Satisfied

My husband drives a Royal Blue Jeep Wrangler. He has always had a Jeep and over the years we joke that it is like our version of having a boat. We wake up some mornings on the weekends and just know that it’s a good day for a Jeep Ride. With the top off, it’s a lot like being on a boat. Today was one of those days. With our son off to friend’s house to enjoy swimming in their lake, we took the girls and headed out. We never know for sure where we are going to end up and the rule is that Don has to take the back roads. It was a perfect day, about 85 degrees and lots of sun with very few clouds. We left at 11:30am and came home around 4pm. We ended up getting ice cream cones from a little country store that sold one item of everything you might need from the grocery store since the nearest one was over 30 miles away. We stopped at a fun activity center and drove bumper boats, which wasn’t the greatest idea while wearing a skirt. When we left, a group of very excited men from the local nursing home were entering with pure delight in their eyes and funny crooked smiles. We drove through a lake-side town that is populated with tattoo shops and bars.

We drove past farms and fields of corn, grapes and trees. We drove to the beach and looked out at the beautiful lake. We said we would love to rent one of those little cottages just for fun but know we probably never will. We saw 186 barns in the first half hour and I know this because the girls played a game of counting them until they got tired of it. We drove through a long covered bridge and drove down a road where we unexpectedly ended up right in the middle of a golf course! We saw lots of people doing yard work, some relaxing and one man covered in tattoos standing in his garage getting ready to hit his punching bag hanging from the rafters. These rides are like snowflakes for us- no two rides are ever alike.


When we got home we jumped in the pool to cool off and then had corn-on-the-cob and laughed at the way Don eats corn –like an old type-writer. We laughed at Aiden’s one swollen eye (we are not sure how that happened) and my sunburned nose. It was a perfect way to celebrate the first day of the last month of summer.

