Today was our first day to keep 6 month old Jameson along with his 4 year old brother.  I realized today that I’ve aged 4 years since Jax was a baby…and Jameson happens to be a chunky little monkey…weighing a little more than half of what his big brother weighs now.  At the end of the day, I’m tired, have sore back muscles and realize how blessed we are!

HE, Jaxon and Jenny made a trip to Costco late this afternoon.  Jameson stayed with me.  I had the opportunity to hold him and watch him sleep and soak up the baby smiles meant just for me.  When the crew got back to our house with our groceries, the door was flung open with shouts of G R A N DMA….Jaxon running in with a bouquet of red, white and blue carnations…we got these for you!

Sometimes gratitude just brings tears to your eyes.

Until next time.

So… I told him that I saw a picture of a garden cart that was for sale on a FB page.  It was an hour away and Wasn’t worth the hassle but this is what I wanted.

Now my dilemma.  He’s a perfectionist and it will be perfect…how am I going to put it outside on the deck to be damaged by the weather.  He’s not going to approve of me repotting plants on it sitting in the living room 😜.

The other project he completed and I just painted is a quilt rack and shelf for the quilt my daughter, Kate, made for me.

I painted it with milk paint that I purchased somewhere.  I really wish I could remember because I like it and the finish.  Very similar to chalk paint but much thinner application.  I just used the one color but read that it is a good paint to use if you want a farmhouse look.  Several layers will season over time.  I also did not use a wax on it…left it a chalky like matte finish.  Christina…if you read this….maybe something you might want to try?

Until next time…..

Until the last couple of years, I hated mosquitos the most…I rooted for bats because I knew they were eating the enemy.  2nd in line was chiggers…even though many internet experts and my daughter have told me that finger nail polish doesn’t work to stop the itch, I say pashaw!  The theory behind applying fingernail polish may be flawed, it does stop the itch.  But now I live in the KC area where infestation of oak mites is the worst it has been in 10 years.  I’d never even HEARD of oak mites!!  I’m one of those people who has obviously been bitten and chewed on by the above mentioned pests.  I sport huge red swollen spots and the itch is incredible!

He and I walked trails today at the Burr Oak conservation area…….Oak Mites!

As a side note….I learned of health problems of 3 very good friends today.  I won’t out two of them on social media because they haven’t.  But the one I will mention is Rod.  If you follow me on FB, you probably know who Rod is…..and if you know who Rod is, it might be news how dear our friendship is judging from our banter.  If you have a moment, please throw up some good vibes to the universe for him.  He’s in the hospital where he is being poked and prodded to find out what is wrong with him.  I know he’s nervous about it.

Rod and I about 16 years ago

Until next time….

After reading my blog of a couple days ago, my daughter checked in on my emotional health and quite firmly told me to shut off the damn TV and stay off the internet…I’m quite confident she thought I was spiraling to a psychotic break.  She was right.  So, over the weekend I took a TV News as well as political Twitter and Facebook break.  She was right.  He and I even avoided our Sunday morning ritual coffee with Chuck Todd and Meet the Press.  I’m reasonably clear headed this Monday morning.

I tend to have an obsessive, addictive personality.  Like a dog with a meaty roast bone.  I’m not going to analyze this one but I’m confident that when we only take in negative information all day long, a hateful message, negative, negative, negative we get sick.

I also see through to the other side of the forest and realize by digesting all this political BS, I feel like a victim…that I don’t have control of my own life and what is scarier than a head on collision knowing you can’t save yourself!

So, Dear Diary, that is where I am today.  Focusing on what I can control and avoiding taking in the negative that I cannot control.

Until next time…

I used to eat, sleep and drink my job as a dispatcher.  I lived with  a total commitment to the job.  Towards the end of my run, I also became very involved in the emergency management end of it and lucky for me, the EM director thought I had a lot of potential and taught me everything I could manage to soak in.  In my memory he is still one of my favorite people…ever.  The theory is very complicated but the take away is teaching and learning and working with police, fire and EMS agencies to handle critical incidents and my job was to learn their protocols so I could take it back to the 911 dispatchers.  Dispatchers understanding the reason for procedures in the field just enhances their ability to be the connection to all of these agencies out in the field. 

Another of my very favorite EMS people was Wendy…she was a mover and shaker with one of the small town fire/EMS departments.  We didn’t immediately hit it off.  It was a learning curve.  She was also very dedicated and also as a hospital RN, I always felt she ran herself pretty thin.  Over time, we developed a good working relationship and I learned to respect her perspective of her job and vise Versa.

I’ve just learned with the rest of Facebook world that she is sick…the chemo kind of sick.  We were never let’s-have-coffee friends and we don’t keep in touch…but this one hit me hard.  These are the kind of people that work behind the scenes to make our life better when we need them.  I believe most people don’t really give a second thought to these people…dispatchers, police, fire, ambulance and all of the other nameless, faceless people in our lives that are there when we need them.

I needed some perspective today on what the important things and who the important people are.  AS far as Wendy…she’s a fighter….and I have her back with all the positive energy I can send!

• I have a hard time figuring life out when good people and kids die young
• The only way we are going to survive is if Trump and McConnell, et al become incapacitate or die
• Everyone has their own opinions but why is my living and breathing dependent on evil people
• Judge people and their actions based on the life they live
• Loss of compassion and kindness for people I don’t like (see judge people…..)
• Lack of tolerance

I realize the negative thoughts and hatefulness are in direct opposition to my desire to live a loving and peaceful life.  I know that these thoughts are my thoughts and are affecting my soul.  I know that genuine inner peace cannot survive with my thoughts that are full of hate.  I know that I can stop reading, watching and listening to the evil surrounding me but it seems in doing so, I might as well eat sugar and drive down the road with my eyes closed.  What I don’t know can kill me.

Until next time…..

My 3rd Chicago concert in 4 years at the Starlight Theater in Kansas City.  Walking out of the theater last night, Sue said this venue kind of spoils you for other venues.  Back to Chicago….while they didn’t disappoint, the Doobie Brothers had me wanting to throw my granny panties on stage.  He and I saw Doobies at the Sprint Center and it was just too loud and I didn’t take my earplugs…but in an open air venue….they were amazing.

And the geriatrics….I danced non stop until my hair was dripping in the back and today there is not an inch of my body that doesn’t ache.  A beautiful ache…

I feel young again!

Until next time….