5/13/10

A Mother's Day Surprise

I just checked my mail for the first time in days, and was surprised to find a Mother's Day card from an anonymous source. (Although his handwriting is so distinct he could never be considered anonymous). I don't know if he reads this blog, or if he would mind my sharing... but it was the most beautiful gift I could have ever asked for, and the cause of many tears.

How blessed I am to have great people in my life! Last Mother's Day I was not given a gift. This Mother's Day made up for it.


My first Mother's Day card from "Gracie"

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Mother -

I know many times you have been concerned about my well being and development. You have fretted and stressed about making the right decisions in your life so as to insure that mine would be one of privilege and promise. You have sacrificed, gone without, and lived each day so as to offer me an environment of growth and love.

I know you wondered if I would recognize the love and effort you have poured into my life since that first moment you held me in your arms. You accepted any sacrifice and hardship, but wondered if I would feel and know of the intense and tender love you have for me. Mom, I want to say this to you now - so that you know I appreciate EVERYTHING you have done. I could not ask for a better guide, friend, and mother. You have touched me in a way you can't imagine . I will never forget what you have done or what you are to me.

Forever yours

Your Gracie.

A work in progress

In March I started a remodel of my home, and worked like crazy for 3 weeks. I lived in my paint-clothes and went days without showering. (So what!? I was a freakin' machine). I planned on posting "after" pictures long ago, but keep putting it off because there are details I want to complete before doing so. I'm realizing that the details will never be finished - so I'd better just post what is done.

To Do:
Make pelmet boxes for front room
2nd layer of paint on kitchen cabinets
Install all cabinet doors
Install hardware on cabinets

Without further ado... my constant work in progress

Phase 1: When I bought my home.
Phase 2: My "married" home
Phase 3: My authentic (single) home












I made this pelmet box by following these directions

... Now to start on the basement... :)

5/10/10

Beyond frustrating!

No no no no no no no no!!!! I am so so SO bummed! SO BUMMED! I need to rant. It's either type it out or cry it out, so I'm gonna go with type. You can stop reading now - here I go.

My apple mail has been funky lately, so yesterday I took the initiative to fix it, even though I had no clue what I was doing. I decided to be independent and update it on my own, so I did a little research, read a couple articles then followed the directions, switching from gmail POP to gmail IMAP, hoping that would fix the glitch. Things started to get messy with both accounts going at once, so to avoid confusion I simply deleted my original account. Problem solved.

10 minutes ago I realized that, in doing so, I lost ALL of my drafts! I had been using drafts as a quick (and lazy) method to organize my thoughts and inspiration, and had at least 50 letters in there! Unsent letters to my x during our divorce, meant for my journal, inspirational quotes I had gathered, chats I'd copied and pasted that gave me motivation, ideas for direction in my life and how to be the best mother I can be, quick tips and tricks, links to articles to read, things to blog about, history of events for my journal, quick thoughts on Gracie, etc. I can't even begin to express my disappointment!

Now I show 21,302 unread messages, and I don't even care. I'm DONE messing with things - and just happy to know that NOW my drafts will be saved to a server, instead of just my computer. Lesson learned.

C'est la vie.

5/7/10

- randomness -


I can't get enough! (so unlike me)


I want a bed that inspires me.

Must... Buy. Chopsticks I can actually EAT with.

My new favorite combo. Blue and white. Clean, fresh and happy!

LOVE this photo! Can I please be the girl behind the mask?!


I MUST find this for my Maltese this Halloween


Fo' Shizzle! (I was caught off guard too)
I've been wanting a change to my hair color. I think this might be it...

I'm SO doing this in my basement... Never enough wall space to show-off my Gracie.

I'm excited to fall inlove again. (Not soon - but someday)

4/23/10

I loveth mine angel

I beseech thee, wilt thou permit me to speaketh my mind? Methinks I am blessed in abundance, with my bairn whom oft lighteth my path, e'en as the glorious midday sun. Wherefore, she doth quench mine anguish and maketh mine heart rejoice. Verily, e'en as I gi' her love, she returneth it o'er 100 fold. Mayhap thou wast privy, but, by your leave, indulge thy cousin, I pray thee. Ne'er hath I been gi'n a greater source o' strength. Methinks there casn't any canker-blossom come betwixt us.

I learned that today was "Talk like Shakespeare Day" and I couldn't resist. Any excuse to talk about my daughter. Hope you had a great "Talk like Shakespeare day" lol. Seriously... who celebrates this stuff? ;)

4/20/10

A "CRAPPY" LESSON IN PROCRASTINATION

Eight months of dog poo is no small amount! (That got your attention). Allow me to indulge you in a story: (It looks long but is so worth the read).

