Lazy Wednesday

I have nothing to blog about today. Usually, I'll post a "celebrity spotlight" when I have nothing else to say, but I'm in a real lazy mood today, so I just popped in to say "Hi!"

I'm going to veg out on my sofa and watch some T.V. It's too hot and humid here to do anything, other than rest under an air conditioner and drink lots of fluids.

Till next time. Hopefully I'll have something to talk about. :-)

Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

I got it for free!

Hallelujah! He is so worthy to be praised. You ask for a nickel, He gives you a dollar. You ask for a sandwich, He gives you bag of groceries. I asked for a washing machine and He gave me a washing machine and a 36" TV--for FREE! Say what?!

That's right, people. Craigslist came through for me. I had been checking it pretty regularly, but things were moving so fast. I was Blessed to find a posting for a free washer, dryer and TV on Friday. I emailed the guy and he responded right away. After about 4 or 5 emails, I had his address and my son was on his way to Purcellville, VA. I have no idea where that is, but I hear the homes there are big and beautiful.

I had my prayer circle going the entire time he was en route and back. His girlfriend went along for the ride. She called after they had loaded up the car and asked, "Ma, did you want the TV too?" Before I could respond she said, "cause we got it." LOL I didn't even know both the washer and TV would fit in my Pacifica. It's roomier than I thought.

Needless to say, all our clothes are cleaned and put away now. I just need to take down the curtains and give them a refresher.

It's true what they say: you really don't appreciate the things you have until they are gone. But, God, in his infinite wisdom, has provided us with so many blessings and we take them for granted every single day.

We complain about the high prices of gasoline; but forget to be thankful for a car to drive. We complain about the high rent and mortgages we pay; but forget to be thankful for a roof over our head. We complain and complain about so many things, but forget to be thankful that he woke us up and gave us another chance. It could have been another way.

That's all for now. Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

Sharing a new find

Actually, I didn't "find" it. I was told about it. It's called FreeCycle. It's a place where you can offer and/or receive things. You join the group/groups in your area and offer things in good/working condition, that you no longer need; and ask for things you need/want. I just joined and posted my need for a washing machine. My twenty-year old Maytag washer broker in November, right before Thanksgiving. I've been schlepping to the laundromat weekly and when I can't get to the mat, I've had to wash by hand. Not fun at all. So, I posted my need for a washer. I'm praying God will grant me favor and I will be blessed with a free washer. I'm not particular about the brand as long as it works. Funds have gotten so much tighter since my oldest son is not working and I just can't seem to save anything.

I've been checking Craigslist, and found a few for sale, but none for free.

Anywhoser, http://www.freecycle.org. Check it out.

Till next time. Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

Venting...

*sigh*

Why do I allow myself to get drawn into conversations where I know I'll wind up frustrated, pissed off, and wanting to go home and kick the dog?!? Yeah. That's where I found myself at 4:30 on Tuesday afternoon. All because of a man. A man whom I have washed my hands of...about twenty times already.

I can go for weeks on end without uttering a single word to him and in one afternoon he pulls me into what starts out to be an innocent discussion and before I know it, I'm ready to strangle him and completely pissed off with myself for falling for the okie-doke.

Ugh!

Why do people have to play games? Why do they tip-toe around their feelings instead of just saying what's on their mind? Why can't they just be honest? And where, oh where is my King? The one man who I can share my thoughts and feelings? The one I can talk to about anything? Be myself with? And he can do the same with me? WHERE IS HE ALREADY?????

Oh, that's right. He's buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Bummer.

That's it for now. Stay Blessed and happy. And I'll try to do the same.

VEM

They grow up so fast

My second son is graduating from High School this June. He attended his senior prom last week. *sigh*

I made this corsage for his date.

My oldest on the leff (looking like a thug - *smh*); and my second born.

Two down, one to go. But I have another six years before he graduates from school.

*sigh* Where does the time go?

That's it for now. Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

Crocheted Purse

I got up Saturday morning and did my house cleaning, as usual. Around noon, I took a break, had a bite to eat, and by three, I was finished making this purse.

