda funny because he came by the station around 4:00, and I had to be at "Manners" class with Payslee & Sawyer at 6, so I brought them with me.. Sawyer just sat and watched him sing. Payslee thought it was too loud, but they both acted like sweet, polite, babies. Trent asked Sawyer if he wanted to be in the picture, and of course he did, so thats why he's in the above picture.


Well Paylsee graduated with honors from her "Manners" Class.. and guess who decided to show up to the learning dance? YES! Mister Sawyer! Last night he did so good, sitting, staying, and his cute little trick of rolling and waving..He did a great job! So now I have faith that Sawey will be a great therapy dog too! Yay little man!
Now we will beging 'Therapy Dog Class' in August.. Woo ha!

Who loved the rain! Me Me!

I so enjoyed all day yesterday.. I love rain, and I really love ALL DAY RAIN. We only got .12 at my house, but it was enough to get the ground wet, and water the flowers. I had to give the dog-babes a bath yesterday after Sawyer was at the farm. He thought it would be cool to put his face in the mud, so he needed a bath. Now they smell like Cake. Also for those of you who don't know, all my dogs have car-seats.. lol.. Here they are in their seats in the car.. Notice how Rally is just loving his in the back..He is funny to me.

This Morning we posted the 5 things to never wear on a plane..Very good INFO:

FIVE THINGS TO NEVER WEAR ON A PLANE

What you wear when you travel via air can be critical for keeping you comfortable and even safe in case of an emergency. If you want to be comfortable and safe while flying, don't wear these five things, according to Christopher Elliott of Tribune Media Services:

**Heavy perfume or cologne -- These scents may be your olfactory signature, but try to refrain before you board a plane. Perfume and cologne can permeate the interior of an aircraft, overwhelming and even sickening your fellow passengers.
**High heels -- Not only are high heels, especially stilettos, uncomfortable and restrictive on long flights, but also they can be a danger should you be forced to evacuate the aircraft using the inflatable emergency slides.
**Shorts -- No matter how warm it is in your departure city or your destination, it's cold on planes--even in the summer. Wear shorts, and you're sure to regret it.
**Light colors -- Dark-colored clothes travel better for several reasons. If you spill something, the stain is less likely to be noticeable. You especially will appreciate this if your luggage is lost or delayed, forcing you to wear your travel clothes for a second day. Also, avoid synthetic fabrics because they can be hot and sticky. Instead, choose clothing made of natural fibers, such as cotton in the summer and wool in the winter.
**Tight-fitting clothes -- Pants, tops, dresses or skirts that are too form-fitting may be sexy attire, but they aren't the best travel attire. Not only are tight-fitting clothes uncomfortable on long flights, but also they can be dangerous by escalating deep vein thrombosis. Choose loose-fitting, non-binding clothes.

Pretty excited about Today. Trent Tomlinson is supposed to stop by the station. I'm a big fan, so I look forward to seeing him and hearing his new music..I'm also going to try to get Trent to take his shirt off. He has like a 20 pack of abs!! Then tonight is the graduation class for Payslee in her "Manners" class. Sawyer will go along, and hopefully learn something!

The Weddin' is Over!

Well the wedding turned out perfectly. Lexi (My sister) looked beautiful. Her dress was perfect for her, and the colors were dark Pink & Black. She married Brandon Hinz from Weatherford. His family has the auctioneer service in the Corn/Colony Area.

Friday night was the Rehearsal dinner. I was quite popular there telling funny radio stories about the ridiculous folks I work with, and country music stars. We had a good steak at the T-bone afterwards..Good times.

Saturday I had to be back at the church at 2:30 for pics. We got all of our pictures taken and the wedding started at 4.



In this pic its my dad, Joni, Brandon, Lexi, Grant & I. My dad didn't start crying until both of his girls were on the stage. I was singing, and Lexi was getting married. I knew better than to look at him because I would start crying.

