Happy Summer Solstice/Litha

    To my readers, I wish a Blessed Litha, or for those that don't follow a Pagan or Wiccan path, Summer Solstice!

     Today is the first official day of summer, and it is also the longest day of the year. No, there isn't an extra hour in the day (although I wish that I could add hours in a day all the time!) but it is the day that we see the most daylight. Of course, if you live (in the northern hemisphere) where it is cloudy or rainy, you may disagree with me. Seriously though, the sun is above our horizons more than it isn't. So why not celebrate it?

     Many Pagans or Wiccans have rituals or ceremonies that they like to hold in honor of the Sun God/King. But you don't have to follow these spiritual paths to have your own. Think about it for a moment, you have a gathering with your friends. You could be having a cookout, a bonfire, or just hanging out on the porch while the kids play in a sprinkler or pool. Later in the evening, they could chase lightening bugs (if they live in your region), roast marshmellows on the bonfire (or better yet, make s'mores....mmmmmmmmmm). In a sense, you are having your own summer ritual or celebration! I think it is awesome to celebrate the seasons (even winter, the one I could really do without!), but I really enjoy the celebrations of summer.

     While celebrating the summer months can be fun, it is wise to take precautions so that you don't injure yourself or become sick. With summer (at least for many of us) comes the heat and humidity. For instance, today my area is under a heat advisory as well as having a smog alert. This can be hard on those that are infants, elderly, or people that suffer from respiratory problems. It can be harmful to all of us if we aren't careful, but this group of people are especially at risk. Your body is pretty good at letting you know something isn't right. If you are having problems breathing, slow down or rest. If you are feeling faint or lightheaded, sit in a shady spot to cool down. Don't overwork yourself in this heat! Water should be one of our best friends this time of year, you can cool off many ways with it. You can drink it (the best thing for you to do), swim in it, have it poured on you, etc. You should also ALWAYS wear sun screen, even if you are a tanner. We are seeing record numbers of skin cancer being reported (granted, many of them are a result of laying in tanning beds, or what I like to refer to them as coffins with bright lights). It's best to use one that is LOWER than SPF 50, because anything higher is just a marketing ploy. You need to reapply it anytime you have been swimming, or if you've been out for a few hours. Yes, it may say that it will protect you for 10 hours, but if you are sweating, chances are it has worn off. It is better to be safe than sorry! Me, I avoid the sun for the most part simply because I burn very easily and I also get freckles and moles, plus the fact that my dad was diagnosed with a very mild case of skin cancer (it only required putting on a topical cream for a period of time to get rid of it). I don't like taking my chances, but if I am out in the sun, sunscreen is one of my best friends.

     One of my favorite summer time activities is to reconnect with nature by going on hikes in wooded areas. Not only is this a great family (or couples) activity, it provides exercise and has it's own form of entertainment. I love to see wild animals and butterflies in their natural habitat. I see things every time I go, and I always enjoy it. But like doing activities out in the hot sun, hiking can also pose it's own threat. While the heat/sun may not be as much of an issue because wooded areas have lots of shade and is usually much cooler than an open area, there is the threat of ticks. It is important to check yourself thouroughly after doing any outside activity, but especially when you are in wooded areas (where they like to live). They travel from the ground up, so if you are wearing pants (why? I don't know..but some people do) and tuck your pant legs into your socks, this is a good way to prevent them from getting onto your body. Mosquitos can also pose a threat because of the West Nile Virus, although I don't think it was as bad as it was a few years ago. In any case, it never hurts to use a DEET free bug spray. If you have pets, please treat them for ticks (and fleas) as they are prone to these pests this time of year. Fleas don't necessarily carry disease, but they sure are a pain in the.....(anyone that has had to deal with them will understand where I am coming from). My poor Dixie-Kitty had a bad allergic reaction to them, and when she got them, they infested her so bad that she usually lost all of her hair :( It pained me so bad to have to give her baths when she was that bad, but it usually helped after the fact. I am lucky my boys don't seem to have the same trouble she did, rest her soul...

     Something else I used to really enjoy this time of year was camping. The first couple of years that Corey and I were together we spent practically every weekend at Indian Lake (or some other place). It was always a blast, even when it rained as we would find some kind of trouble to get into. We were able to take Autumn quite a bit when she was a toddler and for Tehya's first year, but between the camper we used being destroyed by flat-line winds and me having to work weekends up until a couple of years ago, we only got the opportunity to go one or two weekends a year. Sadly I don't think we are going to make it happen this year because Corey works weekends and he won't have any vacation time to use for a camping trip. I have to admit I am kind of bummed about it, but we are definitely planning on doing something next year, I've already been looking into some places that we've never visited before (including out of state places) so that it can be an adventure for all of us! I am open to suggestions if you have any!

