Creative Friends: #3 In A Series

My weekly series on my creative friends requires care. Not everyone I know will appreciate my thoughts on their lives being plastered where anyone can see them. You know, like Johnny Depp is a very private guy. Hahahaha! Oh that was funny.

I figure the next pal can handle my blogging adoration:

Trish/Trish's Dishes
I'm pretty sure Trish was the first non-family member to start reading and commenting on my blog. I met Trish back in 2005 while I still lived in Boston. If you've followed my blog for a while, you know that story. I was going to link to a story about her but, after searching my blog, I realize that I write about her ALL the time.

Anyway, Trish is of a group that intimidates me. She's a Writer. She uses...like...words and stuff! I mean, what kind of craziness is that? She's the kind of person that can catch me using not correct grammerificationating. She knows the difference between 'effect' and 'affect'. She knows when to say "Trish and I" or "Trish and me". She can correctly use big words! These are scary people to me. I'm a former math major. A college drop out. A computer geek. I depend on spell check. I depend on hanging around with people like me who won't care when I end a sentence with a preposition...at.

Thankfully, Trish is as imperfect as she is awesomely talented. She is the last person to point the red correction pen at anyone. She is amused at my word makeupification.

Trish wrote a book back in 2008 called 'He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not'. I love it. I have given out probably 10 or more copies to family and friends. Quite a few people that read the copies I gave them told me how much they loved it. They could all relate. They loved her writing style. They were drawn in by her humor mixed with accessibility. I think a lot of women were able to relate to - if not all of it - parts of her story. My sister read it and then gave it to her teenage daughter to read. My niece loved it, too.

Trish just finished her 2nd book and I am eagerly awaiting its release next April. Book Anticipation rocks! And now Trish is trying her hand at a novel. Can't wait to read that one, too.

Creative Friends: I Have A Butt-Load

So I had this idea that, every Friday, I'll post something about one of my 952,000 creative friends. Especially if they have wares to sell. I'm realizing I'll never get through the list if I only feature one a week. So here are two of my Creatives from differing sides of the artistic spectrum.

Jaime Lee/Like Nailing Jello to a Wall
Jaime is one of my Awesome Blogger Chicks that I've never actually met. I don't really recall how we first connected. I think she found my blog through common pal Trish and left me some comments. We then connected on Facebook and leave each other silly comments and messages. She is beautiful, funny, inspiring and very supportive. Especially for someone who doesn't actually know me.

Jaime is a singer from my previous home city, Boston. When I first saw that, I wasn't expecting much. And let me explain that.

An Aside: Anyone from a huge music city like Boston, Austin, Nashville, L.A., NYC, etc., will understand. When you live in one of those music-centric cities, you run into every 3rd person and their brother saying, "I'm in a band!" or "I sing," or "I play [insert instrument of your choice here]." The first few hundred times I heard this, I would get all excited and be like, "Wow! Where are you playing? I want to see you!" and I was an instant fan. After sitting through painfully horrid set after painfully horrid set, I became more cautious with my fanaticism. So then, when someone told me they were a performer of any kind up in Boston, I'd be like, "Yah, you and everyone else I know." Which is mean. I doubt I actually said it. But I thought it. Also, keep in mind that I worked in a rock club for 4 years. Man, if THAT doesn't kill your love of music, I don't know what will. I saw 3 bands a night. The newbies would come off the stage as if the had just rocked the Garden. "Well? What do you think?!" To be honest, most of them didn't make an impression. If I can't recall anything you did 45 seconds after you left the stage, you have some work to do.

There were the rare gems. And many of them have moved on to cool things like performing with national touring shows like Blue Man Group or Rocky Horror or Stomp or Hannah Montana. Many are making a living creating music for sound tracks in NYC or L.A. Many are professional songwriters, producers or music managers. You'd be surprised to find out how small the world is. I guarantee you that you've heard something that one of my friends has touched.

So you can see how I'm a bit jaded when someone declares them self a musician. Then add to that the fact that I have a very unforgiving ear and am a vocal snob. Oh yah. Good times.

When I finally heard some of Jaime's songs, I was very happily blown away. She's GOOD. And not in that "but my grandma says I'm amazing" way that all those Idol wannabes are "good". She is VERY good. Like I will buy her stuff when it's available. And I am now campaigning to be her backup singer. Granted, I can't tour and I live about 1600 miles away. But still, why can't she just shift her whole life to accommodate me?!

So if you like what you hear on her MySpace link I provided above, you can download those 3 songs on her music website for free. I personally think she'd be a great addition to anyone's iPod who loves beautiful vocals.

Jane/Painted House 52
My friend Jane is like family. Like family that you can bare your soul to and expect to end up laughing. Like super close supportive loving family...that you've never met. Yes, she is another of my Awesome Blogger Chicks. We met a couple of years ago through my blog. She found my blog while looking for...I think she was looking for other moms of exceptionally awesome kids.

So Jane and I initially bonded over our boys. She has become a staple of support in my life. We talk on the phone all the time. We are good sounding boards for each other.

Jane is an artist in the physical mediums. And I say mediums - plural. She can paint. She can sew. She can refinish old furniture and make it look like something people would pay HUGE money for here in Austin. She makes gorgeous jewelry. I'm always astounded by her works. She makes it look so easy but I know I couldn't even come close!

This is an ottoman Jane recovered and painted.

If you want to see some of her current stuff for sale, she has an esty store. She is an amazing talent and I could easily see her making a living from her sales. While I'm not an art snob like I am a vocal snob, I don't like everything. I love her stuff. It's very "me". So go check it out and see if it floats your boat. Even if you don't buy anything, I bet you'll enjoy browsing.

I Won! Woo HOO!

I was about to type that I never win anything. But I think I've won a few things here and there in my 44 years. Anytime, however, I do win something, I totally get all excited.

As my pal was wrapping up her old blog, she had a quick jewelry give away. Since I was the only comment, I won! How funny is that?! I told her not to rush and just get it to me when she could. She got it here just in time for the end of my birth-month (hee hee!). Here is a picture of me wearing it this afternoon as I watched my boys play in the gorgeous cool sunny day.

Thanks Stacy. You totally made my birth-month!

A Halloween Diversion

For those of you that don't already read my friend Beck's blog, I have a treat for you. Beck is an amazing writer and mom (I've asked her repeatedly to adopt me). For Halloween, she has been putting a dark spin on some classic children's stories. They just keep getting better and better and freakier and freakier. Here are links to her first six:

Halloween Story #1
Halloween Story #2
Halloween Story #3
Halloween Story #4
Halloween Story #5
Halloween Story #6
[Edited to add subsequent stories. I'll keep adding them here as she writes them.]
Halloween Story #7
Halloween Story #8
Halloween Story #9

Enjoy!

