Friendship

Wow, I won a Friendship Award! I haven't won too many awards in my lifetime, and I have to say this is the most welcome. It's a great achievement to bowl the highest game in a league of thirty women who are 'getting away' from their kids on a Monday morning, and it's rewarding to receive an award in your eighth grade English class from a school in Brooklyn that probably shouldn't be giving out those types of awards, but to receive an award for something you love to do daily in your life is most honoring. I love being a friend and I love having friends. My dear friend Cynthia, http://muse-swings.blogspot.com/2008/08/friendship.html who is so kind and expresses her thoughts so well has gone out on a limb to offer this award to me, and I am forever grateful. Cynthia has come to my rescue in times of emotional need and is also most deserving of such an award. Thank you Cynthia, with Love!

Self-Help

With all the self-help books out there, I've never seen one for self-help check-out lines. I may have stumbled upon a whole new market here. Once I have the procedure down, I'm considering an instruction manual accompanied with a bonus tutorial DVD. I don't understand how the packing area knows what I put in the bag and what I've failed to put in the bag.

While buying one dozen light bulbs neatly placed in a cardboard holder, the scanner would not allow me to scan the same one twelve times without placing one in the "baggage holding area" each time. This meant removing each one from the convenient cardboard holder and placing them loosely in a bag in the "baggage holding area." Sounds like an important place, doesn't it...like maybe the "staging area" prior to a Broadway play, or the "holding cell" prior to prison sentencing, wasn't sure just yet if it was a good place or a very bad place. Then of course, when finished, I place the convenient cardboard holder in the "baggage holding area" so that I can use it for convenient storage when I get home, but lo and behold this very important "baggage holding area" will not allow it in the "baggage holding area" and the nice lady in the computer announces that a foreign object has been placed in the "baggage holding area." This confirms that the "baggage holding area" is not a very good place, but a very bad place and I don't want to go there ever again unless I know what I'm doing. Finally, the real nice lady (not the lady in the computer) who has the very important job of manning the self-help lines comes to my aid and removes the cardboard holder and places it in my shopping cart. Upon arrival at home, I lift the bag now filled with one dozen loose light bulbs and lo and behold the overfilled plastic bag tears down the side and all twelve light bulbs scatter to the ground, and luckily only one explodes. Well either way, one or all, I'm going back to exchange for another. Only this time, I will go to the customer service desk and the nice real lady behind the counter will allow me to get a new light bulb.

If only there was an instructional manual with a tutorial DVD, I would have saved myself a lot of time and energy (not to mention gas) before entering the self-help check-out line. So, what do you think, is there a market for this or what???

Just A Little Tidbit

I've noticed that when God puts something on my heart, He provides for me to follow through with what that is. Sometimes I forget what this life story is about and see it as 'Him providing for me' and then other times, and thankfully so, I will be reminded that He is actually providing for His will to be done. Praise Him for that, His will is perfect anyway! Isn't that what we want to know and accomplish...His will, isn't that how we get to come into complete agreement with Him??? God's story is just so amazing and wonderful, words don't tell enough, it has to be lived...'His Way,' and if we take notice a little more often, 'His Way' is always lovingly for another, which also includes us.

Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs

I've decided to add a word to a phrase that's been around for as long as I can remember, so I'm sure it was around way before that. The phrase is 'trials and tribulations,' and the word I've added to it is 'triumphs.' When I think about the many trials and/or tribulations that I've experienced, there has always been triumphs along with them...or just prior to...or even after. Now, that's something to be excited about because if you noticed I did say "the many trials and/or tribulations that I've experienced," so that tells you I have experienced many triumphs also, and then again what about all the triumphs that come without the trials and tribulations. So, what does that say? It says that I have experienced more triumphs than trials and tribulations. WOW, PRAISE GOD!

