The sky is falling in Kentucky! (True Story)

I must share with you the craziness that was yesterday. Since my husband met me, he has told me that he loved the adventure of everyday with us. He had read some of our adventures right here on this blog and had heard even more stories that the kids and I shared with him verbally.

So many oddities and yet, they were all very real and true. Our lives were a bit hard to believe until he joined us and has been able to experience some of his own crazy adventures daily ;-)

Yesterday was such a strange day, I just have to tell you about it. I normally only share my personal adventures, but this one ...is just really weird.

He travels a lot. His mother and other family live in Indiana and we live here in good ole' Tennessee. While in transit yesterday from Tennessee to Indiana, I gave him a quick call just to say "I love you" and ask how he was doing. While we are on the line briefly with one another, I hear his voice trail off as he begins to scream "OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!!!"

He had dropped the phone (thus his voice sounding distant yet still very loud on the line).  I tried to get his attention, "Honey? Sweetie? Are you there?  Can you hear me?".  Finally he picks the phone up and says, "Chrissy!!! Something just hit me! It came out of the sky. What was that?". His voice is calm, yet excited. He sounds shaken, yet composed. I am not sure how else to describe it.

"Are you okay? What happened?" I ask. My heart is racing and I am imagining all types of things like Superman landing on earth...on the hood of his truck.

"It came from the sky Chrissy! Do you understand? It hit me. There is glass inside the truck. The dash is busted. My GPS is hanging from the cord. There's a HUGE gash in the hood of the truck. I think it hit more than just me. There's another car that pulled off the road and at least another one that just...kept driving." His voice is anxious.

I wanted to comfort him...but I didn't know what to say. So, I switched into emergency mode. "Praise God you are alright!!! Hang tight honey. I need to ask you some questions, so don't get frustrated with me. I'll call the insurance company immediately after you answer, okay?"

"Yeah" he replied.

"Where are you?" I asked.

He replied, "Just past Corbin."

"Oh...you're in Kentucky. Okay. Mile marker?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen one." He answered.

"Stay where you are, if you can, okay? I'll get you a tow truck and call you right back." And with that, we disconnected. I called our insurance company (which by the way is TOTALLY awesome) and they did a 3-way call to connect my husband. The lady from the insurance company pinned down the location as close as she could and sent a tow truck out, scheduled the adjuster to come view the truck damage in KY, and set up the rental car company reservation so he could continue his trip. (Major shout out to Geico here!)
During one of the transfers from roadside assistance to the claims area, I was lost from the 3-way call. I paced the floors, talked to the kids, wrung my hands, pulled up his location on Google Maps and worried myself silly until the insurance company called me again.

After speaking with the insurance company again, I called my husband back. I let him talk, vent and say anything on his mind so he could release some of that understandable anxiety I'm sure he had. He recounted the occurrence for me again and again..."it fell from the sky!"

One of the emergency highway people stopped in to check on him and showed him a huge piece of...metal?...iron?...or whatever it was to him. They said they had just retrieved it out of the highway to prevent other motorist from having an accident. (He took a picture of it, but he hasn't sent the picture to me yet so I can see.) He asked the people if he could keep it and they declined stating that their boss might need it for something.

The other vehicle that also pulled off the side of the road had a blown tire. They spoke with my husband as well. Everyone checked on everyone else to ensure everyone was okay and then the other motorist left.

Is this crazy or what?
So, the object that hit the truck took a gouge out of the hood in 2 places,  then it flipped up onto the windshield and made 3 huge splatters in the glass busting the entire windshield, last it flipped over the cab and took a chunk out of the snug cover on the back of the truck. As it rolled off the truck, it struck the car driving behind him and blew out their tire. Last it must have bounced off of 1 or 2 other cars that just kept on driving.

It fell from the sky. No dump trucks on the highway. No trucks hauling anything. No overpass nearby. No bridges to drive under. It fell from the sky on a clear and beautiful day!

Here it is. The strange object from the sky...

It fell from the Sky in Kentucky!

Later in the evening, I shared the day's events with my father over the phone. He asked if there was an airport near that portion of I75N. I couldn't locate one on the map, so I don't know. What if it came off an airplane? What if it fell from space? What if, what if, what if?

I'm just thankful that I still have my husband, he's alive, and he's safe & healthy.
What an adventure!!!!!!!!

