I Read Too Much

Have you ever been to war?  I'm not talking about war in another country, against a soldier that the government sets you against, either for the right reasons or the wrong.  Before I go any further I should state that I am proud of those who fight for my liberties and that I have heroes in my family that have fought beside the heroes in yours, to which I have honored and supported both.  Now, back to war.  The war I'm talking about is the invisible one that is waged in a person and the war that is waged within a family.  Regardless of intentions there is always a loser.  No one side will reign victorious, especially in the later.  Though some battles may prove victorious, the war as a whole will not.  Well, actually in the former there is a winner, its picking the right side that determines the victory.  If, a year ago this time, someone would have told me that a year from now I would be in the middle of a battle so horrible I wouldn't k...

A few years back (2008) Chris Arnall created a mathematical formula "proving" that June 20th holds the trophy for being the happiest day of the year.  In fact, here is a quippit from the article that was ran in The Telegraph. "Apparently the feeling of optimism caused by the combination of lighter evenings, the prospect of holidays and memories of childhood summers is at its peak on June 20. According to the research this has been worked out using the equation O + (N xS) + Cpm/T + He. O stands for being outdoors and outdoor activity, N is connection with nature, which is in full bloom now, S is socialisation with neighbours and friends, Cpm stands for childhood positive memories, T is the mean temperature which is now usually warm, and He is holiday expected." - Rebecca Smith   I chuckled when I read that.  See, I don't think he took into account personal experience for this equation.  Sure, it is just for fun and is in no way scienti...

It's that time of year when many people are planning trips here, there, and everywhere.  That time when the culmination of paid time off is spent visiting places one wouldn't ordinarily go.  Typically my family does the same thing.  Afterall, isn't that the idea behind a vacation?  However, this year we talked it out and decided, "why limit ourselves?"  I know that isn't an easy thing for everyone, and we are rather fortunate due to being so close to a lot of lakes as well as a state park.  So, this year we chose to purchase the annual entry pass to said state park (a 30 minute drive up the interstate) and make it a summer of daycations.  To kick off this choice, we packed the van up with a cooler of goodies, our beach stuff, a change of clothes for everyone (as a precaution), and headed north.  Thanks to some unbeknownst road construction the drive took a bit longer than it should, but for the most part it was a short...

This time of year used to be something that I longed for.  Summers spent playing with my friends, swimming at the lake for hours, chasing fireflies, and staying out late (sometimes too late).  Now, it just isn't the same.  The freedoms that I had as a kid are no longer there.  Sure, I can go "play" with my friends, but they too have responsibilities and families to take care of.  I could go swimming, chasing fireflies, and stay out late, but all those things loose their appeal when you know the alarm clock is still going to go off at 4:45 in the morning.  Today was the last day of school for my oldest two children.  My middle daughter survived second grade and has received her pass into third.  My oldest, well, she has graced the halls of elementary school for the last time; she is now officially a middle schooler.  She has already started the summer out with a bang, a sleep over at a friend's house!  I took the other two to the librar...

I haven't written much lately, there's a reason for that. Perhaps it is my own self doubt, or the fact that I am simply lousy at the written word, but mostly it is not anything more profound than sheer laziness. I've had a couple of stress-free, ok, who am I kidding, let's actually go with less stressful, weeks since this last term in school let out. I feel kind of weird saying that, me being close to yet another birthday in my thirty-somethings, but age is just a number, right? It's a bit after 5 in the morning and I don't think I've had this kind of quiet clarity in months. There is something truly amazing about this time of day, in fact it is my favorite - in case you wanted to know.  A lot has happened around this place in the past four months, much of which I will never find the right way to put to words, but I know that it has had a tremendous impact on my family's lives. I digress, that isn't what I wanted to share this morning. (It see...

Have you ever struggled with doing the right thing?  Sure you have, you are human, right?  I sit here tonight tapping away at my keyboard pondering the results of doing, saying, and honoring the right things.  In fact, the right thing for me, and truth be told, my family too, may not always be the best thing for another, especially if that destroys a longtime relationship.  Perhaps that is going a bit too far, too fast.  So here, let me break it down.  Life is full of situations.  In fact, each and everyday starts with one.  You have the option to wake up or sleep in, put a smile on or a frown, be kind or be a jerk.  I know, you are probably thinking something like, "wait, these are choices, not situations."  I, in return, would capitulate and agree, BUT have you ever thought about the result of that choice?  That result is the situation.  So, I go back to my original question, have you ever struggled with...

In the past couple of weeks I have read many wonderful blogs.  Blogs by moms who aren't afraid to admit they're not perfect, moms who are "perfect" and like to share that with their readers, ladies who are trying to share quippits of their lives, ladies who feel their lives really aren't all that - yet they seem so grand anyhow, ladies who can write so well I long for their next blog, and those random blogs that make me wonder about the diversity in the world.  Then I have my blog.  Is it a true reflection of me? I think the hardest thing in life is seeing yourself through God's eyes.  Here's why.  There will always be someone who is better.  Better at computers, sewing, singing, dancing, cooking, driving, decorating, mommying, well, honestly, everything; except for ONE MAJOR thing.  There is no one on Earth that will ever be better at being you .  Nope!  In fact, you own that one lock, stock, and barrel....