Wifey Wednesday

Today Sheila asks: So what can you do today to get a new perspective? To feel grateful for what you do have, and realize your blessings, instead of being grumpy at your hubby and kids?

Sometimes I worry that people think I am flippant (I mentioned before a church leader told me once I was so it's always on my mind), I am not flippant, but I do tend to find humor in almost any situation. It's not an uncaring action, it's a healing action. I tend to laugh when things are at their worst. Our house is usually filled with laughter. Nah things aren't always great, we are human after all! But humor seems to help make the world go around a bit more smoothly!

So, how do I feel grateful for what I do have? We have a favorite scene in a movie, that while absolutely hilarious also really speaks to us. It's the clip below, but in short it's is when Maxwell Smart finds out that he has finally been made an agent. He asks for the "cone of silence", turns it on, and screams about his joy. Problem? The cone wasn't turned on...so everyone in the room gets to hear him screaming "Oh I'm so happy, I'm so happy, this is the best day of my liiiiiiiiifffffeeee!!!"

Yeah, that pretty well sums up how we try to remember to be grateful for every single day, moment, breath. No matter how bad the day is going it's still the "Best day of my life" because God has granted me one more breath here with my children and husband and family and really, here on earth, it couldn't get better than that.

(By the way, I made a sign that hangs in our living room that says "This is the best day of my life!" Just in case I need a reminder now and again.)

I fought it.

Since saturday.

woke up in pain.

Two excedrin would work surely. didn't.

Two Tylenol and two ibuprofen...didn't.

Naproxen...didn't.

Throwing up...didn't.

Crying...most certainly didn't.

Laid down...worsened.

Driving to work I stopped at the pharmacy and begged for help on what to take.

Sudafed...fail.

Went to work and sat down.  Miserable.  Pain.

Makeup running.

Hair messed up.

Dizzy.

2 hours.

Called supervisor.

Went home.

slept.

woke up

headache free

but every sound is amplified today

urgh.

tired.

oh so tired.

Room a month: wall decor

Check this out. Yeah...I'm sorta proud of it, in a weird way.  It's an extension of the whole "Coffee house/bookstore" theme thing I have going on in the living room.  You know, comfy, inviting, masculine, cozy.  (I realize roses aren't all that masculine, but I can deal LOL)



Do you remember it? It's the old door off the entertainment center, the one that I broke the glass our of when I turned a cartwheel and put my foot through it (ahem).

This morning I got up with an epiphany. I wanted to use a bunch of scraps I had and make this a memo board, but I didn't have any ribbon or what I needed...so I just hot glued bunting over cardboard (Yeah, cardboard, I'm classy like that) and covered it with some muslin and set it into the door.

Then the girl and I set about making roses out of scrap material and hot glued them to the muslin.



And we hung it over my "peaceful corner".

I had some roses left over and made this...


But it looks stupid, so I am going to turn it into a smaller brooch. Everyone has a FAIL now and then right?


Linking to: Other fun places to hang and check out this week: 
Monday:  DIY Showoff  It's so very Cheri Metamorphosis Monday Made it Monday 
Tuesday:A Soft place to Land Reinvented  
Thursday:
The Shabby Chic Cottage Friday: Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest  
Saturday:
Trash to Treasures party

Be sure to link up! I can't wait to see what you've got!

kids kids kids...no not mine!

Anyone who knows me know that I have an affinity for preteen/early teen kids. I think they are fabulous. I love, love, love watching their personalities develop. I love seeing the daily changes in them as they become young adults. I love watching their minds click. I love to see how they interact with one another. In short, I just really think it's an incredible age, stuck between dependence and independence, each side pulling equally at the child.

I am lucky, in that I get to work with a lot of kids this age. Every single day at work I sit back and chat with 12-15 year olds. I help them find books, ask how their days are going and show them how to use computers. I ask them not to trip each other in the library and to please wait their turn. I share excitement with them when they run in to show me a new tattoo (henna), a butterfly they caught, or a new hair color. I call them "kiddo", "hun", and "bud". I smile at them. I talk to them. I listen.

I am lucky, in that I get to see how poorly the adults in general treat them. I get to see how they are looked down upon, yelled at, treated poorly. I get to see their faces drop. I get to see their hearts break. I get to see pure disrespect aimed at these children on a daily basis.

Doesn't sound lucky does it? Tell me about. It's sad. It's painful. And it's heart wrenching. But I can then walk up to those kids and ask if they are okay. I can let them know that I am there and I saw the unfairness. I can let them know that somebody cares.

I have found that all kids need is a little respect. All they want is to be liked and treated fairly. They just want a little affirmation.

Do you, as an adult, remember when you were a kid? Do you remember those few adults who treated you like an equal? The ones who gave you respect and talked to you like a friend? Remember the difference they made in your life? Do you remember that it was okay for them to tell you that you were doing something wrong because they also told you when you were doing something right?

To all of you adults who spout out "kids these days", I dare you. I dare you to take a step back and look around. Is the problem really kids these days? Or is the problem adults these days?

Love Story Chapter 19: Mike's perspective

I asked Sheri if she wanted to go out the next day, on our fourth official date. She agreed. And my heart began to beat again. I thought we could go to the dollar movies and see Ghost. She grinned when I mentioned the dollar movies but I didn't ask why.

As we pulled up to the Cascade theater she pointed out the Redding Bookstore and told me she loved to hang out there. I couldn't quite imagine why she would want to hang out in a bookstore (note: over the years I have realized that there is no getting Sheri out of bookstores or getting books out of Sheri's hands). She told me that rows of books just called to her and that she loved to pull books off the shelves, drop to the floor and just read for hours. This was in the days before there were coffeehouses in side book stores so sitting in a book store, on the floor, was pretty much unheard of. I had no way of knowing that the people at the Redding Book Store recognized her when she walked in, and frequently help new books for her that they knew she would like. She told me about an author named Torey Hayden and her compassion for special needs kids. Her eyes lit up as she talked about how she helped the kids. I could tell that Sheri had a special place in her heart for children. That was perfect. I had always worked Day camps and thought kids were great.

