Category Archives: Inspiration

Apr4

Pray – especially Pray

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I have been reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ over the last few months. It has taken a lot of time because the ‘Eat’ portion was slow. It didn’t quite keep me reading. Not that it wasn’t well-written, it was, but it didn’t speak to me.

I got sucked ‘The Help’ and then ‘Starting From Scratch’ and then ‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’. All of which I really should write reviews on because they are amazing.

Now I am in a lull, still discussing Hunger Games’ and starting to read Water For Elephants. I devoured the entire HG series last year and have been chomping at the bit for the movie.

Anyway, I am sick and in pain, so today I begin to read ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ again. I have ventured into the ‘Pray’ section and I have to say it has been very enthralling.

Gilbert’s candid prose about her experience has me stunned. Everything she says has touched something deep inside me. The passage that struck me was:

“Devotion is diligence without assurance. Faith is a way of saying, “Yes, I pre-accept the terms of the universe and I embrace in advance what I am presently incapable of understanding.”"

What a way to say something that affects any person who has any type of religion?

I”m not sure about the Love section yet, I am going to start that tomorrow. The Pray was a bit much for me, her struggles and experiences are overwhelming.

I would say even if you don’t think this book is something you would read, pick it up and read the Pray section, you won’t regret it.

Oct27

I have a voice

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A lot of sick, tired and stress has sapped my blogging and writing mojo in general.

I have made a commitment to go back to school to better learn to market myself and have that degree behind me.

The rejection of the job market and the constant stress of making ends meet has sucked the life right out of me.

 

A friend of mine linked to a FB site that has lit a fire inside me and hopefully will renew my optimism: The Face of the 99%

I am hoping that knowing so many people are in similar positions to myself and my family will help me.

We are only holding on because we have so many good people in our lives that help out. Our family members that help don’t even know the amount of rejection and hardship we have faced. My husband and I put on a happy face and make it seem like things are ok.

We try everyday. We hear ‘no’ everyday. We fear losing more everyday. A bit of us dies everyday.

 

Here is my contribution to The Face of the 99%:

I am a wife.

I am a mother.

I am a student.

I am a volunteer.

I am a hard worker.

I am a good friend.

I am unemployed.

I have worked since the day I could legally work. I have paid many years of taxes and social security. I have paid my bills and helped others pay theirs. I made a choice two years ago to quit my job for my newborn son’s welfare. Paying for his daycare would be too expensive since he was premature. With two other kids, it just seemed to be a better decision to cut our spending so I could stay at home with the kids.

A year later my husband lost his job. He did not qualify for unemployment. He put in hundreds of applications and sent out his resume but he could not find anything. We took a chance on a lifetime dream of his and took out our retirement to have as savings. As the economy got worse and the government came out with new laws on that industry, our savings melted away and we were left with nothing.

After over a year of barely paying bills, almost losing our house and constantly looking for work we finally broke down and applied for Medicaid and food stamps. It was not an easy decision but we needed help and after a combined 35 years of paying into the system, I think we have paid for the assistance we get now.

I have put in over 65 applications in the past six months at places that tell me I am over-qualified because of my experience, sent out my resume to 40 different companies for jobs similar to the one I held before. I have not received one offer.

My husband has sent out almost 250 resumes in two years for jobs like the one he had, even ones with an hour or two commute, along with over 50 applications in the past six months to places he is apparently over-qualified to work. He has had one job offer. For a position with an 80 mile roundtrip commute, at minimum wage for 4 hours, 5 days a week. Unfortunately, we crunched the numbers and the paycheck would barely pay for gas to get there and back.

I am not a freeloader.

I am not uneducated.

I am no longer going to keep quiet.

I AM the 99% and my voice counts!

Aug29

Happy Happy Birthday To Me!

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Insert cutesy music from Sprout birthday segments here, because now that is how I hear the birthday song in my head.

Yes I know, I spend too much time with a toddler! :)

My birthday weekend started with a photo shoot with my besties and the lovely ladies at Vixen Pinup Photography. Here are the unedited photos that they allowed me to take on home.  Hair and Photos are by Nikki Moreno, Make-up by Candypants Cunningham

After all that fun we went to dinner at my favorite sushi restaurant Sushi Haru. Then home for a Vaudeville Party that ended up being one of the best we have thrown. And ask our friends, we can have some wild parties!

The Costumes:

Apparently I wasn’t forward thinking enough to get a good pic of mine with the camera…but I make an appearance in the Photobooth pics later on!

The Ladies:

Zombies!:

And a random pic of my hottie husband and my bestie:

Then we had a photobooth app set up to take fun photos!

Here are the ladies:

The Couples:

The Zombies complete with a Group Thriller Scene:

No, I am not sure how Zombies took over my Vaudeville party but they did! Maybe next year we will just go with a Zombie theme!

So far 30 is great and that was the Best.Birthday.Party.EVER!

Aug19

What I didn’t know about the Tooth Fairy

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Princess: What if I ever want one of my teeth back?

Me: Mommies and Daddies can ask for a few teeth back from the Tooth Fairy for memories.

Princess: Can you ask for one of mine back?

Me: I already have. I have the first tooth you lost. I have your sisters too.

