Simple Woman's Daybook #3

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...the sun is working it's way up and they sky is a pale, slate blue with pink.

I am thinking...back 13 years ago...my oldest was born today.

I am thankful...I have more energy this morning...thinking it means today will be a good one.

In the kitchen...there are biscuits cooling on the counter so I can make sausage biscuits sammiches for the week.

I am wearing...yoga pants, fleece top and slippers.

I am creating...a to-do list for the day..

I am going...to get boy Oompa up in a few for breakfast and school work.

I am wondering...if I'll ever feel good enough.

I am reading...still nothing.

I am hoping...boy Oompa's online teacher evaluation goes well.

I am looking forward to...a weekend getaway with my sister-in-law(fingers crossed we can coordinate schedules)

I am learning...to push through the depression and tackle the day despite my overwhelming desire to crawl back in bed and stay there till 2014.

Around the house...it is blissfully quiet.

I am pondering...how much I can sell my kids for and if it'll be enough to buy those trained circus monkeys I've talked of??

A favorite quote for today..."I'll take being poor but jacked up", local newscaster on hearing men spend roughly $1000 on coffee drinks per year.

One of my favorite things...that potential feeling....when you come across something or a situation that has promise to be exactly what you want or need.

A few plans for the rest of the week:Online teacher eval this monring, doctor appointment for me tomorrow, and running oldest to Pep band. Pretty light compared to last week.

A peek into my day...

My beautiful teenager

Simple Woman's Daybook #2

 Simple Woman Daybook #2


FOR TODAY

Outside my window... the skies are gray and I am watching it rain.

I am thinking...about what activity/class/etc I can do that'll be just for me.

I am thankful...for this quiet moment of peace in my day.

In the kitchen...are dirty lunch dishes and the ingredients for dinner!

I am wearing...Jeans, t-shirt, and hubby's flannel shirt.

I am creating...menus for work.

I am going...to finish up the boy's school work then tidy up my chicken coop and collect eggs...if the rains lets up.

I am wondering...when I'll feel we're financially secure enough to take a vacation.

I am reading...sadly, nothing at the moment.

I am hoping...the cold weather that's coming this weekend doesn't last. I don't like cold!!

I am looking forward to...this weekend.  I will get together with my family to celebrate my oldest nephew's birthday.

I am learning...that remaining calm in a crisis is much harder to do than you might think. 

Around the house...it is quiet.  The girls are back at school, hubby back at work and the boy is taking his lunch break from home school and is back playing in his room.

I am pondering...why, when life looks like it's taking a turn for the better, we get hit with troubles and more importantly, how to overcome.

A favorite quote for today..."I don't know....maybe we win....maybe we don't. But I had to try"-my mother-in-law. Lord knows, I need to take chances more often in life!!

One of my favorite things...big hugs from my son.  He gave me one when I mentioned I had a headache.

A few plans for the rest of the week:Work tomorrow morning, running oldest daughter to Pep Band, dentist appointment on Saturday to get small cavity filled(yuck) and dinner with the family on Sunday.  

A peek into my day...

Nit-picking while Nit picking, literally...

Nit-Picking(noun)-minute and usually unjustified criticism
Nit picking(verb)-act of removing nits from one's head



 
Today's post is not one I wanted to share but felt I needed to share.  We've had an uninvited guest into our house that is, although it shouldn't be, a source of embarrassment.   My youngest daughter, the middle Oompa Loompa was sent home from school on Monday with head lice.  Head Lice!!  Us.  Her.  Really??

I can rationalize that having lice doesn't mean you're dirty or unkempt but in the back of my head I keep telling myself that she got it because I'm not the housekeeper I should be.  Once your kid has it then people start popping out the woodwork with stories about when either they or their children had it too.  Having head lice carries a stigma and people aren't as open about their struggles until you've been afflicted.  I think that sucks but know that it probably won't change.  

We left the school and headed straight to the pharmacy for the shampoo.  It smells like death and the strong odor stung baby girl's eyes.  It's a little scary to be using pesticide on your kid's head but I wasn't taking any chances with an herbal remedy that may or may not work.  I want those little suckers gone for good!!  Our biggest obstacle in all this is the sheer amount of hair my girl has.  It's not long, not quite shoulder length, but man is it thick!  It took three and a half hours to comb through the first night and right at three the second day.

I had to drive her to school today and she was checked over my the school nurse before being allowed to return to classes.  I was actually excited to show off my nit picking skills to the nurse but was dismayed when she found a few nits I had missed.  There were only two that the nurse saw and if I promised to comb through her hair again tonight, middle Oompa was cleared to go back to class.

