I rarely watch television. It probably happens two or three times a year for something I think my kids would like to see like the Superbowl. In fact, we went for a few years without any channels, so we really got out of the habit. We have Netflix and watch DVDs, but that is about it.
A few nights ago, I got an email informing me that someone we know composed a medley for the opening number of the Tony Awards. This isn't too surprising because he is a famous composer that works on lots of movies and television shows. My kids are related to the composer, so I made sure that we watched. We were extra pleased to see that James Corden was hosting. His Carpool Karaoke cracks us up.
The opening number was amazing, so I thought I'd share it here:
Monday, June 13, 2016
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
The Truth About Cancer Series
Some years, like my last few, I feel like I kind of float through life. Nothing too terrible happens and nothing extraordinary blesses me either. That is how I have felt about my last couple of years. It hasn't been easy, but I am floating along and managing.
Honestly, that isn't how life goes all the time. Some years are full of life-changing/world defining experiences. Those things set you off on a different course. I am talking about positive experiences like getting married, having a baby, buying a house, moving across the country, having a religious awakening, taking an international trip as well as awful experiences like the death of a loved one, battling cancer, a horrific car accident, getting raped, etc.
For me, the years 2005 and 2006 were definitely life changing. 2005 started off with lots of promise. My husband (at the time) and I were house hunting. We found one that we liked and bought it. We also started going to a fertility specialist. We'd been married about 2 years and pregnancy was apparently not happening on its own. Right after we moved into our new house, my mother-in-law informed us that she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. About a week or two later, I discovered that I was pregnant (during the testing process of fertility). About a week after that, I got a call from my sister informing me that my dad had terminal brain cancer that was extremely aggressive.
Talk about BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM. Of course, the joy of having a baby on the way definitely lessened the blow for me of the cancer news. I just kept thinking about the circle of life.
My dad passed away at the age of 56 when I was about 7 months pregnant. He suffered through numerous surgeries to remove multiple brain tumors along with chemo and radiation. He couldn't communicate when the tumors were taking over, so they would cut them out. That gave him about a week of talking before he shut down again. It got to the point where the surgeries were taking place every 2 weeks. I would definitely say it got fairly ridiculous. I finally called all 5 of my siblings and talked to them about just letting him be done with this life. It wasn't an easy conversation, but we are all religious and believe that much better things lie ahead for him. We were spread out over the US, but were able to visit him for Thanksgiving right after that decision had been made. He couldn't talk to us, but he definitely knew we were there. His eyes and hand squeezes said it all. When we headed home, he stopped eating and drinking. A week later, he was gone.
My mother-in-law lasted a year after her diagnoses. She also had surgeries, hospital stays, chemo, radiation, and all that. Our experiences with hospice and difficult decisions with my dad made it easier to navigate through her end of life. It was still heart wrenching, but we knew more about how it should be handled and what everything meant.
There are lots of lessons I learned from those experiences. One of them being that I didn't want to subject myself to all that cancer patients go through. If given a terminal cancer diagnoses, I would simply thank them and head home to live the best I could. I may do a surgery or two to remove huge tumors, but that would probably be it.
Since then, I definitely am interested in information on holistic methods of dealing with cancer and all that entails. Healthy eating, juicing, supplements, essential oils, reducing your toxic load, exercising, ...Why not try?
This week, I have been enjoying the online series called the Truth About Cancer. So far, my favorite episodes were Day 2 (essential oils) & Day 3 (juicing). Obviously, those were things I already have an interest in. I do not buy everything they say hook, line & sinker, but there is definitely lots of tips and things to consider. When it is all over, I may type up a few things that I learned.
Honestly, that isn't how life goes all the time. Some years are full of life-changing/world defining experiences. Those things set you off on a different course. I am talking about positive experiences like getting married, having a baby, buying a house, moving across the country, having a religious awakening, taking an international trip as well as awful experiences like the death of a loved one, battling cancer, a horrific car accident, getting raped, etc.
Talk about BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM. Of course, the joy of having a baby on the way definitely lessened the blow for me of the cancer news. I just kept thinking about the circle of life.
My dad passed away at the age of 56 when I was about 7 months pregnant. He suffered through numerous surgeries to remove multiple brain tumors along with chemo and radiation. He couldn't communicate when the tumors were taking over, so they would cut them out. That gave him about a week of talking before he shut down again. It got to the point where the surgeries were taking place every 2 weeks. I would definitely say it got fairly ridiculous. I finally called all 5 of my siblings and talked to them about just letting him be done with this life. It wasn't an easy conversation, but we are all religious and believe that much better things lie ahead for him. We were spread out over the US, but were able to visit him for Thanksgiving right after that decision had been made. He couldn't talk to us, but he definitely knew we were there. His eyes and hand squeezes said it all. When we headed home, he stopped eating and drinking. A week later, he was gone.
