You Can't Cure Crazy

As much as I would like to believe that everyone has an ability to change and to grow, I'm becoming more and more convinced that some people can't. They're crazy, and you can't cure crazy.

Now, before I go any further, let me just clarify that someone with a mental illness is NOT crazy. Crazy are those people who are able to see what is going on, can recognize problems with a particular situation, yet, for some reason, choose to continue on a destructive path.

I think we all go through crazy phases in our lives. It's part of growing up. But, crazy phases are just that, phases. The crazy is a temporary event that will eventually pass as each of us "comes to our senses." There are those that choose NOT to come to their senses, though. If this was the extent of the problem, it might be irritating, but not necessarily damaging. The problem with crazy people, though, is this--If you don't agree or cater to their craziness, they will do all in their power to tear you or your life down. If their life is chaos, so must yours be in order for them to feel "normal."

Instead of trying to help these people, in order to save yourself, you have to cut off the crazy. This won't be the popular choice; and just like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum, the yelling and screaming will increase temporarily. But as you break away from the crazy, as you let the self-destruction take place and don't try to "fix it," you will feel your own strength increasing. You will become a better you.

Because, eventually everyone learns, you can't cure crazy, but you can cure you.

“No one can drive us crazy unless we give them the keys.”



                                                   ~Doug Horton

PlayingTug of War

Have you ever played tug of war? Have you ever been stupid enough to play tug of war with God?

I have. Not that I'm proud to admit it; but, dang it, there are just some things I wanted to make go my way. I figured if I prayed hard enough, explained eloquently enough to God my vision for what I wanted to happen, then He would see the wisdom of my plan.

Surprise, surprise! God won the tug of war. He didn't pull me down in the mud. He didn't drag me to His point of view. He just waited for me to grow weak from struggling against His will and His plan. When finally my will grew weak from all of the straining against Him, God basically said, "Please listen."

I prayed that He would show me His will, but I didn't really want to listen. I wanted to hear what I wanted to hear. But God honored my request, waiting until I was tired enough to listen to what He had to say.

Now, am I happy that my oh-so-brilliant plan wasn't chosen by God. Nope. Closer to heartbroken. But, I do have enough faith in my Lord to know that, whatever HIS plan for me is, it will be so much better than anything I could ever dream for myself. I just have to be strong enough to wait and see what that plan is.

“I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much.”



                                                        ~Mother Teresa

T-Shirt Wisdom

Okay, I must admit, I'm a bit of a sucker for funny t-shirts. Especially on dreary days.





(NoiseBot.com)
(NoiseBot.com)(NoiseBot.com)

Just Laugh

Sometimes, when things don't look so bright, you just have to remember to laugh.

“The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.”

                                                     ~Mark Twain

My Life as an Adam Sandler Movie

So, today, when telling one of my friend's a story about something that just happened, she made the comment that it was like something out of a bad soap opera or an Adam Sandler film.

This got me thinking about a couple of things: 1) Is my life really that crazy? (YES!), and 2) Which Adam Sandler film would best describe my life at this time?

Well, in my wildest dreams, I'd have 50 First Dates which would eventually lead to me hiring The Wedding Singer. Unfortunately, I seem to be stuck with The Waterboy, Little Nicky, or Airheads, all of whom test my Anger Management skills. I'd be so happy with a Big Daddy or a Mr. Deeds, but finding such a man is like trying to find the one peanut in a bowl of Mixed Nuts. And trying to communicate is like speaking Spanglish to a deaf man. I know it may sound like I'm Going Overboard, but, I promise, I don't let this Reign Over Me. There are just days when I wish I could Click the channel and skip at least Eight Crazy Nights. But, if I can't do that, I'll make sure my friends are Funny People and put myself to sleep with some happy Bedtime Stories.

"It's hard to soar with the eagles when you're surrounded by turkeys."

                                       ~ Longfellow Deeds
                                         (Adam Sandler in Mr. Deeds)

Random Quotes

These just spoke to me today.

“Don't ever give up on something or someone that you can't go a full day without thinking about.”

“Somewhere there is someone that dreams of your smile, and finds in your presence that life is worthwhile, so when you are lonely remember it’s true, someone somewhere is thinking of you.”

If Only...

"If only... " A very scary phrase. The words are normal enough, but the meaning of the phrase can lead to real problems.

"If only everything was perfect."
"If only he would listen to me."
"If only I had more time in the day."

There will always be "If only's." Life isn't perfect, so we will always want more. Problems arise, though, when our desire for more leads to inertia. We can dwell on what would make life perfect, but that will never LEAD to a perfect life.

So, I'm going to do my best to leave the scary stuff to the Halloween fanatics and say "If only..." a little less and "I will..." a little more.