I'm going to be honest, It was a little sad for me. I mean they were standing up there looking all happy and stuff, and I was thinking, "Where is my Prince Charming?".. I knew better than to look at my dad. He cries everytime I sing, so I knew he would make me cry.. Although I will say this.. after watching all the planning, and stuff I have no desire to have a wedding. That and I don't have any friends to invite! Haaay! I think I would like to just take some friends and family with me to the beach or something and get married that way. Or maybe a cruise.. Although I should probably focus on finding a man before I focus on the wedding...Just thinking outloud there..

Lexi had 4 bridesmaids, all in Pink dresses. They were cute dresses too! The Boys all wore black tuxes with Pink vests. It was a pretty wedding. At the reception they had.. dum dum dum.. A chocolate fountain! Delish! I didn't stay for the throwing of the bouquet, because the dogs were staying with Grandpa Steve, and had been in their crates for awhile..I watched them cut the cake, and serve the punch, and then I left.

Other than that, I didn't do much this weekend. Went to church with my parents yesterday and then watched the dogs play. Mom's puppy, Izzy, is getting bigger and bigger! Payslee will still play with her, but she is so rough that Pays gets tired of it quickly, so she will just ask me to pick her up. But Sawyer NEVER gets tired of it.. all they do is run and run. Izzy pulls Sawyer by his tail and drags him, but he doesnt' care.. He's just happy to play and play.. I'll post a video of them running as fast as they can tomorrow.

Follow me on Twitter if you like: Sometimes I give away fun thing on my Tweets:
http://twitter.com/kcsheperd

Happy Friday..Wedding weekend

We interviewed Wayne, our overnight Security guard here at KKNG. HE works from 10pm to 6am to keep us safe..He encounters ALL Kinds of interesting people throughout the night here at South Shields. He's been propositioned by a 76 year old prostitute, fought off wild dogs, and watched someone bleed through our parking lot..so yeah, he has an interesting job!



Well I'm off to do 'wedding stuff' this weekend. The Rehearsal is tonight. I'm singing "I Cross My Heart" at the 1st Baptist Church in Weatherford for Lexi, my half-sisters wedding to Brandon Hines. I hope they won't be riddled with disappointment! I've got to take the dogs to Canute first, then I'll head back to Weatherford. I am excited that we are eating at the T-Bone after the rehearsal. I love the T Bone in Weatherford! They have calf-fries! Woo hoo! They also have loaded Baked Potatoes which are magically delicious. I start what I like to call the "Blargh" diet Monday, so I'm going to enjoy all the fabulous food I can this weekend, knowing that I will be bidding it adieu!

I'm going to miss the Oak Ridge Boys show. I just won't have time to do the whole wedding, go back and get the dogs, then head back to the City..So my Oak Ridge Boys,I will miss you this time, but I shall see you again someday.

Oh, by the way..I'm now watching my dog babes on a webcam at home. You wanna see them: http://www.justin.tv/kcshep (Keep in mind, if you are reading this 'after hours' the webcam for them might not be on)

My crazy Neighbors kids were at her house yesterday, and they waved nicely to me, so maybe they are trying to 'build a bridge' for her since she is obviously insane.. You all have a weekend, and wish me luck in not humiliating my family at the wedding!

K

Whats black and white and black and white?

A Nun rolling down a hill! Hahah! Someone called in this morning and told us that!

We also talked about "5 Minutes to better health"..here's the suggestions:

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH IN JUST 5 MINUTES

*Correct Posture -- Sitting at your desk, adjust the height of your chair so that your forearms are parallel to the floor when using a keyboard. Your thighs should be at right angles to your body.
*Tea Time -- Two cups of tea a day can halve the risk of heart disease and prevent strokes. The phytochemicals in tea contain antioxidants that knock out free radicals that can lead to cancer.
*Brush Right -- To fend off gum disease, brush and floss twice a day. Use short horizontal strokes, and follow up with mouthwash to make sure you get all the plaque.
*Juice It -- A glass of orange juice is the easiest way to get one of the five recommended daily servings of fruits and veggies and it's packed with vitamin C.
*Deep Breaths -- Shallow breathing can lead to increased risk of infection in the lower lungs and high blood pressure. Deep breathing increases oxygen in the blood, calms nerves and lowers the heart rate.
*Rent a Comedy -- Having a good laugh can improve overall health and boost levels of immunoglobulin, an antibody that helps fight infections. It can also lower blood pressure.
*Treat Your Feet -- Wash your feet every day, and dry thoroughly, especially between the toes. Apply a moisturizing cream but not between the toes, because moisture leads to athlete's foot.
Stretch -- If you don't stretch a muscle after a workout, it won't be able to refuel with the right nutrients, and the muscle fibers won't fall back into place.
*Phone a Friend -- Getting in touch with friends and family is an effective way of beating depression and can help you recover from illness sooner.
*Pet Your Pet -- Stroking your kitty or pooch lowers your heat rate and blood pressure, and can improve your chances of survival after a serious illness of surgery

