Sunday, April 28, 2013

Off And Runnin'

I guess Sally is right--I really have come a lot further than I give myself credit for.

A few short years ago, I would be physically ill right now, worrying about what stunts my husband, aka "The Derby Ambassador", aka "The Derby Sheriff" might pull this week. This year I just don't care. No butterflies in the stomach at the first mention of the "Run For The Roses", starting immediately after the new year. No anxiety as "Thunder" officially kicked things off last weekend.

Thank you God. Thank you Melody Beattie. Thank you Kate. Thank you my friends.

I truly, truly don't care any more.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

You Know Too Much

I was having a conversation with Scarlet tonight, and it sparked a thought. Is it better to know every little detail concerning the events around us, or are we (at least sometimes) better off being in the dark?

Thanks to television and the internet, we live in a society where we have information pouring in 24/7. Scandals and sordid information just waiting to seethe out.

It's human nature to want to know what's happening around us, but sometimes knowing too much changes things. Sometimes all it does is hurt us.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Quotes I Like

"Partnership, not dependence, is the real romance in marriage."
-Muriel Fox

Sunday, April 21, 2013

I Will Always Love You

This isn't the first time I've written about my mother's love of singing. I have memories of her singing with her brothers, or to the radio, or just walking through the house, singing for no reason, as far back as I can remember. A love that she passed on to me. She would always tell me, "Honey, just rare back and sing!"

This passion lives on in my daughter, who is now 13. She loves music, and she loves to sing. She knows it's in her blood, and she knows where it came from.

Today marked the 5th anniversary of the death of my mother. Naturally, it was on my mind, and I felt emotional. In the early part of the evening, I sat down on the couch to rest. It was very quiet in the house, and with a cat curled up on my lap, I dozed off. As I was beginning to wake, the sun was beginning to set. The light in the room was fading, and I could hear my daughter upstairs in the shower singing. I was thinking what a nice way that was to wake up. I didn't recognize the song she was singing, but I thought how pretty it was. It began to remind me of myself as a girl, and how my mother loved to hear me sing. I started thinking "Mom would love this". Then, a song I knew. "Stand By Your Man". She was only singing the chorus. I smiled, thinking not only would Mom love that, but so would Scarlett! Then it was quiet for a few seconds. As if she was regrouping. I heard her start to sing in the softest, prettiest voice, "If I...should stay....I would only be in...your way". Instantly tears filled my eyes. My baby girl sang "I Will Always Love You", the whole song, beginning to end, without missing a note or getting a word wrong. She sang it in the style of Dolly Parton, who of course wrote it, and who sings it very softly and with so much heartfelt sadness. I cried. I cried for many reasons. I cried because it was so damn pretty. I cried because I miss my mom, and I thought how much she would have loved hearing it--it was one of her favorite songs. I cried because the love of singing was in my daughter. I cried because I relate to the lyrics at this time in my life. I just cried.

When my daughter came out of the bathroom she saw I had been crying and asked what was wrong. I told her how her song had touched me, and how beautiful and meaningful it was; especially on this day. Tears began to stream down her sweet face. I told her how the gift of song was inside her because of her Mamaw. I told her my tears were tears of joy, not sadness, and that I was sure Mamaw had heard her sing today. She hugged me and I wiped her tears.

It was a beautiful moment I shared with my sweet daughter tonight. I think we'll both always remember it.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Nodrog's Curious Zoo: Part Two

It's not unusual for someone to have a pet rabbit. My daughter's friend had one once. Her parents got it for her on Easter. It lived in a cage in their basement, and when they would open the cage door to feed it, the rabbit would always attempt to escape. Sometimes he bit them trying to get out. When he did manage an escape, he would scurry underneath the clothes dryer, and getting him out was quite an ordeal. I think they kept him for about 3-4 months before they found him a new home at the pet store.

