Hoping for Change in 2013

It has been one long, disappointing year.

Many of you know that I have been hoping for things to get happier for me this year.  There are certain people in my life that I would like to spend more time with, but can’t.  For one thing, they live too far away..  I have tried to keep in touch with them through Facebook.  It has mainly been a one way proposition…. I have sent many texts.  I have held back from saying things that were really on my mind.  And, in the end, I have spent more time crying than any other one time in my life.

I started the year unemployed.  That changed in April when I took the chance and applied for a job with a company I have worked for in the past.  I have one major problem….my mouth. 

When I was much younger, and married to a different man, I never spoke up.  With everything he put me through, I decided when it ended for me to never be quiet again.  I would speak my mind and make no apologies.  Never again would I let anyone walk all over me; and just take it.  So in speaking my mind, I learned to stand up for myself.  There are certain things I will not let people do; I will never let anyone accuse me of doing something I didn’t do, accuse me of lying, or accuse me of stealing.  So in the past with this company, I stood up for myself and ended up quitting rather than let someone abuse me.

I was rather surprised when I was hired.  Now, 8 months later, I have become very comfortable with this new store and most of my fellow employees…My last store, I worked for 8 months and can honestly say I didn’t know as many people as I do in this store…  They are very friendly and easy to get along with.  Some of the people I knew at another store where I used to work.

Having a steady paycheck, I thought my life would be easier.  I thought wrong…  Things I had no problems with for the 3 years I was unemployed suddenly and steadily started breaking down.  I had 2 flat tires in one week.  My VHS/DVD player that I have never had any problem with quit working.  My son’s T.V. quit playing any sound….. I dropped my phone in the toilet…..My pride and joy, my camera, quit recognizing memory cards….7 family members died….

But the good thing was I at least have the money now to replace these things.  I bought a newer, upgraded camera and lenses on layaway.  I even bought a new laptop.  I replaced my son’s 4 year old computer that had recently been starting with “The Black Screen of Death”.  I was able to spend money on my grandkids for things they wanted.  I bought birthday and Christmas presents for my sons that I haven’t been able to buy for in recent years.

I was the “grandparent” for the football team my grandsons used to play for, and between that team and several other teams, I really felt like I was important to someone.  To them, I guess I am.  But it didn’t make up for the people I really miss….My Daughter and my grandchildren.

My daughter quit talking to me June of 2010.  There was a time when I wasn’t even allowed to talk to several of my grandchildren because of something someone else said in a text message to my phone, that I wasn’t even carrying at the time….But my grandchildren rebelled and I was able to spend 6 months enjoying the company of 1 grandson before their move out of state….

Since then, the contact between them has been very sparse…. Oh, they would text me on paydays if they wanted something, but that was the extent of the contact.  I have tried several times to send cards to my daughter trying to repair our relationship to no avail.  I pay for my grand-daughter’s cell phone, but she doesn’t call me….or even text me unless I text her first…I found out too late when she was graduating; and no one bothered to tell me when she almost committed suicide.

So important days for me have gone without any notice….Mother’s Day, Grandparents Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and my Birthday.  My oldest grandson (My daughter’s oldest) now lives in a different state from his mother….and he always sends me a text on special days…He doesn’t ask for anything on paydays…He always ends his texts with “I love you”….and he has called without me calling him first.  He was the first to wish me Merry Christmas, and Happy Birthday….

I haven’t been allowed photos of any of my daughter’s children except for the ones they would post on Facebook.  It became too hard to look at the photos of them that lined my walls, so I put them away. 

Today was my birthday….and I was hoping the year would end on a good note….Instead, I have decided to cut my losses and forget about the people who I care about because it has become painfully obvious that they don’t want me in their lives.

They have made me out to be the bad one because all I wanted was for them to say “Happy Birthday” or “I love you”.

It may not be “all about me” ….but I don’t deserve to be treated like this.

