Life

Its amazing what one person can do. Some people build you up just to bend and break you.

Some people bring out parts of you that you had no clue existed.

All throughout life, we meet people and every single one of them brings something to us, gives us some sort of purpose. We come across people that will hurt us so incredibly much that it seems unbearable to go on with our lives, but the truth is, we can overcome anything we want to if we believe in it enough.

If we have lost faith in ourselves, in who we are, then the most important thing in life is to find yourself, know who you are at all times and stand by that for the rest of your life.

No one has to right to tell you who you are and control your life, because its yours. Your life is meant to be lived by no one else but yourself.

We sometimes let people get the best of us, destroy us, and change our opinions on what we believe is true.

Only you know whats right for yourself. You have the power, you make the choices and you learn.

Each experience we go through in a life is a lesson to be learned. We all make mistakes.

Why is that so hard for some to understand? No one should be judged by the mistakes they have made. Its past news.

Everything happens for a reason, and without the hard times, how will we ever realize our true strength?

Its only through a time of suffering when we realize how strong we truly are inside, when we realize how much we can actually put up with and deal with before we eventually get tired of it and move on.

Live life to it's fullest, it's the only one you have.

One Year ago today

So one year ago today, my life turned up-side down. I have to say it's been one hell of a ride. Literally.

I was married to Paul for 14 years. We have 2 boys together and we raised my granddaughter also. I considered my life to be normal. House, mortgage, jobs, bills, kids... ect. Pretty much the "white picket fence" life. Suburban. Mundane, boring.

Society has a pre-concieved notion of what marriage is. I know I did. I believed in my vows. For better or worse, but what do you do when the other person no-longer believes that way? You roll with it, like I did. I can't say it's been easy, but it was not hard either. I changed how I looked at things. I had too.

Today, I am in a better place than I was a year ago. I've healed. What I went through made me who I am now. I am enjoying my life. Oh, don't get me wrong, I still have my moments, but that's life. My kids are better. We are moving on, growing and changing and having fun while we do it.

I have a man in my life that completes me. I love the freedom of loving him without expectation. I love that we are individuals, who can be apart and confident enough in each other to pursue what we want in life and still come together and be happy. Life is good today.

I'll leave you with this. A friend of mine wrote this and it is perfect for where I am at.

Life is so full of mystery, and it is so unpredictable, but what a wonderful thing it could be if it stands the test of time.

So few hearts find the courage to hold off the darkness of the unknown, and then get lost along the way. Make sure you stay on the path.

We all search.. sometimes it seems to the ends of the earth, but the nightmares of the past weigh so heavy and harden the soul, it shoves our chances of happiness to the side, prolonging our freedom from the chains that bind so tightly.

Forgive the demons that burden your heart with suspicion and pain, grasp what has been laid before you. Hold tightly for when you have lost it, it will be gone, many times forever.

So feel the warmth that you have so longed for, the tenderness of an embrace that comes from deep within, unleash the beast that has bound your soul, fill your eyes and heart with the happiness that that all the yesterdays took away, then realize and know the magic that you only dream of, and let it become your reality.

Thank you to Frank James (Rage on Stage) For sharing your musings with me.

Gypsy..........Back to growing up

It's funny the way life is. I have written a few things on my younger brother and myself and our past. We did a lot together, and hung out with a lot of the same people, yet our lives still took somewhat different separate paths.

Lately, because of the past years events for both of us, we are seeing more and more of each other. Life has a way of scooping up everything you know, shaking the shit out of it and throwing it back out in front of you. The best part is, seeing how all the pieces realign themselves and where it all leads.

Last year I would never have thought I would be where I am right now. My brother and I were both married, both thinking long term, and now that has all changed. For both of us. I personally would not have it any other way. I'm loving my life and the people in it. They have become like family and closer in my heart than I thought possible.

Randy is back with me again too. I love the hell out of him. Yes, he's critical, yes, he can be hard, but he's my brother and I accept him for who he is. I do not try to change him, even the faults I accept. We all have them. Working on them and making them better is what counts.

We have both re-defined our goals. Our roots are still in-tack, our belief system is still the same and our core has not changed. How we look at life has. 27 years ago, Randy and I both went to night clubs on Hewitt ave in Everett, now we have come full circle. It's funny too... some of the same people are still there, after all these years, and some are new, but it seems to have come full circle.