“Live this day as if it will be your last. Remember that you will only find ''tomorrow'' on the calendars of fools. Forget yesterday's defeats and ignore the problems of tomorrow. This is it. Doomsday. All you have. Make it the best day of your year. The saddest words you can ever utter are, ''If I had my life to live over again. ''Take the baton, now. Run with it! This is your day! Beginning today, treat everyone you meet, friend or foe, loved one or stranger, as if they were going to be dead at midnight. Extend to each person, no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness and understanding and love that you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.”



                                                                                        ~ Og Mandino

Ssssshhhhh! Don't Tell!

I am officially calling a MHM (Momma's Hypocrite Moment) on myself tonight. As I sit here and look at the time (11:36 p.m. if you were wondering), I realize how much more I need to complete before class tomorrow. Now, this would not be SUCH a big deal if I had not just informed my son, less than 6 hours ago, that he needed to better budget his time in order to complete his homework AND get a decent night's sleep.

Hmmm, yeah, weeeellll.... I'd love to say I had a perfect excuse, but I don't. Basically, what I have is life filled with a lot of joy and running. As such, sometimes I don't keep myself as organized as I should.

So, what should I do about the itty-bitty MHM I had earlier tonight. I say if you, don't tell I won't; and, hopefully, my son will learn better organizational skills than me.

"Do as I say, not as I do."

                      ~All parents



Busy is a Blessing

I recently read in one of my text books a very profound sentiment: Instead of busy women lamenting how much must be done in a given day, they should rejoice for how many blessings they have in their lives.

Now, that statement is paraphrased, and it was not written in reference to poorer women who are busy trying to keep food on the table. The opinion was in reference to the "middlers"--soccer moms, professionals, wives, sisters, daughters--all of whom have about 30+ items on their to-do lists on any given day. At times, those to-do lists seem to be "I'm done! Stick a fork in me!" lists--to much to do and not enough time. But here's the thing, when we look at any one item on that list of things to do, would we really want to give up the blessings associated with that item?

For instance, I'm sitting here looking at my list for tomorrow. There are about a half dozen items pertaining to work, another couple having to do with school and three or four dealing with my children. (To be honest with you, I'm pretty sure my kid items will increase before the night is out.)

Now, I could cross off  the job items if I just gave up my job. Besides my love for food and having a house (both of which require money from my job), I love my work. My work is not something I want to give up, even if it can be a pain in the butt sometimes. And then there's school. Granted, papers and projects are not things that makes me go, "Oh YEA!!!!"; but, those are the necessary evils of going back to school in a field that excites me. The last and final group of items revolve around my children. Let me go on record to say that, if I lost my job, it would be hard, but I would manage. If I had to drop out of school, I'd be disappointed, but oh well. If I lost my children, a part of me would be lost, and I would only be a shadow of the person I am now. I don't care how many items end up on my list when it comes to my babies, because my babies deserve the best.

So, busy is a blessing. Sometimes in the rush of it all, it might not seem that way. And I feel fairly confident that I will, at some point in time in the near future, utter some curse word regarding one or more of the items on my list. But, in a calmer moment, I'll be able to count all the blessings I have.

" Busy is an opportunity, not a dirty word."

~Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.

Wait

I never pray to God for patience. Mainly because I know He would give me trials to overcome in order to gain said patience. So, now, I'm calling "FOUL," as my patience is being tested without my consent.

It seems, just from my unscientific observations, that I've been given a lot to be patient about right now--the same stuff I've been asked to be patient about time and time again-- and I'm not quite sure what to do about it. I mean, come on! I'm not Job! (Thank goodness since I have always thought Job got a raw deal.) So, why, exactly am I being asked to be patient AGAIN?

At this point in my life, I've pretty much given up on immediate gratification. But, being asked to wait for something over and over and over and over again is getting a bit old. I'M getting a bit old, and I need more than just the same old "tomorrow" promises.

I want the here and now. I don't expect perfection, but, dadgumit, I do expect immediacy! I'm over the "wait."

I can imagine few things more trying to the patience than the long wasted days of waiting.



                                      ~Robert Falcon Scott

Passionate

I love reading my textbooks. There. I admitted it. What does this make me? "A nerd." you say.  Well, yes. But I prefer to think of myself as passionate.

Passion seems to have made a second appearance in my life. My work and classes are exciting to me. My friendships are fulfilling. My discussions surrounding religion and politics can become heated, but in a good way. My children and their development continue to surprise and amaze me.

So, I will gladly accept the label of "nerd" as long as I'm allowed to add the adjective "passionate" in front of it. Because, at this point in my life, that is the adjective that best describes me and my experiences.

“If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of potential -- for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints; possibility never.”



                                      ~Soren Kierkegaard

Needed Faith

Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage;

be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy

God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

  ~ Joshua 1:9

I'm Melting! Melting!

I always felt that the Wicked Witch of the West got what was coming to her. She was mean and nasty, green and ugly, and overall a really grouchy and unhappy person. But after spending several hours in the Alabama sun watching my daughter cheer and my son play football, I have a new-found sympathy for the woman.