Since Bill was talking about strippers yesterday in his blog, I thought I would post a picture with me and two strapping young men..

I tried on the dress I was going to wear to the wedding, and it still look okay..so I'm pleased with that. I'll be glad when its all over. I'm kinda nervous about the whole situation...We went rollerblading last night, and Sawyer keeps getting...slower...and...slower.. He reminds me of Pandora, never wanting to exercise. Kinda reminds me of myself.. Today I set up the webcam to watch my dogs while I'm at work.. I always put the babies in the kitchen with pet gates, and Let Rally run free. Well Low and behold, today when I was viewing them guess who was in the kitchen with the babies?..RALLY! See he does love his little babes!

Tuesday fun for you and I.

Well welcome to Tuesday!

I went to Little Ceasars last night because I heard on the radio (thank you) that they had a Monday night $3.99 special.. and boy do they! I got there about 6:00 and there were a million people waiting in line for the pizza! But they were fast, and I got in and out rather quickly..and yup, you get a large pizza for $4.32! Not to shabby!

So I'm not going to lie..I'm a little excited that James Otto and I have been having Twitter conversations on Twitter.com. Its pretty magical.. Not that its anything that entertaining, but the point is that James Otto cares enough ABOUT ME to follow me and interact with me on Twitter, so Booya! I'm really excited to hear him sing some new stuff at the New Face Showcase show in August..Keep listening for your chance to win tickets!

There is a website called "PETCAST" and you type in your zipcode, and a few things about your dog and it will tell you the best time to walk your dog, how many mosquitos are out, etc.. Pretty cool idea.

Tonight Brad Paisley, Charley Pride and others will be at the white house. If you want to follow the action go to THE WHITE HOUSE to watch! I wont get to watch it, because Payslee, Sawyer and I will be going to the last "Manners" class in Norman. I'll tivo it. Mom is coming up today for a meeting so we will have lunch together..Hooray! Have a good day!

Our New Website is here!

Our New Website is up! Check it out KKNG.com

Hope everyone had a great weekend..I went to Shelly's 40th birthday party, and we had a good time. It was blazing hot though! I also had the privelege of eating at Iron Star BBQ over the weekend..its off 36th I believe.. WOWZA! What great food! They have this magical Maccaroni & Cheese, and smoked turkey! It was so good!!

The babes and I had to go to PETCO over the weekend to get food..I was laughing at the people that kept coming up to "OOSHY BOOSHY" them..They love riding in the cart. We talked about this on the air today:

RESPONSE TO PETS REVEALS ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP

How an individual responds to animals tells you a lot about how he'll relate to you in a romantic relationship. Here are a few common scenarios of how people interact with their furry friends -- and what that indicates for their love life -- from Match.com:

Your date's a disciplinarian -- No one should put up with a pet that misbehaves non-stop, but anyone who's too strict should set off alarm bells.
Pets chow down at the dinner table -- If your dinner conversation is constantly interrupted by Bubba's big blond head popping up from under the table to get the lion's share of the appetizers, your date may have some boundary issues.

Your own pet makes them jealous -- Dates who are threatened by the time and attention you spend with an animal will likely be even more jealous of other things in your life-friends, relatives, work.

He baby-talks his pet snake -- You don't really need me to comment on this, do you?
They use their own pet as a proxy -- If your date says, "Well, I would like to go to the Cape for the weekend but Tiffany, my Rottweiler, hates the beach," you could have a passive-aggressive type on your hands.

