Fridays Are My Favorites because….

On Fridays I get to reflect on how much God has done for me in the week and give thanks. This week has been one of healing and thankfulness all across the board.

*Today at 3 p.m. I was able to see my son win a “Kindness” award. This award is given out once a month and he and one other Kindergartener won it for their age group. What a huge blessing to see my son be singled out for the first month of school for his kind spirit and giving heart. He was so excited and happy. He told me that he tried his hardest these last two weeks of school to be as kind as he could. I love that about him. He truly cares about others and how they feel.

*I started my new job and have had the most fun that I can remember in years. I don’t have clients calling my cell complaining. I don’t have sales managers calling me into meetings that are about other meetings and how the other meetings will be scheduled….to go over what the last meeting held. I only have to serve tables with a smile and hope they’ll tip in kind. It’s so refreshing to work with the group I do, as no one is uptight. I’m blessed!

*I’ve been aiding my sister in coordinating her wedding. She got engaged a couple weeks ago and she gets married on Sept 12. She had a very unpleasant caterer scheduled that did nothing to accommodate her. So I found her a new one, scheduled a tasting, and they were less expensive. She canceled her uncooperative one and hired the second I found her. I’m blessed that I’ve been able to find her less expensive, better solutions. Anything I can do to make her day easy will be a huge blessing to our whole family.

*I had an old man pull me aside at the restaurant day before yesterday and compliment me. He said, “Honey, you sure are a good waitress….how long have you been doing this?” When I told him -2 days- he was amazed. He told me, “Well your smile means a lot, and you can tell you care. You’re doing a great job.” That made my day.

*My son had show in tell this week. He was supposed to bring in something that made you feel happy, sad, warm…something old and something more precious than gold. He filled it full until the last one… he turned to me and said, “Mommy….you’re more precious than gold to me, but I can’t box you up.” That made me melt in happiness. What a blessing my son is to me.

*I got asked to be a part of my University’s Homecoming Celebration at their big book signing event, along with 14 other alumni authors. I think I’m the youngest one attending. It is a HUGE honor to be invited, and I’m so blessed and thankful.

*Because I’ve been on my feet all week and working my hiney off…I’ve slept realllly good, which is rare as I have 3 sleep disorders. BIG BLESSING!

Fridays are great. Not only because I have the weekend to look forward to, but because I can look back and count so many obvious blessings. Thank you Lord for all you do.

Best Singles Ad ever!

I got this in an email from my uncle this morning. It’s very cute and had to pass it on.

This has got to be one of the best singles ads ever printed. It is reported to have been listed in the Atlanta Journal.

SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I’m a very good girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I’ll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me. Call (404) 875-6420 and ask for Daisy, I’ll be waiting……

I miss my dog….

Wordless Wednesday

How people find daily blessings…

Top Searches today:

fake bigfoot
baby kaleb
blessings
a good spirit daily saying
rescue ministries child prostitution
love notes for ur husband
i want to have sex in spanish
tribute to grandparents
best love note + “husband”
bigfoot fake

What were your strangest top searches today??? And it makes me wonder if my husband and I aren’t missing out on something….so many people continually want to know how to have sex in Spanish…that’s a recurring one. Do they know something I don’t? Hmmm.

A job is not a definition…

I think my husband has been struggling with the idea that I’ve chosen to wait tables until my own business picks up. I still have to support our family, as we have bigger than a one income budget. And my photography business WILL NOT jump start overnight.

Although I have a jillion people that see me daily, saying…”Oh I need to get with you. We need to do picutres.”
“Okay When?” is my response.

I’m getting a lot of Oct-December shoots lined up. So I know I’ll have some busy work ahead, but for now I need something that will give me the most bang for my buck and still be fun/interesting. I’ve been praying that God lead me on a path, that will lead to what I should be doing. All roads have led away from office ‘professional’ jobs. AND I couldn’t be happier!! I’m so tired of office schmoozers and corporate America. I know office politics happen in every industry…but in sales it just seems a whole lot worse.

My husband’s first reaction when I mentioned I wanted to wait tables was a grimace. He finally asked, “What will happen when one of your sales managers comes in and you have to wait on them? How will that make you feel?”

