Sending my Wild Hog off...

We are motorcycle drivers. My husband drives a Harley and I a Buell. We don't take long trips. But we love to ride. We are looking forward to being empty nesters - and then starting to take some longer rides.

About a year ago, my husband and a friend of his started talking about doing the Continental Divide - off road. At the time, I honestly never thought it would come to fruition. We don't have an off-road bike. My husband doesn't ride off road.

Our Wild Hogs

But...

The hunt for the perfect bike began. He knew he wanted a Buell Ulysses. He's read up on them, wanted to stay with the Harley company, and wanted American made. We looked at them while on road trips, and he finally found one online for sale - in southern Wisconsin.

 

 His ride, loaded and ready.

 

Once the bike was purchased, it became a blur. There was new riding clothes, a new helmet, maps, a new camera... and before I realized what was happening, he had 3 weeks of vacation planned, and the trip was on!

He is SOOO excited about this trip. I jokingly call it his mid-life crisis, but it truly is a trip of a lifetime for him. They will have an amazing time.

Sent them off this morning. Bikes loaded, they hit the road for an adventure of a lifetime. We had a long talk last night...We've never been apart this long. And I worry about him - riding off road, camping, etc. I will miss him incredibly, already do. He's my partner in life, and having to go solo for three weeks won't be nearly as fun. But in 3 weeks, he'll have pictures and stories to tell for a lifetime. I can't wait to hear them.

Godspeed boys. Godspeed.

Fourth of July prep is on!

Every year we host a large bbq for the fourth of July. Our small town of 800 people celebrates the holiday in true small town American style - with a parade, a carnival, music and food, and of course fireworks. After the parade, family and friends migrate to our house for a big old-fashioned summer party. It is my FAVORITE time of the year. For hours, friends come and go, stopping by to say hello, have a drink, play some cards.... Sitting in the shade sipping lemonade and iced tea.... I know it sounds like a cliché, but it really is just a fantastic day....

The pork has been pulled, and the beans have been soaked. Today we will finish the mulching, clean house, and prepare the rest of the food. Our menu this year is a southern pork bbq - Pulled pork slaw burgers, baked beans, bacon green beans, cornbread, macaroni salad, and banana pudding, with Lynchburg Lemonades for the adults, and lemonade for the kids.

Every year, too many people try to bring food to share, resulting in TOO much going to waste. So this year we've started a new tradition - bringing food for our local food pantry instead! A chance to help local families. Icing on the cake of a beautiful holiday.

I can't wait for tomorrow. To have a house FULL of family and friends, sitting in the shade enjoying each other's company! A wonderful way to celebrate this amazing country we live in. Happy 4th of July. God Bless America!

Missy Positive???

My hubby calls me Missy Positive. I try REALLY hard to see the bright spots in life. I try to keep the negative lying low - knowing that we weather the storms we do to build who we are. That each trial/tribulation is making us stronger, and more whole.

So this morning's facebook post is pretty typical:

 

"For whatever reason, MOST mornings I wake up around 5:30 or 5:45. But on days like today, I realize how much I cherish my mornings alone, before the rest of the house wakes up. Morning news, my computer, a cup of coffee, and the world waking up outside. Beautiful sunny morning today... time to get out, water the planters, and pull some weeds before Zumba. Have a wonderful day, be thankful for life's Blessings."

One of my friends commented about how she loves to read my posts, because they are so positive. Mission accomplished.

 

But people need to know that life isn't always positive. It's not always easy to deal with. Sometimes we don't understand. And actually, right now I am going through one of those times.

 

Yesterday a friend of mine lost her husband. They are relatively newly married (7-10 years?), built their dream home a few years ago, and just gave birth to their first child two months ago. Things like this make me wonder....why something like this has to happen. Why my dad, at 87, with complete dementia, just keeps kicking, and this young, vibrant man had to be taken.

 

But in the horrible sadness, it is these events that teach me to BE positive. To BE thankful for all of life's Blessings, right down to the smallest. So today I am thankful for my two hours of quiet. I am thankful for the family still sleeping. For the good cup of coffee. For my flowers outside.

