Higgledy-Piggledy, Take I

My mind is all over the place today. I have a zillion miscellaneous things running through my brain and I really don’t know what to do with all of them. Fortunately, I have this space here in bloggy world where I can share and say whatever I want. So, without further ado, I give you my Higgledy-Piggledy bits.

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My mom got a car. For an ordinary person, this really isn’t a huge deal. For my mom, this is colossal! I believe I have mentioned before that my mom is an alcoholic. I know I don’t have to tell you that drinking + driving is not anywhere near the beginnings of a good equation.

My mom has not driven or owned a car for a few years now. She has already had a DUI and a reckless driving for leaving the scene of an accident (it was a drinking related accident that they couldn’t prove). The last time she really drove, she was in an accident with an older woman in the car and she claims that the car flipped all the way over and landed back on its wheels. I was not there so I cannot vouch for this, but this is what she says. She also claims she hadn’t been drinking.

To add to matters, my mom is a very anxious person. EVERYTHING makes her nervous. Even riding in a car with a very good, safe driver, my mom will grip the door handle, hold her belly, close her eyes, and grit her teeth.

If I am honest, I will admit to being upset about someone (her boyfriend of sorts) buying her a car. Not only is it a danger for my mother and to my mother to be behind the wheel, it is a danger to other drivers on the road. I don’t care how much she promises to not drive after drinking, we all are aware of how drinking impairs judgment. It only takes ONE time!

Regrettably, there is nothing I can do. She is an adult with a valid driver’s license. As sad as this may sound, I have begun to wonder if I should explore life insurance policies. That is how much the idea of my mother driving scares me!

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I recently went to my doctor for my annual exam. This is a new family doctor for me and I really like her. I had intentions of seeing one of the other physicians in the office, but they were not accepting patients. It all turned out for the best though. She listens to me. She understands that I know my own body. When something isn’t right, I know and she listens. It also isn’t necessary for me to arrange an office visit every time I need something or have a problem. Sometimes I can call and she will write the prescription for me or she will return my call and discuss my issue with me over the phone. She calls and reports to me any test results as well. I really like her.

At my annual exam, she suggested I start eating yogurt and taking a B complex vitamin. Check and check! I immediately starting eating yogurt mixed with Fiber One cereal every morning. (I love Fiber One cereal! It might look like rabbit pellets, but it tastes good and it is even sweet. Plus, a whole day’s fiber in one cup!) My only issue is that she wants me to eat Activia. Activia, however, contains high fructose corn syrup which we are all increasingly aware is not good for our bodies. So, instead, I opted for Stonyfield Organic Yogurt. It has the same probiotic as the Activia. Sweet!

My only issues, now are…
1) I need to stop drinking so much Mountain Dew. (Did I mention high fructose corn syrup already? Yeah, I think so.) If you are unaware, I love MD. I do limit myself, but this is one habit I really need to kick to the curb.
2) Drink water. I have never been a big fan of water. It is tasteless and unpleasant for me to consume. I have had bouts in the past where I have drank considerable amounts of water, as I am supposed to, but they were always chug sessions. Chug it on my drive to work. Chug it on my drive home. Give me a limited time span and I’d chug. But to just sit around sipping water, I’ll pass!
3) Exercise! I really do like working out…once I get into it. It’s getting into it that seems to be my current road block. I will do really well for about a week and a half and then fall flat on my face. I know that I feel so much better in so many ways when I exercise. I benefit both mentally and physically. So what in the world is my problem??

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I have noticed, recently, that I have begun to put on a few pounds. Again. I went through this last year. I gained, roughly, ten pounds. I went up a pant size. I bought all new clothes to accommodate. I tried not to make too much of a fuss about it and be accepting. After all, at my age, I think it’s fairly natural for a woman to put on a few pounds. I also never really gained the freshman 15 that people talk about. I am naturally small framed so it isn’t like I ballooned up and am suddenly obese. However, I do not want to have to go through this process all over again. I am not going to buy all new clothes again to accommodate. I also know that regular exercise will help in this area and will be better for me because I really do sit on my keister all. day. long. For overall and long term health, I know I need to exercise. I really want to tell myself to JUST DO IT ALREADY!

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For the last three months solid, I have been working 5-10 hours of overtime every week. Overtime has, now, come to a bittersweet end. The sweet - I am glad it is over. No more working Saturdays, no more 7 am start times and no more eleven hour days. The bitter - it brings back the strain of very carefully watching my cash flow because there is no more overtime pay.

Now what? I have already started thinking about a second job. Hello JCPenney holiday helper? It’s a possibility. I have family in town who own a small bar. I could always ask for a waitressing job. I’m cute. (Not to be conceited or anything.) I could get some tips even if the service sucks. Which it would. Who am I kidding. I’m no waitress! Ugh.

