Have you ever had someone come into your life and change it, in a profound way? By the time the dust settled, they were not around to thank.

Thanks to a very special person who came into my life when I needed them. I am now working a new job, in a new state and living on my own, and happy.

It's me and the cat...enjoying apartment life.

Thank you...

Hope all is well with you and yours...

The Joys of Work

You just got an email from Cousin Susie telling you the news about Aunt Bea’s Sunday Brunch. She is having one every Sunday at the new house they bought down on Mulberry Lane, huge dining room, antique furniture with a huge china cabinet and everything! The entire family will be invited and Aunt Bea is planning a new theme dinner each week starting with a Polish Polka Extravaganza. Bill Garbonski will be bringing the boys down to play polka’s during dinner. But not to worry, she will make her special pickled pig’s feet recipe every week no matter what.


Cousin Susie can’t wait she is so excited to enjoy every single Sunday Brunch. Of course she works at a bank down town; they are closed on Sunday’s, which leaves Cousin Susie free to attend each and every Sunday event.

You on the other hand, work the front desk at the motel down on Route 36. They are open every day of the week, so this means you will not be able to attend every single exciting Sunday Brunch with the whole clan down on Mulberry Lane.

You are just heartbroken and upset that you are going to miss such an important event in your life. You will only be able enjoy Aunt Bea’s special pickled pig’s feet every other weekend. Sigh.

What can you do? There has to be a way for you to not miss these phenomenal Sunday events each and every week.


There is. Go get a job at a bank.

Your co-workers do not want to work every weekend just so you can attend Aunt Bea’s themed Sunday Brunches every week.


We hear her pickled pig’s feet are tough anyway.

For You, D

Diamond Eyes

I consider myself a morning person, but getting up before 6am just feels wrong. On Sunday I had to do just that…got up at 4am for work. Knowing the opening manager doesn’t show up until the exact hour, I got in my car about 15 minutes later than normal. First song on the radio was one of my current favorites and for some reason, on that day it touched me deeper. So there I was 5am, radio blasting…made for an awesome day. I feel like I’ve turned another corner and life is all good!

Im on the front line
dont worry I'll be fine
the story is just beginning
I say goodbye to my weakness
so long to the regret
and now I see the world through diamond eyes
Shinedown

New Year, New Challenges

I have been quite neglectful of this poor blog as well as many other aspects of my life. The main culprit has been our four-legged kids. We lost our precious India to cancer back in September of 2008 and still miss her mischievous actions that kept us on our toes. She was the most recent greyhound we adopted and our first experience with the loss. Even though you know their lives are shorter compared to we humans, it does not make the event any easier to deal with.

We didn't have a quiet house for long. The next month we 'rescued' my sister's Boston/Rat Terrier mix from her. Seeing as both she and her husband work this little bundle of energy was just too much for them. We spent the following months slowing integrating Maggie, the newbie, with our greyhounds. This was quite an adventure since our male grey, Callin, has never been small animal friendly and we feared for Maggie's safety. After weeks of working with them we were astounded by the progress and the tolerance of our greyhounds. And now after 6 months all three dogs co-exist together in harmony, for the most part. Maggie has learned when Callin growls he means business and she should stop trying to play with him. Tooni, our female grey, has taken over the mothering/playmate role with Maggie and the two of them are constantly interacting in one way or another. Tooni does an excellent job of trying to teach Maggie manners, but alas Maggie is a poor student.

We have gotten to know the veterinarians quite well over the past few months. Callin needed some surgery of his own and we recently went through more surgery with Maggie just last week. So yes there will be more posts to come about my four-legged little bundles of joy.

Infomercial Weakness

Well color me crazy. For the first time in my life I picked up the phone and dialed the 800 number from an infomercial. So in 5 to 7 business days I should have this great package from 10 Minute Trainer that is going to change my life. (rolls eyes) I still don't know my motivation for doing this. Could have been the fresh determination to lose weight that radiated off my sister at the latest family gathering yesterday or the fact that 70 percent of my warm weather clothes do nothing to hide what I call my 'pudgies' around my middle. Either way I'm going to give it a try. The promise of only 10 minutes a day was the biggest draw for me. I have a drawer full of various workout videos that all promise the perfect body, but they take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes a day. And saying "I don't have the time" is such an easy way to avoid the arduous sweat inducing activities they contain. Even I can find 10 minutes a day to punish my out of shape body in hopes of fitting into my clothes again. And the cost of the package I ordered (somewhere in the $80 range) is much less than a new wardrobe. I did manage to avoid half of the other 'offers' the operator is poised to sign you up for. The extra workout DVDs and more exercise bands for a mere $60 more and the $9.98 warranty on the DVDs were the two I said a firm 'no' to. I did accept the 30 day supplement for $1 and the 30 day free online access with the plan to cancel both before they continue to on and cost me more.

Even though they promise six-pack abs, I'm just looking for abs that don't flop over the waistband of my jeans. :) Of course I am sharing all of this info so I will be forced to follow through with the workouts and post my progress or lack there of depending on how accurate the advertisement was. They say you will drop a jean size in 10 days or your money back. (raises eyebrow) We'll see how that goes.

I've never had a 'hot' body in my life. Years ago I was thin with no shape what so ever. In my mid 20's I developed a thyroid condition that packed on 30+ pounds and spreading shape that is unflattering and continues to widen. I turned 40 last year and am noticing the unwanted gravitational pull on some areas of my body and the lack of stamina that I had in my 20's and 30's. My main goal is to tone up what I can, get some more energy and feel more comfortable in my current wardrobe which hovers in the size 8-10 area.

And the added bonus I am aware of with improved physical activity is mental stimulation which can only enrich my writing life.

I will take before pictures of myself and based on the results I will see if I am brave enough to post them here. :)

So look for my daily progress reports to begin in 5 to 7 business days and support and encouragement is always welcome.

Ups and Downs

This month’s writing has been sparse to say the least. It could just be the time of year that has my emotions in turmoil, or maybe not. As much as I love winter and the hibernation that it brings for me, I am now ready for the warmer temperatures of spring. The back and forth between sunny warm breezes and cloudy cold snow mimic my own moods. Through it all I hang on to whatever brings the slightest smile to my face and keep moving forward no matter how small my steps may be.

I did manage to work on my novel last week and did a whopping 935 words, ha ha. Well, it’s better than no words at all. Or at least that is what I keep telling myself. This week begins second shift for my husband, so my afternoons and evening are my own to do what I wish for the next five days. Last month during this shift I managed to write a few of the days and worked on organizing myself. I wonder if I’ll ever get to the end of that task, likely not. But even though I slept in today, not in my plan, I am confident that I will accomplish more today than I have in recent days. I am focused and determined to get through the fog that surrounds me and find the sunshine in my life no matter how many clouds hover over my heart.