Saturday

Happiness in the simple things.

On my living room wall is a picture of Mr. A and I standing in front of a limo moments before the dinner of our high school graduation.

I have that picture hanging there not because it reminds me of how smoking (I kid...) I was when I was 19 or how thin I was or how absolutely HUGE my hair was. The reason I have that picture hanging there is because it reminds me of how simple life was for us then. No mortgage. No responsibilities. Just pure, simple joy and excitement of the moments we were about to witness.

Back then (oh, we were young), Mr. A and I would talk on the phone in the wee hours of the morning dreaming about what our lives would be when we were older. There was never talk of mansions and fancy cars. I don't even remember wishing to travel to exotic places. I do remember however, the one wish we had for our lives together - yes, we knew we would be together - a simple house with the white picket fence and a little dog. That's it. I think we just assumed we'd be happy. I think we just assumed there would be children. It was such a modest dream.

I forget that dream often, now that I'm older. I get caught up in the 'what I wants' and never does that feed your soul or make you happy. It's always the little things; the late night phone calls and dreams of togetherness, the giggles of the kids, the wag of the dogs tail. They are so easy to overlook.

Wednesday

With each New Year...

Pigsty or organized? It's such a fine line...
The drawer after - Evidence picture No.1
The drawer after - Evidence picture No. 2

I make promises to myself that I really can't keep. I promise to eat better (yah, when potato chips are my downfall and they are everywhere), exercise more, spend less, and on and on and on. Well, we'd hate to break the streak, wouldn't we (perhaps that's my thing)? This year I've decided that I'm going to: 1. be more organized and 2. try new things. In the process, I'm also going to focus on being happier!

Today, let's focus on the whole "becoming more organized thing". It's not that I'm a slob (Mom, no inputs here alright?) but I'm not winning any awards either. And I'm not trying too - let's make that clear shall we? No, what I'd prefer is to have a place where everything goes. Like, you know when you're trying to find a pencil and you can't find one to save your life? Or where do the scissors end up? That magazine you've been dying to read but "you've put it away so you could find it". Yah, I'd like to end all of those things. I've started. My house is a WRECK! It's like the storm before the calm....

The 12 days come and gone....


I not only was ditched - I ditched you. I'm sorry there wasn't more written on the martini/cocktails this year. It was all a little crazy and I'm afraid it got a little nasty in the end. And not in the fun, hanging on the porcelain, dancing in the street, 'whooping it up' kind of way. Nah, it was more of the 'where's the kleenex?', 'what's this stuff I keep coughing up' kind of way. So I've been out of it and I'm just starting to see the light.

Now don't go getting all worried. I'm fine. It was a mere cold and not even one big enough to warrant a hospital visit. It's just been lingering and driving me batty and keeping me sober (which really is a bother). But I'm almost back to normal. So much so that I've started having thoughts... ack, I hate when I start having thoughts. It's sooo, well, irritating.

The last four or five months have been a bit of a whirlwind; holiday seasons... and as I no longer have to start planning for Thanksgiving or planning for Christmas, I've got a LOT of free time on my hands. Time, like a cold, like thoughts, is irritating. I've also been blessed to be doing a little 'freelance' work on the side. Which is great. Really. And I think that's led to the whole thing. Because I'm starting to like working. There's a bunch of plus' to working outside the home. Negatives too, but let's not dwell there. I'm not sure where this is all headed. I'm keeping my eyes and ears open. I may even break down and start looking at my parachute color (if you get this then you are totally a peep). I'm not getting any younger - a bunch of other dialogue to go along with that one...