How Did This Happen? How Did Any of This Happen?

Do you ever just step back and wonder where time went and how in the world you got to where you are? 

I did that today.  I logged into Facebook and saw a picture of my two grandsons on their first day of 3rd grade.  THIRD GRADE!  How did that happen?  When did they grow up?  When did I get old enough to have grandchildren in third grade?  I don't feel old enough to have grandkids much less grandkids in 3rd grade!

It seems like yesterday we were struggling to feed them every three hours and keep up with the laundry and diapers.  It was my joy  to be able to help out my son and daughter-in-law in those early days and I often found myself staring at two little bodies in the crib and thinking, 'HOW ARE THEY WINNING??   There are three of us and two of them ... and we're bigger ... and they're winning".  Those were exhausting days.  But  I wouldn't trade one moment of those day for anything .  Not even a second.  Those were some of the best days we get to experience in life.  

And my granddaughter, who is all of six years-old was invited to try out for a gymnastics team and compete against other teams!  I'm telling ya, that girl will make it.  She has NO fear.  She is tenacious.   And she is slightly obsessed with gymnastics.  I fully expect her to rule the world one day.  

Not to get all sappy, but .... oh well, I'm may as well go right ahead and get sappy.  All of this kid growing up stuff reminds me of an old song by Wayne Watson that was popular when my boys were growing up. 

I warn you, if you are a parent, grab a tissue before you read one more word.  And if you're not a parent, grab one anyway. 



There are watercolour ponies

On my refrigerator door

And the shape of something

I don't really recognize

Drawn by careful little fingers

And put proudly on display

A reminder to us all

Of how time flies

And a stairway laced with toys

Gives a blow by blow

Reminder of the war

That we fight for their well-being

For their greater understanding

To impart a holy reverence for the Lord



But baby, what will we do

When it comes back to me and you

They look a little less like little boys every day

Oh the pleasure of watching the children growing is mixed with a bitter cup

Of knowing the watercolor ponies

Will one day

Ride away

Hey, don't say I didn't warn you!   If you are a parent, know that there truly is life beyond kids.  And it can be a good life.  A really, really good life.   I loved every minute of watching my boys grow and I love every minute I get with my grandkids now, and yet, here I am today, getting ready to go teach a class full of women how to be better prepared to defend themselves.  Yes, I am a grandma and I work with Special Operations Military guys and SWAT cops doing firearms training.  Life has a way of pulling crazy tricks on you like that and taking you to places you never dreamed possible and never in a million years planned for. 

Bottom line, you have no idea what the future holds.  Don't sweat it.  Don't grieve it (too much).  Drink it up and enjoy every minute.   You're making memories that you will never ever lose ... and there are things ahead that will simply blow your mind.  

A Few of My Favorite Things

Its raining here in Ohio today, the kind of steady rain that makes you want to stay in bed and take it easy. It has made me think of some of my favorite things.  You know, those things that feel like they wrap around you, warm your soul and just make life ... better.  I thought I would share them with you just in case you need a reminder of the good things in life.    Here are some of the things that just make me happy. I bet you like some of these things too!

Fireplaces  

Its still summer so a fireplace isn't in order today but oh man, don't you just love watching a crackling fire and relaxing at the end of a long day.   That fire can hypnotize you and make it seem like any concern just melts away.  You know what I'm talking about, right.  

Jackets

I love jackets. Dressy jackets.  Sporty jackets, Long jackets.  Hooded jackets. Rain jackets.  It doesn't matter.  I love 'em all.  They are cute and fashionable, and oh don't I just love that they hide a million flaws.  I mean really, have you ever seen anybody that doesn't look better in a jacket?  I rest my case.  I really need to live in a cooler climate so I can wear jackets every single day.   