     Well, I think it is time to stop writing so that I can give my readers the opportunity to spend the Solstice-Litha the way it was intended to be....OUTSIDE!

Brightest Blessings on this Litha!!!

Chore Charts?

     Like most parents, I enjoy (even relish) the peace and quiet that I get when my kids go camping for a week with their grandparents. By the end of that week, I am ready for them to come home. I do miss my kids when they are away and sometimes the silence can be deafening...Then I realize after they have been home for a few hours that maybe it wasn't so deafening after all?! Ha ha, oh well, I think the week was good for us all, but I am glad they are home safe and sound.

     While my children were gone, I did some thinking...Yes, I realize that can be dangerous. I decided that my kids needed to do a much better job at completing their chores than they have been, especially since we are getting ready to shell out a lot of money for their cheerleading and school clothes. How could I accomplish this? I decided that I would put together a weekly chore chart that would need to be completed daily. I also drew up a contract between them and us (Corey and myself). So that is what I did. I created a separate chore chart for each of them, since they have a couple of chores that are not the same. For example, Autumn is responsible for cleaning the kitchen, her room, the rec room (was formerly called Play Room), putting laundry away, and homework (during the school year). Tehya is responsible for her hermit crab tank (that is once a week), litter boxes, her room, Rec Room, putting her laundry away and homework. It may appear that the youngest one has more jobs, but the kitchen is actually much more detailed than the rest of the jobs, plus the hermit crabs are hers, so she is responsible for them (and it's once a week!). Each job has a block for each day of the week. Once the job is completed, either me or Corey will check to see if it is completed correctly and if it is, we will sign off. If not, they will have to redo the chore. What the contract does is explain the chores in great detail so that they can't come back and say "I didn't know I was supposed to do that" or something along those lines. It also explains that if things aren't completed or something wasn't corrected that they would lose privileges. This could be anything from me throwing things away, grounding them, or not being allowed to participate in cheer. I read it to them and made sure they understood what was going to happen as a result.

     I am giving them the benefit of the doubt this week because they were tired, so I knew their bedrooms and Rec Room wouldn't get cleaned to my liking yesterday. I told them they had until I woke up Saturday morning to get them completed, all I am asking for is that they work on it each day so that I can tell they did and to do their other jobs. They did fine yesterday, so we will see how this works out.

    So now I am asking for advice from other parents that have tried the "chore chart" idea. Did it work for you and your family? Do you have any recommendations or suggestions that I could use? If it didn't work out for you, then what did you do instead? I am open to any and all suggestions.
Thanks!

I can see clearly now...

     So I spent last weekend sick as a dog...I think I had a touch of the flu that has been going around, I felt absolutely awful! Sunday I started feeling better, finally! There's not much that I hate more than feeling sick and not being able to do anything about it...

     Monday afternoon I took my girls and their cousin up to Indian Lake, where they will be spending the next week with their grandparents. So far they seem to be having fun, or at least I am assuming they are. Neither one of them has bothered to call their dad or I. We have been enjoying the peace and quiet around the house, but I think the fur babies miss them. The cats were sitting in the window when I came home from work yesterday, and they looked so excited when I pulled up, but then when they saw that I was alone, they just laid back down...Wow I feel loved! Ha ha...

     Tonight there's supposed to be some pretty bad storms rolling through, with the possibility of winds reaching 60-70 MPH and large hail. I am concerned about them up there in Indian Lake, because they are in a Fifth-wheel camper and I didn't see any sturdy shelter nearby. I am also hoping we don't lose power this time around! Last year we had one of those "derecho" storms rolled through, it about rolled my car, and we lost power for 4 days. The worst part about that was I had just gone grocery shopping the day before and spent about $250, most of it on freezer food and meat. Needless to say, it all had to be thrown out. Good thing I haven't gone grocery shopping this week, or I would be worried again. I just don't feel like sitting in the dark with no air conditioning!

