Climb a Tree

Why do parents sign their kids up for multiple activities outside of school? For example, I know some parents (won't mention names to protect their idenity) that have their kids in dance class, gymnastics, swimming, piano lessons, softball and soccer. What in THE heck? Did nature become so boring for kids that they refuse to run around outside playing tag? You can get much better excersize and the extra bonus, it's free!! Parents spend anywhere from forty bucks for enrollment up to $120.00 a day for lessons. Ridiculous? I'd say so. Apparently parents are trying to get their kids 'involved in activities', they have nothing better to spend their money on or they are trying to get their kids out of the house. Here's an idea... send them O-U-T-S-I-D-E to play! Oh but I guess it's too dangerous for them. We don't want wittle Sally Wally to get hurty wurty. Don't you have a fear that our children are going to grow up to be afraid of their own shawdow? Pretty soon a law will be enforced that all children 'MUST WEAR HELMETS IN SCHOOL'. (Just in case they fall down off of the jungle gym and land in a pile of wood chips). Who the heck hasn't fallen and landed on concrete?

If kids don't know what it's like to really get hurt, how are they going to react as adults when they cut their finger on a soup can? I don't want to see our country run by no-nonsense, non intuitive, wimpy, uneducated slumps just because they weren't ever told to go climb a tree. Are we going to see a future of everyone walking around in a plastic bubble? I sure hope not.

End of Blog Quote: "Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people. " Eleanor Roosevelt

Injuries

Went to the family reunion over the weekend. It wasn’t all that bad, it was nice to see cousins, aunts and uncles I only see once a year. I know in a previous blog I wrote some blurbs about my family and the issues we have and going to a family reunion probably makes no sense right? Well, I had a talk with my mama last week and we hashed out a few things. She doesn’t understand my faith and values, so she questions it. Sometimes when people don’t understand something, they can become very defensive. Which is what happened in my family, I in no way am excusing their outrageous behavior, but I can understand. The words they spoke may ring back through my mind from time to time, but I’ve forgiven them for their lack of understanding.
So…back to the reunion. My back, arms and legs are completely sore. I being Ms. Macho women, attempted to pick up the stand for the volley ball net which consisted of a huge tire and the bottle of a steel pole. It probably weighed about 600 lbs… well, not really maybe closer to about 100 lbs. I’m not a small gal, so I figure I could help lift it…didn’t really affect me at the time. We played about 4 games of v-ball, I chased the ball about 15 times, hit the ball maybe about 10 times and held my arms up in the air for a total of 30 minutes through out the games. The body is never too sore the day of, but the next morning it hurt to even roll out of bed. Walking down the stairs felt as if I had completed a thousand leg squats. What the heck was I thinking? What the heck? Geez. My woes aren’t as bad as my husband, he threw his back out over the weekend and can barely walk. Men don’t ever seem to want to take it easy when they are injured, they just tough it up and become super macho. Wait a minute…I take some of that back because when guys are sick, they love, love, love the extra attention. “Oh..my poor baby…can I get my snoopie woopie anyting to eatie weatie?” You see….see how that is. Men are tough though. Some of the injuries my husband has encountered, I think I it would have been me I would have just keeled over and died. He has stabbed his finger to the bone, gouged his limbs all over, walked into walls in the middle of the night, shot himself point blank with a pellet gun OUCH! He is a strong puppy for sure.

End of Blog Quote: " If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything." Win Borden

Case of the Moondays

As the song goes, "So you had a bad day..." Even though it’s Friday, I’m taking this back to Monday since I haven’t had the opportunity to write it yet. Here we go…
On Monday I get lectured from my Manager about not calling her directly when there were some errors on a project. Well...I resolved the issue and in my opinion this was no critical matter, but I “need to work on my communication”. Okay so I continue to work and run into another ‘issue’ with someone I dread working with. This gal treats me like I’m an imbecile; I know nothing and she knows everything. So I deal with that throughout the whole day. To top of my day, my husband tells me that there is a burst water pipe and the city government tells us we’re responsible for paying. This was something to look forward to when I get home.

