What to write about today….

What to write about today….

Used to be so easy for me to find something to write about…just start typing and there is it was.  Now? Not so much.  There is a whole lot of nothing happenin right now.  We are waiting on stuff we cannot rush, and wouldn’t even if we could.  So, what to write about today.

How about what’s for dinner?  We are going to have grilled ham and cheese sammiches.  But these are not going to be ordinary grilled cheese, oh no…mine is going to be Over The Top delish.  Why you ask?  Because it’s going to be inside out!!!!  You heard me – inside out.  Well, more like inside AND out. Yep. Different. Delish. Here’s the scoop, instead of just putting cheese on the inside, put it on the outside too.  Once you butter that bread and put it in the pan, you butter the other slice…then you flip it once that butter on the first side has had a chance to melt…then you sprinkle cheese on top of the hot buttered bread and press it a little with the turner.  Let it sit a minute for the butter on the second side to melt and flip it again.  Put some cheese on This side now…wait a bit for the other side to melt and flip it Again.  Now let That side go for a bit.  You get the idea.  That cheese gets so chrispy and scrumpdelishious! 

One word of warning tho…for sho use a really really good non stick pan!!!  lol

Where were you?

Where were you?

I know that everyone is thinking about that today.  I know that I am.  I will never forget.  I will always remember the feelings that morning.

I had just started a new job the day before, had been in orientation all day, so this was my first day in my new office. 

Trav paged me – told me to find a tv and turn it on. 

The people in my office were in shock.  One of the lawyers had a little 4 inch tv in his office and we all crowded around and watched the second plane hit.

One of my new coworkers was having a panic attack – she thought we had just seen the beginning of World War III.  So did I.

I felt total disbelief and then an anger like none I had ever felt before.  Then fear.  Then horror.  Then an overwhelming sadness that I am still feeling today.

I knew.  I have no idea how I knew this, but I did.  I knew that the world as I had known it my entire life had just shifted.  And it would never be the same again.  I was right.

They closed the schools and universities…including the one I had just started working at, at noon.  And I stopped at the way home to call my mom.  I needed to hear her voice, to be reassured that there was still some form of normalicy left.  I heard her voice, but it was difficult to understand her as she was crying so hard.  We kind of just hung on those handsets and sobbed for a few and then took deep breaths, said I love you and hung up.  I drove home and went straight to her and we hugged for a long time. 

I will never forget those feelings…the totality of that act.  The brutality of it and the hate and the simplicity with which it was accomplished.  I will never forget the love we felt for each other and the feeling of coming together as a nation and as a people.  The feeling of helplessness because, even with my training, there was nothing I could do, nowhere I could go to help heal those hurts or help stop the pain of those left behind.

Fast forward to today.  I now know some of the families of those that did manage to find ways to help.  Survivors of those heroes.  I have met and listened and heard and hurt and loved.  I think I am finally finding a way to help, to be there, to maybe, just maybe, heal a little part of their broken hearts by loving them and their hero from the bottom of my heart.

Where were you?

Pets.

We have a dog.  We have two cats.  We are parents.  Just to fids, not kids.

They are wonderful.  They drive us nuts. 

If you have animals in your life you are truly blessed.  I hope you know that!

Some folks don’t seem to realize just what they have when they have a pet. 

Unconditional love.  Total aggravation.  3 am puking.  Back warmer at night.  Midnight walks.  Hugs at all hours.  Love without end.  Vet visits.  Long walks.  Marathon petting sessions (not that kind, you have a dirty mind!).  licking boo boos and tears away and making it all better.  Whining for stuff.  Meows that sound like words (Mama).  Fighting with each other.  Protection.    

Did I mention love?  How much love?  More than you will ever get from another human being.  And yet, we tend to take them for granted.  Until they are gone. 

I was sitting here tonight feeling a little sad, thinking about some of our babies that have gone on across that rainbow bridge.  Thinking how much I missed them and really contemplating the thought that our girls are getting older and we are about to start stressing them out on a regular basis.  I am not sure that is the fairest thing we can do for them.  What is the alternative?  Find them new homes?  I don’t think I could do that – even if we could find someone I would trust them to, we are all they have known for almost ten years…..how fair or right would that be?  Abandon them?  If that even crossed our minds it would be instantly thrown out as totally unacceptable.  Put them down?  Are you kidding me?  Not a chance in hel!!!!   

So I guess that means they are just going to have to be a tad stressed for a while.  Who knows?  They might actually start to like it, all the new smells and all the new people and all the new places.  Just because they haven’t known about them before, doesn’t mean they may not like it in the future.

We DO realize what we have.  We have three hearts that are so big they encompass the entire world as they know it…and that means that we are the most important family they have.  I think they are the most important family WE have too.  As long as they live in our lives, they are our lives.  Thank you, God, for our fids. 