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Somehow, last year, I received a call from the local Muscular Dystrophy Association to participate in their annual lockup fundraiser. That was fine. I did it. I raised about $600. They called again this year. They are sneaky little buggers. The caller ID lists a person’s name, not that they are calling from MDA. So, again, I am roped into attempting to raise money. (Because I can’t say no. It’s my own fault really.) Unfortunately, I am new to this area so raising money through people I know for this area is hard. Though a worthy cause, Muscular Dystrophy is not a cause that I am totally passionate about. I am trying to raise money this year, but it isn’t going so well.

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Watch for Higgledy-Piggledy, Take II coming soon!

Sweet Georgia Brown

This past weekend, I made a quick trip to Georgia to visit my niece, Kelsey.




When I say a quick trip, I literally mean a quick trip. Because I had to be at work on Friday for our biannual professional development day, I was forced to take a later flight Friday night. I arrived in Atlanta, Georgia around 9:30 pm and we had a good hour plus drive to where she actually lives. (I’m told everything is within an hour of Atlanta.) Since we both worked that day (and poor Kels has been shoveling clay all week for a project at work), we both were completely wiped and ready for bed. I also tried to get a late afternoon flight home on Sunday in order to squeeze in as much time with Kelsey as possible, but even a 4:58 flight didn’t seem late enough with having to be to the airport early enough to make it through security and find my way to my gate. I was in Georgia for less than a mere 48 hours. It was totally worth it though.

Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to be a good aunt. With my sister being 10 years older than me, though, it was kind of hard to be the aunt I wanted to be because I was still growing up when she started having children. Growing up, my life with consumed by the turmoil’s of a teenager with an alcoholic mother and a dad who I knew loved me but felt very distant because he had his own life with my stepmom. I did the best I could attending every birthday, Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner that I could, but it still never felt like it was enough. I’ve always yearned for a close-knit family and I tried to be as close with my sister and her family as I could, but it still never seemed to turn out the way I hoped.

I imagined having the kids over for sleepovers and watching movies and eating popcorn. I imagined being the cool aunt, the fun aunt. I hoped to be a friend they would call when they were in trouble or resisting their parent’s authority. Up until recently, I was so wrapped up in my own problems that I was never able to fully be a part of their lives as I had wanted to be. I never was any of those things that I wanted to be and have carried guilt and regret with me because of it for many years.

To worsen matters, a few years ago I was taken in by my sister and her family to help me through a rough time. It was then that I learned that Kelsey thought that I didn’t like her. I was floored because I loved her dearly, but if I am honest I can say that I know why she may have felt that way. At that time, Kels was becoming her own person. She was in her early teens and she was developing a strong personality. At that point in my life, and even now, I have a hard time dealing with strong personalities. She had strong opinions and was never afraid to voice those opinions and I was having a hard time communicating and relating to her at then. But it was never, never that I didn’t love or like her.

All this to tell you that this is one of the reasons I felt so compelled to make sure this trip happen. I felt , too, it would be important to show Kelsey that she is important. With this being the first time she has been away from her home for such a long time (she’s been there since January), it would show her that she is important to me and to her family by making the time to visit her and taking interest in where her life is going and what that entails. I also believe that it is important to encourage her and support her in the path she feels God is leading her to take.

Ever since Kelsey was a little girl, I have always felt in my heart that she would be a missionary, as did many others. She is, now, living the life of a missionary with very strong convictions regarding how she is to live her life. To watch her grow, develop, become a woman, and become an important voice and example for the Kingdom of God is indescribable. I admire her strength as a person and her passion for God and service to His Kingdom.

These are all things I wanted to tell her while I was there, but I could not muster the strength to do so. I hope she knows how much I love her, support her and admire her. She is a true blessing to my life.

So now that I have shared most of my reasons for visiting my niece in Georgia, I should share with you what my visit entailed.

Saturday morning, we woke up and Kelsey made breakfast. She doesn’t know this, but I hate to cook so I gladly sat back and let her make me breakfast. Eggs, bacon, coffee, and crescent rolls. Scrumdiddly! We got ourselves together and she took me for a tour of her the place where she works and showed me the additional project she took on. (She is planting flowers on a steep hill that is nothing but clay. She is brave, but a very hard worker.) From there we headed to Amicalola Falls State Park. Georgia has gotten a lot of rain recently and that day was no exception. We still decided to venture out into the wilderness of the park regardless of the rain.

We had a nice walk down the path and climbed the steps that took us to the top of Amicalola Falls.









The falls were beautiful.







From the top of the falls looking out and down.





After we came down from the Falls, we headed back to grab some dinner at the Lanier Diner.





They had the most scrumdiddlyumtious looking desserts! (We got some to go.)



After dinner, we stopped at the redbox (http://www.redbox.com/ ) at Wal-Mart (She is truly a frugal chic! She learned it from her mom. I love that about her.) to grab a movie and headed back to her place and settled in for the night.

