A Country Heart

I love country music! Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Reba, George Strait, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Chris Ledoux - I love it all.  The more country twang the better. Add banjo, fiddle, and steel guitar and I love it even more.

I am sure part of my love of country comes from my family.  Grandpa played guitar (and a few more instruments I'm sure) and Grandma played the banjo.  A couple of my uncles play and one still performs with his band.  I remember riding in the car with Grandma and Grandpa to family reunions listening to  scratchy recordings of some really old time country singers. I think Grandpa recorded them by holding  his cassette recorder to the record player.  As kids we would go to my grandparents house at least once a week and sometimes we would watch "Hee Haw" with them.  On the ride home, my mom always had the radio tuned to a country station, I would close my eyes and just listen. 

I write this post because last night was the CMA awards.  One of my favorite singer's these days is Miranda Lambert.  She was nominated for 9 awards and won 3.  She also had the honor of singing "Coal Miner's Daughter" with Sheryl Crow and one of my all time favorite country ladies, Loretta Lynn.  I missed it on the show because I had to work but caught the clip on You Tube.  I am so sentimental, I became a little choked up.   

Overall, I really enjoyed the show.  Brad Paisley made an excellent host and won "Entertainer of the Year".  George Strait performed, still sounding great, and looking good. The Zac Brown Band performed my current favorite song "As She's Walking Away" with Alan Jackson.  Miranda got a little crazy with "That's The Way That The World Goes Round".  I can say that 'cause even her fiancee Blake Shelton did the finger circle by his head when the camera was on him during her performance. Little Jimmy Dickins made an appearance in snorkeling gear as the Nashville flood warning system. 

I am one lady who will always be a country girl at heart and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Cha-ching!

When I dropped off the red and white hat pictured in my previous post, the lady order 5 more hats and a scarf.  Kids, we are halfway to getting a Wii for Christmas. 

Project Pictures

I am always saying that I will post pictures later.  Well, friends, here are some pictures.  Finally. 

These are some of the projects I have made lately. Excuse the bad photography skills

 I made these afghans for two of my nieces. 

All of them now have one. 

 I made the green slouchy beanie for my son to wear to football games, etc.  The green and white are his school colors.  A woman from church saw him wearing it and wanted one made for her - only a little more feminine. She is a teacher and wanted the burgundy and white to match her school colors.

(The dates on the pictures are wrong.  Someone messed up the date on his camera.)

 

 This is the first ever sweater I made but have yet to wear.  My sister is modeling it because she is smaller and it looks better on her.   She isn't getting it though!

 Towel toppers for the holiday towels I have had in a box for two years.

 I love the colors in this scarf.

I have made more hats in different styles but haven't taken pictures of them yet.  The burgundy and white hat is being dropped off this evening in exchange for some money. Yep.  I actually sold it to her instead of my usual "Sure, I can make you one",  the transaction was made by Austin, "My mom will make you one for 15 bucks." Or something like that.  SOLD!  

No Soliciting

Two guys rang my doorbell this evening while I was in the office working. My son answered the door and since it was snowing outside, he let them in out of the cold.

Who were these men? Door to door salesmen trying to sell me a home security system.

During their spiel they tried to convince me that one of my neighbors had a break in recently and there were four other home break-in’s in my neighborhood in the past few weeks. I live in a cul-de-sac and haven’t heard a thing about this.


I politely refused their services before telling them I had work to do and they needed to leave. I ushered them out of the door, turning the deadbolt as soon as it closed. Then gave me son the “you know better” lecture about letting them in the house, ending with “I don’t care if it’s a freaking blizzard they can darn well freeze to death before you let anyone like that in the house!!”

The truth is these guys freaked me out. I didn’t appreciate them trying to scare me into signing up for a security system. I can’t help but feel like they were casing the joint to see if we were an easy target for a break-in. My mind instantly went to the scenario where they or someone they hire break into my house in order to scare me into getting a security system. I was even afraid of leaving my house to run to the store in case they were waiting for an opening. This led to further home invasion scenario’s running through my mind. I then felt vulnerable seeing as the only “man” in the house is a sixteen year old.

To top off the scary thoughts, the ten o’clock news carried a story about a man who shot and killed a nineteen year old who was attempting to break into his house. It doesn’t look like any charges will be filed against him because he actually caught the kid trying to break the lock on the door.

I don’t like feeling vulnerable. I don’t like people trying to make me feel as though I am in danger. In fact it really, really ticks me off. So tonight, the porch light is on. The gun is loaded but in a safe place. And even though I am single and relatively alone, I still have a way to defend myself. It isn’t a false sense of security but the knowledge that an intruder may have to face the barrel of a loaded .357 will definitely help me sleep a little better tonight. Of course the dog in the back yard helps too.

Tomorrow, I am getting a “no soliciting” sign.

Oh, please keep any anti-gun ownership comments to yourself.  I get it.  Some people don't like them. I do. 

Date-iquette

My son is at his first Sadie Hawkins dance tonight. As he was getting ready, I asked him what the “rules” are. Lucky for him, he gave all of the right answers for what I expect for this type of date– ladies first, opening doors, compliment the girl, thank her, etc.

For some people the dating rulebook would be about physical contact- what and where not to touch. In my house those are the dating morals. The dating rules are different. The dating rules are about dating etiquette. I want my son to know how to properly treat a girl. I want him to be the boy that a girl goes out with and is impressed. Not by what restaurant he takes her to or what activity he has planned but by his behavior.

Are you wondering what the rules are? Here you go:

Mom’s Dating Rules (as they have been expressed to my son)

1- If a girl asks you to a girl’s choice dance –say yes. Unless you are dating someone else or have a conflict and can’t go to the dance. I don’t care if she is the bearded lady, has a mole on her cheek the size of the Titanic, and is Quasimodo’s sister. It takes a lot of courage for a teenage girl to ask a boy out. You never know, it may be the best date you ever go on. (This rule wasn’t an issue for him tonight. They have been friends for a long time.)

2- Don’t ask a girl on a date if you can’t drive yourself. The only exception is a double or group date and another guy is driving. (I brought this up when we were talking about the Homecoming dance a couple of months ago. I told him he couldn’t ask someone to the dance. Austin doesn’t have his license yet and I am not about to drive him and his date around. Beside’s if he is trying to impress a girl, having his mom chauffer you around is lame.)

3- Plan the date in advance. Don’t get there and get into the “What do you want to do?” conversation. BUT give her an option. For example: Los Hermanos or Chili’s, romantic comedy or horror flick.

4- When you are picking the girl up for your date:

•  Do not honk and wait for her to come out. Walk up and knock on the door like a real man.
• If her parents are there, introduce yourself. Let them know what your plans are and ask what time they would like their daughter home.

5- On your first date give her a simple bouquet of flowers. Nothing fancy or expensive. Friendly flowers.

6- Compliment the girl. She probably took some time to make sure she looks good. Acknowledge it.

7- Be a gentleman.