Beans: You have my first lost tooth? Can I see it?

Me: It’s bedtime.

Beans: Tomorrow then.

Me: Ok, tomorrow. (Don’t worry I have all their teeth so no panicking, lol)

Princess: I wonder what the Tooth Fairy does with all those teeth?

Beans: Yeah Mom, what does she need teeth for? Weird!

Me: Ummmmm…..I’m not sure, I never asked her.

Beans: I think I know.

Princess: Really?

Beans: Yeah, she collects teeth from so many kids because she loves teeth. She uses them to build and entire hugely huge castle. It has teeth walls and teeth ceilings, teeth doors and her bed is made of teeth. All shiny and white. And then she has special teeth, the really interesting looking ones. Those she keeps in cases lined up along the wall and she lays on the floor looking at them because they are so beautiful.

Me: Wha?

Princess: Wow!

Beans: Some kids’ parents let them go visit the castle and she gives tours. I LOVE TEETH!

Princess: Oh Momma, can we visit the Tooth Fairy castle tomorrow night?

Me: Um, no. We…..

Beans: We need reservations, duh. Good night!

Princess: Good Night.

Me: What just happened here?

Aug16

10 Lessons my children could teach me

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10 Lessons my children could teach me

1. A magic blanket makes everything safe.

2. Yelling is an acceptable response to any comment or question.

3. Live for the music and just dance. Be it Pink, Rob Zombie, Brooks and Dunn or Billie Holiday….move with it and let go.

4. Getting told ‘no’ fifty gillion times a day is no fun. (Saying it that many times sucks too, ya know!)

5. Wearing a long sleeved sweater, jeggings, a pink tutu, boots and a flower in your hair the size of your head is a perfectly acceptable way to dress for a trip to the grocery in August in the Midwest during a heat wave. Duh.

6. Whining CAN get me what I want.

7. Karma is very scary, do as much good stuff as you can. Her happiness is important.

8. Belting out random words that don’t make sense to a tune is not embarrassing, unless Mom records it, of course.

9. Running in the rain is still fun, at any age.

10. Luck is very important. Otherwise the Cataclysmic Wii Remote Tragedy of 2011 would have ended all Wii playing forever. It didn’t. The Wii rocks and the remotes dry out if after a toilet soaking, just so you know.

This post was inspired by:

Mama’s Losin’ It

Apr23

Really? Strep? Really?!

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I haven’t disappeared from cyberspace, I promise.

However, I did get ambushed by a nasty case of strep throat this week.

I don’t ever remember being in so much pain with strep…ever!

But it knocked me the hell out of the ring for about 3 days, then since I was no longer contagious (see I am a good Mommy) I had to get back up and get to work.

So instead of reading blogs, writing blogs, stalking people on facebook and googling random things like ‘how to make orange marmalade’ and ‘hooker boots’ (yes, I pulled those from last weeks search history! Whuck?), I had to get it together!

Because my littlest girl turned 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!! on Wednesday!  And she has a huge tea party birthday this weekend.

I have been busting balls trying to catch up on everything I planned to span over the entire week for this party on a budget i.e. DIY Beverly Hills style tea party (not really Bev Hills, but they were some of the inspiration.)

Plus I really wanted to document some of it to share on here with you guys.  So stay tuned!

Oh and I got myself a new baby yesterday:

I named her Dahlia and I love her to death already!

Disclaimer: This may or may not have been written while the author was still hopped up on the wonderful pain pills her doctor prescribed to keep her from ripping her throat out whilst it felt like she was constantly swallowing razorblades….

Apr7

If You Only Knew

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3.) If you really knew me, you would know that…

..I really have no clue what my natural hair color would look like at this point.  I can’t stand everything being the same all the time yet my personality needs stability and consistency.  So, I don’t change my routine, my living space or my surrounding that often but my hair rarely stays the same color for more than 2 months.

..I really really hate it when people don’t RSVP for things.  Or RSVP ‘Yes’ and don’t show up. Or RSVP ‘Maybe’ when they have no intention of showing up.  We are all adults, please have some courtesy for the fact I just spent all day cleaning or cooking or decorating or whatever for you.

…I love to cook from scratch and can whip up a good meal out of almost any combo of ingredients that I have in my sometimes near empty cupboard.  Three little kids and a big man-kid really do eat me out of house and home, not sure what I am gonna do when they get older.

…I cannot stand how I look without my glasses.  I will wear contacts with fake glasses (usually on sunny days where I want to wear sunglasses or not worry about losing my real glasses) before I will go without.

…I still have my first teddy bear and favorite unicorn stuffed animal from when I was a girl.  I am not really a materialistically sentimental person so this really surprises some people.

…I am a natural leader who actually prefers to be out of the spotlight doing the busy work.  I will take the lead when no one does and I will do it well.  I will organize a billion things for anyone and everyone, but I really would rather be the one behind the scenes doing paperwork or crunching numbers.

…I am ridiculously addicted to the Bravo Network, especially the train-wreck that is the Real Housewives.  How people can act like some them do is beyond me, but it does supply me with a lot of laughs.

Mama’s Losin’ It

This post was written as part of a prompt from Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop.