Forgiveness........

A couple of months ago I had a friendship break down. I was hurt and irritated, so much so that I wasn’t able to just move on. I had sleepless nights, many long talks with other friends and family and even blogged about it. I think I had to mourn the loss of this friendship for a while before I could begin to move into the next phase, Forgiveness.
I realized I was going to have to forgive her in order to have peace with what had happened. I searched my soul, the internet and then the Bible… maybe I should have started with the Bible first J
Forgiving someone is a physical act involving your will, your feelings and your conscience. As a Christian your forgiveness is also motivated by God.
Colossians 3:13 – Be gentle and forbearing with one another and if one has a difference or complaint against another even as Christ forgave you, you must also do. Reading scripture like that can surely put things into perspective…. If God can & has forgiven me for things that I have done & said then who am I not to do the same for another human being?
Obviously there are varying degrees of pain & hurt where we find ourselves in the position of needing to forgive. We may find it a little easier to forgive someone for hurting our feelings rather than dish out the “I forgive you” to someone that has removed our trust in them.
Whatever the reason, when you find yourself put in the position of needing to forgive someone there are many more reasons to find a way to do that rather than to hold onto it. I say “put in the position” because that’s what the offending person has done to you. Whatever their actions were that has caused you pain, you didn’t ask for it or bring it upon yourself, and realizing that fact is usually what makes us feel anger or hostility. That anger can turn into anything from harsh words to making yourself ill, literally. You can find yourself becoming somewhat obsessed with all of that anger, allowing it to rule your daily life… your thoughts, activities, family time, sleep, appetite, health, other relationships…the list goes on & on. So for those reasons and many more, forgiveness is very important.
“Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and to realize that prisoner was you”
 {I love that quote} another quote I heard about forgiveness that I liked so well I wrote it down and put it on my refrigerator months ago…
“Forgiveness is letting go of the hope that the past could have been any different”
You have to find a way of letting go, and using your logical side over your emotional one is sometimes a huge help in doing that. That’s why those two quotes have helped me in forgiving. Just like reading the scripture, it’s true and logical J
How do you know if you’ve really forgiven?
A sign that you really have forgiven someone for something is when you can look back on “it” and recognize it as an experience that you’ve moved on from and learned from without feeling lingering anger or pain.
I also think it’s also important to know there is a difference in Forgiving and Forgetting. You don’t have to Forget in order to be able to Forgive.
When you’ve been wronged or hurt I don’t believe you ever forget. Whatever was done to you made enough of an impact to place a marker in your mind and on your heart for always, but it’s what you do with the memory that makes a difference.
I choose to use my old wounds as learning experiences,
“never agains”. By doing this I accomplish several things. I move forward, I don’t remain stuck in the muck of what someone else has caused, so in turn I’m finding pleasure in what life has to offer and loving every moment of it. I also don’t let those same things happen to me over & over. Whatever it was that caused me pain & hurt was not my fault so I use the memory as a reference, this allows me to keep it from ever happening to me again.
Letting go of things allows joy & peacefulness to enter your life… clinging to the pain & anger blocks out those good things and holds in stress and destruction.
Forgiveness is not easy. Sometimes it will be one of life’s hardest tasks, but I’m here to tell you it’s possible. Like any other goal, if you set your heart & mind to it then you can do it.

Things That Would Irritate a Sane Person... and Me :)

Everybody has a mental list of those little things that seem to just get under your skin. They are silly if noted out loud but when it's actually happening it can make you just wanna slap the pickle out of somebody's hand :)  Here are just a few of mine.....

* People who drive 68 mph in the left hand lane

* Tractor Trailer drivers that get in the left lane and slow down traffic just to pass the ONE semi in front of them

* People who come up out of nowhere and fly up on your rear doing 90 mph in the left lane

........... Yes, I do think I own the left hand lane :)

{sidenote: ever notice if someone's driving too slow it's irritating and if they are driving too fast it's just as irritating?  I'm just sayin'...}

Anyways...........

* You slice your tongue licking an envelope

* When you open a can of soup and the lid falls in

* When you are in need of a salesperson you can't find one anywhere, but when you want to be left alone they are everywhere and asking you, "Are you finding everything Ok?" One day I'm gonna reply, "No I'm not. I seem to have lost my marbles"   or maybe I'll just carry a bag of peanuts so when the 5th salesperson in a row asks me, "Is there something I can help you with?" I will take them from my purse and say, "Could you hold my nuts for me while I look through this rack of jeans?"    ...did I go too far?  hehe

* When you had that pen in your hand a minute ago and now you can't find it ANYWHERE!