Their pet is overly accessorized -- Pets with fancy leashes, sweaters, and booties indicate that their owner is either rich (no complaints here), or harboring a deep sense of inferiority that they believe can be overcome with just the right studded collar.

They don't like animals -- Forget about them. That's clearly an evil person.

I also bought the dogs a cat bed that was on clearance. Its for cats, and shaped like a cat, but the babes just love it! They fight over who gets to sleep on it. Hey Guess who is following me on Twitter? JAMES OTTO!! BOOYA! If you want to follow me as well go to www.twitter.com/kcshep

I hate trying on dresses & Farm songs..

So Yesteday I had to go get the dress I was going to wear to my sisters wedding. I hate trying on dresses and jeans. They are the WORST. Dresses, are probably worst of all though, because if you don't take someone with you, then who will zip it up? So I spent the first 4 dresses trying to put my hands over my head and around my back trying to zip it up! I was exausted! I finally found one that didn't make me want to throw up, but the stupid zipper was stuck on the side! So I had to take myself OUT of the dressing room (with my flesh hanging out) to ask the lady to help me zip it..She of course could not..So I ended up getting out of the dress, fixing the zipper myself, and buying it! What a pain! I did buy some sassy shoes though..I probably won't be able to wear them very long, since its like a 3 inch heel..but they are some SASS! And afterwards I went to Sephora and rewarded myself with some new lipstick and lipgloss..

So at least the 'dress' part is out of the way. She has decided the song will be "I Cross My Heart" and I can sing that pretty well, so I'm happy about that. I've talked to my brother Grant, and he's not bringing a date, so he can sit with me. Its next weekend.

This weekend is Shelly's birthday party. Its a "White" theme. I have no idea what I'm going to wear..lol..No, really I'm going to wear WHITE. Brandon, Amy, Lauren & Angie are going with

me, so that will be funtimes. Its actually supposed to be nice all weekend, so I might not mind sitting outside.

I will probably not go see the "Harry Potter" movie, being that I have not seen any of the others, and I would probably be lost. Today is "Farm Song Friday".. its funtimes to hear songs about farming. My fav's are "Amarillo Sky" "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" and "International Harvester" I'm so glad we got the rain..that will hopefully help the farmers! I know our farmland is burning up! We got a good rain on the Northside. Rally woke me up at midnight..He was laying on my chest by my head. He gets scared during the storms, but not the babies..they just sleep on. Sawyer is a sound sleeper. Payslee will wake up every once in awhile to go outside. They are finally getting much better about taking a nap now.. Whew! You all have a fabulous weekend!

Hooray for funtimes

The website we were talking about this morning to automatically help you get a HUMAN when you call a number is: http://www.gethuman.com/ It has the numbers for the cell phone companies, computers, customer service, etc.. Its very helpful.

Last night Payslee & I went to class in Norman. Let me just say again, how much I am enjoying the road construction on I-35. It takes me over an hour to get from the North Side to Norman. RIDICULOUS. Then they decided to close all but ONE lane on my way home..Thanks Construction.. Thanks.

Anyway, Payslee did GREAT last night in class.. she was perfect on her 'sit' and 'stay' and 'down'. and walking..I'm just very proud of my sweet biscuit. She is very good at watching me, and listening the whole time. Since next week is the graduation class I'm going to take Sawyer too and see how he does. I'm not sure how he will be because he is kinda off in his own little land, but we'll try it.

We're thinking of doing a "farm Friday" in which we play all songs that pertain to Farming, and farm equipment..We had a ton of good suggestions this morning. I'll let you know if we ever get to do it..I would love it! Here's some suggestions.

High Cotton--Alabama

She thinks my tractor's Sexy--Kenny Chesney

John Deer Green--Joe Diffee

Country Boy--John Denver

Where Corn Don't Grow--Travis Tritt

Watermelon Crawl--Tracy Byrd

I'm from the Country--Tracy Byrd

Big Green Tractor--Jason Aldean

Amarillo Sky--Jason Aldean

I Never Picked Cotton--Roy Clark

Hello Tuesday.. welcome

Well Hello..
Its Tuesday, which means tonight is Payslee & I's next to last Manners Class in Norman Tonight. I've been working with her on sitting for a long time all week, so we'll see if it paid off.