Boots 

I have come to the conclusion that it is virtually impossible to have too many pairs of boots.  Its a fact.  I don't have nearly as many pairs as I would like to have, and in fact have my eye on a pair of pretty Lucchese cowgirl boots right now.  That reminds me, when I was a little girl I had a pair of black cowgirl boots with red and white inlays.  Man I felt like I had the world in my hands when I wore those boots.  I bet that is where this boot obsession started!  These pretty things here are going to be mine soon.  Very soon.  I mean they are even named Amberlyn so its like a law that I have to get them, right?  

Coffee Mugs

There is nothing like a good cup of coffee in a good, hearty mug.  I really like the earthy, slightly imperfect stoneware mugs.  Something about those are just more comforting than a regular coffee cup.  Oh, don't get me wrong, I like a pretty delicate cup too, but there's just no replacing the feel of a good solid stoneware mug.  On a cold day you can wrap your hands around a hot mug and suddenly life is just ... better.  

Quilts

Is there anything better than wrapping up in a soft, cozy quilt?  Something about that just makes the worst of days seem bearable. 

Did you know that my grandma Fern Davis used to make the most beautiful quilts?  She had a special talent for putting just the right colors and patterns together to make an extraordinarily beautiful quilt.  People would travel from all over the United States and pay big money for one of her quilts.  Speagle catalogue (is that even a thing anymore?) asked her to make quilts for them.  All of her kids and grandkids were lucky enough to be given at least one of her quilts and I've always been torn as to whether or not to use them.  I do.  I figure I am the last in my family that will truly appreciate them so I do use them.  It reminds me of sitting on the porch swing with her and watching her piece together a quilt.  

Front Porches

When we built our house I insisted on two things.  It had to have a fireplace (it has two) and it had to have a front porch (it also has a back porch).  I do try, not always successfully, to make a few minutes each day when the weather is right to sit out there and take a break.  Get a nice cold glass of lemonade, or a cup of coffee, and just ... be.   And if its raining like it is today its even more peaceful.  What a comforting thing to settle back in a wicker rocker and smell the rain and just watch life go by for a bit.  

Really, Really Good Chocolate

Who doesn't love chocolate?  Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate with nuts, chocolate malts, chocolate brownies, chocolate covered bacon, hot chocolate...sorry, I got a little carried away there.  If you read my earlier blog about Mr. Geary, then you know where my chocolate addiction began.  I do love just about any chocolate, but here in Ohio we have some extra special chocolate.  If you've had it, you know what I'm talking about. Esther Price chocolates!  Oh my... where to even begin.  They are a delectable treat.  One of the perks of being a pastor's family is that a local funeral home here in town gives a box of these to all of the area ministers for Christmas each year.  Brian has become good friends with that funeral director and one year the annual box of Esther Price chocolates was forgotten. He has been making it up ever since by brining a box every time he sees Brian.  If you haven't tried them, what on earth are you waiting for???  Get you some!  

And my list just wouldn't be complete without DOGS! 

Dogs are truly a blessing to mankind. I was wondering last night as I snuggled with mine, why they love humans? Its easy to see why we love dogs, they are loyal, quirky, funny, warm, and will always, always love you no matter what.  But why on earth do they love us?  Maybe that's what makes them so special  - they don't need a reason to love us, they just do. Isn't that what every single one of us is looking for? 

But I Want To Do It!

I had a lot of fun teaching a CCW class  yesterday.  Well, actually, I didn't teach too much of it. Although I love teaching, and, as strange as it sounds I've come to love standing in front of a classroom full of people, I had two Apprentices assisting yesterday who also love to teach and  wanted to do a part of the class    


As the lead instructor for the class I could have just said,, "that's okay, I've got it",  but I want them to get some time in front of the class too.  Over the years I've learned (sometimes the hard way) that a good leader will make sure that their team is sharp and has everything they need to be as much of an asset to the team as possible .  