     Yesterday I did something I haven't done in almost 10 years, I got an eye exam! Plus, I treated myself to contacts-well, right now I have a trial pair. I've never worn disposables before, and they don't make the "annual" ones like I used to wear, so they want me to make sure I like them before committing to buying them. So far so good, except the 20 minutes it took me to take ONE contact out last night! Guess I am a little out of practice! I have to go back in two weeks to order them, I am debating whether or not to take Autumn with me at that time, or do it before. She wants contacts to because she is afraid her glasses will slip off during cheer practice (this wasn't a concern last year). I think she is finally starting to care about her image a little bit! This isn't a bad thing, because before she could care less, so I welcome her wanting them.

     Yesterday I added a little bit of a work out to my afternoon walks. I thought it would be a fairly simple exercise, but it is anything but! I felt the burn in my abs an hour after going on my walk! I will probably do it again today, because this is supposed to help burn belly fat and tone the ab muscles, which is the #1thing I would like to change about my body...I also need to start the 30-day AB challenge, maybe next week I will incorporate that into my daily routine (since things will somewhat go back to a normal schedule). There's also the 30-day squat challenge I want to try, but I think I will save that for July. A friend of mine started that and said be ready to feel it. I don't want to do too much all at once or I may give it up altogether. Not something I want to do...

     Well, that's about all I have to say about anything today. Hopefully I will be back tomorrow, otherwise you can assume that either a house dropped on me or I lost power...Say a silent prayer, do a chant, a dance, light candles, whatever you want for me, PLEASE?!..Peace!

1 year since my furbaby, Dixie Kitty passed

     Today is a very sad day, as it marks the 1 year anniversary of my fur baby, Dixie-Kitty passed away. Of all the deaths I have had to deal with in my life, she is by far one of the hardest, and I am still grieving. Most days I am okay, but today has been hard. I have been crying off and on since I woke up this morning (plus I am catching a cold on top of this, so I am a hot mess today). I keep thinking about the day before she died, and how I wish I had just sat on the couch for a little bit longer, and let her lay in my lap all night. Maybe I could have stopped whatever it was that caused her body to shut down-I believe she had a stroke. I remember waking up a year ago today to find her laying on my bedroom floor, in a puddle of her vomit. She tried to cry out but no sound came out of her mouth. Her eyes had that far off look, I knew she was dying. I wish I could have stayed there with her and held her until she took her last breath. I remember kissing her little head and telling her it was okay to go, I knew it was her time and I would always love and miss her until the day I joined her in the Summerlands. Here is a pic of my baby girl, she looks so sweet and innocent, but the funny thing is, she is giving Corey the "Dixie Death Stare"...

It never seemed to fail that if Corey and I were arguing (whether it was something trivial or serious) she would get on the couch cushion that was between us and just stare him down! Looking back, that makes me crack up...I always had someone to side with me, even if I was wrong (which for the record, I am never wrong).

     She was such a good cat. Her life started out rough, and I believe she may have been a runt, because she never got very big and had skin problems all her life. She was dropped off and abandoned at the root beer stand I was working at in September 1999. The owner (at the time) got in touch with an adoption agency to try to find her a new home, and in the meantime she kept her at her house. She would bring Dixie to the restaurant with her to keep an eye on the kitten during the day and in case a family could pick her up. I loved this little kitten so much, she was just too adorable, and we bonded instantly. I spent my breaks playing and petting her. One day, my boss told me a family was going to adopt her, and while I was beyond happy for her, my heart broke into a million pieces because I didn't think I would ever see her again. So at the end of my shift, I went home with tears in my eyes. Corey tried to cheer me up, but was pretty unsuccessful. So we decided to eat dinner at the root beer stand (we both worked there) and he said he had to take care of something inside. So I waited in the car. A few minutes later, my car door was opened and there sat my Dixie-Kitty! We were the family that had adopted her! Needless to say, my frown was instantly turned upside down! I couldn't take her home right away because we had a boy kitten that needed to be fixed (he was just starting to spray, so that was getting done anyways!). We were definitely meant to be with one another, there is no doubt in my mind about that. It broke my heart when I had to leave her with my parents for a few years because we moved back/forth from my in-laws to apartments that wouldn't let me have cats. But she was always happy to see me, and sit on my lap (her favorite spot). We were able to bring her home 2008 when we bought our home, and that is where we spent the last years together.

    I miss everything about her, but the thing I miss the most is her sitting on my lap. The ironic thing is at times it would annoy me, especially when I was trying to work on my laptop. But, I would have given 10 years of my own life to have 1 more with her. I miss her so much. I have two boy cats now (they are just a little over a year old) that we got shortly after she passed, and I love them to, but they aren't lap cats like she was, and they are more loyal to my kids than they are me.