I have 3 goals now. One, is my health and getting better, two, is giving 100% support to a man who deserves it more than anyone I have met in my life. Three is being in that mans life as an equal, before my life is over. I want my family to be apart of this too. My brother and my father especially. They know me the best, out of all the people I have known, and even though Randy and I may seem like we are at odds, we are not, it is our dynamic. We both learn from each other.

Most who have read my blog, know the man I am talking about, and I believe in destiny. Things happen for a reason. My brother back, the scene I left years ago, all of it, has brought me to this person, and I am blessed and thankful that it has.

http://youtu.be/c2aLIpiQT-E

Gypsy............all over

I started this recent set of blogs to let people know who I am and what shaped me. Right now, I am skipping all over, due to certain events in my life. I am still writing about my childhood and growing up, but this one has to do with a certain friend who I just started to get to know and is now moving out of the state.

Lloyd DeBarr.... musician and friend. What a guy. So... Last week at Marco's in Lynnwood Wa, Rick and I had gone down for the evening to see him off. His band, NSANE' was playing the last two nights with him, prior to his move.

This has to do with my friendships too. So Rick and I walk in, and the place is packed. Lloyd was on the dance floor on a break chatting with people. He saw me and Rick, and gave me a huge hug. Then says, I have something for you. He tells me, on the next break, he'll present it to me.

Well.. imagine my curiosity... not having known him long, my mind is wandering here. wondering what heck could he possibly have. In the meantime, the band starts up again, Lynn Sorensen, and Lloyd and Doug Mcgrew, and Marino.. Great band, and I have to say, I'm going to miss them.

The next break rolls around and Llyod and I head outside with Rick. We go to Lloyds car, and imagine my surprise when he pulls out his Louisville slugger and hands it to me. (I won't say what he said, he knows, Rick knows, and yea.. lol.. well, inside joke,) but the meaning behind this bat that is now mounted above my bed, means more to me than anything I have received in several years.

I find out later the meaning of the bat to Lloyd also, and I am just stunned at his thoughtfulness and generosity. I don't know what to say about how my life is changing and taking different paths than I imagined, but I am so grateful for the people who are in it now. This is what friends are for.

The men and women in my life, thank god have lived a life parallel to mine and know the meaning of true friendship. They know how to step up. All this has to do with god, and how we live our lives. Integrity and honesty, and although things may change in the future for me, and the people I have who surround me, I will always love and cherish the memories of this time.

Peace~

Gypsy......I'm human

Short and sweet.

Don't put me on a pedestal...I screw up just like anyone else. The difference is, I admit it, and make improvements. It's life.

I made a mistake last night, based on miss information, and I have made amends for that. I won't go into detail, but suffice it to say.... it was done, and now I live with it. My regret is, it affected some very important people in my life, and I can only hope that there is some forgiveness and understanding on where I was at...

No one is perfect. Everyday all day. Don't hold me to those standards, you'll be sorely disappointed. I can only acknowledge my part and move on from there.

Trying to keep it simple.

Forgiving and forgetting are Parallel ~Matt:6-14 Forgive yourself

Gypsy...................Friends

Way back in my blog archives, I did a post on friendship. I had to end one that I thought was solid. This blog is going to be similar, although I am not ending a friendship, it's about new ones I have started.

Back in my teens, I'd say this was the summer before 7th grade. We had new neighbors move in next door to us. There were 4 kids, although one was already grown, but living at home. Two girls and Two boys. The younger ones, a girl and a boy, befriended my brother and me. (Randy, whom you've sorta met in another blog) Randy was close to David, and I became close to DeeDee.

DeeDee and I ran together until pretty close to the ending of my senior year, although there was a period in middle school where we had a falling out. Minor, but it was a pivotal moment in my life, and shaped the woman I am now. She had told me something, and asked that I not repeat it. Long story short, I did. I think looking back on it, it was a period of time where I was still figuring out who I was and where I fit in in life, and giving up a confidence was a way of trying to fit in. As young girls do. The falling out with DeeDee, didn't last more than a few weeks, but it impacted me in a huge way.