Want vs Need

Alrighty then, been at this a week now and have made it work with one post a day.  Now let us see how long we can keep this up.  LOL

Today we are going to go look at another camper...we still haven't found the one we need.  Notice I say 'need' and not 'want'?  What we want and what we need are almost always two different animals.  We want something that is big enough to live in comfortably and have as much space as we can and still pull it with a 3/4 ton van/truck...what we need is a smaller more compact design that is just big enough for the five of us to live in a cozy little nest.  What we want would cost us thousands more than we have, what we need should fit pretty nicely into our budget.  What we want is for all this to come together without a hitch. What we need is it to come together in the next 2 weeks.  What we want is for all the stress to be over.  What we need is for all the stress to be over.

So there you have it folks...our wants and needs in a nutshell.  Have a happy day!

There are those that would rather keep you from falling then have to help you up after you do. 

We heard this on a show tonight and it struck such a strong chord in both of us that I had to write it down and talk about it. This is a powerful statement, think about it, wouldn’t you rather help someone succeed first and never fall? 

I know I would. 

I wish we could prevent all falls and hurts. I know we cannot, as those are the most impressive learning experience we have…but Man, think of the progress we could make if we weren’t always helping to fix those that have fallen, if we could have a smooth and uneventful trip, if we could enjoy the way life flows without the rocks making all those waves that splash water in our faces and choke us with fear or trepidation….yes, I want to be one of those…I want to help you keep your balance…I want to be there for you…but if I cannot, I will help you get back up and brush yourself off and keep on keepin on…count on it.

Warehouse 13

Hello friends, here I am again….sitting here trying to thinking of what to write today…and what did I come up with?  Nothing!

We spent all day Thursday looking at campers and they all had something wrong with them, not that we didn’t like them, but actual structural faults that would cause trouble pretty quickly.  We have enlisted the aid of a friend, many actually but he is in a good position to make a big difference, and are very worried that we won’t find something in the time frame we are constrained within.  We do trust that God is going to do His thing, but the stress and anxiety that I am feeling will not allow that trust to hold sway.  You know what I mean, the brain is active even when the heart is at peace.  We do have a large tent we can live in, but I think the cats might kill us before it is all said and done. 

Anyway – have you ever watched Warehouse 13?  We just finished the series and were so very sad to see it end…made us think of the Eureka series…we really enjoyed that one too.  Now we need to find something else along the same lines.  Yes – we are closet Geeks/Nerds….we even know what the red shirt means!!!!

Right now we are watching one on Amazon Prime Video called In Plain Sight.  It is about the Witness Protection Service.  It is interesting and has some funny quirks…you might like it.  Not a police procedural, but more about the life and times of some Inspectors and their ‘clients’.

We like shows like NCIS and CSI but there really aren’t that many of those out there anymore that are worth watching and I MISS ABBY!!!!

More insights

This journey we are on right now is rather stressful…as you might imagine…if we do not find the camper we need we shall be technically homeless soon.  We have friends who have offered us a place to live as well as a place to park the camper when we find it, so we are not freaking out quite as much as we might have otherwise...but still.

We have lived in this house (which my parents built) for over 20 years and on the property, off and on, since 1979 (well I have anyways, Trav since 1991 or so).  That’s 40 years people!  This is a big deal, I have so many memories of here, both good and bad.  A part of my soul will remain when we leave, but, if we don’t I think a larger part may just wither and die. 

We have consciously chosen to view this change in a positive light…as a new adventure…as a chance to get out and see the world and experience new and exciting things.  My subconscious, on the other hand, thinks we are in some sort of nightmarish fun house and that life is trying to see just how far it can push me before I lose it and run screaming into the woods and never come back…I mean, seriously?  I’ve been collecting and using craft supplies for over 25 years and am going to have to abandon most of them!!!!!  Yes I am taking my tools, but my PAPER!!!!!!! My eyelets!!! My STAMPS!!!  I don’t know if I can continue to speak of these things, sorry…

Moving on – we are concerned about the animals adjusting as well.  None of them are particularly socialized and they really don’t like riding in the car/truck too much…and they are going to LIVE in a moving home...poor girls, hope they adapt quickly.  An unhappy 75 pound dog is one thing, but two unhappy cats can wreak havoc on a home.  Sigh

Not the one?

Well, looks like that camper is a no go…priced too high for what it is, so unless they are going to drop the price, we gotta keep looking.  That makes me sad, because that one would work very well for us

.

We decided long ago that God would make sure that the right one would come along at the right time, but, does that mean we sit here and wait for that to happen?  Or are we supposed to go find it and He will let us know? Or a combination of both? Or??????

I think we have settled on a travel trailer and a fairly small one too…want one with a bunkhouse and two doors if that’s available, but flexible on those….does have to have a bedroom that we can close the door on and room for my crafts and his photography.

This is not easy….it will be worth it in the end, but we have a limited amount of money and a limited amount of time and we want something that is nice enough to live it full time…..is that asking too much?