What a craptastic day.

My husband is a truck driver, but has been unemployed since he had a wreck 2.5 years ago. Long story short, we're having a hard time finding anyone who will hire him now, although it's the ONLY wreck he's ever had in 25 years of driving. He found a company two weeks ago that said they didn't care about the wreck or the unemployment because his history has been otherwise great. The recruiter told him last Tuesday or Wednesday that everything was approved and she would call him on Friday or Monday to tell him what day his orientation began and to make arrangements for him to travel to the terminal by Greyhound. He never heard back, so today he called them. The recruiter LIED. When she told him everything was approved and he was hired, NOTHING had been approved, and when his app packet went to upper management, they denied him for the reasons she said didn't matter - the wreck and the unemployment.



It just ticks me off so badly that people can screw with the life of others and not think a thing in the world about it. We've been barely existing on one income for two and a half years and my nerves are stretched as thin as a person's nerves can get. This job was our shining light - the help we needed to get us out of this hellish slump we've been in and can't climb out of. I can't take much more of this, but the doors keep getting slammed in our faces. I'm over it. This crappy economy needs to buck up, be a man, turn around, and stand up tall like a man should. No wonder suicide and depression rates are through the roof, not to mention foreclosure and backruptcy rates!!



*steps off of soapbox* Thanks for letting me vent. I needed that.

30 Days of Summer, Part 2 aka 30 Things You Neglected This Summer

On June 12th, I wrote a post that detailed 30 things I vowed to do this summer.  This post is the update of those 30 things. 
 
30 things you vow to do this summer

1. Work.  I know!  Posting work is technically cheating, but it’s the first thing that popped into my head!  Done, done, done, done some more, and even took a few days off here and there!
   


2. FINALLY trim the cedar tree so a lawnmower can pass under it without the driver of said lawn mower playing tree limb roulette.  This one is on my list for as soon as the temperatures cool down.  Who wants to do yardwork in 90-100 degree temps??
   


3. Eat a cucumber that was picked from my plants.  I was able to do this one shortly before the immense heat shriveled the plants up to a hopeless mass of brown.
   


4. Don’t be so hard on myself.  This one’s not happening anytime soon.
   


5. Lose at least one pound.  Everyone has to start somewhere!  I’ve lost three this summer.  It’s a start!!
   


6. Paint the bathroom.  I have the paint. :)
   


7. Make the coffee table “pretty”, as opposed to the tacky that it currently displays.  I didn’t do this one, because we moved the table.  So technically, the coffee table is prettier than it was!
   


8. Play with my nephew more.  I did this one a few times.  Tyler has fun staying overnight with Auntie Heather and Unka James because they let him crumble crackers all over the place. :)
   


9. Meet my new nephew in a few weeks.  Baby Landon joined us on August 4th!
   


10. Take an overnight trip somewhere – anywhere.  I did this one – TWICE!!  We spent the nights of July 2nd and 3rd in Evansville, IN, got home on July 4th, and immediately headed to Fort Walton Beach, FL.  We spent one night there and I put my toes (and the rest of me – fully clothed – thanks waves!) in the Gulf.
    


11. Scrapbook five pages.  Yeah, didn’t happen.
    


12. Create five new things.  I created a few new things, but not five.  I do, however, have ideas and plans in my head. 
    


13. Weed the flowerbeds :-X  We’ll not talk about this one.
    


14. Play in a creek.  Can you believe it’s been too hot to do this??
    


15. Visit a town I’ve never been to before.  We’ve visited several.  Some during our Saturday/Sunday road trips, just to see where the road takes us.  See also #10.
    


16. Learn a new recipe.  Done – several times.
    


17. Taste something spectacular.  Gouda cheese.  Made at a local farm.  The milk is pumped straight from the cows to a cheese room and the cheese is created within hours.  It had such a creamy, rich taste. 
    


18. Watch fireworks.  I took Tyler to his first fireworks show and he loved it!
    


19. Drink something fruity and frozen.  Fruity, frozen, and didn’t have nearly enough alcohol.
    


20. Buy new flip-flops!  It’s time after four years of wearing the same ones.  I did! I did!  I bought myself two new pairs this year.
    


21. Write – blog, poetry, cards.  Hehe we’ll not notice that this blog post is the first I’ve written since June 12.  I have, however, posted some rather witty sentences on Facebook.  That counts, right?
    


