it's all relative...

it's been a long winter. there are disagreements about as to when winter began. some say the snow started in october, some in november. regardless, it's been a long winter. yesterday was april 7th and it snowed. there are still huge piles of snow everywhere. my yard is done, which is nice, but the reminders of this snowy winter are still all around.

i was struck by the relativity of temperature when i got out of my car at work this morning. i never even gave a second thought to wearing a coat today. i haven't all week. no reason to. it's warmed up and the winter coats are no longer needed.

it was 34 degrees when i arrived at work. not balmy by any means. but at this time of year, after six months of winter like weather, it feels like summer. the same 34 degrees in october would mean winter coat, hat, and gloves....

because it's all relative, now isn't it?

reality check

DH's cousin died this weekend, 51, from a massive heart attack. His lifestyle didn't help matters I'm sure, sedentary, ran a bar. But it's still so scary - he's not much older than my DH. While we are active - taking walks, camping, cutting wood, gardening, etc., but we're both overweight - and could do much on that.

I guess I'll take this as a reality check - and get serious about our health.

a martha stewart staff

I figured out my problem. The answer to my life issues. I need a Martha Stewart Staff.

Think about it. All I'd have to do is come up with the majority of the great ideas. THEY would do all the work!

I'm coming up with great ideas all the time, but I run out of time to get them all done. I want to create altered journals for my book club. Supplies are bought. We're on our fourth book. I still haven't done it. I want to make these incredible invites for my dd sweet sixteen party. Have the idea. But they're not done. I have gifts to put together for two friends who've had babies in the last year. By the time they get them, they'll be in college. I want to create a health journal scrapbook. I want to finish writing my short story. I want to play my violin in church. The list goes on and on. And I'm not even talking about my house and gardens!

I am not enough person. I need more. I need a staff. I could do such great things if I only had a staff!

proud mom

Yesterday my dear darling daughter brought home a short story she wrote for school. She'd won 2nd place. It was a great story. I see a lot of my writing in her. She is great at using her grammer to create a style for the piece. She creates amazing imagery with her words. I am so proud....

on expectations

Today was a great day at work. Started out with a great email from a coworker about one of my workers. Then, I got a GREAT review and a substantial raise! A surprise, none-the-less. I waited all day to call my DH and let him know the great news.

When I finally reached him around 2pm, he had very little to say. Made a joke about quitting his job because I was making more than him. That was it. I fell silent. All I needed was a "great job" or a "Wow, that's great - you have worked hard and it's paying off", or SOMETHING.

I'm not sure why I didn't get it.

I know that deep down, he's traditional, and maybe it's hard for him to have a successful wife. But spending the money is never hard.

He yells at me for working over time - telling me that I'm only getting paid for 40 hours, why do I push myself so hard. Now, when it's paying off, he won't even acknowledge that it's worth it.

I'm emotionally devastated. I try very hard to do a good job at work, and am finally getting noted for it, and the ONLY person I can actually tell doesn't care.

Bristol Baby.....

I just returned from a trip to Bristol, TN, with my DH and four friends. We watched the NASCAR race there, camped, and just had fun. A little bit of rain (ok, a lot of rain), but still very fun.

Getting back from vacation I always feel like I shouldn't have gone in the first place. It's very frustrating. Nothing got done while we were gone - at home, with my dad, or at work. I worked my butt off yesterday just trying to get the fires put out. Dad was out of clean underwear. That was the worst. My family knew I was going to be gone for a week, and they showed up the day after I left, and that was it. So Dad was on his own for 6 days. Why they even bother, I don't know.

Work is ridiculous. It seems no one can move without an ok from me. And if they do, they do it wrong. People who've worked here for years seem to not know how to proceed once I leave. It drives me crazy.

At home, a valve broke off our water line yesterday, spraying water everwhere, so Ken had to spend all day yesterday on that. So nothing else got done.

I am so tired. I am so behind. I can't do it all anymore. But no one seems to notice. They just keep taking, and asking, and assuming. I get no help from anyone. And I'm done. I feel like I'm being punished for taking a week off. I know that sounds weird, but it's exactly how I feel.

I guess I'm still in the funk.

he's gone...

So Brett Favre has retired. Non Packer fans are probably not so affected. But for those of us (37 years and counting) lifelong Packer fans, the last 17 years have been a lot... a lot of fun.... a lot of heartache at times... a lot of ups and downs.... but mostly a lot of fun.

Brett Favre loves the game of football. And watching him play is amazing. There is a generation that has never known the Packers any other way than the Brett Favre way! My two dear children have watched him, and only him, lead our faithful Packers through the last 17 years.

We all need to thank Brett. While being human (addiction, some wild times when younger, going through the devastation of Katrina and his wife's cancer), he has brought a great role model to so many kids. He's returned a love for the game to many. He's brought the Packers back to a great place.

But we are all also looking forward to the new year ahead. Congratulations to Brett, and good luck to a very young team in the Packers.