Love

 

But if I had to spell it .... F A M I L Y !


Spending a little R&R with the family..... and lovin' it!

A Share

American Pickers

American Pickers is a new fav show of mine.  I love the treasure hunt theme of looking through places to find things that can be brought back to being useful and/or decorative again.  A lot of the things they find are nostalgic and that appeals to me a lot.  I enjoy the format of the show put out by the History Channel, and the informational blurbs provided about the history of some of America's older companies or brands are very interesting.

"The History Channel's hit show chronicles Mike and Frank as they venture out into rural towns and explore old, forgotten businesses and buildings, barns and garages. In about half the cases, the owners of "junk piles" know that Mike and Frank are coming, alerted to potential picks by their ever vigilant phone-calling assistant, Danielle. Other times, the two will just pick an "interesting place" as they drive along the road and go "freestyle". (Having rusty old sheds, cars and signs seems to grab them every time!)"

What hooked me on the show was the piece they did at Bushkill Park.  In the "A Banner Pick" episode, which aired 12/12/2010, they've been alerted to an old, 17-acre Pennsylvania amusement park that suffered flooding and wind damage during the 2004 Hurricane season.  Opened in 1902, Bushkill Park was a trolley park, one of hundreds built by trolley companies at the end of routes to increase their weekend ridership.  This guy, Neil, bought the place, he grew up close by and always loved it, worked there as a teen even.  Now he's trying to get it back up and running. 

Frank and Mike found a couple of old banners featuring side show acts.  The banners were to entice people to come inside the side show and have a peek.  They purchased two banners for $700.  When they had the banners appraised, they found they'd been painted by a Fred G. Johnson, and ended up selling them for $10,000.  Frank and Mike drove back to the park, and gave Neil $5000 because of the unexpected outcome of the Internet auctions for the two banners, and because Wolfe and Fritz were impressed with the attempts to revive the park.

In the words of Mike, "How cool is that?"

If you've never seen the show, catch a few episodes.
It really grows on you!!

Sunset

This is one of those hari-kari weeks at work.  Normally there are two of us sharing the workload, but this week, my helper is on vacation, so I'm doing ten straight days, and that can be murder on an old Gal like me! 

In order to keep myself up to the tasks, I have to make allowances in other areas.  Like this past weekend, I got all caught up on housework and laundry, shopped for good lunches to grab.  Having that part of my week ready makes me an easier person to get along with at work.  hahahaha  Another thing that I do is keep my focus at home toward rest and relaxation, and early to bed.  Isn't always easy, because there are usually 1001 things that need attention.  But they can wait a few days.  My mental health is more important!  :)

However, one of the things I started up again was working on my photography.  This time, I'm keeping it simpler.  Each day, every day, a snapshot of my life, of something that made me smile.  Easy enough - but you have to make time for it just the same.  Today's picture... watching the sun set.   It was glorious!

"Peace is seeing the sunset 

and knowing who to thank." 

- Unknown Author.

Red

I heard this lyric in Taylor Swift's new song called "RED"

Loving him is like driving a new Maserati

down a dead end street

Faster than the wind

Passionate as sin,

ended so suddenly.


Sometimes sharing my thoughts, my feelings on this blog is very cathartic.   There are times when things get overwhelming, and dealing with them is always easier when you think things out loud  Or, in my case, in black and white.

One of the troubles I have from time to time is letting emotions take over, especially when they're the kind where it makes me question reasons and motives.  Its related to my self esteem issues, and how I settle for less than the best.  Or less than I deserve.    After my divorce, it took me a long while to get past the junk and to the point where I felt better about myself, about things, about having a direction in my life.  Sometimes, that direction needs to be revamped.  We need to shift and change with life as it changes around us.  And I'm at the point again of switching up, changing gears and revamping the direction in my life. 

I've been in a 'holding pattern' of sorts when it comes to my social life and priorities, and have come to the conclusion that part of that pattern has been settling for less than I deserve.  I need to build more healthy relationships, and let go of some unhealthy ones. 

