Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Well, today is a great day! My new friend Crystal, made it thorough a pretty tough surgery. She will be in the hospital for a few days, but she made it! Thank you God. I hope I get to visit her and bring her flowers.

You know, you never really know how long you have on this earth, and you should always plan to spend each day wisely. Whenever I am having a rough day, and feeling down, I try remind myself how blessed I am, and I try get myself out of the bad mood by smiling and being nice to those around me.

I am truelly blessed. I have three healthy daughters, a secure job, a decent car, and I have some good friends. I have a healthy family, my sisters are doing alright, my mom is still healthy and still young at heart. My dad, even with his bad times with his health, is still alive and kicking. I love my house, I love my dogs, I pretty much love my life. Even though, financially, things are very difficult right now... I really do have it pretty good. There are so many single moms out there, that struggle from day to day, and never do get to realize some of their dreams. My dream was to buy a house. And two years ago... I did! and though I am fighting to keep afloat in the bills piling up, I am proud that I was able to realize the dream of home ownership.

so, to all those out there that are struggling to make ends meet, complaing about all the bad things in your life.... wake up!! You are ALIVE!! You are HEALTHY !!

And just like that great song.... "Don't Worry...Be Happy!"

(the picture above is my youngest, at about 3 years old... cute, huh?)

Ahh warmer weather is just around the corner!! I can't wait! I love to open up the windows, and let the fresh air into the house, sit on the porch in the sunlight, pull the weeds, plant new flowers...

So... I haven't posted in a little while, been busy with work and kids. I met some new friends a week or so ago. Had to drive an hour to get there, but I had fun, drank a couple beers, met some interesting people (---under-statement---) , and then drove back home and slept in the next day until 9a.m. Then the two puppies that I currently have made soo much noise that I had to get up and take care of them and their messy crates. Not crate-trained yet. One of the puppies is a little black and tan female short haired terrier of some sort (supposedly a rat terrier, but looks like dad might have been a dachshound -- short legs!). Very loving, playful, and cute. Will be the size of a small beagle, or about the size of a Jack Russel Terrier. My daughter found her in the newspaper... and just HAD to have her...but three dogs is really too much. The deal was that she would take care of her... but teenagers have a short attention span, and she is NOT taking care of her... I AM!!! And that means I have three kids, three dogs, two cats, a turtle and a lizard to take care of! WAY too much! So, the little puppy must go. If anyone is interested, please let me know, and I will email you some pictures of her. I haven't taken any yet, but I charged up the digital camera last night, so I will take some today and maybe post one here tomorrow (or later tonight).

So... has anyone visited my picture page? There is a link in the little quote at the top of my 360 page... Has a pic of my house, and then you follow the links at the bottom of each page...
Anyway, Enjoy the Sunshine! Be Thankful for each and every day! Tell your loved ones how you feel!!

And Smile... it is so much easier then frowing...

There's got to be a little rain sometime...

Along with the sunshine there's gotta be a little rain sometime

When you take you gotta give so live and let live and let go

I could promise you things like big diamond rings

But you don't find roses growin' on stalks of clover

So you better think it over

Well, if sweet talking you could make it come true

I would give you the world right now on a silver platter

But what would it matter

So smile for a while and let's be jolly life shouldn't be so melancholy

Come along and share the good times while we can

I could sing you a tune and promise you the moon

But if that's what it takes to hold you I'd just as soon let you go

But there's one thing I want you to know

You'd better look before you leap still waters run deep

And there won't always be someone there to pull you out

And you know what I'm talking about

So smile for a while and let's be jolly life shouldn't be so melancholy

Come along and share the good times while we can

I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden

Along with the sunshine there's gotta be a little rain sometime.

Weekend Hermit

Well, I have just spent the entire weekend right here in my house. I went out to the store once, but other then that, I have been a hermit.

I did get some homework done in my online classes, all the laundry is washed, dried and put away, the rooms are all vacuumed and the kitchen floor was clean... then the dog came in with muddy feet and that was that. I did some weight lifting (very light) on the Weider machine in my basement, and I played fetch with the dog outside once. I also rearranged the living room furniture so that the exercise bike can go back in there (it was n Jenna's room to make room for the Christmas Tree).

So, that is my exciting weekend. WOW! But, you know what? I still enjoyed it. I only had Jenna, my 7-year old, at home most of the weekend, and even though she kind of followed me from room to room, it was okay. I put curlers in her hair last night, and this morning she looked like Shirley Temple. She helped me with the household chores (a little) and kept her room clean. She gets so bored when Amanda goes to her Dad's, and she can't stand to play by herself. So, we did some couch-sitting on Friday and Saturday night and she left me alone during the day so I could get homework done. Maybe next weekend, I will plan for a night out! Call up a few friends and just go let loose for a few hours! Sounds like a plan!