And The Answer Is...

So apparently, the answer to my rhetorical tongue-in-cheek wise-ass question from Saturday's post [Is It Wrong...?] is, "It depends."

Having a blog is a very weird thing. Some blogs have a target audience. Some are just open to all comers. Some don't know what they're really shooting for. When I started mine in 2006, I was going to chronicle my battle with weight. I was derailed by Pokemon Boy's diagnosis with Tourette's. And that is when this became Tourette's Mom. I didn't know what I was going to write but it was going to be a place where people could come, read, and see one picture of what life with Tourette's can look like.

In 2007, my original purpose was derailed again. But it wasn't too strange because - thankfully - God has given Pokemon Boy control over his body. So there really wasn't all that much about dealing with Tourette's that I could say. Not on an almost-daily basis. So when The Ex shredded our little family, I used this as one of my lifelines. My regular blogger chick friends came to my rescue. Here and offline. It was pretty shocking to find how big my blogger family was. And how real. It still amazes me.

A few months ago, I linked my Facebook account to this blogger account. That's where the weird began. Well, in my head, anyway. I figured most of my acquaintances on Facebook wouldn't bother reading my blog posts. I was wrong. So once I knew they were reading, I started second guessing what I wrote here. I'm very much a stream of consciousness writer. And then once they started commenting...well, that was a whole other bag of noodles.

Many Facebookers use the online social networking site as a way to share pictures and update their friends and family with what's going on. Look, Bobby took his first step. Oh dear, Suzie has H1N1. Oh cool, I have a job interview. And that's how my account started. I had been a MySpace addict. I hadn't even known there were other social networking sites. My blogger chick pal Jane invited me to Facebook. And I was hooked. More and more of my friends, family, and acquaintances were joining Facebook. So it was fun. I now have regular interaction with both sides of my birth-family where it had been sporadic at best. My extended family (both sides) keep in regular touch which we had previously only done with a Yahoo group email. So now we got to have pictures and jokes. I'm reconnected with childhood friends, high school classmates, college classmates. It's a hoot and lots of fun.

But the majority of Facebookers are like me. They will connect with all sorts of people that were peripherally in their lives. If I can recall any interaction with a person, I usually accept a friend request. If I can't recall, I'll see if we have mutual friends and ask one of mine, "Who is John Smith and why would I know him?" Once a month, I go through my friend list. If I haven't had any contact with that person and/or can't recall any significant interaction with them in my lifetime, I usually disconnect. And most people never say, "Hey, why'd you defriend me?" If they do, I realize they were a lurker (they read but don't leave comments) and add them back in.

For those of the more private ilk, this seems like one of the inner circles of hell. Just ask my BigSis. She'd rather be skinned alive than join anything like Facebook, MySpace, Classmates, Plaxo, [insert any of the myriad of social sites here]. But I'm a social junkie. I love contact of any kind. If you're not outright abusive on my pages, I'm usually lovin' it.

For a while, I hesitated putting anything on my page about my feelings for God/Jesus, my church, etc. I didn't want to be misconstrued as one of those agenda-pushing "religious" types. Because if you know me, I am SO not that person. But after a while, I realized this just falls back into my old habit of putting God behind the curtain, in a closet, in my back pocket. Why should I have to hide any part of my life from anyone? If I'm happy how I am, why can't I just put that out there?

So I got bold. I started putting things like, "My church so totally rocks!" in my status. Or I'd say I was prepping the fruit for church. Or that worship rocked that Sunday. Or whatever. Don't get me wrong. My stupid slapstick humor was still out there. So my "God Rocks!" updates were interspersed with updates like "Men + beer + boob-themed restaurants = stoopid." The point is, I just tended to be my usual self. But my PUBLIC self.

And there is a difference. I will bare my soul here because, most regular readers here are invested somehow. They are a family member, a friend, interested in Tourette's, have a child with special needs, stumbled here and stayed, or were sent here from another blogger friend. My regulars are supportive, funny and kind. Those that come here - for whatever reason - if they stay, they have chosen to. On Facebook, it's kind of an opportunistic captive audience. Most of the people who read my blog posts over there are people that don't know my back story. The context is jumbled. Or, there IS no context.

So, that last post from Saturday - it was a mix of humor & snark. My friend that was the subject has a good sense of humor. His wife is a regular reader here. So I posted that fully knowing she'd read it and probably poke him with it. And here, that is exactly the response I got (see C.Beth's reply to that post).

But in Facebook land, people need to take a stand, make a point, be clever or whatever. So some people laughed along with me. But the other responses to the post made it clear that, no matter how benign I meant that post, in the jumbled context over there, it came across like I'm bitter or don't understand the different roles of moms and dads or was paying into the bumbling-dad stereotype. None of which are true.

So I have decided that I like the separation of Blog and Facebook. I have unlinked my online private me from my online public me. The few friends that found this and are interested can still come here. The lurkers and soap boxers can stay in the public forum.

So, is it wrong to be snarky about a socially charged issue - even when it's tongue in cheek? Well, no. But you have to take what follows.

Tourette's News and Other Stuff

Tourette's News:
I heard this on KLOVE, of all places. Found it out on Reuters. Nothing earth shattering here but an interesting read. Another version of the report points to the fact that TS is found predominately in white kids (compared to black or Hispanic). Also, more prevalent in boys than girls. Just an interesting read.

Other Stuff:
I was just having a quick IM session with one of my favorite friends and authors, Trish. Talking or typing with her always makes me happy. I love knowing her. I often refer to her as one of the pillars of my spiritual support. She is one person I turn to when I want to be happy or freak out in crisis. I love having people like that. She laughed with me when I called her cell to inform her that I just purchased a very respectable "girly" top from Anne Klein. She dropped everything when I called her from a hotel room in pieces because my marriage had just imploded. Friends like that are gifts from God.

But what we were laughing about in our IM session revolved around a recurring amusement in our relationship. How I saw her speak at church one Sunday in February 2005. And I immediately dismissed her as some pampered "Christian wife" that had it all together and wouldn't have anything in common with me. I didn't like her. I wrote her off as just completely out of touch with any reality I might know. A few weeks later, when I took a class on seeking faith, who do you think one of the leaders of that class was? Yup. Trish. I remember seeing her and thinking, well, this class is a bust. Thankfully, God loves to show me how wrong I am but in a fun and humorous way. The long story short (that I think I've blogged about before) is that she is one of my most trusted and loved friends. A true friend sent from God.

