The Story of My Life

Hello and welcome. They say home is where the heart is- well I discovered that some of my heart remains here. This land has been in my maternal grandfather's family for, well back to my great-great grandfather's time. In fact, this house sat at the back of the acres that I spent an amazing day exploring. My grandfather is one of the lads on the front porch of this house, which sat above the creek and the family mill. HIS grandfather is the oldest man in the black suit and hat. His father is somewhere in the porch shadows. Not sure if the house was crooked or the photographer was drunk, but a very cool picture indeed. Zooming in when I scanned it at high resolution affords many heart warming details of the life they lived. The land remains with a very special couple who have made the place a country paradise. I call her Aunt Mary George. Technically, she is not my aunt. But in the South, does that matter? She is a cousin to my grandfather, I believe, but they all grew up to...

I used to write 5 for Fridays each week when I first began blogging. I was inspired on my way to work this morning and wanted to share my inspirations this morning- since they have been HARD to come by recently. I am thankful. I am blessed. I was complaining because I didn't get enough sleep. My 5 year old is a night owl and tells stories to me until after 11 PM this week. My son has been lazy about his homework and the sink is full of dishes from, well, from a few meals back. I stopped at a red light by a convenience store in the pouring rain and was sighing because my morning had been so hectic and my life was so horrible. I had a million thoughts racing through my too crowded, preoccupied brain. I happened to look over and see an elderly lady, clutching a small bag she had purchased coming from the store. She was severely hunched over from scoliosis or some spinal disorder. It was pouring rain and her pace was very slow. She, I am sure, painfully and slowly made her wa...

I have been on a blogging break this past week with the hectic and busy life we have had. I do have lots of things to blog about, just can't seem to find the time to sit down and get it all down in words. -The results from the STOOPID family contest -Baby Girl's 5th birthday party and the Pinata Fiasco Fun- including photos, of course -Family Stories and some new Photography in my heirlooms collection- including an Ancestry.com review and geneaology update -1st annual BLOGGERFEST FUN!!!! -My son's first official vandalism act and ensuing punishment And more.... Stay tuned. More to come this weekend and the upcoming week!!! In the meantime, Dustbunny........ THIS IS FOR YOU!!!!!

It is better to leave your new, orange sporty SUV at the airport parking deck than to allow your wife to drive it for safe keeping. Do not assume an 18 wheeler in a left turn lane is turning left. Do not assume that a bright orange SUV is visible to truck driver wearing overalls and cap over eyes-and waiting in a left turn lane to turn right, where you are stopped at the stop sign next to him. Never, think " Wow, I think that truck is turning YET will make a sharp enough, expertly executed turn not to take the H-U-M-M-E-R grill off my front end". (Think I am the bus in this picture. It was like life in slow motion. Nothing I could do but watch.) You will be amazed how far a grill of a vehicle will travel into the air and on-coming traffic when hit by the trailer of a Semi-truck. And makes a LOUD sound. Never forget that life is much more precious than an orange, newly purchased-only-Saturday SUV that your husband let you drive as he was out of town only to wreck on Tuesday. O...

Things do not change; we change.~Henry David Thoreau~ The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.~Carl Rogers~ Life is always at some turning point.~Irwin Edman~ The one unchangeable certainty is that nothing is certain or unchangeable.~John F. Kennedy~ To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.~Henri Bergson~ Once again I find myself in a state of change. Which hurts. I have stated that I do not like change. I know I should embrace new challenges. Learn to be more flexible. But I am such a routine oriented, OCD person that it just goes against every fiber of my being. Sometimes, the changes that I dread and am so anxious about end up being for the best. Well, most of the time, actually. I have had insomnia, been stressed and been really so ill that I can't stand myself this week. For no particular reason that I can put my finger on, other than we are going through tough changes- nothing re...

As you can see, after the excitement of 2 weeks of vacation, my life has kinda been a bit boring. Well, as boring as a mom of 2 kids like can be. I realized all my posts, since July 4th had been very impersonal..... That is because we haven't done anything!!! We have been hanging out with Princess and CO. and letting the kids play. I have been trying to get my house organized so as when I am no longer a stay home mom, we can survive. And Baby girl has had asthma problems since returning from my brother's for the 4th- so we have stayed indoors, to keep her cool and not coughing. So I play school, glitter glue and paint with her and while she rests, I have been Photoshopping and writing technical, informative blogs.......and reading other blogs. So, I am still here, living life, but as Leigh said, the blogging world is in a rut in my corner as well. But lots to report soon! Little Man and Football for the first time. Baby Girl and DANCE CAMP!!! Should be cute!! A review of my f...

My DVR cut off so I missed this ending and found it online this morning...... All I have to say is that I am really glad David Cook won American Idol. Althought I also have to say, as I watched the last performances, I was, for the first time, impressed and enjoying david's performances and was a little scared that he had not out-shined Cook in the end. When he performed with One Republic last night, he did show some non-theme park star quality in small glimmers. He is a nice kid and do wish him well- but really wanted my rocker David to win!!! Last night's Finale was exciting and I also, like my friend Leigh, was teary-eyed in the end. It started when George Michael performed Praying for Time- such a timly song- and ended when David Cook was so gracious and thrilled. My baby girl kept saying all night long that she was for David Cook. When he won, SHE cried as well, because apparently, she thought the other david was David Cook and was an Archie fan the whole time and I didn...

