I used to go ice skating every Friday and Saturday night as a teen in town. Mom would drop me off and pick me up. Often I would leave the rink a little early and go sit outside to wait on her. A 5 foot neon sign was my waiting place. I could sit directly behind it in the shadows and people-watch.
One Friday night it had been misting rain as I waited for my ride. The light from the sign glanced off a spider web between the sign and the wooden post attached to the sign. Without any thought I picked up a stick and with one swipe destroyed the web.
The next night, again I was sitting in the same exact spot. Something glistening caught my eye and there it was... another spider web in the same exact spot. I didn't reach for a stick this time.. but instead watched in amazement as this spider rebuilt her home. My guilt from the previous night soon turned to awe. She busily and precisely swung back and forth, working what appeared to be effortlessly on the home I had destroyed. The web was bigger and stronger and the mist made it sparkle like diamonds.
That spider taught me a lesson of great value that night.. and I have used that lesson many times over the years. This spider did not moan and groan, cast blame or just gave up on rebuilding.. she simply started over and embraced her new home.All of us, at one time or another, have had a swipe of a hand.,, whether it was our own hand or that of someone else.. to carelessly tear us down. Casting blame, wallowing in pity or giving up accomplishes nothing. We have 2 choices in life. Either give up or rebuild what has been damaged or destroyed. Giving up as never been a choice to me. When I get knocked down, I simply get back up and move on. It's not always easy.. but giving up would seemingly be more difficult to do. Amazing what we can learn from Gods' little creatures.. even the creepy-crawly ones.

Someone will have to give in or just remain friends. Not alot of choices for you it seems

Very nice

Where else can you be anything or anyone you want to be and get away with it? Many have no intentions of ever meeting anyone. Here they can be made to feel special. Lonliness can do strange things to people and I ain't lying

Make sure my aim is good *heh

Someone told me once that maybe romance doesn't have to play a role in a good sound relationship after 50... that perhaps just being as comfortable as a warm blanket with someone could be enough. Are we wrong to want the fireworks as well AND be comfy as a warm blanket with that person?

single

This old woman who resided across the street from us was a mystery to the adults in town and someone to fear to the children in the neighborhood. Her house looked nice from the outside, always mowed and neat. Her curtains were tattered and her porch bare except for an old rocking chair. She walked all over town with her head lowered and wearing an old heavy long coat... even on the hottest day of summer. We would make it a point to say Hi to her. She would nod in acknowlegment and walk on quickly.
Like every year, the boys and I would put up our Christmas tree on December 15th. The Christmas music would be blaring, hot cocoa to sip and a great time decorating. My oldest son had band practice that evening so that left Cory.. my youngest. I was washing dishes when he came running in and asking if he could have a couple boxes of decorations. Before I could turn around, he scooped up 2 boxes and hit the front door like lightening. I was disappointed that he was off to decorate someone else's tree, knowing that night was our night to do ours. I was pretty upset by the time I got the dishes done and half-heartedly began decorating our tree. I gathered up the empty boxes and went to take them to the garage. As I came around to the front of the house, I saw a sight to behold. My 11 year old son was decorating the old woman's dwarfed Spruce tree with our decorations. I watched him carefully select a piece and thoughtfully placed it on the tree. I got a glimpse of someone else watching him through her shredded curtains. Cory unrolled the electric cord that was connected to the lights and placed the other end on her front porch near her door. I hid behind the tree just in case the woman decided to come out and jump on Cory for being on her property, but he got done and came skipping back across the street. I ran in the back door and pretended to be putting on the finishing touches to our tree when he walked in the front door. I casually asked him what had he been up to. He shrugged and said " Awww nothing much". I wanted to tell him I saw the wonderful thing he did and how proud I was of him.. but I believed that this was something he wanted to keep to himself and I admired that. He could have tooted his own horn, but instead, he drank the rest of his hot chocolate and went to bed.
Later that night I decided to step out on the front porch for a moment before calling it a night. My heart swelled as I looked across the street and an abundance of warmth surged over me. This puny little tree was the most beautiful Christmas tree I had ever seen.. done with the magic of a 11 year old's imagination and his need to care about someone else. The biggest surprise to me, however, was on her front porch. This woman, wrapped up in a blanket, rocking in her chair.. enjoying the gift of a child. That memory is priceless to me.
Merry Christmas!

That is why I have come to check out this site. The other site I am on has become a petty battling ground

At age 52, I just got my first and last one lol My son was getting one done and talked me into getting one. I have my yahoo ID tatted on my ankle lol

So.. I wonder if the vows about forsaking all others and til death do us part is for only when it is convenient? I would not judge them..as they will have to live with their decision. I asked what if the shoe was on the other foot.. would you give your spouse such permission. One said yes.. but she wouldn't want to know anything about it.

Is human nature to go after what you can't have.. and to look beyond what you have in hopes of finding something better. We are a greedy breed

On another site.. the topic came up about the caregiver in the relationship looking for " love" outside the marriage if their spouse could no show them physical affection but gave his/her spouse permission to find what they need elsewhere. The debate was interesting. Some said it would depend on what the illness is. If it was cancer and it made them weak for months.. most said they probably wouldn't have an affair. Others said if their spouse was in a coma for a long time.. they probably would.
The words, Well, it isn't a black and white issue.. it has alot of gray areas. Personally, I couldn't do it even if my husband gave me permission. You can color unfaithfulness neon green and it would still be cheating. JMO
What do you think?