On a Wild Ride

My life has been a roller-coaster of money woes.  I go through times of complete panic and distress, to relief and enjoyment when it comes to money.  Yesterday I received $100 cash at work for having a great June.  I know some people get thousands of dollars in bonuses but this $100 was special because as much as I needed the money, the people around me that received it needed it even more.  The company I help run hasn't had the greatest of times in the past few years and it just starting to turn the corner so passing out $100 bills to it's employees was a nice way to appreciate them.  The day prior, my husband texted me that he missed HIS bonus by 200 hours (they are measured in hours worked by employees  - he's a recruiter) and his bonus would have been like an extra paycheck.  So I was pretty happy with my crisp $100 bill.  I texted my hubby and he texted back - "COOL", and it felt like I was coming over the hill to see a nice stretch of smooth-ness on the tracks ahead.  Out of no where we hit a bump and my little cart started spinning out of control. I got a panicked call from my husband that when he went to order his medication (for MS) it had gone from $50 monthly (after insurance) to $150, so I may as well just hold on to that $100 bill.  Lovely.  This pretty much set the tone for my day. I was unnecessarily rude to him, then him to me, and after that, everything that could go wrong at work did. By the time I got home I was really worked up and we proceeded to argue about anything and everything.   I decided to pick that night to pay bills and to my horror saw the electric bill was $300!  In our defense, we had a HOT month and the a/c was on a lot, the kids are home more because it's summer, therefore the TV is on, the dishwasher is going, the laundry , etc etc.  Unfortunately, I had only been making minimal payments on the electric bill so needless to say, we are up to $800 and change now.  Over the years when times got tough Don has sold his gun collection, we have cashed in the kids savings bonds, borrowed & returned, and scrimped and scrounged money out of anywhere we can to get us by, with me barely losing anything besides pride. So, I got to thinking.  I have previously considered gathering up old jewelry to turn in but realized I don't have a whole lot of real pieces I could part with and I have even considered pawning my wedding ring, but chickened out.  I've talked about getting a 3rd job but it's not fair to the kids. I've thought about having a garage sale, but again, we don't have much people would want and I prefer to give what we can to those who need it and can't pay for it.  Let me clarify a few things at this point in the story: We are not desolate. We both have nice jobs, health benefits can buy groceries, drive two cars and pay our bills, however, we haven't always been smart in the money department. It goes way back to those darn credit card tables in the college commissary.  Anyway, there are SO MANY more way worse off people than us, this I KNOW.  I am not asking for sympathy. I include these anecdotes to make people in our situation relate, laugh and to vent about the un-fairness I feel even though I'm incredibly lucky and have been dealt a MORE than fair hand.  So let me just be a baby about it and just laugh with me....  Anyway, the problem with the Electric bill is that I have been making minimal payments so I can pay a little to everyone rather than leave someone out. Unfortunately, the bill is one delivered via email, so you don't really pay a lot of attention to the warnings and red flags and you think you are smooth sailing.  I said to myself - how many times have you used that silverware that was given to you when you were a little girl? Twice. It looked nice, but I never got the China that would have made it look even nicer.  My Dad's Mom would send me a piece every year for Christmas, and until I was around ten, I never gave it much thought, but I know my Mom was excited for me to start the collection since she never had any real silver.  At some point we had to send my twelve place settings back to my Grandma because they had discontinued the pattern my Mom had picked out when I was a baby, and my Grandma had to start me all over again, but I got to choose the pattern and being a young girl I chose the most feminine one.  I probably would have had 24 place settings had the original one not run it's course, but I ended up with 12 place settings, 48 pieces in all, that I have used two times and in the last four years looked at once.  It seemed like the right thing to do, so we picked two places to try against my hubby's better judgement.  I was determined and convinced it was  a good idea.  On the drive there I was such a jerk. Our house was hot with the a/c now off, and I think I just wanted to get the ordeal over with, plus the whole event was making me feel like such a loser.  One bright note is that I have two daughters, so how could I possibly decide who to give the silver to anyway??  We arrived at the first place and with a number in my head after good research the night before, we discovered the store was CLOSED.  I was so mad because now I couldn't do a comparison.  As we headed back to the car because we had gotten out to read the tiny note on the door the owner had left, he yelled from his car that we was back. WHEW!  He was an odd man, but seemed fair. He had left to watch his daughter's tennis tournament.  He never asked us why we were considering selling, and even talked about how no one used real silver now. So much so that I started to get nervous he was saying that to soften the blow of a low offer.  He took his time and when he gave us the figure we knew right away it was more than fair and a real blessing.  I didn't feel sad afterward like I thought I would.  No one really ever mentioned my silver, we didn't have fancy dinner parties, and I put it to good use and am grateful to my Grandmother for giving it to me and my Mom for helping me save it. On Monday I will pay our debt in full.  Afterwards we wanted to feel like normal people who don't have to sell things to get by,  so we went where all the wealthy people go, had lunch, and did what any parent of two beautiful girls would do - we bought them each an inexpensive gift.  (Our son was at a friend's house during this little adventure, otherwise we would have gotten him something too but for him, having the freedom from his sisters is a little gift! ;)....  )

So I'm back on track heading up a slight hill just coming out of a dark tunnel and I can see the light, but my hat flew off while we were in the dark. It was a very nice hat, one I'd had for a long long time, that traveled with me from house to house in a box and was only worn twice. As it flew off , I was sad to see it go, but I I didn't need it, the girl in the very last seat of our car might catch it and use it more than I ever could...

I hope the table looks beautiful ! ;)

Red, White and Blue

RED - My toes are now a bright red.  I got a pedicure and instead of my normal color - "Magnifcent on the Miracle Mile" the well-meaning girl thought I needed something a little younger looking....My daughter agreed that it wasn't my color and now I am stuck with it for a few weeks.... This is why I need to stick to my own personal style.

WHITE - I just got done wiping melted marshmellow off my lips from our campfire, and brushing ashes from my hair.  The lightening bugs were just waking up and the sparkling lights in the trees were amazing.  We roasted hot dogs and the girls played with sparklers. It was fun until the mosquitos started eating me alive...

BLUE - The color of every member in my family's eyes. Today at lunch, I looked at my husband's face and his blue eyes were amazing.  Then I looked at my kids faces and their eyes were amazing, and even though I may not be completely thrilled with my looks, I might have amazing blue eyes too.
Have a Happy a safe Fourth and Celebrate your Independence thanks to so many men and women who fought and are fighting for us.

Dreaming Again

This is a great blog, by the way : "Happy Loves Rosie".