It was hot today. Let me re-phrase that, it was BLISTERING today. Especially since we were sitting on concrete bleachers that felt as if they had been recently transplanted to the stadium from the surface of the sun.

Now, you might want to ask, why in the world were there scrimmage football games held in Alabama in August during the heat of the day?  Instead of, oh, I don't know, say NIGHT TIME? Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that I will no longer watch the Wicked Witch melt without a sliver of sympathy running through my soul for her.

You cursed brat! Look what you've done! I'm melting! melting! Oh, what a world! What a world! Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness? Oooooh, look out! I'm going! Oooooh! Ooooooh!

                                       ~Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz)

Murphy, I SO Don't Need You Now

Ah, Murphy. I thought I had escaped your notice, but I was wrong. Maybe it was my arrogant lack of concern for you recently. Maybe it was my distracted demeanor. For whatever reason, you obviously felt the need to make your presence known.

On the day both of my babies start new schools; on the day that one decides to ride the bus instead of having momma walk her in; on the day that the long dreaded middle school years start, this is the day that you would visit my trusty ol' Honda.

Now, granted my CRV has 225,000+ miles on it. Granted I'm not a mechanic and don't have a clue on how to do all the little mechanic tricks to take care of a car's engine. But, may I ask why exactly you felt the need to mess with my coils, my cylinders, my plugs (OH MY!)? Would it not have been enough for you just to have had one of my tires get low or have my battery need replacing? Did we really have to go into the $400+ range in repairs?

I really don't think so, Murphy. I do believe this is what is called "overkill," and I hope you are thoroughly ashamed of yourself!

~ If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong.

Little Prayers

As exciting as recent changes in my life are--watching my children start a new school year, watching ME start a new school year--these changes have led to some serious stress in my life.

School for my kids means new clothes, school supplies and extracurricular activity fees. For me, school means tuition, micro-scheduling my life and a serious case of the nerves. Juxtapose all of that with the "normal" stressors of my life, and it tends to weigh me down. Weighing me down to a point where tears are plentiful and I can feel out of control. That is, until I begin saying my little prayers.

It's amazing how the same amount of stress can seem so much less when I pray my little prayers. Nothing fancy or eloquent or profound. Usually they are one sentence prayers, such as "God give me guidance." or "God, please just let what You want to happen happen." But, with just little prayers, my heavy load gets lighter.

“For no prayer's unanswered and no prayer unheard.”

Something So Trivial

I had to work late tonight. It was our monthly family support meeting with our kids and their foster parents. Watching the different children interact with each other is always an educational experience.

Tonight I watched a friendship nearly implode over a hit with a padded bat-like toy. The hit wasn't intended to hurt. It did. The friend who landed the painful blow hadn't been careful. So, the hurt friend was upset but was willing to forgive.  He felt the need to vent his frustration at his friend's lack of consideration, though, which might have been the end of it if his offending friend had not made the following statement: "Why are you getting so upset over something so trivial?"

WOW! That did it. Although the physical blow had hurt, it was nothing to the emotional blow felt by that kid tonight. "Something so trivial." His friend -- his best friend -- had discounted what he was feeling. Had essentially dismissed him as a person.

Now, do I believe that the other friend understood that was what he was doing? Nope. Do I think the child cared that he had hurt his friend? Yep. But, this young man was feeling some guilt, some frustration, and was feeling more than a little like an animal backed into a corner. And, just like a trapped animal, this child came out fighting for his life--at least his emotional life.

At the end of the day, the friends came to an understanding. A little cool with one another, with more than a little trust lost, but still friends. Both know they could have handled the situation better, but neither were willing to say the other one was in the right. Will their friendship heal? I certainly hope so. But, if nothing else, I hope both of them have learned just how important "trivial" things can be.

“A warrior takes responsibility for his acts, for the most trivial of acts. An average man acts out his thoughts, and never takes responsibility for what he does.”



                                             ~Carlos Castaneda

Letting Go

In my job, one of the hardest thing I have to do is tell my kids that they have to "Let go."

Letting go of pain and hurt and disappointments. Letting go of fantasies of perfect families and perfect selves. Letting go of all the negative which destroys them from the inside out.

It's one of the hardest things to do to tell someone else to "Let go." It's a thousand times harder to take one's own advice. To let go of old dreams that no longer have a chance of coming true. To let go of hope that only causes one to hurt. To let go of plans that lead you down the wrong road.

Letting go is hard. Necessary at times, but hard nonetheless.

“The sudden disappointment of a hope leaves a scar which the ultimate fulfillment of that hope never entirely removes.”



                                      ~Thomas Hardy


“When I stand before thee at the day's end, thou shalt see my scars and know that I had my wounds and also my healing.”



                                     ~Rabindranath Tagore

My Baby

I keep thinking to myself that my baby is getting kinda big, but no big deal. He's still my baby.

Today, when I went to pick up my son's schedule for middle school, I had to question my thought process on this point. My baby is going to middle school. He'll be 12 at the end of the month. He has little girls thinking HE IS CUTE!!! My baby isn't a baby anymore.