22. Have lunch with an old friend.  I have a few on the to do list, but still haven’t to done. 
    


23. Visit a place I’ve not seen in several years.  Saturday/Sunday roadtrips are great for seeing how a place has changed. :)
    


24. Meditate – often.  Not as often as I should, but I have found myself meditating more often than normal this summer.
    


25. Spend less time on the sofa.  It’s been too hot to go do anything! Yeah, that’s my excuse.
    


26. Take a walk or ten, even if it’s just around the yard.  See #25 :)
    


27. Drink more water.  I’ve been proud of myself!  I have actually been doing this! 
    


28. Discover a new music group.  I’ve found several – thanks, Pandora and Stephanie!
    


29. Watch a fantastic movie.  Movies are how I’ve occupied my time this summer.  I’ve seen several great ones.
    


30. Watch every episode of So You Think You Can Dance.  Of course!!  How could I dare miss an episode??  Such a fantastic season!

Photos from our trip to Evansville, IN

30 Days of Summer

 

I did it again.  I swore I was going to write regularly, and once again, I’ve slacked off.  I blame work! :)  I’ll try to do better.  I know my handful of readers hang on every word I type and I so hate to disappoint them. ;) 

There is a fantastic blog I follow called Mama’s Losin’ It and it’s brought to you by Mama Kat, wife of Pat and mother of three beautiful children.  Her posts are filled with humor, insight, sincerity, and love.  I look forward to reading all of them.

Each Tuesday, she posts five writing prompts and asks that you write on one or more and return on Thursdays to add your link.  I’ve been too busy or have been lacking inspiration over the past few weeks, so it’s been a while since I wrote on one of the prompts.  One of this week’s prompts, however, caught my eye.

4.) 30 things you vow to do this summer

1. Work.  I know!  Posting work is technically cheating, but it’s the first thing that popped into my head!

2. FINALLY trim the cedar tree so a lawnmower can pass under it without the driver of said lawn mower playing tree limb roulette.

3. Eat a cucumber that was picked from my plants.

4. Don’t be so hard on myself.

5. Lose at least one pound.  Everyone has to start somewhere!

6. Paint the bathroom.

7. Make the coffee table “pretty”, as opposed to the tacky that it currently displays.

8. Play with my nephew more.

9. Meet my new nephew in a few weeks.

10. Take an overnight trip somewhere – anywhere.

11. Scrapbook five pages.

12. Create five new things.

13. Weed the flowerbeds :-X

14. Play in a creek.

15. Visit a town I’ve never been to before.

16. Learn a new recipe.

17. Taste something spectacular.

18. Watch fireworks.

19. Drink something fruity and frozen.

20. Buy new flip-flops!  It’s time after four years of wearing the same ones.

21. Write – blog, poetry, cards.

22. Have lunch with an old friend.

23. Visit a place I’ve not seen in several years.

24. Meditate – often.

25. Spend less time on the sofa.

26. Take a walk or ten, even if it’s just around the yard.

27. Drink more water.

28. Discover a new music group.

29. Watch a fantastic movie.

30. Watch every episode of So You Think You Can Dance.

Lily dreams

The day lilies are asleep,
Curled into themselves,
Dreaming of sunshine.

How I would love to
Watch them awaken, stretch,
And turn their faces to the sun

HLW 06/10/10

Where is the joy?

Where is the joy in a city that is flooded, in damage that is left behind?

Where is the joy in the lives that were lost, some due to carelessness?

Where is the joy in homes that are gone – swept away by the floods or so badly damaged that destroying what is left to rebuilt will be the only option?

Where is the joy in losing everything, to starting over again?

We are alive.  That is my joy.  We will grieve those who were lost, we will clean up, we will start over, we will rebuilt or repair, and we will gain more stuff.  And we will do it because that is who we are.  We are a state built on volunteering, helping, and facing more adversity than should be allowed, but we face it.  We invite it into our homes when it knocks at the door, fix it a glass of sweet tea, and face it with a smile on our faces, because that’s what we know. 

The next few months and years will be difficult, but that’s okay – this state can overcome it.  I am proud of my state.

Until next time,

Small Town, U.S.A.

suggested by Life in Eureka Springs


"If you could change one thing about the town you live in, what would it be?"

This prompt is easy, although I will apologize ahead of time if you find me standing precariously on a soapbox, balanced on one toe while stretching to see everyone between me and the horizon.  I want to make sure no ears miss my message.


Welcome to Macon County, Tennessee, estimated population 22,000 people. 




Home to friendly people, lots of livestock, farmland as far as the eye can see, and a lifestyle that is focused on family, friends, and hard-work, but this town is dying.


This county was once home to numerous companies who manufactured such things as clothing, automobile parts, and furniture.  Now, the ghosts of forgotten factories sit in the industrial park while the people who call Macon County home drive to places like Gallatin, Portland, or Lebanon for work.  More and more people are packing up each year to move closer to their jobs because they just can’t afford the gas or the time on the road.  Why?  Why has this county gotten to the point that the majority of it’s residents have to drive somewhere else for work?   So many have given up on finding work that is within an acceptable distance and they’ve turned to welfare to provide for their families.  Parents should not be put in the position of thinking welfare is an acceptable option.  County leaders – fix it!


