So, I'm still trying to learn the art of time management. That is not an easy task I am finding. I am the type of person that has to have a plan. I am not very good at being spontaneous, so when something comes up and throws my plans off, my whole time management goes out the window. Although, some things that come up are worth it for sure! Because of this time management thing, I have seriously slacked off on writing on here!
What is new with me? Well, I spent money that I didn't really have and shouldn't have spent, but it was money well worth spending. I got my kids and I a one month pass at the local recreation center around the corner from us. It is great because I can go work out, walk/run around the indoor track, take a class or whatever. Unlike a gym, my kids have things to do instead of sitting around in daycare. They can climb the rock wall, play pool, ping pong, racket ball, basketball, volleyball, etc. It is awesome!! We are all up and moving around instead of sitting on our butts in front of the tv complaining about how hot it is. We are all getting our exercise and out meeting new people. I will continue to try and scrape the money together to buy passes for us to keep it up. I do have to tell you about the fitness instructor from the class that I took. When she first came in, she had her back to me so I couldn't see what she looked like. She was very skinny, fit, all muscle, looked like about 30 from the back. She had bleached blonde hair. I was expecting to see barbie when she turned around. When she walked by me, she turned to say hi to me...I was startled when I saw her face...she had the face of an 80 year old! I hope I look that good at her age...as far as being fit that is! I doubt she was 80 and that she has just spent too much time in the sun, so who knows how old she really is.
My purse business is doing pretty well for just starting out. I love making these purses, coming up with the fabric combinations and putting it all together and I really love seeing how happy people are with the end result!
I had lunch with a friend the other day that I haven't seen in about 18 years! It was so great to see her again! She was the one that originally pushed me to start speed walking all those years ago and then later step aerobics. Because of that, I lost a bunch of weight back then. Seeing her again and how good she still looks, was an inspiration to me to work out hard and lose the weight again. She is 51 years old and looks like she's 30...I can do that too if I work at it!
I have been having the weirdest dreams lately. Dreams so weird that I wake up actually relieved it was a dream. I have had dreams of my supervisor screaming at me because I missed one question on a test and a couple of other work related dreams. I also had a dream that this guy I know who is very overweight came on to me...but, he didn't just come on to me, he did it naked! In my dream I was screaming at him, "NO!!!!!! Ewwww!!!! Get away!" The icing on the cake was the dream that I was pregnant. In my dream I was freaking out! I'm too old, I can't be pregnant, how can this happen, etc. A guy friend of mine in the dream was telling me it really wasn't that big of deal...for him maybe...he wasn't the pregnant one! I woke up in a sweat on that one and was very glad it was just a dream! I often wonder why we dream what dream.
I haven't talked about my dating life lately. That's because it is pretty much nonexistant. I'm not sure how I feel about it either. I have had such a bad run lately that it is almost better to not be going on any dates. I'm so tired of the jerks. On the other hand, I miss having adult male companionship and going out once in a while. I think I will just keep working out and hopefully that will get rid of my frustrations!!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
14 Years
It is amazing how fast time goes. 14 years ago on this date, I married my soul mate. He truly was "the one". It seemed to take forever for him to come into my life. I was 26 years old and beginning to think I would never find my one and only. Looking back I was still young, but you couldn't tell me that then. I had dated some good guys and some not so good guys and I had pretty much given up.
It was a whirlwind romance for sure. Neither one of us expected anything to come of this. He was getting a divorce and intended to play the field. I was so used to being treated like crap or things not working out, that I figured he was just another one of those guys. Pretty funny how he turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.
Our paths crossed several times in our lives. He was nine years older than me and believe me, I rubbed that in as often as I could! haha When he was a kid, he played at a park that was near his aunt's house. It turns out, I used to play at that same park because it was close to my grandma's house and neither of us actually lived in the town where that park was, we would just visit there. When I was a senior in High School, I went to San Diego on my senior trip. While we were there we toured a naval cargo ship. He was in the Navy and stationed there. He was in port at the time and his son was born 1 month later. His youngest sister was 3 years older than me and I had no idea. I used to see one of his other sisters and his dad in the grocery store all the time when I worked there and had no idea who she was. Then I worked with his brother. We were definitely meant to meet, it just had to be at the right time. My mom always would tell me that the man I was meant to marry wasn't ready yet and that's why I hadn't met him. Turned out to be true. :)
When we got married, we were pretty broke. He had just lost his job and was taking whatever part time jobs he could until he found another full time job. I was working, but it was a small town so I wasn't making much money. We had decided we were going to just go to Vegas and forget the wedding. About 10 minutes after we made the decision my stepmom called and said they would pay for a good portion of the wedding. I couldn't believe it! I still had to cut costs big time though. We had the wedding in the church, which I hated, but it was free so....I borrowed a dress from a friend, my pictures were done by a guy I worked with that was just starting a photography business so we got a really big discount. the decorations were borrowed and homemade and my aunt made all of the favors and my stepdaughter's veil. My stepmom did the bouquets and made my veil and one of his sisters paid for a dj. It was a pretty inexpensive wedding, but very nice. Especially considering we were gonna run to Vegas.
I know a lot of couples have a song. We had one too, but we didn't decide on one until a couple years after we got married. We chose "At Last" by Etta James. Very fitting since we waited so long to find each other!
No marriage is perfect, ours included, but I was very happy with him. Things were pretty difficult in the end, but looking back I know why. I would never trade a day of it because there were a lot more good days than bad and the bad ones made me stronger.