Leadership is not about elevating yourself, but about elevating others.  Too, too often I have seen leaders who want to be the visible one, the knowledgeable one, the "superior" one.  That my friends is an example of poor leadership. In fact, I dare say it is not leadership at all.  Its ego.  And ego is a destructive force within a team.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Side note about this photo*  I love this picture!  I did not take it.  Its a picture of my son leading Emma around on a pony.  I love it because its a great picture of the dad that Logan has become. I love it too because it takes me back to my childhood and to my uncle Shirley's house.  My uncle had horses and from as far back as I can remember,  this was a familiar sight.  It seems he always had one of us up on a horse and was leading us around the yard.  I loved every minute of that and count those memories as some of the best of my childhood.  When my boys were little, we took a trip back "home"and before I knew it, he had them up on  horses and was leading them around the yard.  Some things never change, and I"m glad they don't. 

Being An Apprentice

I was torn as to whether to post this on this page or on the Firearms Training page, but since this is more of a personal take on things, I thought it should go here. If your really just not that in to guns, you can move on, or stick around and you might be surprised that this is not about guns in the least.

My life as an Apprentice with 88 Tactical of Ohio began in late 2016.  I remember well the shock I felt when Phil asked if I wanted to work for him.  "Uhhhh... yeah .... is that a real question?"    Honestly, I had no idea that working for 88 Tactical was even a remote option.  There are a lot of people who would LOVE to work for 88 Tactical.   Its a sweet, sweet job.  But many of those people are not aware of the process and what it takes.  I thought I would outline that process here, at least as I understand it. 

Once you are selected as an Apprentice, and I do think you are selected.  Those who come and ask to be, usually don't make the cut.  This is an elite training organization and it basically comes down to this - if they want you, they will come and find you.   

But once you are selected, you will be given your blue patch and then, your responsibilities begin.  88 Tactical operates on a color patch system much like that of Martial Arts. 

Apprentice - Blue Patch

Instructor - Green Patch

Lead Instructor - Tan Patch

Senior Instructor - Black Patch





As an Apprentice you are to put in a minimum of 100 hours of volunteer time.  The best way to do that is to SHOW UP.  Show up and sit in on as many of the classes as you can.  Yes, you may take the classes free of charge (and you should) but show up to work as well. And here is a hint - show up often!

• Show Up Early.  See what the Instructor needs and make sure they have it.   See what they need for the classroom and get it for them.  Find out what they need on the range and set up the targets accordingly.  Go glue the targets to the backers and when the range becomes available, set up the range according to the Instructor's needs.
  
  
• Sit in and Listen.  Your job as an Apprentice is to listen and learn.  Learn how the classes run.  Learn the material.  Learn the range protocols.  Even if you are familiar with firearms and shooting - and even if you are already an Instructor with a different organization - listen and learn.  The training philosophy behind 88 Tactical is a bit different than you might find other places.  Everything we do is behaviorally based.  That means that we study human behavior and see how people really respond when something bad happens and then base the training off of that.  Its actually a science.  As an Apprentice you may offer assistance to a student but NEVER interrupt an Instructor.  It is generally a good practice to offer suggestions.  Even as an Instructor who is assisting another instructor in teaching, I let them lead.  I do not try to teach their class for them.  Its THEIR class.  I really believe it is important to know your place. Just having a title doesn't mean that you should take over if someone else is leading. 
  
  
• Stay Late.  After the class is over, it is your job to clean up.  Take the targets down and put them in their proper place.  Return any rental guns to the range counter (flagged) and sweep up all brass and place it in the buckets.  Sweep up paper and place in the trash.  Make sure the range is at least as good and preferably  better than you found it.
  
  
• Follow Up.  Follow up with the Instructor to make sure everything is done according to their liking.  We often do a debrief.  This is a good time to ask any questions about anything you saw that you had questions about.

You will do all of this for a minimum of a year.  My first year, and even to this day, I show up and do whatever I see that needs to be done.  If the trash needs taken out, take it out.  If the office needs to be cleaned, clean it.  If the old targets need to be torn off of the backers and thrown away, do it.  I'm not always sure of myself.  I mainly do stuff and hope its okay.  If its not, you'll find out, and trust me on this, the world will not come crashing down if you do something wrong.  Of course, that attitude led to a completely other job of doing the Administrative and Marketing component of the business.  Something I am not really trained for but ... I'm learning.

