So much for that idea!

It’s not funny…but it is! My poor, poor orchid…and to think that I was so nervous about killing this flower…now look at it! Are you laughing as much as I am? I have it sitting right next to my computer and every time I look at it, I laugh. A few weeks ago, I sat my plant out on the porch to get a little bit of sunlight. But I was so neglectful because I forgot to bring it back in. Why did it have to get so cold that night, of all nights? I discovered my orchid the next day when I was checking my mail. Just the bottom blossom was wilted so I thought that it would be okay…I was wrong! I’m sorry to say that it died a slow death too. I wish that I had taken a picture of it before it died because it really grew a lot. I was taking good care of my orchid until I left it out all night but everything sort of went downhill after that. Thanks to everyone that gave me encouragement but evidently I have a black thumb instead of a green one. I’m not going to try again right now but next time I will definitely be getting something easy! The crazy thing is…it makes me laugh so much that now I wouldn’t want the flower any other way!

New Experience

Last night I went to Stir Fry Cafe and ate sushi for the first time ever. I tried four different kinds and liked all but one. I didn't care too much for the Dragon Roll...maybe it was the water eel, I don't know. The others I tried were the Spider roll, Boston roll, and the Spicy Stir Fry roll which was the best of the four. I also learned to use chopsticks (it just didn't seem right to eat sushi without chopsticks). Although I surprisingly liked the sushi, it's not something that I'll eat on a regular basis. But for those who love sushi, the Stir Fry Cafe is a great place to go. Every Wednesday they have a select variety of their sushi for half price. And to add to that, I've heard from a few people that it's the best place in town for sushi...which they say is partly due to the unique atmosphere of the Stir Fry Cafe. I love to try new things and now (as Wendy so well put it) I can add eating sushi to my resume of life.

I Don't Do Pets!

I won’t mention any names but someone had the bright idea to give my kids two fish…a blue betta for Zailes, and a red one for the girls. We have had those fish for about two weeks and I already want to get rid of them! They’re both on my kitchen counter in their own little bowl and sometimes I forget to feed them. I swear (and I never swear) when I walk in the kitchen, they’re going all crazy and looking at me like, “B___h can we eat?” (Sigh) Animals are just not for me! Don’t get me wrong…I like them…I just don’t like to take care of them! Zailes is always asking for a dog, hamster, or something. I told him that maybe he can have a pet when he gets older. That probably won’t happen though because I’ll be the one stuck with the responsibility. A couple of years ago I let my brother get by with sending my kids four turtles from FL only because they stay at my mom’s. So, to my family members and anyone else who has the urge to buy a pet for Zailes, Zarayah, or Caislyn…remember the above title and please plan to keep it at your house!

Talk about spring cleaning...

Normally, I can’t rest peacefully in my home when it’s in disarray. When things are messy, I feel weighed down and will not be free from anxiety until everything is clean. BUT- the last few days I’ve been straight-up chillin in a home in total chaos. My mind has been in somewhat of a conflict! Part of it saying, “You know you need to get up and get this place together!” The other part saying, “I’m tired and I ain’t cleanin’ today!” The “I’m tired” part has been winning lately and today I found my apartment to be the messiest it’s been since I’ve lived here. To some people, it may not have been that bad but to me it was like, “aaagghhhhh!” I couldn’t take it anymore! So I’ve been cleaning like crazy since I got off of work this morning. I started with my bedroom, which was totally disorganized except for my closet and bed. I have this crazy compulsive thing about unmade beds and cannot stand to see one. I don’t care if my whole house is turned completely upside down; you better believe that the beds are made. My kids don’t do the best job at cleaning their rooms but they know how to make them beds! Anyway, I just finished cleaning and decided to take a little break before painting. I can’t take the walls anymore either! Thanks to Caislyn, there’s pen, marker, crayon, etc. on almost every wall. I don’t know what’s wrong with that girl; my other two never wrote on the walls, floors…EVERYTHING. Tonight, I will clean the carpet…can’t take that either! I’ve been resting pretty well, considering the disorder I’ve been living in…but I know that my sleep will be 10x better tonight!

With Flying Colors!

For the past several days, I have surprisingly found myself wanting a cigarette. What’s up with that?!? It has been two years and three months since I stopped smoking and it’s certainly not a habit that I will ever pick up again. The whole time that I smoked, I absolutely hated that I was a smoker. When I first wanted to quit, I tried everything! But my lack in will power made all of my attempts unsuccessful. I finally just had to pray. God eventually answered my prayer and gave me the strength to quit cold turkey. He didn’t take the cigarettes away from me; He took me away from the cigarettes! And He did it in such a way that made me never want to touch one again. I know for sure that I’m done! I love too much the fact that I have more energy, my hair, hands, and mouth don’t smell like an ashtray, and I’m ultimately healthier. I guess these past few days have been just a test because the more that I want a cigarette, the more I see people smoking. I’m so grateful that I was able to lose such a disgusting habit and I’m no longer controlled by a little stick of tobacco. Now that I’m done writing this…I believe I’ve passed the test!

Nostalgia

I often ride past my former high school, but this morning as I drove by I couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic. I didn’t care much for high school when I was younger but many times I heard grown folks say, “One day you’ll miss it!” Although they were right, at the time I couldn’t understand why they would say such a thing. I guess you just don’t know…until you know. I have a lot of great recollections from my high school years but I can only vaguely remember what it was like to be carefree (no kids, no bills, no qualms). Even though the wistful desire to go back in time clouded my mind this morning, I would only go back under one condition. Only If I can take with me all the knowledge and wisdom that I have at this moment, would I relive those days. Otherwise…I’d rather stay in the present, and be content with the vivid memories that I have of such a significant time.

So My Timing Was Off

In August 2006, I set 14 goals that I wanted to complete by August 2007. I gave myself only a year because I wanted to rush and accomplish all of my goals very quickly (patience has always been a weakness of mine BUT I've improved greatly). In retrospect, that time frame was truly unrealistic for all the things that I wanted to do. Now it's May 2008, almost two years since I sat down and wrote that list of goals. I decided to write them down because having them on paper somehow gave me the sense that I couldn't back out. And I made sure to put the list of goals in a place that would force me to look at them often. A bookmark in my bible...I thought that seemed fitting. I bet you're wondering if I reached them all. The answer is no...not yet! I have 4 more to complete and it's possible that every goal will be reached by August 2008. If not, I won't be worried about it. I crossed out the "to be completed by August 2007" part and replaced it with, "to be completed on God's timing." His timing is so much better than mine. Some of the goals were big and some were little. But nevertheless, I need God for the little goals just as much as I need Him for the big ones. It's only a short matter of time before every item on my goal list will be checked off and then it will be time to sit down and make a new one.