I have so many friends in my life that have similar starts. My wonderful friend Kristen and our other friend Alicia - I did a similar thing. My first encounter with them was...I think at a friend's party. They were fans of this band - I was friends with most of them and was very protective about the guys and who tried to gain access to them. I was pretty smug and not very welcoming to girls who tried to enter our tight little circle. I sized these two up as groupies and didn't really pay them any mind. Fortunately, they were NOT groupies. Well, they LOVED the band. But they weren't just vapid chicks trying to hook up with a popular band. They actually ended up marrying two other friends of mine that I knew through that band. And they have been two of the most supportive loving friends I've ever had. They were pretty much the only two people we let babysit Pokemon Boy when he was a baby. They have driven me to doctor appointments, one of them drove us home from the hospital when Lil'Bro was born. And to think I thought they were just annoying groupies!

Yes, I realize all of these stories are a huge revelation that I am one big huge judgemental snot bag. But the beauty of it is, in stead of God stomping on my head with his ginormous steel-toed boots, he just shakes his head and makes these people I have misjudged my new best friends.

I was sitting here going through a list of friends that fit this pattern. It's pretty funny. Well, it's pretty pathetic, from one view. But over all, it's more funny. To me, anyway. Thank you, God, for not stomping on my head.

In another "Woo-hoo, God rocks" report:

God has once again rocked the money thing for me. I'm not sitting here saying that I expect God to constantly drop found money in my lap. But it seems to show up when I least expect it. And I am always seeming to have enough money to provide for my needs.

I remember back in that faith seeking class I mentioned above in my Trish story, they talked about tithing. When that subject came up, I remember thinking, "There it is...the price tag every evangelist eventually tosses at you!" But it wasn't like that. There is so much more to it and I'd need a whole blog to get into where it came from and why we still continue it today. But the part that stuck out in my head has always been the fact that it's the only thing God says "Go ahead, test me in this! See what happens." [ref. Malachi 3:8-12] Most everywhere else God kind of warns us not to put him to the test. But this, he says, go ahead - tithe and see how I bless you. I've seen so many people tentatively try it out. And I know so many people who have amazing stories that surprised them. I tell you, since I became the single person responsible for my household finances, I have finally really given like I wanted to. It started out rather sparingly. I was scared to give too much away at first. But man, every time I have hit the straights, God provides what I need out of the most unexpected ways. I'm not talking excess or lottery winnings. But I'm just blown away how it always seems to appear right at the right time.

So right now, I'm doing ok. I'm still living off of my severance package. And I will confess I have been treating the boys and myself to a few too many frivolities. I've been starting to wonder if it will stretch. Will I be able to keep the house? Will I be able to get out of the non-house debt I've dug myself into before it all runs out? But through it all, I just keep saying, Ok God, I'm trusting in you here. Whatever happens - house/no house, debt/no debt - I know you'll work it out. I'm not waiting for my big American bling bling lifestyle. I don't want that. I just want enough to raise my kids, meet my obligations and still be able to give some away. And I've been able to.

Today, I met with my financial advisors. And without going into boring details, I have basically just had a huge (in my book) amount of found money come into play. And it has no tax implications because it's from after-tax money (I've already paid taxes on it a long time ago). And it's just enough to be able to pay off the remaining amount of non-house debt I have. Still giving me a good chunk to either put into a retirement fund or into a rainy-day liquid fund.

This blows my mind. Because I dug myself into quite a hefty bit of non-house debt since the beginning of 2007. Between the actual legal costs of divorce, what I paid out in settlement and then the whole guilt spending resulting from said divorce, I had quickly racked up an amount that made one of my church friends gasp (but to be fair, she's a completely debt-free person). That was the amount I started chipping away at in January. Right now - 6 months later, I have it decreased by more than half! And I'm about 2 weeks away from being able to wipe it all out and just have a mortgage to chip away at. That is mind blowing to me. And that is all God. Every tiny bit of unexpected found money that has come my way in these 6 months went to pound away at that debt. And now this!

I know this is not very profound because I'm not putting numbers out there. I'm not really thrilled to say, "Hey, I'm stupid enough to have racked up $xx,xxx.00 in debt in a mere two years!" But you can fill in those Xs with any numbers and you can see it's substantial. Especially for a single mom who got laid off this past January.

God just keeps rockin' the rescue. He keeps providing. Even when I mess up my own finances. He's not a head stomper. He's a loving father that is amazingly patient with us. He has always had his hand out to me - my whole life. I'm just so glad I finally realized it back in 2005 and turned and REALLY took it.

God, thank you for the awesome friends you put in my life. Thanks for the new ones you're introducing me to right now. And thank you for always providing what my boys and I need. Whether it's money or love from my parents. You're so awesome. I love you.

Terrifying New Moms: It's A Gift

Lil'Bro is awesome.  Thanks for all of the comments and emails about him.  I love little dramas that don't hurt anyone in the end.

I thought I'd share a funny story about my boys:

One of my Awesome Blogger Chicks is Gypsy Girl - Darlene.  I met her when Trish posted a link that sent us to her blog to give support.  At this point in my blogging, I wasn't brave enough to comment on anyone's blog.  But reading how Darlene almost lost her son in a horrific car accident, I just had to leave a prayer in her comments.  Which is not something I normally did at that point.  I had no idea if Darlene might think I was a nut job.  But it started a wonderful relationship that later introduced me to her friends Wanda Mom and Angela.  All of these women have been staples of my emotional & spiritual support.  And I've never met them!  Isn't that funny?

Ok, as usual, I have totally gone tangential and threaten to go WAY too long.

Anyway, that was a bit of back story.

Recently, I have been spending lots of car rides with my boys answering all sorts of questions.

PokemonBoy: "Ok, who would win in a fight: Mr. Freeze or Big Chill?"

Lil'Bro: "Does Mr. Freeze have his freeze ray?"

PB: "Um...no."

LB: "Big Chill."

They have both been asking a lot of questions about what would happen if they got hurt.  What if I lose a leg?  What if my head comes off?  What if what if what if?  So they were peppering me with this particular line of questioning recently.  I don't recall the exact question but they were asking about what if this body part was cut off or that body part.  And Lil'Bro asked what would happen if he was cut in half.  Pokemon Boy asked if that could ever happen.  Like a moron, I didn't just fluff it off with some lame "Oh I doubt that could ever happen.  Oh look!  A shiny car!"

I told them about Darlene's son Mark.  I recall her descriptions of his accident.  He had nearly had his torso torn in two.  They wanted to know every detail.  Which I had trouble recalling because - thank you God - it has been a long time and he has been fully recovered for so long!  I was able to at least end on that note with them.  How he was fully recovered and happy and working toward working in the medical field to help other hurt people (am I remembering that right, Darlene?).

