There will come a day when I will look back fondly on waking sleeping children and forcing them to go to a place that they do not want to go. I will miss these days of having two children in my nest to care for.
All I ever wanted to be was a mother. There is a book in a box in my attic that says where do you see yourself in 10 years? My entry? Married with two children and a dog. Nailed it! The thing is I never thought about the "and then after that" part.
I will be not quite 50 when my youngest takes flight. What then? I have zero interest in going back to school. I have zero interest in doing what I was doing before children, not to mention the fact that it is no longer done the way I did it so I am antiquated anyway. I am sure from a resume standpoint I am not marketable but that is so very not true. The experiences I have gained from managing a household for the past 20 years are invaluable. I will say that I am confident that I have zero desire to do laundry, cook meals, or clean a house for a living. Not my forte.
I don't even know where to start to dream! I love to write. I love to make people laugh. I dream of standing in large venues connecting with thousands of people but how do I get there from here? I have no fear of speaking before large crowds, but I have no idea how to make my dream come true.
In my bible study we have been speaking of making sure we are in God's will and doing life in the order of which God desires. Therefore, it is my firm belief that God knows my heart and wants what is best for me so I will keep on keeping on until I figure out his next path for me. Meanwhile I will enjoy the fleeting moments of my full nest and enjoy that which I sometimes do not enjoy knowing fully that I will miss it when it is gone. If my kids ever read this, you two are the joy of my life, even when you drive me crazy. Thank you for fulfilling a dream of mine!
Now....Go out...Be kind!
Monday, January 27, 2020
Thursday, January 16, 2020
I'm a talker.
I'm a talker. It can be a problem. I have teenagers now and they do not have a filter when speaking to me and they are very quick to inform me that my friendliness is odd in this day and age. I get that. Most people have their head buried into their phone most of the time, and have absolutely zero interest in talking to you.
The thing is...I meet the most interesting people when I talk to strangers.
Last Saturday I sat in a salon waiting on my daughter. My daughter was preparing for a formal dance. A lady sat down beside me. I was on the phone with my friend Leah. Leah and I have pretty animated conversations and when Leah told me that her new trainer was named Sheryl and I asked her to ask how her she shed was the woman sitting beside me laughed out loud. (I knew we would be tight because if I can make you laugh you are pretty high on my list.) I hung up with Leah because I knew I was being rude. The lady beside me was also waiting for her daughter to get ready for a formal. We spoke of our daughters, and how we had to bring them to a salon because the ways of the make up were lost on us. We compared notes on each other's school rules regarding attire and our thoughts on that. We were aligned in all things parental. She was a nice person. I would totally have lunch with her!
Tonight I met a young man who I would assume to be late 20s early 30's. He was wearing a school house rocks tee shirt and warm up pants. I will be completely honest to say that he at first scared me a little. He was EXTREMELY muscular. However, I am not one to judge a book by its cover and we were in a pretty small waiting room so I knew that the music I was hearing must be coming from the person he was waiting for. I asked as such and he told me that his son who was 12 years old and 6 feet tall had decided he wanted to learn to play the violin. I said does he have any interest in basketball? The young man went on to explain to me that he had been short as a child and wanted to be good at basketball but didn't have the height and now his son has the height and has zero interest in sports. So, of course what do you assume that this 12 year old looked like? Skinny string bean nerdy kid? That is what I had pictured in my head, but wait there's more.
I went on to have an excellent conversation filled with laughter and learning and even a person we both knew. We had so much in common this random stranger and I. I thoroughly enjoyed waiting for my daughter to complete her lesson. His son finished first. He came around the corner violin in tow. Had someone told me he was a new recruit for a college football team I wouldn't have even batted an eye. He most definitely had the size but you could tell he was a quiet shy kind young man. He even had the hair that most of the men in the NFL have and most of all he had the most beautiful smile!
Part of the problem with the world now is that people don't know how to communicate! Did you know that it is absolutely ok to have a disagreement with someone and still be their friend? Shocking I know! There are too many people in this world to assume that we all should think the same way. Do not distance yourself from some one because you don't know them, instead take the time to find out your common ground.
I want to add that it is also totally okay to bury your head in your phone when you are in a mean hateful mad at the world mood because we don't need to be spreading that around.
Most of all...Go out...Be kind!
The thing is...I meet the most interesting people when I talk to strangers.
Last Saturday I sat in a salon waiting on my daughter. My daughter was preparing for a formal dance. A lady sat down beside me. I was on the phone with my friend Leah. Leah and I have pretty animated conversations and when Leah told me that her new trainer was named Sheryl and I asked her to ask how her she shed was the woman sitting beside me laughed out loud. (I knew we would be tight because if I can make you laugh you are pretty high on my list.) I hung up with Leah because I knew I was being rude. The lady beside me was also waiting for her daughter to get ready for a formal. We spoke of our daughters, and how we had to bring them to a salon because the ways of the make up were lost on us. We compared notes on each other's school rules regarding attire and our thoughts on that. We were aligned in all things parental. She was a nice person. I would totally have lunch with her!
Tonight I met a young man who I would assume to be late 20s early 30's. He was wearing a school house rocks tee shirt and warm up pants. I will be completely honest to say that he at first scared me a little. He was EXTREMELY muscular. However, I am not one to judge a book by its cover and we were in a pretty small waiting room so I knew that the music I was hearing must be coming from the person he was waiting for. I asked as such and he told me that his son who was 12 years old and 6 feet tall had decided he wanted to learn to play the violin. I said does he have any interest in basketball? The young man went on to explain to me that he had been short as a child and wanted to be good at basketball but didn't have the height and now his son has the height and has zero interest in sports. So, of course what do you assume that this 12 year old looked like? Skinny string bean nerdy kid? That is what I had pictured in my head, but wait there's more.
I went on to have an excellent conversation filled with laughter and learning and even a person we both knew. We had so much in common this random stranger and I. I thoroughly enjoyed waiting for my daughter to complete her lesson. His son finished first. He came around the corner violin in tow. Had someone told me he was a new recruit for a college football team I wouldn't have even batted an eye. He most definitely had the size but you could tell he was a quiet shy kind young man. He even had the hair that most of the men in the NFL have and most of all he had the most beautiful smile!
Part of the problem with the world now is that people don't know how to communicate! Did you know that it is absolutely ok to have a disagreement with someone and still be their friend? Shocking I know! There are too many people in this world to assume that we all should think the same way. Do not distance yourself from some one because you don't know them, instead take the time to find out your common ground.
I want to add that it is also totally okay to bury your head in your phone when you are in a mean hateful mad at the world mood because we don't need to be spreading that around.
Most of all...Go out...Be kind!
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
I got you Joe Burrow!
I watched something that bugged me. A beautiful blonde sports reporter...female...was interviewing Joe Burrow, LSU quarterback, Heisman trophy winner, Joe Burrow. She had in her neatly manicured hand a picture of him that looked to be from when he was in middle school. I'm not sure her intent. Don't we all look geeky in middle school? Was she attempting to shame him by pointing out that as a middle schooler he was small and unassuming? His response was perfect. She asked something like what does that kid look like to you.
His response? A National Champion. (and this was before the 2019 National Championship ok technically 2020 but it was for the 2019 season football confuses me, I digress.). Now this reporter may have never had an awkward stage. Maybe she has always been told she is beautiful, been handed everything she has ever wanted but that is a teeny tiny minority of people out there sugar, and I have to say I don't know your name so there's that... Ok. So I was just mean to her. Not my intent. Maybe she has had to work just as hard and some producer handed her that photo and told her to use it. Who knows!!
Most people have had to work hard for their dreams. Looked weird at some point. You can be anything you set your mind to, but you will never reach the top if you don't keep climbing!
I can't find two of my yearbooks one middle school and one high school but I wanted to submit...Erika...the early years to support Joe Burrow. He doesn't need my support of course but we are all human. No matter how big we get we are all still the same person on the inside. There will always be someone trying to knock you down. Enjoy your moment...moments. Enjoy your success! You have worked hard to achieve it. Look around and enjoy it. One day you are going to be looking down the throat of 50 like a bad dream and you will remember that time you reached that one goal.
What's the next goal Joe? You can do whatever you put your mind to. Keep climbing and by all means....Go out! Be kind!
His response? A National Champion. (and this was before the 2019 National Championship ok technically 2020 but it was for the 2019 season football confuses me, I digress.). Now this reporter may have never had an awkward stage. Maybe she has always been told she is beautiful, been handed everything she has ever wanted but that is a teeny tiny minority of people out there sugar, and I have to say I don't know your name so there's that... Ok. So I was just mean to her. Not my intent. Maybe she has had to work just as hard and some producer handed her that photo and told her to use it. Who knows!!