In a week, I’ll be going to college…..and working.

From now on, it will be “All About Me”……They will have to find someone else to pick on….someone else to pay for the things they want…..someone else the can yell at and cuss at….Because they are no longer on my Facebook…I deleted them.

And maybe one day, they will realize how much they have hurt me . 

A Not so Grand ending

She stands alone.

Fenced off from all contact….No more does she hear the footsteps of young children.  No more books will be read…No more lunches, Christmas plays.   No longer will footsteps echo.  No more bouncing balls, no more running. No more sounds of laughter.

She stands alone…..

The end is near.  From every angle the signs of age and neglect can be seen.  The indignity of abuse is evident.  Once regal and grand, she now show the signs of old age.  A sad ending to something as old as she. 

She began her life in 1917.  She has existed alone since 2004.  People came close, they walked their dogs on the lawn, and children played on the swings….but she could only watch.  She even has her own Facebook page where people leave their comments, and their memories.  But she can not hear them.

The end is near.

Now you may think I have been talking about an elderly lady.  I wanted it to sound that way.  “She” is North School and this is what she once looked like.

…a grand old building that has seen many people pass through her doors. She was built in 1917 as a replacement for the previous North school.  She is the third North school built on this site.

Some have come as very young students on their very first day of school and many others have spent their entire elementary years there.

Several of my grand-children spent time there as students. I remember attending my grandson’s Kindergarten Halloween parade, another grandson’s Christmas Program, and many a book Fair and Parents days….I miss those days now but they will always be with me as precious memories.

She will no longer exist soon as she has been scheduled for Demolition.  The date had been set for December 10th, but so far she is still standing…although she has changed quite a bit…

Soon there will be a Fourth North School on this site.

In all, there are 7 Elementary schools in our community; North, (vacant since 2004), South, East, West, Medill, Tarhe and Sanderson.  All are scheduled for replacement…all of these school will be replaced one at a time….Many will be on the same sites, but others will move to new sites.

It’s a sad thing to think that most of these building are under 100 years old and in such disrepair that they are being condemned… Yet in some countries, their buildings are centuries old and still in use.  It doesn’t say much for how we treat our elderly….whether it be buildings or humans.

Rest in Peace , dear lady…..You have served your community well, and she is the one who let you down.

Dear God

 

Dear God:

It's me... the Dog!

Is it on purpose that Our
Names are spelled the same, only in reverse?

Why do humans smell the flowers,
but seldom, if ever, smell one another?

 

When we get to Heaven, can we sit on your couch?

Or will it be the same old story?

Why are there cars named after
the jaguar, the cougar, the mustang,
the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not ONE
named for a Dog? How often do you
see a cougar riding around? We love a nice car
ride! Would it be so hard to rename
the 'Chrysler Eagle' the 'Chrysler Beagle'?

If a Dog barks his head off
in the forest and no human hears him,
is he still a bad Dog?

We Dogs can understand human
verbal instructions, hand signals, whistles,
horns, clickers, beepers, scent IDs,
electromagnetic energy fields, and Frisbee
flight paths. What do humans understand?

More meatballs,
less spaghetti, please.

Are there mailmen in Heaven?
If there are, will I have to apologize?

Dear God: Here is a list of
just some of the things I must remember
to be a good Dog:

1. I will not eat the cat's food before he eats it or after he throws up it up.

2. I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc., just because I like the way they smell.

3. The Litter Box is not a cookie jar.

4. The sofa is not a 'face towel'.

5. The garbage collector is not stealing our stuff.

6. I will not play tug-of-war with Dad's
underwear when he's on the toilet.

7. Sticking my nose into someone's
crotch is an unacceptable way of saying 'hello'.

8. I don't need to suddenly stand
straight up when I'm under the coffee table.

9. I must shake the rainwater out of my fur before
entering the house - not after.

10. I will not come in from outside,
and immediately drag my butt across the carpet.

11. I will not sit in the middle of the living
room, and lick my crotch.

12. The cat is not a 'squeaky toy',
so when I play with him and he makes that noise,
it's usually not a good thing.

P.S. Dear God:

When I get to Heaven,
May I have my testicles back?

