Eleven Years Ago-A Love Story

Speaking of the number 11 (see Suspension of Disbelief post) I sent this to my hubby earlier this year.  He liked it so much he posted it to his facebook page.  We got several "happy anniversary" wishes although I actually sent this 3 months before that.  Enjoy.

 

Eleven years ago God sent me to a comic store.

Funny comment I know but true. I was a recent widow. I needed to be out of the house. I decided to let our friend that worked there know my husband had passed. I can’t put my finger on it exactly but I knew I had to do it that weekend. So with no income, I went shopping. I figured I’d buy one comic, tell my friend, and wander back home.

Boy, was I in for it! I hadn’t been in the store long before another fellow walked in. I realized rather quickly that he was the owner and a serious flirt. He was also a true salesman. I do think my Uncle Joseph would have been impressed. Before I knew it, he’d talked me into an entire box of comics despite the fact I knew I had not yet found a new job. I nervously waited as he added it up knowing I would have to put it all back if it exceeded a certain amount. He came in just under the wire.

I wrote my check and he carried the box out. He declared that he owed me dinner since he’d talked me into so many books. I told him to go home to his wife. It took several minutes and my clerk friend to convince me that he really was single. I considered demanding to see the divorce decree. This guy was several years older than I. He owned a business. He also taught school. Anyone that ‘settled’ had to be married…or so I thought. I guess when you get used to the idea that all the good ones are taken, it can be hard to see the one standing in front of you.

We went to an Italian restaurant. We had wonderful conversation and two terrible cups of coffee. I had had no intention of meeting someone that weekend. I would never have dreamed that I would meet my soul mate two months following the death of my husband.

It’s been eleven years now. We’ve had five beautiful children to love and raise. We’ve been passionate. We’ve had fights. We’ve been indifferent to each other. We’ve been grateful for one another. We’ve been mad. We’ve been happy. We’ve driven each other crazy in good ways and bad. Though it all we’ve been together. I love him with an absoluteness that only comes with the knowledge that God chose this man for me. God ordered my steps that day as he had the twenty plus years before. It’s staggering to look at all the choices big and small that led to that day and time.

Honey, I love you today more than yesterday. Tomorrow I will love you more than today. You are my one and only. I miss you desperately when we are apart. I want you ever closer to me when we are together. Any regrets I have in life, I would not change because it might take me away from that comic store that night and down a path where I might have missed you. I do believe that would not be a life as fulfilling, blessed, and happy as the one I lead.

Eleven years ago, God sent me to a comic store and I’ve been thanking God ever since.

Suspension of Disbelief

Ever heard that term?  It's a literary term meaning that, for just a little while, you pretend anything can happen.  You choose to suspend your logic in order to enjoy a book or movie to it's fullest.  Of course the dude in the cape can neither fly nor was the sole survivor of an alien planet.  But what fun would it be if you didn't choose to believe he was zipping around just out of your sight?

There was a post on facebook about how October had 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays and that it only happened once every 823 years.  I wonder who posted it first and why they chose such an odd number.  I guess it could be curiousity to see how many would repost it.  Stating that it happened every 11 years wasn't nearly as much fun.  Now, I didn't know it happened every eleven years, just that 823 seemed unlikely.  My hubby has a BS in physics.  For some reason, he had as fun trivia in his head that the calendar repeats every 10 or 15 years.  We checked 13 first and worked our way back. 

I reposted the comment because this October marked my 35th year and I have my 5 blessings to celebrate with.  As we looked at the fact that it did occur every 11 years, I realized that it coincided with some major events.  1977: first snow I ever saw (according to the pictures).  1988: my hubby graduated.  1999: year we married.  2021: my eldest will be 21.  Cool, huh?  I wonder if in 2065, when I am 90, I'll get to write that my 5 kids have given me 55 grand and great-grand and great-great-grandchildren.  :-)

Slime and Potty

We had another adventure in homeschooling today.  I finally managed to get glue.  All I had was stick or blue and the experiment called for clear or white.  I'm not a big fan of liquid glue with 5 kids, one under 2 years.  I happen to like my floors. :)  Anyway, we made a non-Newtonian fluid with glue, borax, and water.  The cool thing was breaking open highlighters to get the color out.  We added it to the water.  It makes the goop glow under a black light.  I didn't think ahead and got blue, yellow and green all over my hands.  A homeschool mom manicure.