This was a super easy pattern to follow and lickety-split quick to complete. I had made the flowers that are attached, to be used as pins, but I liked them so much and they were big and pretty, so I attached them to the purse. I don't know if you can make out the little bronze squares at the top, but I plunked them off of an old blouse I was trashing. I don't know about you, but I recycle buttons, and odds and ends off of clothes, after they've been worn out and no longer usable. Whenever I need to embellish a purse, or scarf or whatever, I reach in my handy-dandy bag and generally find something I can use.

I made mine a litte different from the pattern, which can be found here:
Clustered Tote Bag, in that, I did 2 rows black, 3 rows white, 5 rows brown, 3 rows white, and finished with 1 row black before I started the double crochet row. I also made a lining for mine.

I love this pattern. I think I might make another on in all black and get a funky color for the lining and maybe add a zipper. I'm such a bag lady! I love purses and totes and clutches and wristlets and shoulder bags and... well, you get the picture. LOL

That's it for now. Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

Prayer Shawl

A few weeks ago in church, the Minister told us one of our members had breast cancer. She had been in remission for 20 years, but the doctors found something on her last appointment.

It was sad. It was touching. It was overwhelming.

I wanted to make her a prayer shawl and I've been searching the internet for a pattern I liked but just couldn't find the right one. I stumbled upon "Julie's Tears." It's easy, simple, and beautiful.

I fought over this for a few weeks; trying to find the right pattern. Eventually, I gave up and decided to make my own pattern. I graphed the words "Prayer for health" and started single crocheting the shawl. I wasn't feeling it. I figured out yesterday the reason I wasn't "feeling it." I have to be slightly under the weather. It didn't make sense to me either until I really thought about it. When I woke up yesterday, I had a horrible headache. I think it was from all the pollen. I just felt miserable. I searched the internet for a pattern and found "Julie's Tears" immediately. I reached for my yarn, turned on my gospels and three hours later, my prayer shawl was finished.

My crazy way of thinking is that I need to be in pain to tune in to the healing I'm praying for, for the recipient. Like I said, crazy. But it worked for me. And when I was done, my headache was gone. Don't tell me prayer doesn't work!

Here's the link to the prayer shawl: http://www.shawlministry.com/Crochet%20Patterns/julie_tears.htm

That's it for now. Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

Celebrity Spotlight

I first noticed this young actor in the movie "Stomp the Yard." According to IMDb, he was born Columbus Keith Short, Jr, on September 19, 1982, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Columbus started entertaining at the age of three by putting on shows for his folks' enjoyment. His family later relocated to Los Angeles where, by his early teens, Columbus had landed work in such television commercial campaigns as Mountain Dew, Denny's Restaurant, Nike and Pizza Hut, to name a few. As a senior in high school, he was offered an opportunity to graduate two months early in order to see the world with the traveling production of the Broadway show, Stomp! And after a couple of years on the road with that famed dance troop, he would parlay his professional success into a stint as the choreographer of 'Britney Spears' In the Zone tour. Though a very versatile Renaissance Man who is also a writer, musician and director, Columbus came off the road to pursue his primary passion, namely, acting.

His motion picture credits include:

Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming - DJ
The Losers - Pooch (Loved it!)
Death at a Funeral - Jeff (Loved it!)
Armored - Ty Hackett
Whiteout - Delfy
Cadillac Records - Little Walter
Quarantine - Danny Wilensky
This Christmas - Claude Whitfield (Loved it!)
Stomp the Yard - DJ (Loved it!)
Accepted - Daryl 'Hands' Holloway (gonna have to watch this again)

In addition, he has guest-starred on TV shows like "That's So Raven," "ER," "Judging Amy," and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." Up next for Columbus, he will star with Kerry Washington in the ABC drama "In Crisis."

When not working, Columbus loves football, basketball and snowboarding.

That's it for now. Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

God's Plan of Salvation

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom 6:23

The first chapter in our Bible study book was "God's plan of salvation," and our memory work was Rom 6:23. I now know that verse by heart. And I know that in order to have eternal life, you must accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Thankfully, all of my children have the gift of eternal life. My two older boys were Baptized 9 years ago; and my youngest son was Baptized on March 16, 2011, and received the right hand of Fellowship on March 20, 2011.

