Kawfee beanz, DIY and assorted Shenaniganery :)

[LouisLeBeau]

LOL....I have a ex-friend like this that told someone that me and the hubby were "crappy" parents because we allowed our oldest daughter to get her tongue and nose pierced and let her get a couple of tattoos....Well, I can say (unlike her girls) that my girls have never tried to sneak out of the house, never drank, never smoked something they shouldn't, never did anything with boyfriends in our house, never tried to run away from home, and never partied...Did I mention that her girls have done all of the above? Who's the crappy parent? Really don't think it's me and the hubby

I've always been the "permissive" parent, both marriages, when it comes to freedom of self expression. H.S. Dawter wanted to get an undercut, and go purple. I was all for it. I think it looks adorbs! Mom is much more rigid.

I enrolled my son when he was 14 at Michigan's wonderful Interlochen arts school for their very intense summer Music camp. He is a very talented pianist. When I went to pick him up at the end of the summer, he had dyed his hair blond! HAHAHA!! He looked SO cute, but the first words outta my mouth were "Oooooooh, your Mom is going to KILL you!" I was laughing so hard I was crying...

 

[Kodak]

I've always been the "permissive" parent, both marriages, when it comes to freedom of self expression. H.S. Dawter wanted to get an undercut, and go purple. I was all for it. I think it looks adorbs! Mom is much more rigid.

I enrolled my son when he was 14 at Michigan's wonderful Interlochen arts school for their very intense summer Music camp. He is a very talented pianist. When I went to pick him up at the end of the summer, he had dyed his hair blond! HAHAHA!! He looked SO cute, but the first words outta my mouth were "Oooooooh, your Mom is going to KILL you!" I was laughing so hard I was crying...

I am pretty much the same way....The only thing I told my kids about getting tattoos is to make sure that they mean something to them and not just get random stuffs, and to make sure that where ever they place them won't interfer in getting jobs in the future. My oldest has 2 tattoos--1 of a Skyrim symbol on her inner forearm, and 1 of the Zelda life hearts above her heart. Both have special meaning to her. My youngest is fixing to get her first one this weekend and it'll be a set of dog tags entwined in roses as a memorial to her grandpa that we lost 3 years ago. Both of my girls designed their body art themselves, which makes it even more meaningful.

I let em do what they want to their hair (it's their hair and they have to take care of it after all!) Daddy doesn't always much care for it though lol....so I always give him fair warning whenever they decided to go drastic.

 

[LouisLeBeau]

When I was a kid, I wore my hair pretty long. Thinking back on it, I know my Dad was aghast, and I now can't imagine the battles my Mom must have waged on my behalf. My folks were polar opposites, but never disagreed in front of us. I'm sure there was plenty of spirited discussion beyond our view.

 

[LynnNC]

Yeah, I'm the parent as well that allows her kids to get tattoos and piercings. Like you Kodak, I insisted the same thing with tattoos. Colton has doves on his side flying up. A friend of his designed it to represent freedom to be what he wanted to be. It has Live Free written above the flying doves. He was 16 when he got it. Laura waited until she was 18 but now has 6. They all mean something to her(on her right shoulder Noah's name and birthdate in Chinese lettering). She has a heart on the inside of her wrist, a bow behind her ear, an infinity symbol on her side, the moon and shooting stars(for a friend of hers that died at 16) on her left shoulder. The most impressive one is on her shoulder. I don't know how to describe it but it's a work in progress. She adds to it when she has money. She recently pierced her nose.

With hair, I don't care. It's hair...it grows back or you can changed the color. And it ain't mine!
Plus...I'm a heathen because I don't force my kids to go to church. Never have! But what the hell, I don't go to church either so why should they?

 

[LouisLeBeau]

Yeah, I'm the parent as well that allows her kids to get tattoos and piercings. Like you Kodak, I insisted the same thing with tattoos. Colton has doves on his side flying up. A friend of his designed it to represent freedom to be what he wanted to be. It has Live Free written above the flying doves. He was 16 when he got it. Laura waited until she was 18 but now has 6. They all mean something to her(on her right shoulder Noah's name and birthdate in Chinese lettering). She has a heart on the inside of her wrist, a bow behind her ear, an infinity symbol on her side, the moon and shooting stars(for a friend of hers that died at 16) on her left shoulder. The most impressive one is on her shoulder. I don't know how to describe it but it's a work in progress. She adds to it when she has money. She recently pierced her nose.

With hair, I don't care. It's hair...it grows back or you can changed the color. And it ain't mine!
Plus...I'm a heathen because I don't force my kids to go to church. Never have! But what the hell, I don't go to church either so why should they?

