Sneaux Day 2008

It actually SNOWED here in south Louisiana. It's hard to believe that snow fell and blanketed the ground five days ago and today it is 73 degrees outside. Here's a picture of my little man seeing snow for the first time. Someone also sent me a picture of LSU's Mike the Tiger enjoying the fluffy stuff (he IS part Siberian after all)



He also decided to help me put up Christmas lights. What a little helper!

Scary Santa

Why is it that my fearless son FREAKED OUT when placed in Santa's lap? Is he that scary looking? I tried to prepare him for Santa by showing him lots of images of him and telling him what nice things he does for kids. He's only 14 months after all, but he did so WELL with the Easter bunny! I decided that this photo is a classic and will be sending it out in all of our Christmas cards this year (future blackmail material). We also did family portraits at JC Penney the other day. Right before we left the house for the appointment he pulled a decorative Santa down and scratched the side of his face. I hope that Isaac and Santa make up by Christmas ;o)

"What are we?"

The GREATER you are, the more you need to search for your self. Your deep soul hides itself from consciousness. So you need to increase aloneness, elevation of thinking, penetration of thought, liberation of mind--until finally your soul reveals itself to you, spangling a few sparkles of her lights.
Then you find bliss, transcending all humiliations or anything that happens, by attaining equanimity, by becoming one with everything that happens, by reducing yourself so extremely that you nullify your individual, imaginary form, that you nullify existence in the depth of your self. "What are we?" Then you know every spark of truth, every bolt of integrity flashing anywhere.
Then you gather everything, without hatred, jealousy, or rivalry. The light of peace and a fierce boldness manifest in you. The splendor of compassion and the glory of love shine through you. The desire to act and work , the passion to create and to restore yourself, the yearning for silence and for the inner shout of joy--these all band together in your spirit, and you become holy.

p. 127 THE ESSENTIAL KABBALAH

First Haircut

Isaac got his first haircut today! He looks like such a little man. We went to Belles & Beaus which is a kids place. I might as well have taken him to Disney World! I let him walk in the door and he just stood there taking it all in and let out an amazed drawn out "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW"! The stylist was so amused. He went straight for the pink jeep, but I steered him to the firetruck then he moved to the horse. His attention span was so short and there was just too much to see to sit still and be fussed with. He moved to the horse and then a little girl came in for HER first haircut and OF COURSE he just wanted to play with her...so we are following him around playing with the little girl cutting his hair. He ultimately ended up in the pink jeep Undecided

They even gave us a little ziploc bag of his hair and a certificate for a first haircut...so cute!


First Haircut!

R.I.P. Grandma Joyce

We are leaving today to go to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with my Grandpa. To catch some of you up. My step-grandmother (gf's wife of 40 years) passed away 2 months ago. The funeral service was canceled when the hurricane it TX so they rescheduled for the day after Thanksgiving when the family could all get together again (she was cremated). My grandfather has been terribly distraught. We had gotten a new puppy about the same time she passed away and he's really been a handful on top of taking care of Isaac, 5 cats n a parrot, remodeling the new house, not to mention Mike's nephew is deathly allergic to dogs which caused him to miss Isaac's 1st birthday. With all of this, I called my grandpa and asked him if he'd like a puppy companion to ease the lonliness and to give him a living being to take care of again. He'd been caring for my grandmother for the last few years because of her severe Emphysema. He said he didn't think so because he was sure he wouldn't be around much longer. Well, I put the pup in the paper to try to find him a good home and got a couple of promising inquiries. I called Grandpa to let him know that I thought I'd found a good home and he said NO, I WANT HIM. Apparently he's been looking forward to having him. He's already named him, Snoopy Vaughn. So Dexter is no longer ours I'll miss the little guy with his big floppy ears.

Now he's asked me to do the Eulogy at the service. I'm a wreck in front of groups, but we'll just have to see how it goes. It's the least I could do for her life here on earth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When You Are Old
When you are old and gray and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true;
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face.
And bending down beside the glowing bars
Murmur, a little sadly, how love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.
William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)

Jury Duty out the door

After driving 30 minutes to Denham Springs to drop Isaac off to my sister and 30 minutes back to Baton Rouge to get to the federal building on time and about a two hour wait in the library we were informed that our case went kerplut or something like that and we were free to go. In the meantime I networked with the other jurors passing out business cards (even to the jury workers) and encouraged them to get to my shop and buy stuff. Hopefully I made a successful contact because one of the ladies has some items she'd like to put on consignment. I do love people who want to do consignment. It's not a dime out of my pocket and I make money off of their stuff while giving them an outlet to sell it. I also have a big mouth and told her and a few others about the gloriousness that is craigslist.com (they should seriously start paying me as a frequent advertiser or something), but we'll see if the stuff comes through. I just ask for 25% which is saving them the hassle of dealing with the whole selling and marketing bit. They just tell me what they want to make and I sell it for them and get my cut. I think I might start offering a craigslist posting along with consignments...ooh, I love how my fingers come up with their own ideas on the keyboard. I'm on Robitussin so excuse the rambling...what was I saying? Oh, I'm free from jury duty and my interview is Friday at 11 with an secrect organization that I shan't reveal until I have secured or denied the position for anyone out there wanting to swoop in on it. I'm protective like that. I even have a sweet deal with an awesome (and rediculously expensive) day care and the job and day care are right by my house. How cool is that? Oh and it was recommended by my friend, florist and political lobbyist who is friends with the lady hiring so cross your fingers for me that they pay enough to cover daycare!!!

Jury duty, websites and a STALKER...DOODODODODO

Well, they say that the 3rd time is a charm, so we'll see if I ACTUALLY serve jury duty tomorrow. I went last Monday, was 5 mins. late and they turned me and everyone else around and said we had to come back next week. It was a fluke that I had a babysitter. Mike's mom stayed in town following Isaac's birthday party to do some stuff in our shop and agreed to watch him. THEN, I go back this Monday, Isaac in tow (due to the lack of a babysitter) & we are there from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. They told me having a child was no excuse for getting out of jury duty and even gave Isaac a juror sticker! So I was on panel one and we got called to go to court, EXCEPT the ones who's names weren't called (MINE included) and were told to come back Wednesday at 10:00 and we'd be panel number five. Now I have no idea what the hell kind of case I'm going to get and how long it's going to last. My poor sister has agreed to watch Isaac despite Just having a NEWBORN baby!!! I just hate asking her, but she's the most willing and reliable member of my family with the closest proximity. Once this jury duty bologna is overwith I have an INTERVIEW. Yes, I will be going back to work to make some moolah to fund my entreprenearial bug. I'm working on building my website, but it's a work in progress. In the meantime I have to rely on my blog as kind of a "placeholder". The site will be awesome when I'm done with it and hopefully will generate some money and become a destination for like-minded people interested in genealogy (especially), collecting/antiquing & living green among other things. I've purchased a domain, cancelled it, signed up for another one now I'm considering canceling it...I need something that's quality, but I'm a micromanager and want to do it all myself. PLUS I keep getting sucked into this ancestry fanaticism that has taken over my brain (I even have a stalker...she calls a few times a day every single day "Christine, this is cuzin Julie from WestMoneroLousiana calling aboub blahblahblah...it's so annoying). I hate when someone calls me over and over and over and over again and never state the reason they are calling or, even worse, are just calling so they can tell me their life story and, I don't know, maybe want me to write a book on it or something.....AAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggghhhhhh! I shouldn't be so mean, but damn.

post-partum depression, for real?