Eternal life. It's there for us. All we need to do is accept Him.

Take care til next time.

VEM

Fourth Diaper Cake

Here is another diaper cake I did for a baby shower for this weekend. I'm really getting into these.

Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

Celebrity Spotlight

I first fell in love with him back in 1990, when I saw the movie "Criminal Justice." It wasn't his first film, but the first time I really took notice of him. I used to tell my husband he was the only man I'd ever leave him for. No, not Jesse; I'm talking about Forest Whitaker.

I was crazy about Forest, long before his Academay Award winning performance in "The Last King of Scotland," and before "Ms. Keisha." But, I ain't hatin'.

According to IMDb, he was born Forest Steven Whitaker, on July 15, 1961, in Longview, Texas. He stands 6'2' tall. Some of his other films include:



Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Vision Quest (1985)
North and South (1985)(and sequel)
The Color of Money (1986)
Platoon (1986)
Stakeout (1987)
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
Bird (1988)
The Crying Game (1992)
Johnny Handsome (1989)
Prêt-à-Porter (1994) (loved it!)
Species (1995)
Smoke (1995)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 (2000)
The Twilight Zone TV series (2002)
A Rage in Harlem (1991) (loved it!)

He was my first "celebrity" crush. And you know what they say...you never forget your first. :-) That's it for now, Bloggers. Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

Another Diaper Cake

This one is a little smaller than the others; only two tiers. You can't really see it, because it's inside the blanket. This one contains:

1 crocheted baby blanket
1 crocheted sweater
1 pair crocheted drawstring pants
1 pair crocheted booties
1 crocheted hat
1 key toy
1 teething ring
1 bottle

I really love making baby items. And these diaper cakes are easier than I thought. A little creativity and my imagination make the possibilities endless.

Front of cake

One side

Back

The other side

Super simple!

That's all for now Bloggers. Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

Snow Tubing @Whitetail Resort with St. James Baptist Church

End of Winter fun!!!

This past Saturday, my Church's Youth Ministry took the kids snow tubing. They had a blast! Nice way to say goodbye to winter and look forward to spring. Enjoy the pics.

525,600 Minutes...

“How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?”

I’ve been doing a lot of reflection lately, but especially this past month. In February, I lost a friend, and my very bestest friend lost her mother. My observation of both of these people left me in awe, for different reasons.

“In daylights--in sunsets. In midnights—in cups of coffee. In inches—in miles. In laughter—in strife.”

From the time I’d met and gotten to know him, I saw my friend surrounded by stress and a multitude of drama. So much, at times, I wondered how he dealt with it all. I always saw him smiling—regardless. He kept his cool amidst the chaos. His Homegoing service was in a funeral home, and just as in life, his funeral was surrounded by drama.

“In truths that she learned. Or in times that he cried. In bridges he burned. Or the way that she died.”

I met Momma Shirley, many years ago, through my bestest friend, Theresa. After my mom passed in 2000, Momma Shirley became my second mom. She had the calming grace of a woman who had devoted her life to God. Submitted and obedient. This is something I work on everyday. Momma Shirley’s Homegoing service was in Church, to a standing room only crowd.

Both of them touched my life in a way I can’t describe. From watching them, I learned of the things I want in my life, and the things I don’t. We all have drama from time to time. Things happen. It’s how you react that makes the difference.

“Measure your life in love.”
- Jonathan Larson – “Seasons of Love” - RENT

That’s it for now Bloggers. Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

Life...or something like it

“When you were born you were crying & everyone else was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you’re the one who is smiling & everyone else is crying"
-Ralph Waldo Emerson-

That is such a profound statement, and how I try to live my life. Sometimes I slip, sometimes I stumble. But, thankfully, God always puts me back on track. I can truthfully say that over the course of this past year, I stepped from under the covering of His protective umbrella.

I’ve been out, doing things on my own. Because of that, I’ve had emotional setbacks and financial setbacks. Now that I’m back under His umbrella of love and guidance, I see things differently. I see them for what they are, not what I want them to be. And, as a result, I’ve had to distance myself from some things and some people.

