Gratitude

 Thanks, first of all for this beautiful child, and also for our son.  Along with my other son they are joyous gifts in my life.

Life was good, life was bad, life is good again.  The day our son got married we were finally able to put the past behind us.  The relationship we share today is exceptional, in my opinion. 

I don’t believe it is often that a man will allow his ex-wife and significant other to attend his family reunion and be ever so gracious and pleasant.

I know you loved my Dad and my Grandmother.  You will never know how much it meant to me for you to be there when I lost them.  Driving all night, after car trouble was certainly above and beyond.

In a couple of weeks we’ll be celebrating your Mothers birthday and I’m sure it will be great.

Over the years I hope I can be there to support you the way you’ve been here for me. Thanks for all you have done……all the way from Arizona.

Giving up something for Lent

The Church was thinking about how it feels to confront the emotional damage of a lifetime that is sitting unnoticed in your conscious….Borrowed from Fr Thomas Keating – a Trappist Monk

I had believed that I had never observed Lent.  If the object is the above, in fact, I have observed it one day at a time since December 4, 1984.  In AA we call this wonderful process an inventory.  Then we have to share it with God and another human being.  We do this because we simply can not recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body until we tell someone ALL of our life story and admit our wrongs….then correct those wrongs.  Our belief is that our REAL purpose it to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.

A dear friend told me not long ago that I was more Catholic than most of the Catholics he knows.  Could this be the reason why?????????

The truth will set you free….but first it makes you miserable……..stolen from a poster at the Hub of the Plains in Lubbock…December 1984

A watched pot never boils

And a held telephone never rings. sigh

On living in the present…..

The gift God gave us is right now.  That is why it is called "the present".  Borrowed from Fr. John Corapi, SOLT. 

I ask myself "if this were my last day on earth, would I be doing this?"

The checklist looks something like this:

Job:  I don't like this part of my job (disciplinary actions, evaluations).  That's not why I'm there – I love those kids.  Check, I'd be doing that.

Spiritual development:  Church/AA.  Go hand in hand.  Church to save my soul, AA to save my butt. Check, think I'll keep that.

Family – would definately spend more time doing that if I were rich – flying all over the US of A.

And the list goes on…..

As I reflect this morning on that question, the answer is an absolute "yes".  I would be here, doing what I'm doing, with who I'm doing it with.  In this moment, I'm grateful……….in the gift.

kicked to the curb – again

As everyone knows, the words "lasting relationships" are not in my vocabulary.  At least not linked together.  But today takes the cake.  My dentist has ended our weekly meetings that have only been going on since December 12.  He dropped my dental insurance plan – and I'm not done.  waaaaaaaaaaa

 Oh well, on to bigger and better dentists. 

Credit where credit is due

My friends and family are ever so sweet when they compliment me on my posts.  When I write it is from the heart, sometimes a mischevious mind…..but if it is in anyway profound, I've stollen it. 🙂

Be careful…

Be careful what you pray for, the Gods may choose to amuse themselves and give it to you.  Stolen from…..I can't remember who.

I’ll never………..

It seems when I say "I'll never", the gates of the powers that be swing open, and I do the thing I said I'd never do. 

When my eldest was small I said I would never let him fight.  My best friend had a son who was a year older and just was an aggravating brat.  One day I told my son the next time he puts a hand on you – beat the crap outta him.  So much for fighting.

When my children started school I would never be one of those mothers that made a fool out of herself at school.  As all of my children can attest – I blew it.  Starting with the principal that I threatened to knock his head off with a baseball bat.  Ending much the same manner, with the youngest. This time I was not under the influence and told the principal if he couldn't control what happened on his campus that I could and would camp out there.

Needless to say there have been many other I'll never's in my life.  In the last few years it is more like I'll never do that again.  At 9:32am on March 27 I am here to say….don't add that last three words to it either.

The phone rings, I check the caller ID, I do a little dance around my room……….

my corvette

 My son(il) Greg, bought this car for me on his birthday.  I had another one that he kept in his garage.  I loved that car.  Every time I would visit it, Greg would take me for a ride every day.  I encouraged him to speed and he would always make me squeel with delight.  He loved it too.  He got to blame me because I encouraged him to speed.

On his birthday he called and told me he was going to sell my precious vette.  My heart didn't sink – I knew he was going to buy me a new one.  He called yesterday to say he got it up to tripple digits.  That's ok son.  April 21st I'm expecting a ride in my new Corvette.

The beginnings of old age…..

For reasons that you can read about on my "about" page, I decided to start my old age when I was 40. 

I would no longer focus on the past, nor the future, but on living in the moment.  My former philosophy was I'll be happy when……..  A wise friend said "happiness comes in bits and pieces every single day, and if you're not there you miss it."  I have found this so true, that I have in fact, stolen it for my own mantra.  (see my msn im blerb.)

I am now 19 years past that time when I made the decision.  Not one day have I regretted it.  Every year has been a gift, with new adventures and much happiness.

Maybe at 60, I'll decide to begin senility….