On Sunday, we got ourselves around and I packed up my things. We loaded the car and headed out for some shopping at the biggest mall in Georgia. We had lunch when we got there because neither of us had had breakfast and we had arrived before the stores had opened. We then perused the mall for a few hours. At that point, it was time for me to head to the airport.

We had some good conversations over the weekend. I think we both learned a few things about each other. I am grateful to have her in my life. She is an inspiration to me. And I hope she knows, truly, how much I love and cherish her.

P.S. Sweet Georgia Brown really has nothing to do with this story. The song is nostalgic for me and it has the word Georgia in the title. That’s all.

CONGRATULATIONS Kevin Skinner

I admit that I am not a huge fan of television these days. My Friend seems to have several shows that he watches regularly so, when he's there, we watch a bit of tv together. As such, I've seen the majority of the episodes of America's Got Talent this season. I am uber excited that Kevin Skinner won the hearts of America and was given such an awesome opportunity. Such a humble man who appeared to work hard to make an honest living. I pray that fame and fortunate doesn't change that. I was ecstatic that he won. I was pulling for him from the minute he opened his mouth at the audition.

My Friend doesn't understand when I say this but I feel Mr. Skinner is my kind of people. A small town, country boy who is doing the best he can with what he has been given. Coming from a small town where country is a way of life, I felt connected him. Not literally, of course. But a sense of joy came over me to see a country boy representing others like him in such a remarkable way. I only wish that people would stop referring to him as "the chicken catcher". They laugh and mock him and it pisses me off. It may not be a true profession to some and those unfamiliar with farming in general look down and such a job and scoff at it. It’s an honest living and, as cliché as it is, someone has to do it.

I digress…

Kevin Skinner –

CONGRATULATIONS! You deserve such a blessing in your life!

May you have all your heart desires and may you remain the humble man you started out as forever!

Flying...in a thunderstorm?

As I sit here obsessively checking the forecast every hour for my getaway destination in hopes that the weather will change, I find that, not only is it supposed to rain, but there will be thunderstorms when I fly in and when I fly out. As if it isn't bad enough that I have severe motion sickness (or, at least, what I consider severe) that causes me to ask to sit towards the front of the plane in an attempt to avoid throwing up, now add lightening and turbulence to the mix. That's a great combination for crying children and a barf-fest.

Don't misunderstand. I LOVE thunderstorms. When I'm on the ground. Not flying at 35,000 feet in the air in a metal, winged rocket. Ok, ok. So supposedly planes are struck all the time by lightening and it is no big deal. It is perfectly ok to fly through a storm and it is done all the time. Some even say that the flashes of light disrupting the pilots view and the turbulence are more dangerous than the lightening striking the plane itself. However, turbulence equals barfing (see above).

I truly am not afraid of flying. I really just want everything to go as smoothly as possible. The older I get, the more easily motion causes me to feel woozy. (Don't ask me. I don't know what age has to do with it. Maybe it's just a weird coincidence.) I don't want to get off the plane and be worthless for the rest of the night because I am only there for a short time.

Ah, well, what can anyone really do? Take some Dramamine and hope for the best right?

Packing for a weekend getaway

Photo courtesy Daytime Night Owl

As I mentioned previously, I am going on a trip. It is going to be a short excursion, a weekend trip, and I am really struggling with packing. I am the kind of person who always prepares for everything, including the most unexpected. My thoughts begin to run wild with all of the what if questions and I lose control and pack everything but the kitchen sink.

What if it gets cold?
What if we go out?
What if I need to dress up?
What if it is extremely hot and I only pack jeans?
What if I need tennis shoes and only take sandals?
What if I start to feel a cold coming on?
What if I get diarrhea?
What if I lose a contact?
What if my hair freaks out (you know, because I have curly hair and it has a mind of its own)?

The weather for my destination currently reads 77 and rain for all three days that I am going to be there. RAIN? Hello humidity! Seriously, do you know what that does to my hair? And that means, possibly, no outdoor activities but…

What if it stops raining and we can play outside?

If the forecast changes (which is always possible) and the rain moves on, that means I can wear sandals instead of closed shoes.

What if I only take closed shoes and the inclement weather subsides and my feet roast off?

See, there are so many what ifs running through my mind. I have to stop and remind myself that I will survive regardless of what I forget or don’t have on hand. I will be fine if I take less. I AM ONLY GOING TO BE GONE 2 DAYS! I fly in Friday night and fly out Sunday afternoon. How many possibilities can there really be and what I don’t have I can borrow or buy. Still, my anxiety intensifies.

