Wordless Wednesday

Monday Meme

Unfortunately, my student loan proceeds didn't come in today, as expected.  It was a day or two late last semester too, so I'll wait until tomorrow before contacting the Financial Aid office to ask where my money is.

I noticed Chico seemed to be walking better yesterday and this morning.  He's not sticking his leg out behind him nearly as much, so I don't feel quite as bad about not being able to get him into the vet this morning.  Thankfully, everyone's prayers seem to be working, so thank you!

I got these questions from here.  They're from a June post, but I that's OK!

1.  What's one thing you can't seem to scratch off your to-do list?

I'm big on writing up lists so that I don't miss anything.  It's nice for when I'm at work and need to prioritize things.  At home, however, it's not nearly as effective.  There always seems to be at least one thing I don't get around to.  If it's housework, I procrastinate on dusting and cleaning the bathroom.  I'll usually eventually get around to the bathroom, but put off dusting for as long as possible.

2.  What is your biggest annoyance when driving?

This is easy - when people don't use turn signals!!!  There are several other things too, like seeing people texting while driving (which is illegal here), when people cut me off and when people ahead of me are going slower than the speed limit and I can't get around them for whatever reason.  Not using turn signals annoys me the most though.

3.  List three jobs you'd consider pursing if money didn't matter.  

Number one would be social work.  I briefly considered it for a time, but everyone kept telling me not to do it because it doesn't pay well.  Someone told me that money shouldn't be the reason why you would want to pursue that field, but I want to be able to pay my bills at the end of the month!  I think I would really enjoy this field and do a form of it with my volunteering gigs.

The second one would be to own a craft shop.  I'm not a crafting person myself, but there used to be a craft store in town where people would sell handmade crafts.  I loved to go in there and see all of the cool things on display.  At Christmas time, they would have an open house, which was amazingly well put together.  The owner's husband thought she spent too much time at the store, and told her she had to either close the shop or get a divorce.  I'd want to open a shop just like hers!

The third one would maybe be a doggie daycare.  I've never looked into working at one, so I don't know how profitable it would be.  I would want it to be one where people drop their dogs off for the day while they go to work, and the dogs would spend their days in utter bliss.

4.  Show and tell.  What comes to mind first when you see this picture?  Or tell a story if it reminds you of one.  

Obviously, this was taken in a place where there are lots of farms!  I don't know why, but this reminds me of my father.  He grew up on a farm.  The farm was long gone by the time I came into existence, so I never got to see where he spent his childhood years.  

Half Full Friday and Power of the Paws Needed Please!

Half Full Friday is a series of weekly posts that Eyegirl originally started in June 2009.  We believe that a lot of our happiness is determined by our attitude about the things that happen to us.  So by participating, I'm deciding to see the glass as half full instead of half empty; I'm choosing to concentrate on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.  The Half Full Friday posts are a way to do just that.  They're a list of the things in my life that have brought me happiness over the past week.  I'm determined to find something good in each day.  Are you?

For the next week, I'd like to challenge each of you to keep a list of at least one thing that brought you happiness each day.  Be sure to link up here once you've posted your list!  (This isn't a blog hop so please only link up if you've participated by posting your happy list on your own blog.  Thanks!)

~I'm happy because...

I went to a classic car show! 

I got my lawn mowed!  I had to pay someone to do it, but it's done, and that's all I care about!

One week left of vacay until I start school again!

My mom gave me some really pretty flowers for no reason at all!

One of my friends is no longer homeless!  I'm so glad she found a place to live!   

*****

Please cross your paws in prayer for my little Chico.  When I first got him, I took him to the vet and had them do an overall checkup, in addition to getting his shots up to date.  They told me at that time that his patella would slip out of his kneecap or something like that.  They recommended surgery, but said it wasn't necessary to get it done immediately.  My main concern at the time wasn't money necessarily, but the fact that Chico is so little!  The vet said it tends to happen to the smaller dogs and that he does this kind of surgery regularly.  It didn't seem to bother Chico overly, so I didn't do it.  

I'm kicking myself now, because Chico has been walking oddly lately, holding one back leg straight out behind him or holding his leg up close to him and walking on three legs.  He doesn't do this every time he walks, but he does it enough that it's grown to concern me.  It doesn't seem to give him any severe pains, as he doesn't cry when he walks or when I pet him on and around his leg.  But obviously something isn't right.  

