The other morning there was a terrible accident on the highway not too far from our house. The first thing I wondered: Did we know the people involved? Hearing the news helicopters hovering overhead in the early morning hours, led me to continually watch the news. One southbound vehicle crossed over the highway and careened into two northbound vehicles. It was reported later that the driver was avoiding a deer. Unfortunately she--the driver, and one of her daughters died in that accident. She also had her other two girls in the vehicle. One daughter sustained many injuries, and the other only had burns from the seat belt. The drivers of the other two vehicles had injuries, but none life threatening.
Come to find out, the family was a neighbor of my massage therapist. I ran into her at the movie theater yesterday. I inquired how things were going, and the news broke my heart. The girls will now go live with their dad--the parents had been divorced. There is at least that much good news in this tragedy, in that they won't have to go to foster care. She proceeded to tell me about the injuries the little girl received. Multiple injuries, that also requires reconstruction to her face. It dawned on me, you rarely hear the aftermath of these horrific accidents on the news. How drastically the lives are changed, the months, or even years of rehab. The countless surgeries accident victims face. Plus I can't imagine the internal scars these two young girls will carry with them over the course of their life.
I pray these girls will recover, and be able to live long, happy lives. We've only had a glimpse into their lives, and may never know how things turn out for them.
When life hands you lemons... Picture by CW
Friday, November 11, 2011
Veteran's Day
This is a thanks to the many veteran's in our family: My father, grandfather, father-in-law, brother, 2 brothers-in-law, and my husband.
Growing up in a military family gives you a different perspective on the world. We were privileged to travel to distant lands, experience a lifestyle that people only dream of (with the opportunity to immerse ourselves in foreign cultures), etc. Were we rich? No, the government doesn't pay their soldiers nearly enough! But that didn't stop our families from doing things.
Even as a military brat, I forgot the sacrifices our fathers and mothers made in their duty to our country. I never thought much that my dad was a Vietnam vet, because it was part of his job. It didn't sink in to how much he must have seen on his 3 tours while he was over there, and all the sites he had seen while he had traveled to multiple places across this globe. Over the years I know how much he missed with us kids because he was away on TDY's, and I would be angry that he missed this or that. But I was being a kid, and didn't appreciate how he must have felt.
I didn't appreciate the sacrifice he made every day for almost 30 years of rising every morning to get up and do his job.
So, thank you, soldiers near and far for rising every morning to do your job. Thank you to the soldiers of the past, present, and future who chose to serve their country, and those that have sacrificed ultimately for us. We appreciate all that you do.
Growing up in a military family gives you a different perspective on the world. We were privileged to travel to distant lands, experience a lifestyle that people only dream of (with the opportunity to immerse ourselves in foreign cultures), etc. Were we rich? No, the government doesn't pay their soldiers nearly enough! But that didn't stop our families from doing things.
Even as a military brat, I forgot the sacrifices our fathers and mothers made in their duty to our country. I never thought much that my dad was a Vietnam vet, because it was part of his job. It didn't sink in to how much he must have seen on his 3 tours while he was over there, and all the sites he had seen while he had traveled to multiple places across this globe. Over the years I know how much he missed with us kids because he was away on TDY's, and I would be angry that he missed this or that. But I was being a kid, and didn't appreciate how he must have felt.
I didn't appreciate the sacrifice he made every day for almost 30 years of rising every morning to get up and do his job.
So, thank you, soldiers near and far for rising every morning to do your job. Thank you to the soldiers of the past, present, and future who chose to serve their country, and those that have sacrificed ultimately for us. We appreciate all that you do.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Oops!
It doesn't seem possible that it's been over a month since my last post. Schoolwork, and all the daily trappings have kept me away from this page. *sigh* Although not all of it has been work that's been keeping me occupied.
One of my classes has finished for the semester. Yay! That much closer to completing the certificate requirements, and that much closer, hopefully, to employment. It is definitely time to rejoin the workforce. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will find a job quickly. I worry that since I have been unemployed for a while, that employers will find me unemployable. Lack of self-confidence tends to eat at my brain.
Halloween is right around the corner, and I'm far from prepared. Pumpkins haven't been carved, decorations are still in boxes in the basement, and the candy hasn't been purchased. Our youngest son has bugged me since we got the pumpkins over a week ago to carve the things. He also informed me he wants to be an "Angry Bird" for Halloween. No such luck. Bad idea to wait one week before Halloween to think I could purchase one of those costumes. It's the hot costume this year, and unless we wanna shell out $90 for a $40 costume, it's not gonna happen. Unfortunately, he doesn't have back-up plan, so unless he can decide something quickly, he will go as a ninja for the fourth year in a row. I doubt I could convince him to dress up as a steam punk. I want to dress as one!
It's a short entry this time, but homework awaits me! Happy Halloween, and maybe I'll have the decorations out in time for Thanksgiving!