I have noticed that some of these smaller towns are now doing away with the town square. Figures, doesn't it? I remember my town square very well when I was little. The laundry mat, hardware store, best little diner in the county, barber shop with the red and white swirling tower in the front, the market with the wooden Indian standing guard by the door. All the festivities, from selling veggies to parades was held on the square.
I would go to the ice cream shop and Mr. Hedson would fix me a huge ice cream cone and put on those fancy sprinkles free of charge. I'd walk around the square, not a care in the world ( except my ice cream melting) and stick my nose to the big window to admire the Chatty doll dressed in a pretty dress.
The older ladies would sit on one side of the square on benches. Some knitting, most gossiping. They would talk about their husbands and kids and recipes. The older men had the other side of the square. I would listen to them talk about the lack of rain on their crops, gossiping ( yes, men do gossip!) and swapping knives. I noticed that one could swap his knife for another and within a few months would get his own knife back in a swap. I didn't see the sense in that but the men seemed to enjoy this game. Sometimes they would talk about their wives.. but in a low voice. Hummm.. afraid one of the women would overhear and come charging over with her purse swinging wildly?
I love the town square. There is such a one about 30 mins from here that reminds me alot of the one I grew to love as a kid. I often drive over just to sit at the diner and watch the people sitting on the benches.. the ladies still talking about their husbands and their husbands still swapping knives.

Just know you are not alone. America is in deep chit. We just got to hang on the best we can

All fibbers report to the nunnery for a tongue lashing

I love Christmas.. always have. I am soooo ready to put my lil tree up even if it is just for me. I can't wait to see what I have bought myself on Christmas morning!

It is a true story. I am merely a blogger and write about my own thoughts and experiences. It haunts me still. Such a waste of life. Some say it is the easy way out.. a cowardly act... but I'm not convinced of that.

I truly enjoy the emails I receive from people about some of my blogs. I've always enjoyed writing and to share some of the things that I have experienced. I find it totally amazing the things that I have learned through the life of another..whether it is from knowing them for years or just a fleeting moment in which they touch my life.... whether it is from a 2-legged life , a 4-legged friend or in nature itself.
I learned something very valuable from my youngest son when he was 8 and it happened as we were sitting playing Super Mario on his Nintendo one night.. I was getting FRUSTRATED trying to get Mario past the stupid creature and jump over this and swing across that! And I thought.... This is suppose to be fun??!! So, I broke down and begged Cory to just get me past this part of it lol
With his little fingers working the controls at the speed of light, he tried this way.. and that way.. and when that didn't work, he went another route that just made me wanna scream " Mannnn, you are not gonna be able to get past it going THAT way!" But... as always, Cory got through the level. As I watched him, I gritted my teeth trying to figure out how he could do it and I had such a time with it... This was suppose to be fun, right?
Then it hit me like a ton of bricks! Cory was doing what children do so well.. he was taking risks! It didn't matter if the route he was taking was " logical". He was simply, without a second thought, taking chances. He was simply having fun and trying different ways to get to his goal.. the next level.
We lose alot of important aspects of life when we become adults. We gain that fear of failure, that others will see us as such and not willing to take a chance.. of taking that leap of faith. If we find we cannot get across those obstacles in what appears to be the " only way", we simply give up. I found and collected some wonderful wisdom from an 8 year old child who was just doing what comes natural to them. Amazing the things that can be taught to us and often by the smallest of creatures.. in the most unexpected ways.

Will and my youngest son were the best of friends from first grade on. He often spent the entire weekends with us even though he lived just across the street. His dad was a drug dealer who was in and out of the pen.. his mom laid around all day from depression and drugs.
Often Will would come sit in my kitchen and we would talk if my son wasn't home yet. Talk about his dad, school, work, his girlfriend and such.
Will was 16 years old when his life came to an end. I had been out of town all weekend on business and was listening to the car radio as I pulled into town to listen to the news. Will had got into an argument with his boss that morning. When he came into work, his boss accused Will of being out drinking all night.. when in fact, he had been up all night trying to work things out with his girlfriend. The boss fired Will. Will went home, took the pistol from the cabinet and ran out the door before his mom noticed the gun missing. Neighbors said he came pounding on my front door.. asking them where I was. They had been looking for Will for 24 hours by the time I got home.
I was saddened and worried about Will and feeling helpless, I decided to go walk the woods behind the house. I found myself taking the path to the creek where my son and Will and I spent alot of time. As I walked toward the creek, I saw him sitting against the tree, facing the creek... his back to me. My heart sunk as I slowly walked to the front of the tree... my eyes never leaving the bloody shoes before me. I dared not look up for I knew what Will had come there to do.
I fell to my knees and the tears flowed.. turning the blood on his shoes pink. So many things went through my mind in the silence. What made Will choose this place to stop at? Did he remember back to all the good times he had with us.. swimming, enjoying a picnic, talking about nothing and everything, laughing til our bellies hurt? Did he think about his dad and how much he resented people telling him he would end up just like his dad? He had fought so hard to prove them all wrong. Did he wonder if he was the reason his mom was depressed... did he blame himself? Did he think about how he would tear his sisters apart with what he was about to do? How long did this child sit at this tree before he decided to pull the trigger? Was he afraid? Was he angry in those last moments or did he feel a sense of peace that his hurting would soon be over? Did he.... wonder where I was and why wasn't I there when he needed me the most? I will wonder about that for the rest of my life.
I told him how much I loved him, how so sorry I was for anything I may have done to let him down. Then I got up.. and trembling out of control as I called the police on my cell phone... keeping my eyes on his shoes.
I went to Will's funeral. I stood in the back and just shook my head in amazement as I scanned all the people that filled the room. The place was packed with his friends and family and I remember thinking just how truly loved this child was.
*I love you Will and you will always have a special place in my heart and the heart of my son.