one working mom's perspective

To change or not to change?

2010-04-14T09:04:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about a friend who is trying to decide whether to date or not to date certain people. My feeling is this: If you know what qualities you desire in a person that you would potentially spend the rest of your life with, don't waste your time on those who do not have those qualities you desire. This thinking may seem a bit harsh toward those who think they reserve the right for someone to give them a chance, get to know them before discounting them, however, life is too short to be wasting time on someone who clearly doesn't have what you want. A person might say, " I can change into what you want." " I can quit smoking and drinking." " I can be a nice person." "I can learn to be compassionate." The truth is a person cannot change his character and should never try to change his behaviors just for the purpose of trying to attract a certain kind of person. A person can be introspective and try to see where he needs to make changes within himself for himself. If a person, for instance, is not by nature a kind and considerate person and discovers its something he really wants to change about himself, by all means give it a go. But, if its not in his nature and he is constantly battling with himself to exhibit this kind of character, over timie it becomes too difficult to continue the lie. So I say know what you want in a life partner and stick with it. Become the person YOU want to be, the person you know you should be for you! :)

reminiscence

2010-04-10T10:00:00.002-04:00

Remininscence. Its a noun that means: 1.the act or process of recalling past experiences, events, etc. 2. a mental impression retained and revived 3. something that recalls or suggests something else. But as I was walking through the grocery store today I observed and old woman pick up an old style glass bottle of Coke, which , of course is a rather uncommon item on the shelf these days. She held it and looked it over before she placed it and three more bottles of it into her cart. I began to wonder just what she was reminiscing about. I could tell for sure that she was considering something in the past, some memory that this old- fashioned glass bottle of Coke was invoking. I was standing there doing the same thing. What it was she was remembering I will never know, but I do know we all do it. The images are different for each of us, even if its the same event that we are remembering. There are some things, a song, a scent, an object, that none of us can walk past without those memories coming back. The memory might be different for each of us, but it brings people together and reminds us that we are human and have many things in common.

Student Veterans Resource Center

2009-12-08T12:59:00.004-05:00

These are images of the inside and outside of the newest addition to campus, the Student Veterans Resource Center. This facility meets the needs of many of the student veterans on campus by helping them to stay connected to each other, being able to have a safe place to share their experiences and to just hang out together. It gives the student veteran population access to many of the things they need such as moral support, help with financial aid, social programs etc.

The students that I have encountered who use the facility are some of the nicest and most respectful people I have ever met.

Christmas Table

2009-12-08T11:39:00.002-05:00

This is a picture of our beautiful Christmas table.

The glass bulb thing has a lid on it and we have been using it as a cookie jar and candy dish--- neither lasts long in our house since the cookies that sissy bakes are delicious and Spence and Curt are candy monsters, but it is a cute thing to have on the table. It was a little lonely with just the bulb thing til grandma gave us a wonderful poinsettia. this is the only time of year when the table stays mostly clutter- free, so I decided to take a picture to remind me of what it looks like.

Don't Procrastinate!

2009-10-19T08:57:00.001-04:00

OK- So I have procrastinated writing my blog since June apparently. How lazy does that seem? Actually, I have been very busy. I flew out to California in July and drove home with my sister. She is now sharing a house with my mother. But the whole thing has involved a lot of work and moving 3000 miles across the country has been no easy task. The drive alone was menacing and I hoped to keep eveyrone informed the whole way home, but that didn't work out. And now, with fall here, we have been cleaning out and reorganizing basements and garages. At any rate, everything is getting shaped up for the holidays. I am looking forward to spending Thanksgiving, Birhtdays and Christmas together with my mom and sister after many years of being seperated. It will be awesome to prepare the meals together and to have a cake together for our birthdays. I can't wait.

Hot and Humid!