It's been a frustrating few days filled with laundry, tons of laundry, a good amount of tears and hair combing and a tinge of embarrassment.  Our course of action will have us repeat the bug spray shampoo in a few days and another thorough washing of all her bed linens.  I am thankful that neither of the other two Oompas, Mr. Awesome© or myself ended up with lice.  I threatened to cut all my hair off if I did and boy Oompa was not thrilled at the idea of having his head shaved!!  I think we're pest free or will be my tonight's nit picking session and I can rest assured that my house keeping skills are not to blame for this incident.  I will however make a concerted effort to vacuum more than once a week!!

Nit-pickingly yours.....Deborah

Hello Rock and Hard Place.....We Meet Again!

Who else marks the beginning and ending of weeks based on payday?   Today, I am planning on heading out to take care of my weekly grocery shopping.  Normally, there is a nice, fat check direct deposited into our account during the wee hours of the morning.  Except this week.  The company Mr. Awesome© works for shut down production between Christmas and New Years.  Our dilemma is that Mr. Awesome©, despite his awesomeness, is only a contract employee.  A temp, if you will and not privy to the perks and bonuses that standard employees get.  Namely, paid vacation and holidays, sick days, and one of the best health insurance plans in the area. 

We knew it was coming and did our best to make sure there was money stashed in the savings account.  It was a challenge to save money during Christmas.  The desire to spend and buy gifts for each other to show our love and appreciation was great, but we managed all right.  Thankfully, there is only one bill that is set up for automatic withdrawal this week and aside from groceries, gas and Mr. Not So Awesome's cigarette habit, we should make it with only a small dent into the savings account. 

Financial stress has dogged us throughout our marriage.  I think back to our early days with relatively no debt and only one child and am disgusted with our spending habits.  Eating out, buying baby clothes and toys, weekly golf rounds and practice session at the range.  If only we knew then, what we know now.  The power of budgets and savings plans. Where was Dave Ramsey back then!!!  I just chalk it up to amazing lessons learned, albeit, the hard way.  Nevertheless, we made it through several lean years and I pray those days are behind us for good.  We're not rolling in cash now but needs are met and we've been able to squirrel away a few nuts.  Now, off to eat before I do my shopping.  I am not responsible for what ends up in my buggy when I'm hungry!!

Pinching Pennies.....Deborah 

The Power of the Subconscious...

Our bodies are such amazing machines and it's hard for me to understand how someone could think we evolved from fish.  Our systems are so intertwined and complex yet at times so very simple too.  The human mind is so very incredible, it controls breathing, heart rate, all organ function, blinking, you name it, with such precision.  Race cars and Swiss watches are pale in comparison to the human body.

My astonishment (well today's anyway) stems from a rather bizarre dream I had last night.  Even though I know it was only a dream, I am still embarrassed by the situation.  Please no snickering!!  In my dream, I was in a living room with many family members.  My father-in-law and husband's cousin's wife were the only 2 with faces.  I just know the room was fairly crowded with folks sitting around watching TV.  I was seated on a toilet in the front of the room, up by the TV.  Yup, doing my business!!  Weird right??  There were more details but I'll spare you.  By the end of the dream I had gotten up and walked as casually as one possibly could to the kitchen and sat down and started a conversation with the before mentioned husband's cousin's wife.  Oddly, no one said anything or acted like me relieving myself in such a manner was out of the ordinary.  I remember feeling horribly embarrassed but acted as nonchalantly as possible to help diffuse the angst. 

I used a handy dandy dream dictionary and came up with this:

To dream that you are in a public restroom with no stalls or that there are a lot of people around while you are trying to do your business signifies your frustrations about getting enough privacy. You are always putting others ahead of your own needs. As a result, you are lacking a sense of personal space. Alternatively, the dream indicates that you are having difficulties letting go of old emotions. You are afraid that if you reveal these feelings, then others around you will judge and criticize you.  

Wow!  I have been feeling a little cramped lately.  My girls were home all day for two weeks over Christmas break and Mr. Awesome© was off work for one of those weeks as well.  It was cold and rainy which meant we rarely left the house.  The noise level, constant mess and sibling bickering was overwhelming at times.  I noticed I began gritting my teeth again and looking back had near daily headaches.  I have a recorded history with Seasonal Affective Disorder so with the lack of sunlight and fresh air I tend to get a little squirrely anyway.  Guess I'm not coping as well as I thought I was.  It seems I need to make a plan to get some decent "me" time.  

