Which Way to Go?

Taffy & Benny

a.k.a

Miss Piggy & Booper

a.k.a

Dumb & Dumber

Not Nice..

But, you know, sometimes they are..

Pretty DUMB

Sorry.

Yes, Dumb.

But VERY CUTE!!!

Booper on the trail...

He likes to check things out.

It's a BIG WORLD out there!

Life sure is interesting.  And frustrating.  I wonder what Booper was thinking while he was looking out over that incredible view.  I kind of feel like that picture right now... looking out over the possibilities before me and wondering which trail to take.

On Top of the World

The Ghetto Gate

We have a baby gate between our kitchen and dining room to keep the dogs from roaming the house.  We call it the Ghetto Gate.

We've often laughed over the fact that Benny, a.k.a. Booper, could easily have jumped the gate but didn't.  A couple days ago, at the age of 6 1/2, he figured it out.   He was jumping the gate only in the morning before we got up, which we did shortly thereafter because we'd hear him in the hall.  Since he didn't leave the kitchen when we weren't home we thought he would only do it when we were home because he wanted to be where we were.  Not so.  Today we came home from the store to be greeted at the front door.

Oh Booper.

A couple months ago he learned how to open the pantry door and ate half a bag of Quinoa bones.

Lord knows how many sticks of butter he's swiped off of the counter.

We can't even be mad.  Poor Booper isn't the brightest dog on the block so we find it amusing that this old dog is learning some new tricks.

What Would You Do?

Last year I was at a trade show for work and going from booth to booth talking with different vendors.  I had just spent a good bit of time talking with one guy about his company and the great things they were doing in the community when the gal at the next booth informed me that I had a booger hanging out of my nose.  I had noticed the other guy kind of glancing that way and wondered if I had lipstick on my teeth.

A. Booger. Hanging. Out. Of. My. Nose.

She handed me a kleenex and I took care of business and then I told her she was my very new Best Friend... then we laughed and hugged.  Yes, we hugged.

The other day a gal came into the office with a booger hanging out of her nose. 

I thought about it... and then I didn't tell her.

The. Guilt.

To Delete or Not Delete, That is the Question.

This blog was such an important part of my life for a couple of years.  As you can see if you scroll down through the last several pages it has just about died a very slow death.  So many times I've decided to delete it but then I look at it and plan to go through and save everything first... and then never do. 

How does someone who was a stay at home mom for twenty-two years make the transition to full-time working woman?  I wish I had chronicled that journey... 

I still dream of writing and publishing a book.  Honestly, the ultimate goal is to have it made into a movie.  I am so out of the habit of writing though so I don't even know how to get to a place where I can start working on that project again.

When I try to think of things to write about I keep hearing my college English professor saying to write about what you know.  So what do I know these days?

Ha! Yeah... still not easy. 

So, I'm sitting here in my office during my lunch break... staring out the window... staring at the computer screen...  and wondering if it is even possible to get back to that place where everything just flows.  I just don't know.

Sigh... still staring.

Twenty-Three Years Ago...

 

This sweet girl was born on May 1st, 1990 at 6:38 AM.  I was 23 years old.  Now she is married and living in another state.  I was so very blessed to be able to stay home while we raised our family!  Now it seems as though the time just flew by.  How many times did people tell me that... and how often do I say the same to those with small children?

 

Working full-time really gives me a different perspective on some things and makes me even more grateful for the gift of those years that I was home.  I am so amazed by those mothers that work while raising their families and all that they are able to accomplish.  It is just my husband and I and I'm having a hard time just getting laundry done and the house clean (and the house is NOT clean).

 

We ran into someone at the gym this weekend that we hadn't seen in a long time.  It was great to get caught up a bit.  He asked about this blog and said some pretty nice things.  Made me want to start writing again.  LOL!

 

And now my husband is home with a DVD.  I suppose I should watch it with him.  We'll just snuggle up here on the couch amidst all the laundry...  It's folded.  We did that last night.  I just haven't carried it all upstairs.  We'll probably both be down here in towels tomorrow morning digging around for something to wear to work.  That's how we roll these days. 

 

Oh, The Things I Say...

Open Mouth TEXT, Insert Foot.

Me:  Do you have any Christmas sweaters that have stuff on them... like appliques?

Friend:  Yes, I have a huge one that would be too big for you.  What do you need it for?

Me:  My boss wants us to wear ugly Christmas sweaters to our thing on Friday.  She said, "You know the ones with appliqued snowmen and Christmas trees."

Thank goodness my friend has a sense of humor!

The world might end with me in that sweater.

Catching Up

I've been sitting here for ten minutes wondering what to write.  How do I step back into this world after having been gone so long?  I suppose I just start writing.

Another five minutes have gone by.

Honestly, I should be doing laundry and cleaning.  I have to laugh at myself for deciding to write a blog post when my home is in its current state.  That is just... so... "ME". 

Our girls live in other states with their husbands now.  My mother-in-law moved in with my sister-in-law in Washington State in May (she lived with us almost 2 years...21 months).  Christmas this year will be just my husband and our son.  Definitely something different for us! 

I'm going to have to get back into calling my family by their blog names.  It feels strange.

Double Shot is a sophomore in college.  He is still playing football but switched colleges this fall.  He is also working.  We see him every week at some point.  After all, his girlfriend, Sweet Tea, lives in our neighborhood.  They've been dating a year and a half now.

Mr. Macchiato has climbed 30 14'ers now.  For you Flat Landers that means he has hiked to the top of 30 mountains with an elevation of 14,000 feet or more above sea level.  I feel like I should change his name to Mountain Man on the blog, LOL!

I've been at my current job almost seven months.  I really like the people I work with.  I have a great office with windows and a view of Pike's Peak.  I like my title, Director of Education and Events, LOL!  I schedule classes, find instructors, keep track of registrations, give out certificates, as well as other duties.  We do a lot of different events throughout the year including after hours networking,  quarterly luncheons, a silent auction, a golf tournament, an awards banquet and an Expo.  The Expo is in February and the biggest event by far.  We are bringing in nationally recognized speakers for seminars, will have a luncheon for 500 and have 90 booths.

I need to get back into the habit of writing daily.  It is so much easier to write when you do it on a consistent basis.  I've met some people that have managed to write books while working full-time so I know it is possible.  Every one of them told me that you have to write every day even if it is only for 15 minutes.

Now I am staring again...

I am also out of the habit of seeing the humor in situations.  That is something I miss.  I know it is there.  I just stopped looking for it... 

I'm looking now.

I Miss Blogging!

My how life has changed...

Being a working girl really makes it hard for me to find the time to do things I enjoy, like blogging.  I am out of the practice of writing as well, which is something I would like to change.

I have to laugh.  This is my post.  A couple sentences.  Sort of like starting an exercise program and just walking to the mailbox that first day.  It's a start.

Wedding Pictures

I'm Not Sure I Remember How to Blog...

It has been so long and everything looks different!  Why do they change things?

Well, Colorado has certainly been in the news lately!  The Waldo Canyon Fire affected us in that the Flying W Ranch burned to the ground four days before our daughter was supposed to get married there.  Thankfully, we were still able to have the wedding at another location and it was beautiful.

Back in January of 2010 I posted this... this hike was actually through Waldo Canyon.

The shooting spree at the new Batman movie premiere... my goodness.  We just can't even grasp it all.

Personally, I started a new job the first of May and have been trying to adjust to this new schedule in the midst of absolute craziness...

I hope those that still check back here from time to time are all well.  I would like to get back into blogging at some point but I don't know how to juggle everything.

Stranger on a Plane

Last Thursday I had plans to fly to Seattle to see my family over the weekend. It was a surprise for my little brother who lives in California and was visiting with his new wife and 13 year old daughter. There had only been a chance of snow in the forecast... we drove from Colorado Springs to Denver in blizzard conditions. And I missed my flight.

Fortunately, if you arrive within two hours of your departure time the airline will put you on another flight. My flight was for 8 am with the following flights being at noon, 6 pm and 9 pm. All of the flights were fully booked until 9 pm so I was booked on that flight and then went to the gate for the noon flight on standby. It was not looking good. After most of the people had boarded I went up to the desk to see what my chances were. There was a man there before me also trying to get on standby and when the airline employee came back saying there was one seat he graciously gave it to me.

I was not really paying attention to the seat numbers when I was asked by an attendant what my seat assignment was. I knew I was seated in an exit aisle and she was standing where the one open seat was so I told her I was there. We laughed and I sat down. A couple minutes later the man that was also waiting came by and sat in the seat behind me. I was so glad to see that he made it on board and told him so. Then another person came along and said that he was in their seat... the nice man's ticket had my seat number on it and it turned out that I was in the next row forward in the window seat (the exit seats were two aisles on that large plane). So, I got my things and moved.