I put him hand on her back as we walked over the cracked sidewalk toward the theater. She pointed across the street. "Do you see that?" I looked at an empty bar on the corner. "That's a gay bar." She started to laugh. I didn't realize Redding even had a gay bar. She told me that she and some friends were downtown one night and one of them had to use the restroom so she ducked into the bar. They walked in to wait for her and realized it was a gay bar. I smiled at the thought of Sheri standing on the sidewalk laughing. She was so spontaneous, I was not that surprised, but at the same time I was relatively shocked.

We began to walk into the theater and Sheri told me about the date she had back in January. I was so sad that someone would treat her like that. But I laughed as she told me how she had kicked him out of her car. I wasn't surprised at all that she could hold her own.


I paid for our tickets and noticed that she had money out to pay, I suppose she was prepared just in case. We walked across the lobby and into the theater, I am fairly sure I lost a shoe in the goo on the floor as we stood looking for a seat. We finally sat down, Sheri to my right, just as the movie started.

As Sam told Molly Ditto rather than "I love you" I thought it was so sweet and so personal and I leaned over to tell Sheri ditto. I just hoped she knew I meant it with all my heart. After the movie was over Sher and I headed back out to the car and I took her home. Saying goodnight to her I whispered "Ditto" in her ear again and hugged her tightly. I couldn't quite get up the nerve to tell her I loved her. I had never uttered nor even thought of those words in connection to anyone. I was still unsure of what I was feeling.

A few days later we were laying across the floor watching TV at my house, I had my arm draped around her waist thinking about how great life was. How beautiful my girl was. How lucky I was to be with her. And then she turned her head backward at me and whispered "I love you". It completely took me by surprise. I was so stunned that I froze. No one had ever told me that they loved me. And it wasn't that I didn't love her, I was just shocked. I paused and then kissed her and told her "I've always loved you." I wasn't expecting her to love me so quickly, I was hoping she would because I knew I loved her. I just figured she was too good, too beautiful for me.

Love Story: Chapter 19

As you'll soon see after our third date Mike and I spent every single moment we had together. But on our fourth date something else entirely different happened, truthfully I can see that people would say it was far too soon, but somehow it was just right.  It was meant to be.

Mike had asked me the night before if I wanted to go out the following day. I agreed, naturally, and the next day he came to pick me up. Sunday, January 20, Mike and I drove to the old Cascade theater and found a parking space. As we walked in I told him about my last experience at the theater. He was shocked and surprised and when he realized I was laughing he began to laugh about. I pointed down the street toward the Redding Book store, "See that? It's one of my favorite places to hang out." He looked. "A book store?" I smiled "Oh I just LOVE books. I would love to work in a bookstore or library or something. Books are just...awesome." I could see the confusion in his eyes, obviously he didn't find books so awesome. But that was okay. Not everyone read like my family did.  One day soon I would drag him into the bookstore, grab a few books off the shelf and show him the corner that I liked to sit in reading Torey Hayden books.  I was fascinated with her love and compassion for special needs kids.

Mike placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me over the old  haphazard sidewalk.  After he paid my way and we walked into the theater, pulling our feet up off the sticky floor, we sat down to watch the movie Ghost. As the movie moved toward one of the most famous lines Mike let go of my hand and placed his arm around me.  I settled in next to him, my head resting on his shoulder.  Molly told Sam that she loved him, Sam paused, looked at Molly and whispered "Ditto". At that moment, on our fourth date, Mike leaned over the arm of my chair and whispered lightly in my ear "Ditto".  I sat stunned. "Did he mean it? Was he joking?" My heart throbbed and filled.  I sucked in my breath and  leaned my head on his shoulder  again as we completed the movie.

He drove me to my house and we went inside to hang out for a bit.  I kept wondering if he would say anything about the comment he had whispered in my ear during the movie, but he didn't.  He acted as if nothing had happened.  I bit my lip, wondering.  Eventually he had to go home, I walked him to the front step as I always did.  I wrapped my arms around his neck, as I always did.  I kissed him gently, as I always did.  And while hugging me tightly he said "goodnight" and whispered "ditto" again.  I went to bed confused.  Did he really mean it?

A few days later we were laying  on the floor at his house watching TV.  In front of me was a stuffed rocking dog that belonged to Ty.  Behind me was  Mike, his arm draped over my waist. I had been waiting, wondering if he was going to repeat the words he had said to me at the movies and on the step, but he hadn't. I figured he was either scared or joking or didn't really realize what he had said. It didn't seem like something he would joke about. I pretended to watch the TV while I thought about him whispering to me.  My eyes were completely unfocused, my heart would not be still.  I was working up courage and a good dose of fear.  Finally I twisted my head backwards, so that I was looking into his eyes, my body still faced forward, his arm was still draped loosely over me. He smiled, a soft, sweet smile and looked at me with pure love.   And  with that look all fear washed away, quietly, almost so he couldn't hear me, I said "I love you."  His eyes lit up and flipped through the emotions: Fear, surprise, happiness, joy, before finally settling on it.  Love.

After a few seconds of shocked silence he affirmed the words with a kiss and a hug and whispered "I've always loved you."

Avatar

The boys were outside playing.

They had left the TV on.

The windows were open.

Through the open window G-9 heard Avatar come on.

I looked up.

And this is what I saw:

Yep.  His face is pressed against the screen so he can watch TV.  LOL, at least he's getting fresh air.