At the Fair

The sun has set on the 2012 Fairfield County Fair.

The Ribbons and Trophies have all been handed out….The Market animals have all been sold and the money they brought has been given to those who raised the animals.

The rides have all been folded up, taken apart and moved on to other parts unknown.

The venders have all packed their trailers and gone home.

No longer does the smell of Fried Dough, Elephant Ears, Funnel Cakes or fair food linger in the air drawing you in….

But the memories linger on……

More shots later………….

Hugs and Love to All!!

As Long as I live, I will never forget…..

The photos have all been stored away….There are none sitting out to remind me of those I miss so much.

But the memories won’t go away.

There’s a big hole in my heart where they used to be.  It aches every day. Only they can fill it. And make the ache go away…..but every day without them, it hurts more…..

Sometimes, late at night, while I’m watching T.V. or playing on the computer they creep in….and my eyes start to “leak”….

I wonder if they miss me as much as I miss them.

They don’t call, or write, or text….so I don’t know how often they think of me. Or if they ever think about me.

Sometimes the sadness overtakes me and no matter what I do I can’t find any happiness to cheer me up.

I will never forget the days they were all born.  The birthdays, the trips, the school events…..the sporting events….The days we spent together laughing and playing.

The times we went canoeing, or horseback riding…..the trips to the beach…or the zoo…..the vacations we spent together….the fairs and the fireworks…..

The weekends we spent just watching movies together….

Now already, I have missed all of their birthdays….not just once, but twice.  I have missed 2 graduations, missed holidays and more will be coming up soon.  I won’t be there to see them open presents.

I can only try to dream of seeing them.

Every day  brings more tears and more lost moments.

I will never forget them……

It is said you must learn to forgive and forget.  That unless you forget, you can not truly forgive.

I will never forgive those who have come between us.

I try to forget…..but they are as much a part of me as the blood that runs through my veins, and the tears that run down my cheeks.

I will never forget…….

And I hope someday they will find a way back to me…..and that every day they remember how much I love them and miss them.

 

Broke…..but Excited!

I can’t wait until Monday…..

I have paid off most of my new camera and will finish paying it off on the first…..Just in time to catch the last few regular season football games and it time for the County Fair in 2 weeks.

This is the Canon T3i. It is an 18mm camera (up from the 14mm I currently shoot with).  It has an ISO level to 6400 expandable to 12800, does HD video and shoots 3.7 frames per second.  Best thing is the lenses I have now will fit it, as will the memory cards.

It has left me almost broke, but it’s something worthwhile that I really want. Later I’ll send my other camera in for repairs.

Next up, I’m going to order some thing little by little to add to my photography equipment…I just ordered 2 additional batteries for the camera from Amazon and will order other things, like Macro lenses and extension tubes, maybe a battery pack grip, etc.  I will need another camera bag, maybe I’ll go for the backpack type, or the roll around where I can include both cameras and my laptop….I’ll have to check out what’s available.  I’ll need a lens hood, filters, a “Hot Shoe” flash, and a light diffuser; most of what I can get at Wal-Mart or a local photo store.

By the time I start school in January, I should have most of what  I need. But that’s another story.  I was going to take my application down to the college today to enroll, but due to the state of my checking account now, I’ll have to wait until next pay day.  No big rush as I have to wait until October 5th for my 6 months at Wal-Mart to be eligible for their Scholarship program, and until November 1st to actually apply for the scholarship. Plenty of time before the November 29th orientation day.

So in the meantime, I’m going to enjoy using my new camera and developing a “portfolio” if you will….Fall is here, there are fairs, the Pumpkin Festival in Circleville.  Before long, winter will be here with it’s frosty coverings.