Hahaha... I'm pretty religious, but I have to admit, I don't do church any more either, now that my kids are grown. I found that when I'm on my motorcycle, I think a LOT about God. But when I'm in church, I just think a lot about my motorcycle....

 

[LynnNC]

Hahaha... I'm pretty religious, but I have to admit, I don't do church any more either, now that my kids are grown. I found that when I'm on my motorcycle, I think a LOT about God. But when I'm in church, I just think a lot about my motorcycle....

I can celebrate my surroundings and the miracle of life anytime I'm out in nature. I'm more spiritual than religious.

 

[Kodak]

Yeah, I'm the parent as well that allows her kids to get tattoos and piercings. Like you Kodak, I insisted the same thing with tattoos. Colton has doves on his side flying up. A friend of his designed it to represent freedom to be what he wanted to be. It has Live Free written above the flying doves. He was 16 when he got it. Laura waited until she was 18 but now has 6. They all mean something to her(on her right shoulder Noah's name and birthdate in Chinese lettering). She has a heart on the inside of her wrist, a bow behind her ear, an infinity symbol on her side, the moon and shooting stars(for a friend of hers that died at 16) on her left shoulder. The most impressive one is on her shoulder. I don't know how to describe it but it's a work in progress. She adds to it when she has money. She recently pierced her nose.

With hair, I don't care. It's hair...it grows back or you can changed the color. And it ain't mine!
Plus...I'm a heathen because I don't force my kids to go to church. Never have! But what the hell, I don't go to church either so why should they?

Sounds like we have the same parenting style I never forced my kids to go to church either as I was raised that you didn't have to go to a specific place at a specific time on a specific day to worship...The way my mom raised me is that I could go out in the middle of a wheat field to worship/talk to God if I wanted. And I often did and still do to this day! When my kids said they wanted to go to church, I let them. Cait has explored just about every denomination now I think. My hubby is a churchgoer when he's home (it's how he was raised down South)....but he understands my point of view about it too and supported me when I said it should be up to the girls.

And Colton's dove tattoo is a really cool idea and I love the meaning behind it! Hubby and I will be getting a new tat sometime this weekend if I can get our matching ones designed in time (I'm intertwining our first initials, but the way I'm doing it you won't be able to see the initials unless you know what you are looking for). And he's getting his Airborne wings tat at the same time.

Hahaha... I'm pretty religious, but I have to admit, I don't do church any more either, now that my kids are grown. I found that when I'm on my motorcycle, I think a LOT about God. But when I'm in church, I just think a lot about my motorcycle....

See? Don't have to go to a specific place at a specific time

 

[DingerCPA]

Wife # 1 was 19, I was 20, and we were only married for 3 months when Jeff was born. And I was a Preacher's Kid!

Yah PKs were always the rebels

I had a lot of conservatism instilled in me (my folks were pretty much straight-ticket Republicans) but I also have developed a sense of Liberalism as I have gotten older. I sometimes don't get the wild hair or extensive tattoos. I'm a wuss and only have a couple of piercings in my ears. But most are trying to express that which is meaningful through their body art. It makes them neither a bad nor a good person.

I also make a distinction between "religious" and "spiritual". There are so many (which is one of the many reasons I stepped away from organized religion for almost half my life) who are so "pious" and "Christian", but are the meanest and cruelest people around. On the flip side, there are many who have rarely, if ever, stepped into a church but who are filled with kindness and empathy.

(If y'all haven't already figured it out) I'm gay. My "coming out" was pretty difficult - for my age and my upbringing. I was FINALLY right enough with myself to sit down with my Dad (conservative Lutheran) and talk with him, and he died suddenly. I think he knew, but I never got to have that discussion with him. My partner's parents are "Christian", but they firmly believe WE're going to hell because we're gay. However, my Higher Power (whom I call God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) has given me one commandment - "Love one another, even as I have loved you." He doesn't say, "Bible thump, sit in a pew every Sunday, and criticize everyone who is different than you."

I'm nowhere near perfect, and I sure as heck don't always do the right thing, but I try to treat others the way in which I want to be treated.

O.k. TLDR version: be who you are, be good to yourself, and be good to one another.....

 

[Sir Kadly]

Hahaha... I'm pretty religious, but I have to admit, I don't do church any more either, now that my kids are grown. I found that when I'm on my motorcycle, I think a LOT about God. But when I'm in church, I just think a lot about my motorcycle....