* When the person that is in line BEHIND me at the store runs AHEAD of me when they open up a new line

* When you have to try on sunglasses at the store with that stupid plastic thingy in the center of them

And to top it all off....

* You step in dog poop and don't notice until you've gotten in your car and are driving down the road!

Well I hope I made you giggle a little today. If you want to leave some of your own "little irritations" in comments feel free :)

Fun in the sun!

Hi everyone! I've had a pretty busy day... had to go have a crown put on this morning (the in the mouth tooth kind, not on my head jeweled kind) Then it was off to meet Heather at her mother in law's to swim with my girls. Thanks again Marty for letting us cool in your pool! I brought Miss Lala home with me so we've been busy here at the house cleaning, playing Princess, watching SpongeBob SquarePants (whom I can not stand) and cooking spaghetti for dinner so pappy can eat it all up when he gets home (Layla's words).
The plan for tomorrow is get up, eat breakfast, pack the cooler, grab the sunscreen and we are headed to Tie Breaker Aquatic Center. It's a water park in Hopkinsville, KY. Heather & I are taking the girls and meeting Marty & her grandsons, Colin & Noah.... this should be fun ;)  The kiddies only out number us by one so we should be ok.... right? (nervous giggle)
So... with all the kiddie activity you'll understand if I don't get too deep in my blogging for the next day or so.
I'll be posting pics from our adventures on Facebook so you'll have to check them out. Hope everyone's days are as fun filled & blessed as mine!

Birth Order, Smirth Order.... Whatever!

My sisters and I had a sleepover this past weekend (mama was there to :)
We talked, laughed, ate lots of junk food, had a little wine, watched a chick flick and played a silly game called Bezzerwezzer... fun fun Sister Time.
It was great and I can't wait to do it all over again! I love my sisters and if you're lucky enough then you have a sister or two yourself that you adore! I feel truly blessed to have the 3 that I have. When we get together we're unstoppable. We seem to be as entertaining to others as we are to ourselves.

When I take a step back and observe my sisters interacting with one another I definitely can see how the whole "Birth Order Theory" may come into play...
I am the oldest of us 4 and tend to be bossy or somewhat in charge. My two middle sisters tend to mediate and get us on point, more centered. Then the three of us tend to treat the youngest like, well ..uh, the Youngest.
When you put us all together we are like a perfect cocktail, not one flavor stands out above the rest, a perfect blended smoothie :)
I was looking up sisters on the internet which eventually led me to Birth Order so I thought I would check it out. There are several "Birth Order Tests" you can take and not one of them pegged me as the oldest?
The first test labeled me as the Middle Child and the two others said I was the "latter born" and third child... WHAT?  Along with those labels were the personality traits, none of which fit me at all, and yes I was being open minded and objective.
So it got me to thinking, "Are all of these tests wrong or are we not the typical siblings?" I mean, don't all sisters get along 98%  of the time?  Don't all sisters join together when one is in need?  Don't all sisters cheer when the others are up and pray when one is down?  Don't all sisters jump at the chance and opportunity to get together? .... if not, maybe you should
I decided it's not the test that's wrong, it's just that my sisters and I are NOT typical.
We are truly Unique :)  Not unique - one of a kind but unique - not common.
I'm not saying this to be boastful or pompous. I'm just so thankful and so proud of our family.

Some people wistfully wish for world peace. I would wish for all siblings to be able to have what we have. Our family is a gift from God, but our closeness is something we have worked on our whole lives and each one of us had made it a conscience choice to make one another a priority in our busy lives. Sometimes it's not easy or convenient to get together and spend time with one another, but we do it.
It's you that decides what's important in your life, hopefully you're prioritizing your list correctly because the way I see it everything you do & choose today will effect all of your tomorrows.
So no, my sisters and I don't fit into any commonplace description of "Sisters & Birth Order", and for this I say thank you Heavenly Father for I feel truly blessed.
.....when friends betray you ( the true & good ones don't ), or men leave ( the loyal & good ones don't ), or your favorite pet goes away ( sadley they all do at some point ) hopefully your blessed enough to have a sister whose only a phone call away to help lift you up..*This Wish I Wish For You*

I'm Resigning......