I can't help but wonder if that's so for everyone. I'm sure some will say definitely not, but I also have to wonder it that's true...or is it that they just don't notice the triumphs? There are times that I don't. When I look back to all the times I prayed not to be going through a specific trial, I can now see that if I wasn't there, then I wouldn't be here 'where I am now.' Those are the prayers I'm glad now that weren't answered. Somehow we seem to make situations to be all about us, and we want them to work out a certain way for us. When they don't, I can see how it's a good thing they weren't because it isn't only about us. So then I guess those prayers actually were answered, just not the way I wanted or expected, instead it was just that someone else knew what was best for me. So why don't we trust Him enough? I say enough because we say we do, then realize that we didn't when we should have. Sound confusing??? Well in a way it is, and in a way it's very simple.

We already know the end of the story, so what's our problem? My guess? We are our problem. And so, we continue to learn and grow and try our very best to make life about living for and with others instead of just ourselves.

Some trials and tribulations I am experiencing right now are actually about one very small person, my eleven year old son, and also the lives of my three older grown sons. I am learning how to be a single mom. After twenty-five years of learning what a marriage is supposed to be, I'm now learning how to be divorced...that's me, always learning something new. Where's the triumph in that you might ask. It's that I've learned to lean on my most trusted Father, the Lord, and seek His advice in everything I do, when I remember to. When I don't remember to, that's when the triumph is in not getting what I want.

This may sound pretty impressive to some, but there is something I'm ashamed of...that most times even while basking in the triumphs, it's still difficult for me to be thankful for the trials and tribulations. What a selfish breed we are, us humans.

Summer Vacation

Gotta love those summer vacations...no school, no work (you're probably saying "what?? no work??). Well, I'm having a different kind of summer from most this year. My child doesn't have school, and I don't have a job; so I guess you could say we are both on vacation together. Find job, pay summer camp, or stay home, have fun with child...which would you pick? Well, okay, so it's not always fun, but it's still better than working. One day we're bored and another we're jammed packed with chores, and then there's always those home grown activities that moms love to initiate and children hate to participate. But we get through them, and they almost always turn out to be enjoyable.

I also consider our time spent shopping together to be an education for my child, especially when shopping sales. It's a great way for children to learn how to spend money while saving money. We buy one, get one free, we do mail-in rebates, instant rebates, we clip coupons, etc., and so on. Then we can take our savings and go to a movie. Bet they don't teach that in school or summer camp. As a matter of fact, I'm sure they don't.

Just check out (no pun intended) some of the cashiers in the stores lately. Very true story titled, "Buying a Fence at Lowes, a Very Long Story." After hearing that Lowe's delivers and since I had already gone on the Lowe's website and found the fence I wanted, knew the price, how many sections I needed, and what other items I needed to go with it, I enter the store and go directly to a salesman (where the fences are) and ask him if they have this particular one in stock on the printed out paper from the internet that I carried with me. He takes me to the other end of the store to the gardening department and finds the fence for me among the flowers. I ask no questions; well except about the delivery. Delivery charge is $60, okay nevermind. The salesman informs me that I can also get 10% off if I apply for a Lowe's credit card which will only take a minute when I am paying for my purchase. I take the application with me. I go home and call my nephew and ask him if he could come with me to Lowe's with his pick-up truck to purchase my items. We go back to Lowe's the next day. After spending over a half hour waiting for someone to make an attempt to process this sale, I find out that the price on the internet is not the same price as in the store, but I can order it online at the online price and pick it up at the same store 'after it is shipped.' Okay, this makes a lot of sense. We ask to use their computer to go on the internet, but of course they don't have internet service in the store. I was willing to bet my life that if I ordered it online right then and there, the website would tell me it was 'ready for pickup.' and I would be getting the same fence that was sitting there as we spoke. Well, needless to say over another half hour later I decide that I'll just buy the fence at the in-store price and take my 10% off with my new Lowe's credit card. BIG MISTAKE! For yet over another half hour we had the pleasure of witnessing the head cashier, a second cashier, a manager and not sure who else look for a phone number to call regarding this credit card, which as it turned out I was unable to have because they couldn't 'verify my identity.' Okay, whatever, let's please get out of here. So we pay for the fence and after stepping outside to where we are supposed to pick it up, yet another half hour goes by and realize that it must be that no one is bringing us this fence. Well, guess what, we were right. After approaching an employee and finding out that he must have done a lot of drugs in his day, the fence was eventually brought out to us, and this was only after going to find him and removing him from chatting with yet another cashier. I told you this was a long story. Should I tell you just one more story about another shopping experience? I'll spare you.

