Oops, I Did It Again!

Yup, I disappeared again, didn't I? Sorry about that, but I have good excuses this time. I think.

Heh.

#1. We lost our tenants that were supposed to be moving into our second floor apartment so we had to scramble around to find new ones. But the good news is, we have a couple coming to look at it this weekend that seems VERY promising. Young, but not too young, with kids around our kids' ages. As far as we can tell not crackheads or alcoholics, and I got along famously with the lady of the house so I could actually end up with a friend living upstairs. We win!

**Fingers crossed.

# 2. I got a job!!!! It's another remote position so I can work from home, and although it's not 100% writing, it's money and money is good! I will be doing email customer service and writing the training manuals for a loyalty shopping company. An old supervisor contacted me about joining his team and in not so many words, I said "Hell yes!" I started training yesterday and it looks like it is going to work out really well. So pretty soon I will be able to stop mooching from the government, which will make me feel pretty damn good.

# 3. I have been reconnecting with lots and lots of old friends and it has been fabulous. I feel so lucky to be surrounded with people from my life from all the way back to elementary school up through high school, college and after, and to be seeing so many of them on a regular basis. For a very long time, I lived in a little bubble of motherhood that I didn't let anyone penetrate and I never allowed myself to break out of, and now I am realizing how much I truly was missing. I thought that there wasn't room in my life for good friendships and that in order to give myself fully to my husband and children, I couldn't have a social life, hobbies or interests outside of them. I was wrong. I am becoming a better mother and wife, I believe, from the enrichment of these amazing people being in my life. And I can finally feel myself coming alive again, finding the love for things I had cast aside, and it's making life brighter and more vivid. And that, my friends, is a true blessing.

# 4. I have been doing quite a bit of work for the relief effort in Haiti, donating money, clothes and supplies, spreading the word, and researching other ways to help. This tragedy seemed to hit me really hard, specifically because I felt like I had done a lot of bitching and moaning about how tough our family has had it recently, and then I was hit with the images of men, women and children living on the streets of Haiti, injured and bleeding, without food or clean water, and I felt like I was just so incredibly lucky. I have always given to charities and donated clothes, shoes and toys year-round to organizations like The Salvation Army and church shelters, and I gave money and donations when Hurricane Katrina hit as well. But I wasn't an online presence during Katrina, didn't have Twitter or Facebook, and I felt this time around like I had the power to do more, and needed to do more. I am not a women of riches, but I am a woman who can reach people, with time on her hands, and I wanted to use that time to get the message out so that people wouldn't turn their heads away. So I tweeted ways to help, posted about clothing and supply drives and gave as much as I could myself. Now I am working with a friend to collect crayons and coloring books for the kids in Haiti who have no school and nothing to keep themselves entertained while they witness all the devastation around them. So, you know, there's that.

I am going to try to get back on a schedule of posting, but I must admit that I feel like I have lost my mojo a little bit. So bear with me, my fellow blogging peeps. I promise I will try to have some good stuff for you to read, but I can't guarantee anything. In the meantime, enjoy this video, my favorite American Idol audition this season so far (P.S. You have to watch to the end to see what he says after the audition in his interview):

You CAN Help Haiti

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that Haiti was rocked with a 7.0 earthquake on Tuesday that has caused incredible devastation, massive injuries and a death toll that is rising by the day. The small Caribbean nation of Haiti was already considered one of the poorest in the western hemisphere and was not equipped or prepared for such a disaster in the first place, so you can imagine that the result of such a dramatic natural occurrence, one that would be catastrophic even here in the United States, is wreaking complete havoc on these poor people and their country.

Many of us are sitting in our homes feeling helpless and wishing we could do more to help. Some of us are concerned but ignoring it and assuming there isn't anything we can do because the needy are so far away. And further still, some are completely unconcerned because it has nothing to do with their own immediate lives and problems. Well, I urge those people to open their eyes and realize that these people need all the help that they can get, and even though we are far away and may not have money or medical expertise to give, there is ALWAYS something we can do. The worst thing we can do is just sit by and watch our fellow man suffer and die because we just couldn't be bothered.