Small Christmas Gifts

It was a difficult end of the year for many in 2005. The money was tight, the snow was deep, and the house was cold. At times it was hard to keep the spirit of Christmas in the home and the feeling of giving in the heart.

The elementary school that my two daughters attended, Greenwood Elementary, had a Secret Santa’s Gift Shop every year for only two days. In this gift shop were all sorts of miscellaneous gifts that the children could buy and put in white paper bags for Christmas gifts. And each year, they were so excited to know that they “bought” their own gifts to give to their loved ones. However small the gift, it is the joy of giving that brings the most pleasure.

This year, because money was tight, I was glad that Amanda, my nine year old, received her spending allowance from her dad. The first day of the Santa Shop she bought gifts for about 6 or 7 different people and was very pleased and excited. I knew that I could not afford to give my younger daughter the amount that Amanda had been given, but I hoped that the $10.00 I gave her would be enough. I told her to buy for just her sisters, her dad and me.

The second day of the Santa Shop, Amanda held a crisp $20.00 bill that she had received as a gift from her Great Aunt Betty. She was planning on taking it to school and buying more gifts and maybe even something for herself. I reminded her that even though it was her money to spend, that Christmas was a season of giving and that she shouldn’t spend ALL the money on herself. Maybe she should save it for spending at another time, I suggested, and then left the decision up to her. And off to school they went.

That evening, as the girls tromped snow into the kitchen and unloaded their book bags of wrinkled spelling test papers, notes to parents and soggy wet mittens, I asked what each of the girls had purchased with their money. Amanda pulled out a black multi-compartment bag with nail clippers and such in it and said, “I got this for Kelly”. Then she pulled out a small hand-held fan. “I bought this for me, but it broke,” she said with a frown. Then came a penny bank. “And this is for my room.”

“Is that all? Did you spend all your money?” I asked. She answered, “Yes, but I only spent ten dollars of it. I gave the other $10 to Darvey, because she didn’t have any money to buy gifts for people.” I told her how very proud I was of her to share her money with her best friend. I told her it was very nice, and very thoughtful.

Jenna, my younger daughter, showed me the gifts she bought for her two sisters, and then a brightly wrapped box that contained a present for me. “I had the lady wrap it up real nice. I sure hope you will like it,” she said. “I know I will,” I replied. She held out a crumpled up dollar bill with some coins. “But, this is all I have left,” she said with a frown. “That’s okay. We can make a special gift for your Dad that he will really like.”

The next morning, as we were headed out the door for school, I noticed the crumpled dollar on the floor. “Jenna, can you put this in your room so you won’t loose it?”

“I want to take it to school," she replied.

“What will you do, buy 4 bags of Popcorn? You only need a quarter for popcorn on Friday’s.” And she said, “No, I don’t need popcorn.”

“Well,” I questioned, “Isn’t the Santa Shop all over with now? What can you buy for yourself at school right now?”

She said, “I’m not going to spend it on me. I am putting it in the poor people jar. To help the people in Hurricane Katrina.” I smiled and told her that was a great idea.

Much better than four bags of popcorn.

Another day, another dollar.

Work, work, work!! This job is monotonous sometimes. I type up reports for the field techs, and it is something I do Every Day! Sure would be nice to do some more marketing materials, or graphics! Guess I will have to work on my web page this weekend to get in some creative time.

Since I stayed up too late last night, (guilt, guilt, guilt) I didn’t get up and walk the dog this morning. Shame on me! So, I will have to ride the stationary bike after work for an extra 10 minutes. Then, I will do some light weight training and then back to the computer for homework. I HAVE to get some work done today or my instructor is not going to give me participation points for this week. Worker, Student, Mom, and Maid…. Those are the hats I wear most often.

But, really I wouldn’t have it any other way!

My First Entry

This is my first entry. Hello everyone. As a single mom working full time, it is difficult to find time to do things for myself. I used to read books alot. Romance novels, mystery stories, or even Reader's Digest stories. I also used to write short stories and poetry. Now, I work, do my homework for my online classes, and take care of my house, kids and pets. No time for me. So, I decided to start this blog, my very first blog, as a place to write down my thoughts. However random they might be sometimes. I might not have time to blog every day, but I will start with a goal of at least once a week.
Anyone mom's out there have any suggestions for how to make friends when there is so little time in the week? I have very few adults to talk to besides at work, so it will be nice to converse with a few online.