It’s a good day when…

You know it’s a good day when:

1. You have a good doctor’s visit.
2. You are told that your 6 month Cat scan to measure the progress of the Pulmonary Fibrosis you were diagnosed with shows NO CHANGE at all.
3. Your doctor tells you that the scarring that showed up on your first Cat scan might not even be Pulmonary Fibrosis but could be due to some damage done in the past.
4. You get to tell your doctor that you believe in the power of God to heal.
5. You have family and friends who rejoice with you over good news.
6. You get to go to work at a job you are good at AND enjoy.
7. God allows you to see just one more of His spectacular sunsets at the end of your work day.

I know it has been a good day.

I hope you had one too.

Secret Shopper

Sometimes, I think I would like to be a secret shopper. The person who is secretly there to give the business a score. Say 1-10 with 1 being the worst and ten the best. Most of the places I have been to recently would rate beneath a 5. That might be because I expect too much when I go into an establishment or it could be that customer service is a thing of the past.

For instance, (you must have known this was coming) last night, I went to a restaurant for dinner with some friends. All 4 dinners came out of the kitchen at different times. Granted, once we all got our food it was good food. But I would take points off the score for this. At the end of the meal, I paid our waitress in cash. She brought me back the correct bills but no change. I should have received 9 cents along with my bills. I asked her how much my bill was again and she had to go find the bill to tell me.

I said, “Shouldn’t I have nine cents along with my change.”

She quite perkily said, “Oh, I just rounded it off. Is that OK?”

To which I replied, “No, I want my 9 cents please.”

Now, the issue here is certainly not the 9 cents, but when did it become OK for restaurants to round off MY change. What if I had all but the 9 cents to pay my bill with? Would it have been OK for me to brightly go on my way? I probably would not have even made it out the door.

I wonder how many 9 cents or 10 or 25 cents they rounded off that night. Last time I checked, that was called stealing. I do not like to be taken advantage of no matter how cute and perky the person cheating me is.

Next time you go to Elizabeth’s enjoy your food but count your change.

Happy Anniversary

Wow, it has been 26 years that Ed and I have been married.

We met in AA, went together for 2 years, then split up for 2 years. It was during this time apart that we each developed a relationship with Jesus Christ. He brought us back together and we were married within a year.

Amazing!

10 MORE things you may knot know about us:

1. This is a second marriage for both of us.
2. We both had children when we met. Ed had 2 daughters and I had one daughter.
3. Our three daughters gave us 4 grandsons until 4 years ago when Caroline Grace was born.
4. We were both heroin addicts in our past.
5. Both our parents got divorced when we were very young.
6. God comes first in our relationship, then each other, then our children (family), then friends.
7. We have committed to be honest with each other and never to discourage each other.
8. We actually like one another.
9. We really love one another.
10. Today, we committed to shoot for another 26 years together.

Got to go now and start getting dressed for our celebration dinner at Ruth’s Chris steakhouse. I have never been to one of these restaurants but I hear they serve the very best food anywhere. Dress is formal.

What a classy couple.

could not resist

Can I just say? Brilliant!

Love blossoms

This month has some important anniversaries in it.

My 26th wedding anniversary is August 15th. You may call this a coincidence but…

August blooms

every August I get two of the most vibrant blooms from this rose bush. Since roses are my favorite flower and, in my opinion, the most romantic, I am sure that God fashioned this one to blossom as a reminder to me. The two blossoms represent Ed and me. Beautiful together. Green leaves, growing, living and sharing beauty. A sweet fragrance. Oh yeah, and some thorns. It’s all in there.

Ed is:

• my best friend
• my strongest supporter
• the one that I can always count on to be in my corner
• the one human that I trust the most
• the one who knows me best
• the one who will let me know when I have a bad attitude
• the one who lifts my spirit by just walking into the room

If we only had one ice cream left, he would let me have the whole thing. If he is cold and I am hot, he puts a sweater on rather than turn the AC down. He puts my needs ahead of his own. AND he buys me gorgeous jewelry and takes me on nice vacation trips and he makes me laugh. Seriously, what is not to love about this man?

We made a commitment to stand by each other and to grow old together. We are doing that one day at a time. I am a blessed wife. I love my Special Ed.

 

storm clouds and dogs

 

 I took this photo of a storm approaching from my front yard.

About 2 minutes later, it looked like this.

We got a gully washer of rain. It was a toad strangler downpour. Add to that some lightening and some crashing thunder. It was glorious. Powerful. Sometimes, I just love me a good storm. I got nice and comfy on the couch and Bella snuggled up right beside me after the first crash of thunder. She still gets nervous but it seems less with each storm she endures. She trusts that she is not going to get hurt when she is close to us. She watches Daisy a lot. Daisy is not phased by thunder in the least. She will sleep right through a storm with her head hanging out of her bed onto the oriental rug. She might open an eye if the lightening is very close, but she goes right back to sleep. Bella trusts that Daisy knows the scoop and Bella follows her lead most of the time.

I still get anxious but it seems less with each storm I endure. I trust that I will be safe if I stay close to my Father. I watch the saints who have endured many storms. I trust their experience and I try to follow their lead. I want to be one who can sleep through a storm with the confidence that comes from knowing that God has it all in control. I trust Him. He knows the scoop.

I love my dogs and the life lessons they teach me.

6 points to the bottom line

I am doing what is known as “day playing” on a local shoot here in Wilmington. The job is only one or two days a week which is a nice break in the action for me and allows me to stay home for a while. It is kinda boring though because I do not get to use my creative side. Some one else creates the hairstyles and executes the style. I simply go to set with the actors and TRY to make sure that they look consistently the same for the whole scene. I have no relationship with these actors who have seen several hair stylists come and go on their show. They have NO confidence in my skill and talent and so I am relegated to being a mirror holder for them while they fluff themselves or spray their own hair. 0ne out of five of the regular actors will actually let ME do their touch-ups on set. It is quite humbling. Especially after coming off a show that I had so much fun creating the looks for and I had the trust and respect of the actors and my co-workers.

The word that comes to me over and over on this job is discourage. Webster’s definition says: reduce the confidence of, show disapproval of. That is what happens to me on this job. I have to wonder how my confidence can so easily be shaken. I think it has to do with the second part of this definition; showing disapproval of. I am an approval junkie. If you ever want to get the best performance and the biggest smile from me, just give me some approval. I will do back flips to get approval. It makes me want to do better, to please more.

I remember being confused the first time I heard the term “people pleaser” used in a disparaging way. How could that be a bad thing? If it makes someone happy to make others happy, why should we not want to do that? Obviously, I am still somewhat perplexed by this. I enjoy seeing people happy. I love to laugh and I enjoy hearing people around me laugh. It is called joy. Ah, but if my joy is so dependant on whether or not a person approves of me, then it becomes an unhealthy thing. There will always be people that can not be pleased no matter what I do or say. I must find my approval and acceptance within.

I spent years in AA trying to learn how to be my own best friend. I learned many valuable lessons, such as:

1. Eliminate negative self-talk. ie:Coni you are an idiot. Can’t do anything right. -you get the idea
2. Treat myself with the same respect I would treat my best friend.
3. Realize that I can not do everything for everybody.
4. Learn when and how to say no.
5. Try to do the right thing.
6. Allow myself grace when I make a mistake.

All six of those points were revelations for me and helped me immensely but the bottom line is this:

1. I only have to please one person in this whole world. That person is God.
2. He is already pleased with me.
3. He approves of me.
4. He encourages me.
5. He never calls me an idiot.
6. He treats me like I am His best friend.
7. He can do everything for everybody.
8. He only says NO when it is not good for me.
9. He lavishes me with grace when I mess up.
10. He always does the right thing.

As long as I am trying to please God, I am doing what I should be doing. Now, my challenge is how to please Him while I am on this job.

back to normal?

Things are beginning to get back to narmal around here. That doesn’t mean the same thing for every household. Normal for us is still unpredictable. I have one day of work booked this week and one day of work booked next week but that could change in a moments notice.

It is wonderful to be back home, none the less. Yesterday at church was fabulous. I got to sing and see friends and, lo and behold, the youth sponsored a spaghetti lunch. Perfect since we had no groceries at home! Ed and I got good food and good fellowship. Gotta love a Sunday like that.

Pastor B. brought a message that was very timely for me. I get so caught up with work and all the other every day stuff that, many times, I put my time with God aside until “later”. Only “later” never gets here. I know, I know. So sue me cuz I am not the perfect Christian. Still striving, still growing and still somewhat surprised when I get something right. Hey, ya got to enjoy the journey.

I got this email from my sister, Barbara today. Here is something simple enough for even me to keep in mind.

Ten Commandment s

Some people have trouble with all those ’shall’s’ and ’shall not’s’ in the Ten commandments. Folks just aren’t used to talking in those terms.. So, in middle Tennessee they translated the ‘King James’ into ‘Jackson County’ language….. no joke, (posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church inGainesboro , TN)

(1) Just one God
(2) Put nothin’ before God
(3) Watch yer mouth
(4) Git yourself to Sunday meetin’
(5) Honor yer Ma & Pa
(6) No killin’
(7) No foolin’ around with another fellow’s gal (or another gal’s fellow)
( Don’t take what ain’t yers
(9) No tellin’ tales or gossipin’
(10) Don’t be hankerin’ for yer buddy’s stuff

Now that’s plain an’ simple.   Y’all have a nice day.

Italics were added by me. Hope I didn’t make things more complicated by doing that, but I needed to hear it that way.

thanks sis.

catching ZZZZs

Today was  somewhat of a lazy day. I did laundry and put away 3 out of 8 of my trunks and luggage. I made an appointment to go downtown for a haircut. Woo, it is short, but cute. It started pouring rain while I was in the salon. It slowed down just long enough for me to reach my car and then poured again. I made it home safely and, believe it or not, the rain slowed down until I got in the door. Then a new deluge came down.

What is it about a rainy day that makes a nap sound like heaven? I am not much for lying down in the middle of the day. I am too hyper for that most of the time. Today, however, I made an exception to the norm and pulled those covers over my head for about an hour. Ahhh, bliss.

I am a little depressed over the fact that I gained 3 pounds while in Mass. I just don’t have the will power to say NO to dessert or french fries when I am working. Ed went out almost every day to buy me a salad for my lunch. As much as that helped me, I still managed to eat the wrong things the rest of the time. (sigh) I fell off the ragamuffin-top challenge too. Too depressing. So I went out and bought a new outfit for curch tomorrow. It has a BIG shirt to cover my BIG belly!

OK, that’s enough fat talk. I think I will go out and watch A League of their own with Ed. I need a good chuckle.

on the road

We are coming home TODAY!!

As blessed as I am to have the job I have, I am always most excited when the jobs are complete and I am on my way home. I miss my church family, I miss my dogs and I miss my home. I don’t really miss my husband though. That sounds pretty bad… unless you know that Special Ed is with me on this job.

We are sitting in our hotel room, drinking coffee from the lobby and shaking the cobwebs out of our heads. Getting ready for a 7 hour drive to Wilmington. Our Pet Nanny will have Bella and Daisy at the house waiting for us. They give us such a sweet homecoming. Tails wagging like helicopter whirlybirds, Bodies wiggling all over with excitement until they flop on the floor from exhaustion with bellies showing just waiting for a tummy rub. I get puppy kisses from Bella. Daisy is much too dignified a lady to take part in such a sloppy show of affection. I never allowed a dog to give kisses before but somehow, we let this cute, sweet tempered, black, love muffin get away with it. I love my dogs.

This trip has been very fruitful. I made some new friends and got to see some old friends again. I discovered that one of the products that I use primarily on ethnic hair works wonders for our Native actors with long hair. I had the pleasure of spoiling these folks on a daily basis and it was so much fun for me because they appreciated everything that was done for them. A lot of the Natives that worked on this shoot are Pow-wow dancers. They dress in the most beautiful regalia and wear some intricate hairstyles and head pieces for the dance. They teased me about flying me in to do the Pow-wow circut with them. Apparently, folks follow the pow-wows and set up a booth to do hair for the dancers. Who knows, I may have found my next gig.