I love the fair! The food, the animals, the tractor pulls and demolition derby. And this year, I paid the extra money and bought a track side seat to the concert!

THE OAK RIDGE BOYS!!!!

I can’t wait. I’ve seen these guys in concert before but it’s been over 35 years.  I’m anxious to hear what they play and sing.

I’m trying everything I can to keep from letting the depression of the holidays take over.  I’m sure it’s going to be a long hard battle.  I can not let myself think about the loss of my grandchildren in my life…maybe someday things will change, but for now I shed daily tears over the lack of contact with them….

But for no I struggle on….waiting for the good times and living day to day..

Hugs and Love to all!

I’m so Lost………….

I don’t know what to do anymore…….

Up until May of 2010, I had everything I ever wanted.  Four children who talked to me, 7 grandchildren who talked to me and this was my entire life…..

Now 2 of my children no longer talk to me and I go weeks without hearing from my grandchildren.  The only time I do hear from them is payday when they want money for something.

I haven’t seen photos of any of my grandchildren except for ones posted on Facebook.

I’m lost. 

I don’t get anything from any of them…..no calls, no messages, no photos, no cards or letters……

What do I do?

All I do anymore is cry, or try to keep from crying.

I was running errands, shopping and such, for the elderly lady across the street.  I would cut her grass and she’d pay me for that and give me money for doing her shopping or picking up pizza for her.  I didn’t do it for the money or expect anything in return….I enjoyed talking to her daily.  Monday she went to the doctors and was admitted to the hospital, and then transferred to a nursing home.  Another neighbor has told me that she may have to sell her home and live in the nursing home for the rest of her life, as she may no longer be able to live alone…So that outlet is also now gone.

I throw myself into work. I just go day to day….hoping something changes for the better….

Nothing has.

I used to be able to take my camera to a football game or a festival and take photos. This would take my mind off my family.  For a few hours I wouldn’t think about how lonely I am.

Now my camera has even let me down. It quit recognizing memory cards.  The only fix is to send it back to the manufacturer, 500 miles away, at an estimated cost of $205 to fix it….plus the cost of wrapping, shipping and insuring it…Or to buy a new camera. I have put one on lay-away…and hope to get it out by October 1st.

I checked into going to college.  I have never been to an actual college. I went to a trade/technical school for Automotive Mechanics in 1988…This is a local college my daughter went to.  It’s a 2 year Associates Degree in Arts and Science for Photography….My main concern was paying for college.  It’s $6500 a year.  So today I applied for financial aid just to see what I could get…..and it turns out, I can get a $9500 loan (with a 10 year pay-off) and a $3900 grant I wouldn’t have to pay back.  My employer has a scholarship program that if I apply for and get would pay up to $4,000 a year.

I still have to apply for college, and in October I can apply for the scholarship.  School would start in January.

Am I asking too much from the people I love, and thought loved me??  A phone call, a photo or a letter? is that really too much to ask for?

Why must I cry myself to sleep wondering if I will ever hear their voice, see their face, or share time with them again?

Or should I just try to forget?

Forget I had 2 older children….

Forget I had 7 grandchildren…..

Forget anyone ever loved me and I ever loved anyone else…..

I’m Lost…..

What do I do?

I’m so tired of crying….

Hugs and Love to all

Did someone say Football?

Last Monday was the first day of youth football. The team is smaller this year….only 24 players considering we usually have 30+ every other year…..and smaller in that we have a younger team with our 9 newly drafted players.

On Tuesday, the head coach asked me if I was okay with being the “Team Grandma”….(instead of the Team Mom)…..which I gladly excepted.  I was introduced to the parents that way at the Wednesday parent Meeting….

I went home and set up 2 things; a drink/snack list and a Team Brochure….with the names of the players and the coaches….

On Thursday, the players got their helmets and pads….and chose their numbers….I still need to get the numbers for 3 players who weren’t there on Thursday…..