But this isn't the case with all pet rabbits. Nodrog has two rabbits, Peter and Bugs, and they don't live in a cage at all. They roam his house freely. He bought the rabbits at the 2005 State Fair. They were 4 1/2 months old, and won 1st place in their breed for coat. They are black Mini-Rex's. They've had free roam of his house since day one, and never go outside. Their main dietary staple is 3rd cut Timothy hay that he buys every three months from a farm in Washington state for about $40 for a 25 pound bale. They also eat various herbs he grows in his backyard, and a raisin or two as a treat. A bite of a carrot would be considered a treat too because of the sugar content. Carrot tops are fine, though. Mini-rex's are one of about 50 domesticated breeds of rabbit that descended from the wild European rabbit. Most of the time Peter and Bugs hang out in the bedroom, but they hop around anywhere they want. Nodrog has protected all his electrical cords with a metal mesh material called hardware cloth, and the motion sensors on his burglar alarm are tweaked so they don't set it off. Nodrog says he loves his two little fellas, and "they are great companions; aloof, like me, but wise and fascinating". And in case you are wondering...Peter and Bugs use a litter box.


Nodrog also has two backyard turtles that came from a friend's grandmother's farm, in Brandenburg. Her kids found one and then the other, and gave them to him. One of the turtles was pregnant, and two babies hatched in his backyard. This was the same summer he got Peter and Bugs. The little girl named one of the adults Michael, and the other one, Tommy. Nodrog raised the babies, Godzilla and Dave, in his house. They are fairly big now, but not the size of their parents. His privacy fence, along with bricks, keeps the adults safely in the yard, and they occasionally take a wade in his pond, though they are not aquatic turtles, they are tortoises (one is an Eastern Box, and he thinks one is an Ornate). In the winter, the outdoor turtles bury themselves underground. In fact, they just recently emerged from their hibernation. The outdoor turtles fend for themselves when it comes to food. They are omnivores, and eat basically anything, but he does give them veggies occassionally. He believes them to be young, maybe 10-15 years old. They can live to be more than 100. He feeds the indoor turtles veggies and chicken. Nodrog says "they are great fun, and very fast on their feet, and fascinating in a prehistoric dinosaur sort of a way to watch".

I just love hearing stories about these guys, and their adventures. Thank you Nodrog, for sharing the story of your wonderful pets!


Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Nodrog's Curious Zoo

My friend Nodrog is...well....unconventional. He does things his way, and that upsets a lot of people. Sometimes it upsets me, but I'm just happy to once again be part of the wonderful world that he lives in, and I'm happy he took an interest in my blog.

Nodrog has pets. But not dogs or cats. I asked him for permission to write about the pets because they fascinate me. So stay tuned for a fun story about these beautiful and wonderful creatures, who are as interesting as their keeper.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

A New Week

I can't really explain why, but for some reason I feel like something good is about to happen to me.

I feel like this is going to be a good week for me. I feel confident and very strong. In some way I feel powerful. Not over others, but powerful, in that I might be in control of myself.

I hope this feeling will continue.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Perfect Plan

I like Joel Osteen. I really enjoy reading his writing. Often it's extremely inspiring, and i believe inspiration is something we all need.

He's big on the idea that God has this perfect master plan for us all, and if we just relax and let it fall into place, it will. He says no person on this planet can stop God's plan from happening.

I believe that. I just don't know what the plan for me might be, and sometimes that makes me crazy.

I'm trying very hard to just sit back and allow it to unfold. Just stop trying to dictate it all and relax.

As I wrote in the early days of this blog; it is by letting go of the need to control that we might finally gain control.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

"Like" It Or Die!

Why would a seemingly normal and reasonable person post something on their Facebook page that says "Like=Heaven. Ignore=Hell"?

Are they trying to prove their faith? Or maybe they want to put some type of curse on us all; I don't know. But I'm a busy person. When I have a minute to sit down at night and check Facebook, I want some mindless entertainment. Cute kitties--pictures of kids. I don't want to have to make stressful decisions that will impact me in to the afterlife!

I didn't sign on with the intention that I may be forced to contemplate eternal condemnation by not clicking the "Like" button! It's just too stressful for a Thursday evening.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

My Comment Card

We have these comment cards at work where our customers rate their satisfaction with our service.

A friend from work uses the phrases from the cards to rate her feelings about things. "I was TOTALLY DISSATISFIED" with my husband over the weekend!" or "I am SATISFIED with this pizza". But our favorite phrase is the one I am about to use to describe my mood of the past days and weeks. "I am NEITHER SATISFIED NOR DISSATISFIED with my life right now".

I can't really complain. There's been peace in the valley here at my house lately. That's pretty huge for me. I like calm and quiet, even though things aren't completely ideal either. But all in all; at least for now, I can live with being "NEITHER SATISFIED NOR DISSATISFIED".