Yesterday, was a sunny slightly warmer day, one of the best days we have had in several weeks.  Don mowed the lawn, I got my toes done and we had a fire with hot dogs and smores.  While we were sitting around the fire, I was looking at this part of our yard - its kind of a hidden oasis, you can't see it from the road or the driveway, just the back windows of our house, and it is a perfect patch of grass and trees, with the fire pit.  Between two of the trees, I decided, is the perfect spot for my travel trailer.  Just like the one in the picture here and I'd take the little dog too.  I would hang a hammock nearby, and this is where I would come to read, write my book, take a nap, have tea, play cards by candle light, have drinks with friends, and have a romantic interlude with my hubby.  I just wish someone had one they needed me to take off their hands...it might look like any of these:

Inspired

My niece invited me to her school fashion show.  She took Home EC -oops, I am not allowed to call it Home EC - it is now called Consumer Science something or other.... Anyway, I wasn't expecting a whole lot - I figured the kids were going to show off the aprons they made.  WELL, not quite!  They had a real runway, all lit up and an amazing backdrop they all designed.  Each student walked the runway modeling the clothes they made to very loud and fun music.  The kids were so much more outgoing than I ever remember being at that age. Some of the kids danced and were not embarrassed with themselves at all.  The audience was really getting into it to, which made it even more fun.  Major kudos to the teacher who must spend hours of her own time every day working with the kids and she made everything so RELEVANT.  Lots of  boys and girls. They made aprons, dresses, coats, shirts, you name it.  I was INSPIRED.  Not to sew my own clothes or anything, but to just go back to when I was confident enough and believed in myself that I can do anything I want.  So back to blogging for me, hoping that I get motivated to write that book yet. 

I'm not sure what it is about going to school functions, but no matter what, I have a hard time sitting through them without getting a huge lump in my throat and wanting to have a good old cry.  Even if I do not know any of the kids, it's something about seeing a child performing something in front of the audience, it is such a pure experience.  This makes me feel very uncool but I guess it's my kryptonite - school functions, gets me every time!

Newly Motivated

I'm back. I promise to make this a regular visit. Today on my way to work I had a writer's moment. For me, it is when I think of a plot for my yet unwritten novels and it unravels in my head. So this was a really good one and I'm getting more and more creative all while I sat still in front of a green light. Whoops!
We are leaving for my first vacation in 5 years on Friday! The craziness of packing, planning, cleaning, laundry, yelling, and eye twitching has begun.

The dresser in the bedroom is piled high with more clothes than will ever fit in our one suitcase. Thank god for laundry baskets - what we like to call red-neck luggage. By the way, do you not LOVE the smell of your suitcase? It always smells like vacations past. I also love finding things in them - Like a perfectly folded pair of socks into the size of a quarter, or soap from the hotel.

Of course after a snowy/cold winter, it will be 78 degrees as we leave heading for Florida and from it sounds like slightly lower temps. I don't care, I'm excited to just hang out with the kids, see my parents, argue with my hubby and not having to clean the house! We have Disney on our schedule for two days. Unfortunately with it being Spring Break, it will be crowded, but again, I am taking a non-caring attitude on anything that could put a damper on my fun.
A vacation for us is like holding off on paying the bills in order to store up memories.
So if you ask me today, I am newly motivated to write, to lessen the amount of clothes in the pile to be packed, to try not to stress pre-vacation, to not throw the TV remote at the TV during American Idol, to start that novel, and to enjoy my vacation as though it is my last!
How are you?

Stubborn

I'm in my room, with my laptop and with the door firmly shut. Feeling like I used to on a Saturday night with nothing to do, nowhere to go. Except back then I didn't have a laptop! I am mad, but I'm not exactly sure at what point it started and for exactly what reason. Irregardless, I am still mad. Of course I am now depriving myself of a drink, the Tv, and well the kids for that matter. Once the bedroom door has been closed, no one will dare come near it. HE won't come in after me either so there is more than one of us who is being stubborn. The dryer stopped, so I have to go fold. The kids are ready to be told to go to bed or at least clean up, and I would so much rather be sitting in my usual spot with this laptop then on my bed. It is very uncomfortable! I'll go out there, but I am NOT saying anything and I can guarantee I will stomp my feet, sigh loudly and slam a cupboard or two.........How are YOU?