Wanna see?

Brother's Love - PTSD Check-In

This article was originally published on June 2, 2012 on my old blog

A brother's love is a strong, sensitive, and unfailing.

While we were on vacation earlier this week, I saw so much evidence of my boys' healing.  I noticed some changes in their interactions with one another over the last few weeks as we took in a new family addition. It is nice to see them bonding once more instead of being arch enemies with each other :-)

On vacation, we went to a small non-commercialized island where we had the beach practically to ourselves. This of course meant we also had the ocean to ourselves for the most part as well. Before the trip, both boys had concerns about safety. Neither could swim and were worried that I may not be able to save them.  They worried about the heat, the sand, the frogs,...practically everything. I think they were afraid of a new experience, but knew I was not going to leave them home - they were going to see the ocean, like it or not!

On day 1 we drove all day and each of us crashed on our prospective beds at the hotel late at night.
On day 2 we drove the short distance to the beach and they faced their fears. Nick coaxed them out into the water as he laid down a few ocean rules. He showed them how to get past the breaks, not to worry about the sand, what brushed against their feet, and showed them the tranquility of body surfing the gentle waves. I was truly amazed. They did it - with no reservations. They went straight into the water, conquered that fear. Later that day, I watched my oldest son write in the sand to his daddy. I guess he was showing dad that he hadn't forgotten him. Then, he wrote to his girlfriend (his name and hers in a heart) multiple times! It was sweet. I had a few minor concerns about their PTSD flaring up on this trip and wondered if they would reach out to my deceased husband. My concerns were confirmed, but not anything to worry about yet.
On day 3 they experienced the beach again, this time with stronger waves. We drove about an hour and 45 minutes to Ocean City Maryland. We went to the beach and the boys were awarded the opportunity to witness commercialization. They experienced mass traffic, city culture, saw what they thought were hot bodies (very little bathing suits and a lot of skin), odd people, live musicians, men and women flirting among the masses, and much more turbulent waters of the ocean.  We spent about three hours on the beach and in the ocean before we toured the boardwalk. The waves were crashing into the beach, the wind was stronger and people were elbow to elbow. The boys approached the water apprehensively. Nick went with them, but warned them about the undertow currents and told them how to make it back to shore if sucked out to sea.
I could see the fear written on their faces and I knew that I would run out there and save them if I could. They feared losing each other as much as they had feared losing their daddy. They feared losing me and were relieved that I stayed on the shore line this day. I stayed with the towels and our belongings. The honesty factor flew out the window when we left our favorite island on Chincoteague. This was wild, crazy, and chaotic.
 
I didn't interfere as they bonded together, encouraged each other "they could do it" and reassured each other that they'd be okay. I can't express how hard it was as a mother to watch and not jump in there and erase all of their fears.

They went into the ocean. Holding hands. Forming a chain of protection as they had vowed to save each other if the need arose. They stayed close to Nick in the water for comfort. Before long, my oldest was waaaaay out in the ocean on his boogie board. He was a natural. He took to the waves like a dolphin. My youngest was not far out though as he stood aside and watched his big brother adventure out into the deep.
They had learned to swim and hadn't realized it!! They had conquered a fear and were not aware. They were out there swimming with fish, crabs, jelly fish, sting rays, sand sharks, and lord only knows what else :-)
From the side lines, I watched. From the side lines I was proud of them and couldn't tell them. They've told me that they are fine if I just help them and not actually say "PTSD" or "Are you okay". My Momdar (mom radar) is supposed to go off at just the right time in their minds to save them from their own thoughts.
On day 4  we were back on Chincoteague Island and we went to the beach at Assateague Island. They were beginning to wear thin, tire down - like a tire going flat.  The hot sun, wind, and ocean water was beginning to take a toll of them. Irritable and grumpy, we promised them a break on day 5.  I saw more sand writing on day 4 to their daddy and they brought him up a time or two in conversation. No one cried, no one withdrew. They were healing nicely.
 
