What's Been Happening

from here.

I read blogs just about every single day, but I fail to write anything on my own. 

So, for your reading pleasure (whoever is actually reading this), here's a little collection of random musings.

*Do you know when you had your last tetanus shot?  You should.  Last week at work I got a few nails jabbed into my shoulder.  I assumed that my tetanus shot was up to date.  I was wrong.  Very wrong.  I was due a tetanus shot in 1992.  That was a long time ago!  So I got one this morning.  Think it's no big deal until you get cut?  I suggest you Google tetanus.  Seriously.  I mean, do you even know what it is?

*You know how bad I despise cleaning my bath tub, right?  If you don't, then you have never actually read my blog, obviously.  Well.....my mind was completely blown last week when I decided to spray my tub down with my lovely smelling Method multi-purpose cleaner.  I walked away for a few minutes, came back and the gunk just wiped right off of my tub.  Amazing!  Truly amazing!

*One should never assume that customers know anything at all about the business that you are in.  Ever.  We are doing an extensive remodel on a home, which has turned into almost a rebuild, instead.  Just because a customer has a fancy plan drawn up by a supposed "engineer" does not mean that said plan will work or that the customer will understand why you are pretty much tearing his entire house down in order to achieve the house that he expects to get.  Communication, folks.  It's priceless. 

*Hummus has never been on my list of favorite things to eat.  That is, until I tried a local brand that made all other hummus taste like dog food (or what I imagine dog food tastes like).  Roots hummus is so good that I can finish a whole container of it in a few days, all by my little self.  The Extra Spicy Chipotle is my favorite flavor, but Spinach is dang good, too.  

That's all for now, folks.  I'll see you on the flip side. 

Hell Yes, Boys

from here.

Let me just say, I love a man in jeans and a tee shirt.  There's nothing better, really.  I love the way a soft tee shirt feels when hanging on the strong frame of a man.  And a well chosen pair of jeans..... I'm getting off subject here.  

But every once in a while.......... just every once in a while, it's a perfect suit that gets the heart to pumping.  Don't you agree?  

There is this Fred Astaire movie where Fred is dancing around his room while getting dressed.  He's tapping up a storm and tying his tie (perfectly) all at the same time.  There was a real ease and elegance to what he wore and how he wore it.  He wore the suit.  It did not wear him.  The suits above remind me of the looks that Astaire wore.  Nice and sharp, but with a certain ease.  

I will never dismiss the jeans and tee combo, but you just have to admit that every girl's crazy for a sharp dressed man.  A flattering suit makes quite an impression.  

(clearing throat)  The tattoos sure don't hurt, either.  ;)

Trying

from here.

I was talking to a friend in the grocery store last week.  We were discussing our respective divorces and all that comes with that territory.  He said something to the effect of "Well, I guess now you can get more stuff done."  To which I quipped back "I have no choice.  I have to totally rely on myself now." 

It was a tiny little exchange in an otherwise heavy conversation, but those few words brought on a realization that was bigger than everything else that had been running through my head for the past nine months.  I am responsible for my own life. 

In the past, my decisions about everything revolved around the fact that I was married.  I did not call the shots.  What my future looked like was not in my hands.  I was not a co-star.  I was simply a supporting actress.  This was a fact that afforded me to be quite lazy in my endeavors.  But now I have no leading actor to take the spotlight while I waste time and twiddle my thumbs in the corner.  He walked off stage and here I stand with everyone watching and asking "What's she gonna do now?" 

I can't be lazy anymore.  I can't hide behind someone else's hopes and dreams.  I can't just give up and let the tide of life carry me where it may.  I have a life to live.  I have bills to pay.  I have goals and ambitions (believe it or not).  I have a future to build.  And I have to give it my all, because I'm depending on me.  It's trying times, and I must say, finally...........it's time for trying.  

Relationships

can be purchased here.

One of the things that a divorce inevitably results in is the deep consideration of relationships and what makes them work or fall apart.

Breakups hurt.  Divorces hurt.  And, I think we can all agree, relationships hurt.