As I always do, when the plane began to taxi down the runway, I pulled out my chewing gum and offered some to my seatmates. The man next to me declined but we struck up a conversation. And we talked the entire flight.

He was a young man. A Canadian originally from Jamaica. He was a missionary that has been to many places throughout the world and lived the last two years in Australia. I did not ask his age but I am guessing he's in his mid twenties.

Have you ever met someone and instantly connected with them?

We talked about so many things... His mother works with special needs kids. We talked about missions. I told him about my voice. Then... he told me why he was in Colorado. He was at an alternative clinic... he has cancer and was given 8 months to live.

It was as if we were in a very private bubble and he opened his heart. His family and friends are struggling with why God would allow this in his life and he feels pressure to make them all feel better about what is happening to him. He trusts God but there are days when he struggles but doesn't feel he can let others see that. There has been some success with the treatment he's had but his doctor is only "cautiously optimistic". He told me he put everything on hold when he got the diagnosis (which interestingly came about through a toothache) but that now he wants to return to Australia to finish up some things... but that his family doesn't want him to. They are worried about him and want him close. A friend, who happens to be a girl, had flown from Ontario, Canada to British Columbia where he lives to see him and he'd be seeing her later that night. He obviously has feelings for her. He talked about his wanting to get married and have children...

Oh the heartache.

The eye contact we maintained throughout our conversation was quite unusual and made it all that much more intimate. The sincerity and pain that I saw in his eyes moved me.

I told him that none of us know when our life here on earth will end and to LIVE while God gives him breath. You can't hold yourself back from love and life... and just wait to die. He then asked if that was fair. I told him yes.

And I think about him every day.

Poking My Head In...

To say HELLO!!! If anyone even checks to see if I've posted anymore! I'd like to say I'm going to start blogging again but... I don't know. Life is just so crazy!

I am not working right now but I am looking for another job and still trying to keep up with the job I lost (non-profit, lost funding). Oy.

Our little Frappy and Cuppa Joe are engaged and getting married in June. We are in excellent shape with the planning and have all the big things done which is really nice.

So, we'll see if I post again soon or not. LOL!

WOOT WOOT!!!

Double Shot got...

SCOUT PLAYER OF THE WEEK!!!!

November already... Oy.

Today is Veteran's Day. I grew up an Army Brat. My son-in-law is in the Air Force. But, when I think of Veterans I think of my Grandpa. He was a Chief Petty officer in the Navy during WWII. He went to be with the Lord on July 4, 2002... Independence Day. He suffered horribly at the end. Cancer.

I am so grateful that I was born an American and for all those that came before that fought for our freedom in this country.

11/11/11... I wonder how many people are getting married today. LOL!

It's funny... well, sad really. But, all that time I couldn't talk I wanted to write a book. I didn't think I was ever going to get my voice back and put it off time and time again. Now, I really want to write it. But I need a job.

I went to Nevada to be with my Dad after he had surgery last week. It was good to get to spend some time with him alone. Unfortunately, I had another attack of optic neuritis and had to fly home like that. It is unbelievable how painful that can be! This week I had 3 doctors appointments. I can't get in to see a Neuro-Opthomologist until December. Ugh! I haven't had eye pain all week but last night I did when I went to bed. It is not hurting now but my vision in my left eye is blurred more than it was earlier this week. Double Ugh.

My mother-in-law continues to recover from her knee replacement surgery. She thinks that this surgery was the worst and complains a lot. I have to laugh. This is the best surgery yet and she's recovering pretty quickly.

The other day I read a blog I hadn't in a long time. The author is now divorced. I went back through her posts to try to figure out what happened. I felt sick about it. At the same time... I wasn't terribly surprised. So sad.

I wonder about those of us that write blogs sometimes. Many times throughout my life I've felt that I think about things other people don't... like I'm somehow different. However, through writing this blog all these years I've learned that others think about the things I do too. I think our differences are in how we express ourselves. I wonder about blogging, facebook and twitter. There are definitely pros and cons to social media. I suppose it is, like with all things, about achieving a balance.

And... procrastination. I may not watch TV but I can't spend some serious time on the computer. LOL! You can quickly connect with some people which gives you the feeling of being engaged in others' lives. Update your status, comment on a few others, maybe chat a for a bit with other people that are online. Makes me think of fast food. You can survive on it but is it healthy?

Balance... what is the balance?