Today

Today has been a good day. I did some cleaning and managed to get the bathroom, bedroom, dining room, and most of the kitchen done. I still need to mop the floor. I did the dishes and got most of the laundry done. I did manage to get some pool time in. This morning it was cool but this evening it was just right. The heat index was suppose to be around 110 today and I bet it reached it. Right now I have the ac off and the door open. There is a cool breeze coming in through the screen door. I do have a fan on too. It is comfortable.

the little neighbor girl popped in an out most of the afternoon. She is so adorable and sweet. I do just love it when she visits. It reminds me of when I was her age and used to go across the street to visit the lady that lived there. She never did seem to mind how many times I popped in to see her. It is always nice when someone takes time for us.

Miss Cleo found a new spot to hide but where she could watch from afar. She jumped on top of the fridge and then on up to the top of the cabinets. She found a spot where she could see what was going on but that no one could reach her and there she stayed. She watched and then she took a nap. There is a ledge on the top of the cabinets and she was positioned so you could just see her head with her eyes beaming down looking at everything. Once the neighbor girl left then she must have decided it was safe so down she came to be a pest. Love the antics of the cat.

Well, hope everyone had a great day. It will soon be time to call it a night. Just a few more days of vacation left and I am planning on enjoying every one of them. Take care and until next time.

Book Review

Today I am writing a book review for school. I really do not know what I am doing. I have not done a book report since high school and I really do not think they are wanting the same thing as I remember. The book is "Selling Sickness" by Ray Moynihan and Alan Cassels. It sure is putting a new light on the drug companies and their methods as far as changing public perception of diseases, creating new diseases, and marketing their medications. The book is very interesting, but I am not sure exactly how to incorporate the information into a review. I am hoping that what I am doing is going to be what the instructors are looking for in a book review.

I got up early to start working on it. The coffee is on and the first cup is almost down. Miss Cleo has woke up and is here with me trying to help. lol. As you can tell, she is sometimes more of a hinderance by blocking the computer screen or the keyboard than helping me write. lol. Still, she is a keeper.

It is cool this morning. I have the air off and the door open. The sounds of nature are coming in through the screen door along with a slight breeze. It is suppose to be hot today so I will probably be turning the air back on later in the day. Right now I am enjoying the sounds, the smells, and the feel of the outdoors.

As for Miss Cleo, she has a new spot that she loves. She has been using this basket for about 2 weeks or so now. Isn't she cute. When she lays down in it, her fur sticks out through the holes in the basket. It does not really look comfortable, but she must like it. lol.

Well, now back to my review. Wish me luck. Wishing everyone a great and glorious day.

Long Time

It has been a long time since I updated this blog. I have been continuing with school. Currently am taking a nursing class on health promotion. I have a book report to do this week and then a few more assignments to tweak and I will be done with most of the work assigned. Have 2 more weeks of this class.

My cat Cleo has continued to grow into a mature, somewhat :), cat. She has truly been a blessing tome. She makes me smile and laugh which I greatly need at times.

Right now am on vacation. It has been a God-send in so many ways. I really needed this time to re-coup so I am ready to tackle a busy life again.

Well, my coffee is getting cold so better go for a refill. Have a great day to all.

A Big Question

Changes

You know the statement:
If something is too good to be true then it usually is too good to be true. Well is that always true? Can't something be too good to be true and actually be true? a good thing? or does it always mean it is something bad for you? If you feel like you are in a dream, is that bad? Should you beware? Should you give it up?

Some things to consider - Are you changing? Are you doing things that you normally wouldn't do? Are you saying things that you normally wouldn't say? Are you going places that you normally wouldn't enter the door of any other time? Are you eating or drinking things that you would never partake of any other time? Are you thinking thoughts that are normally foreign to you?


More thoughts to consider - If you are doing this, is this a good thing? is this a bad thing? is the change wrong? or was it time to change? But even bigger questions come up such as - Are you comfortable with yourself and the changes that are occurring? Would God approve of the changes? Is it changing your relationship with your Savior?

So the decision is ultimately yours. Change is not a bad thing. It can even be a good thing. However, make sure any changes are in line with the scriptures, your beliefs, that it is something that God would approve of, and that the results of your changes you are willing to live with for the rest of your life.

Friends

Friends

I am so blessed to have friends in my life. Some of them I have known for a long time and some for only a short time, but each and everyone of them is special to me. There is my bestest friend and that person knows who they are without mentioning any names. My bestest friend has helped me through some of the worst times of my life and even though it has been years since I have seen them, connecting today is like the time away has just disappeared and I am finding our friendship is growing even stronger than it ever was before. Then there is my friend who I met in nursing school. She is another one who has been there through some rough patches and also for the happy times. We can go for months and not talk but then we just pick right up where we left off. Even though many miles separate us now, they do not make a difference in our friendship. We are still friends through it all. I have some co-workers who have been come very good friends. They care about me and show it in so many ways. Some I am closer to than others, but each is very special and unique in their own way and how they show their friendship. There are the friends that I have met through the internet. Those I have never met, but still feel like I have a great friendship with them. Some I have spoken with over the phone and some have just had email correspondence, but each one I consider my friend. Over the past few years I have found friendship next door. I have developed a friendship with them that I am sure will last a lifetime. They are so very special and I am so glad they are my neighbors. And then there are my two closest friends, both I met through work and then the friendship blossomed. One, I still work with and she is very dear to my heart. She is a single mother taking care of a precious little one, but still manages to find the time to connect and keep our friendship growing. And then there is my very trusted friend and confidant, the one I turn to for support, encouragement, advice, and any and everything else. She picks me up and always seems to know just what to say at just the right time. She is there and available any time at any hour of the day. She is a true friend.
When I look at my life, I find that God has blessed me with many relationships that have developed into meaningful friendships. I am so glad he did and I am so thankful I can call them my friends.

Trust!

Trust! Trust is such a small word. It is only 5 letters long, just 1 vowel and 4 constants, such a small word but oh how it contain produce such a wealth of emotions and start so many heated debates, disagreements, and can break so many hearts. The break of a trust can emotionally scar a person for ever.

For some people trust is so easy, especially when they are young. They meet someone and immediately they believe everything that is said to them, believe and expect the person to do what they say. However, in most cases, trust is one of the most difficult things to give another person. Trust freely given and then broken can crush the person's spirit who freely gave their trust to another. The emotional scarring produced causes them to be extremely cautious in ever trusting anyone else. And after awhile, if trust is broken too often, the result is often that the person will wall themselves off and it will be so very hard to trust anyone every again. A wall that almost no one is ever allowed to penetrate.

How do I know this? I have experienced both the benefits and the betrayal of trust. The pain when trust is broken hurts deeply to the very inner core of a person's being. And if done repeatedly it can produce a wall so thick and so wide. A wall that the person places around them so that no one will ever manage to hurt them again. A wall that very few people, if any, are ever able to break through.

I do not have a solution for breaking down this wall. I do know that situations arise, people come and go into your life, and things happen that make you make the decision whether to trust again - DO I REALLY WANT TO RISK THIS? DO I WANT TO TAKE A CHANCE FOR MORE EMOTIONAL SCARRING? IS IT GOING TO BE WORTH IT? AM I GOING TO BE HURT AGAIN?

Walls come in all heights and widths. The walls are not visible. Sometimes the person does not know the wall even exists. And sometimes, God allows the person to glimpse just how high and wide and deep the wall around them is.

God addresses this issue of trust. In Proverb 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord will all thine heart;

Lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him,

And he shall direct thy paths.

Is it worth the risk of trusting again? I really cannot answer that question, except to say - I trust the Lord will all my heart and I believe his word. If a certain situation calls for trust, if a special person comes into your life and you need to trust them.... Well, if you trust God, and you do not question, but do what you feel God is telling you to do - whether it makes sense to you or not - even if you are hesitant to risk more emotional scarring -if you never give your trust to another, you will never know - you do not know if your heart is going to be broken ..... or if this is going to be the one situation/person who is able to break through that wall and actually reach the inner part of you. However I do firmly believe that if you do trust, and if your heart is broken again, then you can still trust God to be there to comfort you, to help you pick up the pieces, and to support you while you do so. The decision is yours to trust again or to not trust again. As for me, I am willing to follow God's leading as to whether to take the chance or not. And I think it is almost time to trust again - at least with baby steps.