I’ve gotten weird looks; questions of “what’s going on with you? Why are you acting so differently?” The answer is simple: I'd forgotten that sometimes, God's answer is “no,” or “not right now.” I had developed a bout of temporary insanity and forgotten my place. I’d forgotten who I was and what I deserved. I’d forgotten that I am a Virtuous Woman.

My memory has returned.

Until God gives me some direction, I will wait patiently for Him to turn the “no” into a “yes.” While I wait on the Lord, I will meditate on the Scripture, “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” (Proverbs 31:10 KJV)

That’s all for now, Bloggers. Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

Picture Perfect

Diaper cake

Before adding the "icing"

The "icing"

Halfway done

All done!

Need to get some greenery to add here and there. But this one is complete.

The Circle of Life

Hey Bloggers!

You all know that I've been dealing with the loss of a family friend. Well, he was buried last week, amidst a lot of drama. Sad, but that's the way it goes sometime. Another very good friend of mine had a baby shower for her oldest daughter this past weekend. She's having a baby boy; her second child, and second boy. There's a ten year gap between her oldest son and the baby she is expecting. At any rate, to lighten the tone of my blog for this week, I decided to post the pattern and pictures of the present I made for her; a diaper cake, and a baby blanket. I call the baby blanket “Shades of Blue” Boy Blanket. I love the granny square pattern, but I've never written a pattern before, so please bear with me. Here goes:

“Shades of Blue” Boy Blanket

Granny Square – make 61
These are the colors I used, but you can use any shades of blue that you like.

RHSS Royal – 10
Baby Blue – 10
RHSS White – 9
Caron Simply Soft Ombre – 14
RHSS Blue – 8
RHSS Delft Blue - 10

Ch 4. Join with a sl st to form a ring.
Rnd 1: Ch3, 2dc in circle; ch2, 3 dc in circle; ch2, 3dc in circle; ch2, 3dc in circle, ch2. Sl st to top of beginning ch3. sl st into next 2 stitches. sl st into corner space.
Rnd 2. ch3, 2dc, ch2, 3dc in first corner space. Sk cluster, *3dc, ch2, 3dc in next corner space* Repeat from * to * 3 times. Sl st into top of beginning ch3 sp. sl st into next 2 stitches. Sl st into corner space.
Rnd 3. ch3, 2dc, ch2, 3dc in first corner space; sk next 3 dc; *3dc into space, sk next 3 dc, 3dc, ch2, 3dc in next corner, sk next 3 dc,* repeat from * to * 3 times. Sl st into top of beginning ch3 sp. Fasten off.

Half Granny Square – make 20

ch4, sl st to form circle.
Rnd1 Ch3, 2dc, ch2, 3dc in circle.
Rnd2 ch3 turn, 2dc in first ch space. Ch1, Sk 2dc, 3dc in space, ch2, 3dc in same space, ch1, 3dc into top of beginning ch3.
Rnd3 Ch3, turn, 2dc in first ch sp. Ch1, sk 2dc, 3dc into sp, ch1, sk 3dc, 3dc into sp, ch2, 3dc in same sp, ch1, sk 3dc, 3dc into sp, ch1, sk 3dc, 3dc into top of beginning ch3. Fasten off.

Join the squares in a diagonal pattern. When joined, the diagonal rows will contain 1,3,5,7,9,11,9,7,5,3,1 squares, with the half-grany squares placed in the triangular spaces, all the way around. Wish I knew how to diagram it so you could see it. Hope you can see what I mean by the pictures.

Boarder: Once all the squares and half-grannies are joined, sc around the blanket twice, with whichever color you prefer. I used RHSS Blue. Next round, dc all around. I used Baby Blue. Next round sc around then finish with picot stitch. Fasten off and weave in loose ends. You may have to do some shaping.

I know that's not the best pattern description. It's my first one. If you try to follow it and have problems, just email me, or hit me on Yahoo! Messenger.

I made everything that's in the diaper cake, too. Sweater, hat, 3 pairs of booties, bib, 4 wash cloths. With some trinkets from the dollar store, artificial greenery and ribbon, for my first diaper cake, I think it turned out great!