The boys found out that if they wore their Jerseys to the Semi Pro League game on Saturday the 11th, they would be on the sidelines with them… Now I have to work at 6 that day, but you can bet I will be there for at least an hour and a half…..and hope my car gets me to work on time without breaking down….It has developed a sever knock that sounds like an axle I going bad.

The Semi-Pro team practices at our park on Mondays and Thursdays, so I watched them for over an hour…..

And Oh yeah, I took pictures……

Hugs and Love to All!

 

next you’ll be seeing more of the youth team….and maybe even some more of the “Lancaster Sabers”

In the Beginning…..a woman’s version

Caution: The following blog is the opinion of the writer and owner of this blog site.  It reflects my views and no one else's. Please comment if you feel, but understand that this is only my opinion….and you won’t change my mind!

Our bible tells us; “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

He looked down on his beautiful creation and decided it something else…..it needed some animals to enjoy the land, the waters and the gardens….So he created these….

Soon he looked down and realized it may not be such a good idea to allow these beautiful animals to roam alone and care for themselves….They only ate parts of some foods, left parts laying all over and then began leaving there “waste” all over the land….Soon the smell would overtake the beautiful fragrances of the flowers….They needed someone to clean up after them…..So God, in his infinite wisdom, created man and called him Adam…..

Now Adam’s job was simple.  He had everything he needed to make him comfortable.  All he had to do was keep it clean….But Adam watched the animals eating and leaving everything all over for him to clean up and decided “Why should I clean up when all they do is mess it up?”

God looked down on Adam and watched as he began to do as the animals did….Before long, there were banana peels thrown about and the beautiful gardens began to look like a pig sty.

Adam watched as the animals pro-created and not having someone of his own, he chased down whatever animal he could catch and practiced on them…..

God Looked down and decided that just wasn’t right….Here he had put these beautiful animals in this beautiful environment and here Adam was abusing them…..

So God in his infinite, although somehow now tarnished wisdom, created Woman….which he called Eve….

Now Adam had someone to look after him and clean up after him.  They could run around naked all day and Adam could chase Eve and take her anywhere in the garden he could catch her.

But Eve grew tired of this game….Not only did she have to clean up after Adam and all the animals, but she had to feed him and take care of him in other ways….

One day after a long, hard day of Adam climbing all over her and cleaning, Adam said to her “What’s for dinner?”….Well that was the straw that broke Eve’s back….She told Adam in a not so soft and tender voice “You mean to tell me with that whole garden out there, you can’t find anything to eat?”  And with that, Adam grabbed the first thing he could find…an apple…..and took a big bite.

That was the end of running around naked and having everything you could possibly want or need….From then on, man and woman were made to wear clothes and work for a living….

Now I know that’s not what the bible tell us….But my theory is the bible has flaws because it was written by a man….And as a woman we all know most men will never admit to doing anything wrong….

I know God exists….Look at a delicate orchid, a sea horse or a tall oak tree….That’s all it takes to know there must be a greater being.  I know he is a kind, gentle person…..He gave doctors the skills and the calm, steady hands to correct the imperfections of a baby’s cleft lip, cleft palate or damaged heart….

Now some may argue that if there is a God, why is there famine, floods, poverty, starvation and pollution?  Because once, God gave man something beautiful and the ability to make his own decisions and MAN chose to do the wrong things….

I also believe in heaven…..Why??? Because I believe a God who created so many things would also create a place where one could go and be happy once there life was over.  I don’t believe that such a God would condemn us to to “Burn in Hell” after suffering so much on earth….and what about the babies who never get the chance to live here on earth?  Should they be made to suffer after they have never lived, or lived short lives?….

I also know that there are many religions, with different beliefs, and different names for their Gods…..and I respect their rights in their beliefs…I don’t believe that they will “Burn in Hell” because they don’t believe in “My” God.

