Winning

Back to one of my favorite topics, football *grins* to narrow it down even further Tim Tebow.. well not really just had to say good ole, Timmy's name.. The Broncos won today and it was an awesome sight. A really good game that I seriously thought they were gonna pull a "Bears" on us and loose at the last moment after having led 20-6 at the half.

What got me about today's game is the media.. now there's a shock I know.. but the Broncos won.. pure and simple.. instead of saying the Broncos won, it was the Broncos won but.... so and so was injured, so and so didn't play, maybe a bad call or two... always qualifying that the Broncos didn't really win on merit..

Here's the thing.. years ago, a US figure skater won the national championship.. One opponent had the flu and one had a sprained ankle going in and after she won she was asked. Did she feel her title was negated by these facts? Her response is what has stayed with me for close to three decades.. she said.. 

"That is the nature of competition. On any given day anyone could be sick or injured and today.. I was the best.. and today is all that matters" 

I can't remember who said it, I am not sure even when it was said, I only know it was sometime in the early 80's.. and yet the point remains the same.. 

Today the Broncos Won.. get over it newspeople..

A New Dawn

So life has once again gotten interesting... these past two years have been dark, very dark a difficult place for me to be. Me the woman who honestly believes that there is always good, always a silver lining, the glass is always (just a bit over half full)...

I have been known to drive those who know me completely bonkers with what they call my inability to face reality. What they don't understand it isn't not facing reality it is refusing to let reality run my life.. I mean I know my life is difficult, I know I have been a single mother raising four kids on her own for 12 years now. I know life has been a series of bad choices and rotten luck for many of them. But I also know I have met some amazing and wonderful people along the way. I know I have faced my demons and walked away from them. I know that I would not have done so had my life been different. So I choose to rejoice!! I choose to be grateful for what I have no longer wallow in what I have not!

I firmly believe the true miracles in our lives come not from grand sweeping gestures from God (and yes I have had those) but in the fact that tomorrow the sun will still come up. That eventually I will have worked my way out of these troubles and found joy in my accomplishment. That I remembered to lift my burdens to God along the way, that I remembered that I am not in charge merely along for the ride and that I have been given an amazing gift of the life I have. If that makes me an idealist, one who lives in fantasyland.. then hello fantasyland!! cuz I am so not leaving..

Shut Up and Listen to Grandma

Recently, I have heard all sorts of interesting philosophies on the economy, family, morals, ethics, hard work, etc... Some are of course way out there, sending me into peals of laughter but the ones that are considered the most amazing, the most ground breaking the most viable... are the same things I have heard my entire life.

Lessons learned at my grandma's knee...

hmmm let's see

1. pay yourself first. Now she wasn't talking 401K's or retirement they didn't have that then. No she meant take 10% of your income and put it into a savings account for a rainy day. Now I am horrible at this so I do make use of the 401K system to hold that 10%.. otherwise I would find a use for it.

2. give just a little bit more of yourself than you can afford. When it matters it will come back to you.

3. stand up for what you believe in, don't bow to peer pressure or trends.. they will move on with the winds of change only you remain the same..

4. quality of life is way better than quantity of life. Drive the same car for 10 or so years, live in the same house.. Yes it may seem to be too small but eventually it will be too big

5. keep learning, you are never too old to learn something new.. whether from a book or an education keep moving forward.

6. give back.. i know i said that earlier but it bears repeating.

7. live life like you were living (not like you were dying).. but always seek new adventures.

8. don't vote for the pretty one, vote for the one with the brains. research your candidates, find their histories.. what do they really believe in.

9. raise your children to understand that life is work. they don't get a free ride.. it is not your responsibility to put them through adulthood..

10. never say I can't... because as she would say.. You are an American and the last for letters of American spell I CAN... no kidding...

seriously, is there not a lesson in each of those statements.. have you not heard some of them formatted a bit differently but spouted by the new and "in" crowd? So all, maybe it is time to stop and listen to Grandma.. they it seems had a clue after all.

The Thing About Life

The thing about life is that no matter how horrible it gets as long as you keep on living it gets better... or at least changes and allows you a new set of challenges.

Oh good lord doesnt that just sound like a load of crap? but it is true, as long as you choose to keep going one step at a time, one day at a time eventually things happen. Is my life any better today than yesterday well no... the lovely state of Illinois Child Support System is still behind on my Child Support. I am still wondering about food, shelter and storage but...

A good night's sleep a talk with a friend and life just looks better. It comes down to I believe.. interesting isn't it?

On a different note, today I wrote to the president. Something I have done once a month since I turned 18.. I figure it is the best way for him to know what is going on in the everyday lives of his constituents.. I suggest you do the same.. invite him into your life, share your day with him, also your senators, congressmen and local reps.. my reason being, if you are part of their daily lives maybe just maybe they will remember that they are there to serve you (me, us) and actually try to do their jobs.