Picking up "fecal matter" is a repulsive, degrading and downright dirty task - making it far to easy to procrastinate. Last Fall I put it off for several weeks, telling myself daily, "I'll do it tomorrow." Tomorrow came, and my husband surprised me with divorce papers. Suddenly, picking up poo became the least of my worries.

My back yard quickly became a war-zone, perilous landmines scattered within every stepping distance. I ignored it for six weeks as I desperately fought to save my marriage - a fight I lost. I was greeted with winter, and the accumulating landmines were enshrouded under a blanket of beautiful white snow. I was at ease.

Until Spring arrived. With the snow now gone, and the soil heating up, the dreadful state (and smell) of my back yard was apparent, revealing eight months of damage. I knew I had to undertake the daunting task eventually... so I grabbed an old garbage bag and went to work.


Two days later I was done! I stood with pride as I admired the fresh earth and huge bag of poo before me - a testament of the feat I had so "courageously" accomplished. (Imagine head held high, hands on hips, legs planted firm and wide, and chest in air. Yeah. It was good to be me). Now to throw it away.

To throw it away. Hmmm... to throw it away. It was heavier than I had expected. I didn't really take that into consideration during the monotonous two days of work. How was I gonna get it into the dumpster? No problem - nothing a little momentum couldn't take care of. I held the dumpster lid up with one hand while mustering all my strength in the other. Swinging the bag I counted silently, "One...two.." (You see it coming, don't you)?

"SHIIIIIIIIIII....P!" (Only I'm pretty sure I didn't use a "P." In this case, completely appropriate)! I was utterly shocked as the bag ripped open and poo rained down upon me in all its forms; old, new, soft, hard, wet, dry, fresh and composted. The best I could do was to cower, as the final mist of pungent poo settled over me, the acrid smell inundating my unsuspecting nostrils. Of course, the wind was against me, insuring complete coverage. (Hilarious, I know).

I let out a loud and excessively long yell of disgust, as I glanced down my street searching for witnesses. I was alone. Are you serious? Did that really just happen? AND NO ONE EVEN SAW IT?! I burst out laughing, as I began brushing myself off and spitting poo-dust from my mouth, still stupefied over what had just happened. I grabbed my push broom, defeated, and began, once again, to clean up 8 months worth of dog-poo, laughing the entire time.

Moral of the story: Clean up life's poo before it's so heavy you're covered in it! I don't know... that or "Use a hefty bag when cleaning up after your dogs." Either way, you get the idea.

The end.

4/17/10

13 Miles with a Smile

13.1, actually. I just ran the Salt Lake City 1/2 marathon and have such a sense of accomplishment! I thought I'd only get that from a marathon but I was wrong. I also thought 1/2 marathon would be easy. Wrong again! I was planning on a marathon this year, but in this moment I have a TINY taste of what it would consist of and now I'm not so sure. Who would do that to themselves?!

Ok. I will. (might) Just give me time to recover and get stupid again.

It was so fun to see people from every walk of life: The young and old, thin and not-so-thin, (and the thin-thin-thin), punks and preps, men and women. There were nearly 4400 participants in the 1/2 marathon alone, 2662 of which were women. I came in 1210 place, 469th in women. Amazing? Not really. BUT... My time was 1:55:55 (an 8:51 mile pace), an entire 11 minutes better than my goal! I ran the entire race without stopping once, and I can say I did my best. Therein lies the satisfaction. As I finished up the last mile I kept telling myself over and over, "You'll never regret giving it your all, you'll never regret giving it your all."

I was right.

Those same words have been running through my mind the last 6 months of life. I love Hebrews 12:1 and have it on my fridge: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

I haven't been entirely consistent nor patient in the race set before me, walking at times and probably even lying down once in awhile. I do, however, have a sure knowledge that if I can just press my way to the top of every hill, giving it my all, there is always relief provided in the much-welcomed downhill. I also have the sure knowledge that at the bottom of every down-hill, the uphill starts. Such is life, and life will never change. We either conquer each hill, or each hill conquers us.

Everyday I remind myself that now is the time to run with patience (trusting God) the race that is set before me....for I will never regret giving it my all.

Thank you to my friend, Catherine, for coming over at 5:30 am to watch Gracie while she slept, for breakfast after, and for stopping the car so I could puke 10 minutes later lol.

WHAT A GREAT DAY! I made a friend in the parking garage and we entertained each other the whole way up. A girlfriend. (Don't be ridiculous). Amy. Thanks to her - I got a picture of my first race. I have a feeling there will be many more to come.