Was it a Scam or Not??

     The past few weeks I have been looking around, trying to find a nice and dependable car for under $2000.  I found a lot of nice cars and realized how many dealerships were within 50 miles of me as well (lol).  However, it seemed like every time I found one that I wanted, it had already been sold before I called and I was about to give up hope... to be perfectly honest with you!

     Just when I thought all hope was gone,  I came home on Friday and my husband showed me a picture of a GORGEOUS car that the owner only wanted $1950 for.  As he told me about the conversation he had been having with the owner all morning via email I got excited, but the car was in another state and would have to be shipped...

     Being the pessimistic that I am.. I wanted to know more and ask questions.  After a few more emails back and forth I grew more excited because I felt like it was legit, but I was also suspicious due to a few little details....

1. The car was way to nice to be only $1950... Especially when the price included it being shipped to me.
2. The Google account of the owner... Did not have any posts, likes, nor a picture and they only had 1 friend, whose page was the same way to a 'T'!    
3. The PhotoBucket Account had only the pictures that they had sent me of the car. 
4. The original listing for the car was on CraigsList

.... O.Kay all of these things could be nothing, but Flags were waving because even if someone doesn't share much stuff on the web, most people have friends and have posted at least once or liked something (just my hut feeling).

     The owner had convinced my husband that things were legit; and through conversations I felt okay about it somewhat; therefore, he told the owner we were ready to move forward with the deal....  This is the part that really made me throw up the stop sign!!!

     The Agent that would be handling the deal sent us an email with the information we needed to make the purchase.  However, this is "supposed" to be from an Amazon Vehicle Protection service and yet there is no listing on the Amazon website for this service and no phone number on the email either.  (????)  

     The owner happened to email right after and asked if we had all the information; and my husband said yes and that we would be sending the money shortly.  The owner then sent a message thanking him and signed the email.. "God bless  you and your family", which made me feel a little less suspicious and I thought that maybe we were getting a good deal due to their hardship with the illness of a child and needing money.

     The kids were getting out of school and I was going home to get our youngest daughter; and my husband was going to get our oldest daughter and then go into town to send the money.  We chatted briefly a little more, mostly me asking him if he was SURE he wanted to move forward.  He agreed to email the 'Agent' and ask him to give him a call, just to verify things first; and he did.

      Not long after, my husband calls and says that an email came in from the 'agent' and he claims that he can not call because the company does so much business that the phone lines are tired up!  ... 

   ..."Ummm, Yeah Right!!!   If you want me to send you $1950, you are going to talk to me!" was my response.  

     I told him I would email the owner and ask them to contact us; and we agreed he would call once he got into town before he did anything.

     As I waited for the owners reply, I started thinking about everything and my doubts kicked in overdrive.   I started searching the internet to see if I could find the company that was planning to ship the car.  Just as I was searching I came across a question someone had asked about this company on Yahoo Questions that was ideal to our situation; and she was wondering if it was a scam!??  

       **Red Flags was popping up EVERYWHERE!!

    The owner's reply follows saying that they would never do anything to scam anybody, they enjoy their freedom and life too much.. blah blah blah.... But again, not willing to call me!

     So... I picked up the phone and called my husband!  Once he answered, I read him the question on Yahoo and the comments; and then I told him that my gut was telling me this is not right; and that I would rather end up with a lemon than have someone scam me out of all of that money and he agreed!

    Later on that night, still wondering Was this is Scam?  I asked my husband if he was going to email the owner or the agent and tell them we were not interested; and he said no.  

    He said.. "If it was a scam they won't even try to contact me again!  Because they will know I was suspicious and they will move on."  

    It's been 6 days now and no one has tried contacting us again to see if we have sent the money or if we were still interested...  Is this because they sold the car to 1 of the other 4 people who were interested?  (or)  Because it was a scam?  

    What do you think... Was this a Scam or Not??

     

      

   

The most Romantic Valentine's Day

 
  Valentine's Day is the day of Romance.. but a few years ago, romance was far from my mind as I was getting dressed for my dad's funeral.  Honestly, Valentine's Day was the farthest from my mind!

  On the ride home, the car was filled with silence; and the holiday was mentioned to break the ice.  My husband apologizes for not having a gift, as do I; but we both know and understand completely and forget about it.

   The next day my hubby returns from work; and in he comes with flowers and a card. Naturally, it brings a smile to my face and love in my heart.. as it will to anyone receiving such a sweet gift.  However, I notice something familiar about some of the flowers...  they were the one's I had got from daddy's funeral.

    Seems that when he went to get my flower's he asked if they could add them in, so that they would last longer.  Awww!!  I can't explain the feelings of love that came over me that year and I can honestly say that it was the most romantic Valentine's Day that I have had.  (and the worse as well)

  As the big day arrives so people try to find the most extravagant gifts or the most popular one's for their loved one; and it definitely does bring a smile to their face and love into their heart.  But.. I think if you really want to pull on their heart strings.. do something totally thoughtful that will mean something to her in a way that she will remember forever!

   Spend some time thinking about how you can make the love of your life's Valentine's Day extra special this year!  Make them feel that you love them more than anything else on earth.. bring romance to the day.

   I think that doing something that had thoughts of love behind it, will bring romance as well.  This is why it was the most romantic Valentine's Day when my husbands kind gesture made me feel like I was loved more than anything else in the world... it had Heart added!