I hereby officially give my resignation as an Adult

I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8 year old again.
I want to go to McDonald's and think that it' the best place to eat, EVER!
I want to think that M&M's are better than money because you can eat them, except for the green ones :)
I want to spend all morning getting the stuff together to open up a Koolaid stand and sell it for .25 cents a cup, end up with $2.75 at the end of the day and think I'm rich!
I want to play in the dirt and run around on my Nanny & Granddaddy's hillside and look for Indian money in their driveway then go down to my cousin Gail's and play on the bridge that seemed SO BIG at the time.
I want to return to a time when life was simple....
When all you knew were your colors, times tables and silly knock-knock jokes, but it didn't bother you because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care. All you knew was to be happy, because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset.

I want to play outside with my friends all day long, from sun-up till sun-down. Ride our bicycles while singing those songs from the 70's at the top of our lungs, only stopping to eat PB&J sandwiches then cool off by spraying each other with the garden hose while the mama's yelled, "Turn off that water! Your wasting it!"   then sneaking back later to do it again.

I want to believe that anything is possible and that wish you make when blowing out your Birthday candle really WILL come true if you don't tell anybody what your wish was.
I want to be oblivious to how hard life really can be and get overly excited by the little things again.
I want to play games like Hide & Seek, Red rover-Red rover and Duck Duck Goose!
I want to build tents in the living room using kitchen chairs and bed sheets.
I want life simple again.....
I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, depressing news, gossip, illness and loss of loved ones.
I want to believe in the power of smiles & hugs, truth & justice, peace, dreams and my imagination.
S0... I am officially resigning from Adulthood, and if you would like to discuss this further, you'll have to catch me first, cause.....
TAG! You're it!

People and places, milestones and phases…….

A milestone is one in a series of markers that we place in our minds as we travel the road of life. We use it as a reference point. It indicates an important event or turning point in your life.
A phase is a stage of development, a clearly distinguishable period of one's life in progress, the development of something.
All phases have a beginning and an end. The end of a phase usually leaves you with a milestone. I believe the milestones and phases of our lives help make us unique individuals.

The older I get the more I seem to accumulate these markers & stages...milestones & phases. There are so many...too many to recall in one sitting. I think maybe that's why we can sit and talk and talk about "Back in the day" or "The good ole' times" or the infamous "I remember when.."
If you listen to someones story weather it's short or long it's always being told with the help of milestones and phases. These things take up most of the room in our memory banks. I personally think we are always evolving and going through new phases in our life. Some good, some not so good...
This past year has been no different than any other year in my life, VERY eventful to say the least. I was thinking about a few of my own milestones and phases...

I had two grandbabies turn two years old, Madeleine & Layla. They're not babies anymore, they're Mimi's little girls AND we celebrated the addition of a new granddaughter, Farrah Elizabeth.
I've watched my oldest son move away to Florida while I'm watching my baby get ready to start his last year of high school.
I've nursed my husband after arm surgery and battles with kidney stones and waited nervously to hear the good news that my Daddy's cancer had not returned.
I've said many a prayer for my sisters this past year, each one of them dealing with fears & tears that I've battled with myself in the past.
I put an end to a 13 year friendship. Definitely one of the hardest things I've gone through but I have no regrets in doing so, it's what was best for me emotionally, mentally & physically. People move in and out of your life all of the time. Sometimes you're left wondering why they were even there to begin with. If you ask yourself that question often enough you will eventually figure it out. It really isn't that big of a mystery once you look back over the relationship.... I'll save all that for another day, another blog.
I quit smoking! 8 months now! I'm so proud of myself! (yes ma'am I am tooting my own horn, but for this I think you'll agree it's justified)
I've started working again. I haven't worked in 7 years. It feels really good to be out in the workforce again.
I really could go on & on but I don't think I have enough blog space to hold it all :)

Those are just a few of my own milestones & phases. I seriously would love to write it all down someday and make a book out of it. It wouldn't matter if anyone other than myself read it, although I think you would find it interesting enough to hold your attention. It's held mine for 42 years........

Things our Mothers never told us...