People keep asking me what I'm depressed about. It's not ABOUT anything...it just IS. I don't know how else to explain it. It's a feeling of despair that just won't go away. I've been told by two different Psychiatrists that it's "post-partum depression". I don't know. I wish I could rewire my brain for happiness. I can be just fine one minute and the next the world overwhelms me and I just want to curl up in my bed and go to sleep. I have a very hard time sleeping at night...I know it will just lead to waking up and dealing with another day. Then when it comes time to wake up I have a very hard time dragging myself out of bed. I've been told that I do not have a "normal" threshold for stress. The littlest thing sends me into a panic attack. I don't know if it's more neurological or psychological, but I wish it would just go away so I could appreciate each new day that God gives me.

First Birthday

Isaac turned 1 today. The year has been one of the shortest of my life. I guess I never realized how fast life passes us by until I started measuring mine by my child's developmental milestones. He got PLENTY of gifts and had fun making a huge mess of his cake. Our house is still "under construction" (we are remodeling here and there), but everyone still managed to have fun and I'm still sane after hosting my first party as a mommy!

Depression

I'm depressed. I need to find my ZEST. Mike told me to try Prozac... Really, though, I'm depressed. I hate for Mike to be gone all week. It's lonely. I didn't realize how much so until this past week. I can't go with him because the place he's staying doesn't allow kids...how stupid is that? I have Isaac's 1st birthday party coming up this weekend and my house is in shambles still. Boxes need to be unpacked, things still need places...lots of things need to be thrown out already and I have no floors. That's most depressing of all. I need floors NOW. I hate having a party with nasty floors. Aaaaargggghhhhhh!

Roofing nails do not belong in FEET

Today has not been the greatest. First I get summoned to jury duty starting the day after Isaac's birthday, then I step on a roofing nail and have to call 911. Mike is working 2 hours away and I don't know any of my immediate neighbors' numbers. It sucked. One paramedic entertained Isaac while the other one tried pulling it out. They said it would be a lot better if I could go to the hospital, but I wasn't about to pay for THAT ride. It's one of those nails that has ridges in it to keep it from coming out of the roof so it hurt a hell of a lot worse coming out than going in. I had tried to pull it out myself, but I'm a huge wuss and couldn't BEAR to do it any further. I screamed like a little kid and Isaac was crying because he didn't know what was wrong with his mommy. The guy pulling it out kept saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry". It sucked. Most embarrassing was having an ambulance in my driveway when all of my older more wise neighbors had already warned me time and again about running around without my shoes on. As soon as the ambulance left my almost 80-year-old neighbor came over to see what happened. As soon as I told her she gave me that knowing look and said "WEAR SHOES". I just hate wearing them when it's so nice out...I grew up running around barefoot, I guess I'm a backwoods hillbilly like that. I had to go to the Lake After Hours and wait for HOURS with a wild child to get a Tetanus shot & to have it cleaned out. Point is, I'm in pain. I can barely walk on my foot and it sucks. Then I have to figure this jury duty thing out because I do not have a babysitter that I can think of. Oh & I haven't sold anything of MINE at my store yet, Mike's gone & I'm just bummed out.

Developing faster than the speed of light

Isaac is learning new things almost faster than the speed of light. I can barely keep up! He has learned from me to tell the puppy "n..n..n...nya" meaning "no-no". He likes telling me that too...especially as he's going towards something he's not allowed to touch...like electrical outlets. I don't have gray hair yet, but I'm sure it won't be long! His Grandma Debbie taught him to say "light". She kept pointing up at the light and saying "what's that" and he'd answer with "light". The next day he was pointing at the light and everything else and saying "what's that". It's adorable. Another word that he says a lot is "WOW" and peeboo for peek-a-boo. Oh and he's learned to toss an empty bottle at me when he wants one. If he could, I bet he'd make it himself!


The countdown to his one-year birthday begins!

Grand Opening of my Antique shop is today!

Check out information on my website:

www.forgetmenotantiques.blogspot.com



Christine

First Steps!!!

Isaac took his first steps last night!!! Mike and I were trying to get him to sleep but he insisted on playing, but he was so tired. I was sitting on a chair and he was holding onto the bed and was wanting to get to me so I held out my hands and he reached for them, but I kept them just out of reach...he took a good four or five wobbly steps to get to me. I was so excited and made a huge deal out of it...if you could have seen his face...he was BEAMING! Right after that he crawled in my lap and went to sleep! I'm so proud of him. He'll be 11 months in 2 days so YAY he should be walking by his birthday next month!



On another note, I am starting a business!!! Check out my website and come see me. I should hopefully be getting set up this week. I rented a booth in Benton Bros. Antiques mall in Denham Springs...Mike's mom will also be putting stuff from her store in there. I was so excited yesterday that I drove off and left some things I bought for my booth on the counter. I drove all the way to my mom's house and then realized it! Geesh.

http://forgetmenotantiques.blogspot.com/

AND EVEN MORE GOOD NEWS!!! Mike had a huge meeting yesterday with upper management with Shaw and they've decided to make him the Planner/Scheduler for a HUGE job. It's some natural gas company that had a whole lot of damage from the hurricane (Ike I think). Mike will be in charge of EIGHT jobsites! The saddest part is, though, that he'll be traveling a lot. We just found out yesterday and he left this morning (hence the reason I'm up writing this at the crack of dawn).

So much has been going on and I haven't been on in forever. We bought a new house, endured Gustav and got a new puppy!!! He's a Beagle, registered, 2 1/2 months old and all ears. They always dunk in the water dish every time he gets a drink...it's the cutest thing ever. Isaac picked him out pretty much. We held the puppy up to him and Isaac kissed him on the nose and the puppy kissed him back. They play togetter really well. His "proper" name is Poindexter, but we call him Dexter or even Dex for short. I'll post pictures when I find the battery charger for my camera.