What do you engage in that's just for you?  How do you connect with you?

Disconnected......Deborah  

The Simple Woman's Daybook...experiment

As you know, or maybe you don't, I'm great with ideas and concepts yet have issues with follow through.  It's one of my many character flaws and I'm working on it.  Well, I'll work on it tomorrow, or maybe next week!

I digress...I found The Simple Woman's Daybook blog and have decided to give it a whirl.  As my recent post indicated, I have been feeling a little lost and disgruntled at life.  It's become hard to see the forest for all the trees and desperately want to feel connected to life again.  I think this can help me or at least encourage me to slow down and take a look around.  I tend to get bitter when I've lost sight of the blessing in my own life.

 simple woman's daybook #1
Tuesday January 3, 2012
FOR TODAY

Outside my window...the wind is whipping the light dusting of snow around and it's frigid!!

I am thinking...that if my kids don't stop squabbling at each other I might lose my mind.

I am thankful...that my girls go back to school tomorrow.

In the kitchen...there is a pot of used frying oil I have no clue what to do with.

I am wearing...standard issue...jeans, long sleeve shirt with fleece zip vest, socks and slippers.

I am creating...nothing at the moment.

I am going...to take my son to Cub Scouts tonight.

I am wondering...why my children fight so often.

I am reading...nothing for me at the present but helping my son read Mr. Popper's Penguins.

I am hoping...to finish all the dirty laundry in my house today.

I am looking forward to...the kids' bedtime tonight and the few moment of quiet I will have.

I am learning...to have patience.

Around the house...there is much clutter and useless(to us) stuff gathering dust.

I am pondering...what God wants me to do.  What is my purpose on this Earth?

A favorite quote for today..."shhhh, Mama has a headache"

One of my favorite things...My new juicer :-)

A few plans for the rest of the week:School work with the littlest Oompa.

A peek into my day...

The never ending clutter and mess!!!

 Go and start your own daybook!!  The Simple Woman

Come on 2012!!!

Well, I survived the 2011 Christmas season.  I feel horribly guilty that I didn't enjoy the holiday and the time with family like I wanted.  I just didn't feel it.  I wanted to...really I did.  I watched Christmas movies, listened to Christmas music and replied with a very hearty, "Merry Christmas" to everyone who wished me a, Happy Holidays."  Yet, it never came. 

I even witnessed a Christmas miracle!  My family gathered at my brother and sister-in-law's house on Christmas Eve to be merry and exchange gifts.  For the first time, well, ever, my Dad and Step-dad were there at the same time.  Most of you won't get the significance of this but it's truly a miracle for our family.  There has been some serious animosity going on for the past 31 years!!  On a smaller scale, I was able to spend several hours in the company of my sister and we got along famously!!  No tension, no mumbling under our breath about each other, no drama.  

Santa was good to us as well.  Kids were ecstatic about their gioodies, Mr. Awesome© surprised me with a gift I've been wanting for several years.  Yet the Christmas spirit was elusive.  Maybe it was the warmer weather and lack of snow.  Maybe it was residual stress from a really crappy 2011.  Maybe my chakras were out of alignment!!  Who knows?  All I can say is that I'm looking to out it behind me and embrace 2012 with open arms. 

I'm resisting the urge to make flighty resolutions that I know I won't keep past January 15th.  I know I need to lose weight and eat healthy.  I know I need to get out of debt and reduce clutter in my home.  I look at these as works in progress and have set a deadline of my 65th birthday to have them all checked off my to-do list!!  Don't want to pressure myself.  All I resolve to accomplish this year is to relax and enjoy my life, my family and to try my best to not take for granted what God has blessed me with. 


See ya next year!!!
Deborah 

That Old Time Feeling....

Anyone else having trouble finding where they packed their Christmas spirit?  I could have sworn I put it in the box next to the stockings!!  I'm kinda feeling Charlie Brownish over here.  I've lost the true meaning of Christmas somewhere along the way. 

It's been a tense couple of weeks, with not knowing if Mr. Awesome© will work the week between Christmas and New Years.   Our dilemma is that he's only a contract employee which means no benefits and no vacation or holiday pay.  If the plant shuts down, he doesn't get paid and while we have a little in savings the cost of Christmas has eaten into it a little and making that ever important mortgage payment needs to be a priority.  Thankfully, he was told they were going to work at least a couple of days that week. 