Well my first gut reaction—my JOB DOES NOT DEFINE ME!!!

My second:

IF they want to be stuck in a dead end boxed in j-o-b, and blind to that, more power to them.

My third:

They’ll do one of two things..either look down their nose at me…or feel sorry for me. Either way I’m gonna kill em with kindess and super good service, which will leave them having to leave a great tip.

Now my only problem is that I may not pass the food test tomorrow. It’s a test with over 150 blanks to fill in that asks for food abbreviations, menu items, and all ingredients on each item. Ummm…it’s a serious test people.

I passed the state insurance exam, where only 1 in 4 people pass. That test was a cake walk compared to this one. What the heck is wrong with that food test that they have to make it rocket science for people to pass?

So please pray that if I’m supposed to work there, I pass this test tomorrow. Thank you all. B/C if I don’t pass, I have no back up plan except substitute teaching that pays $7.50 and hour, and that won’t pay the bills.

All that I have to look forward to…

Today is a good day. After a few hard ones, I’m thankful for today, in that it’s finally come. I slept super hard last night. My dog didn’t make an appearance in my dreams, which is good so I wouldn’t be tormented by his passing. I woke up refreshed, which is the first time I can say that in weeks.

I told my son yesterday that his doggie went to heaven. I am very proud of him, in that he handled it so well. He asked some hard questions, that I answered honestly.
He even asked, “so when he went to heaven, did Hershey disappear?”
I told him, “No, his spirit left his body and went to heaven. His body stayed behind.”
“So where is that now?”
“I left Hershey with the vet to bury, as he was just too big for me to carry and bury here. So don’t worry he’s very well taken care of. He even had his paw tucked around the squeeky toy, you just bought him.”
“Did he take that to heaven too?” His face lit up.
“I bet it’s with him right now honey.”

I’m sure as time passes he’ll let more escape on what he’s thinking and feeling. He cried and wanted a new chocolate lab…now…or he wouldn’t come out of the room he’d barricaded himself in. But I explained that Hershey wouldn’t be easily replaced, and we’d have to wait a while before picking out the right dog for us. And out of respect for Hershey, we’d wait a while to do that.

My son will get over it quick, but isn’t one to completely let go of something. He’ll mull it over for a while, but I know his heart has peace with it.

I still keep looking outside for Hershey, to let him in. I swept out the garage yesterday and put up the dog bowls, to keep from looking to them in anticipation of dinner or breakfast. So now it’s just when I’m in the house or yard that I look for him. One step at a time…

For now I have so much to look forward to….

My sister got engaged two weeks ago and her wedding is September 12th. Ah! I’m so exicited.

My son will be the ring bearer, and he’s bursting with pride.

My book is releasing next month.

And a close friend asked me to do her wedding photo’s in October. I NEVER DO weddings….but for a close family friend I’ll make an exception. I’m honored that she thought of me, and can’t wait.

I have orientation today at a nearby NICE restaurant. I’m going to start waiting tables, until my photography business takes off. I look forward to doing something different and fun.

A friend asked me to come work for him as well, being his sales manager soliciting his service/products to all local restaurants. He said I could work from home, and work when I wanted to work. So I’ll probably do this around waiting tables. I’ll be able to hire my own sales force once his company is at a certain level, where he’s able to add more personnel. It will probably be full commission, but it’s an honor to be asked.

I guess I could have waited to write this until tomorrow for my Friday Blessings post, but I didn’t. To write down some good things, so that they overshadow the last couple days, is what I felt I needed today.

Thank you all for your sweet comments on cre8buzz, my email, and this blog. I appreciate you all too, and I look forward to hearing from you all as well. This is a good thing to have to look forward to…hearing from my friends.

Words on Wednesday

Hershey, love to you as you bound over the fields in heaven, with your best friend, Bonnie, shown in the picture below. Love to you as you roll and play like you’ve not been able to in a long time. I hope you enjoy your big doggie manson, with all the comforts a dog could love like cold fresh water, a squeeky toy that never loses it squeek, a comfy bed, and treats all day long. And most importantly I can’t wait for you to meet your creator, and know how much he loves you.