Yes it is True, I am Crazy

Life is full of hazardous pit falls, the kids are always in need spending what little money I have, bills to be paid. There is rent and food and clothing aside from all of the other expenditures..

I was all excited when I was using adsense, I was rocking along had made 130.00 then was declared a threat to their advertisers, seriously I am a threat. Anyway I got really depressed and decided that I was not going to even attempt to get the money aspect going. Oh I kept up whatever I had but that was it.

Then today I noticed... wow someone is advertising on my blog. In the post your link here spot.. so I was stoked. Now here comes the crazy part, it is for a dollar. That is right I earned a dollar!! One single dollar, won't even buy me a soda in most places. But WHO CARES.. whoo hooo I earned a dollar!!!

Now maybe it is ego or maybe it is just the fantasy of making money but either way I am doing the happy dance. Anyone else who feels like spending a dollar to make me do the dance feel free...

Have a GREAT day

Stuck in the Middle

Well it has begun, the breakup I spoke of earlier has begun to turn nasty. Who to choose, who to believe and why do I have to?

I believe strongly that the one who demands you choose sides looses the right to be my friend. All of my friends know this and yet it seems that I am dragged ever deeper into a pit of he said, she said and downright lies. There is no middle ground and I have to wonder if the best way to deal with it all is to just walk away.

It sure would make my life easier, except they have both stood by me when I needed a friend. They both in their separate ways held my hands while I cried and struggled. They both offered me their unconditional support. and now.. they both want mine.

I don't know maybe walking away would be easier, but it is more honest?

Life's Miracles

No, I am not back on the internet.. I do though have limited use of one in the downstairs lobby of the hotel. Not the best of circumstances but at least it provides an alternative to nothing.

A long time ago when I was the golden girl and my life was full of promise; I was considered the best of friends, the one people went to when they needed a shoulder to lean on, advice, or whatever.. then life hit and it hit hard. Over the past 11+ years of single parenthood I have struggled to put food on the table a roof over their heads and clothing on their backs. For years school clothes and school supplies were sent by my mom and Christmas? well it often happened because there is a Santa Claus, not because I had the wherewith all to provide a good one. And of course the ever ongoing struggle for money.. if you listen to their father he is the reason all good things have happened and if left up to me entirely we would be on the street. Of course this confuses me since I am here every single friggen day.. trying to give them whatever I can and his contribution? Child support and the occasional grand gesture.

But that is for another day, what I honestly want to talk about is the ongoing struggle that is seriously part of my life and yes many of it is from bad choices. I am not one to put the blame on another's shoulder just because it makes me look better. As hard as it has been, amazingly enough there have been some pretty awesome miracles along the way. Just tonight one was handed to me. Now I don't deserve such graciousness but not being an idiot I am not going to complain. For some reason even in my stupidity God smiles on me and sends me angels of grace and blessings. Just think how wonderful a tribute to Him I would be if I actually listened occasionally.

What I did want to say, is that when you are down and you wonder why those miracles never happen to you.. look around are the bills paid? Do you still have a job? healthy children? a roof over your head? Believe me the miracles are coming every day in teeny tiny little ways. Appreciate them and say a prayer in thanks for me. Remember we don't deserve our miracles we just get lucky

Those in Need

This morning I spent a few hours at the local food pantry, the lines were long and the stores were few.. it was a sad moment to see, in our down the local food pantry is a well supported scout troops, church groups even the local high school support it, raise funds and go on food drives. i know the local businesses give as much as they can. it is a well respected and well run facility.. and yet with the onset of winter and these trying times. it is suffering.

The lines are winding, the doors to our pantry are only open between 9-11on Sat and Wed mornings and yet today for the first time that I have ever seen, they had to turn people away. They just didn't have the food. It almost made me cry... and I know it had to have broke the hearts of those individuals who work that pantry week in and week out.. year after year. Good hearts, pure hearts who just want to make a difference.

So I am asking, this week when you are out grocery shopping buy an extra bag or two of non perishables. Canned goods, shampoo, diapers, pancake mix, cereal, hey cookies and treats.. it doesn't matter.. if every one did that and dropped it off at their local food pantry think how many more people they could help and if they did it every week.. wow that would be amazing.. If you don't have the time to do the shopping or just are unsure of what to buy... drop off a few dollars, if those same people all stopped by with a 20.. once again think how far that would stretch.

I know we are all biting the bullet, tightening our belts.. life is tough right now, but if we give and we give just a little more than we can afford in the end our hearts will be lighter our souls will shine just a bit brighter and if we make it a habit.. we can actually become better people.