God is a huge part of my life. He's 1st. Honesty and integrity in everything I do is 2nd. There are times where I have had to be blunt and have come off sounding un-caring, but it has to do with how I live my life. The people in it now, are people who I believe will be in it for good. Whether that is in a relationship, or a friendship. Truth hurts, but it's the best policy. I won't have people in my life that don't reciprocate the same level of honesty and caring.

I have had to re-define my relationships in the past year, and weed out the people who only care for themselves or who are friends with me for their own gain. It was not easy, but it was the best. I am happier than I have ever been in my life and would not have it any other way. I love the people who are in it and have no plans to change how things are or how I live.

Don't wait for the world to change for you. Live your life with good intentions, see good in everything and everyone and work for positive change in your world....and you will never fail.

Put God 1st, surround yourself with people who also put God 1st, live with honesty and integrity and you'll always have peace of mind. Love and peace to my friends and loved ones.

Gypsy.......... early memories of summer times

Yesterday I spent the day with my youngest son, Gabriel. He's my baby. (9 years old ) but I didn't think I could have another one, so he was my surprise. We spent the day doing yard work. I love my home and yard. I have spent the last few weeks working on the inside of my home, and decided I needed to be outside.

My grass had gotten to the point where I felt like dragging the 9 motors out of the garage and hanging them in the tress! Good lord this place has gotten bad! Slowly though, I am making it mine again.




When I was a child, I loved being outdoors. My dad had 5 acres at the time in Lk.Stevens, our home was on a dead end road, and we were always in the woods. We always had chores to. Every August, dad would start preparing for winter. He'd fall the big cedars on the property, the ones that he knew would come down in a good strong storm. We used to help him. Our job was filling the wood shed after dad would fall the tree and cut it up. We were taught how to use all the tools! I loved this. Dad was so good about making sure we knew how to take care of ourselves.

One summer, he was cutting wood, and this was back when the chainsaws had no guards on them. He had put the saw down and it was on idle. He told us kids not to go near it, to pick up the rounds over by the tree. Well..... I was all of 6, I remember that, and you KNOW how 6 year old's are. Looky, rounds by the chain saw. Hmm.. they need picking up to. So off I go to do this, and I trip on the blackberry vines. The fall was in slow motion to me. I can remember on the way down, with my hands out to catch my fall, thinking, blackberry stickers... chainsaw.... blackberry stickers... chainsaw.. well, by the time I had decided the stickers, it was to late, so I hit the chainsaw. Yessss... on the blade. Silly me. Nice little puncture that required a trip to the emergency room, 2 stitches and a trip to Baskin and Robbins. *grin* Now, I have a nice little "race car" scar in the middle of my left palm. This was also back when the stitches were done with black thread, not that disappearing stuff like they have now. So the line from the cut has a line across at both ends, and my skin is puffed where the thread was knotted, so it looks like a race car. I show my boys all the time. Especially when they play with the machete and other knives around here.

Yesterday was a blast. Gabriel was a huge help, except for me taking the sledge hammer from him, and having to keep an eye on him with the machete. I did not look when I set the chain saw down and he was hauling the rounds for me. Just because I figured if I did, or said, "don't" go over there, history would repeat itself.

My lawn mowers are broken, so I weed whacked the whole yard. By the time I got the two stroke and gas mix, and bar oil, it was hitting 630pm and I wanted to finish off the rounds of apple wood I had sitting here from last year. It was a great day, and very satisfying!

So my boy is learing how to be a man, and he loves it. Today we haul rocks out from behind the overgrown blackberry bushes, and finish off my pond.

Gypsy.........summer's after high school

Back to summer. My favorite time of year. The summer after high school, I was on the move. I had dated a guy that was in college, during the last 6 months of my senior year, nice, clean cut, had a job.....AND, he asked me to marry him, and I bolted.

Well, I didn't bolt Per-Se, but the running joke now is I was traded in a car deal to my daughters dad. I took one look at Mike, and thought oh shit! I am in trouble. Proverbial bad boy, with a sensitive side. Why me god? Ha! Mechanic, drummer, (another circle happening here, a blog for later) *grin* Now Mike never did anything with his music, and he could have, but he did pursue his master's mechanics degree.

