New Book

Hi ya'll!

I am reading a new book. Well, it is not new. It is newly unpacked. :-) The title is "Checklist for Life: 40 Days of Timeless Wisdom & Foolproof Strategies for Making the Most of Life's Challenges & Opportunities"

Long title, I know. I am a big fan of check lists so, this should be right up my alley. "To Do" lists are an essential part of my life. Even if there isn't one written down on an actual piece of paper, there is a "To Do" list in my head. Honestly, I have no idea what life would be like without one. It has been a habit of mine ever since elementary school. Seriously. Elementary School. So far, I can see a little bit of that in my son. He enjoys making lists too.

My husband says that I can not always count my productivity by the things that I mark off of the "list". However, I feel accomplished when the things are completed. Robby has said that I need to feel accomplished when I make others around me feel good about themselves or show God's love to my friends or family. Again, one of the many benefits of being married to a shrink!

So, that is something else that I am working on for 2010. Learning that it is ok to feel a sense of accomplishment even when I can not see the results is going to be tough, but I think that with a little encouragement and help, it can be done. Breaking old habits and changing old ways of thinking is hard. What about some of my readers out there? Do you feel better about yourself when you can see your accomplishments or when you can feel them intrinsically? I look forward to hearing from you and also keeping everyone up to date on my progress in this area of my life.

- the busy bee

Why I would marry him all over again

Spirit FM 90.5 is having this contest that asks couples if they would marry their spouse all over again. The goal is to tell the radio personality why you would marry your spouse all over again and then the "dj" calls your spouse and lets you propose to them over the telephone. If he/she accepts, you are then placed in a drawing to win a wedding.

I would marry my husband all over again for many reasons. He is a very loving and gentle person with a heart of pure gold. He loves me for exactly who I am. He is a wonderful father to our son and I could not ask for a better best friend. No one has ever loved me the way that Robby does. No one has had the ability to set my soul aflame the way that he has. I am thankful to God for him. We accept one another, faults and all, and even find them endearing. Communication is probably the strongest asset of our relationship. We talk about any and everything.

Robby is the man that I dream of growing old with. My goal is to be the best wife possible for Robby with God's help and guidance. I believe that marriage is a beautiful partnership between two people. It is never a fifty fifty thing. Sometimes it is eighty/twenty, ninety/ten, and so on. The most important thing is to be sensitive enough to your spouse's needs to pick up the slack when they need you to do so. It is not easy, but it is worth it.

If anyone asks me if I would marry Robby all over again, the answer would be one thousand times "yes".

- the busy bee

Does Slash have a long lost sister?

Hey there!

This is right after blow drying. It is about eighty percent dry and as it dries on it's own, it gets tighter and tighter. For some reason, the highlights show up better with the curls. Go figure! Yesterday morning, David said to me, "Mommy, you don't have to brush your hair. Just put barettes in it!" The mind of a six year old boy is amazing! My husband is singing "Welcome to the Jungle" right now. He is so funny. The mind of a thirty-two year old man is amazing. There is never a dull moment in our house. That is a good thing! I am happy about that. Imagine how dull life would be without a little excitement!

You're in the jungle, baby!
- the busy bee

Broken CHI leads to freedom...

The other evening, my CHI gave out. It was a Christmas gift from 2004 so it served it's purpose. I loved that thing. I have not worn my hair curly for years because of the CHI. Let's just say God has a great sense of humor. One of my goals for 2010 was to be more comfortable in my own skin.

So, I am going to be straight up honest with everyone (no pun intended). I am a hairy brunette. Yep, there it is. From the age of ten I have shaved my legs and when I was seventeen I started shaving my arms so they would not be hairy. I recently stopped the arm shaving and they are back to their natural state. Childhood was not very kind to me due to being picked on, howled at, barked at, and ridiculed for my looks. I wore glasses, had unruly hair, and did not really fit in with the other kids. So, contacts and a CHI were magical for me. A year or so ago, my husband bought me these super cute retro glasses that I wear more than my contacts. That was step number one. When my CHI gave out, I had no alternative but to wear my hair curly. As it turns out, I am getting compliments on it! I was so uncomfortable with my natural hair but actually it is the real me and in order to reach my goal for 2010, I have to get comfortable with everything about myself. That was step number two.