One of my classes has finished for the semester. Yay! That much closer to completing the certificate requirements, and that much closer, hopefully, to employment. It is definitely time to rejoin the workforce. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will find a job quickly. I worry that since I have been unemployed for a while, that employers will find me unemployable. Lack of self-confidence tends to eat at my brain.
Halloween is right around the corner, and I'm far from prepared. Pumpkins haven't been carved, decorations are still in boxes in the basement, and the candy hasn't been purchased. Our youngest son has bugged me since we got the pumpkins over a week ago to carve the things. He also informed me he wants to be an "Angry Bird" for Halloween. No such luck. Bad idea to wait one week before Halloween to think I could purchase one of those costumes. It's the hot costume this year, and unless we wanna shell out $90 for a $40 costume, it's not gonna happen. Unfortunately, he doesn't have back-up plan, so unless he can decide something quickly, he will go as a ninja for the fourth year in a row. I doubt I could convince him to dress up as a steam punk. I want to dress as one!
It's a short entry this time, but homework awaits me! Happy Halloween, and maybe I'll have the decorations out in time for Thanksgiving!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Life's not necessarily a bitch...
Why do we say, "Life's a bitch and then you die." Of course life is hard, but it's those hard lessons that shows you what you can and cannot do. What you must do. What makes you who you are.
We've all had hard lessons in life; I'm certainly not immune. You can handle those tough times with grace and dignity, or go bat-shit crazy. I've done both. You have to learn to forgive those that have wronged you, learn to forgive yourself, and learn to move beyond the pain.
I've always wanted to believe the best in people, and still do to this day; even when I've seen the worst.
I don't want to walk around saying, "life's a bitch." Life is what you make of it. Our basic needs are being met--food, shelter, clothing. That in of itself makes life 100% better. I think of the people throughout the world that struggle day-to-day without even those needs, and it makes you pause and thank the person, be it you or a spouse that thankfully has a job to provide for you (or for yourself).
Beyond the necessities, it's just icing on the cake. We are blessed in that way, and I try not to take those for granted.
This isn't to say I am comparing my complaints to what others have gone through. I can't imagine those that have endured horrors beyond my imagination. I can't wrap my brain around how someone can pull themselves from the depths of hell and move on. But that just shows me, that if they can, I can too.
Life is fleeting, and we are here but only for a moment. While I am here, I want to embrace all the beauty in the world. The touch of a lover, the laughter of a child, the whisper of the butterfly gracing your ear. The colors, sounds, and sights that the world offers; I want to see it all. Feel it all. Do as much as I can, while I breathe.
Life is what you make of it, and I'm trying to make the best of it.
We've all had hard lessons in life; I'm certainly not immune. You can handle those tough times with grace and dignity, or go bat-shit crazy. I've done both. You have to learn to forgive those that have wronged you, learn to forgive yourself, and learn to move beyond the pain.
I've always wanted to believe the best in people, and still do to this day; even when I've seen the worst.
I don't want to walk around saying, "life's a bitch." Life is what you make of it. Our basic needs are being met--food, shelter, clothing. That in of itself makes life 100% better. I think of the people throughout the world that struggle day-to-day without even those needs, and it makes you pause and thank the person, be it you or a spouse that thankfully has a job to provide for you (or for yourself).
Beyond the necessities, it's just icing on the cake. We are blessed in that way, and I try not to take those for granted.
This isn't to say I am comparing my complaints to what others have gone through. I can't imagine those that have endured horrors beyond my imagination. I can't wrap my brain around how someone can pull themselves from the depths of hell and move on. But that just shows me, that if they can, I can too.
Life is fleeting, and we are here but only for a moment. While I am here, I want to embrace all the beauty in the world. The touch of a lover, the laughter of a child, the whisper of the butterfly gracing your ear. The colors, sounds, and sights that the world offers; I want to see it all. Feel it all. Do as much as I can, while I breathe.
Life is what you make of it, and I'm trying to make the best of it.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
No!
Earlier this year we dealt with a mice infestation. Over the course of a few weeks, this was our constant nightmare. I have to say, I really don't want to go through that again.
Picture this: It was during the night, I was sitting on the toilet minding my own business, when the cat came running into the bathroom chasing a mouse. I scream like a banshee for my husband to capture it. Although I think he feels the same way that I do about mice in the house. Then there was a couple of instances when I walked into our bedroom, and there laying on the floor was a dead mouse.
There were a couple times of being woken up in the middle of the night to our gray kitty chasing a mouse. The squeaking, chipping sound of that darned thing running from the cat made me want to crawl out of my skin. The cat was dodging and dashing in hot pursuit, as I sat paralyzed on the bed. The cat would get it cornered in the bathroom, usually near the cabinet, and somehow the sneaky little rodent would find a small crawl space to hide in. All the while the cat would lie in wait right next to the cabinet.