Ok, I'm going to be brutally honest with myself here.  I was 'hooked' on a guy in such a way that I programmed my computer to play a ringtone every time he logged on.  Most people are routine oriented so it would be about the same time every day.  I would arrange my home chores and my own routine in order to be available to spend time with this guy every day.  For years. We became very good friends.  Or did we?  Because I ordered my life around his free time. He doesn't change up any of his own routines in order to make time for me.   And I'm worth more than a few stolen moments for a phone call when he's out running errands.  Way more. 



Loving him
is like driving
a Maserati
down a
dead end street.

Me Firsssst

Tuesday Night.  7:30pm and I am finally.... errr.... already?.... hahaha  I am lounging in my bed, my feet are up and resting, my pup is gnawing on a rawhide, I am noshing on some White Cheddar popcorn and finishing up my day with a blog.

Lately I feel like I haven't been taking care of me and my needs.  Yes, I know, I mention it often!  But what happens as a mom is we get busy dealing with aspects of our kids' lives, or the job, or caring for the house, that we forget that we're important too.  What brought this to my attention is the fact that my back is bothering me.  I stepped wrong at work ( i know, that sounds weird to me too!)  but I was putting a box on a pallet, and stood up, stepped back and off the pallet and it must have snagged a muscle just right.  It's much better lately than it was at first - I spent nearly an entire weekend in bed on a heating pad, trying to get it to un-knot and relax.  I've since found that its better when I move around and keep it warmed up and stretching; and also that when there are a lot of boxes to be heaved around at work to wear a back-belt to remind myself to lift properly.

The other thing I realized about the same time is that I'm spending time chatting online, instead of working on my creative things - my photos, my letters to dad, my blog, or writing or reading.  There are so many important things in life.  Spending time chatting with folks I'll never meet isn't very productive.   So now I'm trying to limit my online time, to make sure that my own things are taken care of first.  I've always said "real life first" when it came to getting to know someone online - turns out I haven't been taking my own advice! 

When my own needs aren't being met on a regular basis,
its time to rethink choices and make adjustments. 
I hope you're taking care of you, too!

Peace

Midnight. 
Can't sleep, not sure why. 
Laptop batt is nearly dead.
[edited in the light of day]
Cares for a friend running through my mind.
My friend has issues with some of the past. 
And we all know that we need to face fears in order to overcome them. 
Sometimes that means visiting the places of our past.  
For the first time in several years, my friend is back in old stomping grounds. 
Which is a good thing.
I hope some peace and contentment comes from the trip.

[another edit in the light of day. some thoughts and feelings just arent meant to be shared]

Walkin' Sadie

Another Saturday night
and I ain't got no body  ----
well, except my Sadie! 

We've had a busy day,
lots of walks and chores
and more walks today ---
so she took a rest,
for all of about five minutes. 
Until now. 
8pm and she is snoring up a storm.
hehehehehe
It's the adorable moments like this
that make the 'other' moments
not matter so much.

The first picture, our 6am walk in the park
This second picture, her 5 minute long 'rest'
after the second walk this morning!

Smash n Grab

In my BigBox store, we sell iPads and such and keep them behind a locked glass case. Today, someone decided to try a Smash n Grab, breaking the glass door and grabbing about $800 worth of merchandise, hard times call for desperate measure for some folk. He dashed out the door with his booty and took off on his bike.  He was found across the parking lot ...  in a Dell taco, in the restroom --- him AND his bike.
Hahaha craaaazzzyyy days  lately!

So Tired!

What a busy and stressful week - it's only Wednesday, but I feel like it should already be Friday!!

Monday was a long work day -- issues in other areas meant losing my help for that day, and its the busiest day for me.  Even so, with all that was going on with Brian, I left half an hour early -- which created a very stressful Tuesday and some extra work load as well.  I ended up working 10.5 hours that day.

