This is me....being irritated.

So, I haven't posted in a while, and now, I'm posting because I'm irritated, but I HAVE to get this off my chest.

I'm going to use examples that are of no relation to my rant, but will explain said rant. 

You have Bill and Bob.  They are brothers.  They've grown up as close friends, until one day, when Bob decides for some reason or another that has never even been explained to Bill that he doesn't wish to call Bill his brother any longer.   Along the way, Bob picks up Friend Brian.  Brian and Bob become fast friends, and Bob posts on Brian's facebook page all the time things about brothers, even though Bob has a perfectly good brother named Bill that he ignores, and Brian is not really his brother.  Bill knows this, and it annoys him greatly and hurts his feelings, especially since he does not understand why Bob quit talking to him to begin with, and he doesn't understand why he wasn't good enough to be the brother/friend he thought he always was. 

If you have family, don't replace them with others...that's just not cool.  Add more family members, fine, but don't subtract them so they can be replaced.  They are *not* replaceable. If you have replaced them, don't try to put them back....I doubt they want to be put back.  I wouldn't want to be.

Off my soapbox.....

And just for photo's sake....here  you go:

an oldie but goodie. 

Happy Hump Day!

This is me....learning from a tattoo artist.....

This guy tonight was talking to a girl who was getting a tattoo.  He asked her whose name should come first, hers or his, and she said his.  When her "he" came in, Mr. Tattoo asked "he" whose name should go first...and he said hers, of course.  Mr. Tattoo then imparted some wisdom on the couple...he said, "You two will make it, you know."  And they asked how he knew that, and his response:  "It's simple.  I asked you both whose name should come first, and you both answered the other person should be first.  If you are willing to put the other person first, and instinctively like you just did, then your relationship has a really good chance of lasting.  There is no hope for a relationship where either or both of the people put themselves before the other."

It seems like such a simple thing, doesn't it, but when you think about it, I think Mr. Tattoo is a pretty smart guy.  I love hearing the insight that others have and learning from them.  Thank you, Mr. Tattoo, for a lesson learned tonight.

Who do you put first?  I'm going to try to be more conscious of who I choose to be first.  I don't want to be a selfish person, and I'm sure you don't, either.

Happy LOOOONG weekend, Friends!!!

(For picture's sake....he is the 'tween stage of the removal of she who must not be named....she is all gone now, but I'll have to post that photo at a later date as I did not get one tonight.  I will say this:  Emerald is a really cool dragon.....)

This is me...quoting the Nanna.

Anna and I had a conversation the other night.  Kids see things so simply sometimes, and most of the time, this kid astounds me with her vocabulary and insight.  We were talking about Adam and how he is a good friend and he plays with her and how she loves him.  I told her that I loved him also, and she said, "I know, Mom.  It's because you and him have sort of the same brain.  You think alike."  Wow.  Couldn't have said it better myself.

This is me...being thankful.

I'm tired tonight.  I have a lot to say, a lot I've been thinking about, but not the energy to fool with trying to write those thoughts tonight, but I wanted to make a blog post, so I've decided there's no better way to end the day than to think about the things that I am grateful for. 

I'm going to list the things that specifically happened today that I'm grateful for.

*The nice customers at work who are "putting up with" the new, slow girl that wants very much to please them.

*The fact that the people I work with are encouraging and loving and helpful, because they want to be...not because they "have" to be.

*My haircut...no more bushy hair everywhere in this humidity!

*Friends.  Friends who are REALLY friends.

*My home. 

*The fact that I am able to spend the time I do with the one I love.

*For a heart that cares for and loves people.

*Tomorrow is "Almost-Friday".

*My comfy bed....g'night, peeps!

This is me...discussing acceptance.

You've noticed that I have been silent for a long time, at least a long time compared to the normal every day-ish posts I normally would make, no?  There is a reason for that.  Actually, there is more than one reason for that.  I'll see what I can do to list those reasons for you:

1.  It's better to say nothing than it is to regret words you can't suck back in after they are said.
2.  I feel no need to explain or justify my actions and choices to anyone.  ANYONE. 
3.  I believe that if I am to be judged, it should be God's job to judge me...no one else's. 
4.  Real, unconditional love accepts, even if it doesn't agree. 
5.  If you don't talk to me more than once every couple of weeks, IF that, don't pretend to know me, and don't fool yourself into thinking I care what you think. 
6.  I realize that no matter what I say or how it comes out, it will be "discounted" because of past choices that I've made. 

That being said, I will share with you the words of a dear friend of mine, who has been around for Volumes I, II, and now III of the Life and Times of Abby, and loves and accepts me whether she agrees with my decisions or not.  Thanks, Ginou.