Being an Apprentice does not mean that you will ever be an Instructor.  You may be.  It really depends on you.  I could write out a list of dos and don'ts but really, if you need that list, you are probably not one that would be selected in the first place.  Once Phil has determined that you are right for 88 Tactical, then you will be awarded the Green Patch and made an Instructor.  No time for a big head here.  You are still here to serve.  In fact, there is probably one thing that will destroy all hope of being a part of 88 Tactical - arrogance.  If you are arrogant, or a show off, or in any way there to draw attention to yourself, you are probably not going to fly with us.

In December of 2017 I received my Green Patch.  The blue one is still my favorite.  Its my favorite because it signifies that I was selected.  Astonishingly, gratefully, selected. 

Things Worth The Money: Keens

A few years ago I was suffering some wicked plantar fasciitis, which, if you have experienced it, is just awful.  I tend to describe it as walking on shards of glass.  Being famously stubborn, I put off going to the doctor until it was bad.  Really bad.  Long boring story short - I did everything the doctor recommended and went through all of the treatment recommendations outside of surgery ... and ... nothing.  It still hurt every time I took a step.

I don't tell you this for sympathy.  I tell you this because I found something that worked like nothing else did!  Shoes!!  GOOD shoes! 

Now I'm sure there are many other options out there that would also be amazing, but this is my story and so I'm going to tell you about my shoes. 

The first pair I bought were Keens H2O Newport.  They were SOOO comfortable and made walking pleasurable again.  I wore them until they looked like something the cat had dragged in.  I still wear them. I shouldn't, but I do because they are just so comfortable.  And besides, they're dark blue so who's gong to notice how worn out they are, right? 






I have since bought other Keen Shoes.  A few more.  The Targhee are great but my favorites are the Voyager.  I have bought two pairs of those.  Again I wore the first pair mostly out and then Cooper finished them off. 














A pair of Keens will run you around $100 (more or less depending on where you find them).   And they are worth every single penny!   

Imagine how excited I was to find these H20s made of hemp!  

Narrowing My Focus

Sometimes you have to step back and make some tough decisions. 

I've been debating this for a while but yesterday I stepped down as the Regional Trainer for Ohio and Kentucky chapters of TWAW. 

I have been so very humbled to have been among some of the amazing women who were selected to serve in this new and important program. And I am incredibly grateful to those of you who put your name and reputation behind me and recommended me for the position. As I went through the interview process and saw the names of some of the other women who were in the running, it was humbling to be among them. Honestly, I wasn't sure I belonged in that group of impressive women but its nice to know that someone else thought so. 

It was a tough decision because its such an important role. The Regional Trainers will be responsible for overseeing the training of the leaders and instructors in their region. In short, they will be training the trainers. 

I'm still kind of amazed that I was given that opportunity and it means more than I can say, but I don't feel that I can give it the attention and time that I would need to invest to be able to do my best. I will still be serving as the State Leader and doing my best to lead the North Cincinnati Chapter.

I'm grateful to have this amazing life.  

Small Business Spotlight: Smart Solutions Fitness

As much as I possibly can, I really like to support small, local businesses.  They are the heart and soul of our community and often have higher quality goods and services than the bigger chains offer.

One such local business is Smart Solutions Fitness located at 1188 Pyramid Hill Boulevard, Hamilton, OH.  Smart Solutions is owned and operated by Julie Lindbloom.  Julie is an Athletic Trainer and can help you with general fitness, strengthening exercises, and can even help with recovery from an injury.

I went to Julie last year after a knee surgery and I can highly recommend her!  She is patient, encouraging, and gives you just enough of a challenge to get you to where you want to be.

Some of the services she offers are:

Personal Training

Just $40/session
One-on-one personal training session includes movement assessment, body composition, and implementation of workout program customized to your body's needs and stated goals.

TRX Classes

10 classes for $100

Whole body and core no matter what you do with TRX make it as easy or as hard as is appropriate to your skill level. TRX is very effective for conditioning and strengthening.