I, for one, don't have any money, that isn't a big secret. But I can spare $10. So I made my $10 donation yesterday. I will be calling around to the churches in my area to find one who does missions to Haiti to see what they need for supplies and/or clothing and food. And I am doing my part by talking, writing and tweeting about it, to be sure that people aren't closing their eyes or turning their heads away because it's too painful to think about or they don't want to make an effort to help. Think about it this way. What if it were you and your family suffering through this tragedy and someone took the time to donate a pair of sweatpants and a tee shirt when you had no clothing to wear?

I will leave you with some links to resources, and please feel free to email me if you have any more useful links I can include in this post. You can donate to the cause through any of these organizations, as well as receive updates on the relief assistance.

American Red Cross
The Salvation Army
Partners in Health
NPR Article on Ways to Help in Haiti
Planting Peace
Conduit Mission
Doctors Without Borders

Also, my friend Kat, at 3 Bedroom Bungalow wrote about this as well today, so go ahead and check out her post as well.



Thank you.

Have You Talked To YOUR Angels Lately?

Today I have good things to say, so I am going to share them with you. You're welcome for making your day THAT much better. I love sharing my joy with others, what can I say?

Ok, so first of all, after eight long weeks of bullshit, and a week of stressful waiting after an adjudication period over my unemployment, I finally got my benefits deposited into my bank account this morning.

Hallelujah, praise the Lord. I seriously cried this morning when I saw that nice, pretty high balance in my account. Granted, it will be gone very, very soon, but this is a nice, big positive step forward that was much, MUCH needed.

I also wanted to tell you about an experience I had over the weekend that was pretty rad. I had an Angel Card reading done by my incredibly awesome friend's friend over the phone. I had never had one done, and am not super duper into stuff like that, but pride myself on being very open to everything in the universe. If you don't know what an Angel Card reading is, the premise is that we all have guardian angels watching over us and guiding us, and the cards simply point us in the right direction or open our eyes to the important things our angels want us to know. They don't tell you the future, and they never tell you anything bad. It's all about supporting you and guiding you in your life and your decisions. Apparently, many of us are resistant to the support and help that our angels are offering, and I am one of those people, because all of my cards were upside down. I guess I like to do things my own way, who knew? Well, everyone knew that. Shut up, I know. Whatever.

So first she relaxes you and tells you to ask your guardian angels for guidance. You close your eyes and breathe in and out and picture yourself surrounded by them. It's really very calming and lovely. During this time, she is shuffling the deck, and whatever cards fall out are the cards your angels want you to see. These were mine:

Card # 1 - Represents where I have been the past 3 weeks to 3 months. This card was Angel Isaiah and it was upside down, which means that I have been resistant to his assistance.

"It's a good time to give birth to new ideas and situations in your life. I am watching over you, guiding you, and protecting you during these changes."

Additional Message: "You are ripe with new possibilities, and you feel an urgency to push into new territory. Beloved one, your new and exciting life changes are inevitable. There is no turning back! Instead of playing it safe, you decided to move forward. That is why I am with you right now, giving you the extra courage and comfort that you need."

"However, there is no need to rush. This is a time of incubation, where nature can allow everything to grow in its innate rhythm. Be assured that your life change will hatch at just the right moment! In the meantime, know that God and the angels are watching over you. You are safe and very loved. Congratulations on the birth of this new period of your life!"



Card # 2 - Represents where I am right now. This card was Angel Astara, also upside down.

"You deserve the best! Reach for the stars with your dreams and desires, and don't compromise."

Additional Message: "In the past, you have settled for less than you wanted. But no more. I am here to raise your standards. I am also here to show you that you need not suffer in any way. It isn't selfish to desire a better life. The more that you receive, the more you are able to give to others. When you allow us to give to you, you're also supplied with all of the necessary tools for your life's purpose. You also inspire others when you show that the spiritual path gives you all of the support you could ever need."

"God and the angels want you to enjoy your life. Happiness is a holy part of your Divine mission. Whatever we can do to bring joy and peace into your life, please ask. We have noticed a reluctance on your part to ask for help. Perhaps you have felt that you didn't deserve good, or that you would be taking away from someone else if you received our help. Yet God only knows abundance, and humans are the only ones who believe in scarcity. This card is a reminder that God and the angels can only intervene if you request our help."



Card # 3 - Represents where I should be in the next 3 months. This card was Angel Daniel, the angel of marriage. Also upside down.

"I am the Angel of Marriage, and I am assisting you right now."