2009-06-25T09:35:00.002-04:00

Ok- so we were all sick of the cold dreary weather, but who asked for this! This is not nice weather! No one can convince me that its nice weather! Its not really even good for going to the beach, and now we are sure to have some wicked storms coming our way. Hang on Beecher, this could be the year you are hit with another devistating tornado! (I hope not)

Sick

2009-06-23T09:47:00.002-04:00

I was completely out of commission last week. I only went to work because I had to, but ended up going to the doctor to find I had a lung infection of some kind or another. Antibiotics. Cough, cough, cough!!!! thought I was going to die! It seems I'm sick less often, but VERY sick when I do get sick. I thought I might go back to singing again, but whats the point when most of the time I can't get a good breath. I guess thats what they mean by "use it or lose it"! My singing was my greatest pleasure. I don't seem to have a lot of pleasures left these days. Guess I'll have to be satisfied with the fact that the kids are all well and growing.

Flying to California

2009-06-14T08:49:00.002-04:00

I am flying to California next month to drive home with my sister who is moving back to Michigan after many years away. I am very excited that she is moving home. Theres just one little problem- I don't fly. I know this sounds ridiculous to some people, but I will fly out there anyway because I know my sis needs me. I will not be flying again anytime soon after that. The thing is to find a solution to this fear of flying before July. I'm not sure which idea I like best so far- taking Valium or having a couple of good hard drinks before I get seated on the plane. What is it about these unreasonable fears- fear of heights, fear of flying- whats next? I have to learn to be less of a control freak, I guess.

Scared of Heights!

2009-06-11T08:01:00.000-04:00

On June 4th I had the distinct pleasure of engaging in aerial lift training. You can see, in the photo on the right, that an aerial lift is a large piece of machinery, with its own engine, which lifts you high into the air in order that you can get very close to a job that is high up in the air. I am afair of heights, which definitely makes this training extremely nerve-racking. It was, however, a goal that I had set for myself to be able to go just a little higher on this thing than last time I trained. I reached my goal of about 30 feet. Last time I only went 25, so thats pretty good. I just wanted to say thanks, though, to a very patient man named Tim, who took me up in it and taught me how to use all of the controls. He was awesome! He never let me feel like I wasn't doing well enough. I must say that the experience of being so high up in open space made me realize that maybe it wasn't the heights I am afraid of, but maybe its a certain lack of control instead. Of course I was the one controlling the machine, but the idea that I could make a fool out of myself by freaking out was definitely the prime fear factor that day. So, overall, I learned to control the machine and myself and hopefully next time I will be able to allow myself the full 45 feet!

Too much "stuff"

2009-06-08T19:28:00.001-04:00

I recently helped my mom move. I took a couple days off over the memorial day weekend to help her. I have never seen so much "stuff"! What a collection! This experience inspired me to begin the endeavor of getting rid of "stuff". It has been extremely difficult. Do I really need to keep elementary school report cards belonging to my 20 yr old son? and how did we get so many toothbrushes? I can't believe how many "special" coffee mugs I have. The whole thing is really difficult, but decisions have to be made. I certainly wouldn't want anyone to have to deal with getting rid of so much "stuff" if something were to happen to me! Guess its just time to get rid of the dollar store friendship mug given to me by someone I don't remember, but I will be keeping the King's Island mug with that unforgetable picture of Mom, Dad, sis and me from 1977. Now that's a keeper!

Fascination!

2009-06-08T13:18:00.000-04:00

I am fascinated by technology! I can hardly believe that we have come so far in such a short time. I remember being the first home on the block to have a microwave oven. Now I cannot imagine being without the internet or my cell phone. Unbelievable! My parents grew up without television. Now I can watch just about anything at all on my television- for that matter, I can watch anything I want on my computer monitor! Just amazing to me. Thoughts of how far we have come with technology fill my mind constantly. Like the fact that I am sitting here writing this right now and within minutes it will be all over the country and beyond. There is not one area that technology hasn't touched. Cars are created, built, built better and are cleaner now than ever before. Fishing has even been improved if you are lucky enough to own a gps that tells you where the good fishing takes place. Heck, I bet there's even a better way to enjoy canoeing!