Not only is Julie a professional in her approach to fitness, but I have had the pleasure of knowing her for a few years and can tell you that she is honest, hardworking, dependable, and completely trustworthy.  She is good people!

Check her out at the Smart Solutions Fitness Facebook page

The Times They Are A Changin'

Its such a strange time. I've not posted about it because 1, its not for me to say. I don't like to post other people's business. And 2. its not about me. Not even a little bit. Often on post like this people will be kind and supportive and offer comforting sentiments and that is nice but its not about me. Not at all.

Many of you are aware that our Senior Pastor has been suffering failing health for a long, long time. By all appearances, he is now in the home stretch. It is unlikely that he will be back at church.

That brings about changes. Lots of changes. None of which are unexpected or have not been prepared for, as least as much as you can prepare for something like that.

Today my husband brought a message about "how to prepare for the final goodbye". Obviously it related to our congregation but I like to think that the message would be applied to others ho are also facing the loss of a loved one too. . Did I mention Howard has been the pastor there for decades. He was my pastor when I moved here when I was 14 years old. That gives you an idea of the depth of loss the congregation is experiencing.

It was a strange service today. Completely unknown to us and unplanned for was the presence of several who had attended our church years ago. The District pastor was also there - something I don't recall ever occurring in the 30+ years that we have been here. Strange. God planned? They had absolutely no way of knowing what the service would be today or even who would be bringing the message.

Church feels "different" now too. I feel us coming together and being closer, more kind, and more gentle than we have been in a while. I hope Howard feels that too. I'm almost certain that he does. People who rarely speak to me have offered hugs.

Is it stressful? Yes, but maybe not in the way you might think... it has been stressful, and unpredictable, and uncertain for a long, long, long time. Sometimes it has felt like the stress would eat us alive - but that is how we have learned to engage life for the past 15 years or so. Just to take things as they come. Trust God. Know that whatever happens, it will be ok because for most of that time there was no way to know what would happen in the next hour or week or month. Its really like that for all of us but it was just a little more apparent to us. So we will continue on as we have. When you get mad, be mad, and then move on. When sadness hits, feel it, and then get up and carry on. And never, ever stop laughing. We are all going to be just fine.

An Extraordinary Ordinary Man

The house I grew up in

I was about 4 years old when Mr. Geary came to live in our upstairs apartment. 

Our little town was building a new power plant and he was one of the construction workers from Kentucky that had come in to town to work on it.  I'm not sure how old he was at that time but to me, he looked as old as anyone I had  ever seen. 

We quickly became unlikely best buddies.  Everyday my mother would tell me when it was about time for him to arrive home and I would run out, sit on the front porch and wait for his old red pickup to come down the lane.    At the first sight of it I would jump down off the porch and run to meet him. 

Every day he brought me a treat, usually a Hershey candy bar and some gum or other things he had picked up from the drug store in town.  We had a routine, he and I.  He would give me my candy and head up to his apartment. I would go in, get the newspaper and stand at the bottom of the stairs and ask, "Mr. Geary, do you want the paper"? 

Of course he would tell me to bring it on up. Sometimes I would pick a red rose off of my mother's rose bush to take to him as well, just to make it more special.   In his kitchen he would have two glasses of tomato juice poured and we would sit at his kitchen table and drink tomato juice while he looked over the paper.  I hated tomato juice but I drank it because he liked it. 

Then we would go outside and play with my dog or my dolls, or swing on the swingset.  Nothing special really, just an old man and a little girl spending time together much like a grandfather would do with his granddaughter.

I still remember the day Mr. Geary left our town.  My mother had told me that his job was finished and that he needed to go back to Kentucky to be with his family.  I was angry that he was leaving and ran out and sat on my swing, facing away from the house because I didn't want to see him leave. 

After a while he came out, put his bags in his truck and then stood off to the side of the swingset trying to tell me goodbye.  I would have none of it.  I would not look his way or give him the time of day.  He stood there for what seemed like a really long time.  After several minutes, he came over, bent down and kissed my cheek.  His face was wet with tears.  Then he turned, got into his truck and drove away. 