I should get my financial aid on Monday.   The first thing I plan to do is to call the vet to set up an appointment.  I know for certain that they'll want x-rays and I'm pretty sure they'll recommend the surgery for him again.  I would do it in a heartbeat, but I'm so worried I won't be able to pay for it.  My financial aid will only stretch so far, and I need to make it last for the whole semester, which is difficult even with working part time. 

I really, really, really hope that my vet will allow me to make payments.  I know that they will sometimes do that in certain cases.  I don't know how else I could pay for it, and I can't deprive Chico of it if it'll make him better.  I'm just really worried about him.

Wordless Wednesday

Monday Meme

I found the first three questions here and the fourth one here.

1.  Have you ever been arrested?  

No, thank God!  I probably could have been, but never got caught.  I'd like to think I've made a lot of changes in my life and wouldn't do anything like that now.  No, I'm not going to share my past indiscretions with you.

2.  In what ways would you like to change the world?  

If I could, I would require everyone to be nice to one another and to animals.  No bullying or abuse.

Everyone would make a living wage.  People who earn tips, such as waiters and waitresses, would all be paid minimum wage.  I know people who make less than minimum wage and are expected to make up the difference with tips.  That doesn't always happen.  Tipping is not required, so not everyone does.

People would be required to recycle.  I don't do nearly as much as I could for the environment, but I feel bad now if I throw away something that could be recycled.  I only started within the past year, and now do as much as I can.

Everyone would be required to at least graduate high school.  I did, and still struggled to find a job.  I can't imagine how much harder it would be if I hadn't.  I'd push higher education a lot more too.  School isn't for everyone, and I get that.  Everyone needs an education though.

There's a lot more I'd do, but it's too much to list here.  And I wouldn't want to offend anyone that may have opposing views.

3.  Has a book ever brought you to tears?  

Oh yeah, many of them have!  The most recent one was Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult.  I love her books and this is her newest one.

I did really well, until about the last 10 pages or so.  It's about a man who's in a coma and the doctor's don't think he'll ever come out of it.  The family has to decide whether to let him stay the way he is or to let him go.  My father wasn't exactly in a coma, but was in a coma-like state the last 2 days of his life.  The book brought some of those memories back.

4.  Show and tell.  What comes to mind first when you see this picture?  Or tell a story if it reminds you of one.  

I love butterflies!  I even got one tattooed on my back.  Seeing this reminds me of a trip my mom and I took to the zoo last year.  We got to see the Butterfly Exhibit, which I'd never been able to check out before.  I loved it!  There were tons and tons and tons of butterflies everywhere and several of them landed on me.  There were so many varieties, many of which I'd never seen before.  The cost was totally worth it, even if I hadn't gotten to see anything else at the zoo.  

Wordless Wednesday

Monday Meme

Questions are taken from here.  Yes, these are last week's questions.  It's all good...

1.  Describe your "good china," whether you actually own any or not.  


Before I moved out of my parents' house, I collected household stuff for awhile and stuck it all in a storage unit.  Don't laugh, but sometimes I liked to go to my storage unit and just look at it all.  Anyway, one day I happened to see a set of dishes on sale at a local store, so I purchased it.  When I brought it home, my mom said that I went on for days about how pretty they were.  I kept them at the house for several days so that I could continue admiring them before sticking them in storage.  Looking at them now, I think they're kinda ugly.  But they work, and that's all that really matters.

2.  When are you happiest?  


There are 3 times when  I'm happiest.  One of them is when I'm with Shiver and Chico, playing or cuddling, and I know they're happy by the excessive tail wagging.  I'm also happy when I can give them both a new toy that they love.

The second would be when I've just gone shopping and bringing all my shizz into the house.  I don't just mean grocery shopping, or having to buy a box of envelopes or something.  No, I'm talking about when I go shopping for things I really don't need, but just want.  Like a pretty blouse, or new shoes, or nail polish, a new plant, a book, or whatever else my little heart desires.  Sadly, I haven't been able to do this kind of shopping in awhile.  I love to carry it in from the car, spread it all out on the bed and just delight in all my goodies.