Today I went in at 5am as our store was having FEMA in for a huge all day presentation on emergency preparedness.  Which in some ways was amusing .... we don't get the really major stuff like hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes.  But then again, we DO live here in the desert where without electricity it could be devastating in our heat.  By the same token, we should always be ready with three days worth of provisions in case of something - like an emergency.  Palo Verde Nuclear Plant is only 73 miles from here - I guess if something were to happen, it could become a major emergency.  It was nice of all those people to put in the time and effort to make people of Chandler aware of their needs.

But.  After 3 days of long working hours, and being on my feet, and yes, I even did 2 miles at the gym today as well --- I am TIRED!  and so ready for Friday!   With any luck, I'll only have to work like 4 hours that day, which would be really nice --- if only it weren't supposed to be 112 again.  hahaha

Reagan

Well.  It was a very busy day today.  And perhaps it is the end of Brian's saga.  She went into labor and the baby didn't survive at 15 weeks.  And while its a sad thing to happen, having a miscarriage, I'm somewhat relieved that Brian won't have to deal with ... everything. 

Halfway through my day, Brian decided that he wanted to go see her, and the baby, at the hospital.  We arrived, and she's in a room with her husband and her daughter.  We chit-chatted a bit, then she asked the nurse to bring the baby in.  I had no idea what to expect.  She was so tiny, and so human formed, and yet you could also see that it wasn't a completed process.  They said her name is "Reagan", and decided it was a girl based on the ultrasounds.  Her features weren't complete enough to know if she looked like either of the parents.

The hospital was very kind in this matter, and made an imprint of her feet in some clay, along with ink on a paper.  They are very very tiny, but you can see each and every toe.  They brought her into the room in the smallest baby basket you've ever seen.  I'm sure they deal with this more often than most people realize, and they seemed to be sympathetic to the entire situation.  Although, it felt odd to me that this baby was "paraded around" for us to see.  Maybe that's some of my 'old fashioned' coming out.  Or maybe people with degrees know that its more important for people to have some kind of closure that we never realized in the past. 

I strongly believe in nature's way knowing best, and think that's what it was in this case.
But I'm glad I took the time to take Brian over to see her.

Maybe you're meant to meet the world in another place and time, pretty Reagan. RIP.

Real Life

Alfred D'Souza: 
"For a long time it had seemed to me
that life was about to begin -- real life. 
But there was always
some obstacle in the way,
something to be got through first,
some unfinished business,
time still to be served,
a debt to be paid.
Then life would begin. 
At last it dawned on me
that these obstacles were my life."



How often do we assume that once we get past this, over that, put something behind us, that our real life, the life we wish for, can begin?   When in fact, we're living our real life right at this moment.  Every minute of every day is a slice of time we will never get back.  Are you living life to the fullest?  the life you want to live?

I'm full of these kinds of thoughts lately, because my dad has cancer, stage iv, metastatic, but he's trying to have some chemo, it will extend his life.  Some.  IF it works.  But the whole quality over quantity comes to mind when I think of cancer and what chemo does.  Its all about weighing odds.  Taking chances.

But the bottom line is living life! 

I wonder at times if there isn't something he wants to do, some place or some people he wants to see.  He would never EVER ask -- he wouldn't ever want to put anyone to any trouble.  But that's not the point; people would gladly put aside their own for the time being.   Ahhh.  I'm babbling on about something that I can't change.  But I can contemplate my own demise and make sure that I'm living the life I'm meant to live.

So many people say they'll follow their bliss, live their dream after ......  well, after whatever obstacle seems to be in their way.  I keep asking why?  Why are you waiting?  What is so tough about that obstacle you see as a huge boulder, and only seems like a small stick to someone else?

We have nothing to fear but fear itself.

Don't let obstacles stand in your way of really living life.
Most of the time, what you see as obstacles are imaginary.
True, making changes often changes other things around you.
But everyone deserves to be happy, to have opportunities,
to create a life of their own choosing.
Do what makes you happy.
Do it now.
You don't have forever.
Live life.