I have come to realize that I am not my mother, but close enough like her to proudly say I am her daughter :)
I used to think that I didn't really learn alot from my mama. That who I was, what I did and how I lived was all me, but I'm finding out more & more every day that's just not true.
My husband told me the other day what a great cook he thought I was and how did I learn to cook so well? I told him "practice I guess?" Then I got to thinking and said, "from my mama."
 She never gave me any type of cooking class per say but I watched her...watched her cook meal after meal for our family. Even after working 12 hour shifts at the hospital she would come home and cook. Meatloaf, spaghetti, pork chops, fried potatoes, pots of beans in the pressure cooker (do they even make those things anymore? Pressure cookers, not beans lol)
 Anyways.... I watched and I learned. As little girls my daughters asked me, "How did you learn to put on makeup?" Well, it started by watching my mama. She never wore much but definitely always had on her mascara. How did you learn how to pray?... from watching my mama. How did you learn how to be a friend, how did you learn how to be a loyal & faithful wife, How did you learn how to be a mama..... I've learned it all from watching my Mama.
I bet when she was cooking, carefully applying mascara to her eyelashes, saying our bedtime prayers, visiting with Delores or Pat, washing my daddy's work clothes and taking us to the Madison Library on Old Hickory Blvd., she never really knew how much she was being watched and what lessons she was teaching us.
I can only hope that my very own daughters have learned some of those same values from me when I wasn't looking, but they were watching....

We need to remind ourselves that motherhood is HARD! and that there are NO perfect mothers. We all make mistakes. There is no one single way to parent a child, especially since each child is different weather it's yours, mine or theirs.
I'm so very thankful for the Mother that God choose for me.
I love you Mama <3


Martina McBride has an absolutely beautiful song that I LOVE and recommend you check it out on Youtube   "In My Daughters Eyes" {view the one with words scrolling}

Big Brother is watching...........

No, actually we are the ones watching :) Big Brother, season 13 has begun! It started last Thursday evening and again last night. Looks like it will have it's regular schedule. Wednesday nights are for the "Veto" competitions. Thursday nights are for "Eliminations" and "Head of Household" and Sundays are left for "Nomination Ceremony" along with the "Have or Have Not" competition........                               

If you're wondering what in the world I"m talking about, then you obviously aren't a fan of one of the most popular and highest rated shows on T.V.
Big Brother could be described as part game show part reality show. Game show in the fact that these people are competing to win a half of a million dollars and reality show since the contestants are living together in the secluded Big Brother house and their every move is being taped. The only "semi-privacy" they have is sitting on the toilet and taking a shower (you can hear them, just not see them) Viewers have a chance to watch the action not just during the three 1 hour episodes of game play and chaos but each evening from 11pm till 2am on the Showtime channel and you can subscribe to their live feed on the Internet which runs 24/7...... GOOD GRIEF!

I've actually thought of trying to get on the show myself, even printed out the online application one time. Then I thought, "Humm..Do I really want millions of people watching me eat, sleep & play? 
...not to mention watching me burp, fart, pick my nose, clean out my ears, have mini versions of mental breakdowns while I cry in the Diary Room about how much I miss my family and how much I can't stand Evil Dick" , he's one of the Houseguest.  (Houseguest are what the contestants are called)

Anyways.... If all of this sounds crazy, but entertaining, well...It is! Most of my family watches this show each week and then we call each other to compare notes.... "OMG! Did you see what Rachel did? oh No she didn't! Jeff and Jordan should have voted her off! Yeah, well I can't believe Evil Dick just said that to his daughter! Really? I can. He isn't called Evil for no reason. hahaha!"

If you want to begin to understand that conversation then you'll have to tune into channel 5 and watch it along with the rest of us :) If you're already a fan then mama said we should do a Big Brother night at her house!

{sidenote... Ok,Ok. I know it's not PBS or Hallmark Channel. It's a pretty cool show though. It's fun & entertaining. I for one enjoy anything that gets my family to chatting and giggling about some nonsense and can take our minds off of our own crazy reality for a few minutes here and there}

My Mother is on Facebook! .........and everybody else

I read a headline the other day, “Facebook will no longer exist after February 2012” …users have from now until February 2012 to contact old friends, stay in touch with relatives or social network in general". WHAT! NO WAY! They can’t do that. What are we going to do without Facebook???

OK, calm down. It was just a bogus rumor that had been started, totally untrue. But….. it got me to thinking, “What would happen if Facebook went away?”

  There are definitely lots of pros to having this form of communication at our fingertips. I personally have been in touch with friends and even some family that I haven’t seen or spoken to in years thanks to FB. I’ve been able to find out how they are – what they are doing now- if they have kids, grandkids. – I’ve even found out through FB that we’ve lost a few sweet souls.  Facebook is a great way to get in touch with a whole group of people all at once. Maybe you’re having a party or reunion. Maybe you’re planning a wedding or baby shower. It's definitely a great way to share your cool vacations photos or those sweet little baby pictures.