I’m grateful that Jesus loves me so much, in that he blessed me with you as you were exactly what I needed 14 years ago. Your birthday would have been next month. I love you. Say hello to Bonnie and Clyde, your best friends, for me.

Sadness for Today

I came home today, after dropping my son off at school, to a saturated carpet. My 14 year old puppy lost control of his abilities. I’ve been putting off taking him to put him down, knowing that he’s getting more feeble. He’s still like my puppy in so many ways. He still gets excited and can play with toys in joy. He still wants to love and show affection.

So I’ve been telling myself he was fine. He lasted 14 days at the vet, while being boarded when we were on vacation last month. The vet said he didn’t think he was going to make it at first because he’s stressed himself out so much, with us leaving him there, that his bowels were loose and uncontrollable. However, he gave Hershey meds to help him, and my sweet doggie turned a corner for the better, and continued to do well.

But ever since we brought him home, he’s just not been the same. He doesn’t sleep through the night, because he can’t hold it anymore. And then today I came home, and it was just strung through my entire house.

I only left him for 20 minutes, but it was long enough apparently. Every walking path had a string of zig zag pea which tells me that he just couldn’t hold it in. He wasn’t stopping to pea in a corner because he had to go….he was walking around the house in distress as he couldn’t hold it.

Everything in me tells me it’s time to put him down. His hind legs now shake barely able to hold him up. He’s blind in both eyes, due to massive cataracts. And now he’s incontinent. I’m sad for my puppy, as he’s lived a long loyal life.

In the last 14 years with Hershey, he always knew what I was feeling. He was that in tune with me. When I was sad, he always knew and would lay his head in my lap. When I was stressed, he would break out in hives and stress out for me. When I was uncomfortable with anyone my room-mates would bring over, he’d growl or bark at them, which in effect gave them enough motivation to leave and not come back. He was potty trained after one try when I brought him home, at 10 weeks. I have been a very blessed to have such an extra-ordinary dog. This pure bred puppy changed my life.

I was the first human to actually have contact with him. His breeders let Hershey’s parents have interaction with him, but never held him so that he would bond with the first person to own him….me. I was his momma. For people that don’t have pets…they don’t understand the bond between animal and human. They don’t understand the love for one another. He was my baby, until I had my own. Then Hershey patiently and graciously stepped aside to be the step child, as my son was born into my life. He held no resentment, only love for my new baby.

I’ve not given Hershey as much as he needed in the last 5 years, as my son was my primary focus. But I know Hershey has not been neglected. He’s had a loving family, food, and shelter. He’s been taken care of very well. He just didn’t have the emotional ties to me, like he had before my son was around.

BUT I can give him something now…a chance to let go. I don’t want to see him suffer. Whew…so there’s more than a little sadness in my world today, but I know he’ll be going home to see his creator. And in heaven he’ll get to run and jump again with no pain in his hips.
I took this right before loading him up to go to be in doggy heaven. Goodbye friend…I love you.

Too funny not to watch

Okay, one of my buddies from college made a really big blunder on stage. Randomly enough I didn’t even know about this until I saw this vid posted on another blog. I called my husband in to watch it as I was crying because I was laughing so hard.

My husband, being the big bad dude he is, says, “Oh yeah, you haven’t seen that? It’s been on the internet for while.” Obviously he’s thinking, man where have you been?

I said, “Oh Yah? Well I went to college with this guy.”
(shaking his head and walking away) “Man you know EVERYBODY!”

To give you guys a little history….seriously we can’t go any where (even another state) without me running into someone I know. Maybe it’s because I’ve moved around so much….but it never fails and my husband says…”I can’t take you anywhere b/c you know everybody!”

Here’s the vid that you have gotta watch. And Blake, I love ya man…you handled yourself much better than I would have. I’d have started crying!

Here’s his blog if you ever want to pop in and say hi! Tell them Kim from his college sent ya!

Big Foot or Big Fake?

BIG FOOT? Seriously? What do you think…serious or stunt? Give me your thoughts.