We lived in a house on Wetmore, in Everett, and I was working at Panama's. This was back when you could sign the blue slip that makes you responsible for being in a bar. Mike was doing some stuff he shouldn't have, and ME, clueless blond chic from sheltered home, opens the door to the police when they showed up looking for him and sweetly says, "Oh, yea, he's here"..*sweeps hand towards garage in the back of the house*..... Silly me. So court ensues, and Mikes parents come up from Ocean shores, and the judge releases Mike on his own recognizance into his parent's custody, so off we go to Grays Harbor.

What times I had down there, some good, A lot not so good, most just wild and crazy. One incident was over a 2000.00 corvette motor that Mike and I had, and BAM, Hoquiam and Aberdeen, and Montesano Police forces, all in our face with guns drawn, and me pregnant with my daughter, and I was done pretty much. Wild life fun, but a bit too much for me. A little ditty in the local paper about a LK. Stevens woman.. < Me, and back to daddy I went. Time to grow up. Me, not him, he's still out there having fun. Love him to death, but most the time, want to choke the hell out of him. *laughs* These days, he's called Grandpa Twitchy, and is also referred to as my never was in-law out-law.
It's all good. More later~

You don't have to Cry, by CSN

http://youtu.be/1awtlA6Nr64

Gypsy....jumping forward ~Lifes Paths~

The events in my life that you will read about, will eventually bring you to the here and now. This is a quick post, and then I am off for a few days.

It chronicles who I am, who I have always been. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Some of it was painful, but most of it was beautiful. I don't hate people, I dislike certain actions. God has been in my life from my earliest memory. I have never questioned him. The paths I took, long or short, still put me where he wanted me. We don't control where we are going, or who we are with, or how we live our lives. God does, he always has. Our life is predetermined, or predestined if you will.

Each person in my life is there for a reason, whether I wanted it or not. To teach me, guide me, and shape who I am. We were given free will and choices, but each choice made, brings us to where he wants us. Something to think on. What we want, and what he wants, can be two entirely different things. Learn to forgive, yourself and others. You'll be so much more at peace with who you are. Don't take life for granted, live out loud. Love out loud. We may not be here tomorrow. Give with all you have.

Jesus said, "My peace I give you, Do not let thy hearts be troubled" John 14:27

Make every day a new day, a new sunrise, and may it be blessed with beauty and peace.

He's leaving me.............

This is for Antony, AKA, Ahmed, A-town, Cotton, Pizza, and the rest of my boys that I have gotten to know in the last 3 years.

On Thursday, May 12 2011, I watched as my 15 year old 1st born son, became a 2nd class petty officer and his unit won the most distinguished unit award since 2007.

Watching the ceremonies, and awards being given, the slide show of the past year, and seeing all the kids, I have driven around to parking duties, volunteer clubs, food drives, and other ROTC events, it struck me so hard that my son is a young man, and will be leaving me in 2 years, My heart broke. Sitting there with tears streaming down my face, I thought.. wow. He's a young man, and going on with his life, and what the F*K am I going to do with out him???

Antony.. What to tell you about this kid. I fought for him my whole life, his whole life, and when things got rough for us this past year, he stepped up and became my rock. He's an amazing young man. (I know, I call him a boy) but he's not, he's so much more.

He's smart, intuitive, sensitive, strong, and loyal. He's a smartass, like me, he knows how to roll with the punches, and he's tough. I taught him how to love life, no matter what comes our way, and he does.

I never thought I would miss my kids. I love them all in different ways. Krystal is my 1st born daughter, and I am proud as hell of her. Antony is my 1st born son, and again, I am proud as hell of him. Jacob, is my 1st born son by Paul, and so he holds a special place too. Gabriel is the baby of the family, and of course, also holds a that special place. Alexis, is my 1st born grand child, another special place.

I am not your typical soccer mom, not June Cleaver, nor Betty Crocker, HA! Nope.. so I never thought I would miss my kids in the typical way a mother does. Honestly, I can't stand my kids 1/2 the time. They drive me bat shit as my Favorite Aunt would say.

My parents raised me with strong ethics and morals, Church and family, that was #1, and roots. I hated it. I swore to god I was NOT going to be like my parents. I was not going to raise my kids the way they did. I would NOT have empty nest syndrome! Well I F*Ked that one up. God just laughed at me again. Oh, I didn't raise them EXACTLY like mom and dad, who by the way have been married 58 years this year, and still kicking, but somewhere in there, I think I got it right, which just messed up my plans of wanting my own life.