I never saw Mr. Geary again.  As a teenager we heard a rumor that he has passed away so I never bothered to look for him.  Much later in life I decided it would be nice to find his grave and say a proper goodbye.  After much research trying to sort out all of the Thomas Gearys in Kentucky, I got in contact with his son.  My heart sank as he told me that Mr. Geary had only passed away about 3 years earlier.  All of those years he was living just a few hours away.  He likey died not having any idea what he meant to me.  He probably imagined that a little girl would quickly forget. 

I did not forget.  Not even for a little bit.  So on a rainy summer day I drove to Bowling Green, Kentucky and put some red roses on the grave of a man who was much like a grandfather to me and finally, said goodbye. 

Mr. Geary never did anything that many people would call remarkable.  He never spent a lot of money on toys or gifts for me. He simply spent his time.  Looking back, I am sure that the last thing he felt like doing at the end of a hard day at work was to play with a little girl.  But he did.  And that little bit of time left such a mark on my life that at age 56 I am writing about him to let you know a bit about an extraordinary ordinary  man. 

. 

Home

This beautiful photograph has not been edited.  It is the magic of a very talented photographer.  Jim Brockman can do more with a camera than most of us can do with all of the photo editing software on the market.  As a gift to my husband, he photographed our house and printed it out on a large canvas which we had framed and  hung in Brian's office. 


Pretty amazing photo!


Its also a pretty amazing house.  Its not the biggest, or the prettiest.  It doesn't have the most up to date features.  It is not ever going to be in Homearama.  But its home. 

Before this house we lived in a few interesting places... 

• A run down trailer park with gypsies as neighbors.

• A nice little ranch house in Louisiana that was owned by a man in our church.  It needed some repair but his plan was to buy all the houses on that block, tear them down and build a mall.  So the bathroom was a little grungy but the back yard was amazing.  (I'm not sure if he ever built that mall.  Last time we were there, so was the house.  

• A parsonage in Alabama that had multiple colors of carpet and the sewer backed up into the dish washer.  

When we moved to Ohio we bought our first home on Vista drive.  A nice little cape cod.  It was a great little house, but soon the lot came available where our house is now located and the price was right.  We bought the lot and built this house ourselves. 

We literally built it ourselves.  Our blood and sweat is in that house as is the blood and sweat of some very good friends.  We raised our boys here.  Some of their pets are buried in the back yard.  Every bit of this house is a reflection of us.  It is home. 

* Check out this article about Jim Brockman

A Dog's Life

Taser

Meet Cooper!  Cooper is the newest member of our family and he is a joy!

After we lost our beautiful German Shepherd, Taser we were heartbroken and decided the best way to deal with losing her was to love another dog as much as we did her.

Cooper

And so, we searched local rescues unil we found this odd-looking, beagle, shepherd, hound, whatever mix.

The first thing he did was to put his muddy paws all over my face and hair.  We both came home a muddy mess.






















Cooper has since taken over pretty much everything.  He owns the place, and our hearts.



He is a chewer, a sock thief, and has a ways to go to be potty trained.

He is completely ornery, and completely loved.

Isn't that what we all want?

Milestones

On June 1st my mother turned 80 years old!

So the whole family gathered to celebrate!  Having the family over is always a fun time.  When our boys were growing up it was a common thing to have laughter around the dinner table.  Now that they are grown and gone it is quieter here ... until they return with their own families and then things get a bit chaotic!

For some reason I decided to grill BBQ baby back ribs for the crew of 12.  I have a feeling that the reasons BBQ ribs sounded like a good idea was that my dad had a tradition of making ribs anytime our family gathered in the summer months.  It was a feast we all looked forward to.  Since dad has passed, we have not had BBQ together as a family since.  I guess it was just one of those things that he did and it just tradition just never continued.   Until now.