On day 5  Nick rented a bike for my youngest son and Josh to ride around town. My youngest conquered another fear. He learned how to ride a bike! He rode that bike all over the town while Nick and I went to the beach. He conquered a fear of independence and being alone also. He was rather happy with himself that he rode as long and as far as he did on the Island. By car, the entire island can be crossed in less than 10 mins if you obey the speed limit of 25mph. It was very small. My oldest also conquered a fear of being alone in a new place. He didn't tell me he was afraid with words, I read it on his face. He talked to his girlfriend all day (I'm guessing) as he walked around the island.  Both boys are still healing and growing on day 5 :-)

On day 6 the boys didn't want to go to the beach, they wanted bikes again. Nick rented bikes for them and they rode all day through the town. It was day 2 of a new-found freedom and they loved it! On this day all three boys had an argument blow out and they resolved it mostly on their own. Nick and I only had to intervene slightly. They were growing, bonding, learning each other and developing a new brotherly love (whether they realized it or not).
 
On day 7 we went back to the beach one last time for shell collecting. They had all formed a new bond and were unaware of it. Each of them I saw talk to each other, interact with each other, and show concern in a new way.
 
This vacation was a healing experience for them. Therapy could not have provided what this trip did.

Praise you Jesus for your Love, Grace, Peace, and Healing!!  :-)

Who Left Me By Myself?

Who Left Me By Myself
This article was originally published on April 25, 2012 on the 

Kids up - check
Coffee made - check
Commute - check
Kid 1 dropped off at school - check
Commute - check
Kid 2 dropped off at school - check
Commute to mountains - check

             Wait...huh?

How did I get on this Mountainside? The mountains call my name.  I've always had an "escape" from the kids dramatic lives, bosses that pride themselves on X# years with a company as they throw "underlining" under a bus, family, friends, neighbors... everyone!!

I had always found solitude in the Appalachian mountains, until we began staying on the other end of Knoxville. Now, I'm pulled toward the Smoky Mountains :-)






Welcome to my new hide-away :-)

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Country Girl in the City

Country Girl in the City
This article was originally published on April 15, 2012 on the old blog


Okay, I'll admit it, I'm a country girl born & bred. Where I live in east Tennessee, our city life isn't exactly "big city", but there are so many differences in county (country) life & city life. Although, I'd listed #102 on my bucket list, I never really thought I'd accomplish it. Yet, here I found myself living away from the swamp.                                        #102 was: move away from the swamp.

Living in the county, I wouldn't be woken up after midnight to the sound of sirens nightly. Actually, I very rarely ever heard sirens in the suburbs. Tonight though, I am awake listening to the sounds of sirens. A neighboring home or apartment has had an emergency again after midnight...again. I pray for the people, hoping all will be well...again.

This episode does make me draw a few comparisons. In the city, we are no more than 5 minutes from many national retail stores, businesses, local rescue services, and big name eateries. In the county, we have these things as well, but they are mostly mom & pop owned & operated eateries or fast food, and the emergency services are located in the city about 20-30 minutes away. So, everyone knows if you need serious help quick, Joe Bob can drive like Earnhardt...call him instead! Why else do you think NASCAR is so popular in the south? To get to the hospitals we drive 100 MPH around the base of a mountain, making only left hand turns ;-)


There are several luxuries to city life though. Instead of loading the car with trash once a week and driving it off to the local dump, we get to carry our trash to the curb! How cool is that?? In the county, if we put our trash outside on the curb, 20 wild dogs would rip into the bags, no one would pick it up, & the neighbors would call the beautification board on us!

In the city the parks are small, quaint, clean and hidden. In the county, the parks are littered with trash, large, and right off a main
road.
In the county, everyone has a septic tank & neighbors pull up a chair to watch someone dig up their yard to have it pumped when the toilet stops flushing. It's neighborhood entertainment & occasionally, someone pitches in a helping hand to dig. In the city, toilets flush with no issue!! Everyone has sewer. It's a fascinating thing that uses gravity and suction to grab ones mounds of toilet paper and shoot it into the underground abyss of the unknown!

Then there are garbage disposals. In the city, there's no dog in the back yard to eat dinner scraps. (Dogs are like people, they live inside.) After dinner, the scraps are raked from plates into the sink. A Langolier type monster that lives in the drain pipe chews all the left over stuff and burps when it's done! If we had garbage disposals in the country, could you imagine all the starving K9s?
 
