Wordless Wednesday

This is my angel. She sits on my front porch and guards my house. She was in a flower arrangement from my Grandma Powell's funeral and I took her and she has been with me ever since. Sometimes she is on the front steps and sometimes she is up on the railing but as long as she is here I feel like my Grandma is still here too!

So far so good

I am on vacation. That is always a good thing. So far I spent the weekend at my parent's house with the boys. I went shopping with my mom, took Owen and Avery to visit my girlfriend and her daughter, went to a Halloween party Saturday night, then went to the casino and out with friends.

The casino was fun. I won $35 and then went on to our usual place and met up with friends. We had a really good time. I wasn't driving so I had a few drinks and it felt really good to be out with friends laughing and having fun.

Today was my first official day and the boys and I overslept. Normally Owen is wide awake somewhere around 6:45 but this morning, nope. We woke up at 8:30, I knew it was late because it was light out but when I turned on Nick JR and Jack's Big Music Show was on I knew we were in trouble. Evan starts school at 8:55 so he was about 45 minutes late. Dropped little squirt off at daycare and spent the day cleaning my upstairs. My plan is cleaning the basement and weeding through clothes tomorrow.

Wednesday I am off to the salon. Not sure what I want yet but something different. Something maybe chocolaty brown and blonde.

Hoping to accomplish lots this week. Maybe some Christmas planning out of the way. I might even go to the movies by myself.

I am not at work so anything I do is good times!

Perspective

There is nothing like getting a little perspective in your life. Feeling sorry for yourself? Feeling down? Thinking that the world is out to get you and nothing is going wrong? You can maybe think of others who have it worse than you and make yourself feel better... OR you can do this.

You can go read NieNie You can read about a woman who has faced death and survived and does so with such an uplifting, beautiful spirit that you can only then look at yourself and feel guilty for that little pity party you just threw.

I recently discovered NieNie through other blogs and its amazing how one woman can touch so many lives by just being herself. The tragedy that this couple has gone through and come out of in inspiring. All around us we listen to people complain and whine and moan about everything and most of the time, it's small potatoes. Nothing. Just a little annoyance that has occurred.

When you feel sorry for yourself just remember that.

It's got a good beat and I can dance to it.

One of the greatest loves of mine is Music. I have mentioned it before but have not posted just about it.

Music has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. Listening to old country at my grandparents, listening to oldies with my parents. Music was a big part of any family party we ever had. My dad's side has many, many talented musicians and singers. I however, inherited only the love of listening to it!

My dad's younger sisters are only about 10 and 11 years older than me and they babysat me a lot. Let's just say I was introduced to Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Heart, ACDC and Ted Nugent at a very young age.

Growing up I learned to appreciate all types of music. We played a game in the car on long road trips. My dad would have the radio on and quiz us girls, if we didn't know then he would rub my mom's head, and she hated that because it messed up her hair, we however thought it was hysterical.

I ran the gamut later, Top 40 because I didn't know any better, then the hair bands which led to heavy metal and some thrash metal but only because the bad boys I liked lived on that stuff.

Later in high school I had some friends who listened to what could only be described as early "Alternative". The Soup Dragons, Siouxie and the Banshees, the Cure. Bands that rarely showed up on MTV except in the early morning hours, and never on the radio.
College brought Grunge, by far my favorite genre. Kurt Cobain left and indelible mark on my musical soul and I still think he was by far one of the most talented musicians EVER! Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, etc.

My Ipod is Schizophrenic. It goes from Vivaldi to Stone Temple Pilots. Johnny Cash to The Violent Femmes. You definitely can't put a label on me!
My boys seem to like music just as much as me. Evan loves ACDC but also has The Beach Boys on my MP3. Courtesy of his Papa. He loves the Beatles and Tom T Hall. Owen will dance to anything that is on.

Music to me is just more than notes, and lyrics and sound. Done correctly it can be an experience. I tend to remember people in terms of song. Either by the music I liked when I knew them or by a line in a song that makes me think of them. Music is best listened to at top volume. Not one to be concerned with my hearing I tend to have it as loud as I can(of course not that loud when the kidlets are with me)

I could go on and on, and I am sure someday I will but now I am going to bed and listening to my Ipod till I fall asleep!

The lights of my life

These guys are truly what makes it possible to wake up in the morning. I know you can ask just about any mother and they will say the same, however I truly feel it down to the depths of my soul.

I got groceries today after work and didn't get home until 7:30. When I pulled into the driveway I could see my little guy through the window and the expression on his face just made my heart sing. He broke into the biggest grin and I could see him say "Mommy" and he started jumping up in down.

You know you are loved when your presence can make someone else that joyful.

I love spending time with them and showing them new things. We went to an apple orchard on Sunday and picked apples and enjoyed the various offerings and had a lot of fun.

I just love my boys and cannot imagine my life without them. Any time I feel like I need to count my blessings I just think of them!

I'm Starving!!!

So I started Weight Watchers last week. They are offering through work and we meet weekly at lunchtime. It's all part of our company's Fit 4 Life program. The cool thing is if we attend at least 10 meetings I get half my money back through my insurance company!

First of all, I don't think I eat alot. I have my days but I am not one of those eat whole pack of chips, cookies, carton of ice cream people. I like food but always try and get my fruits and veggies every day and try and drink lots of water.

My problem is I sit on my butt ALL DAY at work. I am literally tied to my desk! I try and walk sometimes at lunch but I don't always remember tennis shoes and sometimes its not always safe to walk by yourself.

So I am trying this. One of the other girls on my floor is doing it also. There are about 40 other women in the bank and I am happy to report that although I wanted to vomit when I saw my actual weight, I was actually on the smaller end of the scale. I am tall so I carry my weight well most of the time.

We figured out how many points we get and how to eat filling foods and I didn't really need to do all kinds of shopping so I thought I was set.

My problem lies in the psychological aspect of DIETING. Now I know they say WW isn't dieting but it is. I never crave food more than when I can't have it. I was thinking yesterday how hungry I was even though I had just ate. My girlfriend called me yesterday saying the same thing. We just need to think about what we are eating.

It doesn't help that we had a tailgate potluck at work on Friday and two birthdays today.

Needess to say I am chewing alot on minty gum to keep from eating.