And lastly, I realized that I'm happiest when school is in session.  Just the other day, I was thinking about how much I've learned about the world in general from college.  Before I started, I thought that I was reasonably smart.  And now, I know I really wasn't!  I had a vague idea of the world at large, but never dreamed of how things all fit together.  I still have a lot to learn!

When are you the happiest?

3.  If you could turn into two people right now, what are the first two things you'd want to do?  


Well, one person would scrub my house down, while the other lounged around watching tv.  I don't care what the person doing the cleaning started with, as long as everything got done.

4.  Show and tell.  What comes to mind first when you see this picture?  Or tell a story if it reminds you of one.  

Kinda obvious what this is - a guy hang gliding amongst the windmills.  I've never gone hang gliding before, but it looks kinda fun!

Half Full Friday!

Half Full Friday is a series of weekly posts that Eyegirl originally started in June 2009.  We believe that a lot of our happiness is determined by our attitude about the things that happen to us.  So by participating, I'm deciding to see the glass as half full instead of half empty; I'm choosing to concentrate on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.  The Half Full Friday posts are a way to do just that.  They're a list of the things in my life that have brought me happiness over the past week.  I'm determined to find something good in each day.  Are you?

For the next week, I'd like to challenge each of you to keep a list of at least one thing that brought you happiness each day.  Be sure to link up here once you've posted your list!  (This isn't a blog hop so please only link up if you've participated by posting your happy list on your own blog.  Thanks!)

~I'm happy because...

Someone gave me a coupon for a free oil change!

I enjoyed the law school visit!

I got to talk to a friend this week that I don't get to talk with very often!

I had fun shopping with my mom!  Actually, she did the shopping, while I just looked.

The new schedule came out for the upcoming semester and I don't have to work with a coworker I dislike!  

I had someone new join me for last week's HFF!

*****

In last Friday's HFF, I mentioned a crystal bowl that I may or may not have broken.  After apologizing profusely, the woman it belonged to said that she didn't know if it was cracked already or not, and to not worry about it.  I still can't help but wonder if I caused it or not, but I'm relieved she seemed fine with it.  Whew!!!

*****

Source

All summer long, I've been wishing the time away and for school to hurry up and start.  I almost feel like I wasted the summer and didn't appreciate it nearly as much as I should have.  During a cuddle session with Shiver yesterday, I realized that I'm going to miss seeing him and Chico all day long, cuddling and playing with them whenever the mood strikes.  I wish I could bring them with me.   Luckily, I don't work any closing shifts this semester, so once school is out, I'm done for the day, with the exception of Friday.  

Knowing our time together is limited, I've vowed to appreciate every moment!

Source

Wordless Wednesday

Law School or Masters???

The first half of the day was pretty dull.  It was mostly just stuff about like the history of the school and what kind of students they look for.  They touched on the cost a little bit, but not really.  The lady who was doing the presentation annoyed me because there were two questions asked that she basically avoided.  She talked a lot, but didn't answer either question. 

We then had a quick break where we got to check out the law library.  It's a newish school, so the books were all new too, which was kind of cool.  The library itself is kind of small, especially compared to BSU's, and not that impressive beyond that.  Most of their books are online, rather than actual paper books. 

When we returned from that, we had a mock class, which I loved!  We were given a case study to read and the professor kept asking us to tell him what happened.  Everyone kept giving him general overviews.  Whenever he asked questions, he would hone in on the student who answered and wouldn't move on.  He was really funny though, so everyone was engaged and seemed to be enjoying it.  What he was looking for were the fine details, as that is what could make or break the case.  He then had us question him as if he were a witness, then he questioned us.  There was a huge difference, of course.  I enjoyed that portion a lot.

They provided lunch, and we ate while the staff did a panel discussion about the school.  It was interesting, but too long and I kind of zoned out after awhile.

Next, a lady came in and spoke a little bit more about financial aid.  One thing they've been able to do for incoming students is to provide everyone with a $5000 grant.  They get this in addition to whatever scholarships and loan money they receive.  They don't know if they'll be able to continue doing that every year, but they're going to try. 

Finally, the day wrapped up with a game of Jeopardy, with questions about law school in general, the history of the school, the application process and other things.  They offered two other optional presentations, but I chose not to attend either one of them since I'm not at the point of entering law school yet, and that's what these things focused on. 

