Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Busy, Busy Weekend
Did so much to our house this weekend, and I am one proud woman. AJ and a bunch of other helpers put a new roof on our house. Then I put a few helpers to work on some other exterior things. We took the ugly carpet off of our front porch, pulled weeds out/cleaned up the flower beds, painted the brick on the front of the house, painted the shutters, and then painted the front door. SUCCESS! I love how everything turned out. I am so proud of our house. I have been proud of the inside for awhile but never really loved the "curb appeal", but now that has all changed. Still indecisive about the front door color though. It turned out "Tiffany Blue" which wasn't exactly what I was going for, but it's some $5 clearance paint I found at Lowe's so I can't really complain. Going to post a few pics for you to enjoy then headed to bed for some much needed rest... hope you all enjoyed your Holiday Weekend and didn't work nearly as hard as we did. :-)
The white trim on the door around the window is now black to match the doorknob. I haven't taken an updated pic yet...
Monday, May 7, 2012
Memories make my heart smile
I haven't written in awhile... I've had a rough couple of weeks, and I really want to keep my blog as a positive fun way to keep memories alive for the future. All the things I had to write about for these last couple weeks haven't been pleasant or happy so I've taken a break from writing on here until now. I am ready to smile. I am ready to be happy despite all the sadness and busyness.
In my last post, I told of the loss of my great aunt. Sadness came over me by having to type those words. It made it feel real when I didn't want it to be. Then just two days later I found out a friend from high school was in a terrible motorcycle wreck and passed away the next day. I have maybe only seen him once or twice since high school because as you all know time passes, life moves on, and people don't see each other as much. Even though we weren't really friends anymore, it doesn't mean I wasn't effected by his death. I am overcome with grief by his leaving of this Earth. He was so young--I'm so young. Too young to leave his family. He had a baby girl on the way--so hard for me to come to terms with this all. Then a couple days after the news of his death, I learned that my grandpa (not the one who has been sick) was having surgery and would spend some time in the hospital *he's doing better now.
It seems like everywhere I have turned for the last couple weeks all I wanted to do was cry, but most times I was too stunned by what was going on that no tears would form. Then, this past Friday, we had my Aunt Wanda's funeral. It was simple and beautiful and just what she wanted. My pawpaw did a wonderful job of helping us remember what a great woman she was. It made me smile to think of her. Then, my mom-o (that's what we call my dad's mom--long story) spoke of my aunt. As she began to remember her, I couldn't help but cry. I was surrounded by the people that loved her most, and all I could think of how much my grandma would miss her aunt--not just because she helped take care of her in the end, but because they were so very close. They were close like sisters, and so much fun to be around together. It always seemed like my Aunt Wanda brought out the fun in all of us. As tears began to flow down my cheeks for one of the first times since her death, I could not make them stop. My daddy hugged me, and that just made me cry harder. I sure do miss that woman so much already.
I laugh now because I promised in the beginning of this post that I was finally ready to not be a "debbie downer" with this post. I guess I was not. Just trying to find the way to remember without being so sad. Thanks for letting me pour my heart out once again. :-)
In my last post, I told of the loss of my great aunt. Sadness came over me by having to type those words. It made it feel real when I didn't want it to be. Then just two days later I found out a friend from high school was in a terrible motorcycle wreck and passed away the next day. I have maybe only seen him once or twice since high school because as you all know time passes, life moves on, and people don't see each other as much. Even though we weren't really friends anymore, it doesn't mean I wasn't effected by his death. I am overcome with grief by his leaving of this Earth. He was so young--I'm so young. Too young to leave his family. He had a baby girl on the way--so hard for me to come to terms with this all. Then a couple days after the news of his death, I learned that my grandpa (not the one who has been sick) was having surgery and would spend some time in the hospital *he's doing better now.
It seems like everywhere I have turned for the last couple weeks all I wanted to do was cry, but most times I was too stunned by what was going on that no tears would form. Then, this past Friday, we had my Aunt Wanda's funeral. It was simple and beautiful and just what she wanted. My pawpaw did a wonderful job of helping us remember what a great woman she was. It made me smile to think of her. Then, my mom-o (that's what we call my dad's mom--long story) spoke of my aunt. As she began to remember her, I couldn't help but cry. I was surrounded by the people that loved her most, and all I could think of how much my grandma would miss her aunt--not just because she helped take care of her in the end, but because they were so very close. They were close like sisters, and so much fun to be around together. It always seemed like my Aunt Wanda brought out the fun in all of us. As tears began to flow down my cheeks for one of the first times since her death, I could not make them stop. My daddy hugged me, and that just made me cry harder. I sure do miss that woman so much already.