Now I know I’ve left you scratching your heads and wondering where all this is coming from….The answer is simple……I live with 3 men….I work more hours per week than any of them…..and still, I am the only one who gets up every morning, cares for the animals, washes the dishes, cleans the house , takes out the trash, pays the bills, cooks the meals and care for the yard and garden…..

Really…..with everything I do here, I have to believe my reward will come one day.

Hugs and love to all!

IT’S FOOTBALL TIME!!

It’s Here! It’s Here! It’s Here!

 

These are images from the second day of football conditioning for the 2012 Football season.  Conditioning is when new players come out and show off what they have during the drills so the coaches can make their draft choices…This year, the field was mostly third graders who will be eligible to play for 4 years….

No, none of the children you will see in this year’s posts will be related to me, although I did hear there is a set of “Disbennett” brothers….(distant cousins maybe?)

Due to my work schedule, I couldn’t attend the first day of conditioning, but I did make it to the second day….

Miller “Mayhem” coaches going over their picks.

the draft

I also went to the Draft….held today….This year will be interesting as each team will have about 23 players…(some have 24)….Now if you add up the 11 players needed for offense, and 11 players for defense; this only leaves 1 extra player…so I’m sure there will be some players playing both offense and defense.

The Miller Park Vikings have become the Miller Park Mayhem….the colors have gone from Purple and Gold to Black, Royal Blue and white. The Viking is gone….the new symbol is:

 

We have one new coach; Beau Rathburn…..and we have lost at least one coach, Bill Moore.

Thanks to Wal*Mart, I will be able to attend all Saturday games during the summer.  My store manager approved my temporary change of availability.  I may miss some of the week day games and some of the practices; but I will also be able to earn the team a $250 donation from Wal*mart for volunteering only 25 hours of my time…..which I will thoroughly enjoy.

 

But I wish it was me sitting on the sidelines watching my grandsons play again…I miss them so much…and I missed a whole season of cheering my youngest grandson on…. 

I will be thinking of him as I watch every game……………..

Hugs and love to all!

Where do I begin??

Wow! So much has happened this month; where do I begin?

Well, to begin with, I am now using my very own, brand new laptop to write these blogs….which means I can sit in my recently air-conditioned bedroom in the comfort of my very own bed to write them!.

Which is kind of where things started……

Turn the dial on the time machine back to June 29th…..

The last time I had air-conditioning was in the 2 story home I lived in back in 2007….Something snapped this year and we started getting unusually high heat early in the season….It’s like we skipped spring and went straight into the hot, humidity of mid summer….What the heck.  I’m working now so why should I lay upstairs in bed sweating?

Target came to my rescue….they had a room size air conditioner for $96….Well, once I had my checking account for over 2 months, I applied for and received a Target Red Debit card….unlike their Red Visa card, the charges are directly withdrawn from my checking account; and I receive a 5% discount on anything I buy…..Since my husband works for Target, I get an extra 10% team member discount…..so before I went to work that Friday, I bought my “cool air” for around $88…..I carried the relief out and had it in my car at work that day when a severe Thunderstorm ripped through our state.

Around 5:30 p.m, the lights in Wal*mart begin to flicker….and all the cashiers and managers knew it wouldn’t be long before the power went out….Furiously we tried to ring up as many customers as we could to get them out of the store before the storm hit…Then all hell broke loose…..the power shut off!  We had 30 minutes of back-up power to continue running registers….we worked in the dark as fast as we could….Very few customers left without what they came for, but some did get stuck with cart loads of things they couldn’t pay for. 

Outside, the storm showed it’s fury.  We had a large tent in the parking lot full of clearance items.  A heavy flower cart went air borne and hit a manager in the head.  The tent ripped, the poles bent and collapsed and merchandise dotted the parking lot.  Potted plants became missiles.  Mulch from around the trees relocated to the sides of the building and the sidewalks.