Take care

Swiss Ball & Church

Today was my 2nd day at the gym. I'm still sore from yesterday. Yesterday was just the assessment! My resting heart rate was around 81 & then they had me do a 3 minute "step" test where you step up & down on one of those step aerbic steps set at its highest (3 or 4 blocks underneath it). After the test my heart rate was around 160!!! I probably shouldn't have drank coffee before I went. Today I went to the Swiss Ball class which is kind of like Pilates in a way. When I was leaving I was talking to this woman in the class. She walked out with me & the nursery grandma (who didn't want to put Isaac down ) & I was telling her how we are new here & just staying for 6 months. We said our goodbyes & as I was putting my seatbelt on I saw her pull around the parking lot & park behind me. She got out & gave me a piece of paper & said she'd like to give me an invitation to come visit her church. She's the pastor's wife. When I looked down & saw which church it was I was surprised because it was the SAME church that the lady who brought me a welcome bag from "Meet Midland" had invited me to. She's in charge of the nursery there. Either it's a small world, small town, coincidence or God telling me to get my booty to that church! I might try to make it this Sunday.

Uninspired

Ideas roll around in my head all of the time, but nothing ever seems to come of them. I guess I'm just not a follow-through kind of person. Well, don't get me wrong, I usually take the first steps, but I never end up finishing what I start. The list is endless...relationships, jobs, majors, business ideas, to name a few. I'd always find fault with my venture (or person). It was always something other than myself that was the problem, or so I thought for the longest time. One day, while working at a casino, I was having a conversation with an older co-worker. We were talking about relationships & I was complaining about the defects of each of the guys & how it was always their fault...it was something they did...that caused me to have to end the relationship. He looked at me and very pointedly asked me, "Did you ever think that maybe you were the problem?" Well, of course not. I couldn't admit to him at the time that he probably had a small point. Don't we all look for reasons outside of ourselves for our bad luck? Either they guy was too flirty, too controlling, too insecure, too arrogant, wasn't over an ex, placed me too high up on a pedestal, seemed more gay than straight, was too macho, was too boring or too social. There was just always SOMETHING wrong with him. I was in back to back relationships. When I wasn't in a relationship I was dating a handful of guys at a time. I was never just alone. I never stopped to figure out who I really was & what I really wanted out of life. I was constantly on the go. I was zooming to some end goal, just unsure of what it was exactly. I spent eight years living the lifestyle of a college student. I switched schools almost as often as I switched addresses, every year or so. I eventually ended up with a degree. That was the only thing I could see that I was aiming to get towards. I had no clue what I wanted to DO with the degree. It didn't even matter what it was in either...as long as it was a degree in something. When I decided that I wanted to quit changing my mind and just get out of school already, it happened to be during the 2004 presidential elections. I immersed myself in the politics of the time & chose Political Science as my major. I thought, perhaps, I'd go to law school or something. I got the degree & got a job working for an attorney. I hated it. I detested it. I was bored out of my mind. I got depressed. I gained weight. I lost my ambition.

Now I'm married with a 7-month old boy. I'm lucky to be able to stay home with him while my husband supports us. I took that co-workers words to heart when it came to relationships. I decided to look inward...to see what it was that made me happy or unhappy. Each of the guys I dated represented a part of me at the time. If I was feeling serious, I dated someone serious. If I was feeling reckless, I dated someone reckless. But it occurred to me that the thing that I didn't like about each one of them was something that I really didn't like about myself. I was projecting (as Psychology calls it) my faults onto these guys. I read something once that has also impacted me immensely. I don't know where I saw it or who said it, but it is profound: "When you choose something, choose it with your whole heart." That is what I did when I met my husband. It's amazing what happens when you decide to go after what you want & then to want what you have. I feel complete in my family life now. I'm so proud of my husband and my beautiful son. I feel accomplished in having attained a college degree. Now I am trying to find out what I want to do with the rest of my life. It seems to change with whatever way the wind blows. I just want to feel committed to what it is I choose. I want it to matter in the world. I want to make a difference in the lives of others. I want to be part of the greater good.

As I was sitting in my sons playroom reading a book to him the other day, I was reminded of my desire to teach. I used to take home leftover worksheets from school & use them to teach my dolls. I played school with my friends. I hated the summers because I missed school so much. My mom told me I used to be up & dressed before she was ever out of bed ready to go. I loved learning. I worked for two semesters in college as an Americorps volunteer. It was a program called JumpStart where you worked with four-year-olds to teach them how to read. I spent time volunteering in the classroom. I loved their eagerness & enthusiasm for learning. I convinced myself, though, that I didn't want to be a babysitter as a career. I don't see it like that now. I'm slowly becoming convinced that teaching children is what I need to do. I need to choose it with my whole heart. This notion is slowly stirring up an inspiration & ambition inside of me that I had lost. I hope this is it.

News, scares & blahness

Exciting news! Mike tells me today that we will be leaving here the first week of August. Now we are looking (once again) to buy a house in Prairieville. It's not going to be a minute too soon. When we got home from shopping today, Isaac was in his walker (barefooted) & I saw a small scorpion running RIGHT NEXT TO HIS WALKER!!!! Surprised I screamed & grabbed him & jumped on top of the coffee table. Mike came & smooshed it. That makes EIGHT scorpions we've seen in this house since the end of April!

On another note, little man is sick. He was up for two nights in a row because he's having a hard time breathing through his stuffy nose. He's also been coughing a lot. I hope he gets over it soon, I hate seeing him so miserable.

Waving & Hitting the Tylenol

I've been trying to teach Isaac to wave "bye-bye" for a while now. I've noticed the past couple of days that he's been practicing moving his hand at the wrist back & forth. Today he looked in the mirror and WAVED at himself & grinned proudly. Then he waved at the room. I was so thrilled. He may as well discovered the cure to cancer. It's amazing how proud you become as a mother.

On the downside, he's been learning to scream. Not just a scream, but a shrill high-pitched long-winded scream that he never gets tired of. It sends me straight to the Tylenol bottle. I hope it's a phase...a very short phase.

My Little Flirt

Isaac has adjusted to life in Texas better than Mike & I. Our first week here he got his first tooth, began crawling & pulling up. Now he has his SECOND tooth which broke through the day before yesterday. He says "Dadadada" all of the time & just the other day I asked him if he wanted his bottle and he said "bababa" I gave it to him & he drank it. He's just growing up faster than I ever could have imagined. His personality is huge...just look at his pictures...they are worth a thousand words. He's a MAJOR flirt too. Everywhere we go he gets the ladies. I went to the gym yesterday & there was a young girl filling in for the usual lady. All of the kids just got out of school for the summer & it was super crowded. When I picked Isaac up I asked how he was and she said she just LOVED him & his huge smile. She said he tried to take toys from the other kids, but no big deal. All of the little girls were helping take care of him. It's so funny. I never realized how much little girls love babies until taking Isaac out and about. Every time we go somewhere, like Wal-Mart or something, and Isaac starts getting fussy, some little girl comes out of nowhere and starts entertaining him until his smiling and giggling. When we go out to eat the waitresses and hostesses ooh and ah over him & he eats it up. A guy manager came to talk to him & Isaac didn't even give him the time of day. We went to Outback the other day & the table next to us had two senior citizen couples. Before they left they came over and asked if they could hold Isaac & one of the ladies offered a bunch of advice. Texas people are so nice!