As I started making my packing list (I am a list-maker, no doubt about it), I start to wonder why I it always seems like I take ten times more beauty and toiletry items than anything else. (Is this an indication of vanity?) Toiletry items usually take up more than half the space in my suitcase. Is that crazy or what? Look at my list thus far:

• Toothbrush


• Toothpaste


• Contact solution


• Contact case


• Glasses


• Soap (I always have to take my own soap because I have sensitive skin and a very sensitive nose.)


• Razor


• Shampoo


• Conditioner (I always take my own because I have temperamental hair.)


• Mousse


• Hair ties (For my temperamental hair because you never know when it will freak out.)


• Brush


• Comb


• Hairdryer (with special attachment for my curly hair)


• Straightener


• Hairspray


• Face lotion


• Makeup


• Body lotion (I take my own small bottle because I have sensitive skin and it has to be unscented.)

For two days, I will be taking all this stuff! For a trip of any length, I haul all this stuff. This is one of my biggest reservations about going on any type of vacation or weekend getaway is having to lug so many things.

So what is a girl to do? Not care about what I look like and leave all the crap to home? How do I conquer my what ifs and vain ways? Does anyone else have this problem or am I completely off my rocker?

Bits O' Randomness

I’m going on a trip! I’m uber excited. I am not going to tell you when or where (isn’t that mean?) but I’ll share some pics when return and tell you all about it. I am going to visit my niece. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I am looking forward to this.

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I need to exercise. I want to exercise. I want to be healthy. I want to be fit. I really wish I had a good motivator to work with. I don’t need anyone to tell me what I need to do, I just need someone to stay motivated with who will be as committed to me as I am to them. Oh motivational workout partner, where are you?

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I went to a new chiropractor yesterday. What a heavenly place. I feel so much better. My back was bothering me in so many places. My neck in two places – at the top and at the base. This was causing me to have headaches (which I never get) and pain in my right arm and hand. There was also a great deal of pressure between my shoulder blades. I was amazed that the chiropractor was able to adjust that spot. He used a technique that was new to me. I was completely wowed. My lower back was out of whack as well causing numbness in my right leg. Whew! What am mess I am.

The chiropractor reiterated something I had known for a long time. I have one leg that is longer than the other (or one that is shorter than the other, whichever you prefer). So he gave me heel lift to put in my shoe. I have had one of these once before and I know I still have it somewhere. I find the new heel lift to be quite annoying as it is nothing more than some hard rubber that does not fit well or stay put well in any of my shoes. The lift also elevates my foot inside the shoe so much that my shoe actually comes off while walking. What to do, what to do… I will say what I like about it is the relief from pressure in my lower back by making my hips even. Pressure that I didn’t realize was there until it was gone. So I want to continue to use the darn thing, I just need to find a way to keep it in my shoe and to keep my shoe on.

The chiropractor also addressed an issue that I am aware of, but I just haven’t wanted to pay attention to - shoes with lower heels. Ugh! Do you know how completely unfashionable loafer-like shoes are???? I have consciously made decisions about my heeled shoes with a lower heel in mind. This choice is primarily because I have had ACL replacement surgery in my left knee and I am aware of how bad heels are for your knees. So I have slyly tried to compromise by wearing fashionable shoes with lower heels. Truthfully, I know I am kidding myself. I know I am in denial. It’s just that…well…flats seem so unflattering on me. They are cute on other people, but I really like the way a pair of heels elongates the leg, makes me appear taller and makes me feel a little bit more feminine and sexy.

Anyway, after yesterday’s chiropractic adjustment, I went home and slept like a baby. I laid down across the bed around 7:30. I finally decided that I was tired and crawled into bed around 9:00 and slept until 5:30 this morning. I am feeling quite refreshed and I love it.

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Speaking of 5:30 in the morning, that is the time that I have risen at least four to five (and sometimes six) days a week since the beginning of July. I am truly becoming a Daytime Night Owl. Though I once cringed at and squawked about getting up before 7:00 am, if I now sleep past 6:00, I feel like I am wasting precious time. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE to sleep in on the weekends (does Sunday count as the weekend) and I LOVE to stay up late and I still come alive around 11:00 pm, but I have had to force myself into bed early. Early nights and early mornings – that’s my reality for now. I am sure once this extra work is over, I will return to a little bit later schedule. And, if I were perfectly honest, I would tell you that this hasn’t been a solo endeavor. I have only been successful at this because of the help of My Friend with early morning calls and early night bed times impressed upon me. And, for that, I am thankful because I know myself well enough to know that, even now, I don’t think I could force myself out of bed on the days where I am just plain exhausted.

Well, folks, that’s all of the randomness I have for now.

Divine

Photo courtesy Farm Fresh

I received this note from my niece on August 12.

....thinking about you today....hope you are doing well?! i think this might be for you.....Isaiah 40:31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. LOVE YOU BUNCHES!!!!! :) You are so special to me!

Nearly a month later, this is still on my mind and on my heart.