   I did find a great website that I could make an online memorial of her, it costs $25 a year, but a portion of that gets donated to a local non-euthanizing shelter, so that is awesome. People can sign a guestbook (which I appreciate each and every one that does). They also have a free pet loss support forum. That really helped me deal with it, as none of my friends or family really understood how I felt. She was my baby, and I had her before I had my kids. I used to kid with Autumn that she was a middle child because Dixie-Kitty was my oldest! Anyways, I may come back and write more a little later, but I am getting over-emotional and I am at work, so I better stop for now. But please feel free to visit her memorial at  Dixie Kitty's Memorial or you can visit the pet loss forum at Rainbows Bridge.

Thanks for taking the time to read about my baby, she meant the world to me....

...The little white butterflies remind me that you are with me in spirit, even if you are not here in body...Blessed Be Dixie-Kitty!

Just a little bit of randomness today...

     I really don't have anything specific to write about today, so it's just random things going on...

1. It is raining today, so I didn't go for my walk. Normally I would be bummed out about it, but we need the rain pretty bad here. The ponds that are around my walking trail look more like mud puddles that are about dried up and the poor geese, ducks, frogs and turtles need that water. Plus my plants at home would greatly benefit from Mother Nature's raindrops. Plus I treated myself to a McDouble from McDonalds today. Hey, we all need our cheat days and I've been eating cottage cheese and pineapple everyday for lunch. I deserved it! I thought about doing laps around my desk, but couldn't figure out how many I would have to do to make it equal 2 miles, but my guess is a lot. I get dizzy easy, so that wouldn't be good.

2. Today is "Throwback Thursday" on many social media websites like Facebook and Twitter. I got brave and posted a picture that was taken my senior year of high school. That was in 1998, I was the young tender age of 17...Seems like a life time! I was in a bad car accident almost 2 months before the pic was taken, but putting Neosporin on the cuts on my forehead 2-3 times a day helped them heal up nicely-I barely have any scarring left.

I had a great head of hair to, so beautiful, long, thick, wavy, and no grays! But anyone that's had kids know that will change that (I am proof, lol).

3. I am trying out a new recipe this evening. I think I am going to like it, but I have yet to break it to the family that it has spinach in it. Hey, I think I may be anemic and need to remedy that, plus it doesn't hurt anyone to eat a little bit of spinach every now and then...They may even discover they like it! Not banking on that idea, but you never know.

4. Autumn got fitted for her cheer uniform last night, but I still don't know how much it is going to cost other than being told "be prepared to pay around $300". Yeah that made me throw up in my mouth a little, but I have heard worse, so I guess I'll try not to complain too much. But, she found out that she was the alternate for the competition squad (she's still in the football cheer squad). I didn't think it would bother her that much, but once she found out all her close friends made it, it did. I felt a little bad for her, but I think it was also good for her. Kids need to learn what disappointment feels like and how to cope with it. I told her it was something to work on for next year, and sure enough she was doing her stretches that my friend/her past pee wee coach taught her. So a good lesson learned, at least I think. She realized it wasn't the end of the world and everything will be okay. Especially since her dad took her to the local archery range to practice using her soon-to-be new hunting bow (it will be her birthday present from all her family in September).

     Well, I don't think I have any more random thoughts to put on here, so I will leave it at that...Peace!!

Hi brick wall, how are you today?

     There are times I think I am better off talking to a brick wall, because at least it listens to me (or at least I think it does...or at least I pretend to think so). I know people sure don't! While my kids are probably the worst ones, I don't really count them simply because they are kids. I mean, I did the same thing to my parents when I was a kid, and I am sure I am not alone. I'm talking about grown adults.

     Sure, I could put Corey in this category, but like the kids, I am sure he is not the only husband in the world that doesn't always pay attention to what his wife is saying to him. But to give him his credit, he has done much better about it than he has in the past. He could use a little tweeking, but for the most part I really have no complaints with him.

    Recently I had to decline a home party invitation. I have my reasons, but that's my business. I don't feel like explaining myself, I simply can't come. Thanks for the invite, but please accept my decline. I could be one of those people that never give you an answer one way or another (which gets on my nerves). By you asking me a thousand times why I can't come, you are putting yourself at risk for me to hurt your feelings. I am very outspoken, and sometimes the brain-to-mouth filter doesn't work. So, unless you want me to tell you that it really pissed me off that you chose a competing company after I have been regularly advertising my business and have the nerve to invite me. Not to mention, I haven't heard a word from you in probably 8 months or more, and now you want me to come to your party and spend my money so you can get free stuff? Sorry, my money is tight these days, so I only spend what I absolutely need to... So No thanks! Please leave it at that...