I've spent a whole lot of time thinking about what went wrong in my last marriage.  I've tried to pin-point how on earth we went from being in love and happy to the place where one of us was willing to give up completely.

If you think about it, almost every relationship starts out the same way.  There is infatuation and adoration.  Chemical attraction and soaring dopamine levels.  Both parties confess their affection and make promises of devotion and undying love.  But, with time, all things change.  And of all the things that make or break a relationship, I truly believe (from the bottom of my heart) that the very most important component of love is RESPECT.

Many people will argue that trust is the most important quality in a relationship.  But how can you trust one another if you don't respect one another?  You can't.  In my opinion, without respect you have nothing.  You must respect the person you are with and they must respect you.  Once you lose that respect, it is almost impossible to get it back.  And that is where most relationships falter.

The day my marriage died was not a few months before my husband walked out the door.  It wasn't even a few years.  My marriage died when the respect for one another was lost.  And that happened within the first few fragile years of being together.   
We loved eachother very much.  And there were so many good qualities to our relationship.  But without the foundation of respect, we had nothing to stand on.  We were trying to build on sinking sand. 

End of story. 

Emotion

from here.

Emotions are a funny thing. 

They tie you up.  

They kick your ass. 

They hold you down.

They make you fly.

They cause you to make irrational decisions. 

I try not to let my emotions get 

the best of me.  

I try to recognize where they are coming from,

and then let them go.

That's hard to do sometimes, 

isn't it?

Let your emotions go? 

Yogic philosophy compares emotions to the weather.

Ever changing.  In constant flux.

And we can do nothing about it.  

Our emotions are personal, yes....but they do not define us.  

They are simply an uncontrollable part of the

landscape of the human life. 

It is a beautiful thing, 

human emotion.

It sets us apart from other creatures.  

But we must always remember that we do not control our emotions.

They try to control us. 

And it is up to us to recognize this truth and 

take the reins.

Don't let your emotions decide for you. 

True to You

Some things are just meant to be.
Like me and short hair. 

Pinterest makes me believe that if I grow my hair out it will be beautiful and silky and full of styling potential.  But the truth is, it never turns out that way, no matter how many ways I learn to style it. 

So, it's back to short hair for me.  And I love it!  I look in the mirror and recognize myself once again!

Hair Raising Education

from here.

Have you heard the one about the fifteen year old girl who gets kicked out of school because her hair is too Auburn?  It's not a joke.  Read about it. 

I think this is absolutely preposterous!  She didn't dye her hair some sort of Rainbow Bright color.  Just a pretty auburn red.  No big deal.  But apparently the faculty at her school thought it was a big deal.  But why? 

I know.  I know.  This is where teachers and parents everywhere are going to lecture me about the importance of encouraging natural beauty.  About how bright colors are distracting to other students (seriously?).  About having some sort of level playing field on the health and beauty front.  But, really.......what the hell? 

If you can't dye your hair electric blue and wear a tutu over your blue jeans while you're in school, then when can you?!  You all know where I stand on the degradation of our young women.  You know my stand on the unrealistic expectations that they are dealing with in our culture.  But we're talking about hair color here!  The middle school and high school years are when most youth are exploring their own identity.  Pushing fashion boundaries and having fun with their looks.  And I think that's a very important part of growing up.  As soon as they get out of school, these young adults are going to have to get jobs and live in the so-called grown up world.  The opportunity for self exploration will be lost, to a certain extent, or at least greatly reduced.

All I'm saying is this:  They're kids.  We need to be more concerned about keeping them from dangers like sex, drugs, alcohol, violence, and unhealthy body issues.  Let them experiment with their hair, makeup and clothes.  As long as they aren't being vulgar or degrading, what's the harm?  In my own humble opinion, if you let a girl explore her identity in healthy ways with your approval and guidance, then she will be less likely to explore her identity in harmful ways behind your back. 

Click on the link above to read the article.  I want you to see what the mother had to say about the issue.  Way to go, mom!!!