I laugh now because I promised in the beginning of this post that I was finally ready to not be a "debbie downer" with this post. I guess I was not. Just trying to find the way to remember without being so sad. Thanks for letting me pour my heart out once again. :-)
Monday, April 23, 2012
Smiling through the tears
Tonight I sit here lost deep in thought with a heavy heart. I woke up this morning (more accurately it was afternoon) to a text message from my daddy. All it said was "Aunt Wanda passed away this morning". The only thing that escaped my mouth was "Oh, no"... twice... AJ sleepily asked me what was wrong, and I told him the news we'd been waiting to hear but dreading all the same.
My Aunt Wanda was one of the funniest women I've ever met in my life. She was technically my dad's great aunt--my great grandma's little sister. She was in her early 80's when she passed today, and she was like an "extra" grandma to me growing up. Her kids/grandkids live in California and Arizona, and she lived out west with them and in Oklahoma with us off and on throughout my life. The times she was with her immediate family I missed having her around, but then again I knew that she was with the ones she loved the most. When I was in middle school, it was one of the times she was living here, and my parents had just divorced and her husband passed away, so my dad moved in with her; therefore, every other weekend not only did I spend the weekends with my dad, but also, my Aunt Wanda. I guess she was in her late 60's/early 70's at the time, and she had more energy than women half her age. I loved the time spent with her. She would cook us dinner--before she retired she was the head of the nutrition department for a large school district in California. I loved when she cooked for us. She's the only person in our family with a culinary background, maybe that's where I get my love to cook and love for my job. She tried to teach me to sew, now I wish I had learned. She used to threaten to beat my brother or dad with her shoe, I believed she'd do it. She was inappropriate and wonderful. She cussed like a sailor and no matter how badly my parents didn't want her to in front of us, she did it anyway. She was the epitome of the idea that when you get old you can say or do anything because you've earned the right. She never pretended to be anyone but herself. I loved that most about her.
She got frail and sick with age and moved back to Oklahoma a little less than a year ago. I think she knew her time was coming so she came back here to rest in peace where her husband of so many years passed away as well. She had my grandma here to help take care of her. She had my dad and his sisters too. I'm glad she knew she was loved here. I'm glad she got to meet AJ. I'm glad she really liked him. I'm glad she got to meet my sweet nephew Colt (her great, great, great nephew). I'm sad my future children will never get the pleasure of knowing her. I'm sad I didn't take the time to go to the nursing home to tell her I loved her just one last time. I'm sad that it takes situations like this for my WHOLE family to come together again for the funeral. I'm sad that her granddaughter that she raised won't be able to make it for the funeral because of selfish decisions. I'm hurt by selfishness, but I'm hurt the most from the loss of a woman that truly broke the mold. I strive to be as bold as she was in her life. I strive to be a strong woman like her. I strive to keep her strength alive by remembering her.
Today was not a good day for me, but as I sit here now and remember, I can smile through the tears because I know she's not in pain anymore. I also know that the world lost a great woman today...
My Aunt Wanda was one of the funniest women I've ever met in my life. She was technically my dad's great aunt--my great grandma's little sister. She was in her early 80's when she passed today, and she was like an "extra" grandma to me growing up. Her kids/grandkids live in California and Arizona, and she lived out west with them and in Oklahoma with us off and on throughout my life. The times she was with her immediate family I missed having her around, but then again I knew that she was with the ones she loved the most. When I was in middle school, it was one of the times she was living here, and my parents had just divorced and her husband passed away, so my dad moved in with her; therefore, every other weekend not only did I spend the weekends with my dad, but also, my Aunt Wanda. I guess she was in her late 60's/early 70's at the time, and she had more energy than women half her age. I loved the time spent with her. She would cook us dinner--before she retired she was the head of the nutrition department for a large school district in California. I loved when she cooked for us. She's the only person in our family with a culinary background, maybe that's where I get my love to cook and love for my job. She tried to teach me to sew, now I wish I had learned. She used to threaten to beat my brother or dad with her shoe, I believed she'd do it. She was inappropriate and wonderful. She cussed like a sailor and no matter how badly my parents didn't want her to in front of us, she did it anyway. She was the epitome of the idea that when you get old you can say or do anything because you've earned the right. She never pretended to be anyone but herself. I loved that most about her.
(Aunt Wanda and Colt Wesson September 2011)
She got frail and sick with age and moved back to Oklahoma a little less than a year ago. I think she knew her time was coming so she came back here to rest in peace where her husband of so many years passed away as well. She had my grandma here to help take care of her. She had my dad and his sisters too. I'm glad she knew she was loved here. I'm glad she got to meet AJ. I'm glad she really liked him. I'm glad she got to meet my sweet nephew Colt (her great, great, great nephew). I'm sad my future children will never get the pleasure of knowing her. I'm sad I didn't take the time to go to the nursing home to tell her I loved her just one last time. I'm sad that it takes situations like this for my WHOLE family to come together again for the funeral. I'm sad that her granddaughter that she raised won't be able to make it for the funeral because of selfish decisions. I'm hurt by selfishness, but I'm hurt the most from the loss of a woman that truly broke the mold. I strive to be as bold as she was in her life. I strive to be a strong woman like her. I strive to keep her strength alive by remembering her.