My mother-in-law lasted a year after her diagnoses. She also had surgeries, hospital stays, chemo, radiation, and all that. Our experiences with hospice and difficult decisions with my dad made it easier to navigate through her end of life. It was still heart wrenching, but we knew more about how it should be handled and what everything meant.
There are lots of lessons I learned from those experiences. One of them being that I didn't want to subject myself to all that cancer patients go through. If given a terminal cancer diagnoses, I would simply thank them and head home to live the best I could. I may do a surgery or two to remove huge tumors, but that would probably be it.
Since then, I definitely am interested in information on holistic methods of dealing with cancer and all that entails. Healthy eating, juicing, supplements, essential oils, reducing your toxic load, exercising, ...Why not try?
This week, I have been enjoying the online series called the Truth About Cancer. So far, my favorite episodes were Day 2 (essential oils) & Day 3 (juicing). Obviously, those were things I already have an interest in. I do not buy everything they say hook, line & sinker, but there is definitely lots of tips and things to consider. When it is all over, I may type up a few things that I learned.
Friday, April 01, 2016
During the Day
My kids asked me what I do during the day when they are in school. They know I have a full time job, but they seem to think I'm lonely or bored or something. I decided to make a little video to show them. ☺
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
My 15 Year Old Self
About an hour ago, a mutual friend who happens to be somewhere in between our ages, followed in her footsteps. However, her life has been quite different. She also married young. In fact, she married her high school sweetheart, who turned out to be abusive to her and their kids. She is now re-married to a wonderful guy, but she is still dealing with the abusive ex's behavior towards the kids. I think it is safe to say that she feels she has been raked over the coals. Her conclusion was that her 15 year old self would be scared to death, but would be proud of her current self.
Because both of them did this little exercise, I wondered about my 15 year old self. It was quite a long time ago for me. I know that I thought I knew a lot more about life than I actually did. I pretty much knew everything. What a fun age! Well, I would NEVER have guessed that I would end up living in Texas, being divorced, being a single mom, having a career where I worked from home on my computer, and basically a million more things in life.
Even though life is a huge messy ball of twine, I am actually happier now than I was then. Mainly, that is because I simply crave independence. I couldn't wait to move out and be on my own. Now that I think about it, being a single mom is about the most independent you can be. I don't have to compromise or ever check with anyone about their opinions.
Many parts of life could be better. I always wanted kids, lots of kids. I feel blessed to have 2 amazing ones. They are a huge part of my happiness. Of course, I dreamed of my own knight-in-shining-armor who I would live happily ever after with. I still do. ..Maybe one day that will come true and I will even happily compromise on many things. My 15 year old self can just continue dreaming.
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Christmas Eve 2016
The holidays are starting off quite fun with family this year. My mom & step-dad came to town before Halloween. They are staying in an RV park about 20 minutes away. We have gone up to see my step-sister & her family several times. My sister came today. She'll be here from Dec 24th until today (Jan 1st). We haven't been around family during the holidays for the last 4 years. It is especially nice to have my mom around to do a lot of the cooking.
This evening (Christmas Eve), we had a special dinner and talent show. Here our Santa place settings:
Lexi and Paige were next. They sung a song that Lexi wrote:
Jordan was next with the 12 days of Christmas. This is a song he LOVES to sing, especially when he is taking a bath:
My mom recited a clever poem about a boy that didn't believe in Santa.
My step-father wrapped it up with a song that Lexi & Paige helped a little with:
Finally, we opened our one present on Christmas Eve to find that it is always what we get the night before Christmas - our pjs.
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Page 45 Says It All
Today, I came across something on the internet that said:
Pick Up the Book Nearest to You and Turn to Page 45. The first complete sentence describe your sex life.
I chuckled and thought, yeah right! ...but I did it anyway even though there was a pile of books for youth. You can bet I was shocked how accurate this was.
Book 1: Aliens on Vacation by Clete Barrett Smith
Page 45: Oh no. ** too true
I decided to try a few.
Book 2: The Vanishing Coin by Kate Egan
Page 45: He noticed the welcome mat again. **not sure who "he" is & who might be welcomed again.
Book 3: The Giver by Lois Lowry
Page 45: But only one. **very good advice
Book 4: Diary of a Wimpy Kid #8
Page 45: Ok, you know things are bad when even your little brother has more friends than you. **sad
Book 5: Elvis & Olive by Stephanie Watson
Page 45: Oops! **Yes, I figured that out by now.
Book 6; Nancy Drew Diaries, Curse of the Arctic Star by Carolyn Keene
Page 45: She hit the button on the keyboard and grimaced. *is this because I am avoiding online dating?
Well, there you have it. Perhaps the answer is to check out different books in the library.
Pick Up the Book Nearest to You and Turn to Page 45. The first complete sentence describe your sex life.
I chuckled and thought, yeah right! ...but I did it anyway even though there was a pile of books for youth. You can bet I was shocked how accurate this was.
Book 1: Aliens on Vacation by Clete Barrett Smith
Page 45: Oh no. ** too true
I decided to try a few.
Book 2: The Vanishing Coin by Kate Egan
Page 45: He noticed the welcome mat again. **not sure who "he" is & who might be welcomed again.
Book 3: The Giver by Lois Lowry
Page 45: But only one. **very good advice
Book 4: Diary of a Wimpy Kid #8
Page 45: Ok, you know things are bad when even your little brother has more friends than you. **sad
Book 5: Elvis & Olive by Stephanie Watson
Page 45: Oops! **Yes, I figured that out by now.
Book 6; Nancy Drew Diaries, Curse of the Arctic Star by Carolyn Keene
Page 45: She hit the button on the keyboard and grimaced. *is this because I am avoiding online dating?
Well, there you have it. Perhaps the answer is to check out different books in the library.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Popular Body Types That Were "In"
I like this clip because it shows just how silly humans are when it comes to what looks beautiful or is "in."
Monday, May 04, 2015
Modern Chivalry
My dating life is about as boring as EVER. ...yes, that means that I am NOT dating at all. If I ever find someone that peaks my interest, I'll definitely make time for him. However, checking out a million random guys in an effort to find a good date seems like a gigantic process with little reward. For now, I am leaving it up to destiny/fate/a PURE miracle or to a time when I change my mind about that.
The one thing that I have noticed over the (almost) 6 years as a single mom is that guys from the past like to make contact and catch up. I am beginning to believe that guys are more nostalgic than women and that they just might have better memories than we give them credit for (better than I do anyway). When it comes to this, Facebook has really changed the world. I would never have guessed that a guy I was casual friends with over 20 years ago would private message me to "catch up."
I am not sure what to make of it, but I have noticed their similarities:
1. None of them live anywhere near me (not even in this huge state of Texas or a surrounding state).
2. They are all on their second marriage.
3. They all had AWFUL first marriages - their ex-wive's fault of course. They shared a few stories & I believe them.
4. They all seemed happy in their second marriage, but haven't bragged about their current wife.
5. They remember much more about me than I remember about them.
6. They considered us closer friends that I did.
7. They told me that they saw my picture and I still look the same/am beautiful.
8. They all told me that they had a crush or really liked me back in the day.
9. These catch-up sessions seem to last a few weeks and then taper off.
Only one or two suggested anything inappropriate. Mostly, they have been really respectful and genuinely kind. I am wondering if this is modern chivalry. They must know that divorce can blow self-esteem out of the water. I certainly don't fish for compliments or go out of my way to make it known that I am single. They probably notice that I use my maiden name. This catching-up could be their good deed and a way for them to share their woes for a little therapy. I like to remind them to spoil their current wife.
The one thing that I have noticed over the (almost) 6 years as a single mom is that guys from the past like to make contact and catch up. I am beginning to believe that guys are more nostalgic than women and that they just might have better memories than we give them credit for (better than I do anyway). When it comes to this, Facebook has really changed the world. I would never have guessed that a guy I was casual friends with over 20 years ago would private message me to "catch up."
I am not sure what to make of it, but I have noticed their similarities:
1. None of them live anywhere near me (not even in this huge state of Texas or a surrounding state).
2. They are all on their second marriage.
3. They all had AWFUL first marriages - their ex-wive's fault of course. They shared a few stories & I believe them.
4. They all seemed happy in their second marriage, but haven't bragged about their current wife.
5. They remember much more about me than I remember about them.
6. They considered us closer friends that I did.
7. They told me that they saw my picture and I still look the same/am beautiful.
8. They all told me that they had a crush or really liked me back in the day.
9. These catch-up sessions seem to last a few weeks and then taper off.
Only one or two suggested anything inappropriate. Mostly, they have been really respectful and genuinely kind. I am wondering if this is modern chivalry. They must know that divorce can blow self-esteem out of the water. I certainly don't fish for compliments or go out of my way to make it known that I am single. They probably notice that I use my maiden name. This catching-up could be their good deed and a way for them to share their woes for a little therapy. I like to remind them to spoil their current wife.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Price of Shame
I haven't thought about Monica Lewinsky in a long time. Then I saw this video below. I am so glad to see that she seems to be rising above all that happened when she was so young. At the time, I didn't really know what to think, but I truly felt sorry for all that she had to face and would face in the future. Now, she is speaking up and has many good points. Best quote, "Shame cannot survive empathy."
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
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