All in all, it was a good day.  I spoke with several potential students there and everyone was very friendly. 

Half Full Friday!

Half Full Friday is a series of weekly posts that Eyegirl originally started in June 2009.  We believe that a lot of our happiness is determined by our attitude about the things that happen to us.  So by participating, I'm deciding to see the glass as half full instead of half empty; I'm choosing to concentrate on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.  The Half Full Friday posts are a way to do just that.  They're a list of the things in my life that have brought me happiness over the past week.  I'm determined to find something good in each day.  Are you?

For the next week, I'd like to challenge each of you to keep a list of at least one thing that brought you happiness each day.  Be sure to link up here once you've posted your list!  (This isn't a blog hop so please only link up if you've participated by posting your happy list on your own blog.  Thanks!)



~I'm happy because...

I found a forgotten about stash of Coconut M&Ms in the freezer on Tuesday!  

I won Lisa's giveaway and got my goodies in the mail this week!  Click the link to see what I got. 

I made cupcakes yesterday! 

I'm visiting a law school tomorrow! 

I've made myself doing something productive each day this week! 

*****

Source

I attended the wrap up meeting for the agency I volunteer for this week.  All went well, and the head of the committee prepared dinner and dessert for everyone.  I helped clean up afterwards, and was asked if I wanted to bring the last of the dessert home.  There was only about a small serving left, and I took it.  I washed the dish afterwards and as I grabbed it out of the dishrack the next day, I noticed a large crack down one side and a very small chip at the top.  I was mortified to think that I caused that!  I'm not sure if I did or not.  I emailed the person it belonged to and told her that if I caused the damage, I would replace it.  She hasn't responded yet.  Keeping my fingers crossed that she tells me it was already like that, and not that it was a priceless family heirloom or something.  The bowl pictured isn't hers, but looks very similar. 

Wordless Wednesday

Self Reflections

Have you ever had a moment where something so simple and seemly so innocent happen which makes you consider who you really are?  I had such a moment recently. 

Back when I was doing my big volunteer event, I had to approach two acquaintances on the committee.  One of them had something of mine that I needed to get for the ceremony I was about to present.  As I approached them, one of them was talking to the other and said something to the effect of, "Yeah, she's really good at asking for favors, but not so good about returning them."  Because I like the think the world evolves around me, I immediately thought to myself that I'd hoped they weren't talking about me.  I have no reason to think that they were, as no names were mentioned and their conversation pretty much ended right there.  I got what I needed and moved on. 

I was too busy to put much thought into it at the event, but when I got home the following day and started to unpack everything, that thought came back to me.  I did very little this year in the way of preparing for the big event this season.  Even at the event itself, I relied on others to do the majority of the work for me.  I feel incredibly bad about this, and have decided to give up the position for a less time consuming one.  I took on that position for the past four years now and am ready to move on to something different within the committee. 

That comment stuck with me for a few days, and I thought of all the ways that I did help.  I stayed after all of the meetings and helped clean up.  I also helped people load up their cars with all the things they had brought with them.  I told everyone several times at the meetings that once my portion was done with, I was done for the night and could help them do their jobs if they needed it.  Once my area was cleaned up, I helped others clean up theirs.  Even so, I couldn't forget how much help I required, and that didn't seemed to be cancelled out by the help I provided.  Not in my mind at least.  I moved on after a few days and didn't think about it again.  Until...

We have a committee wrap up meeting tomorrow.  I'll presumably be seeing those same two acquaintances.  Upon seeing the invitation, it brought it all back.  I  didn't know why this particular comment stuck with me so much and why I couldn't seem to get past it some six weeks later.  And then it hit me - I don't want others to view me in that way!  I want others to think of me as someone they can come to for help, and as long as I can feasibly provide it, that I would.

Because I'm minoring in Political Science, I received an invitation to check out a law school this coming Saturday.  I have no plans to become a lawyer, yet I'm intrigued by this school and am actually looking forward to attending their presentation.  Which brings me back to this comment made by the committee member. 