But what if..... what if it went away... What ever would we do?

Well, maybe we would start calling people again in order to see how they've been and if everything is going good for them and their family. Maybe we could go back to the old fashion way of inviting people to an event or gathering. (paper invites and phone calls) 

 Remember when people would come over and visit and sometimes you would pull out the ole' photo albums with all the pictures, old & new.

I'm not trying to insinuate that Facebook is a bad thing. It's not. I myself use it quite often. I used it to inform you all about this Blog I'm doing. I guess what I am trying to put out there is that we shouldn't allow technology in any form become so much a part of our lives that without it we feel lost.

I left my cellphone at home yesterday when George and I headed into town.. I nearly panicked! I almost made him turn around and go back to get it even though it would have put us late for our appointment. {we did not turn back} I feel naked without my phone by my side. I feel like something bad or good even, will happen and I won't be able to know about it. How absurd is that? I mean, there once upon a time was A TIME when we didn't have cellphones. It wasn't even that horribly long ago.

So I'm thinking, maybe we need a technology vacation. One day a week where there's no such thing as cellphones, computers, xbox, playstations { housephones and TV's are fine, they've been here forever. Ok, not forever but long enough} No GPS telling you in that weird computer voice, "Turn Left in 1.2 miles". Yeah, even that thing has taken over. On two separate occasions I asked someone the best way to get to "such & such" and was told, "Haha. You know, I'm not sure. I just use my tomtom or garmin and go with it."  WHAT!

I'm gonna give it a try by golly.... well not today obviously since I've been on this computer checking my Facebook and writing my Blog while talking on my cell phone to my friend I haven't actually visited in over a month and programming my Direct TV to remind me that one of my favorite shows is on at 9pm tonight and then........

Maybe I'll start tomorrow? I need to check my electronic calendar first  ;)    

                                                        

What does Independence Day mean to you?

To me, July 4^th is time of a pride I have in my Husband & Daddy and all servicemen for loving us all, America to, so much that they were and are willing to go out and defend us. I also feel as a patriotic holiday it’s a time to remember those who gave their lives for our freedoms.
I can’t imagine I’m the only one who’s eyes well up with tears anytime you hear, “America, America. God shed his grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea.”
If you are reading this blog I HIGHLY recommend when you’re done to visit the website scoutsongs.com and read all of the words to  America The Beautiful ! Talk about making your heart swell !!

Well I hope I’ve got your Red, White & Blue blood pumping for the holiday weekend. I’ll leave you today with these interesting tidbits I found. GOD BLESS AMERICA, my home sweet home. I wouldn’t want it to be anywhere else here on earth.

** On July 4, 1776, the 13 colonies claimed their independence from England, an event which eventually led to the formation of the United States of America.

** John Adams, whose influences help make this all happen wrote this letter to his wife Abigail:                        This day (July 4^th) will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of it’s continent to the other, from this time forward for ever more.

**The Flag Salute**

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America / and to the Republic for which it stands / One Nation under GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all                                                                                             

The Pledge of Allegiance was composed in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister

Interestingly the phrase, "of the United States of America" wasn't added until 1923. Even more interesting to me was finding out that the words, "under GOD" were not added until 1954....                                                    

***There have been many lawsuits filed in court since then to try and have the words Under GOD removed, so far with no success.

**The salute to our flag we have now, right hand over heart, isn't the original. In 1942 Franklin D. Roosevelt changed it to this because the original, called the Bellamy Salute. Arm outstretched, Palm down then Palm up was adopted by the Nazi's.... Thank you Franki D.  !