I think the icing on the cake was the night when the cat brought up 3 or 4 babies in one night. He hit the mother lode in the basement! I about came unglued that night. The following day I called the exterminators to take care of this problem. They came out, gave suggestions, laid out bait, etc.
Things have gone seemingly well since then. Although, we just finished up the summer months, so there's no need for those little pests to be in our house. Well, today I've sat around bundled up, as the weather has turned chilly. I walk into the kitchen and can you guess what I saw? Not a big stretch, considering what this blog is about. You got it! A dead baby mouse on the kitchen floor. Yeesh! Calls will be made to the exterminator on Monday morning. There must be a nest in the basement, because one of the cats had been in the basement earlier.
I'm so conditioned that when I hear the cat running around at night, I assume he is chasing a mouse around. I find myself rooting hard for Tom when he is chasing Jerry around in that cartoon. I will become the poster child of Decon and mousetraps, if it means to be rid of these pests once and for all. Just please, no more mice in our house!
I will say, our kitty Stinkey has earned a lot of brownie points this year. I think he has about 10 kills under his belt for the year. Now if we can get the other cat to tag team him, we just might be mouse free!
Picture this: It was during the night, I was sitting on the toilet minding my own business, when the cat came running into the bathroom chasing a mouse. I scream like a banshee for my husband to capture it. Although I think he feels the same way that I do about mice in the house. Then there was a couple of instances when I walked into our bedroom, and there laying on the floor was a dead mouse.
There were a couple times of being woken up in the middle of the night to our gray kitty chasing a mouse. The squeaking, chipping sound of that darned thing running from the cat made me want to crawl out of my skin. The cat was dodging and dashing in hot pursuit, as I sat paralyzed on the bed. The cat would get it cornered in the bathroom, usually near the cabinet, and somehow the sneaky little rodent would find a small crawl space to hide in. All the while the cat would lie in wait right next to the cabinet.
I think the icing on the cake was the night when the cat brought up 3 or 4 babies in one night. He hit the mother lode in the basement! I about came unglued that night. The following day I called the exterminators to take care of this problem. They came out, gave suggestions, laid out bait, etc.
Things have gone seemingly well since then. Although, we just finished up the summer months, so there's no need for those little pests to be in our house. Well, today I've sat around bundled up, as the weather has turned chilly. I walk into the kitchen and can you guess what I saw? Not a big stretch, considering what this blog is about. You got it! A dead baby mouse on the kitchen floor. Yeesh! Calls will be made to the exterminator on Monday morning. There must be a nest in the basement, because one of the cats had been in the basement earlier.
I'm so conditioned that when I hear the cat running around at night, I assume he is chasing a mouse around. I find myself rooting hard for Tom when he is chasing Jerry around in that cartoon. I will become the poster child of Decon and mousetraps, if it means to be rid of these pests once and for all. Just please, no more mice in our house!
I will say, our kitty Stinkey has earned a lot of brownie points this year. I think he has about 10 kills under his belt for the year. Now if we can get the other cat to tag team him, we just might be mouse free!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Realizations and 9/11/2001
The other day our daughter and I were reflecting on that fateful day ten years ago. Where we were, what we were doing, e.g. on that day. Even though she was only 6-years-old, she can vividly recall that day. She asked why. Why do we recall the horrific, and can't always seem to remember the sweet, fun times. I told her, this was our JFK, MLK Jr assassination, Pearl Harbor, etc. We are now part of a collective pot of our nation's history. We will always remember, as we should.
As we talked more, I began to realize something. Our youngest son, with whom I was pregnant with at the time, doesn't know anything different. He has only known our world post-9/11. I wanted to weep for our son. It doesn't seem right, and it is definitely cruel that he has never known America when it wasn't in a war. Yet, even with him exposed to the changed world from that day, he still hasn't grasped the magnitude of that day. I had to explain again what happened, why it happened, and the impact on our world. I'm not sure if it he understands that it wasn't always like this. Recently, our oldest flew back to Boulder, and we completely forgot the TSA rules. He had to throw out all his bottles of shampoo and soap. I had already left, and he couldn't hand them to me. I still forget we have all those rules now. So how could a 9-year-old wrap his head around it.
It just made me take pause to realize that he didn't know anything pre-9/11. I pray someday, the wars will end, but I can't see an end. I pray our children will never have to live another day like that day.
As we talked more, I began to realize something. Our youngest son, with whom I was pregnant with at the time, doesn't know anything different. He has only known our world post-9/11. I wanted to weep for our son. It doesn't seem right, and it is definitely cruel that he has never known America when it wasn't in a war. Yet, even with him exposed to the changed world from that day, he still hasn't grasped the magnitude of that day. I had to explain again what happened, why it happened, and the impact on our world. I'm not sure if it he understands that it wasn't always like this. Recently, our oldest flew back to Boulder, and we completely forgot the TSA rules. He had to throw out all his bottles of shampoo and soap. I had already left, and he couldn't hand them to me. I still forget we have all those rules now. So how could a 9-year-old wrap his head around it.