So, I am now dealing with a shift in my thought process. I'm not sure how that is going. I think I'll just pretend it isn't happening right now and deal with it more tomorrow. One can only take so much reality in a day!

Son, you outgrew my lap, but never my heart.               
                                            ~Author Unknown

My Dishwasher--A Snapshot of My Life

So, I've come to understand something about myself. If you look at my dishwasher at my dirty dishes, you can usually figure out what's going on in my life at any point in time.

For instance, right now, my dishwasher is full of coffee cups. Not a few. A LOT! What this means is that my life remains busy with me staying up late and getting up early in order to keep up.

There have been times when my dishwasher has been mostly pots and pans and mixing bowls. Usually this means I'm in the homebody, entertaining mood. I'm wanting to make suppers in which Martha Stewart would take pride.

Now, if my dishwasher is full of dirty plates, forks and glasses, this means that all is normal in my little domestic world. Kids are running, mom is running and the dishwasher wasn't turned on as planned.

My life reflected in my dishwasher. I'm just not sure what to make of that one.

"Want to load the dishwasher?... I'd be thrilled."

                           ~Lines from the Big Chill

Tennis Elbow

This might sound like a silly question, but can you get tennis elbow from Wii Tennis?

See, I rediscovered the joys of Wii this weekend. A little Wii tennis in the air conditioned indoors was incredibly fun. (Real tennis in 95 degree heat outdoors wouldn't be quite as much.) The down side to this fun is the fact that I woke up with a sore arm this morning. Now, I'm not at the point where I'm popping Advil like candy, but I am aware of several of my arm muscles. More aware than I would like to be.

So, I'm now dealing with a moral dilemma. Do I continue with the Wii tennis, or do I move on to some other fun and exciting indoor activity? What am I thinking?! If I don't play tennis I'd have to clean house. Moral dilemma solved!

“Do you know what you call those who use towels and never wash them, eat meals and never do the dishes, sit in rooms they never clean, and are entertained till they drop? If you have just answered, "A house guest," you're wrong because I have just described my kids.”



                                           ~Erma Bombeck

Grad School Part Deux

I received word today that I was accepted into the University of Alabama's graduate school in order to pursue a Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Now, I'm off-the-chart excited. Of course, this causes me to question my sanity. I mean, who gets excited about spending money to take exams and sit in class? Especially while working and taking care of kiddos?

Exactly. ME!!!!!

“I used to tell women graduate students, half-seriously, that the role of slightly rebellious daughter was one of the better roles for women living in patriarchy.”



                                              ~ Carol Gilligan

Hurry Up and Wait

It's so funny how crazy life can get. I seem to run, run, run and then come to a sudden, screeching halt. Not that I'm complaining. Most of my current hurry ups and waits are good things.

I received my MAT scores. Luckily I did not score in the "Um, you might want to rethink this whole school thing, dear." range.  Now, I have to wait for the MAT scores to be bundled with the rest of my information to be sent to my graduate college of choice. THEN I get to wait for the review panel to decide if I will or will not begin graduate school in the fall.

Like I said, the waiting is for good stuff, so I'm slightly more patient than normal. Slightly. I hope we don't push this patient thing, though.

“God always teaches us patience, when we do not have time for the lesson.”

New Starts

I started again. "What have you started?" you may ask. My reply?

Fund raising. Robin and I had our second yard sale to raise money for our walk in October.
Cleaning. Having held said yard sale, a great deal has been moved out of my house. This has helped somewhat with the cleaning process.
Applying to School. I've completed and submitted my application for graduate school in Marriage and Family Therapy. 
Shopping. School starts August 10 for my children. Enough said.
Dreaming. Well, okay, I never stopped doing this one. Just thought I'd throw it in for fun.

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”



                                            ~Maria Robinson

My Motherboard's Dead

I grew up watching Sci-Fi movies and t.v. shows. It comes from having a Trekkie mom and being around for the debut of the first three Star War movies.

So, when I hear the word "motherboard," my mind goes to the deck of the Enterprise or the Death Star. When I hear the words, "You're motherboard's dead." while a young tech guy is holding up my phone, I really want to respond by asking if it suffered a Klingon attack.  I don't, feeling this might freak the young tech guy out, or worse, he might ask what a Klingon is.

Anyway, I received word yesterday that my iPhone was dead. Gone. Kaput. The exact statement from young tech guy was, "There are more things wrong than I have parts to fix." Wow. That's seriously bad. So I'm now going old school, using my son's flip phone that the dog has chewed on at some point in the process. I have yet to go into any serious  withdrawals, except for readjusting to texting without a keyboard. I'm sure once I receive my next phone bill without all the iPhone charges on it, adjusting will become a lot easier.

"The Star Trek computer doesn't seem that interesting. They ask it random questions, it thinks for a while. I think we can do better than that.”