After work I stop at the store for some groceries and about six gallons of drinking water. Going through the check out line I attempt to use my pre-paid credit card that was rewarded to me through work. The bill is around $55, and I know I have sufficient funds. After the cashier gets the flashing error sign ‘declined’ three times, a manager comes to assist. People in line behind me were breathing all over me, but I seemed to keep my cool. The manager then tells me ‘we don’t take this type of card’. Just great…I pull out my debit card knowing that I only have about $70 in the bank and no paycheck until next week, so I’ll have to transfer some money from savings which would leave a whopping $150.00 left.

I receive assistance from a young man who loaded my groceries in the trunk. He commented on how he likes the bottled water much better than straight from the sink (referring to the gallons of water I purchased). I explained somewhat nonchalantly that we had a burst water pipe so we’ll need to rely on this for a while. He looked devastated and expressed a deep look of sympathy. He inquired a little more about the situation and I just smiled. As I get behind the wheel, I couldn’t stop the tears. I tried to hide my wet face while I approached traffic, it wouldn’t be too much longer the house. When I pulled up to the drive, it was apparent where the water was coming from. There was a nice pool bubbling from our yard and seeping out into the street. As the garage door shut me in, I turned into a weeping mess. I hadn’t cried for awhile so it was good to let go. My husband comforted me and our lives went on with our contaminated water and our new flowing stream in our front yard.

Thankfully this is over and the water issue has been resolved. Even better, the pipe didn’t belong to us so that means no big bill! Now we can go back to bathing and brushing our teeth as normal. With God’s strength we got through it as we always to.


End of Blog Quote: "Look to the Lord and His strength; seek his face always" 1 Chronicles 16:11

Family Foes

So, this weekend I came to a realization with the family. Since I've been married to a man I fell in love with 6 years ago, my family has had a vendetta against him. Generally when a husband and wife marry, they start their own family without having to report back all of the life news back to their parents or siblings. Well, coming from a very large family, they thrive on being around one another. Most of the married couples seem to lack the enjoyment of each other's company and they are happiest surrounded by other people. For me and my husband, it's just the opposite. We enjoy each other's company and we don't need to be around a lot of people. So when I began spending most all my time with my husband, I received the heat.

Not only did my family seem to dissprove of the relationship, they accused my husband of brainwashing me. To explain... I was introduced to God and gave my life over to Him. My husband did not hold a knife to my throat forcing anything, I wanted the change, I needed the change. It wasn't as if I became a criminal and starting robbing stores (this may have been accepted from my family), I became a Christian. From there, I was beaten down, questioned and told that I didn't care about them anymore. So, they disrespected my choices in life and my husband. Here's the best part, they even came down on me about how I'm raising my child! (I have a daughter from a previous husband at the age of 17). I've been told, "You can't shelter her forever." "You're too hard on her". Oh, and they can't stand that I actually spank her. OH! Is this a crime?? Apparently in most households today it is a no, no. Well, guess what... children need it! (I'll save disipline for another time). Because I had my daughter young, I did get their help to get me through. I appreciated what they did, but ever since I set forth on my own to raise her by myself, they still felt they had a claim on her. "We're all like her mother" Oh no you're not, she is mine and I am raising her now. This was unacceptable to say the least. Bottom line; I realize that I had to make a choice, to either be devoted to my husband and stand up for him and our lives OR keep on taking the family bashing? Mmmm.. It became clear to me yesterday, and I know that even if my family hasn't been as harsh in the past few years, the cut still stings and I find myself being very guarded everytime I'm with them. The only way I'll get their approval is to go back to my old ways, and that is not who I am anymore. Hopefully someday they will realize this.

Destiny

Do we choose our own destiny? If you knew what your destiny was, would you change it?

If I was given the information that my destiny was to become a superhero but was not told what powers I'd have...you won't see me trying on capes or walking around naked hoping that an invisible force field was surrounding me.

Everyone has a purpose in life and we should be fulfilled by working toward and finding out what this purpose is. Eventually you will find your destiny.

End of Blog Quote:
I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know; the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.
Albert Schweitzer