I've also been wrestling with our lack of a home church.  Littlest Oompa has been asking every Sunday to go to church and I feel awful that we haven't gone.  The church we love is such a long drive, about 50 miles away.  Neither of our two cars is all that reliable and dumping 100 extra miles on them each week was rough on the cars and our wallets for gas.  I've "shopped around" a few other churches but haven't quite found the right fit.  We are Charismatic Christians and want to find a church with a Holy Spirit invoking praise and worship team, a pastor who teaches and makes you think and a congregation that is open and welcoming.  Throw in an active youth group and I'll be on cloud nine.

I think what this icky feeling really boils down to is that I need to feel connected, in some small way to making the next few weeks a little better for someone...anyone.  I feel this overwhelming need to do something, but I don't know what.  I read a blog post by a woman who made soup and bread to pass out from her car to the homeless.  I've read stories about individuals and groups taking up collections of food to give to families in need.  I guess, I want to find a family who is in the same position we were in last year and give them a glimmer of hope.  Hope.  I know I can't fix what ails them but hope is what got us through last winter and hope is something I can give.

Now I just need to figure out how.....Deborah

   

Giving Thanks....

I forget sometimes that I have it good.  It's easily done these days.  We all get so wrapped up in the day-to-day, mundane aspects of life that we don't take the time to reflect on where we are and what it took to get there.  The journey is often a front runner in our minds when we're struggling uphill but once we hit that plateau it slips to the back, out of out the line of sight.  As you well know...out of sight, out of mind.

My journey was brought to mind today when I learned that my brother-in-law (Mr. Awesome's youngest brother) was facing a tough time in his marriage.  His wife of 7 years has asked for a divorce.  It breaks my heart to see them both suffering.  We're not as close with them as I would have hoped or liked us to be.  There were and are several differences between us and them that have gotten in the way of a really close relationship.  We're considerably older than they are, have a much different interpretation of God's word, and we live an entirely foreign lifestyle to what they know and are comfortable with.  These past few, heart-wrenching weeks have brought us closer to his brother and we were able to enjoy some time with their children too.

It's also reminded me that while I don't have all of the "stuff" I want, I don't take exciting vacations, I can't fit into a size 4 and I'll never make it on American Idol.....I am blessed.  My cupboards are full, I have a house that's warm and bright, my children are healthy and when  life gets scary, I have someone's hand to hold while we walk thru the valley.

Gratefully Yours........Deborah 

The Things we do for Love...

Today is Mr. Awesome and my 12th wedding anniversary.  Google tells me that a traditional 12th anniversary gift is one made of either silk or linen.  Thankfully, I'm not a traditional kinda girl!!  I have been thinking back lately over the past 12 years....well really 15 years, that I've known Mr. Awesome.  Some of those years have been rough, of those rough ones a few were nasty but on the whole....we've been lucky. 

We've been fortunate to raise 3 healthy, loving, non-psychopathic children.  We've been able to purchase a house and even save it from foreclosure.  We've loved, laughed, yelled and cried.  We've flung insults, pillows and the occasional piece of food.  Kinda makes it sound like a frat party!! 

I couldn't ask for a better husband and father to the Oompas.  I have made it my mission to fulfill one of his biggest dreams this year.  To join a band.  Mr. Awesome's brother is in a band and they want him to join.  Problem is, he doesn't have a guitar of his own.  He's been playing our 8 year old's mini-Strat guitar!!  I've decided to make that my mission.  I'm taking inventory of all unnecessary things in my house that have any value and putting them up for sale.  I've even reached out to perfect strangers via Ebay in an attempt to raise money for this venture!! 

This past year was one of those nasty, rough ones I mentioned.  We did a lot of things we wished we hadn't had to do just to keep the family afloat.  We sacrificed, scrimped and humbled ourselves more than I thought possible.  It's time to show Mr. Awesome that it was appreciated!!  

Oh, the things we do for Love!!!!
Deborah

Therapy...Redneck Style

Feeling tense, keyed up and stressed??  Take a cue from me and my all natural, medication-free stress relieving therapy methods.  Whooo boy...I sure do feel better!!!!!





While your kids might not appreciate the destruction therapeutic effects, you'll instantly feel like your old self again!!


Peacefully yours.........Deborah

Society Needs a Wake-Up Call.....

I recently saw a front page, headline stunner..............Kim K was filing for divorce.  Really?  Really?? 

How, or should I say WHY, is this news??  The economy is in great despair, we still have troops deployed in foreign countries where they have no business being,  joblessness and homelessness are on the steady rise, we're headed into an election with candidates who have nothing but their agendas on the brain, protesters are voicing their disgust on Wall Street, chemicals are being sprayed overhead creating toxic soil and our country is being sold out from under us. Despite all of these news worthy headlines,  folks are gloaming on to this half-wit socialite who's only "somebody" because her daddy was rich, momma married an Olympic star, and she made one hell of a sex tape.

