How quickly or slowly things change part 2

Well, seeing that I am updating this blog a bit after 5 years, I guess I should mention that I did indeed find my forever home. A brick ranch with everything except a pool, and a working fireplace, but I have a fireplace, nonetheless and I will have it updated to probably gas.  I saw the house for the first time October 7th, 2017.  I got the Keys on Nov. 10th and started staying here with the cats on Dec. 3rd 2017.  I had all my big stuff moved in Dec. 20th but I don't think I finished moving completely in until end of Feb and beginning of March when I finally sold the childhood homestead on the Creek. I am only a mile away from the old home.  I don't miss it like I thought I would though sometimes.  It flooded really bad there this past summer.  All of June we had rain and on July 8th there was so much rain that everywhere was flooded. My yard sits up pretty high but there is a ditch in the back that was flooded and the road that surrounds my house was flooded.
all the pictures of the old homestead from the realtor pictures.

How quickly things can change...

I found this in my drafts.  I don't know the original date I had written this because I accidentally published it.  I assume it was in October or November of 2007 since it was about signing the divorce papers.

After Mike came over last week I missed him through out until the next week when he came over. I had the papers signed.

My dream home...forever home...

I have it in my mind to have a small, brick ranch home.  Ideally it will have a front porch and a covered back patio.  A must have is a fireplace, preferably wood burning but I will take a gas fireplace too.  A two car garage and a walk out basement.  Flat yard and if not a two car garage, then maybe an out building.  I love my house, I do, but it is too big, too many steps (for future) and I like the idea of being able to keep up with a smaller house (both exterior and interior). It is my 7 year plan.

2013...what did I accomplish? 2014 What will I accomplish?

First, I did not make any resolutions for 2013 other than the same lose weight and save money blah blah blah.  I lost some weight, held steady and then gained it at the end of 2013.  I did not save money because I had stove and fridge issues, then a few major vet bills and my own health bills including renants of an emergency room bill, glasses and wisdom teeth pulled.  I also had the expense of the vacation which lead to about 5,000 dollars being spent

So, let's put all that behind.  What did I do? Not really that they were goals, but they were challenges of new experiences.
Went rappelling for the first time
Went out of the country, on a big boat, to the Carribbean on a trip that I planned on my  own (except for the boat part) and got to see and spend time with family that I haven't seen since 2004.  So it was good.  Very good.

No home improvement things were done, really.  I did plant tomatoes from seeds, a big deal for a girl with a thumb of death.  So, that leads to this year.   My goals for 2014.

1.  Work on sprucing up the front yard and cleaning up the back hill. (will become more specific later)

2.  Save money.

• reduced cable bill: done
• set an auto payment to savings: done
• reduce spending...working on.

3.  Basement:

• clean
• paint and polyurethane floor
• Paint walls
• Long term (not this year) buy furniture, cabinets, new sink, bar area, rugs, lighting.

4. paint bedroom  and closets (master and small guest room...maybe repaint the bigger guestroom and closets).

20 years...

The List
20 years ago 
Movies that were popular:
The Lion King
Santa Clause
Dumb and Dumber
Natural Born Killers
Pulp fiction
Forest Gump
Interview with a Vampire
The Shawshank Redemption
Speed

So hard to believe.

In 1994 mom got married to George and moved out.
Scott, my brother, lived with me.
I was 26.  The year after, I was 27 and in the best shape of my life.

This year should be my 20 year anniversary and lose the weight like I did then.

November 27th, 1996 I fell in love with my then, future husband.
November 27th, 2007, I was officially divorced from, what I thought was my greatest love.
11 years of connection total.
December 30th 2007 was the last time I saw him.
His mother died on October 9th, 2013.  I sent him and his homewrecking wife a card, which was more kindess than he ever showed me when my mother died. The extended olive branch, more for me than for him.  I never heard anything back from him...typical coward.

Thanksgiving 2013, and I am grateful for the life that I have and all it's ups and downs. I am grateful for the person I have become. I never knew it would be better, but it certainly is a beautiful life I am living.

Summer, it is a beautiful time.  I have spent my summer so far, recovering from wisdom teeth extraction which took about two weeks to fully feel better.  I then did some out of comfort zone adventures in the form of rappelling.  It was great but I didn't do the harder cliff.  I wasn't feeling that great and when I got home I was running a fever (diverticulitis flare up).  Still, I enjoyed watching and camping with my friends.

I have another adventure planned, my first cruise ever!  I am going to the Eastern Caribbean!  My step-mother is very graciously taking me and my sister! My sister so deserves this break and special treat.  I think I am almost more excited for her than I am for me.  I can't wait to see Kathy and family.  I haven't seen them since Ric's death in 2002 (though Mike and I made our last trip out there in 2004). 

Now that I have (or will have) some experience with planning trips, I am going to do it more.  So, yeah, it's been a productive and good summer so far, with more to come.

Learning to trust my equipment on a slight slope.

Over the hump and able to smile.

        

SPRING!

Happy first day of spring.  It certainly does not feel like it.  It's cold today highs will be in the thirties.  Last year it was in the 80s.

16 more days until my Spring break starts  I certainly hope that it warms up for Spring break.  I will be happy even if it is just in the 50s and 60s.  My plan is to clean the house for the first couple of days, then get caught up on some lesson plans and end of the year things.  Why?  because, when the end of the school year is here, I want to be done and out and ready to enjoy my summer without any burdens on my mind.

It will be a beautiful summer.  I have adventures planned.  I have my passport and every summer will now hold an adventure of some sort.  Lots of things to see simply in the US.  and there is Canada and Mexico.  I will branch out from there, but THIS summer, there is a cruise in the works.  

Source: multicityworldtravel.com via Kiki on Pinterest

Random thoughts and rants

What is the fascination with Red velvet cake or red velvet anything dessert?  It's food colouring right?  It's stupid.

Do zombies poop?

Some people think they're great cooks and get high marks from everyone.  I am spoiled by my mother's cooking and resent that I can't enjoy other people's cooking sometimes.

I hate that I can't fake through my disappointments.