We need industry in this county, and not just of the manufacturing variety.  Sure, we have Fleetwood and Nestle Waters and Walmart, but how often do you hear of them hiring anyone – at least anyone who doesn’t already know someone who works there?


Bring in new shopping options – clothes, video games, home decor.  Build a small shopping open-air shopping/dining center with stores like Claire’s, Kirkland’s, Old Navy, and Taco Bell.  The new shopping options will provide jobs.  The act of shopping will feed tax dollars into our economy.  With the other small towns around us, like Hartsville, Celina, Scottsville, and Holland, there’s no reason this area can’t carry a few larger stores successfully.  City leaders – take a few steps toward reviving this town before it’s too late to revive anything.  Just my two cents.


Until next time . . .

Spring is almost here!

Inspiration for this blog post comes from 

 

 

 

 

Prompt: 5.) Share some photos and stories as well as what you love about spring.
(inspired by Amanda from Welcome To My Life).

New growth on the trees . . .

Daffodils and tigerlilies . . .

Baby bunnies . . .

Happy fun days . . .

Flip-flops . . .

Playing in puddles – PLOP!!

 

Until next time,

Random Thoughts, part 7,429,321

I have a lot of random thoughts – too many of which get posted to Facebook and probably not enough of which get blogged about.  I really should discipline myself into occasionally taking a random thought and turning it into a well-developed blog post.  Occasionally means once every year or so, right? ;)

I find a lot of my problem is I just can’t seem to find the inspiration to sit down and write.  I’m really struggling with what to blog about or how to find reasons to blog more often.  I’ve recently started following a blog. . .

. . . that hosts a writer’s workshop, meant to offer inspiration in the form of a weekly post with five blog prompts.  I think I’ll try to tackle one of this week’s ideas later tonight or tomorrow. 

So this whole one-sided conversation begs the question, “Where do you get your inspiration?”   Do your blog ideas come to you in a dream, from something overheard, from a site like Mindbump?  If all of the above, which do you find to be your most fruitful source of inspiration? 

Until next time . . .

New Journey

My family started a new journey today and it's not one we would have chosen for ourselves.  My husband was diagnosed with diabetes.  He went in for a physical and his blood sugar was 242.  We did an A1C Home Test and the result was 11.4%.  Just before dinner, he tested at 221 and two hours later it was 347. 

This diagnosis is going to require a lot of dietary changes for our family but we will deal with it.  Our family has already been through so much together and this is just another hurdle for us to leap over.  In a way, it is kind of a relief to get this diagnosis because it explains several things that have been going on with him lately. It will definitely be a difficult journey, but we can do this. :)

Until next time . . .

Friday Fill-in

1. There are places I want to go!
2. Take a deep breath and blow those clouds away.
3. Standing in the middle of nowhere, wondering where to go from here.
4. I'm going to Vegas in March, oh boy!
5. He went out tiger hunting and got eaten. :)
6. I put duct tape on my head to keep my mind from wandering .
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hopefully NOT freezing to death, tomorrow my plans include more of that not freezing stuff and Sunday, I want to THAW OUT!

284

284 - That's a very depressing number and it's my weight.  When hubby and I started dating six and a half years ago, I was 160ish.  I had curves, but I was muscular and not overweight.  What a difference six and a half years can make.  I can blame medical issues (which I have) all I want, but when I know my eating habits and lack of exercise are a lot of why I am the size I am.  All I know is I'm sick and tired of being fat.  When I have problems typing my own shoes or walking up stairs, or even walking around the mall, it's definitely way past time for a change.  I don't know if I'll be able to do it on my own or if I'll have to join a program.  I do know that a doctor's visit is in line very soon.  I may be fooling myself, but I'm hoping that once my medical issues are under control, the weight will just fall off.  Maybe I'll be a curvy 160 again by Christmas.  Yeah right. ;)

Friday Fill-in

Courtesy of Friday Fill-Ins

1. Last night I fell asleep before the ball dropped.
2. I want to finally lose weight this year.
3. The funniest thing is when Callie Callie Fat Cat thinks she is being sweet by leaving us mice - in bed - while we're asleep.  Sometimes, they're dead.
4. It's a new year and a new decade, with a chance for new opportunities...so where do we go from here?
5. He said, "I want a new video game"; she said, "dream on, sucka!"
6. The evil fairy hid our never-ending pot of gold and riches and it's up to us to find it.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to lounging around in my jammies and read, tomorrow my plans include grocery shopping and Sunday, I want to lounge around some more!