Out of the office!

Just fyi, I will be gone for the next few days. My mom is having back surgery and so we'll be stationed at St. Joseph Hospital in Bloomington for the next couple days. So don't think I've forgotten about blogging, just away from my office for a few days. And if you think of it, say a little prayer for my mom - I know she'll appreciate it.

Old Friend Week!

It must be old friend week! I had the distinct privilege of meeting up with another one of my oldest and dearest friends quite suddenly yesterday. After my breakfast meeting with an old friend Saturday, I tried to track down another friend - and it seems "by coincidence" (which, of course, I don't believe in) she was traveling from her home in Minnesota down to Tremont to visit her parents. So I called her parents' home and left a message and voila! Yesterday we got together in between my appointments and had a wonderful "catch up" visit. She's the kind of friend who, even though you haven't talked for years, after the first sentence, it's just like you've never been apart - it was wonderful. During the course of the conversation she asked me how I had resisted the urge to be bitter after all that had happened to me and I told her that, of course, I have had my moments (actually hours or days) fighting that, and that, in fact, I had just had a very whiney encounter with those kind of emotions recently, but that one thought always brings me back to my center and that thought is this: I have my children. They are (and undoubtedly have always been) my motivation to continue on, to be mentally healthy (as much as a pre-menopausal woman can be mentally healthy!), to pursue my Christian walk, etc., etc. They are worth everything to me - my best friends, the people I would rather spend time with than anyone else. Keep your exotic vacations, your fancy cars and nice houses - I ended up with my kids and a relationship with them that means more to me than anything else you could offer. When I looked up at my friend, she had tears in her eyes and I realized at that moment, once again, just how lucky I am.

Breakfast meeting

Today I met an old friend for breakfast. I hadn't seen this friend for literally a lifetime. We used to be together all the time - almost 24/7 sometimes because we were in a couple of singing groups together and traveled together for a while. (I always say we went "on tour" and Mal laughs at me!) Over the past 28 years or so, our lives have gone separate ways. As we reminisced and talked about other old friends, I heard myself saying things like, "no - I meant to send her a Christmas card" or "gosh - what was his last name" and "she was in my wedding - no I don't know what she's doing now". It just made me think about all the tons of people whose lives have weaved in and out of mine over these past 51 years, all leaving distinct marks and memories on my heart and life that I have lost touch with. Where are they now? What's going on in their lives? I don't know for the most part. It made me laugh to remember old fun and funny times, yet sad to realize that I had let most of those relationships fall to the wayside. Of course, some of that is the course that life takes - we get married, we have jobs and children - new responsibilities take over and time becomes a huge factor. People move away, etc. But it really made me stop to think of those that I was very close to (or thought I was anyway) that I would like to re-kindle communication with. That's my new goal - to hunt down and find a few old friends and check in with them. Have people that are important in your life? Don't let them slip out of touch just because of the everyday hassles of life and time. Real friends are hard to find - hang on to the ones you have.

Spontaneous drumming!

Spontaneous drumming filled the air at my house tonight. Just a few of us banging our hearts out on our drums, and, of course, eating some wonderful snacks!

Surgery

Today my mom and I went to see her neurosurgeon. The surgery on her back is scheduled for next Thursday, April 1st. I am so glad this will soon be over and done with for her and I know she's going to feel alot better and enjoy her summer. She has done all the other steps to put off the surgery in hopes of not needing it, but it has become necessary. (You know how we always believe that surgery is a last resort - we try all other avenues first before doing the invasive surgery adventure.) This time we only had to wait one hour to see the doctor. I feel like I should help that office get under control - ha! So say some prayers for her and keep her in positive thoughts next Thursday if you would. I know she'll appreciate it.

A Morning at Home!

This is my home (at least part of my living room). I love spending time here.

This is Pockets resting after we played.

This is Pockets - just daring me to try and get his bone.

This is us playing, but Pockets moves too fast for my camera!

