Wow,
It's been almost a full year since I've written anything on here.

2011 was a very stressful year. Several issues going on. There are members of the family who were diagnosed with a terminal illness. That alone caused a lot of strain on everyone.
It seemed to be a roller coaster ride of ups and downs emotionally, physically and spiritually.

I must hang on to the blessings though and I have several. My five grandchildren keep me focused on what is true and what is beautiful in this life...........plus they keep me extremely busy!

So with this new year beginning I choose to;
go forward and keep my eyes on the blessings that are in my life;
ask God to direct my daily path and keep my mind focused on what is right;
remember that I have only one earthly body and to treat it with care and respect;
and to show my loved ones that they are much loved.

Get Up and Go

I'd like to know where my get up and go went to?

On days like today when I don't have my grandsons to take care of and I don't have any appointments to take care of I seem to convince myself that it's ok to just be a blob.

Yes it's alright to take a day and just veg. It's alright to relax and rest your body and mind.

However, I still have a list of things that need to be done............such as preparing papers in order to do taxes! That is something that just can't be put off for very long!
I just don't want to do it! I just want to lie around like a big blob of blob and do nothing!
Yet if I do that, lie around all day, then tomorrow when my busy schedule starts all over again I will be kicking my big butt for not getting things done on my "day off" knowing that I will now have to wait until my next chance to get those needed things done.

It's an ongoing cycle that somehow circles around and ends up staring you right in the face.

SO, I will now get up off my big blob butt and do something.

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls".

Matthew 11: 29

Lately, whenever I feel the stress of life starting to weigh me down I repeat this verse in my mind and it gives me a sense of peace.

Time to reorganize!

So I went to the office supply store yesterday and bought this handy dandy organizer!

All of these individual boxes & containers are what I WAS using on the table next to my desk. It was a constant mess and confusing.

I can't stand to work in a space that is so unorganized while trying to figure out where I had put things or where I should put things!


Now this is more like it!
EVERYTHING that I had in all of those separate containers is now in the one organizer or in the hanging pockets!

A new Year.....New beginning

Goodness! It's been a long time since I've written anything on here!

You might think that either I've had absolutely nothing to do or that I've been so busy I've had no time.
The latter is more like it.

Seems I'm always busy with life.

I'm busy selling Avon....or trying to.
I'm busy being a homemaker.
I'm busy being a wife.
I'm busy being a grandma.
I'm busy being just whatever each day brings.

There seems to be very little time left over for any little things that I might want to do just for me!

BUT, life is what it is. The grand kids won't be young forever and each time any one of them gives me a hug then I am reminded that all my wishes have been granted.

So this year I am going with the motto "There is always, always, always something to be thankful for".
I am going to be VERY THANKFUL for the MANY BLESSINGS that I have in my life and also try each week to do one tiny little thing that I want to do.....just for me, even if it's just sitting here at this laptop tying some crazy thoughts that go through my old brain!

The in-between stage?

I have a birthday in about 8 days. I won't say how old I'll be but , well in a very few short years I'll qualify for social security benefits.

Today I went shopping at a clothing store. I have a couple of occasions approaching that I need to have something decent to wear.
Looking in my closet this morning all I see are Levi's, t-shirts, flip flops and tennis shoes. Oh lets not forget those comfy sweat pants!
This is my life.
This is my "style" - the laid back comfy style of I never go anywhere or do anything special life style.
So when something comes up once in a blue moon , such as a friends wedding, I then realize I have nothing to wear.

All I had in mind to buy was a pair of black slacks and some sort of nice top. Then also needed a pair of comfy decent shoes.
all I have to say is "UGH".

My mind says that I'm a young active girl who likes to be in current style of some sort.......BUT also wants to be comfortable.........AND doesn't want to look like an older person who's trying to look young ...but doesn't.
Ya know, those people we see out there who are obviously OLDer yet insist on wearing clothes that belong on my granddaughter! That is what I do not ever want to look like!
However......I also do not want to look like I'm 20 years older than I am! I don't do the plaid elastic waist polyester pants with the gauze type flowered button blouse , ankle socks and slip on canvas shoes.

YET, as I'm browsing around this nice big clothing store I realize that there is no in between!

So what am I? I don't fit into either category! All the clothing on the racks are the styles for the younger or the older! So again..........UGH.

In desperation I begin grabbing things as I walk by the racks and throwing them into the cart. I figure I'll just try on as many things as possible and maybe something will meet the in-between stage that I'm in.

As I'm trying on clothes I begin to wonder am I really in that in-between stage or am I just fooling myself into thinking I'm younger than I really am?
The discoloration of the skin on my chest as I'm trying on this blouse makes me wonder...........and the wrinkled sagging skin hanging down from my arms by the armpits as I'm trying on this sleeveless top makes me cringe!
The roll of .......whatever that is around my waist makes these pants look disgusting!
And what about the horrible colors and designs on every rank in the store! I look like a circus clown that threw up!

The pile of "nope not that" is getting bigger and the pile of "maybe a possibility" is very small.

Finally, after feeling like I've been in this store for about three weeks I give in. I settle on some black slacks that seem to fit well enough that I can sit down and not loose my last meal. I pick one top that is indeed sleeveless but I like it and it's comfortable. I decide that since the top is sleeveless I'll allow myself to buy the sweater to wear also. I did find some very comfy flat shoes and I have to giggle because the style is a "MaryJane" style which is the same style that I wore in high school! They were the most comfortable of all the shoes I tried on and comfort comes first for me now.

So there it is. Black slacks. Sleeveless top that is black with pretty blue swirls on it. A mid-length black wrap around sweater and some comfy black shoes.
Yes the dominate color is black. There was pretty much no other choice. Everything in the store is now the "fall/winter" style and the colors are all dark and dreary. I'll have to search through my jewelry to see what I can use to lighten it up some.
At least the wedding I'm going to is next month and I guess that October will be alright for dark and dreary! ha!

Besides, I'll be sitting in the back of the room anyway staring at the wrinkles on my hands and my MaryJane shoes!

and so it begins.......

Well it was a nice summer. Must of had fun because they say that time flies when your having fun and it sure seemed to go by fast!
I had plans of all sorts of things to do with the grand kids during the summer and didn't quite get through that list!

We did spend a few days at the beautiful bay. I could just move there! LOVE it there! It's the one place that we can go with or without the kids and just sit back and enjoy God's beautiful creations

We went to the zoo at least three times. The museums. The science center. Played baseball and tennis at the park. Used the swimming pool several times. Played the Wii numerous times.
We had sleep overs , treasure hunts, spy games and built forts.

All in all it was a good summer.

Now tomorrow school begins and so begins a whole different schedule. Things are changing. As of right now I'll be taking Conner to preschool two mornings a week and picking up Kyle from school four days a week. However, Vanessa doesn't know if she will be one of the chosen to be laid off as her company is now downsizing.
It's soccer season so there are practices and games that I will be going to and helping with the transportation.
Baseball season is almost over so Jim will be home more.
Ryan will be starting a brand new school this year.
Nathan and Sarah will be home schooled without their older brother for the first time.

Yep, it's all changing. But then life is all about changing right?