I don't have any desire to become a lawyer, but I do want to help people!  Looking back at my past job experiences, that is where I was most fulfilled personally.  My big plan had been to major in business, minor in political science.  After taking an econ class, which I hated with all the burning passion of a 1000 burning suns, and knowing I'd be required to take many, many more, I realized that this isn't what I want to do.  Fortunately, I realized it fairly early on so I wouldn't have to be taking a ton of classes that I won't ever use or need.  So now I'm considering majoring in political science. 

I'm not going to become a politician, but I could parlay that major into working with a coalition or something, where I really would be helping people!  I already have volunteer experience, at one point I was helping out two different agencies at the same time.  I really need to research this more before making a final decision.  I feel better about my future now!  :)

Images courtesy of weheartit

Half Full Friday!

Half Full Friday is a series of weekly posts that Eyegirl originally started in June 2009.  We believe that a lot of our happiness is determined by our attitude about the things that happen to us.  So by participating, I'm deciding to see the glass as half full instead of half empty; I'm choosing to concentrate on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.  The Half Full Friday posts are a way to do just that.  They're a list of the things in my life that have brought me happiness over the past week.  I'm determined to find something good in each day.  Are you?

For the next week, I'd like to challenge each of you to keep a list of at least one thing that brought you happiness each day.  Be sure to link up here once you've posted your list!  (This isn't a blog hop so please only link up if you've participated by posting your happy list on your own blog.  Thanks!)



~I'm happy because...

I finally got the lawn mowed!  I can't even remember the last time I mowed it, so it definitely needed it!

I got invited to visit a law school!  I have absolutely no plans to become a lawyer, yet I'm interested in checking out the school. 
 
My mom got me some beautiful flowers, for no reason at all!  My mom used to buy them for her, now she buys them for me. 
 
Another week down, another week closer to school!  I'm really surprised at how much I've missed it this summer. 
 
I've gotten over half of Chico's toenails clipped!  They grow so fast and he's a FIGHTER when we trim them, so I try to do one foot a day, but sometimes we only get a few toenails done a day.

*****

Another pretty dull week here.  Today's highlight is the neverending  laundry.  I've also spent the week reading a good book and am about to start another one later today.  Next week will be better, because I've got a few things planned.  It'll be nice to get out of the house for a bit. 

 

Shiver has been especially playful this week for some reason.  I've been taking advantage of it, because pretty soon, we won't have nearly as much time together.  He thinks the whole world revolves around him and he gets upset when he realizes that maybe it doesn't. 

Wordless Wednesday

Money For Nothing, Gifts For Free

Props to you if you know what song I got the title of this post from. 

Have you ever heard of ...?

I just signed up with them recently and already have over 1100 swagbucks just for using their search engine, watching videos, doing their daily polls, entering their codes, etc.  The best part?  It only takes just a few minutes a day and I can exchange those swagbucks for free gift cards and more.

Their search engine is similar to Google.  You just type in whatever you're looking for and press enter.  You don't earn swagbucks every single time, but it doesn't usually take very many searches to earn.  I've gotten anywhere from 7-27 swagbucks at a time just for doing searches.

Swagbucks has a youtube channel that you can subscribe to.  Once or week or so, they have trivia questions about the videos and you could win even more swagbucks if you're the first person to answer correctly.  They also have videos you can watch on the homepage and on their Swagbucks TV link.  Those videos are usually short, but interesting.  Some are worth 2-3 swagbucks each, others you'll have to watch a series of them before you earn anything.  

Other options for earning include the daily polls, the surveys, printing off coupons, entering specific codes provided on Facebook and Twitter, playing games and making purchases from specific merchants.  Every hour, Swagbucks does a random drawing of a member on their website worth 1000 swagbucks when collected.  I usually forget to check for my name when I'm there, so I've yet to be lucky enough to win. 

It doesn't have to cost you anything other than  your time.  As mentioned above, these can be traded in for gift cards to places such as Starbucks, Amazon and iTunes.  They also offer DVDs, posters, magnets, jewelry, stickers, greeting cards and so much more!

Swagbucks isn't limited to the US.  They also operate in the UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia.  I know you're just dying to get in on this deal!    Just email me at everythingisbetterwithsprinkles1 (at) hotmail (dot) com and I'll send you a referral. 

Half Full Friday!