And this is his favorite squeaky, squishy bone - yep, the same one that Apollo "plays" when we have parades through the house, while everyone else is playing shakers and drums!

Today my "work day" doesn't start until 1:00, so I had the seldom experienced opportunity to be at home by myself all morning. I love to be home sometimes - and today, I feel sooooo productive! I got up, took Tan man to work (his truck's in the shop), took the garbage to the street (because we forgot it last week, I wanted to get it out early), folded a load of laundry, put in another load of laundry, made a grocery list and a to do list, ate a bagel (while watching Joyce Meyers on tv), caught up on e-mails and facebook, made two massage appointments, unloaded the dishwasher, re-loaded the dishwasher, played with Pockets (really that only took about 10 minutes and we were both worn out!), took some meat out of the freezer for dinner, researched phone plans on the internet, hung up 2 battery operated "tap" lights in my pantry (so I can actually see what food's in there!), and cleaned out that cupboard where all the plastic ware is. Now, if you know me, you know I hardly EVER throw out a plastic container - Cool Whip, sour cream, you name it - you can wash and re-use it. It drives my kids nuts. And typically when you open up this cupboard, something (usually a lid) falls on your head. So today (and my kids will be so glad to hear this) I cleaned out that cupboard. If it has a lid, the lid is on it and it is stacked neatly on the shelves. If it doesn't have a lid or if it's a lid without a container, it is headed for the garbage. So if you kids have anything without a lid or a lid without a matching container, let me know soon, because these things are going to be history! Now I'm off to the shower and to work, but I'm very thankful for this morning - just some time to catch up on some stuff and be in quiet for awhile. Hope you get a chance to just "breathe in" a little bit this week, too.

It's Monday already!

I can't believe how fast the weekends fly by - even with the bad weather! Friday night you already know I went to the Mennonite Relief Sale, then Saturday I worked all day, then headed over to the spaghetti dinner/Ron Davis for Sheriff fundraiser (which you already know about, too). All that leaves is yesterday. I ran to the store, cooked lunch, ate with the kids (my favorite thing to do on a Sunday - I love it when we get to be together), watched a movie and did dishes, and voila! It's Monday! I've just been thinking today (now don't get worried those of you who had a massage today - I wasn't distracted from my work!) again of how quickly the time seems to be going - maybe it's my age, maybe it's the level of happenings in my life - I don't really know, but all the same, time is flying by. Here we are talking about Easter already and it's only a couple weeks away. The first quarter of 2010 is almost over - how can that be? I guess it just serves to remind me that I need to make every moment count, as they move on past me at a high rate of speed and those moments can never be re-captured.

Spaghetti Dinner

Here's pictures of Mal and Britt at the spaghetti dinner/Ron Davis for Sheriff fundraiser. We ate spaghetti, bread, salad and desserts - yum! These girls were working, working, working, selling t-shirts, hats, raffle and 50/50 tickets. Afterwards, I ventured to Casey's only to find to my disappointment that they do not carry Cool Whip, which I felt like I so desperately needed to taste my strawberry pie I purchased at the Mennonite Relief Sale. So I went home and ate a piece anyway, and, oh my - even without Cool Whip, it was to die for! Scrumptous! I can't wait for summertime fruits and vegies - I see lots of stir fry and fruit dip in my summer plans!

Mennonite Relief Sale

Tonight I went with some friends to the Mennonite Relief Sale in Bloomington. Now, back in the day, when I was a good Mennonite, I went to, helped with, baked for, sewed for, etc., etc. the relief sale which is one of, if not THE most hugest, all encompassing event that the Mennonites put on to benefit missions each year. However, I have not attended for probably at least 15 years or so. It was packed to the gills (or walls) with people - I saw old friends from Dillon Mennonite Church, old friends from Logos Church, friends from Riverside Community Church - there were people everywhere! And, of course, there were quilts and pies and rolls and cookies and popcorn and craft items and plants and things from other countries for sale. There were sandwiches and donuts and ice cream - just to name a few of the food goodies! Of course, there were lines and long lines and longer lines, but all in all it was very fun and encouraging to see that people will still unite for one purpose and try to make a difference. I bought some donuts, cinnamon rolls, a strawberry pie, 3 stones, and a little pouch. I had my eye on a scarf, but it was way too expensive. Fun purchases, and all for a good cause.