I will miss the HELL out of Antony, and I suppose, the other kids when it is their time to fly the coop.

Slow my Roll... ... it's complicated!

This will be a short one, but had a discussion last night with someone I care about a lot. Maybe to much right now, but rolling with it. Am I real? Yeah, as real as you can get. Loyal, blunt and have a wild streak a mile wide.

BUT, here's the deal, The people in my life are here for a reason, long term or short term, and I am good with that. This goes back to my blog on goals. Anyway, << hate that word, but have stuff to do, so again, this is a quick one.

I am who I am. You'll not find another like me. Maybe, but doubtful. Independent, strong willed, opinionated, but open to anything anyone wants to throw at me. Good, bad, or indifferent. I can deal. Mature enough to know what I want out of life, and smart enough to get it, and I will. Eventually.

Kids raised, schooling, Paris, license, and a man. Yea... a man, but not full time. Maybe eventually, but yeah.. we'll see.

So to this I add, I love the ones I had, I love the the one I'm with, and I will love the one in the future.


Rock and Roll Drummer man~Live to the music! Loving life~

Back to reality........ I'm putting friends on notice

I'm going to start this with a little caveat here. This in no way will change the core of who I am.

With that being said, I had quite an epiphany yesterday.

As most of you know, since the split with my husband, I have done some re-defining of my priority's and goals. However, those are being slowly de-railed due to me putting my self last. Of course we know my kids are 1st, but with 4 of them, in different schools, activities, and going in different directions, no help and dealing with a house that has been slowly falling apart, dealing with things left behind, clean up, and purging, plus trying to get in me time, things are getting out of hand.

My health is now becoming a major issue in the derailment of what I want, so I need to stop. Just stop, and focus again. This has not been by any means on purpose or easy to do what with all that I still have left to deal with here on the home front, but after realizing that I am now in a size 24" jeans, Its time for me, or I won't make it, and I have to make it for my kids, because there is no one else.

A lot of my close friends are aware of my illness, and I have always been pretty private about it, but here's the thing, when it has come to the point where it is affecting what I want, who I want, and where I want to be in life, it's time for help, and asking for help, and TRUST ME, I HATE asking for anything. I have always done things on my own. Even in my past relationships, I was the one who made things happen, got things done, or just moved on because it was not where I needed to be.

So beginning on Monday, I am making calls to my doctor whom I have not seen since November. I will be calling in favors for help with the schedule and kids. (which is another hard thing for me to do) but nuff said. There you go..... me time.

New begginings ... cont. ....god has a plan

So interesting story here; Since Paul had moved out, just about everything that could go wrong at the house, did. Oh lets see, electrical shorts, stove breaking, home invasion, (which entailed a new back door) all "his" stuff piled in back yard, and runs to dump to get rid of junk that was left behind.. ect.. been on the constant move here in the last 6 months.

I have doctor appointments and referrals put on hold, classes and schooling, just to keep up with the kids schedules. During all this time, I have also on the weekends that he had the children, gone out with my girlfriends and had fun. I had no intentions of meeting anyone or dating for that matter. To much to do, and with the way things were handled, I figured the kids needed at least one solid force in their life. Me.

So about a month ago, my daughter was up, and we did go out when the kids were home. Mostly cause Papa and other family was always around and I hadn't seen her in about 2 years. Since she left, I had decided to file for divorce. I know I lost Paul along time ago, and was at a turning point in re-defining what I wanted.

Let me back track a sec.. I have a group of people that I do hang with, and we all have a good time, and sorta look out for each other. Another good friend was talking to me about the electrical in my home, and we were trying to schedule when that could happen. In the meantime, I had hooked in with some old friends from the 80s on facebook, and have a bunch of musician friends I have re-connected with. Well one of them, I had added, and he messaged me about a week ago about my Harley shots. Asked if I ride. I do, but the bike is no-longer here, it was Paul's dream, and although we bought it together, I gave it to him when he left.