Half Full Friday is a series of weekly posts that Eyegirl originally started in June 2009.  We believe that a lot of our happiness is determined by our attitude about the things that happen to us.  So by participating, I'm deciding to see the glass as half full instead of half empty; I'm choosing to concentrate on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.  The Half Full Friday posts are a way to do just that.  They're a list of the things in my life that have brought me happiness over the past week.  I'm determined to find something good in each day.  Are you?

For the next week, I'd like to challenge each of you to keep a list of at least one thing that brought you happiness each day.  Be sure to link up here once you've posted your list!  (This isn't a blog hop so please only link up if you've participated by posting your happy list on your own blog.  Thanks!)



~I'm happy because...

My house didn't burn down!  We had several fires here, including one a few miles down the road.  That one was so bad, I could smell the smoke inside my house.  It's out now. 



My air conditioner and ceiling fans all work!  It's been in the triple digits here all week and without them, I'd have surely melted!

I cut down the worst of the weeds in my backyard!  Sadly, it's mostly all weeds now.

I finally got through all of the CDAN reveals!  There were so many of them this time!

Dinner with my mom went well!

My eyes seem to be feeling a bit better, so I've been able to visit almost everyone this week!

*****

I've officially heard back from everyone now in regards to the dog swap.  Many of you that I emailed after the deadline said that you'd be mailing your package within a few days/by the end of the week, etc.  And then I didn't hear back from you again.   The rules state that you are to email me and your partner to let us know it's been mailed and to provide a tracking number.  The only exception to the tracking number was to those who live outside of the US or who were mailing outside of the US.  All other rules applied.  You're also to email me and your partner once you receive your package and to do a post about your goodies.  This year has been very frustrating trying to keep up with everyone and people not communicating with me like they should. 

*****

Another lazy week here.  It's just been too hot to move!  I really hate that feeling when you've just taken a shower and 5 minutes later you feel like you need another one because you're so hot and sweaty.  I've spent a lot of time watching tv and catching up with my reading because I can sit in one spot and not have to over exert myself.  Surprisingly, the heat doesn't seem to have affected my boys much.  They'd spend hours outside if I let them!  (Just in case anyone was wondering, I don't!) 

Any tips for keeping cool?

Wordless Wednesday

Bits of Randomness

Yesterday, I enjoyed a Starbucks White Chocolate Doubleshot Engery drink.  Soooooooo good, it's like an orgasm in a can!  I could feel the extra energy almost from the first sip, which helped get me through a busy day.   It also kept me up half the night, lol!  I could have really used this last semester.

I invited my mom over for dinner last night.  I don't cook much, but the meal turned out pretty good!  One dish could have definitely cooked a little longer, but now I know for next time.  The desert was the best - Haagen-Dazs White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Ice Cream.  If you've not tried this yet, rush out and buy some as soon as possible!

 I don't know if I should be more annoyed at my computer, my camera or myself.  See, I have my pix for the dog swap all ready to post.  I used to upload pictures to my pc but it's pretty much worthless these days and I only really use it now to print when I need to.  One of my laptops needs a new cord and I can't charge it until I get one.  My other laptop, when I hooked my camera up to it, the pictures came up in like a power point slide form.  I wasn't sure how to save it to my computer as I didn't see that option.  (That's not how my pix came up on my pc.)  Then last night, when I tried again, my pix didn't come up at all.  I'm sure it's all probably user error.  Any advice?

I haven't been able to get around to visit everyone as much as I would like.  My eyes have been bothering me, so my computer time has been limited.  I think part of the reason is because I need new glasses.  I want to switch back to contacts again, but I can't do that until my student loan money comes in.  School doesn't start until next month, so it'll be awhile yet before I can do that.  I've also rediscovered my love of Facebook.  I used to be OBSESSED with it.  And then one day, I decided I'd had enough and barely even looked at my account for months and months at a time.  And now, I'm back to spending more time than necessary there.  I'm not as obsessed as I used to be, at least!

Half Full Friday!

Half Full Friday is a series of weekly posts that Eyegirl originally started in June 2009.  We believe that a lot of our happiness is determined by our attitude about the things that happen to us.  So by participating, I'm deciding to see the glass as half full instead of half empty; I'm choosing to concentrate on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.  The Half Full Friday posts are a way to do just that.  They're a list of the things in my life that have brought me happiness over the past week.  I'm determined to find something good in each day.  Are you?