8- Get her home on time (a little early would be better)! If you run into traffic or something out of your control that will make her late, make sure she calls her parents to let them know she will be late and why.

9- Walk her to her door to make sure she gets inside safely.

10- Remember you are responsible for this girl while she is with you.

That’s it folks. They may seem a bit old-fashioned but I don’t care. Taking time to give a girl an enjoyable evening and treating her with respect should never be considered old-fashioned.

What do you think?

A little of this...a dash of that...

I've been feeling a little under the weather the past few days. I'm not sure what kind of weird bug I have but  I've been feeling toxic.  Head achy, sleepy, stomach not processing like it should, hot flashes, etc. Just down right icky.  I haven't worked for the past two days either. This says a lot about how I have been feeling considering I work from home and very little energy is needed to sit at my computer in my sweats to work.  Because of the icky toxic whatever it is I almost called my friend to tell her I wouldn't be going to our Tuesday night Zumba class.  I love Zumba and haven't been for the past few weeks.  The first week I was out of town and last week there was something going on with my son.  Anyway...I decided that maybe an hour of dancing around and sweating might actually make me feel better. 

Surprise! I feel better. Not miraculously better but better.  My nose is still running, still a little head achy, but not feeling quite so toxic and icky.  Hopefully, when I wake up in the morning I won't feel like I need to sleep for another 4 or 10 hours.

Next...A couple of weeks ago my sister and I went on a road-trip together.  It was great because she and I hadn't done something like this before.  She went to Portland for some pharmacy training and I went up to Washington to visit a friend.  This may sound a little strange but on my to-do list while in Washington was to visit Port Orchard and Debbie Macomber's - A Good Yarn Shop.  I love yarn.  I love to crochet and I love reading Debbie Macomber books so it felt right to visit her yarn shop.  The shop is in an adorable  building and while the inside was not quite what I had imagined, I truly enjoyed the selection of yarn.  I even bought a skein and a book for making slouchy beanies.  Macomber is a knitter so there were very few crochet books but I really enjoyed my visit to the shop. 

Speaking of crochet...instead of blogging or doing anything on the computer other than work, my fingers have been busy creating beanies, scarves, slippers, and even a sweater.  It is what I do when I am not doing what I have to do.  I will post some pictures just as soon as I can steal the camera away from my son.

To be or not to be...on Facebook that is

Lately I have been considering the pro's and con's of being on Facebook.  On one hand it is great to keep up with family.  I actually hear the news before my Grandma gets a chance to pass it along.  On the other hand, do I really need to read that someone is "Tired". 

At one point, I was addicted.  I would check FB constantly and spend an hour checking status updates.  Now I check in maybe once a week and I usually only post while I am sitting in the parking lot waiting for my son to come out of school.  

One thing that really irritates me about Facebook is the drama associated with removing someone from your friend list.  It reminds me of high school.  So what if I don't want to be your friend anymore on FB.  You either ticked me off, your post's bothered the crap out of me, or I just don't give a damn.  If you obsess over why you aren't my friend on Facebook you probably have much bigger things to worry about like why you need to be liked by every Tom, Dick, and Harry on FB.

I suppose I will continue to stay on Facebook due to the friend and family connection but I'll keep it limited.  I have more productive things to do...like reading blog postings.

Parent Teacher Conferences and Mrs. Algebra

Parent Teacher Conferences were held last night at my son's school.  Before crowding ourselves into the gymnasium we were given his progress report.  All A's and and A minus except for Algebra 2 and Digital Photography.  Those were C's.  Imagine my dumbfounded expression when I see an A in Biology and a C in Digital Photography. 

We headed straight for the photography teacher.  Apparently there was an assignment she hadn't entered in yet and a test on Photo Shop that the kids all have to retake - Austin had one of the highest scores. She assured us that he should have an A after those are entered and completed.

Next on the radar was Mrs. Algebra teacher.  I am not sure I am going to like her. My blood pressure became slightly elevated as she went into an explanation of her grading system.  Before grading an assignment, she randomly selects 4 or 5 problems that she will check because "I don't have time to check them all."  Each assignment is worth 20 points, so if the kids miss one of her randomly selected problems their grade drops 4 or 5 points.  If they miss two it drops by half.  If they miss three - well, hell, they shouldn't have even bothered to spend an hour plus on the 20 to 30 problems they were assigned. 

My son's grade isn't due to poor assignment grades, it is due to his horrible test score on the one test they have had so far. But I am still irked at her grading system.  My reasons: 1-It isn't fair to the students to be graded on such a small portion of their assignments. 2- By not assessing all of the problems there is a chance she is overlooking an equation or concept the kids are struggling with. 3-When the students are given back their work, they don't see all of the problems they answered incorrectly.  In which case, they are unable to go back and try to discover what they did wrong.

I understand time constraints but I don't think is a fair and correct solution.

Her recommendation is for my son to attend the Math Labs.  They are held everyday, either before or after school.  Hers are two mornings a week  from 6:45 to 7:45.  I am all about my son getting a little extra help but right now isn't a great time for him to be going to Math Lab.  Until October 1st, he has driver's education after school until 5.  If he adds a math lab in the morning, it makes for one heck of a long day, not including nightly homework.  He also has a part in the Shakespeare play Twelfth Night which means after driver's ed completes he will have play practice after school. 

For right now, my son's dad has offered to tutor him in the concepts he is struggling with.  This will be very interesting.  Hopefully, it will work without destroying their relationship.  If not, then, Math Lab here he comes.

Sweet Sixteen

Yesterday was my son's sixteenth birthday.  For me the day was a little crazy as I tried to work and get ready for a party.  I had a cake to decorate, cupcakes, and chili to make.  Somehow I managed to get it all done before picking Austin up from driver's ed.  

Austin up a tree at school. 



The family came over for dinner and cake which was fun and chaotic.  Between making sure everyone got dinner and dishing out cake, I didn't get an opportunity to take pictures.  My dad did though but I don't have them to post.  The last few years, the gift giving has been somewhat boring.  My son doesn't ask or require much - money, iTunes gift cards, and books made him a happy birthday boy.  My parents gave him a car.  A genuine Hot Wheels Corvette.  It looks beautiful in it's little plastic package.

I let Austin have his friends come over about an hour after the family.  That way he could have family time then friend time.  I had to laugh as I sat upstairs in my bedroom listening to their music coming from the basement.  The music was the same as what my friends and I were listening to at that age.  I suppose it is all "retro" now or whatever.

I enjoyed the party but was happy when the door closed behind the last person.  Today is just another day only now I say my sixteen year old son.  And I try to forget that I am almost twenty years older. 

Remembrance and Grief

Two years ago this past Friday (9/10/2008), my dear friend Jodi died due to injuries sustained in a car accident.  Somehow, I let the day pass without realizing what it was.  The next day, her brother reminded me of the anniversary of her death.  I felt terrible that I had let it pass without, at least, visiting the cemetery.  For a few moments, I thought it meant that I was forgetting.  I then realized that maybe I simply blocked it out. 