I was gonna say something here about the difference between being religious and being spiritual but then I kept reading...

I can celebrate my surroundings and the miracle of life anytime I'm out in nature. I'm more spiritual than religious.

Sounds like we have the same parenting style I never forced my kids to go to church either as I was raised that you didn't have to go to a specific place at a specific time on a specific day to worship...The way my mom raised me is that I could go out in the middle of a wheat field to worship/talk to God if I wanted.

I also make a distinction between "religious" and "spiritual". There are so many (which is one of the many reasons I stepped away from organized religion for almost half my life) who are so "pious" and "Christian", but are the meanest and cruelest people around. On the flip side, there are many who have rarely, if ever, stepped into a church but who are filled with kindness and empathy.

YES YES YES YES YES!!!
I have so much I want to say about this, but it would be a book. So let me just say I am most assuredly not religious at this point in my life. At my dad's memorial service a couple years ago, my aunt referred to herself as an Evangelical Agnostic. This term apparently originated from one of the many deep theological discussions she would have with my dad every time they talked. I would say she is a very Spiritual person, she has widely studied religious and theological writings, and she prays. But she is a bit ambivalent about Religion. In some ways, I am much more like her than I am like my dad. Despite my own ambivalence, what I miss most is the theological discussions that we used to have.
OK, getting sidetracked a bit. Anyway, a somewhat related book that was recently published:

 

[Kodak]

Yah PKs were always the rebels

I had a lot of conservatism instilled in me (my folks were pretty much straight-ticket Republicans) but I also have developed a sense of Liberalism as I have gotten older. I sometimes don't get the wild hair or extensive tattoos. I'm a wuss and only have a couple of piercings in my ears. But most are trying to express that which is meaningful through their body art. It makes them neither a bad nor a good person.

I also make a distinction between "religious" and "spiritual". There are so many (which is one of the many reasons I stepped away from organized religion for almost half my life) who are so "pious" and "Christian", but are the meanest and cruelest people around. On the flip side, there are many who have rarely, if ever, stepped into a church but who are filled with kindness and empathy.

(If y'all haven't already figured it out) I'm gay. My "coming out" was pretty difficult - for my age and my upbringing. I was FINALLY right enough with myself to sit down with my Dad (conservative Lutheran) and talk with him, and he died suddenly. I think he knew, but I never got to have that discussion with him. My partner's parents are "Christian", but they firmly believe WE're going to hell because we're gay. However, my Higher Power (whom I call God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) has given me one commandment - "Love one another, even as I have loved you." He doesn't say, "Bible thump, sit in a pew every Sunday, and criticize everyone who is different than you."

I'm nowhere near perfect, and I sure as heck don't always do the right thing, but I try to treat others the way in which I want to be treated.

O.k. TLDR version: be who you are, be good to yourself, and be good to one another.....

I agree about making a distinction between "religious" and "spiritual"...There are so many people I've met who claim to be "good Christians" but don't bother to practice it unless it's on Sundays.

My brother is gay, and his "coming out" went very smoothly (except he still hasn't told his dad--my stepdad, and probably never will) because of the way I was raised and that's how I raised him also. He is 17 years younger than me (4 years older than my oldest kid) and my mom had a lot of problems with booze during his growing up years, so I pretty much raised him. Even my hubby who was raised with the "if you're gay you are going to hell" mentality (because of church, not his family), embraced my brother when he let us know (as did his entire family)...any my hubby loves my brother's boyfriend dearly! My hubby makes it a point to stop and see them whenever he gets to travel through Columbus OH (which is where they live)...in fact, he's seen them more than I have over the last 3 years

I am of the opinion that I will treat others how I want to be treated, I will love them regardless of how they treat me, and I will support whomever they love as well. And if others don't like it.....tough cookies.

 

[LynnNC]

LadyDinger and LadyKodak, you've kinda touched on one of my points about church. I raised my kids in the church that I was raised in. Most of the older people that I and my kids were raised with accepted the fact that Colton was gay and Laura was a single, unmarried parent. Never did they pass judgement on them. But many of the new ones that came in with the new ministers as it were, did! When I finally figured out the real me...the one that didn't need 4 walls, or a person telling me what to do, serve ect...I never went back nor force my kids to go either. The last time I read the bible it said "For God so loved the World", but not gays, or single unwed parents, The World. I don't need them or it. Funny thing, my half sister who is always preaching to me, sitting in church every time the doors are open is miserable. OTOH, I'm happy, optimistic and upbeat. Yeah life sends me knockdowns but life also sends me joyous happy times!

