Roads

I am thinking of all the roads I have walked along. It seems that the ones where I have learned the most have had steep inclines, bumps and sometimes ended in heartache. I wonder why lessons are learned most affectively when injured on the path? Pain is such a motivator.

Back from Institute

Wow, what a quick trip. I left here for the Institute on Monday night at 9 PM and returned home last night (Tuesday) at 10 PM.

The people I met at the conference were great. I saw some folks I hadn't seen in a long time. I enjoyed doing my presentation.

Now, back to the office today. Then me and my boy are off to San Antonio Thursday afternoon. His three cousins are having a swim party for their birthday and he can't wait to get there.

Let the healing begin.

My Mom

Yesterday my mom went to the hospital with chest pains. Today she had a few procedures. It seems she has something similar to what my niece was first diagnosed with. What an exhausting and emotional 24 hours.

It seems we have been having a lot of these things happen lately. First my niece, then my sister-in-law in a really bad car accident. Now my mom.

I have stopped and thought about my life a lot lately. I love my family so much. I feel so blessed to have had the life I have lived and the friends and family I have. The journey sometimes feels long but it is such a short one, actually. Sometimes too short.

My dad was only alive 61 years. That is less than half of the time I have already been alive. Today I wonder....is there anything left unsaid? Anything left undone? Unaccomplished? With every breath I want the answer to be a resounding NO. I want to live life without regret.

Carp Diam.

Sick of Feedback.

I want to take a break from feedback today. I am sick of hearing so many people tell me how I should handle my affairs. I am certian they are concerned and feel that what they are telling me is in my best interest, yada, yada, yada. But today I am not in the mood. I want to remain open to significant people in my life but some of them are sick.

It reminds me of when I was pregnant and everyone thought they should tell me something about their pregnancy. Even better were the ones that gave me advice who had no children. Ha. I know I can learn something from everyone but it makes my blood boil when people think the only way you can make progress is by doing it their way.

Dr. Phil always says to look at a person's agenda when they offer you advice. I guess that is part of what I need to do.

Digging my heels in.

Friday, Friday, Friday!

Yippee. It is Friday. I am often off on Friday in the summertime; however, this week I am in CEU's. So, I even "work" tomorrow. Time away from my son. I don't like that part. Otherwise, the CEU's have been going well.

In one week I will be at the yearly family gathering at the camp we have been going to since before I was born. We get a great big cabin across from the pool and natural spring. You can see the mountains and river out the windows. I really enjoy it. All the kids love getting together and playing until they can't run anymore. The fresh air and family are just what I need right now. And one great thing about the location is that no cell phones work there. Oh, yeah!

TGIF?

Sick Baby

My little man is sick today. I have been up with him since 3:30 AM. I don't like how helpless I feel when he is sick and I can't make it any better. He usually just wants me close to him. That's how I still feel when I don't feel well. I just want my mom close by. I guess that never goes away.

Going back to cuddle my lil' guy.

Bad Day?

Phew! What a day. What a week. Car trouble, AC trouble, too much to do, too little time. I am ready for midnight so it can be over.

Tired!

I can die happy!

Okay, it is official. I can die happy. I am presenting at a conference the last week of July/first week of August that has been a leading conference in the addictions field in Texas since I got in the field 15 years ago. But that isn't the "die happy" news. Claudia Black, Delbert Boone and Carlton Erikson are presenting at the same conference. Okay, now I am having an anxiety attack.

Whew.

July 1 Already!

It is so hard to believe it is July. That sounds cliche, but it is true. The summer is flying by. My little pumpkin is with his grandmother right now. I saw him this weekend and he is having fun. They are busy doing "country stuff". He has gone to a peach orchard, helped make jelly, gotten veggies from the garden and is feeding the birds and squirrels. He assured me he loves me and misses me even though he is having fun with grandmother. He knows exactly what his mother needs!

I went to San Antonio again this weekend. This time I was keynote speaker for a drug court. It went well. The co-worker that went with me said I did well...but I didn't have that "out of the ballpark feeling" I sometimes get when I think I do well. I was a little nervous, which is very unusual. But, that is okay.

I like this time of the summer. I would like if it would stop raining long enough to have a swim once in a while. But, I know the bigger picture with rain in our part of the world. I know the more it rains the less likely we will have a drought and be in the triple digits for days on end.

Always reasons for the rain.

Workshop Complete

I just got home from the state conference in San Antonio. I presented at a difficult time. It was the last class before dinner. It was also pushed back from a late running earlier speaker. That made a few people a little difficult to deal with in the workshop; however, I enjoyed myself.

In addition to the conference I got to see a lot of family members. I enjoyed a night on my own...sleeping sideways in the bed! But the next night got to witness my sister taking three of our neices and my boy swimming. Then we all stayed in the hotel room. What fun it was.

Now my little dumpling is staying a few nights with his grandmother. The house isn't the same without him here. So, here I am, up at 10:45PM watching David Letterman. Of course, it doesn't hurt that my big dumpling, Tony Parker is going to be on tonight!

Needing a Siesta after San Antonio.

Class Complete!

I am waiting on the grade from my last class to be posted. Right now I have an A. I am just waiting on the score for one more thing to find out the final grade. I have 5 more classes left now. That is so close. The degree will be a Master's in General Psychology. I keep toying with the idea of changing it to a Master's in Counseling....but that would require changing schools and probably more course work. I don't mind the work. I learn so much and enjoy it a lot....but I need to wrap this up with a pretty little bow. It has been a goal for so long I think it is time to see it to fruition. If I want the Master's in counseling after this one in psychology then I can get it. Why not? I have two Associates Degrees and two Bachelor's Degrees. Why not two Graduate?

Overachiever?

CLEAN SWEEP!

Well, it is over. The Spurs won the championship last night with a clean sweep 4-0 victory over the Cavs. I am so happy. And my man, Tony Parker, was the MVP. Sweet. So now they have 4 titles. I was there the year they won the first! This time I only made a few of the out of town playoff games but boy did it feel like I was there last night. Sunday is the parade. I cannot make that, either. But when I visit San Antonio later this month I know I will get t-shirts and video tapes galore! What a season. What a win. Beautiful.

Now, if I could just talk Tony Parker out of marrying Eva Longoria....that would be a great season.

Go Spurs Go!

Amusing!

I spent the day at the local amusement park. My son is a maniac. He loves roller coasters as much as I do. He rode one with two loops THREE times in a row. He doesn't stop. As soon as we walked in the door (and I didn't think I could make one more step) he was already asking to go swimming. If I had just a bit of that energy!

Amused.

Summer is here!

For me, summer has officially arrived. I went swimming today. I worked in the flower beds and got hot enough to jump in! I am glad. When summer is in swing, life seems a little more fun, a little more peaceful, a little slower.

I even made homemade icecream...and ate some of it....without looking at the calorie content. Great day. Great summer.

And tonight is game two of the NBA finals. Hoping for another Spurs victory. Wouldn't that make for a "perfect" weekend?

Sunshine.

My Little Man

Well, Kindergarten is over. My baby is a first grader now. He told me he appreciates me calling him that, too. So, instead of calling him his name I refer to him as "the first grader".

We had a fun time the last full week of school. He had something special each day. A movie day with popcorn, a show and tell day where he took he electronic dog, a favorite game day where he took chinese checkers. He also had field day. I took lots of photos of that!

The last day he attended church service with his class and then I joined him in the classroom to say goodbye to his friends and teacher. He had the best teacher! I am so glad. I was so fearful of sending him off to school and she made it great. He can read and write and pray like a pro. An amazing year. So many transformations.

A mother of a first grader.