The ribs, the homemade mac & cheese, the baked beans with bacon, the lemonade, all manged to turn out well and we were FULL afterwards.  But there was cake!

My son, yes, that is correct, my bearded, outdoorsy, hunter, hike the Appalachian Trail, rugged son, makes cakes!  And they are spectacular!  This one was no exception!  I am not a "cake person".  I am more of a "pie person" but this cake, was to die for!

After dinner, after the candles had been blown out and we could eat no more, mom opened her gifts.




What do you give a lady who is 80 and pretty much has everything she wants already?

I decided to make her a money cake.  I mean, everybody can use money, right?  And this seemed like a creative way to give it.  I'm not sure she was happy with me when she had to dismantle it though.  There was a lot of pins and tape involved.  That's what kids are for though, right, to cause their momma's trouble?

After the gift-giving my youngest son informed us that we all needed to go outside because they had a gift we needed to be outside for.  We were all dumbfounded.  What on earth could it be?  He also asked me to videotape her opening it.

Hmmmm.....

Once outside Logan and Kati presented mom with a big box and as she opened it, pink balloons began to rise out of the box.

Yep, its a GIRL!!

We can't wait to meet Larkyn Elizabeth next November!

Kids...

 

Kids just blow me away. They're so honest, and innocent, and seem to naturally care about others. Maybe that's why Jesus suggested we should all be more like kids. 

I didn't make it to church Sunday night. I was wiped out, to put it mildly. But Brian came home carrying this little "Belle" bank with a look on his face that told me it wasn't just any "Belle" bank. One of the little girls in our church collected her money in this bank and then gave it to use to help the kids on the reservation. Its not the first time this little one has done this.

And I'm touched. But I'm not surprised. This little girl has a mommy and daddy that have lived out the principal of being generous and caring about other people in front of her every day of her life. To her, I'm sure it's just "what people do". Simple. Not easy, giving rarely is, but its what you do when you care.

Her mommy knows something about that. Her mommy is from another country and grew up in poverty. Someone in America sponsored her so she could get an education. Now she's in America, married with kids and she's teaching her three to reach out to those in need.

When the Music Stops

I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year. I love it because all my work is over.

And I hate it because its all over.

True, my work is done. No more need for long days and sleepless nights.

True, I can rest and do some things I enjoy.

 But there is also the feeling that everyone has left the room and the music has stopped and its just me left with an empty room. There's a bit of sadness because I've met new people that I like and wonder if I'll see them again. And there is time. Time to do ... what??

Boredom is not a good thing for me. I don't deal with it well. At all. It may not be healthy to "keep drinking that coffee and keep going" like my friend says I do, but its a lot healthier for me than dealing with boredom.

This time last year I crashed. Hard.  So, I've taken some steps this year to deal with boredom.

I have things to do.  Of course, I'm still not completely done with REZonate.  There are still thank you notes to be written and "gift in kind" forms to fill out and file, and there is still that pile of junk about my house that I need to move to storage.

Next weekend I head to Chicago and in October I'll be skydiving!  And at some point I have bathroom wallpaper that needs to be stripped off.  Whoever thought that gluing paper to a wall was a good idea??  So, I do have things to do ... I guess I just don't like goodbyes.

You Can Learn A Lot By Reading A Gate

Gate

Sometimes what you need is a good gate. 

The text on the is very famous gate reads:

Everything You Know is Wrong

In the service of God one can learn three things from a child and seven from a thief. 

From a child one can learn 

1. always be happy 
2. never to sit idle 
3. and cry for everything one wants. 

From a thief you should learn 

1.  to work at night 
2.  if one cannot gain it in one night to try again the next night
3. to love one's co-workers just as thieves love each other 
4.  to be willing to risk one's life even for a little thing
5.  not to attach too much value to things even though you've risked your life for them just as a thief will resell a stolen article for a fraction of its worth 
6. to withstand all kinds of beatings and tortures but to remain what you are and 
7. to believe that your work is worthwhile and not be willing to change it.

Anybody want to guess who's gate this is??? 

