Day 27--Is It Me Or Is This Taking Longer Than Supposed To?

Day 27 → What’s the best thing going for you right now?   Without a doubt--my marriage.  My husband is the best thing that's ever happened to me.  He fits me to a T.  We've been together for 36 years--married for 35--and the love we have is stronger than ever.  He "gets" me.  There's a line in a Trace Adkins song that I think describes us perfectly...."There was a time when love was a flower, now it's a vine climbing up the tower".  A flower may be pretty, but it's delicate and sometimes fleeting.  A vine is clinging and strong and difficult to uproot.  That's how I think of the love Darrell and I share.

Hodgepodge

 Seems forever since I did the Hodgepodge!  Been having withdrawals--for reals!

1. Do you think the world became a more dangerous place on September 11, 2001 or did we just become more aware of the danger? How has your own life changed as a result of that day?  I think we're just more aware.  My life hasn't really changed much.  We didn't travel by air a lot before that date, so the security measures adopted afterward weren't an adjustment.

2. Did you think your parents were too strict when you were growing up? How about in hindsight?   I think they were too strict.  It didn't seem they ever trusted me, so I lived up (or down) to their expectations.

3. Share one random but candid fact about yourself.  I can't swim.

4. Would your nearest and dearest describe you as simple or far too complicated?   Mega-complicated!

5. What is your favorite stadium or carnival food?  Fried dough...yum

6. Tornado, hurricane, earthquake...how many of these natural disasters have you experienced? Which event do you think would be the scariest?   All three!  There was a major earthquake in Italy just a month or so before we were stationed there in 1976.  We experienced several aftershocks.  We lived in NC when Hurricane Hugo came inland.  As a result of Hugo and a tornado earlier that spring, I am very nervous when it's windy.  I don't mind thunder or lightning, but wind scares me to death.

7. Labor Day weekend is approaching so a work related question seems appropriate. Growing up, did your parents assign you regular chores? Were you paid for doing those chores? If you're a parent do you assign chores to your own children? Why or why not?    I don't remember doing chores when I was little, but as I got older, I was expected to make my bed every day (which I still do) and do the dishes.  We didn't have a dishwasher and doing dishes meant washing, drying, and putting away.  None of this leaving them to air dry.  Once I was allowed to stay home alone during the summers, I was responsible for cleaning the house and mowing the yard.  Rarely did I have an allowance.  My kids did have chores.  There were 4 of them and only me and my husband (who worked long hours and often attended school).  I worked full time, so we all had to pitch in to get things done.

That last question was inspired by a post Mindee wrote on Monday. Everyone go say hi to Mindee-she blogs at Our Front Door and she's funny. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.   Kindergarten is a wonderful thing.  My house is semi-quiet again.

Day 26

Day 26 → Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?   Many, many times.  I've suffered from depression for about as long as I can remember.  Most of the time, it boils down to my perfectionism and not living up to my own expectations.  Disappointment and rejection also factor in.  I've written on here about the abyss I feel myself falling into and how sometimes I fight and do everything I can to prevent it--and other times I just don't have the energy and just let it happen.  Darrell has the power to coax me out of it--once I finally let him in.

#20 + 5

Day 25 → The reason you believe you’re still alive today.   Because I'm a slow learner.  The Lord has things for me to learn and do while I'm here, and I need to get busy!

Twenty & Four

Day 24 → Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)

I actually did this for one of Darrell's Christmas presents one year.  I called it "Darrell's Oh No, She's In One of Her Moods Again, But I Know She Still Loves Me" tape.  Guess it was further back than I thought--it was a cassette!  These are all songs that remind me of Darrell for one reason or another.  He is my best friend, my lover, my rock, the love of my life. 

Fooled Around and Fell in Love--Elvin Bishop

You're The One That I Want--Olivia Newton John & John Travolta

Still the One--Orleans

Bless The Broken Road--Rascal Flatts

Keeper of the Stars--Tracy Byrd

You Sexy Thing--Hot Chocolate

Paradise by the Dashboard Light--Meatloaf

You Leave Me Weak--Toby Keith

It's Your Love--Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

One of Those Nights--Trace Adkins

Two of a Kind--Garth Brooks

I Hit the Mother Lode!

Yard sales were awesome today!

 This little table was actually a bookoo find--only $15!  Do you have bookoo in your area?  You should check.  It's almost as good as craigslist!

Huge picture with gorgeous frame--$10!  My plan is to remove the print and replace it with cork to make a bulletin board for my office.

Beautiful mirrors!  Top one was $3 and the bottom one was $2.  I'm keeping the top one!

Great step stool to help little ones reach the sink--$2

Another step stool ($3) to help little ones reach the $50 trampoline we got last week!

Lovely old table for $5--needs a little TLC

Hanging candleholders--$2 each--wish you could see the true colors

I've always wanted some of these old spools--$1 each!--keeping these, too

Light globe--50 cents--putting this in the garden with a touch light in it

My favorite color combination is red/black/white.  The large carry on bag was $3 and the smaller red (my favorite color) was $2.  Guess what?  Keeping these, too!