 

Because we never know folks. We just never know when our lives will be turned upside down. Be thankful for EVERY Blessing EVERY day.  

 

 

 

Why do I hesitate?

I had an awesome girlfriend lunch today. An impromptu text - and we both had the afternoon free - so we hit our favorite coffee shop to sit and chat for a few hours. Man, it was just what I needed.

She knows my struggle with the crossroad I am at. Do I jump in, buy the local café and start a coffee shop? Do I go back to school, get my teaching certificate and try to get a full time job? Or do I stay part time.

I have been DREAMING about the café. I have so many ideas. It has been my passion for so long, it feels as if it's a part of me. So why am I hesitating in even finding out the numbers? Why haven't I met with the owner to get the details?

She knows me so well. Together we've been praying for guidance for me. But I also realize that God isn't going to throw it at me, I have to do the legwork myself. And he will show me what I need to know to decide. So I need to make that call.

We talked about the fact that I always put others first, and being part time, I spend a LOT of time taking care of my hubby and son. And if I were to open the café, they would notice. I don't know if that is why I am procrastinating on calling?

Do I feel that I can't do it? That I'll fail? I don't think so - - - I am confident that I could do this. If I can find the funding. And I think I would LOVE doing it.

So why am I stopping myself?

Procrastination - friend or foe?

I have been a procrastinator for all of my life. Some times in my life worse than others. In school, I ALWAYS waited until the last minute, claiming (as many do) "I work best under pressure".

"I work best under pressure" is just a CRUTCH! It is a way to make ourselves feel ok about putting things off until the very last minute!

I do this ALL the time. For instance, tomorrow I am having 4 kids over for brunch. My house is not clean. I have had plenty of time in the last four days to clean house. But instead, I picked up my writing project and worked on that. I made a few new recipes for the brunch, just to try them. I finally started weeding the flower beds. Spent the entire day today at craft day at church. All things that really didn't need to be done before the cleaning.

So now I sit here BLOGGING. Instead of cleaning. I have so much to do, but I feel that I'll be JUST fine watching a bit of Ellen and blogging. And I will feverishly clean my entire home from top to bottom tonight - hopefully starting in a few hours (oh, who am I kidding?)

I have only been bitten a couple of times with my procrastination, most of the time faring quite well. But WHY do I tempt fate every time?

I love that I'm blogging about it as a means of justifying not doing it. Oh, the injustice of it all.

Ok, I will seriously get to cleaning now. On the next commercial. ;)

Tough research...

Three years ago, my life was changed when my best friend suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of a car accident. I've wanted to write MY perspective since then. Tonight I started in earnest, and it is not easy. I didn't realize all of the emotions would come back so real.

I am glad to be writing it. Hoping it will be a gift to her some day. So that she knows what we experienced, and how we prayed...

The downs in between the ups....

I try hard to stay positive, but sometimes things happen that are just a little crummy. My son was playing in a baseball tournament today - and in game two, his last at-bat, an inside pitch hit his left hand. He instantly took the glove off - but put it back on, and continued through the at-bat. Once the game was over, and I got to see it, I knew it wasn't good. Already very swollen and black, we decided a trip to the ER was in order.

His girlfriend, bless her heart, with me all day at the tourney, was wonderful to have along. And she stayed with us the entire time. X-rays showed a break in the bone on the left side of his left hand. A temporary cast was put on, with a follow-up in a week with the orthopedic doctor, and a more permanent cast - which will remain for 4-6 weeks.

The break was small, and even, and should require no surgery if everything continues smoothly. He is very lucky. But it doesn't make it any easier for me to handle, as mom. I am sad that he is in pain. I am sad that his entire summer is messed up - from weight training to basketball league to legion baseball. I want to be positive, and I am for him, but inside I feel crabby that this happened to him. And while I know it could have been so much worse, it still makes me mad that it happened to him.

His girlfriend stayed here for awhile tonight, and we all went out to the movie together. He's a complete trooper - not asking for hardly anything, taking care of himself, and NO complaining. He is already talking about what he CAN still do this summer for football training and basketball. That's my boy. So proud of him.