Thursday, November 20, 2008

"Somebody Else Will Do It"

“Somebody Else Will Do It”


I’ve noticed this trend a lot lately. Not only do I deal with it here at home:

“Somebody Else will wipe up the peanut butter and jelly I spread on the counter.”

“Somebody Else will put away the dirty dishes I stacked on the counter, I’m in a hurry!”


I also deal with this at work:

“Somebody Else will wipe off the table if they need it for school work.”
“Somebody Else will pick up this mess.”


And at Play Park:

“Somebody Else will set up Snack Area.”

“Somebody Else will clean up the play-doh that dropped on the floor.”


And, believe it or not, even at Magenta I’ve noticed it… Sadly.

“Somebody Else will show up at 606 to help paint, construct, etc.”


I try very hard not to force Somebody Else to do what I am capable of doing myself… especially if it’s a mess *I* made. At the risk of sounding whiny, it’s just not a fair thing to do.


And as for those who force me to be Somebody Else… I’m TIRED of it. Get off your butt, stop whining about how busy you are, and grow up a bit. The world doesn’t revolve around you.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Alright, I posted about Corkie. Now it's Nigel's turn.
He's really difficult to photograph because he's so BLACK.
He loves to climb and perch, especially on Kelsie's chair or computer desk.

He also loves boxes...

and books...

And his scratching post.


He's terribly shy, so if you come for a visit, it will take him awhile to come out of hiding. He's SUCH a lovable guy and will bonk me on the head and lick my nose.

"I am Kringus. Hear me ROAR!"




Friday, November 7, 2008

10 Ways to Be Happier


So imagine my surprise at logging on and finding an artcle on ways to be happier after putting up a post about the "Poor Me" Syndrome. Too funny. as FlyLady would say, it's a God Breeze.

Okay, here's the article.




Thursday, November 6, 2008

Corkie

My cat (well, actually KELSIE'S cat) Corkie makes me laugh on a daily basis. Not only does he ask me for a toy by sitting in front of the drawer and looking up expectantly, he will alsoplay fetch with it after he chooses which one he wants.






























If I happen to be sitting here at the computer and I'm not paying attention when he brings the toy, he will put a paw up on the seat and tap my hip with the other paw.















He also loves to shove all his toys under the couch. When the toy drawer is empty, we have to tip the couch up to get the toys and boy, does he LOVE to watch that!

He also absolutely LOVES tissue paper.

And burrowing under the covers or snuggling with his adopted brother.










He's also quite the ham for the camera.

"Poor Me"

Something has been gnawing on my brain lately. And it’s something I’ve been guilty of doing just as much as the next guy.

The “Poor Me” syndrome.

Notion number 1: We are victims and we are helpless, hopeless and powerless.

No, we’re not. We just find it easier to moan and groan about what we don’t have or what has happened to us rather than to feel blessed by what we DO have or make a choice to deal with our situation and make it better.

Notion number 2: It’s someone else’s fault that I’m in this situation.

No, you have choices, too. We can blame others and continually use excuses for not taking charge of our own destiny. But you still have CHOICES.

Notion number 3: If I had (fill in the blank) I would be so much happier.

REALLY?? Honestly. Sit down and think about this. If you had a new car vs. your old paid off one, what would happen? You’d have a monthly car payment when you didn’t have any before, your insurance would probably go up and you’d be constantly on pins and needles just WAITING for someone to put the first ding in it.

The same goes with any situation. Before you bemoan the fact that there’s something you want but don’t have, stop and reflect how having that item would change your life, your way of thinking, and your attitude.

Okay, so what can we do to stop this behavior?

Well, first off, stop blaming everyone else for how you’re feeling. It’s YOUR choice as to how you deal with situations in your life.

Secondly, for every negative thought you have, stop and consciously replace it with TWO positive thoughts. Instead of taking one step toward the dark, stop and take two steps to the light.

Next, practice an ‘attitude of gratitude.’ Say thank you for all the blessings you receive throughout the day. You could even start a Gratitude journal. Before you go to sleep each night, write down in your journal or notepad 5 things that you are grateful for each day. To go one step further, start a Joy journal. List things that make you feel happy. When you are having a ‘bad’ day, go back to your joy journal to re-focus on the wonderful moments in your life.

When you find yourself in a situation, remind yourself that you DO have choices and you CAN change not only how you behave, but you could change the entire outcome of the situation.

And lastly, believe in yourself. You ARE someone special. You ARE worth it.

Here’s the start to my Gratitude Journal:

  1. I am thankful for my husband and daughter who motivate me to be the best that I can be.
  2. I am thankful for having a job that allows me to have a home, cars, food, clothing and money to pay the bills.
  3. I am thankful for my friends who don’t mind when I’m silly and love to laugh both at me and with me.
  4. I am thankful for the fact that October was so sunny that it kept the S.A.D. away for just a bit longer.
  5. I am thankful for the winter, for without it, there would be no spring.

Monday, November 3, 2008


My kitty-boys really are a great comfort to me.
Corkie must have sensed that I was sad and not feeling well tonight
for he kept giving me hugs.


These are probably the last flowers of the year.


The bushes are still growing, and I will be surprised to see any bloom.



I do so love the roses.
I was happy to see the small twig resurrected from the dead.
I was planning on getting another bush to put there and what a surprise!


Forgive


for·give

verb, -gave, -giv·en, -giv·ing. –verb (used with object)

1. to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve.

2. to give up all claim on account of; remit (a debt, obligation, etc.).

3. to grant pardon to (a person).

4. to cease to feel resentment against: to forgive one's enemies

5. to cancel an indebtedness or liability of: to forgive the interest owed on a loan.

–verb (used without object)

6. to pardon an offense or an offender.

All through childhood I was taught to say “sorry” for the offenses I made. The other child would say “okay” and off we’d go to play, our friendship instantly renewed.

Now that I’m an adult, I find it difficult to trust someone who has said sorry. Forgiving is easy, but it’s constantly on my mind: are they going to do it again? Can I trust them? Are they going to go back to the behavior that split our friendship in two?

She has apologized. And I do miss her friendship.

She says the circumstances have changed, but she said that before, too, and then let things go back to how they had been.

(sigh…)

I don’t know what to do.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Roller Coaster!

What a roller coaster life.

Up- being House Manager for Arsenic

Down- Bob went off chemo.


Up- Kelsie doing well in school and getting parts in the school play

Down- Becky losing her hair to chemo. She's still beautiful, though!
My half sis having a couple strokes.

Up- School and finding out what life credits I could earn.
Looking forward to more classes. Seeing Kelsie on stage.

Down-
Bob died.

Up- Having 970 people come see the show. Magenta getting it's own space. Having a wonderful group of friends through Magenta.