Another difference is the yard. A yard in the country can take anywhere between an hour & all day to mow. Country yards are much larger & hilly. One can easily entertain the neighborhood by attempting to push mow the side of a mountain sideways or by dangling vicariously from a riding mower while holding on for dear life shouting "I Will Win!". In the city, the yards are so small & level they can be easily trimmed by using an electrical appliance in as little as 5-25 minutes! Where's the entertainment in that?

There are many more differences, but I'll have to tell y'all bout 'em later. The sirens have stopped now & I may be able to go back to sleep.

Night :-)

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Another Evil of PTSD

Another Evil of PTSD
This article was originally published April 3, 2012 on the old blog

Another evil of PTSD is depression. It's not always present and can be controlled for some by medication.
I hate depression. It rips life from a person and steals tears from its miss-perceived victims. Depression can take a beautiful day and make it cloudy, gloomy, and undesirable. It has much company when it takes root in one's soul; for it invites anger, sadness, and self loathing with it. These rascally fiends take over and throw a misery party showcasing every wrong move, thought, word spoken, or deed done in the past. Their heart wrenching film plays over and over until the unassuming audience has become completely trapped by its clutches.
Depression is a beastly evil of PTSD.

Depression is one of the most commonly occurring disorders in PTSD. In fact, it has been found that among people who have or have had a diagnosis of PTSD, approximately 48% also had current or past depression. People who have had PTSD at some point in their life are almost 7 times as likely as people without PTSD to also have depression. Another study found that 44.5% of people with PTSD one month after experiencing a traumatic event also had a diagnosis of depression.

For more information on how PTSD and depression could be linked click here.
For another view on depression click here.Click Me, Click Me!
So, the question is, how does someone with depression associated with PTSD cope? PRAYER! A lot of Prayer!!
On this roller coaster ride we call life, there are always rainbows after every storm. We have to choose to see the rainbow instead of the destruction that the storm left in its wake. It's also a lot easier to write about it than to put it into practice, by the way ;-)

I need a game plan. I need to figure out why I stop wanting to take part in life. The Lord and I are the only two that can work together on this giant feat and obtain any lasting success. Medication will only place a bandage over the wound that depression leaves. The longer I let it wound me, the deeper and larger that wound will be. I can't let that wound turn into a scar or I will have given up and become lost in the misery party that depression wants to host.

Here I go! Wish me luck!! :-)
 I'm ready to tackle the evil beastly depression monster brought along with the sinister PTSD!!

Yesterday's Adventure - Beware

(This article was originally published on March 2, 2012 on the old blog )


Yesterday,  I was reminded of an OSHA saying:

Is better to lose one minute in life… than to lose life in a minute.

I can be pretty naive at times I suppose. Part of that can be attributed to my belief that there is good in every person somewhere. But, where good is, evil is also present.

I found a couple of parks that I had never been to before and decided on a destination for the day. The park I chose was highly recommended by hikers on several websites. Mountain bikers gave high marks and praised the upkeep, cleanliness, and safety. Fishermen posted on wildlife sites about the beauty & bounty of fish at the park online as well. The park was listed on several family recreation recommendation sites also. I just had to go see this hidden local gem :-)

I have been all over my town, city, county and several others by myself exploring. I never gave the safety of this particular park a second thought, especially after so many high regards listed on public sites by so many people!

Following GPS, I located the park. I parked & noticed how many cars were present. There were many. I left my car, locked it & went to a beautiful fishing dock :-) The water was low, but it was lovely :-) The surrounding trees, shrubs, and spring flowers were beginning to emerge. Life around the dock was thriving. It was absolutely beautiful!


As I walked along the first & only part of a trail I got to see, I soon realized I was surrounded by 5 men. They were coming toward me from all angles. They spoke one at a time to perhaps make me nervous. Nervous people do stupid things. I heard several of them all at once in my mind though as I quickly evaluated my predicament.

Hey Baby.
Take some good pictures?
Whatcha got there?

One whistled a cat call.

Where are you going sweet thang?
Come here, we just want to talk.

One unbuttoned his pants. I had a knife clipped to my blue jeans (as I usually do) but it was dull :-(  (I can't find my good knife that has made so many hikes with me.) I hadn't planned on taking a long hike so I didn't bring my regular gear with me.

