Twenty Five Years & Running

I knew the day I said "I do"  it was going to work.  It was a second marriage for both of us.  Not something we were proud of, but nether the less, it was going to be in our past. 

Many things traveled with us.  A new second family for me.  And for John a very large brother and sister contingancy. We felt that both families could take the change.  His family was grown, and mine, well they just loved me and accepted my new life.  We were truly blessed.

I fell for John because he was his own person and hence, he wanted that for me.  I realized that with every breath I took he took one with me.  Life was not always easy, but having him with me made it livable.  Sometimes we looked at each other and wanted more from each other.  However, what we have is love and respect and that's all we need. When I wake up in the morning and nothing has changed, it's a gift. We probably won't make it to our 50th. But if you ask each of us if it's sad, we just smile and say "It's not the quantity it's the quality.  And we have quality.

God Bless all those who travel through my little blog.
Carol

Sheers to you.

We were so excited with the temporary umbrella idea to add shade while Mother Nature takes here time in creating a natural roof over our deck and over the pergola.  Now we had to tackle the sun coming up in the early morning hours.  As we enjoyed a cup of coffee and looked out over our gardens, we realized the sun early in the morning was hot. Yes, we know we're living in the South and hence heat is what the summer is all about. 

I had seen outdoor curtains in the magazines and love them.  However, most were really heavy and would block out all the light. We decided to travel to a few overstock places that sold curtain, pillows and bedding.  To our surprise we could get sheers very affordable.  We purchased two panels, followed by a trip to Lowe's for a PVC pipe, and two clothes rod holders. 

Even though it was overly hot outside we decided to install the sheers.  We understand that we might only get two summers out of the sheers, we could live with this because we also have a Crape Myrtle that would be cover that area in the future.  One other benefit was that it made the deck look so welcoming.

God Bless those who travel through my little journey.
Carol

Wild Flower Photo

I love wild flowers, everyday they change.  Colors, height and they make the yard full of life. 

And now for my job.

After John's surgery, and seeing how well he did, it was time for me to make my move or not.  There's always two ways to take care of any disturbance in the universe.  Retail is no different from any other job. You can face it or run, I liked the job and the people I work with, I was not running. 

I realized one thing, I wasn't going to get my way, I just wanted it to be better.  But I could state my concerns and see if even the smallest request for change was possible.  The hardest part is to stay focused.  I had written a letter, lets say an agenda, sealed it and delivered it to my store manager.  As I waited for his response, I practiced my comments and possible responses.  I was well rehearsed and clear of mind the day I was requested to join him and another management representative. 

With a smile on my face I faced the unknown results.  When the meeting was over, I felt that I had done well, I did stay focused and sure of  myself.  I went back to my department, not winning the fight but standing strong and giving management time to respond. 

That was over a two weeks ago now, and the first part of my request did come true.  Slowly but surely the things that made the day hard went away.  The second part is much larger and will hope for the best on that also.

Time is always on the side of truth and calm will always prevail.  you don't always get your way, but you can feel you came out stronger and wiser.
Carol