Old metal wagon--$5

Maple bookcase headboard--$10--included the rails and footboard

Mission style coffee table--$15--keeping this to use for removing/storing shoes at the back door

Bike--$15

Wooden ladder--$7--planning to whitewash this and use it in the booth to display quilts

We wound up calling both husbands to bring trucks to transport all our loot--after filling up Liz's car!  We traded vehicles with Darrell and kept going.  This is what the truck looked like as we finally made our way home!

22 & 23

Day 22 → Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.   Being sexually active in my teens.  Would have saved me a lot of heartache for more reasons than one.  Among those regrets is not coming to my husband clean and pure.  I often told my children that one day they would wish they'd never even held hands with another person.  Too true.

Day 23 → Something you wish you had done in your life.  Gone to college while I was young.  Would have been so much easier then.

Saturday Shoutouts

Let Me Be Enough

Foolish Kids.  Bad Parents. 

Day 21 → (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?

Feel guilty.  Get depressed.  Eat chocolate.  Feel guiltier.  If she was only hurt, definitely contact her in person to straighten things out.  If the worst happened, I would continue to feel guilty and depressed for a long time.  Though I would "talk" to her in my mind and tell her how sorry I was and that I loved her, I would still feel bad.

Twenty

Day 20 → Your views on drugs and alcohol.  Wastes of money.  If I'm going to lose control of myself, I'd rather it be with a credit card at the mall--or better yet Lowes or Home Depot!   The high is just as good, plus you have something to show for it afterwards besides a criminal record or hangover!

Days 18 & 19

Day 18 → Your views on gay marriage.   100% against

Day 19 → What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?   One of the great things about this country is freedom of religion--not freedom FROM religion.  If I'm supposed to tolerate the beliefs of others, they in turn should do the same for me.  As far as politics go, I am very conservative in my views. 

Day 17

Day 17 → A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.   You know, nothing really jumps out at me.  I read a lot.  Whenever I have a question or concern about something, my first instinct is to look for a book on the subject.   This can be both good and bad--I get the information, but I can't always remember where I found it.  A few favorites include The Book of Mormon, The Last Lecture, I Didn't Plan to be a Witch, and Sink Reflections.

My Updated Map

visited 33 states (66%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or another interesting project

Saturday Shoutouts

What I Learned About Mothering By Watching Millionaire Matchmaker

 Just...breathe.... 

 Solar S'mores

 

Frustration, Exhaustion, and Cheating Death

What a day!  My sweet hubby let me sleep in till 7:30!  I've been getting up at 5:15 to drive my daughter to work, but he offered to do so today and, caring wife that I am, I let him.  Once I was up, he started bugging me about going to some yard sales.  Since we'd have to take a 4-year-old with us, I wasn't too keen on the idea, but finally surrendered when someone put up a sign across the street.  I love to go to yard sales on Fridays--most people are at work, so the competition is scarce and the bargains are abundant.  Not so in this case!  I knew we were in trouble when we pulled up and no less than a dozen vehicles were parked along the road.  People everywhere.  I spotted several pretties, but this heifer of a little old lady kept walking all over me and others and snatching stuff up.  She got all kinds of goodies for $20!  Lots of glassware.  I saw which truck she was putting things in and was sorely tempted to sneak a few things out while she went back for more.  But I'm a good little girl and resisted.  I managed to spend $5:

These 4 little teacups and saucers were $1--and they are Wedgwood!  The seller said they are a replica of the Queen's china.

 Got these trays for $.75 each and the wooden candlestick for a quarter.  It'll make a great pedestal for a plate or wooden bowl.  The flag tray is in really good shape and the other isn't too bad.  Should I paint them or leave alone?  They're both going to the flea market booth.

When I go to pick my daughter up from work, I usually take 3-year-old Bubba with me.  Within 5 miles, he's sound asleep and stays that way till we get home.  That gives him enough of a nap so he stays happy, but still goes to bed at a decent hour.  Today he must have been really tired, because he stayed asleep while I brought him inside and laid him on the couch.

Lastly, my guardian angel was on duty big time this afternoon.  I blow dry my hair most days, and in these dog days of summer, it can get mighty hot in my bedroom.  I have pretty thick hair, so I set the dryer as high possible.  I have on occasion been known to try and have the window AC on while doing my hair--which usually leads to a tripped circuit.  Today I did not have the AC on and was going about my merry way, when WHAM!  Loud pop and bright spark of light and the whole room goes dark.  I called to Darrell, who patiently went and checked the circuits.  Pretty soon, everything came back on.  I turned on the hair dryer and...nothing.  So I hit the reset button.  Still...nothing.  I squatted on the floor near the outlet to make sure I hit the reset button correctly--all the time holding the dryer in my left hand.  About that time, Darrell came in and asked "where's the cord?"  I said "right here....uhhh, where IS the cord?"  Apparently, that spark I saw was the cord "exploding" off the dryer!  Glad somebody up there likes me!