I quickly evaluated my surroundings:

• I was surrounded by 5 angles.
• Wooded area.
• No large rocks, branches, random wrought iron, wire on the ground, or strong vines to use for defense. There was nothing to use as an element of surprise.
• No one else around. I realized how stupid I had been.

I have 12 phone numbers listed on speed dial. After the 5th one, I reached a friend. I began the most random conversation I have ever had (and that's saying a lot for me).

OH Hey Sweetie!! You are? I just found the coolest park. Yeah, it's off XXX highway. Really? you're coming this way anyway? Great!! I can't wait to see you sweetie!! You're just 2-3 minutes away, really? Oh man, I would LOVE to show it to you! I love you!

Please bear in mind that my friend could not hear me well. Signal was not strong and he could only understand a few words that I was saying. Thank God he didn't hang up on me!!

Fishing? YES, there's a dock here and we can fish sometime. Oh, did I tell you that I heard back from the doctor? I HAVE CRABS. So, you'll be here in a few seconds? Great!!

While on the line with him, I had twisted off the trail, into the thicket and toward the lake. Two men didn't follow. One man behind me from another direction proclaimed,

She crazy! She going into that snake water. Forget that man.

With only two men left following me, I swiftly waded through the water with the phone plastered to my face. I'd rather take a snake bite than face what they may have done to me! I dared not to repeat myself and give away  the fact that my reception was not the best. I kept saying to my friend at different times in different ways,

Stay with me. Stay with me.

When I reached my escape trail, I glanced behind me. I had lost the other two men back on the other side of the lake. Their fear of the snakes was enough to deter them. I got in my car and sped out of there! I took a valuable lesson with me: Is better to lose one minute in life… than to lose life in a minute. 

Thank you OSHA :-)

Peaks and Valleys - part 1

This article was originally published on Feb 10, 2012 on the old blog



                        Peaks and Valleys

Faith is defined in the bible as: The substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
Faith has always been the cornerstone of my existence. I trust in God for all things. But, even the most devoted Christian will experience Peaks and Valleys in their lives. These trials (Valleys) can affect one's belief, character, or convictions over time if allowed. Every Valley (or low place) we go through in life will make us stronger when we make it through and are back on the mountain again (doing well in life).  When life is going well and we think that everything is great, that's when we are content to be on that Mountain. We are satisfied, happy, and sometimes take for granite the little things.

2012 has only 6 weeks under its wing and we have had a lot of Peak and Valley Adventures in our lives already for the year. We left 2011 with a home only 1 week into repairs. (For a refresher, you can read the before mentioned house repairs here.) To recap our current situation, the house was basically sliding off of its foundation near the back side. Due to the rain, flooding, moisture that didn't have time to dry before the next rain, and a newly discovered critter...the floor cracked under Nicky and My feet a few days before Thanksgiving 2011, literally! I didn't know the extent of the damages at that time, so I called in several companies to check the damage and see what it would take to block the floor up where it had dropped. 5 companies (which shall remain nameless to protect their cowardice) evaluated the house, were speechless, rubbed their heads, turned and ran away without a second thought. I wasn't sure what had them so worried and they didn't tell me.

One person with a company evaluated the house before Christmas and told me that a house is like a person. Houses get sick and they need help to get better. People go to a doctor for medicine to feel better. A house needs a carpenter and repairs. Just as a doctor would not place a band-aid over cancer to get rid of it, my house would need extensive work and not just blocked up to secure the floor. He told me about the back of the house sliding off the foundation, showed me the moisture damages to the floor joints, and told me that some of the damages reflected termite and carpenter ants may be living in the wood. Needless to say, I was in a state of shock. I knew the floor had dropped several inches and could hear the floor joints cracking and giving way, but this was much more than I had ever imagined.
I immediately had a million and one thoughts racing through my mind:

Is this guy serious? He looks serious, yet confident.
Where did this come from? How does a house all of a sudden just...fall apart?
Should I have known this was coming? Why didn't I see it?
What in the world is a carpenter ant?!!? Termites I can understand. I've heard of those. I can be mad at my neighbors for sending them my way, but where did the carpenter ants come from?
Money! $$Oh no$$ What will I do for money? I have a little to work with, but I just lost my job. This sounds really expensive!

