A Charmin Moment

Yesterday I came home from work and was greeted as usual with boundless enthusiasm by Maya and Chelsea. Little did I know that they were keeping a secret from me, as I got down on the floor and greeted them and wrestled with them for a minute before heading over for our traditional after-work treat.

I suspected that something had been going on when I glimpsed pieces of tissue on the floor in the living room, but didn't give it much thought as #2 dog has been know to sneak into Gerry's office and pull put letters or sweatshirts - really anything that she can get a hold of.

After I gave the girls their treats and they were off munching on them, I looked down the hall toward the bathroom and I couldn't help but laughing out loud! There, dragged all the way down the hall, in bunches and shredded in places, was the end of the roll of toilet paper!

It looked like the girls (read: Maya) had a lot of fun yesterday afternoon, and their fun spilled over on to me by giving me a great laugh. I left everything as it was so that Gerry could have a laugh when he got home as well.

The laughter set a great mood for the rest of the evening. I'm tempted to have some toilet paper fun of my own the next time I feel stressed!

Celebrating today!

Today Gerry and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary! This morning before we got up, we reminisced about the past ten years and all the change that they have brought. There is no way we could have predicted where we would be today! Though I'm one who likes my routine, I am so thankful for the twists and turns we've taken together. Our life together has been anything but dull!

What a treat it was this morning to stay in bed for a few extra minutes and pray, and talk, oh yes, and open my anniversary gift! Something sparkly! He gave me a beautiful anniversary band to wear with my wedding and engagement rings!

This picture was taken almost two years ago when we were moving away from the city we had both lived in for about thirty years. (Notice the blonde hair I had before we moved to the rainy land of the Pacific Northwest! But that's a story for another day!)

Have a wonderful April 24th, everyone!

Thankful Thursday

I've got to confess that I've been feeling down in the dumps lately. Today, I'm going to battle that blah feeling with gratitude, which is one of the best blah-busters that there is.

So......today I am thankful for:

• Despite many staff cuts, pay freezes, no more 401(k) match, more work, fewer people, I am very thankful for my job and ever-so-optimistic that Gerry and I are still on our five-year-plan.
• My new Himalayan blue poppies. I can't wait to see those babies bloom!
• The crack in my windshield. When we went to visit the kids in November our windshield got a huge crack in it, which we repaired when we returned home. Well, during our last trip in March....guess what....another huge crack and multiple dings! We haven't repaired it yet, and so every time I drive I am reminded of our last visit.
• The community of writers and bloggers that I have been acquainted with. I have, and will continue to, learn much from you all!
• My husband, who showed up at my office yesterday with flowers for me! It's our wedding anniversary tomorrow!
• My dental appointment this morning. I will come out of there with bad hair, and that odd dentist-face that seems to happen, but I'm thankful that I have a dentist (and all the staff) who takes such good care of us and who are all so much fun to visit a couple times a year.
• My writing class this afternoon.

I feel better all ready! What are y'all thankful for today?

The Grill Sergeant...and other spring phenomena

Oh it was a happy day in the Hoye house yesterday when Gerry got a brand new barbecue! My husband is one of those men who never talks about things that he wants for himself and so when we do purchase something that is technically his, I love the happiness that it brings him! He spent some time in he afternoon setting it up and getting to know the new grill. The pork chops we had for dinner last night were excellent!

We also went to the local nursery yesterday. I love the array of color that can be found there! In addition to lotsof ideas and plans we brought home a few plants, among them a blue poppy which I am very excited about!

On the negative side I have contracted a spring cold. Stuffy nose, sore throat, all that kind of thing. I'm not sure if the periodic waves of heat that come across me these days are fever or hot flashes!

Enjoy spring whatever you do today!

Character

We have been going through a difficult time at work and many amazing people are losing their jobs. Amidst all this chaos have emerged people with integrity and character. Would you expect the person losing a job to comfort the individual delivering the bad news? How about someone who was just told they were losing their job, to return to their desk and do the best job that they could for as long as they had remaining. Character speaks volumes.

On another note, I've been reading Kim's new book The Unbreakable Child. My heart breaks for the child Kim, but I am in awe of the character of the adult Kim. She's a class act as well.

In difficult times, character is what rises to the top and remains.

He is risen!

He is risen, indeed!

Happy Easter!

Why am I writing my memoir?

I have to confess that I feel a bit awkward telling anyone that I'm working on my memoir. There's a little voice inside of my head that whispers "You're no one important. Why do you need to write a memoir?"
It's true that I am just an ordinary woman who has lived a relatively ordinary life, yet I think about the women who I come from who also lived relatively ordinary lives, and how fascinated I am by their stories.
When we emptied out my Grandma's house before everything was sold, I found this little diary that had belonged to my Aunt Edie, who was also just ordinary woman. I loved her dearly and I am fascinated by this little diary and the window it gives me into her life.
There is no one left alive who has known me for my entire life. There are stories from the past that no one knows except me, and there are tales that I have learned about my birth family. If I don't tell them, they will be lost forever, and so I write for my children, my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren.
I have come to belive that anyone with even a glimmer of desire to write a memoir should pursue that goal. Do it for those who are yet to come! What a wonderful opportunity to teach and influence future generations!
Sixty years go when my Aunt was a young girl and wrote "Went to the show with Laura and Ed. Road to Rio, Bob H, Bing C, Dorothy L. Then we went to Menard's. I slept there" she never dreamed that someone who wasn't yet born would read those words. She could not have imagined that someone not yet born would treasure the opportunity to step back in time.
That is why I am writing my memoir.

Finding happiness

My challenge for today is to find joy and happiness in simple things. While much of the world is in turmoil at this time, and job loss is rampant all around, it is difficult not to get caught up in despair.

This week it is hitting close to home in my own place of work, and many people are finding out that they will no longer have jobs. All circumstances are different, and the impact will differ for each one, but I grieve for all of them, and pray for each one. Yesterday, someone likened it to losing members of our family. So you see even for those of us who remain, while thankful for our jobs, we are still impacted.

So, today let's look for happiness in simple things. Here is my morning list.

1. The big eyes of my Yorkies as they look up at me and "smile". They do so!

2. Pulling out my summer sandals and letting me feet go free again. No more black sock boogie every morning!

3. Tonight I expect to finish the book I'm currently reading, and I'm looking forward to starting on a new one. Therese Fowler's Reunion.

4. Wicking pajamas. Don't ask.

5. Chocolate. Need I say more?

Why don't you join me today. Tell me about the simple things that make you happy!

It's spring

Today.....

I put on capri pants for the first time this year.

Gerry brought some of the lawn furniture out.

I sat outside on the patio and painted my toenails.

I opened the windows upstairs.

We took the dogs for a walk and planned some changes we want to make in our yard this year.

We drove to the store with the sun roof open.

I had things I should have been doing, but I sat on the patio, raised my face to the sunshine, closed my eyes, and daydreamed.

Praise God....spring has finally sprung!

Calling

I hear her calling to me.

"Tell my story," she whispers.

I ignore her prompting as she once ignored me.

"It's time," she insists. "In telling my story you will come to understand."

Stubbornly, I turn away. I am not sure that I want to understand; there is comfort in the anger that I feel toward her.

"If I tell your story it won't be because you ask me to," I tell her. "If I tell your story it will be because I want to move on; it will be because I want to release the burden that you are to me."

Some part of me knows that in telling her story I will find healing, yet I continue to resist, unwilling to risk the release of my resentment toward her, and almost afraid of what might take its place.