Well, we had a very long conversation that day.  They asked everything from how long had he been in the hospital to did he believe in Jesus.  (A long time and yes - they were relieved at the latter answer.)

We decided to stop for ice cream.  While waiting in line to order our ice cream, a new mommy with her gorgeous little three-month old in a front carrier waited near by.  Both of my boys are totally in love with babies.  Pokemon Boy went over to start the usual questions of what was her name, how old was she, etc.  Lil'Bro joined in with his 5-year old version of similar questions like why she wasn't talking yet.  We had a cute little conversation and then sat down to our ice cream.  At which point, Lil'Bro asks at a pretty good volume, "What if SHE was cut in half?" pointing to the baby.  "She would probably die," he pronounced.  I was like, "DOH!"  Can you imagine this new mommy who had just had two cute boys adoring her new baby girl?!  I mean, like you're not paranoid and terrified enough as a new mom!  I quickly assured Lil'Bro that nothing like that would happen and then had to explain to the mommy that we had just been discussing a friend who had been in a horrible accident, etc.  Thankfully, new mommy was extremely gracious.  But I still wonder how terrifying her dreams were that night.

Good grief.  I will never get Mom of The Year.  That is for SURE!

Addendum:

No sooner had I posted this when I heard Lil'Bro upstairs getting out of bed, running into my empty bedroom and then the horrifying sound of SPLATTER SPLATTER...(10 second pause)...SPLATTER SPLATTER SPLATTER!!!!  I was halfway up the stairs calling, "Where are you?!" at the 2nd round of splattering.

[Insert 10 minute break here for yet another, but smaller round.]

But back to the 1st round: I found Lil'Bro standing in my bedroom doorway, unceremoniously emptying the contents of his stomach onto the carpet in my bedroom doorway.  Poor kid.  Void of color and completely silent.  He's a stoic puker.  No crying.  No complaining.  All business.

I got him changed, cleaned and into my bed.  The rug took longer.  My kingdom for a wet-vac!  And much thanks to my friend Paul who, via Facebook, reminded me of the virtues of baking soda.

So I came down here to share my little "Ha ha, my kid puked just as I posted this," story.  And back up at the inserted break, I heard him get out of my bed.  I ran up to find him sitting at the bucket I left him, getting the last bits of round two out.  No tears.  "I fink I'm done now," he informed me.

And now I have that nagging pit in my stomach that makes me wonder if I'm next or if I'm just having that weird sympathy nausea you get when your kid kecks.

Note to self: when you get your severance check, buy a wet-vac.

Another Addition to My ABC Art Collection!

Last year, when future ex came to get His Things, it left a telling series of gaps in my house. Most notably were those on the walls. My sister likes to point out how this shows that our house was decorated to suit him. Now I had the freedom to decorate to suit me and my boys. And by "me and my boys", I mean me. Because, let's face it, I highly doubt I'll be putting up much Pokemon decor.

When I lamented the myriad blank spaces on my walls, Wanda was the first to offer artistic filling. She sent me a print of her Girl in White Dress painting. I finally framed it a couple of weeks ago and she is hanging in my living room. When I get a functional camera, I will share her glory with you.

A few months ago, one of my other ABCs (Awesome Blogger Chicks) posted a picture post about things she found beautiful. I fell in love with a cow picture she had and asked her how much she'd charge for the digital image. Being that she's one of the Awesome, she just gave it to me. Because, like Wanda, Allie rocks.

Today, I just got my 11x14 print of her cow picture in the mail - I ordered it through Shutterfly. And I have to tell you, I was not hopeful that I would get a good quality print for such a tiny amount of money. I was happily proven wrong. They gave me a wonderful quality print. So now I can't WAIT to take it to the framer's.

Between all you amazing chicks here on my blog and that wonderful little Swedish shop I adore so much, I'm filling up the gaps on my walls.

Last Day of School and Assorted Whining

Pokemon Boy sprang awake this morning with a smile on his face. That only happens on the last day of school. It was very cute.

Meanwhile, Lil' Bro was still sleeping off the puke-fest he had an hour earlier. He has held down maybe a half cup of water so far. And that's in small ice-chip doses. Anything larger than that comes right back up.

And in whiny mom land, small woodland creatures seem to have taken up residence in my lungs. In about 13 minutes, I have to dial in to a 3 hour conference call. A big portion of which, I will be leading. It will be fun to run through the current state of the annuity administrative system while hacking up small squirrels and such.

Yesterday, I bought a gorgeous frame for Wanda's water color print she sent me months ago. It's on the wall and my mom (who is here to watch Lil' Bro) thinks it's gorgeous. So does Lil' Bro. So do I. Once I get a new camera, I will post a shot. Wanda, you rock!

That's about it. Very exciting and glamorous, this lot.

Allie's Home Made Meme

Here's a meme that Allie made up. Just 10 random things I think are the most.

1. Most Vocal-Cord-Shredding Song:
Let It Rise by Big Daddy Weave. I’m not saying that this is some screaming metal version of the song. I’m saying that this song just totally inspires me. I get so totally pumped listening to this song. I really can’t listen to it unless I’m alone in my house or car where I can crank the volume and belt it at the top of my lungs. One time, I kept hitting repeat on my way to small group. By the time I got to my pastor’s house, I could barely speak. Seriously, this song is probably my favorite worship song in the world right now.

2. Most Decadent Pie:
Chocolate Chess Pie. Or I like to call it, “Heart Attack In A Pie”. It’s butter, eggs, sugar & chocolate in a pie shell. Need I say more?

3. The Most Adorable Boys Ever (that came out of me):
Now that I avoided angering all the moms of adorable boys out there, I think you know who I’m listing here. Yup, Pokemon Boy and Lil' Bro. They still amaze me on a daily basis. No, probably on an hourly basis. Pretty much any time I'm not yelling at them, I'm staring at them in wonder. Yup. Them's my boys.

4. Most Fantabulous Parents:
Mine. If you recall from some 2007 posts, this is what last year looked like for them:
April-May – mom left dad, flew out here, cared for my kids, cooked, cleaned and held me together for 7 weeks. Dad decides they need to move out here to help me and my boys.
June – dad (who is almost 80 at the time) packs up his car and drives ALONE all the way from Florida to Virginia to get their house ready to put on the market.
July – mom finally heads to VA to help dad sell the house. They clean, purge & pack.
August – still purging and packing. Oh and house hunting out here through my realtor-friend.
September – they drive out here with the moving truck, their mini van bulging with stuff. They move into my development.
October – unpacking and setting up the new house. They take me and the boys out for dinner constantly.
November – they are my main backup for child care. They are my constant source of support. They take the boys as often as possible.
December – dad is in the hospital 3 times: twice for his heart and once with pneumonia.
Yah. My parents ROCK.

