Friday Fantasy

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turquoise-coconut

Water. 
I haven't seen an ocean, lake, or river up close and personal so far this summer. 
No swimming. 
No laying my head back into the water to hear the sounds under the surface.
No drying off in the warmth of the sun. 
No floating.

My soul dies just a bit. 

Seriously? It's Thursday?

I am living in a fog.  And I'm quite sure you are sick and tired of hearing about my personal shit on this blog.  I'm supposed to be all pretty pictures and crazy inspiration, right?  Oh, wait.  I was never that. 

How about a confession?  My husband has been gone all month.  Yep.  Doing some more training stuff.  I've been stuck at home with Gus (and all the other drama that has been happening).  I should have tons of time to blog, right?  Wrong.  What the hell have I been doing?

*Well, losing a whole lot of sleep, for one.  I can't sleep without the Hubs in the house.  And Gus has been so nervous that he barks at every - single - little - noise - he hears.  This is why my brain hasn't functioned properly in so long. 

*Watched more Saved By the Bell on Netflix than I care to admit.  On second thought, I don't care one bit to admit that.  It beats the hell out of most new shows. 

*Paid a lot of money for permits.....to dig wells.  to install septic systems.  to build houses.

*Some painting.  And some finishing of piles of projects that were started and lying dormant for months on end.  Now if I can only manage to get them to the Etsy shop.

*A lot of eating dinner with mom (because she knows that, otherwise, I would probably not cook for myself). 

*Took a little overnight trip with some girlies last Saturday.  We basically just had a blast and enjoyed being out of the house. 

There's plenty of other stuff, but most of it sucked.  So I'm just gonna leave it at that and shut up. 

Love and Hugs and Sunshine and all that happy stuff.
Let's see if I can get back here tomorrow with a Friday Fantasy.
~Jo~

Best $10 Ever Spent

I have always wanted a hammock.  But, gees Louise, those things cost a lot of money!  So when I ran across a cloth hammock at the local Roses store, I automatically wanted to buy it.  {for those who don't know what a Roses store is; let's just say that it's nicer than a dollar store, but not nearly as nice as a Wal-Mart.  Yeah, really.}  Anyway......of course I didn't buy it.  I figured it was too cheap to waste my money on, and where the heck would I hang it? 

A few weeks went by and I kept mentioning the $10 hammock that I didn't buy and my husband kept rolling his eyes at me.  Then we went back to Roses to buy the pupper a kiddie pool.  {yes, I'm serious.  It's hot and we have no AC.}  And I said "Hey!  Let's go see if there are any of those hammocks left!". 
Guess what?  I have a $10 hammock hanging on my back porch. 

Let me tell ya, this thing is awesome.  Nevermind the fact that it hangs only a foot off of the porch when occupied.  It still rocks gently and wraps me up like a cocoon.  It's perfect for taking a nap.  And there's something very calming about it; like being rocked in someones arms.  I can confidently say that it was $10 well spent. 

The kiddie pool, however?  Gus thinks it's just a huge water bowl.  He will get in and wade around a bit while catching the floating bugs, but he hasn't thought to flop down in the water to cool off like he does in the creek.  Oh, well.  I guess every $10 spent can't be as good as a hammock. 

Room to Breathe

from here.

Hey there, friends.

Have a seat and let's do a little catching up. 

I finally feel like I am getting a little bit of breathing room.  I've shared bits and pieces of what has been going on around here, but bits and pieces is all you have been getting until now.  So, without laying my heart on the table completely, here is a little more about why I have been so stressed. 

First off, my best friend lost her husband.  It was a terribly tragic and unexpected event that left everyone in a state of shock and confusion.  He died in a horrific car crash that left many question marks and no answers.  Of course, in such a small town as ours, rumors and accusations abound and make the horrid situation even worse.  My friend has had to be stoic and brave to weather the arrows that have been flying her way.  But she has been so strong and there is hope in the future for her and her daughter. 

My brother has been fighting a seemingly losing battle for months on end.  I can't give you a lot of details, but it involves a ruthless and cruel wife, more lies than can be counted, the involvement of many outside forces, court dates, more lies, and the future of my niece hanging in the balance.  Our family has been pushed to the limit.  This has been hell on earth and it has the potential to drag on for many months still. 

On top of everything, my grandmother died last Wednesday night.  It was totally unexpected, as she seemed to be as spry and healthy as ever.  A heart blockage put her in the hospital, where the doctors put in a stint.  Everything had looked just fine.  She was awake and talking, everything great, when out of nowhere her heart failed her.  It was a hard blow for my dad.  The stress of my brothers problems combined with losing his mother has been extremely hard on him.  But we are grateful for the fact that she didn't suffer.  As my dad said, "She never got old."  Right up until her death, she was a real live firecracker. 


I have other things to talk about.  Truly, I do.  And I really want to talk about them and get my spirits back up.  So, hopefully I will be able to get back into blogging and share some positive things with you.  Some soul sunshine would great, don't you think? 
Thanks for being here.  I appreciate the concern and love that I have received from some of you.  I really do count my blog friends as true blue friends.  And I hope I get to converse with you a whole lot more in the near future.

Hugs and Sunshine to you all.
~Jo~

Hello....

I was going to tell you a story and maybe find something inspiring to give to you....but, honestly, I just don't feel like faking it.  It's been a rough go of things around here lately.  I'm sorry.  Blogging is just not in me right now.  But I love you guys.  And I appreciate all the sweetness you share with me.  I'll be back.  Sometime. 

Friday

from here.

Another week of trials and tribulations.  My best friend's husband died in a horrible car crash this week.  The details of the situation are too many and too personal to relay to you.  The funeral is tonight.  Your thoughts are prayers would be much appreciated. 
My other best friend is at a difficult turning point in her life.  This week has been a flood of stress and anxiety for her over the decisions that will have to be made in the near future.  I hope and pray that she gains the clarity she needs to become the person that she is meant to be and find true happiness. 

And to all of you, I hope that this weekend will bring rest and relief from the toils of living. 
As always, Hugs and Sunshine.
~Jo~