Inside, all available staff started cover all the open coolers and meat cases with tarps, plastic sheeting and duct tape to preserve any cold air and keep meats, cheeses and vegetables cold.  Then we went to work putting away the 25-30 cartloads of merchandise that did not make it through the checkout lines…..Within the hour, the power came back on an business went back to normal….at least in Wal*Mart……

Outside, the storm ravaged the entire state….over 1 million people lost power….thousands of trees were uprooted or snapped off

 

……cars and homes looked like they had been through a tornado….amazingly, no one was killed in our area. But the worst was yet to come…..Some people would get there power back within hours….but most had no power for days….some even went 7-9 days with no power. My new air-conditioner would sit unopened in my living room for 4 days, and even after I braved going upstairs in the dark in 100 degree heat to put it in the window, it would remain unused for another 3 days before it would feel the electricity course through it’s wiring.

The Fairgrounds became a “camp city” for electric power workers, trucks and Tree trimmers….Portable showers and semis full of bunk beds 3 high along the walls were brought in. The trucks went out early every day and came back late every night…

.

.Slowly lights came on a few houses at a time….sometimes only 3 or 4 per street…Trees were removed from streets, houses, cars and sidewalks and became mulch.

Ice, coolers, batteries, camp lights and oil lanterns were flying off the shelf faster than trucks could deliver them.  Charcoal, lighter fluid, grills and bottled water were snapped up by the cart loads.  The hum of gas operated generators  were the only sound in the night….the only exception was when the sun went down and people came out of their houses to enjoy the cooler (90 degree) temperatures.

The break for everyone was the July 4th parade and Fireworks.  Everyone lined the streets to watch children collect candy, cold bottled ice water and freeze pops.  The churches turned on hoses to keep those in the parade cool along the routes….

Then everyone flocked to the fairgrounds to eat Fair food, ride rides, play games and wait for the fireworks.

my power was out for 7 days….the people across the street were out for 9 days, as were some of the people on the same side of my street just a few houses down….It’s been 21 days and all over the city some trees still remain on houses or on the ground in yards.

Life is slowly getting back to normal.  People flocked to local agencies for disaster relief…..Families with children and the elderly (over 60) received food vouchers to replace what was lost in their refrigerators and freezers….but it was a drop in the bucket for most.

The storm wasn’t the only news….

I became a “full fledged” Wal*Mart employee on June third after 90 days with the company….The manager has given me extra hours for the past 3 weeks putting me at almost 4 straight weeks of over 38 hours each…

Throw in a baby shower for a niece, a car wreck that killed a third cousin and her unborn child and left the husband in a coma, battered and bruised, unable to bear his own weight for the next 3 months to grieve and try to rebuild his body and his soul…..the death of my husband’s only remaining uncle….and his brother who was diagnosed with skin cancer….My son lost his best friend because of rumors and lies…..another son moved from New Mexico to North Carolina where he now has 2 of his 3 children with him after years of trying to get them….My oldest grandson got a job in Florida, My oldest Grand-daughter, now speaks to me and she got a job in North Carolina because I was able to send her a copy of her birth certificate that her mother wouldn’t give her, and my youngest grand-daughter is now a licensed driver and a High School Graduate..

And football is just around the corner…..I went to the first sign ups,

and I will go to the second day of Conditioning next Tuesday….then it’s practices until August 25th when the first games are held….My store manager has already approved my amended availability to allow me to attend most of the Saturday games before 5 p.m….and told me that when I volunteer for 25 hours a quarter, I can get a $250 donation from Wal*Mart to the team/league.

I have my new spirit wear, and will probably buy more.

The good with the bad…..I will buy the things I’ve always wanted, even if it means putting things on layaway for a couple of months….

I love my job, the hours, the pay, the managers and the people I work with.

But most of all, I love my family and all of my friends, like you….that read my blogs, leave comments, pick me up when I’m depressed, make me laugh, cry with me and laugh with me.

Hugs and Love to all of you!