5. Most Amazingly Funny and Gorgeous Neighbors:
My Chick Nite Girls. If I didn’t think they’d shoot me, I’d post pictures of all of them. Back when I didn’t want to put my future ex through a wall, we used to joke that he hit the gold mine of neighborhoods. All of the ladies in my ‘hood are gorgeous. I love that most are brunette (and the ones that aren’t get the blond from a bottle, thank you very much). These ladies have bailed me out in my times of crisis. They have taken my children on a moment’s notice. They help my mom out when I travel. They all offered to help my parents move in or to help my parents at any time. We dish and laugh. But we also really really support each other. I’m not kidding when I say it is a very unique neighborhood.

6. Most Likely To Make Me Pass Whatever I’m Eating/Drinking Through My Nose:
This is really a tie. And not just a two way tie. The Princess of Pawtucket and Lisa McC regularly make me cry from laughter. Trish & Sarakastic’s blogs usually have me in stitches. And Jane on the phone – I’m usually dying!

7. Most Beloved City In Which I Don’t Currently Reside:
Boston. Hands down. Then London. Then San Francisco. Now, granted, I haven’t traveled the world – or even the U.S. – much. So that top three could very easily change once someone wants to step forward and fund my life of leisure and world travel. Anyone? Anyone?

8. Most Desired Travel Destination:
(International) New Zealand. And when I typed that, I pronounced it “New Zilland” in my mind. Allie has posted enough pictures to make me totally want to go here. Plus, I am hoping I can run into this guy while there.
(U.S.) Well, I keep bugging Jane about going to Las Vegas. And I do want to go there. But Jennie has me totally in love with Colorado. Those gorgeous mountainous pictures have convinced me. I need to take a 3 month vacation there.

9. Most Terrifying Concept:
Big haired, football-loving pageant-moms dressing me in formal evening wear with high heels and full makeup while forcing me to listen to their political views. Yup. That’s pretty much my idea of hell. [For any of you really nice pageant moms, that's just a joke.]

10. Most Time Consuming Guilty Habit:
This. Blogging and reading all of your blogs. I know some people think it’s for freaks. And we’re obviously not disproving that theory. However, I love this community of Awesome Blogger Chicks we’ve built here. I love reading your thoughts on life. I love watching the amazing love unfold on some of our sites. I am constantly amazed at the beauty and strength I witness in all of you. I love the cathartic nature of my typed purging. And I am bolstered by your comments and support. And where would I be without the lessons and pearls of wisdom from bloggers like Beck, Stacy, Trish, Sarakastic, and Allie? Not to mention the vocabulary expansion I’ve been forced into with all you pretentious writers tossing around your $7 words. Dang people. Lighten up. I come here to shut the thinker off. *I kid*

Ok. That's all I could think of. Rather lame. But I liked Allie’s home-made meme. Thanks for creating it!!

Some Updates and My Weekend

Update on the father-in-law:
The F.I.L. has been transferred to a different hospital for dialysis. His kidneys obviously aren't doing so well. They had to go back into the abdomen to check out some dangerous stuff that was coming out of him. He is very sick. He is still in ICU in critical condition. The ventilator was put back in to keep the abdomen more relaxed. The future ex is flying up there tomorrow. He's going to stay up there as long as his job will allow. It's not a good situation. I can sense the anxiety in his voice. This kidney issue is pretty scary. If they don't work, the options are not so great. So prayer on that one would be great.

Update on my cousin's family:
Today was my cousin's memorial service. I haven't been able to talk to any of his family yet. My mom spoke to my aunt earlier on the weekend and she told my mom not to leave my dad to make the long drive. All I can do is pray God's peace on that whole family. I thought of him a lot today. And all of them.

Update on me and the future ex:
God rocks. And he answers your prayers. How do I know? I gained a huge sense of peace about the whole early departure thing over the weekend. So THAT'S how I know he answers your prayers. I have been praying so hard and so long about this whole situation. So have many of you. So if he ends up leaving early? There's a reason. God set me up in this amazing neighborhood and gave me really cool friends here. Not just friends but other parents that get what my little family is going through. They are constantly offering and delivering support for us. God got my parents here and provided buyers for both of their other houses in a horrid housing market. God put me in the most rockin' little church with a bunch of people that would bend over backward to help me and my boys. God set up a network of friends up in Boston that still act like family. Over the weekend, I got Vince Lombardi pep talks from my mom, Big Sis, future ex's sis, and The Princess of Pawtucket. It's pretty amazing to hear that people really think you're strong enough to do this single parent thing truly as a single entity. It'll be by the grace of God - and his huge freaking network he built for me. Verizon's got NOTHIN' on God.

My Weekend:
I have to tell you about my weekend because it totally rocked. I was so emotionally wiped out by the time Friday rolled around. I was probably verging on being a bit depressed. So this weekend was awesome.

- Friday - Chick Nite with the ladies in my 'hood. I had probably invited about 10-ish ladies for the Chick Nite. We ended up just being four. Which might sound like a total bummer. But not with the 3 that showed up. It was just so much fun. We missed the absent. But these girls know how to make me laugh. So we sat around my kitchen table for about 3 or 4 hours. Which is funny because those chairs are not the most comfy things. We had a little wine or a little beer. We had chips & fresh salsa and a sliced baguette with 3 different cheeses. Later, I pulled out a bunch of fresh fruit and whipped cream. We never even touched the veggie platter.

We told stories and laughed. I learned more Spanish words that I will never be able to remember. We talked about how unique our almost-all-brunette neighborhood is in this part of bleach blond Texas. And then we laughed at how my kids are like the only blond kids in the 'hood. And look at their mother!! But it was just so good to sit around with women who just make me laugh. Oh man, it was great.

- Saturday - I tried to sleep in. Parents of young kids know how nigh impossible that is. But I made it to about 9am which is HUGE luxury for me. I got up and just puttered slow. My only plan was to get to Austin to get a missing piece to one of my new earrings. Never did get that errand run. I watched some bad TV, took a long shower, went grocery shopping for the church food supplies, made a sandwich for lunch. Very very lazy. Just not something I usually do.