I can hear the argument now....."we need something to take our minds off the bleakness of our current situation."  I wholeheartedly agree. However, there are thousands of other, heartwarming, mood-lifting stories taking place around the country to be reported on.  Stories of people doing good and making the lives of those around them better.  People acting like decent, moral, giving, upstanding human beings. I for one, don't find solace in watching uber rich people who lack the common sense God gave a squirrel, blowing millions of dollars on a spectacle of a wedding for the sole purpose of showing off how much money they have to spend and how important they think they are to the world.  Throw in marrying a person you hardly know and you get one, or in this case, a whole family of truly ignorant, vapid souls.



I pulled out my trusty abacus and did a little ciphering.....for 10 Million dollars:

• you could feed 1538 families for 1 year
• you could save 80 homes in foreclosure
• you could run 20 homeless shelters for 1 year
• you could run 35 animal shelters for 1 year
• you could invest in several small businesses which would hire jobless folks and stimulate the economy 
• you could pay for 120 children to receive 30 days outpatient treatment at St. Jude Research Hospital

 I'm sure there are thousands of other worthy causes who would have benefited from a 10 million dollar donation and I know there are thousands of people in the world who would have benefited from never hearing about Kim K and her her useless clan. 


Disgusted at society.....Deborah

Spreading the Word....

Every great once in a while, a product or service comes along that really gets my attention.  I'm kinda picky, so it's rare that I get super excited over ideas.  I like things to be useful, attractive and quirky.  I love the quirky!!  So when I saw this, I knew it was something I wanted and in this case, wanted to be promote.



I, like many, am a avid user of Mason jars.  They have umpteen million uses and no nasty chemicals to leech into your food.  They hold pens, flowers, soup, beans, chicken, tea, beer...you name it.  I am excited to invest a little seed money into this product, this idea, this woman.  It brightens and lifts my spirit to see good ol' American ingenuity at it's finest.  It's a beautiful thing to see the Made in America sticker on a product. 

Kickstarter is a wonderful idea as well. For any small start up business it's a novel way to reach investors and spread the word about your idea.  I had fun perusing the interesting and sometimes odd products and services out there.  Many are not for me but at least the creative juices of the American public are flowing and we have a glimmer of hope in restoring our once prosperous and productive nation.

I encourage all 3 of you readers to look over the reCap proposal and if it speaks to you...invest and spread the word.

Entrepreneurialy yours.......Deborah


Disclaimer: reCap and Kickstarter have never heard of me and my endorsement gets me a big ol' heap of nothing, except the knowledge I did good for today!!

New Kids on the Block....

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. The right stuff."  While back in 1987 my pre-teen heart would have flipped at the mere mention of the New Kids.....I'm not referring to those boy band, pelvic thrusting, ballad crooning New Kids.  I would like to introduce my new kids............

World, meet Lucy and Ethel, the hens, who have already lived up to their names with bizarre antics (top) and the male, Mosher (bottom) named after our neighbor who used to raise guineas and inspired us to get a few.  Their job here on the farmstead is to warn us, the hens and anyone within a quarter mile radius of impending doom.  They are also kind enough to alert us, loudly I might add, when an airplane flies overhead, or when a truck is coming down the road or when the winds blows.  They're helpful like that. 

On alert....Deborah

Fun was Number One on my List...

I've put all that nasty list making behind me, at least publicly.  I'm chalking it up to stage fright that I wasn't able to complete most of my lists last week.  You see, I'm very shy.  I get nervous performing in front of crowds.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

This weekend was a nice change from our ordinary routine of the ordinary.  The Oompas and I took a road trip with my brother and dad to the Ohio Renaissance Festival.  My brother's girlfriend, who will be here after referred to as "the other sister", is a belly dancer at the festival.  This was my first chance to see her dance live and wow, wow, wow...she's amazing.  It's such a powerful, fluid, graceful style of dancing.  The woman she dances with was phenomenal as well. 

"Arianna" aka the other sister

"Layla"

Despite the weather being a nasty cold, windy and at times a little rainy, we had a blast.  I picked up several nice loose tea blends, way too many incense sticks and a couple drams of essential oils. Oldest Oompa has already decided she's going again next year....in costume!!  

Off with his head!!!

I'll clean my room....promise!!!

Good Morrow to You All.....Lady Deborah of the Awesome Clan