Now to the un expected. The electrical. The man who emailed me about the Harley, I happened to mention my electrical. He knows how to fix it, so he said he'd come up and take a look. As soon as he got here, my heart stopped. Wow, was all I could think, This is NOT what I need, but oh.. I am such a liar.. it was. It took about a week of back and forth and both of us denying that we had anything, and finally, I called him after a particularly rough evening with the lawyers, and he met me up in Everett. Since then we finally acknowledged how we felt, Ha.. a week, wow, but this is one amazing guy, and so yeah... there ya go, God did have a plan in all this.

Now to make it all fall into place with my goals, and his.

Yeah... he's a drummer, go figure.

By the way, yes, he has met the kids, and they are happy that mom is not going to grow old and become a crazy cat lady. (My Granddaughter told the school counselor that)

New Beginning's........OMG... the dog.

Alrighty then, this is it folks. Time for a new start and a re-defining of life as I knew it.

As some of you know, my husband and I separated in November of 2010. This separation actually started in Jan of 06, but I was apparently oblivious to what was happening. Oh, I saw some signs of things happening, but what, was not definable. He actually told me on September 29th of 2010, after a camping trip we took. Then continued to stay here. The day after Thanksgiving he said he was moving home to his mothers.

So, I had started a blog awhile back on inspiration, and decided I didn't need it. There were to many in-consistency in what was being said and what actions were taking place for me to think that we may have had a second chance at anything. No regrets here by the way. We had something, and now we don't. Time to move on.

This is where things get a little hinky, but it is what it is. I won't go into the details, because I refuse to degrade what my husbands choices are at this point, but for me, I am done, whether he thought he was or not.

Enough is enough. My priority's have always been the same. Kids 1st, then family, and ect... Now it is Kids, Job, and someday, one day, who knows when, a man that knows how to be honest and real, no games, and will accept me for me. Strong, independent and at times opinionated, but loyal and honest. Take it or leave it. Not marriage, at least that is not on my mind now.... and won't be until the kids are grown and gone, but I will have a man. Period.

So, no more inspiration blog, and going over memory's of my life as it was, it is from today forward. Anyone who knows me, truly knows me, knows I don't go back, I move on. I have always been that way.

So Chin up, boobies out, (as Oshun says) and on with life! We only have one, and my husband is correct in saying that.

This is my family. I love them.
Signing off for now~ Loving life!

Life changing events

I just finished reading a blog about an event that change a friends life, and I am now following it for inspiration.

This is a story of my life changing event.

15 years ago on Nov, 11th 1997, I met the man of my dreams. 14 years ago, on the 8th of January, we made a life commitment to each other. 13 years ago, on the 1st of February, I married him. We had a fairytale romance, and a beautiful little boy by June of 1999.

We were living in a rental home in Everett, and my husband decided that he wanted to go to college in Arizona for his Harley Davidson accredited mechanics degree. So we moved into his parents to save the money. During the time we were living there, my son who was 3 at the time, and in pre-school, mentioned something to the school counselor that changed the course of my husbands dreams. By the time we made it through the courts with my sons father, and a separation forced on us after 8 months, my husband was allowed to move back in with me. Also during this time, our son, Jacob, ended up with a ecol i and we almost lost him. He was 7 months old at the time. We missed each other terribly. It was a difficult time, and we did the best we could to get through it.

From his parents home, we then moved to a trailer with my son and our son. He has a daughter from a previous marriage, and we had her on weekends. We lived in the trailer home for 3 years, and had a second son. A month prior to giving birth to my second son, Gabriel, We took my oldest daughter's daughter in at the age of one. I had Gabriel on Oct. 29th 2001, and then on the 11th of Nov. 2001, I was sick at my husbands birthday and so I was rushed into the doctor. It took them 8 months to figure out what was wrong with me. I had an auto immune disorder that absorbed internal organs. My spleen was missing and I was on oral Chemotherapy. I took care of 4 children now, all under the age of 5. A newborn, a one year old, a 3 year old and a 5 year old, and drove them back and forth to school and activities, while my husband worked a job he hated. He would come home and take over for me so I could rest. I was also on very strong pain medicine back then. One night my husband had gone up to the store for me and his daughter to buy ice cream, when he came home, he was dancing. I loved him so much right then. He came in the door, and had a huge grin on his face. He had bought, not only the ice cream, but a dollar scratch ticket and won 5000.00! One of his other dreams was to build his own Harley,he already had the frame, from taxes from 1999 and with the 5000.00 we got the engine and tranny. No one in his life had ever backed him with his dreams.