For the next week, I'd like to challenge each of you to keep a list of at least one thing that brought you happiness each day.  Be sure to link up here once you've posted your list!  (This isn't a blog hop so please only link up if you've participated by posting your happy list on your own blog.  Thanks!)

~I'm happy because...

My mom put up my new blinds for me!

I got my carpet shampooed, mopped the floor and did some light dusting! 

The fireworks display this year was really good!

My boys got their Doggone Dog Swap goodies!  I hope to do a post on it soon. 

I found a recipe I want to try, so I invited my mom over for dinner!  Usually, I go to her house for dinner on Sunday, this time she's coming over to mine. 

*****

This year's swap has been very frustrating, trying to keep track of everyone.  People haven't been emailing me when they've sent/received their goodies, missed getting tracking numbers, etc.  Most of the ones who got their goodies haven't posted about it yet, me included.  I hadn't heard from about half of you by the deadline, so I sent out an email as a friendly reminder.  There are still 2 people who haven't gotten back to me since then.  

*****

This has been a pretty boring week.  I spent most of it spring summer cleaning just to keep myself busy.  The one year anniversary of my father's death was on Tuesday.  I put a flag up for him in the morning because he always put up flags for the holidays.  In the afternoon, I let a balloon float up to Heaven with a message on it for him.  I also went to my mom's house for a bit.  It was a sad day, but it's passed now, and I made it through. 

 

There's a trail my dad used to love to take his beagle for a walk on.  It's less than a mile from my house and I take my boys there once in awhile too.  Anyway, my mom is going to have a bench put out there in his honor.  I can't wait until it's done, so I can sit down on it and feel like I'm with him again. 

Happy Independence Day!

Source

RIP

My father passed away one year ago today.  It's hard to believe he's been gone that long already! 

Source

I love and miss you, Daddy!

Half Full Friday!

Half Full Friday is a series of weekly posts that Eyegirl originally started in June 2009.  We believe that a lot of our happiness is determined by our attitude about the things that happen to us.  So by participating, I'm deciding to see the glass as half full instead of half empty; I'm choosing to concentrate on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.  The Half Full Friday posts are a way to do just that.  They're a list of the things in my life that have brought me happiness over the past week.  I'm determined to find something good in each day.  Are you?


For the next week, I'd like to challenge each of you to keep a list of at least one thing that brought you happiness each day.  Be sure to link up here once you've posted your list!  (This isn't a blog hop so please only link up if you've participated by posting your happy list on your own blog.  Thanks!)



~I'm happy because...

I enjoyed the garden tour last weekend! 

I won a potted plant at the afterparty!  I gave it to my mom.

I made some excellent chocolate chip cookies a few days ago! 

I cleaned my bathroom!  I HATE cleaning it, so I tend to put it off longer than I should. 

Only 6 more weeks until school starts!  I wish it was sooner...   
 
I got around to visiting most of you this week!  I'm going to try and visit more of you this weekend. 

*****

Tomorrow (June 30th)  is your last day to get those dog swap packages in the mail. I still haven't heard from the majority of participants this year.  Thanks to those that have let me know that they sent/gotten theirs.  I've enjoyed reading the posts to see what everyone has gotten so far.  Once everyone has done their posts, I'll include the links here so everyone can see if they're interested. 

*****

I can't believe it's been almost a year since my father passed away.  I was reading a book this past week about a father who was in a vegetative state and the family was trying to decide whether to pull the plug and let him go or to let him continue to stay that way.  It was fine until about the last 10 pages or so, when it hit me that the last two days of my father's life were basically like that.  He wasn't really in a coma, but he certainly wasn't conscious.  I remember asking a nurse why he was like that, and she rudely told me it was "part of the process." 

I still mostly just feel relief that he's gone; not just for me, but for him too.  No one should have to suffer the way he did.  I really thought I'd feel a lot sadder when he died.  Don't get me wrong, I do have moments of sadness.  I cried when I got to those last 10 pages in that book because it reminded me of him.  I wonder if one day it'll all hit me at once and I'll feel really sad for a long time.  I think about him every single day, and I don't think I'll ever stop missing him.