Just in the knick of time....

So...my goal is kinda to do at least 2 posts a month. Ummmm...yeah, January is almost over and there is only one post.

I asked my family about what I should blog about --- I got the following: Problems going on with Egypt, ex-girlfriends, places I want to visit... Ummmm, yeah....no.

Being I don't have anything really to say, I will defer to next month. However, in my mind's eye, this does count as a blog post.

Oh, I will say this: I just recently completed my third knitted scarf! I know, right?! I am almost done with a throw and getting to start one for my sweet baby, Natalie. I also have a shawl I am going to start that uses circular needles AND a cable needle! I know!!! By the time I am a grandmother (years and years, right Garrick and Natalie?!?) I am going to be soooooo good!! My grandchildren are going to have the most beautiful knitted outfits and hats and blankets and sheets and car seat covers and lamp shades and teddy bears and mittens and booties and sockies and scarves and gloves all made by their so talented Mimi!! Well...gotta keep dreaming about something!!

Here are some words to live by:
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein


XOXO

Happy Birthday, Daddy

Today would have been my daddy's 68th birthday. I sit here and can hardly believe that he has been gone 5 months. I cannot believe the things he has missed already and the things yet to happen. I cannot believe that I still wake up some days and forget that he is gone and then be jolted back into reality. I was in a good place of denial for a few months, until going back to New Mexico for the first time since his funeral. The 16-hour trip took me back to that terrible day when my mother called to tell me that my father had had a heart attack. Those hours gave me time to reflect. I have been sick again with yet another sinus infection and surgery may be in the future for me....I would like my daddy there for me. I remember when I went in to have my second Cesarean section, I lived in the same town as he and my mother. He was such a nervous wreck the whole time I was in the operating room. They brought my daughter out and my husband came out to tell everyone that the baby had come, a healthy, beautiful girl and how much she had weighed and who she looked like...but my daddy was only concerned about me. When was I going to be out? When could he see me? Was I doing okay? The minute they brought me back to my room, he acted all nonchalant and like nothing was bothering him; but my mother had told me he was scared for me and worried the whole time I was in there and waited, not-so-patiently for me to get out of the operating room. He told me I had a beautiful daughter and had done a great job and he was glad I was okay.

Who else in this whole wide world, loves a daughter like a father? I don't think there is a much greater love than that for a daughter from her father, from her daddy, from the first man in her life.

Over the holidays, we talked about him and laughed at him and the things he did and the stuff he would say. I knew he was there in spirit (aside note here....Garrick was staying in my parents room and on the first night, the closet light kept coming on and on the second night, the television was turned to ESPN and the chair was in front of the television...Garrick thinks he was there in much more than just spirit!!). I also had my Uncle Bobby and my father-in-law around who did not try to fill my dad's shoes, but kinda did! I sat with my uncle and held his hand with my head on his shoulder...thank you Uncle Bobby. I also had my brother, my husband, my son, my nephews, and my brothers in law around. Such strong men in my life. I shall not forget the wonderful women in my life; my mother, my mother-in-law, my grandmother, my Aunt Barbara, my sister (in-law) Shelly, my beautiful daughter, my nieces, and my wonderful sisters in law (the out-laws!) Because of these wonderful people, who I proudly call my family, we all made it through. Not without tears and not without many, many memories, but we made it.

Happy Birthday, Daddy! I love you.

XOXO

Cake, Glasses, and Sybil

Having your cake and eating it, too. Why is that so hard to accomplish? In the literal sense, I often have a cake and I always eat it, too. But in the big scope of things, I just cannot figure out why this is such a hard thing. Is it because I am so spoiled and think I deserve everything? Is it because I have never really been told no? Is it because I honestly think that I need, not want, but a true need of those things?

There are several "cakes" that I have the need to eat lately! Why, o why, cannot I not be in three different places at once? Why, when I was so young, did I want to grow up? Being a grown up is certainly not all it is cracked up to be! No one really tells you that. It is one of those famous (infamous?) lives lessons that we must learn on our own. I think if our parents really sat us down and told us of all the responsibilities of being a grown up, we would have all chosen to stay home dependent upon our parents!! Of course, that is probably not true in all cases; I am almost positive had my mom really sat me down and told me what my life would be at 42, I would have laughed at her and told her how wrong she was and left to be on my journey anyway! Thinking about this -- I wonder if I have told my children all that they need to know about being grown up. The thing is, even if I told them everything, they would still need to experience it on their own. Thus...the circle of life.

Another concept that I am having a hard time dealing with lately are these stupid rose-colored glasses!! I have finally taken them off, for a while anyway, to see the real world. As a grown up, I am trying to see things for what they really are. Not trying to read to much into them and not trying to make more of them then what they really deserve. I am trying to see people for who they really are -- I am trying to look in the mirror every morning and see who I really am. Some days, I really like that woman looking back at me, some days I wonder who that older woman is, and some days I look at her and walk away, not being able to look her in the eyes. Some days there is so much pain in her eyes, I hurt for her. Some days there is so much light coming from her eyes, that I sit and smile at her and glad I know her. At the end of week, I add it all up and I have only come to one conclusion -- Sybil!

Wow...what a segue! I could not sleep the other night and "Sybil" was on Lifetime (aside note here -- Thank Heavens for Lifetime; an insomniacs dream!!). It was not the original with Sally Field but a newer remake with Jessica Lange...anyway, I digress! I sat there and watched this woman, girl really, when in a situation she did not like, someone else took over! OhEmGee!! What a great thing!! Sometimes I just want to throw my hands in the air and say, "Okay, I can't do this anymore. I give up. Someone else please take over!!" Then, I should black out and wake up hours or even days later and find the problem is gone! Of course, the real Sybil is such a sad, sad story and if I needed go through her life to obtain multiple personalities, I would just assume stay where I am. But, I like the idea of just handing my problems over to someone else; however, if only that someone else were indeed someone else.