Geesh..Its so hot. Its impossible to be outside. Yesterday though when I came home my neighbor (the one who mows my yard for me) had taken MY hose and hooked it up to MY faucet, and was watering MY yard. Isn't that odd? I mean, if I wanted to water my yard, wouldn't I? He stopped me in the yard, and said, "I'm keeping your yard in good shape" so I was like.. Okay.. I mean I didn't really know what to say at that point..so I just let him keep watering it.. lol.. Such is life with my strange neighbors.

Today we had a visit from a new artist, His name was Easton Corbin, and he did some great stuff..Check out our youtube link if you'd like to see his latest stuff!

Haunted weekend movie fun, Iraq pics

Sawyer likes to look at himself in the mirror..He knows he's pretty.. lol

Well I hope everyone had a great weekend! My parents came up and we had a funtime. Friday we went to eat at Buddah Tao and had delicous Salmon & Sushi..Then Saturday we went to see "Transformers".. Mom & Steve were less than enthusiastic about it, but it took me back to my childhood and I kinda loved Optimus Prime..I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. It wasn't as good as the first one.

Saturday night we went to the "Haunted Restaurant".. of course we couldn't find it, and had to call..but we did enjoy the lovely German woman on the phone who gave us directions. Once we got there we were impressed. Even though its out in the middle of no where, its an awesome atmosphere. No ghosts tried to kill us or anything, but the food was divine! Plus they had those little Melba toasts, and we love those, so it was fun. I had a steak and it was delish. Next time I have to save room for the German dessert!

Saturday I thought it would be funny to put Payslee's hair in Pigtails. My dogs have now figured out what 'take a picture' means. Seriously, they do..If I ask them to jump into a chair and say "Smile for mama"..they do.. As you can see Payslee does the "Open-mouthed Oprah" smile. Its amazing what you can teach them! She knows that I want her to smile, so she always does, and its so cute! Look at her face!

Sunday we went to Sams, where I got a delicious watermelon! Finally! I never pick good ones, but this one was good. The dog babes were acting like they wanted a bite, so I gave them one, and they Loved it! Their little munching mouth sounds made me laugh, but they did love some watermelon! It was so hot we didn't do much outside, but it was a fun weekend!

A couple of weeks ago I sent some music to one of our boys fighting for us in Iraq. He was from my neck of the woods, in the Sentinel Area. His name is Adam Rogers, and I thought it would be nice to send him some cd's, and a KKNG sticker. Well he put it to good use! Thanks for the pics Adam!

No Accordion Friday

Sorry, I didn't play the accordion today..Helen was sad, but she's just too much to haul to Cattlemens, and since thats where we were, I couldn't do it. So I'll play it on Monday. I enjoyed my delicious pancakes this morning! The Breakfast is so good at Cattlmens!

Well this should be a fun weekend. Mom & Steve are coming up and we are going to go to the Haunted Restaurant. Its a steakhouse thats off by the Cowboy Museum on Mirimar Road. I've never been there, but I've had several people tell me its a neat place, so we're excited to go. They are going to go to the zoo, but I think it will be WAY to hot for my sweet self.. lol.. I'll melt.

I might go to the Movies this weekend..I need to clean house, but I'm not motivated. I took the dogs to the dog park on Tuesday night, but they didn't seem to enjoy it. There were 2 schnausers there and I guess they were playing too rough, because Payslee & Sawyer just kept running and hiding underneath a bench..They are still babies.. lol.. You guys have a great weekend!

Gophers and skating babies.

So yesterday I was napping and had a weird dream that there were 4 foot gophers in my front yard just hanging out..So Payslee went up to play with them and they started to eat her, so I went over and beat them and took her out of their mouth. Any ideas on what THAT might mean? lol..

Don't know if you saw this or not yet, but I loved this..


Tomorrow we are at Cattlemens once again for a delicious breakfast! Come on down, we'll have more 'new face show-case' tickets! Woo wee!

