Pay Down the National Debt

I say we sell Oprah the rights to have her face on the $50 bill for the year '09 to pay down the national debt. Who could we sell the rights to the $20 bill? Hmmmm, Bill Gates?

Gushing Lemons

Thank you Kathy @Gospodi Pomiluj

The concept of the Lemonade Award is quite simple. It is all about finding people that display a great attitude and/or gratitude. In this day and time, that is very important to have. Once nominated, all you need to do is add the Lemonade Award logo to your blog and find 10 more bloggers to nominate. All of the rules are listed below.

Congratulations to all the winners. Please share this opportunity with your favorite bloggers by doing the following:
1) Put the logo on your blog or post. check
2) Nominate at least 10 blogs, which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post
4) Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5) Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

My top ten bloggers with great attitude/gratitude:
Fishstyx
All who Wander are not Lost@mysticallyenhanced
Kathy@gospodipomiluj
diamondsintheskywithlucy
Molls@itsabraindisease
stopdroprecover
300daysinthesun

1 door away from heaven
Tyra
Snippets

Serendipity
The occurrence and development of events
by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

That is the way I take this award.
I came home tonight and it was a chardonnay night!
I had just worked 14 hours and now I was ready for my reward.
So I looked in the fridge and found the next best thing: Lemonade.
Go figure.
So I poured myself a nice big glass-who was I kidding I finished the jug!
After eating dinner at 9:00 and hankering for something else to fill the gaps,
I turned on my computer to find a lemonade stand. How sweet!
Given we have a lemon tree out front, lemonade is one of our regular thirst quenchers.
In the spring, I clear out all the lemons and make lemonade with my first graders.
We do this as a service project. All the money is donated to a charity.
Yellow is my favorite color and the smell of lemon blossoms give me a glimpse of heaven.
Lemons, a gift from God, truly soothe. Their gigantic pores make my skin look smooth as silk.
Their sour pucker make my bad attitude seem sweet. They make fish palatable. (jk Fishstyx)
So yes lemons can really be the start of something good. Thanks for the vote of confidence.
As I rattle my brains out. It is the only addiction that has yet to cause me bodily harm.
Although my husband is starting to have computer envy.
So as I pass this onward,
May life give you lemons
So you can make
Lemonade.

OBAMA!

Be the change
Start here at home
Don't yell at the kids
Tell them they can
Help them be
Better
Than
me
Guide them in their pursuits
Let them find their talents
Channel ideas and dreams
Til they reach the top
Be patient with failings
Grit your teeth when
They take the fall
And prop them up
So they try, try, try again
Learn from their example
Set into motion the start
Of a new day, a new way
Take a deep breath when
You do yell at the kids
Know that you too will
Need a lift or two
Grant yourself
Peace Love
Forgiveness
Let the day
Let the year
Let hope
Live on
Barack Obama

Can you see your dream?

Today I headed for the "City" to remember the man that said he had a dream.
When I got there, I once again was moved to tears.
There used to be a march on this day to commemorate King's Dream and keep it alive and growing. This year everyone is in D.C. to see this dream explode.
A wall of water rushes in front of your words that are just starting to take shape today.
Can you see Dr. King, your dream starting to grow wings?
Can you see the flood you started?
Can you see you are more than just a memory? Can you see your dream?

12 steps

Would you consider running up and down these steps much like runners go up and down bleachers during training?

These steps stop at the top, but is it really the top? Are we not required to make our way up and down these steps over and over in order to continue our conditioning?

I try to imagine the kind of conditioning that it must take for the next president to assume the helm of this great Titanic of a nation. As we take on water and sit in frigid waters, we are asked to maintain hope. Where do we get that hope from? The same place that the pilot of the plane that landed in the Hudson did. That pilot must have known the freezing cold waters he would be landing his charges into. Yet he did not give up hope. He took it one step at a time. He had faith that once he landed, there would be rescue boats for the people to climb onto. He had faith that the plane would not fully submerge before 155 people were brought to safety. He had been conditioned to take his set of skills and apply them. However, without faith his skills would have meant nothing.

So as we take on the next 348 days of this year we must condition ourselves to keep our eyes on the moment. We must find our way one step at a time. I must make my way up and down these steps over and over again, knowing that moments of grace surround me everyday, if I will just open my eyes.

Beacon in the Night

Normally I don't post twice in a day, but today the paradox of life struck me so, that I feel compelled to do so.

After waking up to another glorious day, I remember that grace is all around me. I have a camera in my purse just for that reason. The full moon was extraordinary and really captured my attention this month. However, I had a tough time catching the moon. It can be so illusive.... This was my best shot. Evidently it is 50,000 miles closer to the Earth right now, making it appear to be a Harvest Moon. In fact, it is called the Wolf Moon. And while I could not do it justice, what remains are the moments that I actually lived while trying to catch the moon. One was Friday night as I was leaving work. I came out and the moon called to me. I stared in awe. Immediately I reached for my camera. These pictures turned out the best. The next night my husband and I went for a walk in the neighborhood hills of a quaint town. The moon made its face at us and once again we felt like lovers.

Just one week earlier and Friday night seemed magical and this Friday night seemed maddening. Hence the need for a journal. What a great reminder that everything passes. Glory will appear and will wane just like the moon. I am assured that while the moon is disappearing, it will reappear once again. For me reading blogs that are affirm life feels like the full moon rising. For this I am grateful.

Crash Landing

Funny how Friday nights always lead to crash landings. I think it has to do with my expectations as an alcoholic-work like a slave all week and party like a fool on the weekend. So last night I came home and expected some sort of uncorking after a stressful week. Instead I ended up wallowing in self-pity. Why do I have to have this affliction? What is the point of all this? Selfish and myopic. I went to bed crying my eyes out and one more night beat the bottle. But did I really beat it? It was taking over my thoughts. So when I read other posts, I realize that this battle is not an easy one and cannot be done on my own. I also come to the understanding that even though my battle seems so menial compared to other grandiose accomplishments, it is my battle and I must fight on. It is with God's help that I am able to guard against not only taking another drink, but that I am also able to be thankful for all the blessings in my life. When I start feeling sorry for myself it is the time to take stock of all that I have and so here goes:

1. God
2. A loving husband
3. 2 wonderful kids
4. Family (Mom, Dad, Jay, and Tony)
5. A job that I love
6. Friends that understand that I don't drink
7. A roof over my head
8. Wheels (my bike)
9. Sunshine
10. This Computer

I have to admit that I am being forced to deal with emotions that I have buried for 25 years. That will happen once you stop drinking. Now the key is to ask for help. I feel like I should have it all figured out by now, but I don't.

A Pandora's box was opened when I visited a site by a woman that had committed suicide. I found her via another site that I frequent. At first I was astonished because her posts seemed so moving and in touch with life. Then I was mad at her for leaving kids without a mother. Now I am starting to empathize with her. I too had tried to leave this earth before my time when I was 16. Never did I really resolve these feelings. Last night they came back like a flood. However this time I have so much support. This time I know that life's gifts are such a blessing that I must continually take stock and never allow the self-pity to pilot me. For if I do, I will land like this poor duck and miss out on the wonderful life that has been so graciously given to me. Thanks be to God!