I asked him how long he thought the repairs would take. He said a week, maybe. They would be ripping the laundry room floor up and rebuilding it.  The time frame would depend on the extent of the damages. I felt some better knowing that it was a short project and hoped that short meant inexpensive as well. I was also happy that they would not start work until after Christmas. Wow, that certainly was the optimist in me shinning through. I prayed and was grateful to the Lord that the major damages would be fixed in a short amount of time and asked God to help us with the finances. Many of my friends and family said, "tear that money pit down and get out of there!" I wouldn't budge though. :-)

Fast forward a week, Christmas passed and the rain came. Each rainy day sends a babbling brook flowing through the crawl space in the house. Half of the laundry room floor had been ripped out, but no building had occurred yet. They had  managed to get under the house and support the existing structure on the back and ....discover more damage! The extra damages were larger than what was originally thought. Many of my friends and family said, "tear that money pit down and get out of there!" I wouldn't budge, but was tempted a little :-)

Skipping forward another week, New Years came and went. The guys ripped the hallway floor out also. They found rot after rot, multiple different types of mold, and more bug damage. The man in charge was ripping out everything damaged and didn't want to leave us with supported rot. He wanted to rebuild with new, pressure treated wood and began to search out someone to check the bug damages so those could be prevented in the future as well. It all sounded thorough and great, but I began to worry about the cost as the floor kept disappearing and I had to continue to move more of our possessions into other rooms so they could expand their working area. We were not living at home any longer either. Once they ripped so much of the floor out and that mold was exposed, I got the boys out of there.  They discovered that the main load bearing wall support was rotted and had to be replaced also. Time frames for completion increased by 2 weeks and I knew that when we went to Lowes to buy the material, I would be 2/3 out of $ for this project. My faith fell straight into what I assumed was a bottomless pit of a valley. I cried out to the lord,

What?!!?, why me? Why us? Haven't we been through enough? Where are you now? Did you leave us? Have you turned your back? Is this it? Will we be homeless? This is all we have. Why? Will you provide the $? How will they finish this project? It couldn't get worse :-(

As soon as I said all of that, I was convicted. I could hear my mom say, "Oh ye of little faith! You better not say it couldn't get any worse, or step back and watch it get worse!!", while shaking her finger at me. I could hear my dad say, "Life's not fair Chrissy. It rains on the just and the unjust." I could hear myself in the past telling people to have faith because God is way bigger than anything that could come up against them. Yet, I couldn't yank myself out of this gloomy feeling that I had and muster up faith. Talk about a valley? Even if I had not experienced the house falling apart, having such a crisis of faith would be enough to be a huge valley in life by itself. AND  ON TOP OF THAT...hearing voices, hahahaha...I thought I was going nuts! I felt bad for questioning God or his will or ways, yet I still did it. I felt bad for allowing my human nature take control over my emotions, but I still allowed it. I cried...a LOT. Many of my friends and family said, "tear that money pit down and get out of there!" I just cried and thought about budging :-(

Jumping on about another week, the time frame for completion is still 2 more weeks. A pump was purchased for the crawl space to remove the ever-present storm water run off from the  neighborhood under my house. The electrical wiring was laying in water each time it rained and the guys working there were doing us a favor by risking their lives. They were exposing themselves to the elements that were unsafe daily and I just hung around, moping. We purchased the building materials to rebuild a couple of walls, the floor joints, and sub floor that had been removed. As expected, my funds were running thin by now. The demolition had moved from the original laundry room work to the hallway, to one wall, then to the next wall, and they were discussing the bathroom now.

In a previous week, one of my step daughters came to the house and removed memory type possessions and things that could be cleaned and recovered so we didn't loose everything. I would go to the house to help in any way I could often, until I became sick at the end of this week. After all the years of living there, I had been sick a lot and my immune system was suppressed. I began to realize how selfish I was being and at this point the Lord was really convicting my heart and faith. He sent several people across my path. People who didn't have homes at all, and people who were in far more desperate situations than we were. We were staying with a friend, so I knew we at least had a roof over our heads. I began to pray often in this week. I wrote this after I felt some comfort. Many of my friends and family said, "tear that money pit down and get out of there!" I wouldn't budge though. My faith was being renewed daily :-)