I am so glad that we have a local nonprofit that recycles art supplies.  That's where I got the glue when I dropped off a donation.  The place provides donated items for teachers (and parents) for student projects.  Really awesome if you need enough plastic bottles to make bird feeders for a class of 30 kids.  I definitely will think of it first for stuff we need and for stuff that I'd hate to throw away because it still seems useful.

Well that was the fun adventure.  The youngest has decided to travel on the road of potty training.  Gorgeous announced her intentions by handing me her diaper and running in the direction of the bathroom.  That started off my Tuesday.  She had not been willing to sit on the potty.  I thought she was going to wait a while.  I guess a woman has the right to change her mind.  Four times that day she gave me her diaper.  Once I couldn't get her in anything except a pull-up.  I don't mind.  I actually think it's great.  I did look with sadness on the 3 sleeves of diapers I just purchased and pulled out of the super-mega box of ultra absorbent.  Now my shopping list includes pull-ups.  She's not quite sure enough of the potty for me to go to princess undies.  Made that mistake with another child.  Oh boy the mess.  :)  Potty training is definitely needing some work.  Gorgeous had an accident in the tub with her sister.  Princess began to yell for me.  Life as a mom includes lots of clorox. lol

This post is kinda...ugh.  I'll try harder to make my posts a bit less ... and more !!!

Politics

The races are heating up!  I actually laughed out loud in the van today when I heard a Roy Barnes ad.  It ends with a woman saying that he is honest. This is the same day that he is having to defend an ad he approved against Nathan Deal depicting him running from reporters yelling questions.  I've seen the info on each.  Perhaps those of us who follow politics wouldn't be quite so cynical if we thought any of them could tell the WHOLE truth.  Glenn Beck recently did a Restoring Honor Rally in Washington DC.  The entire rally was simply a call to honor.  I don't think lying (stretching the truth, rearranging the truth, omitting the truth, and flat out fabrications) are very honorable.  Leading up to and since the rally on 8/28, Beck has called for honesty even to yourself.  Critics have tried to make fun of the rally and degrade Beck.  I watched the speech online.  I have to wonder if any of the naysayers did.  Not once did I hear anything that a reasonable person should object to.  I would like to see someone form a legit argument against honesty, responsibility, and accountability. 
I say this tongue in cheek because, honestly, I had someone try.  Not sure it counts but we were discussing truth.  The argument was not a well thought out one.  The gentleman could only attack the character of Beck and the people who showed up with generalizations and zero facts.  Calling people names is easy.  Finding examples of them deserving those titles, impossible when the name is false.  It's just too easy to refer to people as racist, islamophobe, socialist, communist.   
Ugh.  I am done with this for the night.  Don't want to work myself up into a tizzy just before bed.  Besides, the HUB channel is showing the 1960's version of Batman.  Time for fun.

An Introduction?

That's pronounced Go--wins like the name Owens with a g.  If you are from the south, where ya goin' is the only way people find out your destination.  Of course, I'm more of a learning from the journey kind of person.  I know where I'd like to end up but plodding down the same road gets boring. 

This blog will be an effort for me to get my opinions (yep, everybody's got one...) written down.  I used to write daily.  Fiction for fun.  Fact to record it.  Sometimes, writing about a funny situation when you are trapped in a horrible one helps you deal with the stress. 

Now I am at a time in my life where I am more politically and religiously vocal.  I think it my be fun to share with strangers.  I can't say I really care what people think of me as long as I am honest.  My principles and beliefs are pretty set in stone but I enjoy a good discourse between people of varying opinions.

I promise to post another selection soon.  I just wanted to get something on my brand new blog.  I hope others will join me, agree with me, argue with me, and enjoy some glimpses into my family life.  Trust me when I say it's rarely boring and never quiet around here.