Then I went down into Austin and met Big Sis and Tall Hubby. I got to see my nephews, Sid (the wee dog) and Simon (the not-so-wee cat). We hung out for a while and then went to have some hors d'ouvres at their friends' house. We hung there and chatted and noshed on wonderful stuff like cheese, bread, some kind of plum and something else paste, olives, hummus, and grilled veggies. After all of that, we weren't really hungry for dinner. But we went forth and tackled the dinner task at a great place, Kerbey Lane. Yum - shrimp scampi! These four are great company and are gracious enough to allow me to frequently be their fifth wheel. I made it home just after midnite. Just in time to prep all the church food and watch a really really awful movie.

- Sunday - Probably my favorite day of the week. It could only be made better if they pass a law to make Monday a non-work day. I woke up in time to make myself presentable. Drove down to pick up the boys from future ex and went to church. I got to sing again this week and the songs Mr. Music Director picked were all just fantastic. I mean, in their message and their fun-factor for those of us that get to actually play/sing them. Plus, the singing bass player was there so we had 3 part harmonies which I just LOVE. To me, there should always be at least 17 harmony parts. Would that it were possible!

The lesson was awesome as usual. One point the pastor made that has stuck in my head is this: even Jesus had to pray twice. He was talking about how we tend to just send up one request and just dust our hands off like, "Well, I tried!" But sometimes we have to go to God multiple times. And he pointed out, in one story in the gospel, even Jesus - God on earth - had to pray twice. He prayed over a blind man and then asked him, "Tell me what you see." The man said, "I see men that look like trees." So Jesus prayed over him again and then the man saw clearly. I find that really profound. I've been learning to not give up in prayer. I'm always talking about "pestering God" on some issue. But when I heard this I thought, wow! There was at least one time where even Jesus had to pray twice. That is VERY cool. So now I'm redoubling my efforts to remember to keep asking God. Keep filling that bowl with prayers until it overflows. Anyway, that was one thing that stuck in my head. Also, I started talking to a few of the people at church about that music project I talked about a couple of posts ago. There are quite a few people very interested. So I imagine I'll be posting more about that.

That was my awesome weekend. Fun, fun and a great topper with my church family.

Today I got sick again. This GI problem I seem to have isn't giving up easily. I've had it in one form or another since Jan 14th. Today, I got violently ill again and thought, I am SO done with this. So I called the doc. They are running a bunch of labs on me to see if it's a particular bacteria they can attack with specific meds, if it's a virus, if it's a parasite or what. They're testing for a host of things just to rule them out. One of which is hepatitis. I doubt I have it. But seeing as how I got a new tattoo just after Christmas, you just never know. Wouldn't that just be poetic justice, eh? And if all those come back negative and I'm still having this much trouble, they'll probably do one of those really fun GI scans where you drink the orange barium drink. I've had one. Even the thought of smelling that orange stuff can make me gag. Ugh. But my theory is, I got virus A in Boston. I came home and Pokemon Boy had virus B. I got that. And my immune system is just too weak to fight it off. The doc office was booked solid today. I got in due to a cancellation that happened just as I called. They tell me there are just super GI bugs and bronchial infections going around right now. Lucky us, eh?

Anyway, that's my yammering for today.

Thank you all for the wonderful loving and supportive thoughts you left on the last post. I have no doubt that many of you are a huge part of my survival - through your prayers. And I can assure you that many of you are a huge part of my survival just for the sweet notes you leave me here.

Rock on, my people. Rock on.

Awesome Blogger Chicks RULE!

I have to tell you, I'm sitting here typing this while on the phone, listening to the fabulous Jane tell me a story about how she recently connected with Trish through this bloggy world. We've just been talking about how we've made these intense deep connections with people we've never met...through a blog!

We've both found such amazing support through all of our Awesome Blogger Chicks. I find it so funny that God has used this cyber journal community to minister to me.

I was just telling Jane about how when I mention MySpace or "blogging" to people, very often I am met with disgusted responses. I think a lot of people know nothing about online communities. They only know MySpace because of some article on 20/20 about underage girls getting phished by 45 yr old truckers. When they hear "blog", they think of what a dorky term that is for crazy loners who just want to journal a bunch of lies to impress people they don't know.

Online communities are a tool like any other. Any tool can be used or abused. And in the right hands, it turns into a wonderful community like this one.

I think of Wanda sending me a print of her water color to hang in an empty space left by the departing future ex. I think of Jane who will meet me for the first time in Boston in a couple of months (and we're planning other trips already for 2008!!). I think of all of you who have shared your own divorce stories with me - you have NO idea how much hope you have instilled in me. I can't wait until my next trip to California to see my birth-mom. I'm gonna drag her up to visit Darlene, Angela & Wanda! I love all of the wonderfully creative, hysterical women I've met here - like Sarakastic, Beck, JenKneeBee, Ellesappelle, Stacy. And the connection to established friends (Kristen) and family (cousins Kendra & Monica and their mom Brenda) is icing on the cake.

I know there are still some friends & family who think I'm just making weird connections with a bunch of cyber stalkers. But I am truly amazed and thankful for the real friendships I'm making and maintaining here. The lifeline this place provided for me during the first few months of my divorce...I cannot tell you how that helped. When I couldn't stand to show my face in public around my home, you guys were a loving supportive haven. I could come to you, tear-stained and puffy. I could have eyes flaming red and snot pouring from my nose and you guys didn't care. Well, ok, granted you didn't know, either. But still. It was my safety zone of unconditional love.

And how totally random is it that so many of you are - what I call - "God people". Honestly, I didn't really start out as a strictly Christian blog site. I was open with both my faith and my fallibility (is that a word?). But I wasn't out strictly to find Christians or God people. But here you all are. Now tell me God doesn't use blogs to unite people!

Jane and I finally hung up - giddy with our plans of travel and becoming strong independent single women through God just in time for him to plop the perfect man in our laps. I suppose I should go to bed. Just had to tell you all good night and I love you.

Smooches...

Wanda Rocking Once Again

Dude, seriously. Could Wanda rock any harder?


I went to the mailbox just now. Actually, haven't been in two days. So it might have actually been sitting there for me. But there was a lovely little package from Wanda! I opened it and found a sweet ribbon wrapped stack of cards. The top one is the old truck that I love.


I opened the packet and found an assortment of cards made from some of her paintings. I don't want to send any of these anywhere!!! I want to frame each one. Maybe I will. I have multiple old trucks. So maybe I'll part with some of those. And I have a girl in white - I can part with that since I have a larger framed print. But the others may just end up in frames of their own - filling gaps in my walls.


Wanda, you so totally rock.

Look Out BOSTON!