                                             ~Larry Page

Toilet Paper Dresses

(Thanks Hannah for the inspiration for this post!)

My friend, Hannah, has a quirky sense of humor. Since I do too, this works out well. Tonight, she had some fun teasing me about my couponing. She sent me an email about these women who made dresses out of toilet paper. Some used coupons to purchase the toilet paper to make the dresses.

Now, I'm all about the coupons, and I'm certainly all about dresses. I'm rather fond of toilet paper, too, since I use it on a daily basis. BUT, I do not see me ever using a coupon to purchase toilet paper out of which I would make a dress. Call me crazy, but I feel that my time may be better spent elsewhere. (I will say, in defense of the toilet paper making individuals, it was for some sort of contest.)

If you want to peruse some pictures of the dresses, check out this link:

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/sex/toilet-paper-wedding-dress-contest-winners-12-bridal-gowns-you-could-buy-with-a-coupon-2508828/#photoViewer=1



A dress makes no sense unless it inspires men to take it off of you.



                                        ~Francoise Sagan

A Good Argument

I had an argument today with someone I love. The cause of the argument is not important. The resolution of the argument is.

I've discovered in my older age that arguments usually fall into two categories: Good and Bad. Now, as simplistic as this sounds (and is), how arguments are handled in relationships is usually a good barometer of the health of the relationship.

In a good, solid relationship, an argument is never a search and destroy mission. An argument is where two people share their feelings and figure out what the heck is wrong. It's more talking than screaming, more listening than blaming, and more "Let's work this out." than "You suck!" When you have an argument, you can usually tell it's been a good one when both people, even if they still don't agree, know they are still loved and respected by the other person.

In a rocky relationship, an argument becomes a battle in a war. The winner is the one that can scream the loudest and the longest. It's not a matter of finding the problem and working towards solving it. It's a matter of proving that you are right and accepting no fault on your part. In a bad argument, "You suck!" (or similar phrases) are the norm. Everyone comes away feeling as if they were emotionally assaulted and injured.

So, today I had a good argument. I'm not sure if anything has actually been resolved yet, but I do know that, eventually, it will be. And the fact I'm able to have an argument and still feel safe in the relationship is amazing!

“The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.”



                                    ~Joseph Joubert

Happy

I'm happy. Busy, but happy.

I'll start training again for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk (New York) pretty soon. It's an October walk, so I still have a little longer before the "gotta get going" kicks in. I'm excited about this adventure, although I'll be starting graduate school (hopefully) in the fall,so the "to do" list will be a little longer. I'm just looking at the training walks as good LONG stress release sessions. Also, my babies will both be starting new schools in the fall. Although they are both comfortable with this transition, I'm a bundle of nerves. Again, 20 mile training walks may be helpful in this area. (Laugh to yourself, please.)

So, there you go. I'm running around like a chicken with her head cut off, forgetting if I'm coming or going, and I'm happier than I've been in a very long time.

Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place. But there is always a little corner that keeps flapping around.
                                           ~E.L. Konigsburg

Having a Grinch Moment

I've been having some Grinch moments lately. Not the bad kind where I want to steal the Who's Christmas and sit miserably on a mountain with my poor dog. The good kind, where my heart grows 3 sizes bigger.

Life is full of ups and downs. I've had my share of downs within the last year, and they've been hard. BUT (and here's a major "but"), I can say with complete confidence that living through the downs has made me so much more appreciative of my current "up."

My life remains hectic. Actually, I think it keeps speeding up on a daily basis. The good news is, everything that makes my life hectic is also what makes it so good. Family, friends, work--they all in one way or another equal love. And love makes my heart grow and makes me stronger. Just like the Grinch.

And what happened, then? Well, in Whoville they say - that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day. And then - the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch found the strength of ten Grinches, plus two!


            ~ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1968)

How to... Make Christie Pull Her Hair Out

1) Have her apply for grad school for a second Masters.
2) Have her think about studying and taking a graduate entrance exam.
3) Have her look at the "to do" list that grows faster than she can run to complete them.
4) Have her animal family start acting like a bunch of, well, animals.
5) Have her not get enough sleep or coffee.

That's about it. Please excuse me while I look up some wig makers.

“When your goals seem too difficult to reach..... move the posts closer.”



                                                                 ~Phil Long

Forgetfulness

Usually, forgetting something is considered a bad thing. Forgetting where you placed your keys will make you late for work. Forgetting the date of a major battle will affect your test score. Forgetting the date of your spouse's birthday...too horrible to consider.

Forgetting is sometimes a blessing, though. Working with children who have suffered abuse and neglect, and with foster parents who have taken them in, sometimes I wish I could spread a little forgetfulness. I wish I could help the children forget the pain they have suffered or have witnessed. I wish I could help the foster parents forget some of the more minor transgressions of the kids, as a running tally of sins is never good for a relationship. I wish I could forget some of the pain I feel when I see one of my kids hurting.