I know that I will be with him again, but I also know that I have the desire to love someone else too. I hope I have the chance to have this kind of love again. The kind where no matter what, you are there for each other. You take care of each other, be honest with each other, love being with each other, but love having time apart too to make the times together all the more special. The kind of love that no matter what troubles come along, you are willing to work at it together to come out on the other side stronger and more in love. Also the kind where there is respect and devotion. I want to be able to have that for my kids too so they can see what that kind of love is and learn from it so they can find it for themselves one day.
It was a whirlwind romance for sure. Neither one of us expected anything to come of this. He was getting a divorce and intended to play the field. I was so used to being treated like crap or things not working out, that I figured he was just another one of those guys. Pretty funny how he turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.
Our paths crossed several times in our lives. He was nine years older than me and believe me, I rubbed that in as often as I could! haha When he was a kid, he played at a park that was near his aunt's house. It turns out, I used to play at that same park because it was close to my grandma's house and neither of us actually lived in the town where that park was, we would just visit there. When I was a senior in High School, I went to San Diego on my senior trip. While we were there we toured a naval cargo ship. He was in the Navy and stationed there. He was in port at the time and his son was born 1 month later. His youngest sister was 3 years older than me and I had no idea. I used to see one of his other sisters and his dad in the grocery store all the time when I worked there and had no idea who she was. Then I worked with his brother. We were definitely meant to meet, it just had to be at the right time. My mom always would tell me that the man I was meant to marry wasn't ready yet and that's why I hadn't met him. Turned out to be true. :)
When we got married, we were pretty broke. He had just lost his job and was taking whatever part time jobs he could until he found another full time job. I was working, but it was a small town so I wasn't making much money. We had decided we were going to just go to Vegas and forget the wedding. About 10 minutes after we made the decision my stepmom called and said they would pay for a good portion of the wedding. I couldn't believe it! I still had to cut costs big time though. We had the wedding in the church, which I hated, but it was free so....I borrowed a dress from a friend, my pictures were done by a guy I worked with that was just starting a photography business so we got a really big discount. the decorations were borrowed and homemade and my aunt made all of the favors and my stepdaughter's veil. My stepmom did the bouquets and made my veil and one of his sisters paid for a dj. It was a pretty inexpensive wedding, but very nice. Especially considering we were gonna run to Vegas.
I know a lot of couples have a song. We had one too, but we didn't decide on one until a couple years after we got married. We chose "At Last" by Etta James. Very fitting since we waited so long to find each other!
No marriage is perfect, ours included, but I was very happy with him. Things were pretty difficult in the end, but looking back I know why. I would never trade a day of it because there were a lot more good days than bad and the bad ones made me stronger.
I know that I will be with him again, but I also know that I have the desire to love someone else too. I hope I have the chance to have this kind of love again. The kind where no matter what, you are there for each other. You take care of each other, be honest with each other, love being with each other, but love having time apart too to make the times together all the more special. The kind of love that no matter what troubles come along, you are willing to work at it together to come out on the other side stronger and more in love. Also the kind where there is respect and devotion. I want to be able to have that for my kids too so they can see what that kind of love is and learn from it so they can find it for themselves one day.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Dad
I'm pretty sure I have written about my kids' dad before. As amazing as he was, I don't want to bore you all with that again. I don't really talk about my two dads that much. I should have done this yesterday, but I didn't get to it so....
My dad...hmmmm...well, he is intelligent, funny, very hard working, goal oriented, patriotic and loves his family. He was literally dirt poor growing up and has worked very hard in his life to get past that. He served his country in the Air Force and served his country as a police officer. He rose up through the ranks all the way to the top and was chief of police for two differet police departments. He was a firearms instructor for as long as I can remember and when he would compete in shooting competitions, everyone in the competition knew they wouldn't get first place, they had to settle fighting for second place. He hunts and fishes. He worked full time and went to school to get his paralegal degree. There isn't a person that has met him that doesn't instantly respect him. He works hard for everything that he has, including his dream home that he built himself and came close to losing this last month in a wildfire. He is constantly trying to find ways to save money and save the planet at the same time. For example, he has done research on water conservation and recycling so he can do that at his home. When us kids are thrifty, he's very proud! haha He's actually proud of us all as we are proud of him. He has a wonderful, supporting wife and he knows how lucky he is to have her. He is a man of few words, but when he speaks, people listen. I hope he knows how much he is loved!
My stepdad passed away 9 years ago, but he definitely left a lasting impression! He was full blooded irish and boy did you know it! He was the most stubborn person I have ever met! My kids are adopted and are his biological grandkids and let me tell you, that is one thing they inherited from their grandfather! haha Stubborn can be used for good and he used it to get what he wanted out of life. He was very determined and when he decided to do something, he threw his whole heart into it. It was all or nothing with him. He loved his kids, stepkids, grandkids and he loved my mom. He was an irishman through and through. He even followed the hearts of a lot of irishmen and became a police officer AND a firefighter. He was very good at both and took it farther. He became a pilot so he could do search and rescue with the civil air patrol and was a certified diver so he could do rescue diving. He was fiercly patriotic. He was also very passionate about everything he did. He never met a stranger and people loved him and his happy go lucky attitude. I knew that if I had a problem, I could go to him and he would help me however he could. If I was brokenhearted, he would cry with me and if I was happy, he would cry with me then too. :) He was very emotional and we loved him for that! He and my late husband were the best of friends. They were soulmates and had a wonderful father/son relationship. They were so close, that after my husband passed away, his brother found a burial plot as close to my stepdad's as he could. He did a good job with that...Just a few spots away. :) He was very sick in the last 10 years of his life, but he was stubborn enough to live as long as he did because he wanted to be with my mom and his new family as long as he could. We all miss him so much.
A dad loves his children enough to discipline them when needed, takes care of his family, shows his children love and affection, teaches his children right from wrong and how to work hard. He loves his children unconditionally and will do anything for his family.
I can't be my kids' dad. I love them and try to be both parents, but I just can't do what a dad does. My kids had a wonderful dad that they barely remember because they were so little when he died. We try hard to keep his memory alive of course. Hopefully someday I can meet someone who will be everything a great dad is. In the meantime, my kids are lucky enough to have wonderful uncles, a fantastic grandpa and amazing church leaders!
My dad...hmmmm...well, he is intelligent, funny, very hard working, goal oriented, patriotic and loves his family. He was literally dirt poor growing up and has worked very hard in his life to get past that. He served his country in the Air Force and served his country as a police officer. He rose up through the ranks all the way to the top and was chief of police for two differet police departments. He was a firearms instructor for as long as I can remember and when he would compete in shooting competitions, everyone in the competition knew they wouldn't get first place, they had to settle fighting for second place. He hunts and fishes. He worked full time and went to school to get his paralegal degree. There isn't a person that has met him that doesn't instantly respect him. He works hard for everything that he has, including his dream home that he built himself and came close to losing this last month in a wildfire. He is constantly trying to find ways to save money and save the planet at the same time. For example, he has done research on water conservation and recycling so he can do that at his home. When us kids are thrifty, he's very proud! haha He's actually proud of us all as we are proud of him. He has a wonderful, supporting wife and he knows how lucky he is to have her. He is a man of few words, but when he speaks, people listen. I hope he knows how much he is loved!
My stepdad passed away 9 years ago, but he definitely left a lasting impression! He was full blooded irish and boy did you know it! He was the most stubborn person I have ever met! My kids are adopted and are his biological grandkids and let me tell you, that is one thing they inherited from their grandfather! haha Stubborn can be used for good and he used it to get what he wanted out of life. He was very determined and when he decided to do something, he threw his whole heart into it. It was all or nothing with him. He loved his kids, stepkids, grandkids and he loved my mom. He was an irishman through and through. He even followed the hearts of a lot of irishmen and became a police officer AND a firefighter. He was very good at both and took it farther. He became a pilot so he could do search and rescue with the civil air patrol and was a certified diver so he could do rescue diving. He was fiercly patriotic. He was also very passionate about everything he did. He never met a stranger and people loved him and his happy go lucky attitude. I knew that if I had a problem, I could go to him and he would help me however he could. If I was brokenhearted, he would cry with me and if I was happy, he would cry with me then too. :) He was very emotional and we loved him for that! He and my late husband were the best of friends. They were soulmates and had a wonderful father/son relationship. They were so close, that after my husband passed away, his brother found a burial plot as close to my stepdad's as he could. He did a good job with that...Just a few spots away. :) He was very sick in the last 10 years of his life, but he was stubborn enough to live as long as he did because he wanted to be with my mom and his new family as long as he could. We all miss him so much.
A dad loves his children enough to discipline them when needed, takes care of his family, shows his children love and affection, teaches his children right from wrong and how to work hard. He loves his children unconditionally and will do anything for his family.
I can't be my kids' dad. I love them and try to be both parents, but I just can't do what a dad does. My kids had a wonderful dad that they barely remember because they were so little when he died. We try hard to keep his memory alive of course. Hopefully someday I can meet someone who will be everything a great dad is. In the meantime, my kids are lucky enough to have wonderful uncles, a fantastic grandpa and amazing church leaders!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
A Small Idea
For years I have been trying to figure out ways to bring extra income into the home. Like most single parents, or pretty much most people these days, It is a struggle to make ends meet. Also because my kids are still too young to stay home alone, I can't take on a 2nd job outside the home and I'm limited on the overtime I can work.
Several months ago, I got to thinking about what I could do. I'm a crafty type person, surely I can come up with something. I used to make quilts a long time ago. I loved to make them, but they took so long I would never be able to sell something like that. I love fabric. I love the colors and patterns and for me the funnest part of making a quilt is putting the fabric together. I love to see what happens when you mix the different colors together to make something beautiful. My mom and stepmom both make amazing quilts. Anyway, I was cleaning out my closet a few months ago for a yard sale and I saw that I had several purses. I never realized how many purses I had. It got me thinking, why can't I make purses? So I thought about it for a couple months because I always have to take forever and day to make a decision and I decided to make myself a purse. I liked how it turned out and decided to use it and take it to work and show it off. At that point it was just a trial, a tiny glimmer of an idea. I showed off my handy work to a friend and just mentioned that I was thinking I would check into selling them. She immediately ordered one. The next day another girl ordered 2 more plus a baby one. The orders have started coming in and it has only been less than 3 weeks. I have started coming up with my own patterns and designs and I am having a blast! I get to pick fabric, sew something together and make a little bit of money in the process.
Once I get some designs set and I am a little bit faster, I will be opening up an etsy shop online. I'm trying to get a bunch made up on top of the orders so I can sell them at a craft fair in November and hopefully at a boutique. Could it be after all these years I have finally found my niche?
