Stay Strong and Carry On!

So thee other day on Facebook, I saw this image posted there: 

and I got to thinking, 'hey, I do that'. I know there have been days when I'm totally down on myself after blog/pinterest surfing. Some days I'm lucky enough to snap out of it and go 'hey that lady sends her kids to school all day so that she can do those fancy craft projects or make sure her house is sparkling or hey maybe she cleaned it and took a picture before it got dirty again. I have to make an effort to not let people's pretty internet life, make me feel any less about my life.

So in an effort to remind people that blog life may look pretty, but that real life is always messy. 

Here is a general overview of my messy life.

*I was born to alcoholic/smoker parents; have managed 

not to become a smoker or drinker myself!

*Some creepy son of a babysitter, showed me his wee - knee when  

I was four while we played with a boat in the Jacuzzi. 

*In kindergarten, the junior high kids who rode the same bus as me, 

would steal my hair clips, 

tear up my homework, spit in my hair and who knows what else.

*I was picked on throughout elementary school, 

possibly bullied but I'm not sure if its the same as today's bullying. 

*When I was 11 my mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. 

I spent a lot of time caring for my home, mom, family.

*Became a hard-@$$ in junior high since I'd had enough of being picked on.

* High school was alright except my mom died about 

two and a half months before I graduated.

*No one explained grief, my dad was of the belief that 

counseling was for the weak. I never went.

*Spent the next two years away at college, 

failing classes every spring, holding grief inside.

*Since I turned 18 I've moved: 10 times. Stressful!

*And according to the Holmes and Rahe stress scale 

I've experienced 19 major stressful life events. 

And when you consider some of them happened 

more than once, were talking nearly one a year.

*All that stress has caused me a liver that's on the fritz 

and adrenal fatigue, go figure right!

Anyway, the point is that even with all that has gone on in my life, I've continued on. Many people would turn to substances, 

or take their life in their own hands. 

You have to stay strong and carry on!

Great things I learned from my Dad (RIP)!

October 18th, 2011

He's been gone over a year now & for a while I've had trouble recalling good memories. I just thought of one while making my husband sandwiches for work. And so here I will jot down things I remember about my dad.

~As a child, I was going on a school field trip and was required to bring a lunch. However, the students or teachers, I'm not sure which, scared me about the mayo spoiling. This is what Dad had to say about it: "Put mayo on your sandwich if you want to. Then tomorrow when you go to have lunch, take a bite. If it doesn't taste good, don't eat it." That simple! I use this advice still to this day. I first look at and smell something before eating it. If it passes those tests, then I taste it. If it doesn't taste good I don't eat it!~

~Growing up we would sit around the patio table and sing songs. Old Hyms like 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic' or 'The Old Rugged Cross' or along with the country songs on the radio.~

October 23rd, 2011

~How to balance my checkbook. The old fashioned way.~

~How to change my oil, a tire, and work on cars.~

~How to season a cast iron skillet, and how to clean one.~

~How to make great french toast.~

October 26th, 2011

~How to ripen avocados.~

~How to make fabulous guacamole.~

November 7th, 2011
~Today on the radio, there was news of an applesauce supplier providing school cafeterias with moldy applesauce. They were talking about the weirdest things anyone had ever seen in a cafeteria. It reminded me of a time growing up when my Dad took a look at the school lunch menu and said, "I wouldn't feed half this stuff to the dog." I promptly remarked, "Yet you make us eat it everyday." He laughed but I still think we had to eat it.~

November 17th, 2011

~He taught me to love life. Here's two songs that remind me of him and his love for life. I Love by Tom T. Hall. And Chicken Fried by the Zac Brown Band. Enjoy!

January 30th, 2012

~How to snap.~

~How to whistle.~

February 28th, 2012

~How to wink ;) !~

~How to use a charcoal BBQ.~

Check out the similar post I wrote about my mom.

Habits and Routines

Everything is a habit or routine, whether you like it or not is the only difference.

How to Mop the Floor the Hard Way!

So yesterday, I go and start the bath water for my daughter. Add the lavender essential oils and crayon color bath fizz. Then I get distracted. Walk around do a few things and then realize oh the water's still on. We don't have an  over flow drain (or whatever they are called). I walk back into the bathroom just in time to see the water flow over the edge of the tub and engulf the entire bathroom floor. It took every dirty towel I had including two bath sheets, 4-5 regular bath towels, and 3-4 hand towels to get all the water soaked up off the floor. However, my bathroom floor is now wonderfully clean and all the dirty towels have been washed! I guess the trials of July aren't quite over.

Homemaker Duties, Lessons in Joy & Contentment

Lately, I've been feeling the urge to do something fun and I have. I've been spending time with friends, out of the house, away from my family. I was expecting that these activities would help me to feel rejuvenated and inspired. But the opposite has happened, I feel guilty (like I spent too much time away) and I feel even more behind. I feel like I neglected my family. I am fortunate enough to be able to be a homemaker. In my home away from the crazy traffic of a commute, ungrateful employers, lazy coworkers, outrageous customers.

My Job Description includes but is not limited to:

Housekeeping: Dust, vacuum, make beds, change sheets, wash/dry/fold/put away/iron/mend laundry, sweep and mop floors, pick up an put away "stuff", wash dishes, clean appliances, wipe counter tops & tables, scrub sinks, toilets, tubs and showers, clean mirrors and windows, change towels, clean high chair and car-seat. Shop for clothing, and household items.

Meal Planner/Nutritionist: plan/shop/prepare/cook/serve meals.

Financial Planner: Pay bills, manage budget, banking, taxes, day to day expenses, and long term financial goal setting.

Childcare provider: Feed, bathe, dress, teach health and safety as well as life skills, insure proper medical/dental care is received, training and discipline.

Receptionist/Public Relations: Answer phone calls and take messages, accept deliveries, and maintain the family calendar.

Move coordinator, packer, loader, unloader, unpacker, and the one who's supposed to know where everyones toothbrushes are when you get there.

I am also the taxi driver, toy fixer, On-Call Nurse, party planner, party hostess, decorator, errand runner, and the one who takes the car to be serviced.

And despite this long list of duties, I've realized this week that I need to seek joy in my day to day life, enjoying the moments I have and resolving to be content, not always wanting more. I struggle with this!

One of the things that makes it very worth it, is my two and half year old daughter, who says things like: "I love you, favorite momma", or "Mommy, daddy snorky (snoring) scares me" or "It's mesty (messy) all over the place" or "I wake up to see you, mommy!"or last but not least, "biklcycle" (bicycle). I am very blessed and know that  when I focus on that fact and on trying to be content, that is when I will feel the peace and relaxation I was seeking outside of my home.