SAHMs then & now

One day not too long ago, a co-worker & I were complaining about how good the SAHMs (Stay at home moms) have it. She has a five-year-old & I was not even pregnant with Isaac yet. She'd drop her daughter off at school & see the SAHMs doing the same, but they were dressed for the gym & she was dressed for work. We were working as Paralegals at a Bankruptcy law firm 8-5 Monday-Friday. Sometimes it seemed we spent more time sitting around complaining about our job than actually doing the job. Both of us worked our way through college, ambitiously seeking that career that our generation told us we wanted. Once we gained the coveted degree & got the job, though, we realized that all we wanted to do was be mother's & wives & take care of our family. It's strange to hear myself say these things today. I'm a member of Generation X, a generation that watched our mothers & grandmothers generations fight for the rights we have today. It seems like so many people turn their noses up at the June Cleavers of yesterday, but yet secretly envy them. I think the last three decades of women fighting for equal rights have not been in vain, but the preceding decades had their strong points as well. I wish I knew how to cook & sew & keep my house spotless & raise my son all in stride. My education was about having a career. Now I wish that I had a degree in how to be a SAHM. Some churches seem to have the same idea. I wonder if they let you do it online...

colloquialism

A 'colloquialism' is an expression not used in formal speech, writing or paralinguistics. Colloquialisms denote a manner of speaking or writing that is characteristic of familiar "common" conversation; informal colloquialisms can include words (such as "y'all" or "gonna"), phrases (such as "ain't nothin'", "dressed for bear" and "dead as a doornail"), or sometimes even an entire aphorism. ("There's more than one way to skin a cat"). (http://www.wikipedia.com/)

I like to write. I really, really like to write. The problem is all of the rules imposed on the process. I like to write the way that I speak. Easily, casually. I prefer to use punctuation where I'd use it in conversation. So what if it's not a complete sentence. So what if it's a run-on. Poetry has always been a passion of mine. I joined clubs where you submit your poems for feedback or constructive criticism. I'd get lectured on my style and the rules that I didn't follow properly. Some even had the audacity to "help me out" by rewriting my submission "correctly". I stopped writing for a long time. Now along comes BLOGGING. Hallelujah! I can write whatever I want to noone in particular. Of course I still have my lovely readers who love to correct me which is sometimes annoying at first, but usually helpful in the end. For instance, all of my spelling life I had been mispelling the word definitely until one fine day when I was corrected on my blog. Now it'll never happen again. It's like sitting behind someone who's got their tag hanging out (or worse, seeing someone with their fly down). It's wrong to let them walk away without making them aware of it. They may shoot you a dirty look (probably more out of embarrassment), but they are most likely grateful for being made aware. So, if I ramble, if I misspell, if I sound like an idiot, go ahead and let me know. I might call you a jerk under my breath, but I still appreciate the heads up!

Crawling, teeth & scorpions?

Add to the list of creepy crawlies in my house a frickin scorpion! I was in my room & heard all of this banging going on. I got freaked out thinking maybe someone was trying to break in. I saw all of my cats acting nutty & ran & turned on the light in the utility room/office & there's a scorpion cornering my Siamese. It was running around and around. I grabbed the nearest deadly weapon I could find (my wallet) & smashed it over & over again. Talk about YUCK! Now my poor Himalayan is so scared she's darting all around the place trying to hide. Thanks a lot Orkin man.

On another note, the cable guy came today. He's of Native American descent. I asked him about the weird dreamcatcher hanging on my fence. I can't remember if I described it in the last blog or not. It's made of barbed wire with an Indian bead necklace, leather and/or animal skin & some type of animal fur (could be coyote, Mike actually saw one by the road today on his hour trek to work this morning) & bones. It also looks like rattlesnake skulls too. The cable guy said that there are a lot of superstitious farmers out here & he thought it was Indian & that it was probably to keep whatever is in it away. Interesting.

...and how about my little man!!! He's already CRAWLING this week AND has his first tooth AND can pull himself up to completely standing. When I yell at a kitty he's like my little sidekick & "yells" too. He LOVES the kitties. He chases them everywhere in his walker. He loves to play with Shiloh (the Siamese) especially since he's the only one who plays back. He lets him grab his paws & ears & doesn't scratch or bite him. So far noone has gotten hurt. He also loves our parrot. We no longer have our lovebirds. They've gone to live with their Auntie Starr. The parrot, Gigi, has her own bedroom, but I bring her out during the day to spend time with the rest of the family. Isaac LOVES her & tries to figure out how to get her cage apart (he's all about buckles & zippers & tags & things like that). I still have to get onto the cats when they get too close (and she lets me know by sneezing over and over again...either she's allergic to cats or it's a nervous tick, I dunno). Overall, though, everyone seems to be assimilating pretty well. The outdoor kitties aren't allowed out anymore because I truly fear for their lives out here. Now I have two alpha males duking it out day & night which is a pain, but they'll get over it eventually.

I went today & signed up at a gym. This one is for women only. It's a small little place & decorated kinda like a Moulin Rouge set. I get my first session on Monday. I will lose 30lbs before I return to Louisiana in 6 months, that's my goal. Wish me follow-through please.

Texas

I finally have internet...sortof. It's this stupid ethernet thing that I'm cancelling today. It works, it doesn't work, whatever it feels like doing or not doing it does or doesn't do. We've been putting Isaac in his own room for the first time. The night before last he woke up crying and crying around 11 p.m.. We put him in our bed & he fell asleep with us until Mike went to work, then we put him back in his bed. Last night he woke up screaming uncontrollably around the same time. It was like he was asleep still, but he was screaming at the top of his lungs as if he were in pain. There was no consoling him. Mike made him a bottle & as soon as he laid next to me with it in his mouth he went to sleep. This is the first time he's ever slept in our bed all night with us before. I get worried about him being in his own room right now because there are so many SPIDERS here. I had Orkin come out & spray yesterday, but there are still creepy crawlies everywhere. Mike's first night in the house he saw a black widow AND a brown recluse!!! I have never been so afraid of spiders in my life. Oh & there's this one that's called a "child of the night" that looks like a mix of a spider & a scorpion. Scary. The Orkin guy says it has little man syndrome & just tried to LOOK scary, but he's harmless. Well, it worked on me, I smashed him with a shoe!

There are a lot of differences here than anywhere I've ever lived. The worst is the WIND. It's horrible. I went outside to check the mail yesterday & my hat blew off my head & I had to chase after it. Once I got the mail, the wind ripped a piece out of my hand & it literally disappeared! It looked like junk mail for the second that I saw it though. The dust storms are horrible, it's like we are living in the Middle East. I'm going to have to get one of those scarves or something to keep the sand off! Oh, & the FIRES. I have seen two major fires in the short amount of time I've been here. It is no doubt the desert. When you walk in my yard all you here is "crunch" "crunch". I saw my first tumbleweed yesterday in the backyard.

The neighborhood I live in has every street named after an Indian tribe. My street is Hopi. I read up on them & there's an interesting belief system in things like UFOs etc. http://www.crystalinks.com/hopi1.html

I've noticed that there are a lot of Hispanic people here. I'd say half of the people I've encountered speak Spanish. It seems like people here are happier in general than back home. Either that or they are just SO MUCH nicer!

It's interesting to see how different cities/states deal with things like mail and garbage. Here, every neighborhood has back alley-ways with small dumpsters. There's a dumpster for every four houses. Most neighborhoods have mailbox groupings like apartment complexes (which is kind of a pain). The absolute BEST thing EVER though, that Midland, TX (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midland,_Texas) has over Baton Rouge is their WONDERFUL Loop 250. You can go across town & back again 5 times in the time it would take you to get from Perkins to the interstate down College Drive. I can't wait until they get their loop there! Too bad it'll still be a couple of years.

I've also seen some other interesting wildlife. One was in my driveway (I think I ran over it). It's a horned lizard. There was also this itty bitty furry thing that darted across the road in my neighborhood. It looked kind of like a squirrel, but smaller, almost like a chipmunk. I wanted to call it a Prairie Dog, but I really have no idea. The birds are different too. I wish I hadn't put my bird book in storage. I love seeing new species & learning their names, guess I'll need to get another one.

Mainly we are surrounded by oilfields. Even in my neighborhood thereare pumpjacks (those oil drill looking thingies). When you first get here there is the slight odor of oil, but then it goes away once you get used to it.

Isaac is on the Move

...in more ways than one. Mike was recently promoted which is moving us to West Texas. During this time, Isaac has begun to get up on all fours. While staying in the hotel, he has learned to pull himself everywhere he wants to go. First he started out as an inchworm, getting up on all fours then pushing himself forward until he was flat on his belly, then he figured how to skip that step and just use his arms to pull him everywhere. He always goes straight for the edge of the bed. The nightmare begins!

moving to texas

We are are moving to Texas
It’s very short notice, but we will be moving to West Texas VERY SOON! Mike got a great job (with his current company) and they need him out there ASAP. He’ll be the Planner/Scheduler for the plant that had an explosion back in Feb. (in Big Spring). So us buying a house here is being put on hold for 2-3 years, but we will be back. It’s just something that we couldn’t pass up!

Over 1000 years of history!

I joined Ancestry.com this weekend & filled in the names of all of the relatives that I know. It’s so important to me to know where I come from. I’ve always felt so disconnected because I never knew my dad & didn’t really know my mom either. I still don’t know anything about my dad but his name, but I did manage to trace different lines of my family back over 1000 years! How freaking exciting is that?! I even found pictures of some of my ancestors & tidbits of information about them, even a famous legend that involves one of my oldest ancestors! For anyone who would like to know where they come from, it’s worth every penny!

Easter

This weekend was busy. I helped my cousin, Crickie, with a yard sale at my mom’s house on Saturday...now I see why Ebay is so popular...it’s A LOT of work to set up, run, & take down a yard sale. Whew! Mike & Isaac had the whole day alone together. They came & visited for a while, but then Isaac started getting a heat rash (it was almost 89 degrees!)...so Mike had to take him back home. When I finally made it home, Isaac was loving his daddy so much that he couldn’t take his eyes off of him! Today Mike went to Wal-Mart to get groceries & stuff (while Isaac & I slept in). He came home with an Easter basket that he proudly assembled himself complete with blue grass & tons of new bath toys (bathtime is their father/son bonding time) for Isaac. I’m just so glad that they had that day together...the first official day that Isaac has had away from his mommy & vice versa. Later we decided to go to some open houses that our agent told us about. I’m happy to announce that we have narrowed our search down to ONE TOWN! We’ve chosen Prairieville for a variety of reasons. It really makes the search a lot less stressful...that & the fact that we aren’t in a time crunch this time!

I remember what a big deal Easter used to be growing up. It was the one day of the year that my Grandpa (actually, my brother & sister’s grandpa...he wasn’t really MY grandpa) would go to church. Their whole family would go to the grandparents’ house for a yearly Easter family reunion. I looked forward to it more than Christmas even! Once I turned 14 & moved away from Arkansas to move to Louisiana to be with my mom, that changed. No more going to church with the family, no more family reunions, no more seeing the family I grew up knowing...geesh, that sounds kind of depressing. The point is that I really haven’t celebrated Easter for a long time & don’t really know how to. When Isaac gets older he can get dressed up & go Easter-egg hunting with his cousins. Once we buy our house I’d like to find a church to start going to. That’s hard because most churches I’ve been to are the same exact thing...preachy preachy preachy. It sounds a little contradictory, but I know there has to be one out there that I could tolerate. I want Isaac to have the education & structure that having a church family provides. I really do owe a lot of credit for who I am today to my step-Grandmother who made sure we went to church every week & participated fully in everything. I may not like the preachiness of it all, but I want Isaac to be able to make his own decisions when he’s an adult about what he believes in. I at least want to provide the background for him to base his decisions on. I plan to teach him about the variety of religions & how there isn’t a superior religion or people & to beware of anyone who says otherwise. Anyway...this has turned into a tangent. Oh & I got a new Avon customer. I’m so excited simply because I tried out a marketing idea of my own & it worked!!! Woohoo! I am just getting started & have been advertising for customers, but somehow have 3 people signed up under me already (two of which are my Aunt & Cousin). I didn’t even set out to recruit people...if I get 2 more I’m a Unit Leader & will get bonuses...that’s nuts because I’m still in training! I’m really glad I signed up. I feel like I have a new purpose.

Reminiscing

I just went through boxes of memories of lifetimes ago. Pain & happiness. People alive & smiling who are now long gone. Letters from people I loved, obituaries & tears. I don’t know why I hold on to them. When I see some things I smile as I relive the memory for a moment. Others bring pain & tears. I feel like I should throw these things out, but then I’m afraid the memory will be lost forever.

From Disillusioned College Student to Self-employment

"It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to." ~Annie Gottlier

It's funny how things just seem to happen at the right time. I feel like I've been on a good path, but it's still kinda felt like one of those "desert" periods. You know, when everything just seems to be at a lull...but not now. I have my wonderful husband & now my beautiful son. This lifestyle change took a little adjusting to get used to, but I am SO HAPPY!