The only advantage to not forgetting is the opportunity which arises for learning. For my kids to learn how very strong they are and how much they can overcome. For my foster parents to learn the little "imperfections" in their kids, so they can love all that is perfect within the kids even more. For myself to learn how to better help, to better love, and to better serve my families.

So maybe this is why God doesn't make it easy to forget. Forgetfulness--with all the seductive lure of ease--leaves no room for growth in character and wisdom. Plus, it would put the sticky pad makers out of business.

“O sleep, O gentle sleep, nature's soft nurse, how have I frightened thee, that thou no more wilt weigh my eye-lids down and steep my senses in forgetfulness?”



                               ~William Shakespeare

Rested, Well, Kinda

So, I took a kinda-sorta break this weekend. I was able to stay home and just do home stuff. No running around to ball parks, birthday parties, or exotic lands.

As such, you can actually see my kitchen counter again! Now, this might not seem like a big deal to you, but, to me, it's HUGE! It means, slowly but surely, I'm regaining control of my house. (Slowly would be the key word in that past sentence.)

My next goal, I believe, will be to tackle the kitchen table. Lord be with me!

“Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the sidewalk before it stops snowing.” 

                                                ~Phyllis Diller

Tick Tock Goes the Clock

I swear, some days I feel like the clock is set to fast forward. I celebrate on New Year's Day, go to bed, and wake up the next day in June.

I guess part of this feeling of lost time comes from not having a spare weekend for the last five weekends in a row. Not that the weekends were filled with root canals and SAT exams. They were just filled with no time to get the "normal" stuff done like laundry and housework and just lounging for a few minutes.

This past weekend was all about my little girl turning 8. We had a birthday party at my mom and dad's house with family and family friends. It was a great party with the kids playing blocks and chasing each other and the adults laughing and talking. But, wow!, afterwards I was tired.

So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this weekend will be free. Nothing to do but housework and laundry and maybe, just maybe, a little lounging.

I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say hello or goodbye! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!

          ~ The Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland

Day 3 on Land

The third day we were in Belize. Belize included a long drive on a bus to a long river boat ride to a long hike to some pyramids.  It was all actually pretty fun. Well, all except it being 105 degrees. That wasn't that great.



My son at the top of the "smaller" pyramid.



My son climbing the 80,000 steps to the top of the pyramid. (Maybe a slight exaggeration.)

Some really rare birds of Belize. Can't remember their names. I think one was Bob. (Add groan here.)

“There are some people who knock the pyramids because they don't have elevators.”

Day 2 on Land

After a day like today, I REALLY wish I could turn back time and return to my vacation. Unable to warp time, though, I will attempt to recapture part of that fun feeling by looking at some great photos.

Day 2 on Land was in Roatan, Honduras.  Our tour guide, Sonja, was a sweetheart. She managed to take us zip lining, monkey petting, and snorkling without losing any of us. It was a fun (if really hot) day.

My young man taking the lead!

My little girl flying!

This monkey was smarter than some people I know!

“It's important to learn what works for you so at the end of the vacation you really do feel like you had a break from your work.”



                                                ~Mark Walker

The Reason for My Leave of Absence

I haven't been posting for the last few days, but I've been busy with a project. The wedding cake for my young neighbor. Totally worth the effort for her!

“I love the art of cake decorating. Wedding cakes are my favorite. I like the feeling when you finally get it on the table and walk away. You know you did something for someone's special day. It's very rewarding.”



                                     ~Tina Hainey

Love Is in the Air and I Need Coffee!

I am posting from my ex's apartment using my phone. I do this because, today of all days, the power at my house went out. This in itself would not be that big of a deal (except for no air conditioning with hell-like temperatures), except for the fact I need to complete baking 6 layers of wedding cake for a wedding on Saturday. I need coffee!

A Night at Sea, A Day at Sea and Costa Maya

Well, as promised, more details from the cruise.

The first night we began our sail down the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico. The kids enjoyed playing in a swimming pool complete with a crocodile water fountain and two--not one, but two--water slides. 

Water Slide Fun



I enjoyed a nap. My parents enjoyed watching the kids. All were happy. The only victim of sea sickness that first night was my little girl. Nana's handy-dandy med bag came to the rescue, though, and the following day all were good as new.



Fun in the Sun



The next day at sea had the kids and I playing a few rousing games of BINGO along with more swimming. (I did a little laying out so I'd actually look as if I had been on a cruise.) Another nap was taken (by me), and a large quantity of food was consumed. On this night, the second victim of sea sickness--my son--was taken. Again, Nana to the rescue.

The first land day was Costa Maya, Mexico, where we spent the day touring Mayan ruins and eating with a local family. We even made our own tortillas. Not well, but we made them. And the food made by the family was delicious! My baby girl became a bit grumpy during the day, but since the temperature reached 537 degrees, the grouchiness was a little understandable.

 

Beautiful Beach





Mayan Pyramid





Tortilla Expert

“The rainy days a man saves for usually seem to arrive during his vacation.”