I never lost sight of my marriage or my vows to my soul mate. This was forever. Amen.

In May of 2003, I asked if we could move to a house, we were squished in the trailer, and things were hard all the way around. We made a move to a house that was built in 1910 and we loved it. It had room for the kids, and us, a yard, and a creek. It was wonderful. My husband had worked for a different fence company for awhile, and then went back to the original one that he worked at when we lived at the trailer. During all these years, we had family reunions, took trips to North Dakota every year and made beautiful memories.

Life moves on.... to life changing events, cont....

TEENAGER'S ............................ARGGHHHHHH

I took this from a newspaper clipping that I had sitting around for many years. I have revised and added some of my own experience. I thought it appropriate to do this today since my teenager is home "sick" and there are chores to be done, but he is "sick".

I do not know the Author, but he hit's it spot on.

My kids think I am boring.

I know the following won't be read by my teen, or my children for that matter, nor probably anyone Else's teen, but I thought that parents would enjoy it.

Short lesson: This is why your parents are "boring."

You may have noticed their absence from the home during the day on weekdays, and sometimes on a weekend. Monday through Friday, they do something called work, for reasons MOSTLY to do with you, however, there are taxes, current trends in prices, ect ...you can expect them to be doing this for years to come.

Work is how they pay for the house you live in, the car you drive, the food you eat, the clothes you wear, and the tickets you need to see whatever concert it is that you "have to see" this weekend. I won't mention the overages on your cell phone plan and the late fee on movie rentals. (100.00 last month! I could have bought them)

Work is usually from 8am until 5pm, however, in this day and age some parents work from home, and so these work hours vary greatly. BUT, Monday through Friday, because of traffic, add an hour each way for the commute. This means they get up at say OH 5am, and don't return home until say OH 6pm or later. If everything goes well, which is not always the case, as happens several times a week, you can expect them to roll in about 8pm. Once in awhile they get something that requires the label of "important project" and they end up working on a Saturday. NO, they do not get to skip it, or call in SICK.

They work for someone known as the "boss". By the way, you think your teachers are tough? Do they make you do things that seem pointless? Do you think they do not understand how TIRED you are, or that your having a rough day because Tiffany broke up with Chad, and you're stressed about what Chad might do? Wait a few years.... then you get to meet the "boss" commonly know as Attila the Hun, OR you get a "boss" who is worse than Attila the Hun, and will make Attila curl up in the fetal position and cry, then fire him for wasting company time crying.

So after work, your parents get home. Unless they enjoy, endless tuna sand-whiches, and cardboard pizza, they get to make dinner. As they start to cook, they wonder " are those the same dishes that were in the sink last night?" "Didn't we ask someone to put them in the dishwasher and by the use of incalculable reserves of energy and unimaginable physical dexterity, push the ON button?"

Time for the "dish fairy" to put in an appearance, sweep the house for glasses and plates, and do them. That way everyone has something to eat on, besides the kitchen table.

They serve dinner.

"This again?" You know I don't like casserole, (meatloaf, stew, soup, chops. ribs, goulash, fish, rice, beans, carrots, peas, potatoes, salad,ect) "WHY do we always have this?" Can't you guys ever make anything else?

They finish dinner and clear the table. They put the dishes in the sink. With a sense of futility, they ask, "would someone do the dishes while we are at work tomorrow?"

As they finally settle into the living room, they hear a voice saying, "I don't have any clothes for school tomorrow". They respond: "Why don't you pull some from that humongous pile in your room and put them in the washer?" When they are done, transfer them to the dryer, dry them, then take them out and fold them and put them away.

They hear the sound of slamming doors.

They go to bed in order to rest up for another day. Then the weekend comes.

That's when they wash the car, buy groceries, clean house, fix the leaky gutter, cut grass, return movies, go to church and occasionally buy the 1st new shirt or skirt they have had in a year.

On Sunday night, they drift into sleep knowing tomorrow is Monday and the cycle starts all over again. It may seem boring to you, but it sure looks more like busy to them.

They can't dodge any of it, and the good ones don't even try. The funny thing is, that most of them love doing it, (won't admit it) but will actually look back on it fondly.

That is if they're not arrested for boiling you in oil 1st.