Today was not a good day for me, but as I sit here now and remember, I can smile through the tears because I know she's not in pain anymore. I also know that the world lost a great woman today...
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Tie Dye Cupcakes
I made some baked goodies for a bake sale my friend had a couple weeks ago. She is raising money to go on a mission trip to Haiti this summer. Among these things, I made some Tie Dyed Cupcakes, and they turned out wonderful. I hope you enjoy them too.
I used a white box cake mix per the instructions and split it up into 5 different bowls with 5 different food coloring like this:
Then I poured the batter one scoop of each color into cupcake lined muffin tins until all 5 colored batters are in the the cups.
Then bake for recommended time according to the box. Let cool and ice and top with sprinkles...
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Choosing My Battles
A life lesson I have not thought much about in the past is "choosing my battles". I am one of those people that practices this valuable caution, but I'd never really thought about the importance of it until recently; it seems like every time I turn around lately I want to look so many people in the face and scream "Choose your battles! This is not worth it!"
It all started a couple weeks ago on facebook. I am a very firm believer in keeping drama out of social media sites. I also think that some things honestly are not the business of the world and shouldn't be shared so publicly. A "friend" on facebook (I use quotes because she's an acquaintance) decided that her status was the best place to discuss her relationship issues. Someone pointed out (nicely in my opinion) that facebook wasn't the place to discuss such a private issue--the war was on! It turned into a giant issue between everyone posting comments as it will do on social media sites. Everyone was either defending the boyfriend or defending her and bashing the boyfriend or telling her that facebook wasn't the place to address it.
This situation made me realize that I have way more respect for AJ than that. I strongly believe that if you have an issue with your "other half" then it should remain between the two of you. Whether it's venting to a friend, mentioning to my mom an issue I have with him, or putting him on blast on facebook-it is not for me. I realize that I love him so much that even though I may be frustrated with him at the time, but I will forgive him. We will be okay because I love him, but my friends/family will always have the thoughts in the back of their minds of when he hurt me. Even if I'm over it, it may change their view of him, and that is not my desire. I also have more respect for him as a man to not put something that I think he "did wrong" all over facebook. He, as the love of my life, does not deserve to be treated that way by anyone--especially me.
The next situation that taught me this important lesson was my employees. It seems like the story of my life at work is choosing my battles. I realize that my staff is not perfect and there are thousands of little things I might do differently or would change about the way things happen, but that does not mean that every single thing every single time will get pointed out by me. I've realized that there is "more than one way to skin at cat" and as long as they are properly doing their job there are a few things that can be overlooked in order to keep up morale. So, I choose carefully which battles I choose to fight... which I as the manager will win. haha.
Just a little rambling that's been on my mind lately...
It all started a couple weeks ago on facebook. I am a very firm believer in keeping drama out of social media sites. I also think that some things honestly are not the business of the world and shouldn't be shared so publicly. A "friend" on facebook (I use quotes because she's an acquaintance) decided that her status was the best place to discuss her relationship issues. Someone pointed out (nicely in my opinion) that facebook wasn't the place to discuss such a private issue--the war was on! It turned into a giant issue between everyone posting comments as it will do on social media sites. Everyone was either defending the boyfriend or defending her and bashing the boyfriend or telling her that facebook wasn't the place to address it.
This situation made me realize that I have way more respect for AJ than that. I strongly believe that if you have an issue with your "other half" then it should remain between the two of you. Whether it's venting to a friend, mentioning to my mom an issue I have with him, or putting him on blast on facebook-it is not for me. I realize that I love him so much that even though I may be frustrated with him at the time, but I will forgive him. We will be okay because I love him, but my friends/family will always have the thoughts in the back of their minds of when he hurt me. Even if I'm over it, it may change their view of him, and that is not my desire. I also have more respect for him as a man to not put something that I think he "did wrong" all over facebook. He, as the love of my life, does not deserve to be treated that way by anyone--especially me.
The next situation that taught me this important lesson was my employees. It seems like the story of my life at work is choosing my battles. I realize that my staff is not perfect and there are thousands of little things I might do differently or would change about the way things happen, but that does not mean that every single thing every single time will get pointed out by me. I've realized that there is "more than one way to skin at cat" and as long as they are properly doing their job there are a few things that can be overlooked in order to keep up morale. So, I choose carefully which battles I choose to fight... which I as the manager will win. haha.
Just a little rambling that's been on my mind lately...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)