Not a day goes by that I don't miss my friend.  We ran errands together, we sat on the porch talking, we laughed together, cried together, and yes we even had a few fights and times when weren't speaking. 

I rarely drive by the accident site and not glance over to the spot where her car landed after it rolled or the field where she landed after she was thrown.  And I have dealt with guilt. Guilt that maybe I could have done something - anything.   Even though I know in my heart and soul, that it was her time to leave us.

It may sound strange but my feelings of guilt came not right after the accident  but just a few months ago.  You see I was on the freeway heading south, talking to another friend on my cell phone, when I passed the accident.  It was over on the north bound lanes and I didn't pay much attention to what was happening. I didn't even mention it to my sister when I stopped at her house.  At the accident site, there was an ambulance, police cars, and firetruck.  Chances are at that moment, my friend was arguing with the paramedics and police about being life-flighted to the hospital in Provo, rather than taken by ambulance to the local hospital.

The thought keeps coming into my head that if I hadn't been on the phone, maybe I would have paid more attention, seen that it was her car.  Maybe I could have turned around in the Emergency turnout, and maybe I could have made sure she took the helicopter instead of the ambulance.  Or perhaps, I could have let her parents know earlier than they did about the accident and gave them some time to say their Goodbye's.

I realize these are all what-ifs and if I weren't on the phone I probably wouldn't have known it was her anyway because of where the car and emergency vehicles were.  I realize that it is probably just wishful thinking, wishing that I could have somehow saved my friend.  I will never know for certain.

What I do know, is that wherever she is, she is happy.  She is beautiful. And the restrictions her body had on earth have been removed.  I know she knew her grandson before he was born. I know that she was able to watch over her son while he was in Iraq and Afghanistan.  And I know that she has been with all of us that love her whenever we have needed her comforting presence.

In memory of Jodi Spencer Martinez, June 22, 1968 - September 10, 2008.  We love you and miss you very much.


 

When you realize you're the problem...

I have done A LOT of thinking the last few days and have realized that I am the problem.  As a single gal I feel as though I am missing out on the joys of coupledom.  Specifically having a partner to share the day to day of life.  I haven't been in a relationship in almost 5 years.  That seems like a very, very long time.

But this post isn't really about my non-existent romantic life.  It is about me.  Yes, ME!  The question I have been pondering is: What do I want? It is a question that I can't answer with certainty.  If I can't tell myself what I want, how can I expect to have a relationship with anyone and get what I want or need out of it. 

So the problem isn't that I am single.  The problem is that I need to figure me out.  I need to decide what I want and then go after it. Until, I figure that out it is probably for the best that I don't drag some poor schmuck through the mess that is my head. 

Not only do I need to figure out what I want, I need to start seeing myself as the amazing person that I am and love me. Again, if I can't figure out how to do that, how can I expect it of someone else. 

Right now I am kind of hyped up on all of this.  Feeling positive. I know that I am going slide down back into some negativity but hopefully I can work through it and get to know and love me.

Don't make me go in the house....

When we moved in June my dog, Indy, stopped being an indoor/outdoor dog and became an outdoor dog.  He doesn't seem to mind.  When we open the door to the backyard he doesn't attempt to enter the house- even though he stands there looking through the window like a lost soul.

When he and I went walking this morning, I decided to take him through the house and out the front door instead of through the garage.  See the garage door doesn't close unless you are inside holding the button down and I didn't want to leave the garage door open while we were gone.  Indy was super good while I put him in his harness and on the leash.  He went into the garage, excited for our walk.  When I opened the door from the garage to the kitchen, he hesitated.  I had to walk in a head of him and tug a little to get him in the house.  We made it about five feet before he spread out on all fours and wouldn't budge. 

I tugged.  I pushed.  He would not move.  His paws were spread out as if he would dig his nails into the flooring if I tried to move him again.  It was hilarious.  I wish I could have taken a picture but no one else was around.  I can only imagine what was going through his head.  It probably had something to do with the crazy lady trying to drag him through the kitchen.  For the sake of my floors I gave up and we went out through the garage. 

He was happy. I was laughing.  All in all it was a good way to start the day. 

Back to School...Almost

Today I registered my son for high school! Between the standard fee's, drama fee, biology fee, yearbook, and driver's ed the check was $267. Yikes!!!  We need to go back to the school tomorrow morning to make some changes to his classes.  They did not put him in an English class even though it is required.  If I remember right we had the same issue last year at the junior high school. 

When we got home, we planned out the courses he needs to take throughout high school to make sure he satisfies all of his core requirements.  We don't want any surprises his senior year. We also added the additional courses suggested for students who are planning to attend a University or apply for a scholarship.  Unfortunately, if he does everything on the spreadsheet (Yes! I put it in a spreadsheet.) his senior year will be more academic than "fun" but he seems to be okay with it all. My son isn't sure what he wants to do after high school in terms of what college or career, but I want him to do whatever it takes in order to have more options available to him. Too much is better than not enough.

Off topic - I really enjoy "The Real Housewives of New Jersey".  It is the only "Housewife" show that I actually watch.  My only problem is Danielle.  She drives me nuts and I find myself turning the channel whenever she starts talking/whining about how picked on she is.  Two words woman: Grow Up!

And I'm back (I think)

You may have noticed (or not) that I have been out of the blogosphere for a little while.  I would like to be able to tell you it is because I have been super busy with my incredibly exciting life but sadly it is due to general laziness and having no desire to do anything on the computer outside of work.  I am not even trying to catch up on the blogs I haven't read.  Frankly, I don't have the time.  But I think I am back now.  I think. Maybe. 

We moved in June and I love having room to move and put things.  I took a week off of work to move. Not that I really needed all of that time but I get about 4 weeks of vacation time each year and wanted to use it.  I was able to get the place feeling like home in no time.  My son loves being a little closer to his friends, the pool table, and having room to move.  My dog is enjoying the back yard and loves to dig up the horse shoe pits, though I am not sure when he does this as he spends almost the entire day underneath the deck where it is cool.  I've noticed that he has dug a hole next to a window well and "nests" there.  I would take a picture of him there but the minute I open the back door he comes out.

The other day when I went out to feed him, his water dish was not in it's usual location.  I wandered around the yard looking for it and finally found it by the deck near what I call his "little nest" area.   I filled the bowl and took it back by his kennel where his food dishes are kept.  This happened again the next day.  It hit me then that maybe he was trying to tell me that he wants his water over there.  I filled up his water bowl and put it in the usual spot next to his food bowl, then I retrieved another bowl from the garage, filled it with water and placed it by the deck.  He hasn't moved either bowl again. I know it seems silly but I am impressed with our dog/owner communication skills.

Aside from the move, I have crocheted an afghan for my niece.  This was the last one for the nieces.  I am trying to decide if I should make one for each of my nephews.  A couple of them have mentioned wanting one and my brother-in-law seems to be feeling a little left out because he doesn't have one.  Currently I am working on one for myself.

I have been doing a lot of reading.  I've became addicted to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum  series. If you want a light read that will have you laughing out loud, these are great.  There are sixteen books and while they all sort of have the same plot, each one is hilarious and introduces new, quirky characters.  I suggest you not read these while eating.  One fine morning I was enjoying my Cap'n Crunch Berries while reading one of Stephanie's adventures.  I had just taken a spoon full of cereal and next thing I know, I am trying and failing to suppress a laugh.  Needless to say, I ended up spitting Crunch Berries across the table.

Over the weekend, I painted the room I am using as my office. For the last couple of weeks, I have thought about doing this and I am so happy that I did.  The color is a pale, pale yellow and is the same color that is in my hallway.  The owner's of the house have a five gallon bucket of the stuff.  My office is now bright and cheery.  I even organized my file cabinet.  I enjoy being in that room. I will post a picture if I get around to taking one.

It is time to take myself to bed. Maybe it won't be so long before I post again.

Frustration....

Day after day, I am becoming more and more frustrated with the situation in the Gulf. I am sickened and saddened by pictures of wildlife washed up on beaches – covered in oil, by stories of fishermen who are struggling because their livelihood is being destroyed, and by BP’s inability to stop the leak.

As I see the pictures of oil spewing out of the pipe, I wonder, why do these pipes not have some sort of shut off valve, or a series of shut off valves that can be closed when something happens like this? Or why can’t they remove the destroyed section of pipe and slap on a cap? Not some stupid “Top Hat” or “Sombrero” thing that is only able to capture a very small amount. Why can’t the oil industry as a whole come up with something to stop this leak? Where is the meeting of the minds? Why is the entire oil industry not combining their intellectual resources to come up with a solution? Surely there is someone, somewhere that knows what to do or has a better solution than anything BP is throwing out there. After all, this catastrophe is impacting all of the oil companies, not just BP.

My frustration deepens when the Government does something like putting a moratorium on deep sea drilling in the Gulf. How does this help the situation? It is typical of our Government to take an action that does not address the current problem. All it does is exacerbate another problem stemming from the spill – increased unemployment. There are many businesses providing materials and support to the oil rigs. The doors of these businesses will close. The employees of these businesses will be out of work yet BP’s broken pipe will continue to spew oil into the gulf.

In my humble opinion, the Fed’s need to work on doing everything it can to help clean up the mess in the Gulf. AFTER the pipe is capped and a good clean-up plan is in place THEN start taking about changing regulations and requirements for deep-sea and shallow water drilling so that the likelihood of this happening again is lessened. Don’t stop all drilling in the Gulf.

I could go on and on about my thoughts on this subject but I will spare you my further ramblings and I will turn off CNN. I will go to bed, but before I do I will say a prayer for those in the Gulf; the wildlife, the people, and even BP that they may find a way to stop this leak and clean up their mess.

The Beauty of Friendship

A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails. ~Donna Roberts

The day started with a problem.  One I won't bore you with.  I sat on my couch alone and thinking about what I was going to do about my problem.  I didn't want to ask for help.  I decided I would just deal with it. in a "It is what it is" sort of manner.  Nothing to do but walk through it. 

Then I needed to vent about it, not rant and rave but just let someone know.  I sent an IM on my Blackberry to my friend, Maiken.  She is great for this sort of thing.  I don't even have to go into detail.  I just gave her the jist of my problem.  She didn't try to solve it.  Just agreed that these things suck.  I felt better.

She came over this afternoon, bringing chocolate and Coke (she knows just what I need).  We chatted, we laughed a little, we reminisced about a horrible, horrible double date we had in high school, and I forced her to take gave her a few things I won't need when I move. 

Before she left, she gave me a great big hug.  The kind of hug that says without words "everything is okay and I am here if you need me".

I feel better.  I don't know if I would have felt better had she not been there for me today.  Maybe I would still be pondering my problem instead of moving through it.

Maiken has been my friend since middle school.  Over the years we have lost touch and reconnected quite a few times.  Every time we reconnect it is as though we never lost touch.  I can tell her anything no matter how embarrassing and I know she will be the last person to place any judgements on me or my actions.  I am 100% myself in her company. 

I love her for being my friend and for everything she adds to my life.

The Simple Things: Walking

These past two evenings I have taken long walks with my friends Robyn and Rachelle. Walking is such a simple thing that makes me feel better about everything.

I prefer walking outside and with friends. No treadmill for this girl. I like the fresh air, the scenery, the feel of the sun on my sun-block protected skin. Walking with friends feels less like exercise and more like an outing with the girls. If I can’t walk with friends, I borrow my son’s iPod and set up a playlist of upbeat songs and take the dog along.

Walking is such a simple and basic exercise. Almost everyone can do it. You don’t need to walk fast or far. Just walk.

When I walk my mood improves, my stress level decreases, all of the thoughts running around in my head seem to settle and I can think more clearly.

There are all sorts of health benefits from walking from weight management to lower blood pressure but what it all boils down to for me is this: walking simply makes me feel good. This is why walking is one of The Simple Things.

Great news!!!

My nephew is coming home from the hospital today! 

I sat with him yesterday and was amazed at how much progress he had made since I was there on Sunday.  On Sunday he was laying on the bed with a washcloth over his eyes, not talking, and looking miserable. The blinds were closed and curtains pinned together to block out the light.  He couldn't deal with the light from the hallway so the door had to stay closed as well. 

Yesterday, he barely sat still.  He opened the blinds, walked to the cafeteria for his lunch, took a walk with me,  had back to back physical therapy sessions, and nearly talked my ear off.  The doctors, nurses,  and therapists were amazed at how much he had improved in the past couple of days. 

I want to thank everyone for their support and prayers for Codie. 

A little bit of random

This Memorial Day weekend was pretty uneventful for my little family.  On Saturday I finished refinishing an old dresser and nightstand.  I will post pictures when I get them in a room instead of my brother-in-law's garage.  On Sunday, we visited my nephew at the hospital.  I left my son there with his Grandpa and cousin while I went with my Mom and Grandma to decorate graves.

At the cemetery where my Grandpa is buried there is a grave not far from his for a young man who was killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007.  He was 23 years old.  The headstone was beautiful and flanked by two American Flags. It was a somber reminder of the reason for the holiday. 

We generally look at Memorial Day as the first long weekend of the summer, a time for cook outs, camping, and play.  Or as a time to remember all loved ones who have passed on.  There is nothing wrong with either of these but the real purpose for Memorial Day is to honor the men and women of the military who have passed away either in service of their country or otherwise.  Veterans Day honors the living men and women of the military while Memorial Day honors those who have passed away.  I admit that I tend to forget why and focus on the fun. 

Usually our fun involves camping.  Last year it rained so much that our campsite looked more like a swimming pool.  This year, camping was nixed as the majority of us are a little poor right now.  Mainly due to car troubles.

My car is fixed now.  It only took $3,200 but it is running and getting me from point A to B.

