A Southern Rehabilitation

 I have wanted to write about this for weeks(I realize it is only 3 days before Christmas but it is what it is. Thoughts come when thoughts come) but just couldn't quite wrap my mind around what I wanted to say or rather what I would like to TRY and say to convey my feelings, my thoughts, etc... So now I'm going to attempt because there is this little gnawing going on inside me and it needs to be stomped down, thrown out, and put to rest. Plus, all these thoughts need to be replaced with NEW thoughts, new fires, new goals and aspirations--not because it's the "thing I should do," but because it's what I WANT to do, what I MUST do to start anew in 2016. There are some days, some weeks that just seem to take a turn for the worse... like once something starts it becomes a complete snowball effect. The bad things--the snowball-- just keep multiplying and becoming larger and larger, gaining momentum as it rolls towards you until you can't outrun it anymore an...

Fall used to be my least favorite season. The weather starts getting cooler, the leaves fall off all the trees resulting in "skeletons" all over the place, and the dark gray winter season will soon follow. The number one thing that I have always hated about Fall is the time change. I am ready for bed by 7:00pm because it gets dark so early. When darkness happens by 5:30 each night, it does something to one's psyche! I still hate the time change, but my attitude towards Fall has changed tremendously. Fall is my 2nd favorite season.There is a feeling of warmth and coziness that gradually creeps in and everything begins to feel like a soft colorful blanket. I love November because it is my birthday month; it is the birthday month of several friends and family members; it is the month that my house absolutely looks the prettiest and feels the most coziest and comfiest it ever feels (OK,Christmas probably trumps Fall decor, but Fall decor makes me feel really good too); it is ...

Today is October 6, 2015… I am currently on a plane bound for Chicago. I am flying with my daughter, Katelyn. We haven’t flown together since she was 13 years old. That was her first time flying on a plane and we went to Maine for 7 days. Someday I will have to blog about our trips with each of our children. When each child turned 13, John and I took them on a special trip.. their choice as long as in the US. She is now 26 and this is fun times for ol Mom. I hope she thinks so too.  I am excited about Chicago because two of my brothers are there. Katelyn will get to meet one of her uncles for the very first time. I have two older brothers, Ray and John. These are the 2 that live in Chicago at the present time. I also have a younger brother, Jeff. He lives in Alabama. The story of meeting my brothers is here  and here . It’s an amazing story really…. actually our entire childhood and subsequent years is a pretty amazing story. I could write a book about all the crazy an...

A few weekends ago a bunch of us met in Waxaw, NC, at our friends', RB and BP's house. Both RB and BP are high school friends, both are East coast born and bred, and they just recently moved back "home" from Las Vegas a little over a month ago. THANK HEAVENS! Anyway, it was kind of a little "back together again" weekend and it was a get together for a definite purpose weekend. A couple of months ago, Beth sent us all an invitation to join the Purple Stride 5K in Charlotte, NC, the weekend of Sept. 12. The Purple Stride 5K is a walk or run in support of finding a cure for Pancreatic Cancer, a very very deadly disease. There doesn't seem to be any coming back once diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It's more than horrible. Here is a link to look up Purple Stride.  We did raise almost $500. I say *we*, but I had nothing to do with it. Two other friends got those donations for the cause. I merely walked. :) You see, we got together and wanted to do...

It happened. That moment you know that is bound to happen but you are so not ready for? You know "that moment." For those of you who have been divorced or been in long term relationships that have ended, you know this moment.  It's called "The Other Woman Moment." I don't care if my divorce is final. I don't care that J and I haven't been "together" in 3 years. I don't care that this is all part of the process. It just doesn't matter. When you find out there's someone else, it's a sucker punch and it hurts like the dickens! It just does. It happened to me just a few short weeks ago. I had just gotten back into town from an Asheville visit and I needed to drop some things off at the "other house." This was not just a drop in unannounced visit. I had talked to J only a few days before and told him I would be by the house on Sunday afternoon. Well, he didn't remember that fact. As I drove down the street towar...

I love to dance. I always have and I'm sure I always will. I've been contemplating "life" recently and it seems to me life is very much a dance... all kinds of dance. I LOVE LOVE the show Dancing With The Stars on ABC. I have watched it religiously since Day 1. Top reasons I love this show: 1. I love to dance. It makes me happy. I love music. I love to dance to good music, fast or slow. 2. The dancers are extremely good looking and not at all difficult to look at (Can we say, VAL and ARTEM with no shirt!) Dang. 3. I would love for my body to look like those dancing pro girls, especially Sharna (yes, I know I shouldn't have body image envy, but HELLO!) 4. I really wish I could dance like that! Like really. It's on my Fantasy List (#6) to dance the Tango with Derek Hough. I have taken Ballroom Dance lessons before and perhaps I will do it again one day. It is terribly expensive but it is something I truly enjoy. So who knows. We only have this one life, rig...

I have been unable to wrap my mind around what I wanted to blog about these last few weeks simply because there has been so much going on. I thought I had a title settled in my mind, then I changed it--a few times. " Just One Tent Away " is perfect. The last month has been CrAzY! The days have all blended into each other due to the non-stop packed action that has been crammed into each 24 hour time period. I wrote a post about how I could  "Feel the Water Rising"  in early February. Well, the water rose. It all started with that impending dread of "April 14th" being "the day"-the one year mark. So technically the inside jerkiness started days before the 14th. On top of that gem, my aunt was being discharged from the nursing facility on the 14th b/c she was too self sufficient and could no longer stay due to "Medicare stuff" and the possibility of the facility not getting paid. (it's all about money, folks) Never mind the fact th...