I had dreams about Michaell Jackson..

After watching Michael Jackson coverage for like 7 hours yesterday its no wonder that I had dreams about Michael Jackson last night! I did think his funeral was awesome though, and very tasteful. I loved all the performances and speeches. Even Al Sharpton didn't irritate me, and he usually does! I'm sad to see MJ go, but I thought his farewell was very nice.

Well Payslee & I went to "Manners Class" last night.. and she did so good that her teacher said she should already be in a more advanced class! Booya! Yup, my little angel is doing so great! We only have 2 classes left, but Pays has already learned all the commands. She will still finish the class, and then go directly into the therapy dog class, and hopefully get her therapy certification after that. I'm very proud of her for being such a good girl. Her teacher said she would make a perfect therapy dog. She is my biscuit. I've got to start working with Sawyer though. Lately he has found his 'voice' and loves to jump up and smootch me..Which is cute, but not very mannerly...so I'll have to get him onto the same page as Payslee. I'm not making Rally do any of it..I figure he is 11 years old, and has earned the right to do whatever he wants at this point!

Larry Gatlin was on the show today to talk about "Johnny Cash is dead and his house burned down".. I'll put it up on the Podcast, so if you missed it you can listen to it if you like. Have a great day!

Its Monday Dunday..

Well I had a fabulous time at the farm! It was nice to just be out there with nature, and my dog babes. Speakin of, they had so much fun racing and running with Mom's puppy, Izzy. She and Sawyer were BFF's all weekend and I swear they ran and played so much I thought their legs might fall off!

Friday I had some friends over for a BBQ and a volleyball game..However, I didn't play volleball that long because I got stuck with two 'non-athletic' types and we kept getting beat, so I had to walk away. I'm not good with losing..at anything.. ever.. lol.. Always been that way.

The Ribs, Hamburgers, and Hotdogs were amazing though, and we all had fun talking and making smores. I set off some fireworks, but they scared all 7 dogs (thats how many we have all together, mom has 4) so I had to stop shooting them off! Everyone enjoyed mom's beautiful landscaping, and the pool.. Sawyer swam a little bit, but Payslee didn't this time. Sawyer doesn't jump in, but he likes to paddle around when I go in there.. Rally had a good time running with the big dogs!

Saturday I came back to the city for a Bob Howard remote and then went to see "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. It was good, and gave me hope that at some point in my life, there might be a man who wants to marry a loud, bossy, career driven woman! Woo wee! Hope you had a safe 4th!

Gloriana at Tobys, and Manners

Well Payslee and I went to our 2nd "Manners" class, and I'm serious (and its not just because she is mine) when I say that she is one of the star-students. The other dogs jump up on people, bark, and drag their owners around, and Miss Pays does a great job staying quiet, and acting polite to everyone. This week we worked on "Leave it" and walking on a leash. Payslee did very good with both of those things. I heart her.. She's the cutest one too.. and I probably am saying that because she is mine!!

This is Payslee throwing a fit. She wants me to hold her, but she has to stay buckled in..

Last night we welcomed the band "Gloriana" to Toby Keith's. There were a billion people there, from the "Motivational" conference yesterday. I didn't get to go, but mom did and she said Steve Forbes, Colin Powell, and Rudy were the best speakers! I love Rudy! The crowd seemed to enjoy the band. They did a few covers, and a few songs off their new cd. I had some delicious catfish and chips & salsa!

Well I'm off for the rest of the week. I'm heading to the farm with all the dogs. We are having a big farm party. People will come cook out, swim, and have some ribs! I'm excited to just relax for a bit. For the past 2 days I haven't been able to rollerblade the dogs and they are driving me batty at night-time not wanting to go to bed!! GO TO BED LITTLE DOGS! But they won't.. So when we go out to the farm they play NON stop, and go right to bed at night, so I'm excited to finally sleep through the night. I tell ya, if I ever DO decide to have children I'll totally be ready for the lack of sleep! lol. .

Well I hope everyone has a great 4th of July weekend. Stay safe, and enjoy and be thankful for our freedoms!