Entering the third week of January, the guys were beginning to build. I was still feeling terrible and wasn't able to help them. I went to the doctor and he gave me some antibiotics to heal. He told me to rest. How was that possible? Anyway, the building began this week. By the end of the week, my faith had increased as I received news that they were working with a bug man (insect control dude) and I had contacted my uncle to see if he could help with the plumbing. He was devastated at the site of the house.  Many family said, "tear that money pit down and get out of there!" I got mad and wouldn't budge! I'm standing on my renewed faith if it kills me!!  :-)

We are almost current with this adventure now :-)

Scoot along another week, I was introduced to an electrician last week. He was just as overwhelmed as ever other person seeing the house at this point. I prayed that God would be merciful and that he would soften this guy's heart for us and help. Then I asked for the finances to afford to pay him and buy the materials :-) After much conversation with the lead guy on the project, the Journeyman Electrician agreed to help. His price was beyond reasonable (Praise God) and I was overcome with emotion. Once more, I was crying. The guys working on the house thought I was sad, but I was just full of emotion, love, mercy, God's compassion, Grace, and thankfulness. They moved on through the house tearing out rot. They tore out the walls of the Kitchen and bathroom. I began tearing out walls in the living room later in the week to help them.

Also at the end of the week, I met the bug man. He evaluated the house, assessed the damaged, made the professional determination that I did in fact have termites. Then, he said the carpenter ants came in to eat the termites, but they caused far more damage because they bore through the wood and make it weak faster than the termites eat the wood to cause damage. So...I was happy!! 

Once more I prayed that god would soften the heart of the bug man so that we could afford the wood treatment and save the house. He left with several ideas and said he'd contact the leader of the project soon. He wanted to wait until all the old wood was removed from the house before treating the new wood. I was over joyed, happy, stood in awe of god's grace again and asked forgiveness for allowing  my faith to falter! My friends and family said, "tear that money pit down and get out of there!" No way I would budge now! Nah, nuh-uh, nope, noway Jose, forget that!  :-) I'm not giving up on God, especially after the lessons I have learned the hard way in life. My friends and family remind me of Jobs friends in the bible. His friends commiserated with him in his sorrows and in the end said, why don't you just curse God and die dude? My family and friends were similar in that aspect because they wanted me to give up on walk away, tear the house down, and find another home. I smiled :-)

This week, the living room walls were stripped to studs, kitchen was bare to studs, wires were hanging loosely everywhere, and there was not one piece of plumbing anywhere in the house. It all had been removed. The place was smelling better (except when the cat went under the house to poop in the largest litter box ever- the crawl space.) I worked on the house some alone. I enlisted the help of one of my brothers to help me haul away several loads of demolition material. I tore out more walls in the bedrooms and bumped and bruised myself up really good! ha-ha :-) All in a day's work :-) My faith is still unmoving. God sent a little more money to help with the project (praise you Lord!) Also, a friend contacted me out of the blue and provided some finances that I had no idea would be coming. I thanked her over and over and thanked God.  My friends and family were not as quick to say, "tear that money pit down and get out of there!" Some of them finally saw that God was working and that the situation is not as dreary as they thought it was. God is not the author of confussion...and my faith won't budge  :-) It may be Friday, but the week isn't over yet. I have hope in things I can not see that even more will be accomplished in this week :-) and that god is my one and only provider of all things!

I'm still smiling :-) Let's ROCK this Adventure!

Christmas Eve...eve

This post was originally published on December 24, 2011 on the old blog

"Good Morning. Merry Christmas Eve...eve", I hear as I open my eyes. With a huge smile I reply, "Silly!"

I am as happy as a school girl. The boys are happy and smile now more than I have seen them smile in 2 years.  The last 3 weeks have been sweet, loving, honest, and pure. I feel again. I am alive. The world has color and fragrance.
Hours later, I hear.....

"The problem is we spend so much time talking each morning, it throws our plans off for the day."

But why? Why is this a problem? Isn't life sweet? Aren't you happy? Don't you smile now more than you have in a long time?

Stop. Think. Laugh. Love. 
Then you could Hug :-)
Life is so much more  :-)


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PTSD & Deception = Backwards Progress

This article was originally published December 1, 2011 on the old blog


The mind is a precious, tender, and special thing. When dealing with PTSD & Deception it can = backward progress. On Thanksgiving day, just before midnight, I received some devastating news. This news would affect more than just me personally, it would affect my boys, their sisters, and aggravate their PTSD.
I will not share the details of this news, as the news itself is not important. The type of news is the key point.
Deception, deceit, lies...