 

[Kodak]

LadyDinger and LadyKodak, you've kinda touched on one of my points about church. I raised my kids in the church that I was raised in. Most of the older people that I and my kids were raised with accepted the fact that Colton was gay and Laura was a single, unmarried parent. Never did they pass judgement on them. But many of the new ones that came in with the new ministers as it were, did! When I finally figured out the real me...the one that didn't need 4 walls, or a person telling me what to do, serve ect...I never went back nor force my kids to go either. The last time I read the bible it said "For God so loved the World", but not gays, or single unwed parents, The World. I don't need them or it. Funny thing, my half sister who is always preaching to me, sitting in church every time the doors are open is miserable. OTOH, I'm happy, optimistic and upbeat. Yeah life sends me knockdowns but life also sends me joyous happy times!

I agree! lol...I get a kick out of it when some "Good Christian" tries to point out to my brother that the bible says that being gay is immoral and wrong...he promptly quotes about 14 different passages right back to em that makes them look silly for even saying such stupid things

 

[Sir Kadly]

Yah PKs were always the rebels

I was always the perfect except for when I wasn't.

 

[Kodak]

I was always the perfect except for when I wasn't.

Which was probably more often than not

 

[LynnNC]

I'll be honest....I ain't never been a !!! EVER!!

 

[Kodak]

I'll be honest....I ain't never been a !!! EVER!!

I was...until I turned 18 and I didn't have to listen to mom anymore

 

[LouisLeBeau]

Yah PKs were always the rebels

I had a lot of conservatism instilled in me (my folks were pretty much straight-ticket Republicans) but I also have developed a sense of Liberalism as I have gotten older. I sometimes don't get the wild hair or extensive tattoos. I'm a wuss and only have a couple of piercings in my ears. But most are trying to express that which is meaningful through their body art. It makes them neither a bad nor a good person.

I also make a distinction between "religious" and "spiritual". There are so many (which is one of the many reasons I stepped away from organized religion for almost half my life) who are so "pious" and "Christian", but are the meanest and cruelest people around. On the flip side, there are many who have rarely, if ever, stepped into a church but who are filled with kindness and empathy.

(If y'all haven't already figured it out) I'm gay. My "coming out" was pretty difficult - for my age and my upbringing. I was FINALLY right enough with myself to sit down with my Dad (conservative Lutheran) and talk with him, and he died suddenly. I think he knew, but I never got to have that discussion with him. My partner's parents are "Christian", but they firmly believe WE're going to hell because we're gay. However, my Higher Power (whom I call God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) has given me one commandment - "Love one another, even as I have loved you." He doesn't say, "Bible thump, sit in a pew every Sunday, and criticize everyone who is different than you."

I'm nowhere near perfect, and I sure as heck don't always do the right thing, but I try to treat others the way in which I want to be treated.

O.k. TLDR version: be who you are, be good to yourself, and be good to one another.....

Oh, I crack me up..

Lil story of my background. Own a Cad/Cam engineering firm for automotive stamping dies. 10 years ago, the work mostly dried up, went to China. Had to figure SOMEthing out.

My best friend (since 4 years old) had been in the Environmental business all his adult life. Worked for, and lived under the shadow of, his twin brother (also a dear friend) who has always been the "dominant" twin. My bestie was the best project manager in the biz, but didn't get much respect from his bro, so not from his crews either. Then, the worst thing in a hard scrabble job like this happened. His son "came out" on facebook. Mild disrespect turned into open ridicule. He quit. HE didn't know what to do with HIMself either. So we played golf and rode our bikes around for a year thinking about it.

Finally, he talked me into going with him on a job, that someone was willing to pay us to supervise. Ford Chicago paint booths. WORST in the industry. Snuck me in without any training, to run the night shift. I figured it all out pretty quick, and fell in love with the idea of making the world cleaner, safely, and getting checks to some pretty down on their luck, but hard working, people.

I sent some of my most precious wines to auction. They were the only "investments" I had that were doing extremely well atm. Bought a bunch of trucks, pumps, and equipment, and we started up as partners.

That was 9 years ago. We have built an amazing company. Perfect safety record, direct tier 1 status with many very large corporations. We don't push the sales too hard anymore. Our guys also work for other companies when we are slow. We like doing a job a month. Keeps us fed, keeps our crew together and happy, and it's a really punishing job, I AND my crews couldn't do it every week. But it pays really well.

In that 9 years, my bestie's brother lost his biz, which doesn't make me HAPPY, but he predicted to his brother we would never make it. So there IS that. And those guys who ridiculed my bestie for his gay son, now call him Boss, with much respect. Life is Tres Cool, sometimes.