Disappointment

People are disappointing...and sometimes (more and more often lately) rude. I'm not sure what's happening around us, but it disappoints me and makes me sad. People generally don't seem to be caring and kind to one another much anymore. Yesterday I was speaking to a receptionist at a doctor's office when she just got up and walked away. We waited 2 1/2 hours to see the doctor for literally 5-6 minutes, and no one seemed too apologetic about it. I could give you tons more examples of broken promises, rude encounters, etc., etc., but my point is that I'm hoping I can use this observation to make sure I'm not acting like this! Am I doing all I can to be helpful and kind and tolerant to those around me? Can my behavior be perceived as rude? I hope not. It's hard for me to believe that people generally want to be seen as behaving in this manner. Today I'm going to set a goal to be extra kind and considerate to all those I encounter - hopefully it'll rub off and if we all do this, there will at least be a few people around us in a more positive venue. Maybe we really can be the change we want to see in the world.

MS awareness

Last week was MS awareness week. The lady pictured above was on the Jumbotron in New York City. Three other "spokesmodels" had their pictures apparently spread around in national magazines (although I couldn't find any in our area and I'm not buying and reading one more People magazine just to try to find them!) to increase our awareness of this awful disease. This lady is of special significance to me, because she is the sister of a girl I met in massage school in California. Her family asked me, and I considered it an honor to, come to Colorado a few years ago and work with her in massage. I considered it a great privilege and was impressed with how positive her attitude was and how genuinely happy she seemed. Her name is Kathy and if you think of her, say a quick prayer - especially if you are one of us who thankfully are not afflicted with this disease.

Rocks!

Today Tracey and I went to a rock and gemstone show in Macomb. I love rocks - they are so pretty and feel so nice and smooth in your hands (at least the polished, tumbled ones do, anyway!). It's amazing how some of the cheapest things in the world can bring some happiness and sparkle to our lives. These few rocks cost little, but made for a fun adventure picking them out, as well as making nice additions to my collection.

Indoors!

Good thing the pow wow at Joliet College today was indoors since it rained all day! We had a wonderful time. Karen, Tracey, and I drove up to Joliet where we enjoyed some Indian tacos made with fry bread, perused what seemed like a million vendors with wonderful wares for sale, and, of course, watched the dancing and drumming which is expression by the native people of giving thanks to the Creator. It was such a nice, relaxing, not in a hurry kind of day. We stopped on the way home and bought some Dunkin Doughnuts (did you know they discontinued my favorite ones, the buttercrunch, because apparently not enough people bought them? ahhhh!) and ate at a 50's restaurant, where, you see, Tracey and Karen were visiting with the Blues Brothers. It was a great time - thanks, girls for a wonderful day!

Sorry!

Ok, so I feel so badly about being away from my blog this whole week - not that I think anyone really reads all this jibberish, but I think it's therapeutic for me! Anyway, I have an urge (although I'm not Catholic, and no disrespect intended at all) to start by saying, "forgive me readers, for I have sinned - it's been 5 days since my last blog entry". Anyway, it could be because I don't feel like I've had anything substantial to contribute, and quite possibly because the couple of times I've started a blog discussion with myself, it's sounded really negative, and I've been on a kick to make my corner of the world more positive, as I'm not liking the negativeness that seems to come with this menopause thing and the sheer rudeness I am running into all over the world these days. So, last night I went drumming in Bloomington - fabulous. We are figuring out more beats and sounding better all the time. The ones who have been more shy about drumming are banging much harder on the drums and feeling more comfortable with it, which is great. Drumming is all about several things for me, at least. It's therapeutic for me, it's release of frustration, it's community and building something together in sound, yet letting me express my own individuality, and of course, as with everything I like to be involved with, it's fun! Today some friends and I are travelling to Joliet College for an indoor pow wow, and tomorrow Tracey and I are going to a rock show. Busy weekend - lots of fun. I'll post some pictures when I'm back home. In the meantime, maybe you'll want to think about taking on the project of make your corner of the world more positive - we can make a difference, one corner at a time!