One of the hardest, biggest changes has been adjusting to life after college. I spent 8 years of my life as a college student & before that pretty much my whole life revolved around school (call me a nerd I LOVED school since I began at age 4). When I entered the workforce after graduating in 2005 I was so miserable. I hated sitting at a desk Monday-Friday dealing with people & their problems & the shortcomings of someone else's business. I was tired of my ideas not being heard & my solutions to problems being ignored.

I have had so much energy & ideas pent up inside of me trying to burst out, but I just couldn't find the right outlet. I was so demoralized by the selection of jobs out there. I just couldn't get into the job search. I could care less if someone wanted to hire me or not because I really didn't want any of the jobs I was applying for. I knew I didn't want to work for someone else. I didn't want to get paid an hourly wage. I wanted to work when I wanted to work. I wanted to benefit financially from the amount of effort that I put in. Now that I'm a mom, I want to stay home rather than putting Isaac in daycare, but I don't want to just be a housewife. You can take the lady out of the career, but you can't take the career out of the lady! I don't want to pursue something that will require me to go back to school before I can get started...I've spend enough time sitting on my behind all day everyday at a desk. Someday is here now. I want to be my own boss Now. Not when I have enough money to buy a traditional business. Not when I have the "right" education to get the "good" job. I really prefer being the one running the show, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel.

Last week the answer seemed to fall down from heavan. Somehow something just clicked! It's an idea I've had in the past, but it was never the right time & the circumstances were never right. For instance, I had registered as an Arbonne International representative last year after quitting the Princeton Review, but never placed a single order...I just couldn't afford the stuff...especially being jobless! Well, my renewal came up last week...it was $15. I was thinking that it would be a complete waste since I never did anything with it for a year. I just wasn't interested enough in it. Plus I had a lot on my plate. My grandmother was very ill & passed away last April. I was so depressed. I was pregnant & dealing with all of those hormones. I was looking for a house for a while, although it ended up having to wait another year (soon we will begin again though), I had a wedding to plan & a honeymoon to attend & finally the birth of my beautiful baby. I also sold Mary Kay while in college, but I was so overextended I could barely squeeze enough time in to sleep at night. I sold Avon when I was 18, but really just wasn't ready. I didn't have a lot of job experience & noone really mentored me. They just signed you up & basically threw you in & said "sink or swim". I mainly just bought stuff for myself so it defeated the whole "making money" thing. I tried it again when I moved back to Louisiana from Ohio, but I was so depressed & miserable that I couldn't get my mind right. I was way too easily discouraged at that time. One thing you definitely need in that kind of business is a positive attitude & I just didn't have it.

Now it's a new year & a new beginning. My family is adjusting to our new life together. We've been financially squeezed with our huge wedding debt, paying for the tremendous amount of medical bills (despite having INSURANCE), and STILL trying to save $ to buy a house this summer. We basically afford the necessities, pay the bills & everything else goes to savings. I'm a FEMALE, though, & there are just things beyond food & shelter that a girl needs! I haven't been able to get my hair done because it's so expensive. I hate going to cheap places because it seems like they always manage to destroy my hair & I always leave regretting that I had gone there. I love shopping & really need clothes, especially because my body has completely changed after the birth of my son. I have an entire wardrobe of clothes that don't fit me. I'd love to join a gym, but it's just a luxuary I can't afford right now. I also really need a new car, I'm afraid mine will not last much longer.

I had been racking my brain trying to figure out a way that I could start contributing financially while not sacrificing what it was I was looking for in a career. I knew direct-selling was the path for me. It would use all of the skills I have been building upon all of these years as a student & working. I knew it would give me the freedom to pursue my ambitions while providing a structure & support system to help me be successful. I remembered that it was only $10 to sign up for Avon. It occurred to me that rather than renewing Arbonne for $15 when I didn't even use it in the first place, why not try Avon out again in these new circumstances. It was like a lightbulb went off. I immediately called the Avon office & told them I want to sign up. An hour later I was at the office picking up my new representative kit. I've been working on something for Avon everyday since.

It's like my passion has been renewed!!! I love the training & support they offer. I love that the name "Avon" speaks for itself. I love that I can actually AFFORD their stuff & I love that I'm selling a brand that I've loved since childhood! Finally, I've found something I can get excited about. I remember as a child going door-to-door with my stepmom delivering catalogs. I remember the excitement of getting the orders in, bagging them up & distributing them. It made me feel kinda like Santa Claus. I remember as a teenager my mom & Grandma being involved in Avon. I knew every Christmas I'd be getting my favorites. I haven't actually been a customer for years & actually miss my favorite products so much. There's just something different about shopping at Wal-Mart or a department store...kinda impersonal & with noone to help me decide what's best for me to use.

Now I'm taking the Avon training courses online & learning so much. It's going to give me the confidence I need to represent the product to potenial customers. Now I have so much more job experience & I know what it takes to run a business. I'm without a doubt in the right frame of mind. I'm bursting with positivity. I KNOW I will be successful. I plan on making the bulk of my money from doing fundraisers once I'm confident enough in my knowledge to approach different groups who could benefit. Of course I'll do the individual stuff as well, but that part usually builds slowly as you begin to gain loyal, repeat customers. I know that takes a while. My goal is to do one fundraiser by this summer to contribute to our down payment.

This is my personal story, but I know that so many people experience this type of struggle. If you have a dream, but lack confidence or experience, don't let that stop you. Find a mentor, join a support group, read everything about your dream that you can find. Like the Nike slogan says..."Just Do It"! Do something to work towards that dream everyday. Every journey starts with a single step, just remember that.

Isaac at Four Months

I thought I'd give an update on my little man. He's been holding his head up really well for a while now. He even tries to sit up when laying on a pillow. He loves standing up and playing "big boy". He's now discovered the purpose of his Jumparoo is for jumping & he does it like crazy. He loves to giggle lately too. Sometimes he'll giggle at you for no reason to get you to laugh. It's so cute. He's been drooling a lot for over a month now. People keep telling me he's teething & the doctor says it looks like he is, but I still haven't seen any teeth yet. He's been eating baby food too. He likes applesauce & especially peas & carrots. He's not as big a fan of the rice cereal or pears. I had to start feeding him because he stares at my food like a fat kid in a candy store. He's getting harder to hold on to, he literally tries to crawl out of my arms. When I prop him sideways on my belly he can make his way over me to the other side. When he has tummy time he "swims". Everything I've read says this is the first step to crawling. He's been rolling over for a while now too, but seems to be doing it more lately. Oh & he loves to "whine". He does the "fake" crying thing. He's so silly. Oh & he's now a thumb sucker. He fights me when I'm giving him a bottle because he wants that thumb in his mouth so bad. He's weaned himself off of breastfeeding (about 3 weeks now). He had "stranger anxiety" for about a week, but seems to be over it right now. He loves taking baths. I think it's one of his favorite things. He kicks the water & splashes it everywhere & plays with his duckies. He likes putting EVERYTHING into his mouth. I have a toy on his carseat & he was crying the other day because he couldn't get it into his mouth. He seems to have mine & Mike's lack of patience.