That's it for now Bloggers. Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

Still grieving...but thinking

This has been an emotional week for me. I wear my emotions on my sleeves anyway, and everything I feel shows on my face, so I’ve not been smiling a lot this week. The sudden loss of my friend has truly saddened me. He had so many things he still wanted to accomplish, so many dreams left unfulfilled.

His death has made me think. He was at home. His children were sleeping 20 feet away. His wife was at work. There was no other adult around, who knew him, who could speak rationally with the authorities; as naturally, his children were too upset.

None of us know the time we will go to meet our maker. Losing my friend has made me take a closer look at myself and my life, and I’ve come to realize that I’m not as prepared as I would like to be, to meet my maker. Because, let’s face it, once we’re gone, it's not about us anymore. It’s about the loved ones we leave behind.

Being a single mom, I need to have some things in place, to ensure my children know what to do, who to contact, where important papers are, etc. I’m not talking about a Will, although it’s probably good to have one. I’m talking about a single sheet of paper which lists my full name, social security number, and date of birth. My boys would be too frantic to think about looking in my purse for my driver’s license. On that sheet of paper, I’d include phone numbers, for people they could call, to help them through the crisis. Family members; my sister, my best friend, and I would like to add, my Pastor. But, that is another agenda item I need to secure, as I am still looking for a Church home.

I’d include things like: what funeral home I’d like them to use; what I’d like to be buried in, the type of flowers I’d like draped over my casket, the color of my casket, which cemetery I’d like to lay in, and of course, insurance policy information. Nothing complicated, just little things that would make planning my funeral easier on my boys. And, when I think they're ready, I'll tell each one of them where the paper is located.

I don’t think any of us want to plan a funeral. That would mean someone we love has gone on. I remember when my Mom was alive, she would try to tell me these things, but I didn’t want to listen. I didn’t want to think about losing my mother. I didn’t want to talk about her leaving me. But she did. And some of the things she said had managed to creep into my subconscious.

I don't want this to sound morbid, or like I plan on dying tomorrow. In fact, I'd like to live another fifty years. But, inevitably, that day is going to come. All I want to do, is make it easier for the ones I leave behind.

That's it for now, Bloggers. Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

Mourning the Loss of a Friend

I am filled with an overwhelming sense of sadness. I lost a friend today. He was more like the brother I never had. A great man, with a big heart, who was always smiling. Even in the midst of drama and chaos, he could see the humor and find a way to make people smile along with him.

This man was in great physical shape. He worked out regularly and ate sensibly. He had just turned 47 years old. My age. It's hard to believe. One minute he was here, the next, gone. Almost in a flash.

Life is so fleeting; so temporal; so precious. Yet, we take it for granted everyday. We conceitedly think that we can do things later, or tomorrow. What if tomorrow doesn't come? My friend left this earth in the span of two hours. His son woke him up between 4:30 and 5:00 am, getting something to drink. They exchanged a few words and returned to bed. His daughter went to wake him up at 6:55, and he was not breathing. How is that possible?

He leaves to mourn a wife, children, grandchildren, mother, step-father, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, neices and newphews. He also leaves to mourn a community. A host of single family homes, filled with fatherless children, who called him "Pop." Someone they looked up to. A role model to imulate. Please pray for us. Pray for his family. His extended family. And hold your loved ones close. Tell them you love them. And mean it.

Rest in peace Adrian McDowell.

Procrastination

It's always been one of my faults. I keep putting things off until time creeps away and then I'm forced to deal with...whatever. Within the past week, three things I've been putting off have crept up on me. One has been extremely painful.

The first thing I put off was my son's school project. He told me about it last week. It was due on Tuesday, 2/1. He got it turned in, after we stayed up until almost midnight working on it. I felt bad, literally, due to another thing I'd been putting off. He had to make a musical instrument for his Science class. Here's a photo of the "guitar" we made.

A cereal box, hot glue gun, tape, and some gimp. We named it the "Fruity Diamond Edition."