 

[dcfluegel]

Oh, I crack me up..

Lil story of my background. Own a Cad/Cam engineering firm for automotive stamping dies. 10 years ago, the work mostly dried up, went to China. Had to figure SOMEthing out.

My best friend (since 4 years old) had been in the Environmental business all his adult life. Worked for, and lived under the shadow of, his twin brother (also a dear friend) who has always been the "dominant" twin. My bestie was the best project manager in the biz, but didn't get much respect from his bro, so not from his crews either. Then, the worst thing in a hard scrabble job like this happened. His son "came out" on facebook. Mild disrespect turned into open ridicule. He quit. HE didn't know what to do with HIMself either. So we played golf and rode our bikes around for a year thinking about it.

Finally, he talked me into going with him on a job, that someone was willing to pay us to supervise. Ford Chicago paint booths. WORST in the industry. Snuck me in without any training, to run the night shift. I figured it all out pretty quick, and fell in love with the idea of making the world cleaner, safely, and getting checks to some pretty down on their luck, but hard working, people.

I sent some of my most precious wines to auction. They were the only "investments" I had that were doing extremely well atm. Bought a bunch of trucks, pumps, and equipment, and we started up as partners.

That was 9 years ago. We have built an amazing company. Perfect safety record, direct tier 1 status with many very large corporations. We don't push the sales too hard anymore. Our guys also work for other companies when we are slow. We like doing a job a month. Keeps us fed, keeps our crew together and happy, and it's a really punishing job, I AND my crews couldn't do it every week. But it pays really well.

In that 9 years, my bestie's brother lost his biz, which doesn't make me HAPPY, but he predicted to his brother we would never make it. So there IS that. And those guys who ridiculed my bestie for his gay son, now call him Boss, with much respect. Life is Tres Cool, sometimes.

sometimes, ya just got to BE the difference that you want to see in others...

 

[Kodak]

Oh, I crack me up..

Lil story of my background. Own a Cad/Cam engineering firm for automotive stamping dies. 10 years ago, the work mostly dried up, went to China. Had to figure SOMEthing out.

My best friend (since 4 years old) had been in the Environmental business all his adult life. Worked for, and lived under the shadow of, his twin brother (also a dear friend) who has always been the "dominant" twin. My bestie was the best project manager in the biz, but didn't get much respect from his bro, so not from his crews either. Then, the worst thing in a hard scrabble job like this happened. His son "came out" on facebook. Mild disrespect turned into open ridicule. He quit. HE didn't know what to do with HIMself either. So we played golf and rode our bikes around for a year thinking about it.

Finally, he talked me into going with him on a job, that someone was willing to pay us to supervise. Ford Chicago paint booths. WORST in the industry. Snuck me in without any training, to run the night shift. I figured it all out pretty quick, and fell in love with the idea of making the world cleaner, safely, and getting checks to some pretty down on their luck, but hard working, people.

I sent some of my most precious wines to auction. They were the only "investments" I had that were doing extremely well atm. Bought a bunch of trucks, pumps, and equipment, and we started up as partners.

That was 9 years ago. We have built an amazing company. Perfect safety record, direct tier 1 status with many very large corporations. We don't push the sales too hard anymore. Our guys also work for other companies when we are slow. We like doing a job a month. Keeps us fed, keeps our crew together and happy, and it's a really punishing job, I AND my crews couldn't do it every week. But it pays really well.

In that 9 years, my bestie's brother lost his biz, which doesn't make me HAPPY, but he predicted to his brother we would never make it. So there IS that. And those guys who ridiculed my bestie for his gay son, now call him Boss, with much respect. Life is Tres Cool, sometimes.

That's Karma at work right there

 

[LouisLeBeau]

I'm sticking to Religious. My wife and I tried a LOT of churches, and were sickened by the gilding, the judgement, the money game.. But we DID eventually find a church, that fit us just right. The loveliest people, the most compassionate pastor, the cleanest and clearest motives. They are NOT all, as most of them are. This one happens to be Presbyterian, but it is really the people OF the church, and people IN the church, that set the tone.

When I saw paint peeling off the walls, a well worn carpet, minimum and efficient trappings and LOTS of fund raising for soup kitchens, foreign aid, Habitat for Humanity, etc. and keeping aside from the general fund ONLY what was necessary to maintain the church itself at a minimum level of existence, I was sold. Judging people for being judgemental, is still being judgemental. Hypocrisy works both ways.