I love the last week in May, always have. The end of the school year is so exciting. The weather is beautiful. The earth is showing it's blooming colors and beauty! Anticipation of summer fun is electric. Baseball is winding down- with my son's team playing in a tournament this week- and the league championship is at stake. We have had a great year with a great group of parents and kids. Apart from the coach (my husband) having a little argument with the umpires, it has been a wonderful season. Our boys have improved so much that it is remarkable. The lost their first game 16-1, and returned to be tied for the league champs with only 3 losses! I have always enjoyed watching my little man play, but this year has been so exciting. My two neighbors' sons are on the team as well, which has made it a fun, exciting and entertaining thing to go to the ballgames. Although the games last almost 2 hours, and that may just consist of 2 or 3 innings, it is still excitement. I have been...

I have only one phobia..... heights and possible high bridges but we will count it as all the same. But I have an unnatural, strong disliking, almost phobia- to all things that require filling out forms, standing in line and government rules and regulations or making official phone calls. Red tape phobia. I wonder what the official word for that is? Some weird kind of social phobia, I guess. I am a very organized,obsessive compulsive person otherwise, so this is strange to me that I am not right on top of all the official business. Thus the reason I still have (had) a social security card originally issued at birth and have had no name change- even though I have been married many years. Not a feminist thing- just an "I hate red tape"quirk I have. And aside from filing taxes under an alias..... I really haven't been bothered much with it. Until someone broke in out vehicle and stole my purse last year- just after I had been to be processed for a new job. I never take my ...

Welcome to Wherever You Are.... . Just an account of my crazy week for those of you who care!!! I will try to be brief, but it has been a wild one. Life his been so crazy since last week! Trying to recover from my late night with Bon Jovi and friends proved to take awhile longer than planned. It is amazing how much laundry a family accumulates when it is ignored for 3 days. So then catching it up takes 3 more days! Monday , I stayed home and tackled that and a little cleaning- a pajama day. I had another job interview on Tuesday - actually a 2nd one for a different position with the same 2 people I had met with the day last week. I have always been a librarian/media specialist for my 15 years or so in public schools- but after the initial interview for that position, "they" seemed to be a bit more interested in my techie skills. I have been retired -here and there- since Baby Girl was born, but owning 2 houses and 2 kids and not being a millionaire dictates that I can't...

To quote a favorite poet of mine, Robert Burns.... The best laid plans go often awry! I am a planner. I have had this Bon Jovi trip planned down to the hour for months now. And suddenly..... Life has conspired against me. From 2 job interviews- which I really do not want to go to on this particular date- but must .....IN THE MORNING, TO my best friend's emergency sinus surgery and complications leaving her ticket going unused as of yet- and us both broken hearted that she can't go..... and my child was supposed to stay with her child- thus leaving me without a sitter as,well, I mean how tacky would it be to send my child there to stay with her.....and her crying because she is so sick and not there with us...... TO YET a death in the family with services TOMORROW NIGHT and FRIDAY..... At the risk of sounding selfish, this is Bon Jovi , people!!!!! I am not a good decision maker, and am trying to sort out all these last minute details..... and as my husband says, this is why...

You know you are getting old and crazy when you get up at 5:30 am on Saturday just for some quiet time to blog. I am turning 40 this year, in October. I have learned many things about life and myself in the past 40 years- but I have learned more about myself in the last 3 years than all the other 37 combined. This is partly due to the nature of life itself and partly due to the nature of MY life the last 3 years. A great friend of mine, Ang, the other half of the heart recipient, emailed me last week the day of her 40th birthday. She said she had been thinking a lot about the number 40. She said that life is kind of like Moses and the Israelites- we wander around in the wilderness for the first 40 years and only a few of us make it bravely to the other side- to freedom and a better life- and only then through great faith and God's grace. I have learned to feel comfortable in my own skin, in my own life. I have learned that it does not really matter what other people think. They ar...

I have so many ideas for posts that I am working on, but just can't seem to focus on one today. My daughter went home with my sister and brother to spend the night so it has been very quiet and productive. I have to say I do miss her. The family took Sally because I had to go to the doctor today. I get treatment every 6 weeks for my previously discussed medical condition, IV- 4 hours of reading Cosmo. I call it my spa day- well minus the needles. It is a beautiful spring-like day. My son and his friends just packed a lunchbox full of food to go to their fort in the woods. I recall doing the same thing. Building forts, whitling sticks, digging holes. My son is an outdoorsy, country-living kind of guy. I never have to worry about him curling up in front of the TV or video game or computer for very long...unless it is after dark and I make him come in. So he is loving the sunshine. My dad, PawPaw, is taking Baby Girl out to dinner and them meeting me half way between our houses to bri...

Monday Morning in a Bedroom Community We did not go to church yesterday because my little one was sick. Coughing, runny nose, ill-tempered. My son spent the weekend at our best friends' home, which was nice. Having one child is so easy when you are used to 2~! So we just had a lazy, uneventful weekend. I did want to hear the intended message this week......We have been attending a church since we moved here that is a change in denomination for us. I am enjoying the relaxed worship and the uplifting music, my kids love the kids stuff and my husband loves the coffee! The messages have been about the bedroom community that we live in- the family of today, specifically in this town. The just of the series: Why are you here at this point in your life??? Here in Helena ??? I know everyone has a story. Some more intriguing than others. But I, now more than ever, believe that I was directed here, to this place, for many reasons that are beginning to unfold. I have heard my brother and many...