Tomorrow, I will sit with my nephew at the hospital.  On Friday he was moved to rehab for physical therapy and to make sure he still has all of his faculties.  When I was at the hospital on Sunday, he didn't seem to be doing too well. His head was hurting and so were his hips and back.  Today the report is better.  They allowed him to go out to eat with his mom.  They went to Fuddruckers and apparently he did really well with the sun outside and the noise of the restaurant.  Hopefully, he continues to improve like this so that he can go home sooner rather than later.

On a side note, he is at the same hospital where Gary Coleman passed away.  When I told my dad this, he thought I was making a joke about his passing.  I really wasn't.  Although I was not a fan of the guy, I think it is sad that he has passed away.  I don't think he really had a very happy life.  I hope he is happier now than he was in life. 

Gary Coleman lived in my small little town.  My son and I saw a couple of years ago at a craft fair held at the city building.  His wife had a booth and he was helping her with it.  We bought something and he rang us up.  I didn't think it would be appropriate for me to say anything about who he was, so I simply said "Thank you" when we were finished.  I like to think he appreciated being treated normally.

Update...

My nephew was moved from the ICU to a regular room this afternoon.  If all goes well he should be home on Friday.  I babysat my niece (age 6) and nephew (age 5) today and had them make cards for their brother.  When I asked my nephew what he wanted to say to his brother he said, "I miss you, Codie.  Never do that again." After we made the cards I took them to the hospital.  It is the first time they were able to see their brother since Monday before the accident.  They were a little afraid to touch him but Codie tried to make them feel comfortable.  After seeing him today, I feel better and more positive about everything. I know he is going to be just fine.  Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers.

On a lighter note, this evening I super glued my fingers together.  I was trying to open the tube and the bottom was cracked, spilling super glue all over my hand.  I managed to get my fingers apart, with the help of some rubbing alcohol but I still have dried glue all over my fingers.

Lucky? Blessed? Both!

Yesterday afternoon, my 16 year old nephew and his friends were being stupid typical teenagers. They were at the skate park sitting on the back of a slowly moving car driven by another friend. One kid jumped off but my nephew did not. The driver, thinking both kids jumped off, sped up. My nephew flew off the back of the car, landing on the asphalt. He hit the back of his head. Fell forward and hit the front of his head, then rolled several times. At least this is how the story has been told to me.

Codie blacked out, came to, and then blacked out again. Lucky for him there was an off duty EMT at the park who was able to make sure he or his friends did not do anything to cause him more damage. He was transported to the local hospital where they ran tests and concluded that he had several bleeds and hematomas. They felt he may need surgery and he was transported to a regional hospital where he was again x-ray'd and underwent another CAT scan. During this time he was very agitated and violent; enough so, that they had to restrain him in order to do what was needed.

When I arrived at the hospital he was pretty heavily sedated but came to a few times. It was one of the hardest things for me to watch. He was trying to sit up, to take the oxygen tube out of his nose, and wanting to use the bathroom. He kept telling everyone to let him go, he had to go pee. The nurse told us that the nerve that makes you feel like you need to urinate was damaged which was why he had that feeling even though he had a catheter.

Codie fractured the occipital lobe and a vertebra in his upper neck. Last night he had some bleeding in the brain but not enough that the neurosurgeon thought he needed surgery. He is in the ICU but has been up today and talking and going to the bathroom on his own. He tries to keep his eyes closed; otherwise he gets sick to his stomach. They have been performing CAT scans throughout the day to look for changes. In fact, his second scan this morning is the one that revealed the fracture in his vertebrae.

Originally, the doctor’s thought he would be in the ICU for three or four days. They now think he will be out of ICU tomorrow and could even come home the day after.

My sister has been amazing. Last night when I, my mom, and other sister broke down while Codie was struggling to get up, she was calm. She gently pushed him back down and tried to explain why he needed to stay where he was. I don’t think he realized what was happening or even where he was.

This has been a reminder of what we went through with my niece. When she was two she fell on her head and had to be sedated and monitored at Primary Children’s Hospital for a week. She has had no lasting side effects.

Codie is very lucky. There are so many “IF’s” and “could have’s” that would have caused him to not be with us anymore. This is not the first time we have watched and prayed for Codie to be safe and healthy. When my sister was pregnant her water broke with about 7 or 8 weeks to go. They kept her in the hospital, trying to keep as much fluid inside for the baby. He was born 6 weeks early.

While he is not completely out of the woods and we don’t know what, if any, lasting effects there may be; he is so blessed that his injuries are not worse than they are. Someone is listening to our prayers and watching out for him.

It's all about having fun...

The end of April through May is the busiest time of year in our house.  I can't imagine how I would handle having more than one child to keep tabs on.  This year has not been as busy as last year but we still seem to have one thing after another - literally.

Last Thursday we were the entertainment at the Senior Citizens lunch.  Our guitar teacher disguised a rehearsal for our recital as a "performance".  The Seniors seemed to appreciate it and I didn't feel overly out of place being the oldest student.  Right after the event at the Senior Center, Austin and I had to rush back to his school so that he could participate in a triathlon.  Austin's leg was the swimming.  He didn't do too shabby for a kid that has never had a swimming lesson - at least that he remembers.  When he was 6 months old we took a mommy and baby swimming class. 

Finishing his laps!

Poor kid! I think he thought he was going to die.

He was nice enough to let mom hang out with him until their runner crossed the finish line.  He never did find out what their time was but he has a good time and really that's all that matters.

Unique Ideas?!?!

I am starting to wonder if there are any truly unique idea's.  Sometimes I will have what I think is a unique thought and then lo and behold someone else has the same idea and ran with it. 

Several months ago, I was talking to a friend about the simple pleasures in life such as clean sheets, laughing, etc and how I should either blog about them or try to write a book about them (feel free to interrupt your reading with a good chuckle).  I never did get around to either one.  Then this morning on The Early Show, I see this segment on The Early Show.



The dude even has a website http://www.1000awesomethings.com/.

One day I will come up with a unique, creative, and fantabulous idea. Maybe.

Perfect Sunday

Fishing is one of my favorite activities. I find it relaxing to be outdoors, near the water, and spending the time with friends or family. My son does not share my enjoyment of this activity and I don’t force it upon him. I secretly hope that one day he will come to appreciate fishing as much as I.

There is a reservoir near my house that I frequently fish at with my sister and her family. It isn’t one of my favorite places but it is close and fulfills the need to fish when it rears up. I prefer to head up into the mountains to a lake, river, or reservoir.

Last week I suggested to my friend John that he and I spend Sunday morning fishing. I let him chose the location. He invited a friend from work, Ned. We met up at 6 am on Sunday morning to drive up the canyon to Scofield, a tiny town in the mountains with a big reservoir. The day was beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky. Though we were up in the mountains, the temperature was pleasant enough that we didn’t need to wear a jacket the entire time.