Monday, June 13, 2011
Craziness
Pretty much my whole world lately has been wrapped up in following the fire. Every article, every tiny piece of information, friends and family keeping me informed by text and facebook and even dreaming about fire. It is time to take a break! Thankfully it is getting better. People are back in their homes now and others should hopefully be allowed back in a few days, my dad and stepmom included. I am sooooooo happy and grateful! Ok, enough about the fire.
Today I was a witness to something crazy! I had just picked up my kids from my sister's house and we were headed out. I hadn't even gone a mile when I saw a vehicle start swerving in it's lane. I had just said out loud to my kids, "What is that guy doing?" when he jumped the curb, drove down the sidewalk and in the gravel. When he went off the curb at the next street he rolled and took out a stop sign. It was such a weird sight to see I felt like I was watching a dash cam video from a patrol car that was on an episode of COPS. The guy in front of me stopped and I stopped and called 911. Several people tried to get the guy out of his vehicle, but he was somewhat trapped. There was definitely divine intervention here. Somehow his vehicle went between a palm tree and the cable that anchors a power pole. I have no idea how he made it through that tiny space without help. Thankfully there was no one walking down the sidewalk. There are so many things that could have happened to make it so much worse. It turns out the guy that was behind him and in front of me was his friend. They worked together and were traveling together. His friend was very worried and wasn't sure what to do to help his friend in the crashed vehicle. Thank goodness for strong people that stopped to help him. They were able to get the broken windshield out so the fire fighters had easy access to to the injured driver. On my way home a pickup in front of me hit a VERY large piece of tire debris. It was thrown into the air and landed in front of me. I was able to avoid it, the guy behind me swerved so bad I thought he was going to wreck. All I wanted to do was go home!!!! I had enough excitement for one day for sure, two weeks for that matter.
Today I was a witness to something crazy! I had just picked up my kids from my sister's house and we were headed out. I hadn't even gone a mile when I saw a vehicle start swerving in it's lane. I had just said out loud to my kids, "What is that guy doing?" when he jumped the curb, drove down the sidewalk and in the gravel. When he went off the curb at the next street he rolled and took out a stop sign. It was such a weird sight to see I felt like I was watching a dash cam video from a patrol car that was on an episode of COPS. The guy in front of me stopped and I stopped and called 911. Several people tried to get the guy out of his vehicle, but he was somewhat trapped. There was definitely divine intervention here. Somehow his vehicle went between a palm tree and the cable that anchors a power pole. I have no idea how he made it through that tiny space without help. Thankfully there was no one walking down the sidewalk. There are so many things that could have happened to make it so much worse. It turns out the guy that was behind him and in front of me was his friend. They worked together and were traveling together. His friend was very worried and wasn't sure what to do to help his friend in the crashed vehicle. Thank goodness for strong people that stopped to help him. They were able to get the broken windshield out so the fire fighters had easy access to to the injured driver. On my way home a pickup in front of me hit a VERY large piece of tire debris. It was thrown into the air and landed in front of me. I was able to avoid it, the guy behind me swerved so bad I thought he was going to wreck. All I wanted to do was go home!!!! I had enough excitement for one day for sure, two weeks for that matter.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Rollercoaster Ride
It has definitely been a rollercoaster ride of emotions this week. The fire has consumed almost 400,000 acres. That is a lot of beautiful forest land that will never be the same in my lifetime or even my kids' lifetime. Those mountains are our home.
This week we went from praying the fire wouldn't burn homes, to praying it would just stop and back to praying it wouldn't burn homes. More towns were evacuated leaving thousands of people scrambling to find a place to stay. Some decided to stay behind to defend their homes. I can understand their need to do that, but at what point do you say this is just stuff, but I can't be replaced? The wind was viscious at the fire scene. It was throwing embers 3 miles ahead of the fire and dropping hot ash on homes and people, which makes it impossible for firefighters to get a handle on it. In one small town that sits in a valley, the fire came down the canyon and force firefighters to retreat for safety reasons. As soon as it was safe to do so, they were back in there defending homes with a vengence. In all, they lost 22 homes in that town and 5 others in my dad's town. The larger of the towns has suffered no home loss yet. Considering what they have been up against, it is nothing short of a miracle there has been no more loss of homes, no loss of life and no major injuries so far.
Anyone who has ever lived there, lives there now, spent time there at all or has family there, understands the emotions that we have all been feeling since this fire started. At one moment it is a fear that grips so strong you can't breathe. Fear that people won't get out in time, fear for those that stayed behind and fear for the firefighters who are willingly putting themselves in harms way to stop this beast of a fire. Fear for our friends and family and total strangers. The next moment it is complete and total sadness. Tears flow freely for the loss of our beautiful mountains, the loss of homes, the people who were forced to flee their homes leaving behind their whole lives and for the local law enforcement and firefighters who are facing the same things, but deciding to help others instead of themselves. Sadness for the loss of wildlife in the area. There are dead elk and deer and other animals from this fire and many animals there were displaced also, just like the humans. Then it is total frustration. Frustrated at the weather not giving one single inch, the wind blowing relentlessly. Frustrated that there is nothing that can be done except pray even though there is almost a desperate feeling to want to help. We also have hope. Hope from the news that there are still green patches in our beautiful forest. Hope that people can go back to their homes very soon. Hope that the miracles will continue.