    That's not the only person that has made me mad recently, but it just happened yesterday so I am still a bit tiffed about it. But seriously, if I tell you something, there is a reason behind it. I wish people understood how very busy I am and how fast my schedule fills up for this and that. This means I pretty much have to plan things months in advance. If I tell you I or we (family) can't do something at a certain time, there is a reason. I am not going to change my schedule around for you. I say we can't do something at a certain time because we have other plans or whatever, don't get mad at me because I won't rearrange my schedule around for you. Especially when it is a last minute thing. Not everyone has free time at their disposal like that, certainly not me! So if I tell you no, leave it at that, or you will get an earful of something you don't want!

      If I ask you once to stop sending me catalogs because I no longer need them and won't be making my purchases through you, stop sending them! You are only wasting your time and money, plus aggravating me because you obviously didn't listen to me. I mean, I know if someone told me not to send anymore, I would be a little upset, but I would rather you tell me than let me continue to send catalogs I pay for and then the $4+ to send it to me every couple of weeks. I don't even bother opening them, they go straight to the burn pile. You spend probably about $10 or more a month for me to get my backyard fires started...Thanks!

     I know I sound harsh, cruel and bitchy, but I did give you fair warning that I am outspoken, and don't always think about what I am saying, but save us both the trouble of listening to me the first time around!

...End rant...Hopefully tomorrow is a better day!

Back in the day...

     I've mentioned before how I do most of my best thinking during my lunchtime walks. Today was no exception, in fact I got so lost in thought that I went an extra half lap (half mile) before I realized what I was doing!

     We recently had our loan modification application approved (as I mentioned that before also) and just received our new "trial period" payment plan. It is great, in fact, our payments are about as low as when we first purchased our home 5 years ago. So when I received this paperwork, I immediately started to work on a new budget for my family to start following. I crunched numbers, and crunched them some more. I spent the good part of Saturday afternoon working on this budget and I was ready to pull my hair out of my head. I have yet to show Corey this budget, but I know he isn't going to like what I will have to tell him.

     Back when we bought our house, he was making quite a bit more than he does now, but he works a lot more hours than he did then. His job doesn't pay by the hour, it pays by the job. I make a little more now than I did then. But man, prices sure have gone up since then! We used to have plenty of money to pay all of our bills (on time, and sometimes I even made double payments). After bills were paid, we still had plenty leftover to go grocery shopping (without worrying too much about how much stuff cost) and even a little extra to enjoy a few finer things in life-like going out to eat, taking the kids to the zoo, those sort of things. We were even able to spend a week in Tennessee in 2009 right after he was laid off! But after working this budget, we are left with just over $100 a week to use towards gas and groceries (and anything else that comes up that isn't a monthly bill). Needless to say, we are going to have to make some serious cuts to try to save a little.

     After much debating within myself and talking it over with Corey and a few close friends, I have decided that my days in Direct Sales are coming to an end. It just isn't proving to be profitable, in fact I have lost several hundred dollars trying to make it work. So, that is a minimum of $30 a month I will save. Now I need to talk him into quitting smoking-a task that is going to prove to be much easier said than done. But it needs to be done whether he likes it or not, we just have to make sacrifices to benefit our family as a whole.

     So during my walk today, I was thinking how is it that 40, 50 years ago families had the father working while the mother stayed home and took care of the house and kids. Wow, look at us today. If you are part of a family that is fortunate enough to have both parents there, chances are they are both working. Some may even have one (or both) parents working more than one job, and still struggle to make ends meet. I think we are kind of at that point now. As much as I hated it years ago when I was younger and my body could actually tolerate it, I am putting some serious thought into getting a second job. In two years things SHOULDN'T be as tight as they are now, but who's to say. We are going through a debt management plan to get our credit card debt paid off, which is our second largest monthly bill. This is going to be paid off in 22 months, and that will definitely free up some cash. But we have to do something in the meantime, and I am not sure what that is other than one of us getting a second job. He can't because of his schedule, he doesn't have "set hours" like I do. Sounds like once again I will be overworked and driving myself into an early grave. What a depressing thought.

     So I wonder when did things get so bad? When will the get better? WILL they get better? I think I will end it on this note, because I will just get more depressing and angry as I go on...