It just made me take pause to realize that he didn't know anything pre-9/11. I pray someday, the wars will end, but I can't see an end. I pray our children will never have to live another day like that day.
Friday, August 19, 2011
The Gods are Effing With Me!
I need to go back to bed! Seriously, we all have "those mornings" when as soon as your feet hit the floor everything is effed up to the nth degree. This would be one of those mornings.
Mine actually started about 4:15. Woke up from an odd dream. I was looking over an autopsy report of my dad's and there was a compound on the report that stood out. I don't know, sometimes I think he visits me in my dreams. But dad didn't have an autopsy done, we know what killed him. So, this a.m. I googled succinate, and it's actually a compound in high blood pressure medicine. Honestly, I don't even know if he was taking blood pressure med. I know his mom used to, but I don't know if dad did. Needless to say, when I dream of dad, it's hard for me to get back to sleep. But, I finally did after about an hour of tossing around. Oh and hubby informed me succinate is in many drugs, maybe a preservative. Weird.
6:45 a.m. I wake and it's too quiet. Our daughter is normally awake by 6:20 now that school has resumed. I knew she wasn't awake as soon as I came out of the bedroom. Her light was off, and the house just had that feel that everyone was still asleep. Opened the door to let her know she had overslept. Out she flies from her bed, and I hurry downstairs to make coffee.
Open my e-mail to check it, and there is one from one of the book renters I rented a book from. Long story short, I thought I received an incorrect book from them, shipped it back, and they let me know that wasn't the book they shipped to me. I have no clue where this other mystery book came from. I double checked the book they did ship me, I still have it, and do need it for class. So they will be shipping the wrong book back to me. I still have no clue where it came from!
Looking over a bill I had paid off on Wednesday and I realized that the most recent statement I received from them didn't reflect the most recent payment that we sent in. Needless to say, I sent in way too much money to them. Will have to wait until they process payment and send the residual amount back to us. I just hate when that happens, as it seems to take longer to get money back from places.
I knew we had thunderstorms roll through last night, and even heard them a little. Normally if it's a bad storm, I try to be more aware of the weather and the effects we can feel since we live in the Midwest. Not last night! Slept through it, but apparently kids heard them. And apparently they were bad! Like our youngest was super scared, and our oldest son said the thunder sounded like it was right overhead. Nope slept through the entire event. Thankfully we didn't have the wind damage like other areas of the city received.
Needless to say, for a Friday, it sure feels like a Monday to me! I need to go back to bed and start this day over.
Mine actually started about 4:15. Woke up from an odd dream. I was looking over an autopsy report of my dad's and there was a compound on the report that stood out. I don't know, sometimes I think he visits me in my dreams. But dad didn't have an autopsy done, we know what killed him. So, this a.m. I googled succinate, and it's actually a compound in high blood pressure medicine. Honestly, I don't even know if he was taking blood pressure med. I know his mom used to, but I don't know if dad did. Needless to say, when I dream of dad, it's hard for me to get back to sleep. But, I finally did after about an hour of tossing around. Oh and hubby informed me succinate is in many drugs, maybe a preservative. Weird.
6:45 a.m. I wake and it's too quiet. Our daughter is normally awake by 6:20 now that school has resumed. I knew she wasn't awake as soon as I came out of the bedroom. Her light was off, and the house just had that feel that everyone was still asleep. Opened the door to let her know she had overslept. Out she flies from her bed, and I hurry downstairs to make coffee.
Open my e-mail to check it, and there is one from one of the book renters I rented a book from. Long story short, I thought I received an incorrect book from them, shipped it back, and they let me know that wasn't the book they shipped to me. I have no clue where this other mystery book came from. I double checked the book they did ship me, I still have it, and do need it for class. So they will be shipping the wrong book back to me. I still have no clue where it came from!
Looking over a bill I had paid off on Wednesday and I realized that the most recent statement I received from them didn't reflect the most recent payment that we sent in. Needless to say, I sent in way too much money to them. Will have to wait until they process payment and send the residual amount back to us. I just hate when that happens, as it seems to take longer to get money back from places.
I knew we had thunderstorms roll through last night, and even heard them a little. Normally if it's a bad storm, I try to be more aware of the weather and the effects we can feel since we live in the Midwest. Not last night! Slept through it, but apparently kids heard them. And apparently they were bad! Like our youngest was super scared, and our oldest son said the thunder sounded like it was right overhead. Nope slept through the entire event. Thankfully we didn't have the wind damage like other areas of the city received.
Needless to say, for a Friday, it sure feels like a Monday to me! I need to go back to bed and start this day over.
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