The greatest feeling though, is undying gratitude. Thankful to God for the miracles that have occurred. The firefighters being able to stop the fire from burning up whole towns in the fire's path. Thankful to those that have come in and are giving up their time with their families to help total strangers who have been sent running from their homes and to those who are helping the animals who are victims in this as well. They are volunteering in shelters, opening their homes, offering their time and money and giving what they can. Strangers praying for strangers and the many donations that have been given. Also gratitude for those that have been keeping people updated on facebook and other various websites. Social networking has never had a finer moment than this last week. New friends have been made and so much support given. We have been able to read first hand accounts of what is going on, known immediately when the evacuations were in effect and seen some truly horrifying and amazing pictures. Gratitude for the law enforcement officials that have worked overtime to protect the good citizens and have done it in a timely manner. First and foremost, their priority has been to protect life. Gratitude for those that are cooridinating this to knock down the beast as quickly and safely as possible and gratitude for those who have worked behind the scenes answering phones, dispatching, volunteering and whatever else has needed to be done. Even the media has been helpful through this instead of being cruel like they can be sometimes. Also, gratitude for those who have expressed concern, sympathy, well wishes, thoughts, support and prayers. Words can never, ever express that gratitude that is felt to the firefighters who have come from all over the country to fight this fire. THEY ARE TRULY AMAZING!!!
This is far from being over. Homes are still in danger. There is finally a tiny bit of containment and they are working feverishly to hold the lines they have established and make other lines. Tomorrow it is supposed to be windy again so they are working extra hard to get those lines stronger for tomorrow and hopefully be able to hold it. Prayers are still needed. We need rain in the worst way. It would be so amazing if monsoon would come early this year, but come with rain instead of dry thunderstorms that usually come first. Keep praying...the prayers are being heard and being answered!
This week we went from praying the fire wouldn't burn homes, to praying it would just stop and back to praying it wouldn't burn homes. More towns were evacuated leaving thousands of people scrambling to find a place to stay. Some decided to stay behind to defend their homes. I can understand their need to do that, but at what point do you say this is just stuff, but I can't be replaced? The wind was viscious at the fire scene. It was throwing embers 3 miles ahead of the fire and dropping hot ash on homes and people, which makes it impossible for firefighters to get a handle on it. In one small town that sits in a valley, the fire came down the canyon and force firefighters to retreat for safety reasons. As soon as it was safe to do so, they were back in there defending homes with a vengence. In all, they lost 22 homes in that town and 5 others in my dad's town. The larger of the towns has suffered no home loss yet. Considering what they have been up against, it is nothing short of a miracle there has been no more loss of homes, no loss of life and no major injuries so far.
Anyone who has ever lived there, lives there now, spent time there at all or has family there, understands the emotions that we have all been feeling since this fire started. At one moment it is a fear that grips so strong you can't breathe. Fear that people won't get out in time, fear for those that stayed behind and fear for the firefighters who are willingly putting themselves in harms way to stop this beast of a fire. Fear for our friends and family and total strangers. The next moment it is complete and total sadness. Tears flow freely for the loss of our beautiful mountains, the loss of homes, the people who were forced to flee their homes leaving behind their whole lives and for the local law enforcement and firefighters who are facing the same things, but deciding to help others instead of themselves. Sadness for the loss of wildlife in the area. There are dead elk and deer and other animals from this fire and many animals there were displaced also, just like the humans. Then it is total frustration. Frustrated at the weather not giving one single inch, the wind blowing relentlessly. Frustrated that there is nothing that can be done except pray even though there is almost a desperate feeling to want to help. We also have hope. Hope from the news that there are still green patches in our beautiful forest. Hope that people can go back to their homes very soon. Hope that the miracles will continue.
The greatest feeling though, is undying gratitude. Thankful to God for the miracles that have occurred. The firefighters being able to stop the fire from burning up whole towns in the fire's path. Thankful to those that have come in and are giving up their time with their families to help total strangers who have been sent running from their homes and to those who are helping the animals who are victims in this as well. They are volunteering in shelters, opening their homes, offering their time and money and giving what they can. Strangers praying for strangers and the many donations that have been given. Also gratitude for those that have been keeping people updated on facebook and other various websites. Social networking has never had a finer moment than this last week. New friends have been made and so much support given. We have been able to read first hand accounts of what is going on, known immediately when the evacuations were in effect and seen some truly horrifying and amazing pictures. Gratitude for the law enforcement officials that have worked overtime to protect the good citizens and have done it in a timely manner. First and foremost, their priority has been to protect life. Gratitude for those that are cooridinating this to knock down the beast as quickly and safely as possible and gratitude for those who have worked behind the scenes answering phones, dispatching, volunteering and whatever else has needed to be done. Even the media has been helpful through this instead of being cruel like they can be sometimes. Also, gratitude for those who have expressed concern, sympathy, well wishes, thoughts, support and prayers. Words can never, ever express that gratitude that is felt to the firefighters who have come from all over the country to fight this fire. THEY ARE TRULY AMAZING!!!
This is far from being over. Homes are still in danger. There is finally a tiny bit of containment and they are working feverishly to hold the lines they have established and make other lines. Tomorrow it is supposed to be windy again so they are working extra hard to get those lines stronger for tomorrow and hopefully be able to hold it. Prayers are still needed. We need rain in the worst way. It would be so amazing if monsoon would come early this year, but come with rain instead of dry thunderstorms that usually come first. Keep praying...the prayers are being heard and being answered!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Forest Fire
30 miles south of my small home town, lies 2 small towns that are together to make 1 town. It is a beautiful place that sits at the base of a mountain. I always said, if there was a job that paid enough for me to survive, I would move there and raise my kids there. It is beautiful, small and the people are awesome. I have family there and several friends there. My dad was actually the Chief of Police for one of those towns for a few years until he resigned and took a different job.