I could tell you that this is awfully soon. I could ask you how long you have known him. I could explain to you relationships on the rebound. I could suggest you take some time for just Abby. But you wouldn't listen, right? Nah, didn't think you would, neither would I. So, for the moment, just tell him, if he hurts my friend, I am turning my dog loose on him. 

 See?  She knows me well.  And I appreciate her and love her for that.

 I believe that I am going to pick back up with blogging again.  I believe I'm not going to address questions and I know that I am not going to explain myself, but I am going to write again, because writing is what I do.  My life is worth documenting, if only in my eyes, and so document I will.   

This is me....on a Super Sunday.

I went to a new church today.  Yes, I finally did.  I put aside thinking about the boxes, the laundry, and whatever else needed to be seen to (like I've been doing...so this is also me...procrastinating).

I fully anticipated that I would be miserable for an hour or longer, and never go back, but, hey...you never know.  I went because the family that invited me is a family I have known and loved for years.  I didn't want to say no.  Yeah, I'm a softie like that. 

The last time I took the kids and looked for a church, we went to one that had an awesome preacher, but *no one* spoke to us before or after the service.  No one.  I went a few more Sundays, because I really did like the preacher, but after never being spoken to, I knew that this was not the church home that I wanted or needed.  I needed a church body that was interactive, that welcomed in new people, that had activities for my children, and so on.  I went to a few other churches, and they were OK, but nothing great, and not what I was looking for.  I

Fast forward a few years...yeah...a few years, and today, I went to church.  I beliefe tht before I left there, every single person in the place had shook my hand and welcomed me to their place of worship.  EVERY PERSON.  That would be clue number one that this was a church that might possibly qualify as a "return to" status. 

Next, there was singing....funny how you can go for years without hearing those songs, yet you can stand there and sing every word, no book needed, and I did so with a smile on my face.  That would be clue number 2.

As I was listening to what the guy up front had to say, I found myself digging in my purse for something to write on and something to write with, so I could take notes.  Yes, I took notes, because he said things I didn't want to forget, and quoted verses that I wanted to go back and read.    He held my attention, and when I wasn't paying attention...I was counting the kids in the place and thinking how fun it would be to "play" with kids again...thus fulfilling my desire to teach.  Clue number 3.

All day long, I've thought about that hour, and I've recapped it in my brain over and over again, and I'm excited to go back next week.  I am *finally* excited again to go to church.  That would be the last and final clue...clue number 4.

Soooo, friends, I've found a place that has "revisit status", and looks like a very likely potential winner.  :)

After church, I went to this family's house and had Sunday dinner with them.  It was so nice to be immersed in a family that loves, talks, and laughs, a family that enjoys being together and is a normal, functioning family.  The food was good, but the company was better!  Best part is...if I go back to church, then I can go back to Sunday dinner and be a part of this family environment...so I think I shall go...and I look forward to many more services and Sunday dinners, because both were places I think I can call "home".

Happy Sunday, ya'll!

This is me....rattled.

Yes, rattled.  There's good and ther'es bad...and I'm sure there's ugly thrown into the mix as well...just for good measure. 

You know how we pray, and we ask God to help us with the things we need, and he does, but not in the manner we were expecting?  Yeah.  Not that any of you would be surprised that I would be in that situation or anything...but here I am.  It's a mixed blessing.  It's a sad story, but I hope with a happy ending. 

It seems that throughout my life, as I have blogged about before, I have been put here on the face of this earth to care for others, to help others, to share my happiness with others.  I'm going to be very honest:  it's not an easy task, and there are times that I'm thinking,"Really, God????  You REALLY want me to do this?  Because I dunno if my heart and mind are up to the task..."  But then, I hear so many people tell me that I am strong and that I can do anything, and somehow, I muddle my way through the days, and I make it, and I would like to think that in the end, help and care has been given.  I have a lot of love, and I have a very big heart when it comes to caring.  It's probably too big, sometimes, if that's possible, because it gets broken here and there...some breaks, as with any fracture...are bigger than others and hurt more than others.  And some (if not all) just make you stronger in the end.  I'm hoping that's the case with the task that has been layed out in front of me this evening...but I'm game to take it on and see how God will work through me to make a difference in this life that is so valuable to me.

All that being said, I would like to ask for many prayers for this broken person who needs so very much love and care and a purpose for living, for God to direct me in the manner and direction in which I should go, and that in the process, lives will be blessed and changed forever, for the better. Maybe this is His way of keeping me from concentrating on my own hurts, for this case makes my hurts seem like tiny ones...so yes, prayers, please.

I am exhausted.  I will write more tomorrow....thank you for your prayers in advance, friends of mine!

Hey...tomorrow i s Fa-RIIIIIIII-dayyyyY!