Sometimes Sandbaggers Win

In a Demolition Derby, sandbagging is avoiding contact with other cars and refusing to be aggressive. They may pretend to have mechanical problems until the last two or three cars are running then their car will start running just fine and they become more aggressive.

 A sandbagger is the low-life of the derby. Nobody likes a sandbagger because they don't really play fair. If you have good officials and judges, they will be disqualified (get their stick broken) but if not, sometimes the sandbagger wins. Its disturbing when that happens because somewhere deep inside all of us, we want things to be fair. 

Life itself isn't very fair so maybe that's why we want our games to be. Maybe that's why we scream and shout and loose our voices when the officials fail to keep things on the up and up.

You guessed it, we went to the demolition derby at the county fair last night. It wasn't the best derby I've seen but it was fun to hang with the family doing a typical redneck thing for a while. Besides, the lemonade was fantastic. The lemonade and the horses are always worth the trip to the fair for me.

Maybe there is something to that... when sandbaggers win and life isn't fair, look for the small pleasures because those are really the moments that matter.

Trying To Get My Groove Back

Warning: This is a vent and a very negative post. I'll get my groove back ... eventually and will be back to posting all the excitement and such but for now, I'm going to grouch.

I'll admit it, I'm in a funk. It has rained and rained, and then rained some more. And its downright chilly for July. It's definitely a pj's and grubby robe kind of night. 

But its not the weather that is bugging me. Frankly, I'm not sure what's bugging me, but whatever it is, its getting the better of me. At a time when I should feel fulfilled and blessed and happy, I'm disgruntled, discontent and depressed. At a time when I should be busy getting ready for a day of music and Harley's, I'd much prefer to crawl onto the couch with a big cozy quilt and watch garbage TV.

Part of this attitude is due to people. People are difficult to work with. People tend to put themselves first regardless of whether its all about them or not. People don't return calls. People assume the worst about you without bothering to check it out. People are rude. People are, well, people.

Part of it is just "stuff" too. Stuff that wears me out. I came home from the Rez to find my house trashed by a dog that went into a full blown doggie panic attack, and a son that enlisted in the Army . 

We've had 3 bands drop out of Rezonate. The guy in charge of getting food vendors for REZonate tells me that we only have 2 - none of the others are returning phone calls. Thank God for Papa Johns Pizza who is not only on board, but have paid their fees and are even putting fliers on all their pizza boxes for us. Makes me want to order a pizza just to support them. 

Oh, and the contact person at the venue we are having Rezonate at is on leave with no return date.

So I'm trying to book some bands. And I've got to tell ya, I'm really tired of people who think they are God's gift to the world because they have a guitar and can sing. I run into that a lot. Way too much really. There can't be that many "stars" out there that I've never even heard of. 

So much for bands. Today I'm trying to buy some school supplies today ... and its not working out so well. My Jeep is not running which slows things down big time. While its being fixed I thought I shop online to see if I can find any good deals. And I ran into a snag there too. Seems that a big name office supply store wants me to fax them a tax ID certificate before they'll take off the tax. My tax ID number isn't good enough all by itself. Nope, they want me to fax them what amounts to a blank form that I write my tax ID number on. Make sense? Not to me. Just more red tape. Just more aggravation. Just more for me to fiddle with because I'm not willing to pay $25 tax. That would buy a lot of folders or notebooks. Nope, I'll jump through the hoops and maybe I'll even find a better deal somewhere else in the meantime.

All of that is do-able. Its really just par for the course. Things like that happen anytime you attempt to do anything. I'm not really worried about it because I've been around long enough to know it'll all work out. Its just that I'm tired and I really don't want to do any of it.

OK, I should probably end this on a better note because reading over it I make myself sick. So on a good note, I'm enjoying learning some photography. I'm not good at it, but I'm having fun learning and it was kinda cool yesterday when I went in to pick up some prints I ordered, gave them my name and they said, "OH, the really pretty pictures! We were all talking about them this morning." OK, that was nice.