Most people have had to work hard for their dreams. Looked weird at some point. You can be anything you set your mind to, but you will never reach the top if you don't keep climbing!
I can't find two of my yearbooks one middle school and one high school but I wanted to submit...Erika...the early years to support Joe Burrow. He doesn't need my support of course but we are all human. No matter how big we get we are all still the same person on the inside. There will always be someone trying to knock you down. Enjoy your moment...moments. Enjoy your success! You have worked hard to achieve it. Look around and enjoy it. One day you are going to be looking down the throat of 50 like a bad dream and you will remember that time you reached that one goal.
What's the next goal Joe? You can do whatever you put your mind to. Keep climbing and by all means....Go out! Be kind!
I made really bad hair choices.
Monday, January 6, 2020
I love winter. I promise I do.
I feel I need to clarify something.
I like winter. I like all four of the seasons. I just don't like experiencing all four seasons in one day.
What's not to love about winter?
Comfort food = good
Fataflauge clothing = good
quilts = good
cozy = good
I have no problem with winter. I am not a huge fan of the shorter days but even that doesn't bother me because I do love getting into bed and not having it still be light outside.
Here is my issue.
A tender Tennessee Christmas is not necessarily all it's cracked up to be. If you are going for a Norman Rockwell, snowman laden, cute hat scarf glove combo wearing, coat needing winter that is just not what Tennessee has to offer, any more anyway. I do remember them from my childhood but that is just not the hand we have been dealt currently.
Currently a good Tennesseean will experience the temperatures of all 4 seasons in one week not allowing the individual to pack away any of their wardrobe because you just might need that short sleeve top in December you just don't know.
A Tennessee native also has no trust in their weather man and quite honestly thinks they are being paid off by the grocery stores because if the slightest bit of snow is predicted we all storm the stores for what we will "need" if we are to be snowed in. Please understand that this has only in my lifetime been once, but it was bad, and we Tennesseeans remember. Bread and Milk is the joke but to be quite honest my go to is caffeine, chocolate and the ingredients for things I could bake it I got bored.
Driving. It's just not done, in a normal sense anyway. Now, if you are thinking of a "Hold my beer" type driving by all means that is a form of entertainment but as far as getting to work? No. We can't do that. Sorry.
You see there are not just four seasons in the south. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall while ideal is not what we have. We have Winter, grey cold rainy death, Spring, another bit of grey cold rainy death, Summer, hotter than hell summer, spontaneously combust, pseudo fall, summer, actual fall, happy winter wonderland Christmas time but it is 60 degrees and winter. This order varies at will and can bounce as randomly as this train of thought I seem to be blessed with.
Go out...Be Kind!
I like winter. I like all four of the seasons. I just don't like experiencing all four seasons in one day.
What's not to love about winter?
Comfort food = good
Fataflauge clothing = good
quilts = good
cozy = good
I have no problem with winter. I am not a huge fan of the shorter days but even that doesn't bother me because I do love getting into bed and not having it still be light outside.
Here is my issue.
A tender Tennessee Christmas is not necessarily all it's cracked up to be. If you are going for a Norman Rockwell, snowman laden, cute hat scarf glove combo wearing, coat needing winter that is just not what Tennessee has to offer, any more anyway. I do remember them from my childhood but that is just not the hand we have been dealt currently.
Currently a good Tennesseean will experience the temperatures of all 4 seasons in one week not allowing the individual to pack away any of their wardrobe because you just might need that short sleeve top in December you just don't know.
A Tennessee native also has no trust in their weather man and quite honestly thinks they are being paid off by the grocery stores because if the slightest bit of snow is predicted we all storm the stores for what we will "need" if we are to be snowed in. Please understand that this has only in my lifetime been once, but it was bad, and we Tennesseeans remember. Bread and Milk is the joke but to be quite honest my go to is caffeine, chocolate and the ingredients for things I could bake it I got bored.
Driving. It's just not done, in a normal sense anyway. Now, if you are thinking of a "Hold my beer" type driving by all means that is a form of entertainment but as far as getting to work? No. We can't do that. Sorry.
You see there are not just four seasons in the south. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall while ideal is not what we have. We have Winter, grey cold rainy death, Spring, another bit of grey cold rainy death, Summer, hotter than hell summer, spontaneously combust, pseudo fall, summer, actual fall, happy winter wonderland Christmas time but it is 60 degrees and winter. This order varies at will and can bounce as randomly as this train of thought I seem to be blessed with.
Go out...Be Kind!
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