About 20 miles south of that area, lies a tiny town that sits in the mountains. It is mostly summer homes and cabins, but there are some full time residents that live there too. My dad is one of them. After he left the police department, he sold his house and moved to that town. But, before that when I was in high school (which was a long time ago!), he and my stepmom bought a tiny cabin. His goal was to make the cabin useable first, then eventually make it his dream home. They made it useable. Many weekends we spent there just having fun and enjoying the scenery and family. When they sold their house, they bought a house in that tiny town and got to work on making the cabin their dream home. They gutted, tore down, built up, built rooms and built a garage with a bunk house. It has taken them years of blood, sweat, tears and a lot of love to get it where it is liveable and the way my dad wanted it. The goal was to have a place where they could be happy in retirement, be in the woods and have a place where their kids and grandkids could go to rest, relax, be with family, get away from the world and if something horrible happened in the big city we would all have a place to go for safety. It sits in the main part of town and when you go out the front, you can see the big meadow. First thing in the morning it is not uncommon to see a heard of elk standing in that meadow. He literally just got the final inspection on it done.
The house he lives in now, you drive by that meadow and up the hill. That house is a log cabin style home that sits in the forest. I LOVE that house. The front of the house is a wall of windows and my favorite thing to do is sit in front of those windows and just stare outside at the trees, grass and the mountains. The last time I was there, it was raining so I was probably the happiest person on the planet at that time. I love rain, but when it comes down in the woods, there is nothing like it. The smell of the trees and the clean air is indescribable, not to mention the coolness. There is no cell service there so we are forced to be cut off from the hustle and bustle and it is amazing. I find myself being very lazy when I go to visit my dad. Those two places are our family's slice of peace, heaven and respite from the world.
My whole life growing up, I have spent time in those mountains and woods. It was tradition with my mom and sister to take a drive south and drive through those small towns that dot the highway and see the fall colors. I have had picnics by the river, driven through the woods, shopped at antique stores and eaten at the little cafes. I've seen elk, deer and eagles. I've been fishing (ok, my late husband fished and I read). My youngest sister got married in one of those tiny towns and if I ever have the chance to get married again, I want to get married at my dad's house. I think it is one of the most beautiful places on earth and it was practically in my back yard. Anyone who grew up in that neck of the woods feels that way about it and there are many that didn't grow up there, but have spent many summers up there that feel that way.
A few days ago, a forest fire started in the area. They think it may be from a campfire. This fire has grown from 600 acres to over 140,000 acres in a matter of a few days and there is no containment. Hundreds of people have been forced out of their homes, including my dad. The winds are horrible, the humidity is low and the forest is in bad shape. Because of the environmentalist movement in the '90's, they have not been able to log in the forest. What they fail to understand is, if humans are not allowed to clean out the forest and take care of it, it will be done naturally by fire and when that happens it is devastating. The animals are running for their lives and have no place to live, the humans are also running for their lives and the lives of thousands of firefighters are put in danger to protect homes and businesses and to stop the fire from spreading. People are in jeopardy of having no home left. Some are having to stay in shelters and find shelters for their pets and livestock. Everyone is sitting on pins and needles just waiting to hear the latest news and praying the fire went around their homes. The pollution that is put in the air is unbelievable. Some people have had to leave the area just because they can't breathe from all the smoke.
Everyone who has ever been up there to those mountains is saddened and scared by what is happening. There is a slight chance of rain today...pray for a miracle and pray for all of those that are working so hard to stop this fire and protect homes and lives. Thank you's all around to those that are working on this fire from the ground, the air, the road closures, notifications, law enforcement and behind the scenes. It is all a team effort and without one, none of the others would work. From a personal stand point, I really, really hope my dad and stepmom have a home to return to.
About 20 miles south of that area, lies a tiny town that sits in the mountains. It is mostly summer homes and cabins, but there are some full time residents that live there too. My dad is one of them. After he left the police department, he sold his house and moved to that town. But, before that when I was in high school (which was a long time ago!), he and my stepmom bought a tiny cabin. His goal was to make the cabin useable first, then eventually make it his dream home. They made it useable. Many weekends we spent there just having fun and enjoying the scenery and family. When they sold their house, they bought a house in that tiny town and got to work on making the cabin their dream home. They gutted, tore down, built up, built rooms and built a garage with a bunk house. It has taken them years of blood, sweat, tears and a lot of love to get it where it is liveable and the way my dad wanted it. The goal was to have a place where they could be happy in retirement, be in the woods and have a place where their kids and grandkids could go to rest, relax, be with family, get away from the world and if something horrible happened in the big city we would all have a place to go for safety. It sits in the main part of town and when you go out the front, you can see the big meadow. First thing in the morning it is not uncommon to see a heard of elk standing in that meadow. He literally just got the final inspection on it done.
The house he lives in now, you drive by that meadow and up the hill. That house is a log cabin style home that sits in the forest. I LOVE that house. The front of the house is a wall of windows and my favorite thing to do is sit in front of those windows and just stare outside at the trees, grass and the mountains. The last time I was there, it was raining so I was probably the happiest person on the planet at that time. I love rain, but when it comes down in the woods, there is nothing like it. The smell of the trees and the clean air is indescribable, not to mention the coolness. There is no cell service there so we are forced to be cut off from the hustle and bustle and it is amazing. I find myself being very lazy when I go to visit my dad. Those two places are our family's slice of peace, heaven and respite from the world.