The three of us lined up on shore, prepared our lines, cast out, and waited. It wasn’t long before we started getting some nibbles. I caught four, John caught none, and Ned was the winner with ten. We only kept six.
As I was getting my gear ready to fish, Ned looked over and commented on my doing everything myself. He said that I restored his faith in women. Apparently, he is does not know many women who enjoy fishing or know enough to handle their own equipment. Later in the morning as we were basking in the beauty of the day, I made the comment about the great idea I had to go fishing. Ned looked at me again and shook his head. Again, I don’t think the women he knows would suggest such an activity.

On the drive home, I was rather quiet, just listening to the men talk about work. John commented on my silence and Ned again mentioned what an awesome girl he thinks I am to spend the day fishing and enjoying it. John went on to tell him how much I like the outdoors, how John and I go fishing and shooting together, that my dad and I do these things together, how I like to ride four-wheelers, and camping. My ego received a boost at their praise.

I forgot to take my camera so I have not pictures to share with you. But I this is one that was taken many years ago on the Provo River. I was the only girl in a fly-fishing class. All of the men were catching a lot of little fish. I only caught one. But it was the biggest.

What a great kid!

Tonight was my son's last Junior High choir concert.  All of the kids did an awesome job.  During the concert, the teacher recognized the eight student who were selected to be part of the all-state honor choir last winter.  Austin was one of them.  I was so proud watching him get his certificate of recognitions  Later, the teacher gave out "Spirit of Choir" awards to four ninth grade choir members - 2 boys and 2 girls.  The "Spirit of Choir" award is given to the kids who are always on time, support other choir members, and have showed improvement over the past two or three years.

Guess what?  Austin received one.  He was given a certificate and a music medallion thing. 
 
I am a proud mama.  I couldn't have asked for a better kid.  Hopefully, high school doesn't damage him. 
 
 

Rambling about the single life...

I have a confession to make:  I really don't like the single life but what I like even less than being single is dating.  So how am I supposed to get out of the single life without dating?  If I ever figure out the magical formula, I will let you know.  Not that most of you need it.

Problems with whole dating/single life thing are:
Age. The older I get, the more set in my ways I become.  Same goes for the men I know. 
Experience.  The more experience I have with dating and relationships the less I trust men. 
Love.  I am afraid to fall in love OR admit that I feel love for a man.

So unless I get over some of these, then I am destined for the single life.  In a world of couple's, the prospect is pretty depressing.  Maybe it is a case of the grass is always greener but remember I have been on the other side of the fence.  I know it is not always greener.  I know it takes work but I am older and I think I could handle it better the next time around.  Better yet, I know what I want in a relationship. 

IF I have another chance at coupledom, I want a partnership.  I dislike it when I hear a man or woman say they LET their husband or wife do something.  For example, "I let my wife go shopping with her sister today" or "I let my husband go play poker with his buddies."  I wouldn't want my partner to feel as though he needs to ask my permission to do something.  I wouldn't want him to leave me in the dark either but you don't own another person.  Decisions should be discussed of course but someone shouldn't have to ask permission.  I also want someone who has a life that doesn't revolve around me.  He needs to have hobbies, friends, something that gets him out of the house now and then because after being single for 12 years I don't know that I could have someone around ALL OF THE TIME. 

Maybe I am hopeless.  Perhaps my ideas on relationships aren't realistic.  But maybe I will get lucky and find someone, somewhere who thinks the same.  If not then I had better get used to the single life.

Walking, planting, reading....

This morning I woke up bright and early to participate in the "5K for Amy J". Over 500 people showed up! All of the money from the registration fees to additional donations and raffle ticket sales goes to the family to help pay for their expenses.  If you want to know more about Amy's illness and how strong and loving this family is, you can visit their blog Kisses for Amy.

My friend, Robyn, and I walked together.  It was a fun way to support the family and get in a training walk for the 3-day for the Cure in September.  While walking I met up with another friend who told me about a 50/20 walk in June.  It is 50 miles in 20 hours. Starting in the afternoon and walking through the night. I think I have Robyn talked into doing it with me.  If I can do that, the 60 miles in 3 days shouldn't be too difficult. Maybe.   I still need to get more details but I think it sounds fun. 

After the 5K this morning. I had just enough time to shower and get ready for guitar rehearsal.  As predicted, I am the only kid person over the age of 16, but it is something my son and I do together, so it is worth the embarrassment effort.

Following rehearsal, I dug up my strawberry plants and put them in a planter to take them with us on the move in June.  I also planted some gypsy and bell peppers in planters.

I spent the rest of the day reading and finishing my Mother's Day book I bought for myself  my son gave me. I may write something up about it or I may not.  I am still processing my thoughts there.

An update on my 3-day progress:  For a lot of reasons, I almost decided not to participate, however, I put them aside and am still walking.  My fundraising efforts have been minimal so far but I have had $40 in donations. A long way from $2,300 but I will get there.  It is hard for me to ask people to donate when everyone I know is tightening their budgets but I will continue on. 

I hope all of you have a great weekend.

I should be...

I should be in bed but I am catching up on blogs and other internet related stuff.

Since I am not in bed...

I should be reading the new Nora Roberts book, "Savor the Moment" that I bought myself today for Mother's Day.  My son is so thoughtful!

BUT...

I really should be in bed BECAUSE tomorrow I need to be up at 6 AM to walk in a 5K to support the girl (I call her a girl because she is my age and being called a lady makes me feel old) from church who has cancer.  

After the walk, my son and I have a rehearsal for our guitar concert at the end of May.  I use the word concert loosely, it is more like a recital where I will probably be the only student over the age of 16. 

But for right now at 10:35 on a Friday night I should be in bed.

Finally...A New Post

I am moving! In June I will move four blocks south.  A couple that I know are moving and want to rent their house to me for the same rent I pay for this 100 year old pioneer era house.  I will have TWICE the space I have here.  It is seriously too much space for just the two of us but I plan on using all of it.  The house has 5 bedrooms plus and office, three bedrooms, two car garage, hot tub on the deck, a fenced yard (great for the dog), and they are leaving their pool table.  

I will finally have my own bathroom and a closet that fits all of my clothes - currently there are some in storage bags under my bed and some in my son's closet. Plus, when my son has friends over they will have room and I won't always be in the way.

I am excited to be moving someplace bigger that is worth the amount I shell out in rent but I am sad to see my friend move away. 

In other news, my car is still not functioning.  I don't need a new transmission, at least I don't think so, I just need to have a seal replace because I am leaking transmission fluid which is causing the car to stay put when I want it to go.  I am not sure what I am going to do with the rolling wreck.  I am pretty sure I just want to get rid of the thing, instead of putting $700 worth of work into it.  I'll figure it out sooner or later.  It is a good thing I am able to work from home, otherwise the situation would be a lot worse.

There really is nothing else to say.  My life is a tad boring right now and what isn't boring is stressful and not fun at all.