When a person is healing from PTSD, their mind is rerouting thought patterns, memories, perception of people, places, and things. This healing time is fragile and if lies, deceit, or deception enters...it could completely reverse the healing process.

If you are personally healing from PTSD you understand how important reality & the truth are. If you are standing along side someone healing through PTSD, you should NOT allow, implant, or produce deception, lies, or deceit in any situation.

The truth is always the best medicine. Sometimes, good people make bad decisions. Sometimes, bad people make good decisions. Sometimes, people good or bad assume that someone healing can't handle the truth. This is completely false. The truth will help heal and benefit someone struggling with PTSD. The truth is not always pretty, fun, or joyously delivered. But, the truth is always the best choice!

If you choose to be that solid foundation, that rock for the healing person to lean on, you must do it truthfully.  If you do not... PTSD & Deception = backward progress :-(

God has held my boys & I in his gentle loving hands and protected us for many years. The day I received the news of a year & half of deception...My God was there to catch us when we were weak kneed and almost fell backwards.

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Life Goes On

This article was originally published on November 18, 2011 on the old blog


Wouldn't it be great to have a dollar for every time someone said "Life Goes On" to you? I'd be financial set if I did! :-)

After hearing & making that statement most of my life, I've determined that I am a Life Goes On professional. I'm not a paid professional, but rather an experienced professional.

I've been so broke that I couldn't afford food for myself to eat & barely managed to keep the lights on to ensure everyone else ate.

I've taught at least 9 teenagers to drive on my last few gallons of gas, smiled as they got their drivers license, and walked to my destinations for the rest of the week.

Somehow, I managed to care for my hubby after his heart attack in 1999 & take care of both boys (one in diapers & the other just potty trained) at the same time.

After a terrible car accident my parents were involved in, (back in 2001) I managed to care for my family at the same time I took care of my parents' mental and physical rehabilitation and affairs.
I never passed out once! :-)

Then in 2007, I worked 45-60 hrs a week at work, came home and cleaned house, cooked, did 7-9 loads of laundry daily and provided financial support for one of my girls & one grandbaby for 6 months.
In 2009, when my husband passed away, I was numb. Not sure how exactly, but I managed to stay on top of things, provide support for my in-laws, children, and took care of the house. During this time, I took a month off work to straighten myself out emotionally and it backfired on me. I fell apart :-(  ...but, you know what? Life Goes On

I am venting & trying to decide what's next in life today. Normally, I don't allow myself to talk this way... so I write :-)  Writing can be therapeutic. It's a huge leap of faith to do it out in the open too. I write to remind myself that Life Goes On, so I can't give up now, nor ever. I'm far too stubborn for that anyway!

Recently, I found myself unemployed and happy :-)  I've had some much needed time with the boys and myself. After all these years, I finally have time for myself. It was so delightful! Now that it's been almost a month off/not working, I feel so much more connected to the boys. I also feel more in touch with reality, where I am in life, and what purpose life has at this time.

Life Goes On...My neighbor planted ornamental corn at the corner of our property. That corn grew to heights over 30 feet tall & spread outward, covering her property and leaping over onto mine. This wouldn't be an issue, except the corn over powered my mailbox!! I have to cut the corn back on my side at least once monthly or the mail person cannot locate my mailbox. Just like my neighbor's ornamental corn, bad times or hard times can get the best of us if we allow them to. That negativity can breed & spread quickly and take over our minds if we are not careful. I'm thankful for God's mercy, peace, and love! Now that 2 full years have passed since losing my husband, my best friend, & my previous life, I am beginning to understand that it's okay to allow Life to Go On!





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Beautiful Hike - House Mountain part 2

This article was originally published on November 13, 2011 on the old blog


Join me for some pictures of A beautiful Hike up House Mountain...the second time. This time, both boys hiked with me on November 6th. About a week & half had elapsed since our last visit to this mountain. The area had also experienced at least 6-8 frosts as well. With each frost more leaves change colors and more leaves fall off. The first post has the sun at high noon.

The pictures below are of our second hike & the sun was not far from setting.

A beautiful Hike up House Mountain :-)





















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