Boston is already used to me. It had me for 20 some-odd years. I'm sure it can handle having me there yet again. BUT - as Trish pointed out today in her blog - in January, it will be hosting four of the lovely bloggers from my extended bloggy family. It is home to Trish & Kristen. It's formerly my home. But in January, the lovely Jane will be joining me for half of my business + pleasure trip! It was a wonderfully impulsive idea and I think it should become an annual event that includes even more of my wonderful bloggy family.

The thing that just cracks me up about this is, Jane and I were emailing off-blog. And I said something like, "Oh we should take a trip to Boston together some time!" She replied something like, "Word up, yo. I am DOWN wit dat!" Well, no, it was more like, "That would be great!" But I just wanted to visualize her being all street and stuff. Anyway, we initially wrote it up as nothing that would happen any time soon. But then I realized I have a business trip up there in January and just said, oh man you should totally come up then!!! And about an hour later we were figuring out flights and hotels and all sorts of stuff. Is this just crazy or what? I love this! I mean, as I've seen a few of you post before - who'da thunk that we'd make such amazing connections with virtual strangers over a BLOG?

So Trish, Kristen, Alicia (our non-blogging honorary blogger pal), Jane and I are planning an Awesome Blogger Chicks Nite Out. WOO-HOO!!! And we'll probably all be going to my old church on Sunday. Jane wants to check it out, too, Kristen! So Trish, tell them to step it up, man. Because the Awesome Blogger Chicks (ABC) will be there.

I also sent out an email to some of my Boston Rock Opera girlfriends to get a little shindig together. One of them is making a special trip up to see me while I'm there. I want Jane to meet a bunch of them, too. Most of my Boston friends are still performing in bands so we're hoping to catch some good music while there. I mean, even if it all gets jumbled up, who cares?! Jane and I were thinking that hanging out in a Boston hotel in the middle of January sounds like great fun, too. And I know some killer restaurants that are off the beaten path.

Oh Kristen...let's take her to Carlo's! Talk about tiramisu!!! Plus, I haven't seen Mama Irene in years!

This is gonna be so much fun! I am sitting here wishing the holidays would just get it all over and done so I can get on this trip!

WOOOO-HOOOOOO!!!!

Two Words: WANDA. ROCKS.

Well, let me tell you, my strange little blogger family...this strange little bloggy world is getting more and more embedded in my heart and life.

A while ago, I posted about how my walls and rooms had gaps and empty spaces where future ex had taken something in the physical division of our property. It was rather a downer. Well, I got so many wonderful suggestions for filling those gaps. And I intend to use almost all of them! But let me tell you...Wanda blew my mind!

For those of you who know Wanda, you are familiar with her paintings. Well she commented on my post offering to let me choose from prints of many of her paintings. I was so blown away by the offer. She was going to have the print matted and would mail it to me. Honestly, if I mail a bill, it's a banner day for me.

Well, I couldn't choose between the old truck and the girl in white. So I told her to pick for me and surprise me. Well, the print arrived the other day. I meant to post that it had arrived but got side tracked. Wanda sent me the girl in white!! She's SO gorgeous in person. Much better than the picture on the web. I got all teary as I unpacked her. What a gorgeous gift, Wanda! If you haven't seen her on Wanda's site, here's a shot I pilfered from Wanda's blog:

Wanda matted my print in a beautiful cream matte with a dark brown inner matte. I'm not good at describing it. But it's GORGEOUS.


Is that not the sweetest thing in the world? So one blank spot down. About...25 more to go! HA! Time to dig out some of my old photography. Some local frame store is going to LOVE me.


Wanda, I so totally love you!

...And Boy Are My Arms Tired!

I just got home from my business trip to NJ and Boston. I don't normally ever come back going, "Wow, that business trip was AWESOME!" But I'm saying it this time! I had such a freaking AWESOME almost-week up there.

First off, New England (and the north east region) is my most favoritest place in the country. I've lived in a lot of places but I love that area the best. On our drive from Boston to NJ, I had my face pressed against the window and just kept going, "LOOK at those TREES!" My New England coworkers were like, dude, they're just trees. Now, don't get me wrong: I adore my new Texas home. Austin rocks. Love it. It's green and gorgeous. But it has SHORT trees. Not a lot of water here so the trees very smartly decide to stay short and get wide (much like myself). In New England, the trees tower over you. As one native Austinite told me today, she hates tall trees. She likes her short Texas trees. She likes to see the sky. So there is a plus to the short trees. Plus, being surrounded by short trees, I can pretend I'm taller.

Second, the trip to NJ was our divisional off site "group hug". It's all IT people. Can you think of a less exciting group of people with which to have an all-day meeting? But it actually was a lot of fun. Mostly due to the fact that - this year - the didn't try to "mix it up" with assigned seats. We got to sit where we wanted and with whom we wanted. So I could lean over and make my silly remarks to my friend and she could go, "Stop talking to me." I got to see a lot of coworkers from PA that I haven't seen in about a year, too. And some NJ friends - ditto. So that was actually much better than I expected.

Third, everyone kept telling me how gorgeous I look. And by gorgeous, I think they really meant, "Wow, you're not a 300 pound, gelatinous, weeping mess!" But I just pretended they all thought I should be on America's Next Top Model. I found it especially funny that, on the day when I didn't have time to wash my hair, everyone told me how great my hair looked. What is THAT about?

On Tuesday night, I got to hang with a long-time friend that I adore. He is actually the son of a friend from my Boston rock theater days. I still think of him as that 14 yr old kid. Well, he's 6'2" and 25 yrs old now. So that was an adjustment. HA! He's been one of my few male supporters through this divorce. He recently lost his life love and we've found we have many similar experiences in our dealing with our losses. Sometimes he just calls to see how I'm doing because he's having a hard day dealing with loneliness. Other times, I'll describe something I'm feeling and he'll get it. Normally if a 25 yr old tried to liken their love-loss to mine, I'd toss some snide remark at them about how their situation is so paltry compared to mine. But he really gets it. We had a great time hanging out and we both gave each other a great shot to our respective egos. Nothing like hanging out with people who love you no matter what to just make you feel amazing.

And speaking of people who love you no matter what, on Wednesday night, I got to hang with my other long-time (and one not-so-long-time) friends. I hooked up with Kristen, Trish and Alicia at a great Boston eatery. These three women were my go-to pillars when future ex first dumped me. I have to tell you how awesome it is to have people to turn to who will immediately start praying even as you're crying on the phone to them. I cannot tell you how much they've had to endure in listening to me. I also think how hard this has been for them. I mean, first, they have to deal with standing on the side lines while one of their best friends is in the ring having one of the biggest fights of her life. Praying is amazing. And it works. But I know first hand that the human side of you wishes you could get in the ring and throw a few punches, too. And second, two of them were almost as close to my future ex as they were to me. So they are feeling the loss of a man they loved for many years. And they are dealing with the whole, "Who IS this guy, anyway?" thing.