Book Review: The Geometry of Sisters by Luanne Rice

The Book…

The storm off Mackinac Island that engulfed Maura Shaw's husband and elder daughter, Carrie, also swept away the illusion of her life as the perfect midwestern wife and mother. Now, after years away, Maura has returned to Rhode Island to teach English at the fabled Newport Academy and to seek a new beginning. Newport has never failed to infuse Maura with a sense of mystery and hope, but ever since the accident, her younger daughter, fourteen-year-old Beck, has retreated into the safe, predictable world of mathematics. Without Carrie, Beck has lost half of herself—the half that would have fit into the elite private school she and her brother, Travis, will attend. The half that made things right. Sixteen-year-old Travis is also struggling to adjust—juggling a long-distance first love and an attraction to a girl with a wicked sparkle in her eye. And for Maura, ghosts linger here—an unresolved breach with her own beloved sister and a long-ago secret that may now have the power to set her free...(Back Blurb)

What I think…

Buying books is something that has been trimmed from my budget but after reading the back cover for The Geometry of Sisters,  I knew it would be worth giving up a couple of things on my shopping list.

Luanne Rice is one of my favorite author’s and this book did not disappoint. The Geometry of Sisters asks the question: “What is one sister without the other?” This book is about loss and making your way through; forgiveness and moving beyond the past.

Maura loses her husband and daughter in one day and is left to deal with not only her own grief but that of her son, Travis, and younger daughter, Beck. Moving to Rhode Island offers a new beginning while bringing Maura closer to her past. Maura and her own sister have been estranged since before Carrie’s birth and it is their love for Carrie that helps them find their way back to each other.

Beck deals with the loss of her sister and father by burying herself in math. She and her new found friend, Lucy, try to find a way to being back their loved ones through the logic and beauty of mathematics.

Travis is the strongest in the family. While working through his own pain, he excels in the role of older brother and supportive son. Not only does he need to work through his family tragedy but also letting go of a first love to discover something better.

I found this one hard to put down. The combination of 1st person (Becks POV) and 3rd person story telling gives intimacy and depth to this novel. Each character is well written and is integral to the story of how this family knits itself back together after tragedy and loss.

The Geometry of Sisters is sad, hopeful, uplifting, and full of love for family.

It could be worse...It really could

This morning when I attempted to leave the house to get my morning dose of cold caffeine (aka: Coke), my car would not move.  It started just fine.  It sounded like it usually does - not smooth but the way you would expect a vehicle with 230,000 miles to sound.  I put the Blazer in reverse, pressed on the gas, and did not move.  I gave it some more gas - no movement.  I put the Blazer in drive, pressed on the gas, and did not move.  I gave it more gas - still no movement.  The transmission has kicked the bucket.  I wish I could say this was a sudden death but alas, it has been coming for awhile now.  In fact, a year ago it nearly failed the emissions test due to a possible transmission problem.  For the last couple of months I have felt it giving up but have babied it along.  Yesterday was really bad.  I was barely able to move from an idling position but once I got going we were okay.  I guess it just couldn't hang on any longer.

Normally, I would be very upset by this turn of events.  I am really in no position financially to get a new used vehicle or to pay the $1700 it would take to get it rebuilt.  Nor am I even sure that would be an appropriate use of funds considering that when I fix one problem another pops up.  For example, I had a hole in my heater core hose.  I replaced the hose (by myself) and it was smooth sailing for about a week, until another leak popped up and I have no idea where it is coming from.  The reason I am trying to take it all in stride is because this is a truly minor problem when compared to what a family from church is going through.

The mother, Amy, is only about a year older than I am and I went to high school with her.  From what I understand from her husbands posts on Facebook and what I have heard from my friend's mom who spoke with her yesterday, Amy woke up in the middle of the night last week and coughed out a blood clot.  She had had the flu or something. At the hospital they discovered that she has a very invasive and rapid moving cancer.  Her lungs are filled with lesion's and they have moved into her brain. The doctor's stopped counting at 33 because there were so many.  Her prognosis is fatal.  One doctor has given her 1-3 weeks, another 1-3 months possibly 3 with treatment.  She is not going quietly. She has undergone some radiation treatments and began chemotherapy today.  Amy has 5 kids. 

Amy's husband has been keeping people updated on her status through Facebook and the love he has for his wife is evident in every post.  I cannot begin to imagine the strength needed to go through this.  The strength Amy needs to have to support her husband and children, and the strength her husband needs to have to support her and their children.  She is such a great and charitable person. This world will be missing someone very special. 

Amy and her family have been in my prayers ever since I found out and I ask that maybe all of you could say a prayer for them also. 

As you can see, when I put my troubles in perspective I realize that it could be a lot worse.  It really could.

Cash4Books

I am working on de-junking my house and storage unit.  A few weeks ago I brought all of my books home from the storage unit and was searching online for a way to sell them other than half.com and amazon.com.  What I found was a great site, Cash4Books.  Cash4Books is super easy to use and fast.  All you do is enter the ISBN number from the back of your book.  You will get a message letting you know whether or not they are buying that book. If they are buying, it will tell you how much they will buy the book for.  Once you have books in your seller cart, you check out, and print the mailing label.  Shipping is FREE!!! Cash4Books will send you an e-mail when they receive your shipment and another when they mail your check.  Today I received my check for $14.00.  They weren't buying a lot of my books (I think they bought 9) but I am not complaining.  This is $14 I wouldn't have had.  The rest of my collection has been donated to the library. 

If you have books that you are looking to sell, this is the place to start.  I have used half.com but between the shipping costs and the fee you pay to the site for selling them, I found it wasn't really worth my time and I didn't see a very good return.

I've signed up to be an affiliate and will earn $5 for every friend I refer.  So if you want to check out this site click on the link in this post or the link on my sidebar. 

What we have been up to...

For those of you who are wondering what we have been up to here in Amyland, I thought it was time for an update. 

On March 31st, my son was in a play at school. The Enchantress of Ipswich takes place during the Salem Witch Trials. A "grandfather" and his "granddaughter" who are actually witches try to save the town of Ipswich from becoming another Salem.  My son played Nathanial, the innkeepers son, who falls in love with the "granddaughter" while fending off a young girl in town who fancies herself in love with him. It was rather amusing watching my son play this role.  He did a wonderful job at acting disgusted and annoyed with one girl while falling in love with another. There was suppose to be a kiss, but they decided to leave out the actually kissing. 

My friend John, invited us to go camping for Easter weekend.  The weather was not very conducive to a weekend outdoors but it was relaxing anyway.  We didn't arrive at the camping spot until late Friday night.  We had taken the trailer out on Thursday, so it was already set up for us and the rest of the group was already there with a roaring fire, and my sister has made soup for all of us.  I went for a night ride on the four-wheelers with my sister, her boyfriend, and several others while my son, John, and his daughter stayed in the trailer watching a movie.  It was the only riding I did.  Saturday, the weather was better but of course it was muddy.  The kids rode the four wheelers while some of us adults did some target shooting.  On Sunday, I woke up to see blue sky through the ceiling vent and thought the weather was going to be great, until I looked out the window and saw SNOW.  Apparently it started to snow after I went to bed the night before.  Instead of an Easter Egg Hunt, every one loaded up and headed home.  We spent the rest of the day watching "The Stand" on the SyFi channel and visiting my parents.