Isaac isn’t a fan of wind

I met with a bunch of other mommies today from a parent's group I joined. Isaac liked watching the other kids play and even played footsies with a little girl. It was so cute. We went to the LSU lakes and it was a little windy. We had to pull out early since Isaac would catch his breath and cry every time the wind blew. I'm glad we are broadening our social horizons though. It's nice to meet other SAHMs like me!

Lend me a kitten

I will lend to you for a while
a kitten, God said,
for you to love himwhile he lives
and to mourn for him when he is gone.
Maybe for twelve or fourteen years,
or maybe for two or three,
but will you, till I call himback
take care of him for me?

He'll bring his charms to gladden you
and (should his stay be brief)
you'll always have his memories
as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise that he will stay,
since all from earth return.
But there are lessons taught below
I want this kitten to learn.

I've looked the whole world over
in search of teachers true,
and from the folk that crowd life's land
I have chosen you.
Now will you give him all your love?
Nor think the labor vain.
Nor hate me when I come to take my kitten back again.

I fancied that I heard them say
"Dear Lord Thy Will Be Done,"
for all the joys this kitten will bring,
the risk of grief you'll run.
Will you shelter him with tenderness?
Will you love him while you may?
And for the happiness you'll know forever-grateful stay.

But should I call him back
much sooner than you've planned,
please brave the bitter grief that comes
and try to understand.
If, by your love, you've managed
my wishes to achieve,
in memory of him that you've loved,
cherish every moment with your faithful bundle,
and know he loved you too.


Author Unknown

R.I.P. Zeke 8/10/03-1/30/08

He passed away last night. We had left him with the vet to try to get
him stabilized. I feel like he died feeling abandoned. I was going to
visit him today to bring him one of his daddy's shirts and to reassure
him that he was still loved. The vet called at 8 a.m. with the terrible
news. I'm so angry at the 1st vet we went to. He gave us advice that
was detrimental to Zeke's condition. He never should have had a steroid shot or been force-fed the Nutri-Cal. He needed immediate care to treat the Diabetes and Fatty Liver Disease. I wonder if we had gone to this
new vet in the 1st place if Zeke could have actually had a chance. I haven't told Mike the news yet...he will be devastated. He adopted him from a rescue organization when he was just a baby...they adored one another. The weirdest thing happened last night. I swear on
my Grandmother' s grave that I heard Zeke's distinctive meow. It gave me chills...I just wish he was still here.

Update on Zeke

I had my second opinion on Zeke today. It was as Mike and I had originally suspected...he has Diabetes. He also has Fatty Liver Disease. I know both of these are survivable, but together and at this point the prognosis isn't so good. The former caused the latter. I don't understand how the first vet I went to could be practicing still. I told him of our suspicion of Diabetes and he automatically ruled it out without testing. He also did not test for FIP or even his liver function. He just told us he's terminal, with FIP and liver cancer, end of story...oh and "let's hope for the best". The vet today (who came highly recommended and used once before although he's in another town a 1/2 hour away) IMMEDIATELY whisked him off to put a warm IV in him and to test his liver function as well as everything else. They are keeping him until he is stabilized. He WAS given an FIP vaccination on 2/10/07...the vet AUTOMATICALLY gives it with all of the annual shots...this vaccine is DANGEROUS and UNNECESSARY. It could actually make your kitty more susceptible to catching the coronavirus which causes FIP. When I took him last year for his shots, he had severe diarrhea...the vet didn't test him for anything except Fvrp/luk & Feluk/fiv & said the diarrhea was just probably from something he ate. He was 19lbs at the time and couldn't even clean his bottom, we had to take him to a professional groomer to be cleaned and have his bottom shaved. I wonder if they should have tested for Diabetes back then. I had complained of how much he would throw up all of the time. We joked that he must be Bulimic, but no red flags were brought to my attention by the vet...she just said we should not let him eat so much. That's kind of a problem, though, because 2 of our indoor kitties will only eat when they can "graze. I wish I had seen the red flags, especially his sudden loss of weight. I thought it was a good thing that he was losing weight because he was so fat before. I hate that he had to go from Monday to today without being properly treated. It could cost him his life. I hate that you put your trust in a medical expert and you get such poor service...especially when the life of your pet is at stake. I wish I had paid closer attention...my pets have not had my complete attention for months due to our new baby and I feel horrible. One other thing I wonder about is if the onset of the Diabetes could have been triggered by a change in his food. The place we shop at was out of the Purina Cat Chow completely, but we HAD to have food. We bought, I think, Meow Mix until the store could get more in. I believe this was 2-3 weeks ago. I wonder if this could be related? I am crossing my fingers that Zeke will make it through. The vet says it doesn't seem very promising...less than a 10% chance of surviving, but knowing what the problem is makes me hopeful still. I feel like there is a weight off of my shoulders right now. Thanks so much for all of your concern.

My kitty is dying

I am devastated. Our fat cat, Zeke is lifeless. I took him to the vet today and his kidneys are failing. He's up-to-date on his vaccines, but the vet feels that he has FIP...something he received a vaccine for 2/07. I can't even describe how much I love this kitty. He was almost 20 lbs and now he's not even 12. He's only 4 1/2 years old...too young to die. The vet said that he was terminal...all we can do is try to make him comfortable. He has masses that the vet believes are tumors...I just don't understand how this happened. He had been losing weight over the past couple of weeks, but I had thought that was a good thing since he's overweight. I wish I had paid more attention to him. I wish there was more I could do. I'm thinking of taking him to another vet tomorrow...just in case. I want to feel like I've done everything within my control.