Tired...But in a Great Way

I'm tired. About to crash in fact. But, I'm tired in a great way.

The kids, my parents and I just returned from a 7 day cruise to Mexico, Honduras and Belize. Mayan ruins were climbed, monkeys and dolphins were petted, zip lines were zipped and LOTS of food was eaten.

More of our adventures will come tomorrow. For now, I'm feeling my pillow calling.

“If you come home as happy as you leave, you have had a good vacation.”

It's the End of the World As We Know It ....

I would just like to point out to everyone that I was neither killed by zombies or raptured today.

Now, this may seem like an odd statement. What is odder, though, is that there are people in the world that REALLY thought that the end of the world was taking place today either by zombie attack or by earthquake.

I really want to talk to one of these people right about now. I'm curious to see if any of them are still waiting on the zombies to make a fashionably late appearance. I wonder how many are still bracing for the big shake. I'm also wondering how many of these people went ahead and gave all their possessions away and how many hedged their bets "just in case."

The only thing I know without speaking to one of these individual is that it's the end of their world as they know it.

The Scene of the Crime

A brutal murder took place in my home today. At the crime scene there were obvious signs of struggle. Bedding strewn on the floor. Pieces of furniture broken. But no body. It had been moved from the original point of assault.

My son found the body lying on the living room floor. Cutie Pie the hamster had a large hole in her side. I would say rigamortis had set in, but I honestly did not examine the creature that closely. I was too busy thinking up the happy lie with which to shield my daughter from the truth as to what happened to her new pet. That, and I was attempting to profile which of my felines had turned criminal on me. (My  instincts tell me that it was the one with the Cheshire-like grin on her face sporting the "Whatcha gonna do about it?" attitude.)

May you rest in peace Cutie Pie.

“It's easy to understand why the cat has eclipsed the dog as modern America's favorite pet. People like pets to possess the same qualities they do. Cats are irresponsible and recognize no authority, yet are completely dependent on others for their material needs. Cats cannot be made to do anything useful. Cats are mean for the fun of it.” 

                                             ~P. J. O'Rourke

The Love Boat

I'll be going on a cruise with my parents and kids this summer. I'm pretty excited about the adventure. Some of my more evil-minded friends have suggested this excitement stems from thoughts of romance blooming in "The Love Boat" style.

Now, if asked if this is truly my desire, my short answer is "NO!" My long answer is "HELL NO!" To be perfectly honest, I'm just not interested in "being in love" right now.

Right now, I'm too scared of making more mistakes. Right now, I'm too scared of taking too much attention away from my kids. Right now, I'm too scared that another hurt may cause me to break.

So, for now, a cruise ship will just be a cruise ship. No romance, Prince Charmings, or swelling musical scores desired.

Falling for someone the first time is easy...

it's the second time around,

after you have fallen and trusted someone

to catch you and they didn't...

when it becomes difficult to let yourself fall again.

Bonus Blog

Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression. Do not repeat them in the future.



                                            ~Sivananda

Toilet Repairs, Fence Building and Bathing Suit Shopping

May I just say that, for a day off, it didn't feel much like a day off.

First, I headed to a chiropractor appointment followed by the much dreaded bathing suit shopping. Now, normally I would take more time to consider the selections, price compare, etc, etc, etc. Since I have an upcoming trip very soon (and my mom is having panic attacks over my lack of packing to date), I chose to cough up more money than I normally do and purchased a bathing suit today without any bargain shopping. I think I started to hyperventilate a little, but I was able to get out of the department store without attracting too much attention.

Next, I came home to a fence being built. Now, I wish I could say that the fence is completed, but it isn't. We (meaning the guys building the fence) are nearly done, though. Whoohoo! Soon the dogs will be relegated back to the yard where they are supposed to be!

Finally, I repaired my childrens' toilet. It had been out of commission for some time, but I finally got around to following the directions on the toilet replacement parts and actually USED said parts. Again, whoohoo! I have successfully repaired one refrigerator and one toilet. I would prefer not to have any other house problems pop up, but I'm becoming more confident that I can handle them if they do.


The fellow that owns his own home is always just coming out of a hardware store.



                                              ~Kin Hubbard

God's Hands

Tragedy changes people. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. But, if allowed, God will use tragedy to show His amazing power and love through those affected.

The tornadoes that swept through the Southeast United States on April 27 would qualify as a tragedy. So many lives lost or forever changed, it continues to boggle my mind. I waiver between being incredibly grateful that my family and I were spared and feeling helpless to make the lives of those affected better.

I feel helpless, because there is little I can do as Christie. But, as a pair of God's hands, I have power. I'm not a contractor that can build a house; but I am a person that can cook so that those who can build have food and drink as they do their jobs. I'm not a pastor with an in depth knowledge of Biblical theology that can help explain tragedy to others; but I am a Christian that can share all the love and comfort God has given me. I'm not a charismatic political leader that can ask and procure tons of money; but I am a couponer that can use my couponing talent to provide essentials to charities.