 

 

 

Consumed by grief

   The past few days have been a challenge for me, my mom has been deeply consumed with grief due to the anniversary of my daddy's death.  She is all alone now and I know it has to be hard when you don't have your spouse; and your children are grown with kids of their own.  However, she bothers me as she seems to think of nothing else and dwell somewhat in the loss.. why not happiness with the memories?

   I know that losing a spouse the week that a holiday focused on love falls, has got to be terrible; because it is hard to lose someone you love any day of the year!  Valentine's Day is coming and it is the holiday of romance; and the TV and shows remind us everyday, but to her it is just the day she laid her love to rest.. and I can't blame her for being consumed with grief to an extent (it hurts that I lost my daddy then as well.

   However, how do I get her out of the rut and dwelling.. the depression!?  I hate to see her feeling so down and missing her valentine, but I just don't know what else to do!  I have tried to lift her spirits and encourage things to do, but she wants no part in it.. sleeping and lost in thought is about she gives!  

   I hope that one day she will be able to see this holiday in a better light, and not be consumed with grief over my daddy's loss, but with the great memories she had with him for all of those wonderful years!

It really touched my heart

     On the way to take my daughter to school this morning I saw something that really touched my heart, and I'm not sure why it did in such a way.  I mean, it was only human courtesy; however, that seems to be so rare this day in time!!   In so many ways it was much more than that though...   Here's what happened.

    I was driving my daughter to school this morning, chatting as we always do on the way, when I see a couple of cars beside the road near a bad intersection.  At first, I thought there was an accident, but I did not see any blue lights and seen the other cars moving over into the other lane to pass by.   Soon I realized that it was someone who was broke down and began to slow down because the traffic is heavy that time of the morning and the intersection happens to be in a curve.

    As I approached the vehicles beside the road (there was 3 of them) I realized that someone had a flat tire.  Immediately, my daughter said "Hey, that's (and said the kids name); and MR__ & MR __ (The names of two Teachers from her school)!"  

   I looked again, and here is what the scene looked like... The kid was changing the front driver side tire and one teacher was standing beside him assisting; but seemed to be watching the traffic as well.  The other teacher was standing at the back of the car on the edge of the road watching oncoming traffic, but in a way that he knew people would see him and then notice the kid changing the tire.

   First of all, I was impressed that anyone had stopped, most of all two teachers on their way into school.  BUT... seeing their faces and their actions, it seemed to be much more than that!  They were making sure he got the tire fixed SAFELY!  They looked as if they were worried about the traffic and place he was at and wanted to assure everything was alright.... They were acting like his parents in that moment. 

     I know that kids who are driving themselves to school feel like adults because they often act like they are; but they are still kids who need to be kept safe!  These teachers felt the same (I assume) and done their best to help, even though they were on their way to work.

    Maybe these are just my interpretations of the way I would hope teachers would care for their students or any human would be towards another... it touched my heart!



#NewYearsKindness

     

     

Keeping our Kids Safe on their Smartphones

Smartphones are every where, they offer us the ability to communicate with anyone at anytime through texting, email, picture/video messaging, and the availability to surf the web from anywhere!  More and more kids (mostly pre-teen/teenagers) are getting smartphones as well, which allows them to have the same access; and sometimes this means having more access than we, as parents, would like them to!

... They are able to have contact and share information with anybody!?

It can be really scary if you let yourself think of all the things that kids could get into on their smartphones; and that is why I have been searching for parental control apps or software that I can use on my daughters phone!

During my search for software, I came across a site called Mobile Minder; and I found it to be a very interesting piece of software that helps parents in the effort of keeping their kids safe on their smartphones!!

However... Are some of these apps/software allowing parents to access more than they need to?  Are they invading the privacy of their child by having access to all emails, texts, etc.?  I am on the fence on this in some aspects.. BUT I would love to hear you all's opinions!  (My child's Safety is my #1 concern!)

Continue on to check out all the Apps & Software I found that can help you Protect and keep up with your Child!

Prosecuting Casey Anthony on Lifetime ... Will you watch?

    I remember watching as volunteers searched for missing toddler, Caylee Anthony; and
how it unfolded into the most viewed trial in over a decade when her mother (Casey Anthony) was charged with her murder.

    Casey was the most hated woman in America, so it seemed, as millions of people watched the story unfold and many camped out side a court house in Florida to await the verdict.. only to see a verdict of not guilty to first degree murder.  However, she was found guilty on a couple of the other charges, but only spent a couple more days in jail to finish out the sentence.

    The day Casey was released from jail, she had to be sneaked out due to death threats and many angry volunteers and bystanders who waited outside the jail.  The car was ambushed with these people and she immediately went into hiding.
   
    The prosecutor on the Casey Anthony trail wrote a book afterwards and now Lifetime has made a movie based on the facts and the story of the prosecutor... "Prosecuting Casey Anthony".  Here is a preview of the movie tailor..


    The new movie will air on January 19, 2013 on Lifetime and many are saying that it should have never been made into a movie, but how many of these people will still watch!?  Will you?

 

 

The Fake Rose

        It was the morning of Michael and Marie's 15 year Anniversary, the day started as normal, but with an extra sweet kiss and wishes for a special day.  They had made reservations at their favorite restaurant and special plans to celebrate this anniversary like no other; After all, it has been 15 wonderful years!

        Therefore, when the doorbell rings in the middle of day.. Marie is surprised to see A dozen of beautiful red roses that Michael has sent; however, one of them is Fake!

       The florist must have made a mistake, she thought to herself... until she read the the most beautiful words that made her Heart Skip a Beat....

Dear Marie,

I will love you til the last rose fades!

Love Always, 

Michael