Easter morning. Cleaning up camp and looking for horse shoes buried in the snow.

My son was on Spring Break last week and we did NOTHING.  He spent half the week at his dad's and I was left to my own devices.

I am trying to get rid of clutter and de-junk.  To start, I pulled all of my boxes of books out of the storage unit, organized them, and donated 6 paper boxes full to the local library.  The librarian did not look so happy as we hauled all of them into the library today.  Whatever they decide not to shelve, they may be able to sell at the fundraiser this summer.

That's about it. 

New Neighbors

On Saturday, I spent most of the day outside burning tree limbs, leaves, weeds, etc.  My neighbor's came over to help and add all of their tree limbs and yard clippings to the fire pile.  This was a great opportunity to get to know them a little better, after all we have been neighbors for three years, so it was about time. Don't you think?  Because of their help I was able to get a lot more finished than I had originally planned and the husband, Cory, tended the fire throughout the afternoon and evening.  It was a BIG and HOT fire. 

Since we had a raging fire going, I decided to make Hobo dinners.  You know the kind where you take meat and potatoes or whatever you want, wrap it in tin-foil and cook it on the hot coals.  My son was at his dad's house and I had plenty of meat thawed out so I invited my friend John over for dinner.   We decided to eat on the porch because the weather was wonderful and it was such a nice evening. 

Across the street there were new neighbors moving in.  I was told by my other neighbors that these people are related to them in some way - I can't remember how.  While John and I were relaxing on the porch, the lady moving in across the street yelled, "Do you have a problem with me and my kids?"

Bewildered, John and I looked at each other and he responded, "I didn't say anything towards you or your kids."

The rest of the encounter went something like this:

Neighbor:  "If you have a problem with kids you can just get used to it because we are moving in!"

John: "I don't even live here."

Neighbor: "Good. Then maybe you should just go home."

Neighbor: "If you don't like kids maybe you should move into a trailer park with old people."

Me: "I live here and I happen to like kids."

She disappeared into the house. 

A few minutes later we notice a man walking from the neighbors house into my back yard.  John and I went to check it out and found him talking to my neighbor, Cory.  Cory had been waving to the new neighbors (since he knows them) and thought they saw him in the backyard.  The little kids were running out into the road and being a smart aleck, Cory yelled over, "Can't you control your kids?"  John and I hadn't heard this part and apparently the new neighbors hadn't seen him in my yard.

Once Cory realized what had happened he quickly pulled out his phone and called the new neighbors to tell her to shut the heck up because he was the one who started it all.

Regardless of what was said by us or not said, I thought this was a great way to meet the new neighbors.  I considered walking across the street to introduce myself, saying, "Hi, my name is Amy. I like kids but not loud mouth, rude people that yell at me and my company."   But that isn't how I work.  I figure by the way she scurried into the house she might be a bit embarrassed by her behavior. Also, she is obviously a mother bear thinking she needed to defend her cubs. Plus she was moving which is always stressful. 

I think I will give it a few days then walk over and introduce myself as if the across the road yelling had never occurred. 

To speak or not to speak...

Question: If you found out someone said something about you that made you sound like  person of low moral character, would you confront them or let it go?

A couple of weeks ago I found out that someone I know said something like this about me.  I have tried to let it go, but it is festering.  On one hand, I want to confront the person and tell him that he was out of line. On the other hand, I don't want to make it a bigger deal than it already is.  Fortunately, many of the people  who heard what he said have taken it as a bit of a joke and know me well enough not to take him too seriously.  BUT, like I said, it is festering in my head and I am not sure what to do. My friend  suggested I pack a bar of soap in my purse and stuff it in his mouth the next time I see him.  I think it would be much more satisfying to just slap the jerk.  So far my tactic has been to ignore him.  I have only seen him once since I found out so it hasn't been too difficult.

What would you do?

What I don't see...

Yesterday I was talking to a friend about my weight.  HE brought it up.  I don't mind since he is also trying to lose a little weight.  I told him I was frustrated because the scale wasn't moving and I still struggle to get into my Levi's.  HE said, "I can tell you have been working out.  I can see that you look like you are losing weight.  Even if your scale isn't moving. I can see some changes."

This made me realize something - when I look in the mirror I don't see the changes because I am used to what I have looked like for the last few years, and if the scale isn't moving I must not be changing. Right?  Wrong.  Apparently, it is showing in my face, my arms, and a little around my waist.  Now the scale just needs to catch up.

While it is not always comfortable to talk to a man about weight our little chat motivated me.  Not because it was negative - it wasn't - but because it was positive.  Someone can see something about me that I don't see and what I don't see is the good that is happening to me because of the healthier choices I am making.

Complication's of the Single Life

Being single isn't exactly a picnic.  It has it's ups and downs - as I am sure marriage does.  Sometimes being single can be complicated. Take tonight for example. 

For the past couple of months I have been on an online dating site.  I have had some interesting experiences with people I have met online so I don't really log into the site that often or have a high interest in meeting someone from there.  I have a couple of male friends I go out with on occasion and that has been enough of the dating world for me.

Last night I logged into the sight and had an email from someone in my same little town.  He asked me where I went to high school.  I wrote back and told him where I went and when I graduated. He came back asking me if my maiden name was Amy ______.  Turns out we were neighbors when I was growing up.  For me this is a little weird but what the heck he isn't a stranger.  We chatted back and forth for a bit and he said he would like to get together and catch up.  I gave him my number and figured I would hear from him in a couple of days. 

This evening he sent me a text asking if I wanted to run down to the One Man Band for a soda and cheese fries. Since I bailed on working out with my friends for the evening, I agreed and told him he could pick me up.  Normally when I meet someone I met through the online dating sites, I will meet them somewhere.  They don't get to know where I live until I know them a whole lot better.  But since I already know this guy, I figured it would be okay.   Turns out he lives just up the street from me, behind my friends house. We went and had cheese fries and good conversation.  I was back home about an hour later.

Meanwhile....I had sort of made tentative plans to hang out with one of my other male friends but nothing concrete. I had not heard from him prior to this other guy inviting me out so I assumed the tentative plans weren't happening.  I did make an effort to find out if he would be stopping by and did not get a response.  Well he dropped by my house while I was on the cheese fry date.  He called after stopping by but I had left my cell phone home.  I called him back when I saw that he had called and told him that I went out with a friend since he didn't let me know whether or not he would be coming by.  He correctly assumed it was another man.  I'm not sure what he thought about it but figure if he doesn't want me seeing other men then he needs to step up his game.

I rarely date but wouldn't you know that the one night in months that I have something that can be considered an actual date, someone else also wants to spend time with me.  This is when being single gets a bit complicated and crazy.