Still, if God only used my hands, I would continue to feel helpless. My hands are not the only ones working for God's good, though. I see people far and wide coming into town in order to help total strangers. I hear stories of people who have lost everything but their lives cleaning up neighbors' homes.  I speak with people who praise God for their lives and for those who choose to help instead of criticizing or blaming or raging against God and others.

These are God's hands at work.

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

                                                   
                                              ~Proverbs 3:27

Updates

Well, Blogger was down for a day or so. I didn't realize how much I liked this little blog until I wasn't able to get to it. As we say in the counseling world--insight.

So, let me just update all on a few developments. First, I'm finally having my fence repaired. Whoohoo! My puppies will be able to be off the runners again. This is good. They aren't used to being chained up.

Second, Robin and I decided to move our walk to New York in October. This will give both of us time to volunteer here in Tuscaloosa and, later, fund raise.

Third, I decided to stay in town for the weekend instead of heading to the beach. Not that I didn't want to go and spend time with Hannah. I just figured I needed to deal with dogs, cats, hamster, turtle, fence, and, if I had time, house. Oh! And I need some clothes for the cruise, so I decided I could, maybe, do some shopping.

Wow! My stay-cationis starting to look more like a workaction!

“No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one.”



                                          ~Elbert Hubbard

Slither and Hiss

I have officially declared open season on any snake that ventures within 50 feet of my yard.

Harsh you say? I think not! Since my son and two of his friends killed yet another snake today, I'm thinking that my yard has been named the new hot spot of the snake world. I need to make sure I shut down this rave before things get out of hand.

So, just in case any snakes are currently reading this blog, just know you've been warned!

If you see a snake, just kill it - don't appoint a committee on snakes.



                                       ~Ross Perot

Reality Checks

Today was a day in which I fantasized about being Gibbs on NCIS administering back-of-the-head slaps liberally. Being unable to do so in reality without risking an assault charge, I would like to provide the blog equivalent tonight.

1) If your partner is having to drink his/ herself into a stupor on a near daily basis, you may want to ask yourself (and them) why this is and stop coming up with nice sounding excuses.

2) If your child has been removed from your custody, picking up toothpaste and notebook paper at a local charity to give to said child will not erase the pain you have caused.

3) If you treat someone like s#@&, eventually it will come back to haunt you no matter how wonderful you think you are.

4) If you don't want the world to know your business, please refrain from posting it on Facebook. (P.S. Even if you remove said posts an hour later, SOMEONE will have seen it.)

5) If you are going to try and lie to me, at least make it entertaining. It REALLY makes me angry when you tell me a stupid AND boring lie.

There! Consider yourselves Gibbs-slapped. (You know who you are.)

Reality bites... and doesn't let go.

                           ~Author Unknown

How to... Give Christie the Willies

Well, I had myself a little excitement today. I can only blame myself as I decided to be industrious and start cleaning up the backyard.

I nearly grabbed this guy while cleaning up some old planters.

I managed to channel my Mimi's spirit to kill this "monster."

And people wonder why I don't like working outside the majority of the time!

“Never wound a snake; kill it.”

                        ~Harriet Tubman

Control

We all wish to have some degree of control in our lives. Some want more, some want less, but we all want control.

The problem with the need for control is that it is often an illusion. Oh! now, don't get me wrong! I believe we can control some things--how we act towards others; how we react to situations; the amount of coffee we drink; how many slices of chocolate cake we eat, etc. But the big stuff--our loved one being diagnosed with cancer; our job being eliminated due to downsizing; the price of everything going up while our paychecks aren't; an act of God destroying our town--these are things we can't control.

We try to delude ourselves into thinking we can control the situations. We research every known treatment for cancer and search out the best doctors; we send our resume to every company on the planet; we coupon like there is no tomorrow; we......

We WHAT? What do you do when the terrible images in front of you aren't from a movie or t.v. show? What do you do when the number of dead or missing makes your head spin? What do you do when you feel completely helpless?

I don't know. Because what you do depends on you. Some people volunteer. Some people try to rob banks. Some people donate blood. Some people loot from destroyed homes. Some people give what money, clothes, or food that they can. Some people horde everything "just in case." Each person's reaction is their way to "control."

My reaction was to go into search and find mode. Frantic calls and texts to the people I care about when these would go out. A trip down into town in a vain attempt to find a friend. Cleaning like a mad woman in case any found friends needed a place to stay. But there was no crying.

Not until today. Not until I saw my friend who I didn't know was alive or dead after the tornado. I saw him, we talked, I went on my merry way. And then, when I reached my home, I cried. I'm not sure what kind of tears they were. Tears of joy, tears of sorrow, tears of loss, or maybe all of the above. But there were a lot of them.

Guess I couldn't control them either.

The greatest potential for control tends to exist at the point where action takes place.



                                               ~Loius A. Allen