I'll also spare my child and now that our chores are done, we will spend the rest of the summer doing our home grown activities, seeing movies, swimming, reading, and enjoying the beaches.

Making Memories

Remember making memories??? I do. Sometimes, though, I forget to notice that there are still memories being made and yet more to be made. The difference from earlier in life to now is that I can appreciate the making of them and am aware of the sentimental value they will have for my children and my other children (well you know...their spouses, cousins, friends) one day. Sometimes we try to protect our teens and young adults from too much hard work while we are depriving them from the fun of working together, sharing the gifts of themselves, and appreciating the giving and receiving of love. Late the other night, I listened to the afterthoughts and conversations of my kids, my nephews, and so on as they went over the events of a full day of hard labor, sweating in the hot sun and humidity, and the sharing of good food and laughter that went along with it. All of a sudden it hit me, I was watching and listening as they enjoyed the fruits of their labor. And what a blessing that was! I can recall doing the same as a child and still again today, only as a kid I didn't really understand what was happening. And here they were, my kids, making memories, and not only for themselves but for me too. Some people say the future is grim for our kids...I disagree, or maybe those people don't know MY kids. I see a bright future for them and will continue to support them in everything they do and well, even in everything they don't do (because well you see we have to do that for them sometimes).

Some amusing memories were made this weekend too, which I won't go into detail, except to say that I know nothing about the items sold in Home Depot nor what they are used for, nor do I care. A few trips there confirmed for sure that I am very glad to be a woman...shoe stores, boutiques, and malls, are much more worthwhile, fun, and entertaining places where you can also buy things you really need.

Speaking of memories, now that my memory is not as good as it used to be or maybe just too full to add more, photographs are becoming really important...with names and dates that is of who's who, and where and when. Which brings up a funny memory. One day while watching a slide show of baby pictures at school for one of my kids, my child's picture came up and as the room filled with oohhs and aahhs, it was brought to my attention that the photo in the slide show was one of my other children. Needless to say, I covered my mouth, kept quiet, and to this day I can promise you, that's a memory I will always remember that I would like to forget.

Memories are so lovely when they're yours, and even more so when they're shared. So, please, share some memories.

Thoughts

As I sit here contemplating on what thoughts I should pen (well type) to my new blog, which is something I've never done before and am completely unfamiliar with, I've come to realize that I can put down in words anything I see fit (well almost anything). This is MY blog!

I thought I'd first discuss how I chose my blog name, Simply Lovely. I've always loved the word 'lovely' and its definition because it can be used so often in descriptions; lovely flowers, the lovely weather, oh what lovely children, the lovely world, even what lovely fruit, etc., and so on. When I first learned that the Bible tells us that when we die and go to heaven, God will give us a new name, my thoughts immediately went to "well I hope He calls me Lovely." My heart's desire is that the Lord will look at me and say, "you are simply lovely, therefore I will call you 'Lovely.'"

My thoughts for this day were mostly about what to have for dinner and what time to go to bed tonight so that I can get up early tomorrow. Sounds pretty boring doesn't it??? It was one of those weeks of partial busyness and partial boredom. Circumstances beyond my control have stifled me for a couple of days, some car trouble and a sick child have altered my plans.

Another thought I've been having today is that I think I'm really going to enjoy this "blogging."

Putting thoughts in writing is a wonderful way to have conversation during some alone time...even if it is one-sided. So please, be sure to comment and make it two-or-more-sided.