My whole life growing up, I have spent time in those mountains and woods. It was tradition with my mom and sister to take a drive south and drive through those small towns that dot the highway and see the fall colors. I have had picnics by the river, driven through the woods, shopped at antique stores and eaten at the little cafes. I've seen elk, deer and eagles. I've been fishing (ok, my late husband fished and I read). My youngest sister got married in one of those tiny towns and if I ever have the chance to get married again, I want to get married at my dad's house. I think it is one of the most beautiful places on earth and it was practically in my back yard. Anyone who grew up in that neck of the woods feels that way about it and there are many that didn't grow up there, but have spent many summers up there that feel that way.
A few days ago, a forest fire started in the area. They think it may be from a campfire. This fire has grown from 600 acres to over 140,000 acres in a matter of a few days and there is no containment. Hundreds of people have been forced out of their homes, including my dad. The winds are horrible, the humidity is low and the forest is in bad shape. Because of the environmentalist movement in the '90's, they have not been able to log in the forest. What they fail to understand is, if humans are not allowed to clean out the forest and take care of it, it will be done naturally by fire and when that happens it is devastating. The animals are running for their lives and have no place to live, the humans are also running for their lives and the lives of thousands of firefighters are put in danger to protect homes and businesses and to stop the fire from spreading. People are in jeopardy of having no home left. Some are having to stay in shelters and find shelters for their pets and livestock. Everyone is sitting on pins and needles just waiting to hear the latest news and praying the fire went around their homes. The pollution that is put in the air is unbelievable. Some people have had to leave the area just because they can't breathe from all the smoke.
Everyone who has ever been up there to those mountains is saddened and scared by what is happening. There is a slight chance of rain today...pray for a miracle and pray for all of those that are working so hard to stop this fire and protect homes and lives. Thank you's all around to those that are working on this fire from the ground, the air, the road closures, notifications, law enforcement and behind the scenes. It is all a team effort and without one, none of the others would work. From a personal stand point, I really, really hope my dad and stepmom have a home to return to.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Moment of Greatness!
There are some definite advantages to being a tall woman. I don't have to ask people to get things down from a top shelf, I can do it myself and I do it for people in the store sometimes. I can hide and extra 5 lbs easier than a short person...now the extra 30 that I'm carrying around now, not so much! It is fun to pick on short people! Several years ago I worked in the same field I am working in now, but a different place. Again it is prodominantly men and these men are definitely the macho type. I worked with another woman who was even taller than me...at the time that was a rare thing to find! She was 6'2" and I am 5'10". We decided to pick on one of those men. He was about 5'5", maybe. Even though I'm tall, I love to wear heals so that particular day I was about as tall as my friend. There were a bunch of guys standing in the hall getting ready for a meeting and my friend and I walked up to our vertically challenged friend and stood on either side of him and started to chat with him. W-"Hey girls. What's up?" "Nothing W, what's up with you?" That brought gails of laughter from the guys in the hallway and then he realized we were messing with him and he had to actually look up to talk to us!
There are some disadvantages as well. Finding pants long enough is such a pain in the ass sometimes. If I can't find long length, then I look like I'm walking around waiting for a flood. They aren't short enough to be capris pants either. It seems that most of my girlfriends are at least 5 inches shorter than me. When there is a group of people standing around and I'm the one that is 5 inches taller than everyone in the group, I feel like a giant! It is also hard with dating sometimes. The short ones seem to really like me! "Ooooo...I LOVE tall women!" You would be surprised how often I hear that from men that are 5'7" or shorter. I went dancing one time with a group of friends. Who was the one that got asked to dance? Me. How tall was he? About 5'4" and he wouldn't take no for answer! He grabbed my hand and took me out on the dance floor...thank goodness it wasn't a slow song or it could have been a bit awkward for me! I have dated a few guys that are shorter than me. Some are very comfortable with who they are so they are secure in it. Others, not so much. I have found that I really like tall men. I dated a guy once that was 6'10" and I LOVED it...I felt small! lol Another disadvantage, I'm the one that gets asked to do all the jobs that require being tall because there is no ladder available. Most of the time I don't mind it, but sometimes....
Apparently, there were some gnats flying around at work the other day. Those that worked in the morning never saw them, but those that work afternoon/evenings said they were everywhere. The next day the supervisor came in the room carrying one of those bug catching strips in her hand. It is one of those really sticky things that hang from the ceiling and are supposed to attract the bugs. They are really gross looking before the bugs get stuck to them, can you imagine how nasty they are after the bugs attach themselves? Anyway, she turns to me and says, "Can you hang this up if I get the ladder? If you do it, you only have to go up 1 or 2 rungs, if I do, I have to go up 4." Oh boy. Now, to make this story even better, I have to tell you about my supervisor. She is VERY squeemish. I thought I was bad (see earlier post about fishing), but she puts me to shame. Anything remotely dirty and she has to clean it right now! For Christmas one year we gave her a basket of cleaning supplies and she was the happiest person on the planet. Here she is carrying around this gross bug strip and she barely has a hold of it by the string. Another thing you should know about her is, she hates to see bare feet. It is a thing with her.