Another thing I'd procrastinated about was getting my car tags. I received the notice like waaay back in November. My tags expired on January 31st. In Maryland, we don't have to go to MVA to renew our tags, we can do it online or through the mail. I waited until last week to do mine. The process was extremely easy. Log in, enter your tag number and ID number, select payment method and checkout. Once you checkout you can print out a temporary registration to place in your rear window. Sounds pretty easy, doesn't it? To save time, lets just say it didn't quite work out that way for me. Took me about three days and 50 sheets of paper. Not doing that again.

The most painful and agonizing thing I've been procrastinating about is going to the dentist. I think a lot of people have a fear of the dentist. I have an unrealistic fear. I don't know where it comes from. I don't know if it's the sounds of the equipment, the unknown because I can't see what they're doing, I just don't know. So, I try to take really good care of my teeth. Apparently I ain't been doing that good a job. I had a slight toothache when I went to bed Sunday night. I woke up on Monday and my bottom, right jaw was swollen, and my tooth ached so bad it gave me a headache. I took some pain pills and went to work. About 11:30 I was calling the dentist. Long story short, I have an abcess. Really bad one. I have to take an antibiotic for 10 days and go back after the swelling goes down to start periodontic treatments. $500.

I don't know why I'm such a procrastinator, but I do believe in the adage: "why do it today, when I can put it off until tomorrow." LOL Lord willing, I'll get better.

Oh, that reminds me. I said in last weeks' blog that I would post pictures of my weave. Well, here they are:

Not too shabby. I think it turned out great. Only thing, my head sweats real bad and with the weave, my scalp itched something terrible. I took it out over the weekend. After I took it out, I flat ironed my own hair and I really like it this way. It just takes too long in the morning. Too high maintenance for me. So, what I'll do with it next is anybody's guess.

One thing I learned from all this procrastinating is that it can be quite expensive. But, when it's all said and done, to quote a mastercard commercial:

Doing your own hair weave, $25.00. Renewing your car tags online, $180. Going to the dentist with an abcess, $500. Spending time with your child, working on a school project, Priceless.


Take care til next week, Bloggers. Stay Blessed and happy.

VEM

Ramblings...

Hey Bloggers!

I guess I should start with Happy New Year, since it's been a zillion years since I last blogged. I guess I don't have as much to talk about as I thought I did. I seriously think blogging is great, if you can keep it up and you have stuff to say. I originally planned on blogging everyday. We all know the tale of best laid plans. Besides, trying to blog everyday--or rather, having something to say in a blog everyday, is a bit much for me. I don't want to disable my account, so I'm going to compromise with myself and blog once a week. Maybe if I try that schedule, then in a weeks' time, I'll have enough to say.

So, to bring you up-to-date since I last blogged: The publisher I had is now defunct and I got nadda for my book. Very bittersweet, since I got some really good reviews. Lesson learned. I am not trying to find another publisher on my own. I'm going the agent route. I said it before, but I'm not about to let all my hard work go to waste again.

I've been doing a lot more crocheting. Love making baby items. They are just so precious and cute. I'm in a crochet group at work and we meet everyday at lunchtime. They are a wonderful group of ladies and we have so much fun working on our craft, exchanging ideas and just laughing and acting silly. I've got to find smaller projects to work on, or take less material with me. I'm breaking my back lugging this heavy bag everyday.

I'm bummed that the "Sexiest Man Alive - in my view" Jesse L. Martin, has not returned to T.V. yet. I miss that gorgeous smile of his. That sexy voice. That swagga'. *sigh* Damn, I need to find a boyfriend. LOL!

Let's see...oh, I've changed my hairstyle again. I love having it natural and generally wear it in two strand twists, but my hair is so thin I can't stand it! I've gone from braids to twists to...Voila! Weave. I know. I didn't think it was me, but I kinda like it. Thanks to LaBella MsChanda, it looks really natural. She walks you through all the steps to get a beautifully coiffed hairstyle. Check out her blog and check her out on Youtube. There are some other great Youtubers showing how it's done, but Ms. Chanda is the Queen. She knows her stuff! I hope to take some decent pictures and post them. Maybe in next weeks' blog. I'll try to make Wednesdays my posting days. Help break up the week.

That's it for now, Bloggers. Be Blessed and happy.

VEM