staying home, career

After a grueling 8 years and zillion jobs later, I graduated LSU with a degree in Political Science. Now I have a career as a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM). I never, ever thought this is where I `d want to be. I saw myself as a career woman. I wanted to BE somebody. I wanted to do important things. I saw myself as a Feminist. After being out there for a while in the land of the 9-5 (where I longed to be for so long), I realized I HATED it. I yearned for something more. I wanted to be a mommy! I wanted to take care of my house & my husband. It `s so ironic now to hear myself saying these things. I used to think women who wanted things like that were uneducated simpletons. Now that I `m wearing their shoes, I rather like them. I used to wonder why someone would `throw away ` their college education to be a housewife. I couldn `t, for the life of me, figure out what was wrong with them. At the same time, I constantly pondered how I could make my mark on the world. What could I do to better the lives of people around me? What was I meant to do? There are so many things wrong with the world and families. I know because I grew up in a very broken family...if you could even call it a family. I became constantly overwhelmed. I volunteered to help the abused children, the abused animals, to clean up the environment, to help the best candidate win. I worked 2 and 3 jobs at a time while attending school full-time. I went out as often as I could. I tried to save my friends and family whose lives were always falling apart...in the meantime I could barely keep my own life together. I bounced from relationship to relationship searching for something permanent. I rarely slept more than 5 hours a night when I wasn `t pulling all-nighters (be it studying or partying). When college was over...all of that chaos came to a screeching HALT!My life is solid now. It is so much calmer and more meaningful. My education comes very much in handy these days. It taught me so many things. My work experience has also prepared me for this new role. I can run a household and a family now. I `m not perfect at it and I know I have a LONG way to go. I am learning to organize and to cook. I am appreciating the unconditional love from my baby and Mike. I am so grateful to have a husband who values my new role. He doesn `t mind supporting his family and I don `t mind supporting him. Wouldn `t society be so much better off if we didn `t have to feel ashamed of putting our families first? I want my son to have the best care and education a child can have. I know he will because I will be the one providing it! I don `t want to worry about him being neglected in a daycare or feeling like his parents don `t have time for him. Believe it or not I am still studying like crazy. I am taking my education so much more seriously than I ever did in college. I am learning the most valueable lessons and skills of my life right now. I read constantly on how to care for my baby and home. I know this kind of life is not for everyone, but it `s working for me and my family right now! There are some sacrifices we have to make...I don `t drive a brand new car or wear the latest fashions. I can `t get my hair highlighted every 6-8 weeks or my nails done. We may not have the best of everything, and may be cutting coupons & living on a budget, but it `s WORTH it to me. I know that we will own our own home soon. We `ll still travel and have adventures. We will have a boat and probably even a vacation home someday. I WILL write a book. I still have career aspirations, but at this point in time I `m right where I need to be. I stopped and listened to myself to find out what I really wanted out of life and not what society told me I should aspire to be. I `m glad I `m finally listening to myself.



Isaac turned 6 weeks old yesterday. I measured him and he's around 24 inches & weighed in today at 13 lbs! He's getting so big so fast. He's even holding his head up for long periods of time. I'm so proud of him. I dreamt last night that he was starting to crawl already! On a sad note, my favorite kitty in the world went missing. We can't find her anywhere. I'm posting flyers & doing everything I can. I think someone kidnapped her. She goes up to complete strangers & hugs them. She'll even jump into anyone's car!

Coincidence?

My mother is a HUGE fan of Edgar Cayce. From time to time she sends me quotes from him...today's:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Think on This ...
. . the church is within yourself and not in any pope nor preacher, nor in any building but in self! For thy body is indeed the temple of the living God, and the Christ becomes a personal companion in mind and in body; dependent upon the personality and individuality of the entity as it makes practical application of the tenets and truths that are expressed.

Edgar Cayce Reading 5125-1

Become part of the legacy.

This email was automatically generated by the Association for Research and Enlightenment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She has been talking about him for years, but it usually goes in one ear and out the other. I took a walk with Isaac today & contemplated why I'm so resentful & depressed about my past. I came home & found the above in my inbox. After reading it, something told me I need to just turn off the television. I decided to make it my New Year's Resolution. I went through the house turning off all of the tvs (we leave them on in each room for our animals...I know, kind of silly). Anyway, I decided to go and see what the skeptics say about this guy. What I found were the rigid Christian sect trying to debunk him. What I learned about him has actually fascinated me. His teachings are things I've thought all along. I read what Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Cayce) had to say & learned of the strangest thing; he talks about Atlantis & a rare blue stone, "In this regard Cayce also predicted the coming of a certain 'blue stone' of Atlantean origin, that was to be found on "an island in the Caribbean" and was to have the power to heal. In 1974 a Volcanic blue pectolite now known as the Larimar was found in the Dominican Republic. In occult circles this colored gemstone is said to have healing powers..."

The significance? Mike bought me that very stone for Christmas. Call it a coincidence, but it sure gave me goose pimples!!!!!!!!!!

Getting out and about

The weekend was great. Got to get out & have dinner with Sharon & Steph, which was nice. We also went to Mike's niece, Caroline's, horse show. I actually got a sunburn on my face despite a hat with a brim & chilly temps. I love getting out & doing things with Isaac even if he doesn't like it so much. He'll just have to get used to it I guess. I don't want to be a homebody. Oh & someone please take that freaking cat...the longer it stays, the more Mike gets attached to it...and it is NOT staying!

Dreaming about dreaming

The oddest thing...the last couple of nights I have been telling people about the dream I had while I'm still dreaming! I don't think it's the same thing as lucid dreaming, is it? The dream was me trying to climb down a house built on a cliff while a white dog foaming at the mouth was lunging at me. Then I'm at a store shopping & the clothes I want that are on sale are too high to reach. There are some other women there too trying to get to the too-high racks so I go get one of those long metal reacher things to help us all out. When I come back, every one of the pieces of clothing are gone & a saleslady points to the dressing room. I see that the women I was trying to help managed to get them on their own & took them all. I sling the reacher thing across the store and storm out! Whew...temper temper Christine! (I really have done the storming out thing a time or two).

A Good Way to STart the New Year

CLEANING HOUSE


Last Week I threw out Worrying, it was getting old and
in the way. It kept me from being me; I couldn't do
things God's way.

I threw out a book on MY PAST (didn't have time to
read it anyway). Replaced it with NEW GOALS, started
reading it today.

I threw out hate and bad memories, (remember how I
treasured them so)? Got me a NEW PHILOSOPHY too, threw
out the one from long ago.

Brought in some new books too, called I CAN, I WILL,
AND I MUST. Threw out I might, I think and I ought.
WOW, you should've seen the dust.

I ran across an OLD FRIEND, haven't seen him in a
while. I believe his name is GOD, Yes I really like
His style.

He helped me to do some cleaning and added some things
Himself. Like PRAYER, HOPE AND FAITH, Yes I placed
them right on the shelf.

I picked up this special thing and placed it at the
front door. I FOUND IT- its called PEACE. Nothing
gets me down anymore.

Yes, I've got my house looking nice. Looks good around
the place. For things like Worry and Trouble there
just isn't any space.

Its good to do a little house cleaning, get rid of
the things that don't belong on the shelf. It sure
makes things brighter; maybe you should TRY IT
YOURSELF.

BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE ELSE!!!!

(Because you are a blessing to me)

May the Lord open the windows of heaven and pour you
out a blessing that you will not have room enough to
receive it all.

Malachi 3:10.

Take 60 seconds & Bless some one!