But all week at the office, I just had a huge smile on my face. I think that threw all my office mates. This was the first time since March that I travelled to Boston. First time they saw me since they heard I was actually getting divorced. To see me looking healthy and smiling like a goon? I don't think that was easy to reconcile in their heads. I think that was why I got so many shocked sounding comments like, "You look amazing!"

So yah, this trip just rejuvenated me. And I'm still smiling!

My Blogger Friends ROCK!

I love the response I got from everyone on my last post. You guys are amazing.

One of the coolest things is that Wanda is going to actually send me one of her paintings to put on my wall!! She let me pick. I couldn't choose between the old truck and the girl in white. So she's going to surprise me by choosing between those two for me! Does she rock or WHAT?! I mean, in reality, none of us have ever met (excepting Trish & Kristen and my various family members lurking). But you guys support me like real friends do. I love it. I can't wait to see what Wanda chooses for me!

And to all the lovely ladies who have unfortunately walked where I am now: your strength and hope is one of the things that keeps me going. God has put you in my life to give me proof that, "See? I will get you through this." I really thank you so much for sharing your stories with me.

I have to tell you that I know I am being covered in some mighty prayer. How do I know? I'm sitting here all chipper and optimistic. All week. Since last Saturday, I have seen future ex every day or night. And each time, he takes more things and leaves more gaps. And every day, I have been fine. I haven't cried once. I haven't felt despair. I have even been able to rib him in a non-hostile way. So I know you and the rest of my wonderful support group are praying for me heartily.

I have to tell you this, too. Last night, we were emptying books off of shelves he was taking. At first, we were trying to divide them up by who owned what. But we ran out of time and just piled them all over the floor of whatever room they were in. At one point, he said, "You know, when you commented that I had so much 'stuff', I didn't realize...I don't know how I got so much STUFF!" I find it pretty telling that, he is walking out with so many physical possessions. He has also been working very hard to go out and purchase replacements for all of those things that will stay with me. So many blank spots and gaps are left in my physical world right now. I have no pressing angst to run out to replace any of them. And who is the one that is calm and peaceful? We all know that things won't make us happy. But I find this interesting - actual PROOF right in front of me.

Just thought I'd share.

I have started to incorporate many of your suggestions from my last post. I think the first item I will attack will be replacing that bed. And to paint my bedroom. I will also paint the living room (finally - I've had the color picked for over a year) as most of its walls are empty now. I already enlisted The Boy by telling him I would be framing some of his art to hang around the house. He is stoked, to say the least.

You're all so amazing.

Ah Kin Feel It A'Comin'!

Oh drat. I'm getting a head cold. Good gravy on toast, that annoys me. I feel like I've been rather healthy after along string of stress-induced illness. So I'm just annoyed at the totally raw feeling I have in my sinuses & back of my throat. Oh well. That's what I get for being the mother of two adorable boys that are sent off to their daily Petri dishes.

(Editorial: I realize the silliness of the "rather healthy" comment above as I reviewed recent posts about intestinal viruses. HA!)

I'm not really complaining. Just a wee bit annoyed. In the grand scheme of things, I'll take a head cold. So I'll go dose up with my decongestants that praise God for my cold. I've been reading way too many blogs and emails that have put things in a bit of perspective.

I will go pray health over Darlene, Sarakastic & Jane. I will go praise God with Angela. I will pray for little Andrew and his family. There are so many more. But a big part of my prayer time is spent (and I had to just change that from "spenting"...I'm getting tired!) just saying, "Thank you God..." while I just kind of picture people in my head that I'm thankful for. It's easier on my brain, for some reason, that actually going, "...for aunt so-and-so and uncle this-n-that..." and naming my legion of siblings and their kids, etc. But the funny thing is...when I thank God for my regular blogger chick pals? I tend to picture your profile picture or one of my favorite posts. So those of you with silly or non-facial or non-real-person profile picks usually get me to smile as I mentally thumb past your picture. (That would be you, Beck, Sarakastic, JenKneeBee, and UkranianDiva!) And if that doesn't get me giggling, the fact that I think of most of you by your blog nicknames and not your real names usually gets me. Thank goodness God has a sense of humor.

This post is all over the place. Rather like my brain at the moment. Time to go hit the meds and then my bed.

Snort.

Trish's Video

Now, I'm going to give you guys a link to watch a video of Trish. I know she'd never put this on her blog. But I love and adore her and think her testimony is so great so I'll totally exploit her here. This testimony is similar to the one she gave in front of the church way back in 2005 while a cynical snot-nosed brat (ie - me) sat there rolling her eyes and thinking she would never have anything to say to this crazed woman that was speaking. Thankfully, I was woefully wrong.

Go to this link and you'll see Trish's picture as the first one. Click on Trish and you can watch and listen and marvel at her beauty (or maybe that's just me).

http://www.bostonvineyard.org/impossiblygreat/

Enjoy!

Big Giant Gloopy Gobs of Love

Thanks for the well wishes. I'm much better. Still feeling a bit delicate (not a word frequently used to describe any part of me). So I'm being careful to avoid places like Sonic - where they deep fry like everything.

Today I am very oddly possessed by this overwhelming feeling of love. It is the strangest thing. I'm sitting here on this incredibly boring all-day conference call. And I feel this incredible urge to call or IM or email all of my friends to tell them how much I love them and how great they are. Lucky for me, I was able to IM Kristen and do that. I emailed Trish her big blob o' love yesterday. I just feel so insanely blessed with wonderful true friends. The kind that will be there for you no matter what, when, why, etc. I am so totally gooby with love that I would give everyone a giant group hug if you were all here.

I told Kristen that this feels so silly and weird. And she said that usually when you feel something so strongly, it's the Holy Spirit working. And it must have been. Because when I IM'd her a dose of big warm & fuzzy mushy stuff, it was exactly what she needed today. Isn't that funny? I just thought I was being all gloppy and dorky and it just totally hit home for her.

See, this is one of many reasons I love God.

And on Friday, when I was laying in bed wishing someone would buy me a new GI tract, I got a phone call from one of my closest friends in Boston. She was in horrible emotional pain. And I was only at home because I was sick. If I had been ok, I would have been at my parents' house. So my lovely little virus served a purpose. She told me, "I knew I'd call you and you'd make me feel better!"

God can use all things for good. Even nasty intestinal viruses. Take THAT evil!

I'm a dork.