Those were the days....... Thank You Edith & Archie Bunker

If I said it once then I've said it a million times, "I wish things were like they used to be." Simpler Times. I think that has been said generation after generation and usually after we've grown up and had a child or two and we're looking back at our own childhood. I remember back when you didn't dare whine about being bored to your mother, 'cause she was sure to find something for you to do {high chances were it was gonna involve some type of work!}
Childhood obesity wasn't an issue. Most in part because you went outside to play, from sun up till sun down. You rode your bicycle, which has been replaced largely by motorized scooters. You walked to your friends house even if they did live a mile up the road, which you can't do as much now in fear of some child predator lurking about. You and your friends built tree houses or playhouses in the woods and spent all day sweepin' the dirt floor & decorating them with things you snuck out of the house or garage, which has been replaced by souped up video game systems, computers and games like Farmville or Cityville where you just sit and type up a world you want to create instead of participating in the Real World that is wasting away right before their eyes.
Remember when.... we used to write letters to friends & family, on actual paper using stamps that cost a little more than a piece of gum to send them through the mail that took a few days but then you had the joy of retrieving that letter  you'd been expecting out of an actual metal mailbox? Which has all been replaced by a click of a few buttons. 
.....I could go on & on about the "remember whens". If you post to this blog or you're a member on Facebook maybe you could share some of your own "Remember When" moments :)
In the "revised" words of  Archie & Edith Bunker....

Boy the way the Eagles played
Songs that made the Top 10 great
Oh yeah we had it made
Those were the days...
      And you knew who you were then
      Girls were girls and Men were men
      You bet that we could use a man
      Like Martin Luther again.
Didn't need Forecloser rates
Life was actually pretty great
Gee our Oldsmobile run great
Those Were The Days..................

What kind of a friend are you?

I used to think there was two kinds of friends. Friend #1...this person you could hang out with have a laugh now & then, a see ya, when I see ya kind of friend. Obviously you could have many of those friends. Friend #2..this person was your "go to" friend. When the chips were down and the world was collapsing around you OR if you needed to vent or just share what kind of a week you were having and of course in return you were that kind of friend for them.     ........like I said, I used to think that.
Thanks to someone in my life, I see there are many types of friends and even though someone may be one kind of friend in your life, at any given time or circumstance that friendship can change and evolve into a whole new & different one. Close friends can become closer, and some of your dearest friends can get farther away.
When you call yourself someones "Best Friend" then you should take that to heart and treat as such. It should never be one sided or taken advantage of. One reason being you're likely to hurt the one who's been there for you when no one else was. Second of all that very person you hurt, the one who's always been there in the past , is likely not to be there in the future.
Toby Keith, a country singer, has a song that reminds me of the type of person I'm talking about. "I wanna talk about me, wanna talk I , wanna talk about number one OH my, me, my. What I think. What I like. What I know. What I want . What I see..... I like talkin about you,you,you,you USUALLY. But Occasionally, I WANNA TALK ABOUT ME!"
If your gonna call yourself a Best Friend. If your gonna represent yourself as a Best Friend...then BE ONE. The friendship should be two-sided. Yes, sometimes one sides needs are greater than the other..Sometimes. When it becomes ALL of the time then there is something wrong on one end and if that needy end refuses to recognize that fact then you may have what some call a Toxic Friendship.
  If your unsure of the job duties, then ask around, look it up, observe others that are.
Yes, I said job duties. Just like being a mom, sister or a wife... a Best Friend is somewhat of a Job. It's something that needs constant tending to. Worked at, not thrown on a shelf somewhere to get dusty or forgotten. If you cherish that friendship then you wouldn't want to neglect it, so don't.
At 42 years old, I know what it is I want in my life and what I don't want. I want to be useful, not used. Needed but appreciated. I want to hear all about your day, then will you listen about mine? I wanna be able to trust that when I call upon "you" that you'll be there, just like I would be there for you......
I know that God in Heaven is all of these things for me. But there's nothing wrong with having a Friend on Earth helping him out down here :)

Once Upon a time...

It seems that everyone nowadays has a blog. The best I can figure is that this "blog" thing is like an
on-line diary of sorts? Ok, maybe not a diary since I'd like for people to actually READ the entries. Maybe a journal.. yeah, that's it, a journal. I wish I could zip back in time and gather all the journals I had discarded and misplaced over the years. What a collection that would be!
Since 2006 I've kept all of my date/calendar books. I've always referred to them as *My Brain*. I had finally figured out in order to have any order in my life I needed to keep one of those things in my purse with me at all times. Originally I started it for appointments and such but soon figured out I could write down all kinds of things in there. Everything from a to-do list, doctor appointments to what I did that day or what eventful thing may have taken place that day. Those books have actually come in handy on  more than one occasion, from everything to "When was my pap smear done last year?"  to "What was the date of that big snow we had in 2009?" I refer back to those books more than I ever thought I would. 
That has got me to thinkin', "If I had written down in a journal my day to day life and all that it entails for the last several years I could SO have turned that into a book!!"
Better late than never...... here we go.