Happiness!

Life is way too short to spend it by regretting what I've done (or not done) in the past. It's way too short to spend it by fretting over why a person was mean to me or didn't include me in something or slighted me in some way. It's way too short to spend being angry or trying to control everything so it goes the way I want it to. It's way too short to spend thinking about people who treat others badly, yet still seem to always win in the end. It's way too short to spend whining because I don't have what I want or didn't get to go where I wanted to, or buy what I wanted to buy. Try to enjoy and take in and embrace each and every moment of every day you're given - it's a gift. These are just a couple of pictures to remind us of really important ways to spend our lives.

Weekends always fly by!

Weekends always seem to fly by so fast, don't they? As you already know, we had an impromptu drum circle Friday night, I worked Saturday during the day, went to dinner with a friend, did taxes all evening, then today I made a huge breakfast and the kids all came over and we ate it (at lunchtime) and played games and laughed and laughed and laughed. So now I'll finish up the dishes, rest a minute, then it'll be time to get up and start all over with a new week. Who could ask for anything more?

Impromptu, Spontaneous Drumming

Impromptu, spontaneous drumming - that's what happened at my house tonight - a few phone calls, some snacks thrown together, some interested drummers, and voila! Drum circle. Everytime we get together it's fun, it's fellowship, and the drumming is relaxing and therapeutic. Each personality adds to the gathering - and we are getting alot better musically, too. Thanks, everyone for a fun night.

Reminder

Ok - here's the reminder I promised you a few blogs ago. This Monday, March 8th, eat at Culver's in Pekin anytime between 5 and 8 p.m. and they will donate part of the money they receive to Parkinson's research at Bradley University. We are doing this in honor of my customer, Don Bohlander, you remember, who is living proof of the fantastic results new research is bringing for people suffering with this disease. You can drive through - you don't even have to haul yourself out of your car! I'm assuming there will be lots of fun going on inside if you want to go in and order and eat, but we're after the dollars for help here - so even if you don't have the time to go in and stay, drive through - everyone has to eat, eh? And order lots - you can heat it up in the microwave for lunch at work the next day - ok, maybe not the french fries so much, but the burgers. And they have really good salads - order one, put it in your frig and take it to work for lunch on Tuesday. Let's rally around this and show Don we're with him and happy for his progress, as well as show Culver's we appreciate their getting involved in giving back to our community. Thanks for your support!

Sometimes it's hard

Did you ever have to make a decision to do something that you deep down knew you needed to do, but you really did not want to do? Isn't it hard? And yucky? And disheartening? And unsettling? Hmmm... Why can't things just work out the easy way once in awhile? I think one of my really weak areas is that of discipline and making myself do things I don't want to or not letting myself do things I really want to - even when it isn't the best for me. And so in this position, I always do the same thing...procrastinate. I put it off, put it off, and put it off, until I'm so agitated and stirred up about the whole thing, I have to deal with it. At this point I begin to rationalize and make excuses for not doing what I know I need to do. I wish I could just listen to my inner self, be obedient, and have the confidence and security to make the decision to follow along my path. But I guess therein lies the truth - it's the walking the path, doing the journey that makes me who I am and helps me learn my lessons, not just the arrival at the new place the easiest and quickest way.

Planetarium

This is Terrance and Maria, showing you the souvenir penny they each "made" in the machine behind them at the Lakeview Planetarium on Saturday. Tanner and I took them to see the "Winter Skies" and the "TimeSpace" shows. They really enjoyed them (although Maria did take a quick nap during the last show).