So, let's see here...I want my cake and to eat it, too, I want to wear my rose-colored glasses forever, and I want to just hand over everything I cannot handle to others to deal with. Yeah...that about sums it up!

Now....back to reality.

XOXO

Putting the "Happy" in Happy Thanksgiving....

"Happy Thanksgiving!!" Really? Are you sure?

My husband is working on that day, my son could not come down, my New Mexico family is all together without me, and I am trying to put together a luncheon for a friend's family who just recently passed away. The first real family thing since my daddy passed away. Happy? Really?

Well, I may not be happy, but I am so very thankful...

I am thankful for the wonderful friends in my life. Even those who I don't think of everyday but when I get a chance to visit with them, they make me well aware of our friendship and they let me know, without words, that they are there for me. I have some very wonderful friends who will never have any idea how much they truly mean to me. Maybe I should let them know. Yes...I believe I will.

I am thankful for the roof over my head. For my job and for my husband's ability and willingness to work and support his family. For the savings account. For the ability to tell my children...yes, you can have that. For a warm bed every night. For food in the fridge.

I am thankful for my health.

Lastly, but most importantly, I am so, so, so thankful for my family.
*For my loving husband who never leaves my side. Who loves me despite myself. Who holds my hand as we watch TV. Who hugs me when I have tears. Who puts me first when I hardly ever do the same. Who I would be nothing without.
*For my so wonderful son. Who stole my heart away at our first touch. Who calls just to say, "I love you." Who never thinks of himself first. Who has never made me more proud to be his mom.
*For my ever-so fantastic daughter. Who always has a piece of my heart with her. Who gives me such an inner strength, she has no idea. Who makes me laugh until I cry. Who has shown me the love between a mother and daughter is unmatched.
*For my mom. Who fought with me when I was young until I could hardly stand it! Who never lost an argument (in her eyes). Who probably has no idea how much I love her.
*For my brother. Who is the biggest pain in the @$$ of my entire life. Who I love more than he could ever know. Who has really made me the person I am today.
*For my brother's family. Who I love and miss every single day.
*For my husband's family. A father and mother-in-law who are really a second set of parents for me. I love them. For Trent's brothers, and sister, and sisters-in-law, and nephews, and nieces, and great nephews, and great nieces -- how wonderful for me, that you have all let me be a part of your family.
*For my aunts and uncles. Who are a part of me and my life. Who brighten up my days with their presence.
*For Albert and Scotty. So many years apart...so many years of forever being together. Nothing shall ever separate us again.

My family really probably has no idea how much I deeply, truly love them. I like to keep my feelings deep inside, hidden away, surrounded by a big wall, protected. I am trying to change that and I am trying to let you all know how I feel about you and how much you mean to me. I never want any of you to doubt or to question my feelings. My family, every single one, is so important to me. I would be no one without them. They are such a part of me and, hopefully, I am a part of them. I love you. I love you.

Thankful? Very. Happy? I will get back to you on that one, but I am working on it.

XOXO

Plans, Fall, and Separation

Having a little bit better today, so I thought I would just wipe off yesterday from the books! Don't you wish you could do that? Decide that something or someone just did not fit into your day, so you just wipe it/them out! Oh my gosh...what a wonderful life I would have! I guess you need a bit of bad in your life so you know when you have the good! You need a bit of sorrow so you can have joy. You need a bit of sadness so you can have happiness. A little yin with your yang!

I like to plan things. Not necessary down on paper to a "T", but I certainly like to know what I am doing, with who I am doing it with, for how long I will be doing it. Sometimes I plan things a few hours before, sometimes a few weeks, perhaps even a few months ahead of time. I know that sometimes different things will come up to spoil my plans. I hate it when that happens. Especially if it was something was looking forward to! I know...I am an adult. I understand that things get in the way, things happen. I get it. I still don't like it.

Fall has finally hit Nor Cal. I claim to not have a favorite anything. I hate when people ask my favorite color or book or song or whatever. I just really don't have favorites (excluding my favorite husband, favorite son, and favorite daughter!!). I never have. I remember as a kid people would also say that this was their favorite color or that was their favorite time of day...whatever. I just don't have favorites. I am not sure why...I think maybe because I cannot hurt all of the others! Having said that... Fall is my favorite time of year!!! LOL (until winter...then there is fabulous spring...then, wonderful hot summer... see?!?!). Right now, however, it is definitely fall. The leaves on my backyard trees are starting to turn, not fall yet, but just turning colors. What a beautiful sight to look out and see reds and yellows and different shades of green. I like the way the sun feels as it falls onto my face from a different angle from the window as I work. I like how it is just getting a little chilly in the mornings so I need my sockies and how there is a little chill in the air as I go to bed so I can turn on my electric blanket past low! I like to wrap my blanket around me and get all tucked in. I like how you can still wear pretty sandals with jeans. Pull out the long sleeved shirts and the big, wooly sweaters. Yes...I like fall. I like the change.

My last thought of the day is separation...

"The opposite of love is not to hate but to separate. If love and hate have something in common it is because, in both cases, their energy is that of bringing and holding together—the lover with the loved, the one who hates with the hated. Both passions are tested by separation." ~ John Berger

I hate being separated from those I love. I just want to be able to reach out and touch you. To put my hand upon yours. To smile as I look at you. To look in your eyes. To wrap my arms around you. To tell you I love you. To be together. I hate separation. In a perfect world, we would never be separated again. I would like to think that my perfect world is just ahead, just around the bend; where separation ceases to exist. Walt Disney said, "If you can dream it, you can do it." I dream it.

XOXOXO