A Better Day

I have worked hard to stay busy today and it has gone much better than I had expected. I still miss my dad, but I know he doesn't miss this life. One day I'll see him again.

In the meantime, I ran some errands, scheduled my next big scrapbooking event at the venue (my first-choice date was available), mailed a package to the sailor who is deploying, picked up a few groceries, went with my daughter to drop off her car for an oil change and then she and I headed to the nursery to buy flowers for the patio. When we got back, I ate lunch while we watched an old episode of NCIS and then went outside and put all those flowers in the pots. Only one glitch in that task - I got flowers for the two hanging baskets on the porch, only to discover I don't have any baskets. Hmmm. Can't really explain that, but I called my husband and asked him to stop and get a couple on his way home tonight.

So I got a lot done, even if the reason was just to avoid the realities of tough times, but I think that's a good method of treating the doldrums.

Heavy Heart

I have a heavy heart today. In fact, I've found myself battling tears off and on all day. Tomorrow will be the one-year anniversary of my father's death. We have survived the year, and my mother and I are both much better, but oh, how it still hurts!

In addition, last night we learned the date and time of my dear friend's son's deployment to Iraq and it is imminent. His brother returned from there a year ago this week. How grateful we are for the service of both of these young men, but how we dread the long days, weeks and months ahead for the older one who is starting out soon on his endeavor in our behalf.

He did call his mom today to tell her he received a medal which is a very big deal and we are SO VERY PROUD of him! To RS: We love you and you are constantly in our thoughts and each thought of you is a prayer for your safety and wisdom in every task you take on.

Finally, the son of another of our dear friends died in a car accident a year ago also. He was 17 years old with an entire lifetime ahead of him. But the thrill of racing a car on a country road sucked him in. Teens think "It will never happen to me", but in his case, it did happen to him. He died instantly. Thursday I will attend the dedication of a memorial fountain erected at his elementary school.

Yes, God is still in control, and yes, His will and way are always perfect, but we are human and still experience sadness. Is there still joy in my life? Absolutely. God still gives me the joy that passes all understanding deep within me. There is still a peace within me and I am thankful for that. How would I survive without that faith and the real experiences I've had proving I am not alone? Very simply, I couldn't.

Sadness will pass, just as happiness sometimes fades. That is the difference between happiness and joy and between sadness and depression. Depression can set in and overwhelm, but for the grace of God. I thank God for His presence in my life - even on the bad days.

Words of Wisdom for Girls

I saw this on another person's blog and copied it because it's pretty good advice.

If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away. If he doesn’t want you, nothing can make him stay. Stop making excuses for a man and his behavior. Allow your intuition or spirit to save you from heartache. Stop trying to change yourself for a relationship that’s not meant to be. Slower is better. Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy.

If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve then NO, you can’t "be friends." A friend wouldn’t mistreat a friend. Don’t settle. If you feel like he is stringing you along, then he probably is. Don’t stay because you think "it will get better." You’ll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better. The only person you can control in a relationship is you.

Avoid men who’ve got a bunch of children by a bunch of different women. He didn’t marry them when he got them pregnant, Why would he treat you any differently?

Always have your own set of friends separate from his. Maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you. If something bothers you, speak up. Never let a man know everything. He will use it against you later. You cannot change a man’s behavior. Change comes from within.

Don’t EVER make him feel he is more important than you are... even if he has more education or in a better job. Do not make him into a quasi-god. He is a man, nothing more, nothing less. Never let a man define who you are.
Never borrow someone else’s man. If he cheated with you, he’ll cheat on you. A man will only treat you the way you ALLOW him to treat you. ALL MEN ARE NOT DOGS. You should not be the one doing all the bending...compromise is a two-way street.

You need time to heal between relationships...there is nothing cute about baggage...deal with your issues before pursuing a new relationship. You should never look for someone to COMPLETE you...a relationship consists of two WHOLE individuals...look for someone complimentary...not supplementary.

Dating is fun...even if he doesn’t turn out to be Mr. Right. Make him miss you sometimes...when a man always knows where you are, and you’re always readily available to him- he takes it for granted.

Never move into his mother’s house. Never co-sign for a man. Don’t fully commit to a man who doesn’t give you everything that you need. Keep him in your radar but get to know others.

Share this with other ladies.....You’ll make someone SMILE, another RETHINK her choices, and another woman PREPARE. They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love! them and an entire lifetime to forget them.

It's Spring!

The weather in Texas is unpredictable at best, and our winter in North Central Texas barely justifies the term - we only have a few days of true winter weather. But spring is here. As I look out the window this morning, the light green of young grass matches perfectly the light green of new leaves on the trees in the woods at the back of the property. It is beautiful. Of course, I'm looking through rain as that is also part of the scenario, but at least it isn't as bad as a couple of weeks ago when the creek rose about 20 feet until I could actually see it from the second floor windows. That had never happened before in the 8 1/2 years we have lived here. And that creek got high enough at one point 3 1/2 years ago that a major bridge washed out. At least this time there was less debris in the creek.

We have also had our first tornado warning of the year, and technically, tornado season is from May to December. Anyway, I spent a pleasant 20 or 30 minutes in a closed hallway with 55 pounds of terrified dog traipsing around and over and ON me. He is not brave, but consequently, he's a pretty good watch dog - if he's awake. Anyway, he did not like the thunder. He did not like the power outage that occurred about halfway through our confinement. He did not like the beeping from the alarm system signaling a power failure. He did not like the beeps from the battery backup under my desk. In short, he was NOT a happy dog. We were both delighted when the siren stopped sounding.

In closing, I only have this to say, "Happy Spring!"