So we finally find a place to hang this strip in the room, btw it adds a certain charm to the room. We drag the ladder over to the place where we are going to hang it. My supervisor is standing between two desks, she has the wall behind her and I put the ladder in front of her...she is trapped. She has no where to run and no where to hide. Oh, perfect for some moments of greatness! I take my shoes off to start climbing the ladder (I can't climb up with sandals on!) and that is the start of it. She was already on the edge having to hold the bug strip and now I am barefooted in front of her. She has a thumb tac in the little loop and she wants me to try and hang it up. The ceiling is made of foam and the tac won't stick in the ceiling and stay. So, we now have to go to the next idea, tape. She pulls off a piece of tape that is about 6 inches long...now what in the hell am I supposed to do with a piece of tape that long? It keeps getting stuck to itself, to me and I'm trying not to drop the strip, get unstuck from the tape and I get my hand stuck on the strip. Ok, now I'm getting grossed out because when I pull it off my hand it strings out and it left sticky stuff on my hands. Then the inevitable happens...I drop it on the floor. My supervisor starts freaking out. She is shuddering and shaking. She's practically having a seizure and has no where to run! My friend L is loving it and brings out the camera phone and starts videoing and taking pictures...and of course, egging it on. "Is there hair stuck in it?" LOL That starts it all over again. I am laughing so hard I can't even do anything and I have tears running down my face. I'm even laughing as I am writing this remembering how funny it was! So, she picks it up and refuses to look at it. She gets me a much smaller piece of tape this time and I work it through the loop. I was laughing so hard I couldn't do it and I dropped it again...this time just on the desk, but L says, "Watch out...don't get it in your hair!" OMG! I think we would have had to call the fire department for her if that would have happened! Hmmmm...maybe I should have so we could have the cute firemen in our office! Ahhhhh...that was one moment of greatness! P.S. I think I should get hazardous duty pay for that!
There are some disadvantages as well. Finding pants long enough is such a pain in the ass sometimes. If I can't find long length, then I look like I'm walking around waiting for a flood. They aren't short enough to be capris pants either. It seems that most of my girlfriends are at least 5 inches shorter than me. When there is a group of people standing around and I'm the one that is 5 inches taller than everyone in the group, I feel like a giant! It is also hard with dating sometimes. The short ones seem to really like me! "Ooooo...I LOVE tall women!" You would be surprised how often I hear that from men that are 5'7" or shorter. I went dancing one time with a group of friends. Who was the one that got asked to dance? Me. How tall was he? About 5'4" and he wouldn't take no for answer! He grabbed my hand and took me out on the dance floor...thank goodness it wasn't a slow song or it could have been a bit awkward for me! I have dated a few guys that are shorter than me. Some are very comfortable with who they are so they are secure in it. Others, not so much. I have found that I really like tall men. I dated a guy once that was 6'10" and I LOVED it...I felt small! lol Another disadvantage, I'm the one that gets asked to do all the jobs that require being tall because there is no ladder available. Most of the time I don't mind it, but sometimes....
Apparently, there were some gnats flying around at work the other day. Those that worked in the morning never saw them, but those that work afternoon/evenings said they were everywhere. The next day the supervisor came in the room carrying one of those bug catching strips in her hand. It is one of those really sticky things that hang from the ceiling and are supposed to attract the bugs. They are really gross looking before the bugs get stuck to them, can you imagine how nasty they are after the bugs attach themselves? Anyway, she turns to me and says, "Can you hang this up if I get the ladder? If you do it, you only have to go up 1 or 2 rungs, if I do, I have to go up 4." Oh boy. Now, to make this story even better, I have to tell you about my supervisor. She is VERY squeemish. I thought I was bad (see earlier post about fishing), but she puts me to shame. Anything remotely dirty and she has to clean it right now! For Christmas one year we gave her a basket of cleaning supplies and she was the happiest person on the planet. Here she is carrying around this gross bug strip and she barely has a hold of it by the string. Another thing you should know about her is, she hates to see bare feet. It is a thing with her.
So we finally find a place to hang this strip in the room, btw it adds a certain charm to the room. We drag the ladder over to the place where we are going to hang it. My supervisor is standing between two desks, she has the wall behind her and I put the ladder in front of her...she is trapped. She has no where to run and no where to hide. Oh, perfect for some moments of greatness! I take my shoes off to start climbing the ladder (I can't climb up with sandals on!) and that is the start of it. She was already on the edge having to hold the bug strip and now I am barefooted in front of her. She has a thumb tac in the little loop and she wants me to try and hang it up. The ceiling is made of foam and the tac won't stick in the ceiling and stay. So, we now have to go to the next idea, tape. She pulls off a piece of tape that is about 6 inches long...now what in the hell am I supposed to do with a piece of tape that long? It keeps getting stuck to itself, to me and I'm trying not to drop the strip, get unstuck from the tape and I get my hand stuck on the strip. Ok, now I'm getting grossed out because when I pull it off my hand it strings out and it left sticky stuff on my hands. Then the inevitable happens...I drop it on the floor. My supervisor starts freaking out. She is shuddering and shaking. She's practically having a seizure and has no where to run! My friend L is loving it and brings out the camera phone and starts videoing and taking pictures...and of course, egging it on. "Is there hair stuck in it?" LOL That starts it all over again. I am laughing so hard I can't even do anything and I have tears running down my face. I'm even laughing as I am writing this remembering how funny it was! So, she picks it up and refuses to look at it. She gets me a much smaller piece of tape this time and I work it through the loop. I was laughing so hard I couldn't do it and I dropped it again...this time just on the desk, but L says, "Watch out...don't get it in your hair!" OMG! I think we would have had to call the fire department for her if that would have happened! Hmmmm...maybe I should have so we could have the cute firemen in our office! Ahhhhh...that was one moment of greatness! P.S. I think I should get hazardous duty pay for that!
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