God is so good. He knows exactly what we can and cannot handle and He always works things out for our good when we trust Him. The thing is, as frail humans, we do not always trust in God. I know I struggle with it on a daily basis. It is not easy to rest in the arms of a loving and trustworthy Savior. I write this as much for myself as for others. Even though it may seem scary, and even though you or I may think that we know what is best, we need to place our lives in the hands of our creator. Think it over, give it a try, you just may like it.

Just a little insight into my life,
- the busy bee

New house, new set-up

Whew! It has been a very busy, hectic, and productive week. We are in our new place. It is really nice. When all of the windows are opened, we can smell the salty air. It feels like a vacation house. Our first meal here was homemade spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. Tonight I am roasting a chicken.

David loves his new room. He has plenty of space to play and also has a "hiding" place for his desk in one of his closets. We still have to unpack all of his books...the teacher in me comes out and David has plenty of books. -sigh-

Our master suite looks out at the water. Three of the four walls are windows. It is beautiful. My only complaint, if I even have one, is that there is only one wall on which to hang decorations. When it rains, it sounds so nice. I like to watch it come in off of the bay. We even heard from a neighbor that manatees come in the canal and even dolphins sometimes. How awesome would that be to see those animals in our own back yard?!

I'll write more soon.

-the busy bee

Vietnamese eyebrow torture

A few years ago, my mother convinced me to try getting my eyebrows waxed. I used to shave them. It was easy enough, just turn the razor sideways and remove the excess and unwanted hair. The only issue was getting them perfectly even and keeping up with the stubble. Well, like I said, my mother convinced me to give wax a try one day while we were at the nail shop. I was terrified! I hate pain. She told me that if I could have a baby and get pierced I could surely survive getting my eyebrows done. Hahahahaha!

I asked the lady to wax my eyebrows. She was from Vietnam and very sweet and gentle with my nails so I figured it couldn't be all that bad. Again, hahahahaha. I was led back to the chair and told to lay back and relax. I laid back, closed my eyes, and prayed for mercy. The warm wax felt soothing and we chatted about nothing in particular. A soft, dry cloth was laid over the warm wax and smoothed down by deft fingers. Then, in one instant, r-i-p! Off came the cloth and I almost came out of the chair with it. I squealed. She laughed. My mother laughed. Well, I had to finish what was started so on it went. A total of five applications of wax and five squeals from me. I thought it was over. I thought wrong! Next came the tweezing of the small hairs that were not caught in the wax. The few, the proud, the stragglers. That hurt worse than the waxing. After the tweezing, the nice lady soothed my raw skin with some (what I assume) baby oil.

My eyebrows looked amazing! I was pleased with the results but not pleased with the process. Whoever said "beauty must suffer" had it right! After I paid the woman, I told her that she could have gotten any information that she wanted out of me with that Vietnamese torture. She laughed and asked me if I would explain to her what I meant. I told her that she just performed Vietnamese eyebrow torture on me and that she could get national secrets from her clients if she would only ask the right questions while they were "relaxed" in her chair. I was assured that the more I had the waxing done, the easier it would become and it would not hurt as bad.

It was true. If it is kept up, waxing is not too bad. Yes, I still refer to it as Vietnamese eyebrow torture because it certainly does not feel good or soothing. I tell my husband, "Time to go for my torture session" when I notice those pesky hairs growing back into place. -sigh- He just looks at me and smiles knowingly. I am just happy I do not have a mustache. :-)

Your friendly torture survivor,
- the busy bee

The more I see, the less I know.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "To make a friend, you have to be a friend." One of my favorite parts of teaching is just listening to the everyday conversations of my students. I have learned a lot from them. There is, however, one thing that the children say that I do not allow. It is, "You're not my friend anymore!" Those words are said out of frustration and even anger. Usually this happens when one of them does not get their way in a game, or one has something that the other wants. I am sure that at some point in our own childhoods, we either said these words to someone else or they were said to us. It does not elicit good feelings, does it?

Emerson had a point though. In order to make a friend, you have to actually be a friend to someone. See the good in them for who they are. Do not try to change them yourself. If there is a fault in your friend (and surely there is because they are human) accept it as a quirk. After all, don't you have quirks? I have plenty of them and am thankful for those who call me friend. So, as adults, please do not tell someone that they are "not your friend anymore" by withholding acceptance and friendship.

Just a thought,
- the busy bee

My mama said to not lose you, cause the best luck I ever had was you!

Well, this afternoon I moved more things into the new house. It is looking breathtaking! I can't wait to take some pictures and share with friends. The view is gorgeous from the master suite. The electricity gets turned on tomorrow as well, so, we can move well into the night. How exciting! I will keep everyone posted.

-the very busy bee

My new kitchen

Good evening! As some of you know, I collect Coca-Cola memorabilia. My kitchen is decorated with retro Coca-Cola items. In my new kitchen, there are endless possibilities for my collection. The cabinets are white, original (antique), have crown moulding, and are shabby chic. Absolutely the perfect accent to the Coca-Cola red that I love so much! This particular room will probably be my favorite space of the new place. How exciting it is to start over from scratch and turn a plain and empty canvas into a living, breathing work of art.

- the busy bee

Monday, Monday, so good to me.....

Monday. Not very eventful. School was school, my son received a discipline card for not following directions, and it is still cold here in sunny Florida. I have discovered the joy of wearing scarves. Yep, scarves in Florida.

Nothing very exciting is happening and there is no earth shattering or ground breaking news. Life is pretty normal and peaceful right now. It is really nice. It will be somewhat of a challenge to come up with witty observations during this time of tranquility. I am totally up for that challenge though! BRING IT ON (insert Rocky theme song)!

Oh! I have been working on my parenting curriculum and added another two pages today. Today's topic was "Life Skills". The gist of today's portion was a list of life skills that both parents and children need to get along well in life. My next task is to add to this by explaining exactly how to live out these skill sets. If anyone is interested in reading my work, email me and let me know. I welcome any and all comments.

-the busy bee

My men

This is a recent picture of my husband and son. We were goofing around, which is what we do best, and I got this shot of them. I love my men! Our life is full of adventure and there is never a dull moment with these two around. They "feed" off of each other and keep me on my toes, that is for sure. What would I do without them in my world?

God has truly blessed me with a wonderful husband and son. They make me smile each and every day even when I do not feel like smiling. A simple touch from my husband's gentle hand and my soul ignites. An, "I love you, Mommy." from my son and my heart melts.

Life is good even when we may not feel that it is. Look around yourself and take in all that you are blessed with. Isn't it amazing?

<3,
the busy bee

Where have all the Madeas gone?

Madea is one of my heroes. I love her! She tells it like it is, keeps people on point, and is respected by everyone around. Where have these women gone? It really does not matter what color your skin is, Madea is a state of mind.

In the movie, "Steel Magnolias" the character Ouiser was a Madea of sorts. She was not afraid to speak her mind, that's for sure. In fact, the small church that I attended as a child had an older woman who was the real life version of Ouiser. We even nicknamed her as such. She was something else. It really did not matter if people liked her or not, she was going to be true to herself and true to her God. "Ouiser" would correct other people's children, stand toe to toe with the pastor if she did not agree with something that was going on in the church, and she had a heart of gold.

I believe that the era of political correctness has obliterated these wonderful women. We, as women, are afraid to be outspoken. We fear what others may think of us. Meanwhile, the world around us is crumbling and screaming out for women such as Madea. If each neighborhood had one Madea, I know without a doubt that there would be less crime, less disrespect for property, and more respect for one another. I am not ashamed to say that as I age, I want to be a Madea. Like me, love me, hate me, whatever...I really do not care. I am me.

-the busy bee

Eloquence

Clark Gable once said, "I am intrigued by glamorous women. A vain woman is continually taking out a compact to repair her make-up. A glamorous woman knows she doesn't need to."

Rhett Butler...need I say more?

-the busy bee

What'll I do.......

Before I begin this evening, let me say that I do not believe in reincarnation. I do, however, adhere to a few abstract theological ideas. One of which explains feelings of de ja vu or just "knowing" things about certain historical places or times without ever living or visiting in that era or area. For me, I really resonate with the 1930's and 1940's. As a young girl, I used to be able to hum and finish Big Band songs that I had never heard. The fashion, the cars, the manners, the household furnishings, the kitchen gadgets, everything about that era calls to me. In fact, I am listening to music from the WWII era now.

My abstract theology says that God created all of our souls and we were able to look down from Heaven and see the happenings of the world. I believe that our souls longed to come to earth but, God in his infinite wisdom, predetermined a specific place and time for our birth. Mine happened to be in August of 1979. I believe that our souls cried out to come to earth during the era that we loved most. That, to me, explains the certain affinity people have toward the various historical periods. Please, do not condemn me for my idea. In my mind, it makes perfect sense.

In any case, here are some lyrics that are often trapped inside my head and I find myself humming them a lot. It has nothing to do with my relationship or my feelings toward my husband so please do not read into anything! This particular song is special to me and I really do not know why.

What'll I DO?
Gone is the romance that was so divine.
'Tis broken and cannot be mended.
You must go your way,
And I must go mine.
But now that our love dreams have ended...

What'll I do
When you are far away
And I am blue
What'll I do?

What'll I do?
When I am wond'ring who
Is kissing you
What'll I do?

What'll I do with just a photograph
To tell my troubles to?

When I'm alone
With only dreams of you
That won't come true
What'll I do?

What'll I do with just a photograph
To tell my troubles to?

When I'm alone
With only dreams of you
That won't come true
What'll I do?

Thank you for letting me indulge this evening,
the busy bee

Organizational tips, modified...busy bee style!

Since we are moving, my husband and I have been organizing like crazy. It feels wonderful to purge and organize our belongings that we choose to keep. I found an article in Better Homes & Gardens on "7 Tips for Beating Clutter Forever". I like these ideas, but, of course I had to make them my own. That's the busy bee style, baby!

Tip #1 Start with the easy stuff.
Go through your home room by room in search of trash. Throw out old magazines,
coupons, newspapers, and catalogs. Shred paid utility bills, or better yet, sign up for
paperless billing. Make sure anything with your address is shredded! This helps ensure
your family's privacy. Fill bags or boxes with unwanted/ill fitting clothing and linens to
donate to a charitable organization.

Tip #2 Set small goals.
Say, "Today I am going to clean out my junk drawer and then that is it. I am going to
stop." This will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed or take away precious time
from your family. Maybe even consider setting a timer. You will be surprised what
fifteen minutes can accomplish when you really put your mind and efforts toward it.
Make sure that you complete the mini task at hand. This will give you a major sense of
accomplishment and well being.

Tip #3 Give or make everything a home.
A big time reason why clutter builds up is because it is homeless. A good home for a
frequently used item is one that makes it easy to retrieve and return. Decide the most
convenient locations for your items and then simply give them a home. Stick with your
plan and do not deviate.

Tip #4 Give yourself permission to let it go.
What if you only had ten minutes to evacuate your home? What would you take with
you? What would you grab? Personally, I like to use storage containers labeled with
the contents so I can easily see what is in the container and also make stacks. Make a
decision to only keep what is important to you. Let go of the rest. It's only stuff, right?
When I divorced, I allowed by ex-husband to take whatever he wanted because I felt that
the material possessions could be replaced if they were really worth it. After all, getting
him out of my home was the most important thing. PRIORITIZE!

Tip #5 Deal with clutter "hot spots".
Look around your house. Where does the clutter gather? In my house it tends to be at
the front door. We take our shoes off there and discard backpacks, etc. Another "hot
spot" in our home is the breakfast nook table. It seems to be in the center of the house
and, well, it's just easy to stack things on top of the table. My goal is to get a big basket
to place by the front door for our shoes. Keys will go in a big bowl or on a hook beside
the door. Big Lots, Wal-Mart, GoodWill, etc are fantastic places to find unique and
decorative storage ideas. It's a favorite new pastime of mine.

Tip #6 Declutter daily.
Sure it's not fun, but, look around and keep up. After all, it's easier to keep up rather
than play catch up. Personally, I'd rather spend my weekends having fun than cleaning a
whole house top to bottom. An idea is to buy a laundry basket (right now $1.50) at
Wal-Mart and go through each room and toss in anything that needs to be put away.
Remember to throw out or donate what you don't need. Needs are different than wants
and we often confuse the two, me included.

Tip #7 Be a good "gatekeeper".
Think twice before you bring something new home. When I shop, I put an item into my
buggy, walk around the store thinking of my purchase. Do I need this? Where could it
go? How could I use it?

Please keep in mind that I am "preaching to the choir" but, preparing to move and moving has really put this on my mind and heart. I hope that I have helped a few of you out there. Enjoy a clutter free life!

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzing through the clutter,
the busy bee

The very best you.

Here is a thought for 2010. Are you the best you that you can be? I have been asking myself that lately. How do you know if you are the best version of yourself? I do not want to go into religious matters here because, well, I am not a "religious" person. I am a follower of Christ that makes mistakes on a daily basis because I am also a human being.

When attempting to answer the question, think of what makes you the happiest. Think of what makes you feel alive more than anything else in the world. Try to think about intrinsic things, not extrinsic. The superficial does not make a person valuable. Make sense?

Usually the answers to those questions (What makes me happiest? What makes me feel most alive?) point to the real and authentic you. Once that person is found, stripped away from all of the trappings of life, work on refining those qualities that set you apart from everyone else. Remember, we were created uniquely and specifically to fulfill a special niche in this world. What an amazing thought that is!

Once you have answered the questions, think about what the answers look like in your life. For example, if going to the beach makes you the happiest, what would it look like if you made the most of your beach experience? Could it be that you are at the beach to give a genuine smile to someone having a horrid day? Maybe they were there contemplating suicide and your particular smile gave them hope that humanity was not so wretched after all. If shopping makes you happy (I'm going to be careful with that one), maybe that Wal-Mart trip is meant for you to brighten someone's day by extending help to the person who cannot afford a few of the necessary items that are on that conveyor belt.

Just imagine how much better our town, city, county, state, and nation would be if there were more people living the best versions of themselves. I do not believe this is a childish ideal. It can be accomplished with a little hard work and discipline. After all, really, how hard is it to be kind to someone? It might shock them into being kind right back to you or to someone else that they come across during their day!

It is my goal to live out and become the very best version of myself. Consider this prayerfully. Start small if this seems like an insurmountable obstacle. Try it for an hour, then a day, then a month, etc. Before you know it, you will be living on a daily basis the very best version of yourself. Am I saying that it will be easy? NO! It will be quite difficult, but are you up to the challenge? I am. Please join me in this endeavor.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzing in your ear,
the busy bee

Baby, it's cold outside!

Hello there! This is me, today, at work, attempting to get warm. I had on three shirts and a jacket and was still c-o-l-d. This native Floridian is not used to the frigid temperatures! I mean, shorts in December is a little ridiculous, and having actual seasons would be nice, but this cold feels like it is in my bones.

My poor "babies" can not go out and play so they are having to find "alternative" ways to expel their excess energy. That is teacher speak for mischief. Well, my co-teacher and I did take the kids out today at around 11:30 for about ten minutes because the kids needed to get out. Those brief few moments outside were all that we could take. It was so windy too! We told the kids to run, run, run so that they would warm up! I actually played tag football with some of the boys to try to get warmer. I was quarterback! lol Tomorrow is going to be even cooler so we will have to think fast and keep everyone busy. :-) My co-teacher is awesomely creative so we are going to have fun.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzing to keep warm,
the busy bee

Ah, the joys of a son

What a day! I spent about an hour and a half working on my side of our master bedroom closet. Now, everything is neatly labeled and in place. Next task on the closet agenda is to organize the clothes that hang by color. Yes, I said it, organize by color. If you are laughing right about now, try it. You'd be surprised by how easy it is to find exactly what you want to wear. An additional bonus is, it's easy to put the garment back into the allotted space. Geeky, yes.

Oh! My son is into something new. He now loves to belch after drinking anything. Anything! It's a habit that started last evening and has continued into today. I have explained to him repeatedly that belching is normal and that every human being does it, BUT, it is inappropriate to do it every chance you get and as loudly as you possibly can. -sigh-

I love having a little boy. The teacher in me envisions a note sent home on Monday letting me know that David is a "nice boy, however, he has been belching all day long......". The balancing act of teacher and mommy is not so easy. My husband has been gracious enough to help me with that delicate balance. Obviously I have no clue what it is like to be a little boy, and obviously my husband does. So, he gently clues me in to some of the "man secrets" and rights of passage that our son is going through. Fun times. I mean that with no sarcasm. It's great being the only female in the house...Queen Bee. :-)

It's getting to be family time now so I need to buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz off to the hive.

the busy bee

Humor on a dreary day

Just thought I'd send a little humor your way on this rainy, dreary New Year's Day.

bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzing with laughter,
the busy bee