Additional Message: "You have called upon God to help in the area of marriage, and He sent me to your side. I am here to help you with a fulfilling marriage. God and I desire to answer your prayer without delay. The first area that I am helping you with is healing any past wounds related to marriage. In quiet moments, I ask that you be willing to release to me any pain associated with your parents. I ask that you breathe out any negative feelings that you may have about marriage, which stem from your childhood experiences."

"Next, I put my hand upon your heart and ask you to breathe in and out deeply. I now ask that you be willing to release old pain or anger toward your first love. As you release these toxins from your heart, I next ask you to exhale old pain toward all of your past lovers. Allow me to clear your heart of old wounds so that you can enjoy a happy marriage rooted in the present. We must release the past to avoid replicating old, painful experiences. I am here to free your heart so that it can fully love . . . within a blissful marriage."



Then there were some extra cards that fell out that said stuff about me needing to take better care of myself, to take more time for me and treat myself, and to relax more. To that, I say "here here!" Also, I got a card that said I have a unique connection with animals and that all my pets in heaven are watching over me and being guardian angels, which makes me feel pretty good.

Then after the reading, the woman told my friend that she kept having this feeling like she needed to tell me to write about my experience with the reading. So here I am, writing about it. I am obedient, if nothing else.

I really felt like the reading was pertinent to my life right now and it did help me look inward to examine the recent things that have happened. As you all know, it has not been the easiest time lately. But I do feel a shift is coming. And perhaps I do need to let people help me, and reach out to some spiritual guidance as well. It can't hurt, right? I have already begun to expand my support system by reconnecting with old friends, and have been trying to do more fun things I enjoy, such as listen to music, sing and dance, so I will continue with that. I believe things such as those can only enrich your life and make you stronger and better equipped to deal with the blows that life sends your way.

So 2010 was a slow starter, but I think it's finally gotten the memo and might be kicking it into gear. Me and my angels are gonna kick some ass and take some names.

You know, in a highly spiritual way.

My 3-Year-Old Musical Prodigy/LOML

During times of stress and strife, I always look for things that make me feel good to help me get through it. Spending time with old friends lately has been really helping me. Reconnecting and getting to know who they have become over the years has really been a great pick-me-up and has not only cheered me up, but has expanded my support system. I really do believe that people come in and out of your life at certain times for a reason, and I think lately I have found some people that I was supposed to find, and for that, I am immensely grateful. But, the other thing that really has lifted me up lately has been something that I had seemingly neglected, and I am not quite sure why. My intense love of music. So I decided to change that.

My 3 1/2 year old daughter and I have been spending A LOT of time lately indulging in music. And by a lot, I mean, we spend almost all day listening to it, singing, dancing, and playing instruments, and I have been using most of my free time downloading new music to play for her. I must say, she has IMPECCABLE taste in music. So far, some of her favorites (other than The Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato of course) are:

-Johnny Cash
-The Pixies
-The Violent Femmes
-They Might Be Giants
-The Lemonheads
-The Beatles
-The Cars
-Hall and Oates
-The Flaming Lips
-Ben Fold's Five
-David Bowie
-Letters to Cleo
-Queen
-Squeeze
and Weezer

How can you not love a child that has an appreciation for such incredibly awesome music? She not only knows the words to many of these artists' repertoires, but can also rock out on guitar, and rock a killer kitchen dance party while we cook dinner or do dishes. It just makes life so much more fun.

I am really looking forward to moving ahead with one of my goals for 2010, which is for both her and I to learn how to play guitar so we can play and sing some of these songs together. I think it is an amazing thing to be able to share music with your children.

What do you share with your children, other than colds?



Check her out, rockin' to The Pixies. I think she might be the next Patti Smith, what do you think?

Insert Funny Post Here

So this is the place where I am supposed to write funny/insightful/goofy things for you to read, right? Yeah, sorry about that. I had to blow the dust off when I got here, so I guess it's been a while. But, you know, there's shit. And then some more shit piles on top of that. And then that shit takes a big shit on your head.

Ew, that's gross. Sorry.

It's life. Life has been kicking my ass lately. I find that I have nothing to write about. Well, nothing good anyway. And nobody really wants to read doom and gloom. So bear with me people, and I will work on getting all happy for ya (or at least find a funny angle for my misery) to bring you some shits and giggles soon.

In the meantime, watch this hilariously funny first wedding dance video: