Sometimes you might as well stay in bed

There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about the things that I could of done or that I should of done or I should of planned... Sometimes you can overdo it too. The real reason for this post is not to talk about what I could have or should have done but who am I planning for.

Great ideas are just that; ideas. But until you do something with that idea, its nothing more than a really cool thought. You can't plan for someone else either. If you're trying to live vicariously through someone else you've already failed. The way you planned someone else's life may not be the way they wish to live it.

I often  struggle with the way my children think they should live. You see, I planned their life and what they would do in their careers when they grew up while they were still babies. Believe it or not everything that I had planned is not what they wanted to do. I'm sure you are shocked now. Nevertheless, that's how it is.

Whether or not I think they're doing what they should for their lives to be successful doesn't really matter if they don't see it that way. I can only hope for the best and hope that whatever I taught them sunk in.

Tomorrow is another day...

Ah, last day till the New Year!

Well, here's to brushing off 2011 and standing with hope that 2012 has something better in store than what we've experienced through 2011. The economy still struggling to regain it's ground, the US Government still bickering like 2nd graders on a playground about nothing important at all, families are still hoping for help to keep their homes, jobs, and savings accounts. With all the disasters of 2011, I'd like to say on the record that we have been fortunate to keep our jobs and even get a raise. We've not defaulted on any of our loans as of today and we're able to continue to move forward and even save a few dollars now and again. Our kids are struggling but that's to be expected in an economy that doesn't value their talents and even if they do, they're surely not going to pay them for their talent.

Things have been rough this 2011, but I'm hopeful (almost disgustingly optimistic) that 2012 will bring about the changes that inevitably come from such struggles as we've endured for 2011. Remember, American's shine in the face of adversity and fear is not an option. This is America; land of the free & home of the brave. We overcome and come out better than we went into the battle. No matter what it looks like, we will make it.

Happy New Year! My family welcomes 2012 with open arms!

Oh, and I cannot and will not forget; ELECTION YEAR!! VOTE THE BUMS OUT IN 2012!!

Barefoot and happy

Interesting how good a hardwood floor feels on your bare feet when its your home... We've managed to get to the 2nd step toward owning the home we're in. We moved out of our apartment, received our deposit back to us and are living in the home of our dreams. We both still have jobs and our kids are still doing just short of nothing to make their lives better...ooops, that should have been the next paragraph, HA!

It's the end of the year and I've felt the sting of memories try to rise up in my heart. I'm missing my loved ones who've passed on before me, missing my kids being young when it was fun to eat the holiday meal with just our fingers and I miss hearing the laughter of family and friends around the table (more so, when they had time to come by even for a beverage after dinner for just a short time). Nothing is the same as it is remembered by me. The laughter is different and so are the faces. Those that I wish to put my arms around and wish them the most wonderful Christmas and New Year couldn't care less about these human festivities. Their realities are much different now.

Some folks ask me how I can believe that there's something after this life. I just explain to them that there's no creator who could create all these things we love, admire and long for with such passion as we do that would allow that passion to end without anything beyond what we love, admire and long for here on this earth.

I can still close my eyes in the quiet of the day and hear the laughter of our family while the women fixed the Christmas meal. Grandpa's eyes were sparkling as he picked his banjo and sang his love song to the love of his life. My uncles were telling jokes and my aunts hushing kids as we all washed our hands to sit down. Even in all this chaos prior to the table, we all bowed our head to pray.

No gifts were exchanged, only hugs & kisses. We never missed a thing in our lives because love was the catalyst that held us together and the laughter was the joy of our lives. After dishes were done and all the stories were told and not one of us could sing another tune, Grandma would pull the pies from the safe and we'd all have a slice or 2.

Darkness was drawing the Christmas day to a close and family was all driving away. We waved from the porch of our old home place and began dreaming of our Christmas to come next year...

With love to all (who are here and gone) Merry Christmas <3

When I woke up...

When I woke up this morning, I realized that today was going to be another long one. I'd scheduled appointments for myself till after 5pm and without any thought to how I would be feeling. Today, I am sleepy and would enjoy going home a little earlier, but not so. I have a 5pm appointment and then a 5:30pm appointment that may last me till after 6:30pm. So much for a break.

I woke up feeling defeated and outnumbered. Thoughts about our financial status (income vs expense) and thought about our son who's still not any more motivated to get a job than he was when he lost his job at Wal-Mart. I thought about our daughter who's 3 months married now and in her new apartment and still needs mom and dad to help her financially. All these things are getting more expensive than I can handle. The up side to this situation is that my teeth are all good now (I loathe going to dentists) and even though the credit cards are an encumbrance, they're not maxed out. I am still able to pay our bills and have money left over to help others. Now, it's not nearly as much money as I'd like to have but you know what? I have learned that there's never enough money because you'll spend as much as you make; forgetting that you need to be more like the ant and less like the grasshopper...easier said than done...

I have a job!! How wonderful is that!? Likewise, I have opportunity for raises, and I love the job I have. I am thankful to God that I have it because it was by Him that I have it in the first place. He knew the kind of job I needed with my disability and provided it to me. Even when it was temporarily removed from my hands, it was returned to me and I am here almost 6 years now.

I am missing my husband now because he's on another out of state job (but thank God he has a job!). It is so lonely without him. I miss him terribly and it makes for a hard time sleeping without him beside me at night. After almost 20 years together, it does not get easier when he has to leave out of town.

Well, it's time to work. I'm not getting paid to post blogs (although that would be a nice 2nd job).

Till I visit again, God bless you and have a wonder filled day!

Tuesday morning rain

It's raining today in South Carolina's coast. It's good! Finally, some of the pollen will be washed away and the allergies will subside for the time being. We'll hope that this will wash it away for more than a couple of days.

Hubby is out somewhere south of Atlanta for the week and it makes for a lonely home with him away. Some days I'll be glad when I can go with him on his trips. I'm sure I can find somewhere to shop and plunder...lol.

The Cardinals are doing great this season!! Finally! I have loved the Cards since I was a young girl and it's good to see them doing so well now! Anyone catch that 20+ inning game? I watched the whole thing... that was tiring for me, I cannot imagine how tired those guys were at the end of that!

Have a great Tuesday : )

Diets & Sales

Well, I've been on a diet now for about 2 weeks. I've tried to do everything that this one calls for. It seems to be working for what I'm doing so I won't complain about it; yet.

Have you ever noticed the sale papers where you can shop for groceries at the best prices? Have you looked at what they have on sale? That would be the most shopped items in your area that you'll find on sale because they overload on them, and then liquidate them at the end of the next week. Whether that's how it works literally or not, it sure seems that way.

Today I was browsing one of the sale papers and saw foods I used to eat weekly that I cannot have right now. For one reason or another; yet, they are all on sale! Talk about a dieter's nightmare! LOL!

Eh, it won't last forever. Hopefully I'll be in the tankini by Summertime beach weather and it won't matter then anyway : )

Shouldn't there be a Black Friday sale today?

The day after the IRS tax deadline in the US, and not one mention of a "Black Friday" sale for today or through the weekend...?

You'd think someone in marketing would have picked up on this to get people shopping but I haven't seen it, yet.

With all the things that folks can do to save money, there's equal amounts of 'savings' that we can 'take advantage of' and essentially take the very savings that we're putting back for that rainy day out of hiding and into the 'shoppers light'. Who said penny pinching was fun?

This past decade saw its share of downs. Not even the wealthy Wall St. tycoons could avoid feeling the pain of it's 'shopping sprees'.

So, did everyone get their taxes filed? Probably not. I was reading in the newspaper (God knows they are the most reliable source) that 61 million Americans returns were yet to be received by the Internal Revenue Service. About 14 million had been or are in the process of being reviewed by the IRS. Out of the 61 million, there would be about 45 million who'd most likely file an extension. I was not one of those folks; thankfully.

I hope everyone took advantage of the Schedule M that was for your $800 credit under the "Making Work Pay" plan by Pres. Obama. : )If you didn't ask for yours then you're most likely not going to get it and if you've already filed without it, the only resolution is an amended return.

*yes, more tax forms... with instructions it'll be another 16 pages to review, work up and finalize. Enjoy!

Shhhh... it's still Friday -black or not- and I'm going to get some well deserved rest! I hope my one child is having fun in AR (Get a job sis!) and my other one enjoys "17" as long as it lasts...

Cya!