When things turn "Sour"

Not too long after Bart and I were married, we stopped in OKC to see his family. One morning, Debbie, my mother-in-law took us to breakfast at a donut shop before we ran some errands. All three of us settled in to eat some donuts and have some milk. As we start eating Bart tears open his milk and throws his head back, taking a big drink. Instantly, he leans forward and spits milk into the container, making a horrible face and sound. Debbie and I look at Bart to see what is wrong and he says with great distaste (ha ha - good pun) "The milk is spoiled". At this point, I am pretty sure that Bart has turned green. Bart takes a look at my milk too. The date on the carton says the 11th. We thought it said the 17th. Bart takes the cartons up to the counter to alert the clerk that she is selling spoiled milk.

Now here is where most of you can probably figure out the rest of the story, right? She takes the milk and says thank you for helping me catch this. Think of all the people and children who are ingesting this nasty concoction of grossness!!!

WRONG. She looks at Bart and says, (I swear I am not making this up!!) "What do you want me to do about it? The milk guy was already here this morning"

Bart doesn't get angry often, but when this little vein in his forehead comes out, that is the time I personally choose to step back and usually warn others to join me. Bart's response went something like this, "What you can do is give me new drinks - orange juice- and maybe you should consider contacting the milk guy before anyone else drinks spoiled milk?"

We got little cartons of orange juice and the day continued on great. I, however, thought it was hilarious!!! I couldn't stop laughing and still to this day, I can still hear Bart's "animated spitting spoiled milk out" sound. He doesn't quite see it as funny as I do.

But years later - he would take his revenge!!! Just last year - there was a week where I wasn't feeling so great. It would come and go. I would feel great and then my stomach would start to hurt. All week I investigated the foods I ate, the drinks I had, etc - anything to track down why I felt so horrible. Bart had been fixing me dessert all week - being the nice guy that he is. Well, about the 5th night, I decided I would get my own snack. I got out some mini cupcakes (YUM) and I thought - I will pour myself a glass of milk - like I had been drinking all week. To my horror, I open the refrigerator to find TWO containers of milk. My mind starts racing - "Didn't I tell Bart when we were cleaning the house to make sure and toss the one milk because it had expired???" OMG - "I have been drinking sour milk all week!! That is why I feel so bad"

I confront Bart with the evidence to hear him say, "I thought that was the good milk".
So now he just confessed to not only giving me sour milk but also to the fact he knew there were two milk containers in the refrigerator and one should have been trashed!!!! He still claims he is "not guilty" to this day and that it was an honest mistake. I say it sure seems like he finds more humor in sour milk now than he use to!!!

What's In A Name

I have joined a swap with some different criteria! All you have to do is once you are assigned a partner's name, go to their blog, find out what they like, and then send them items. Here is any example:

T - a train
R- a razor
A - an apron
C- candy canes
E- pink envelopes and stationary
Y- Yarn

(I don't actually like some of these items, they are just examples!!)The items have to start with the letter of the partner's name and be things that they like listed on their blogs. Too fun! Join the fun here!

Unsolved Mysteries Made Me Crazy!!

When I was younger, my favorite show was Unsolved Mysteries. I loved that show even when it scared me! Unfortunately, my interest in shows that solve cases and deals with murder and kidnapping has probably led me to be a bit weird. I am the girl that enters the room and looks for exits and scans the crowd. Now, I do not allow this interest to intercede on my living. I still go out and do things, still meet new people through groups and don't let the evils of the world keep me in my house. I guess I am probably more cautious - that is a better description.

Let me share a humorous story about a time when I was overly cautious and made my friends laugh.

When I lived in Tulsa I worked at a Pediatric clinic in a big medical building. When the time came to start thinking about moving to Texas I began collecting boxes from the different clinics. The security guard would keep a supply of boxes thrown out in the water heater closet. Now, that seems like a nice thing to do, but if you are a creepy security guard, nothing nice you do can replace your creepiness. He was an older man who frequently checked out my friends and me when leaving the building. He would often hold the elevator and then ride with me to the parking garage even after I said it wasn't necessary.

When I needed boxes, he usually had them by his station and I would pull my car around and load up. Out of nowhere one day he says that the boxes are back in the water heater room. The water heater room was far down a hallway all the way at the back - out of sight. I had left work late that day, so the normally busy lobby was dead silent. So, not wanting to be offensive I followed him back there. I began thinking of ways I could let people know I was back in this room with the security guard. Then I came up with the great idea that I would have a conversation with this guard - AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF TALKING that I could muster. As he was picking up boxes, I began with this conversation:

"I DON'T THINK I HAVE FORMALLY INTRODUCED MYSELF. MY NAME IS TRACEY SMITH (Not my real last name - but hey - I have privacy issues). I WORK UPSTAIRS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE BEEN BACK IN THE WATER HEATER ROOM. LOOK AT US - YOU AND ME - MR SECURITY GUARD PICKING UP THESE BOXES IN THE WATER HEATER ROOM. IT SURE IS DARK AND COLD IN THIS WATER HEATER ROOM THAT YOU AND I ARE IN MR SECURITY GUARD. I BETTER GRAB SOME BOXES AND RUN OUT OF THIS COLD WATER HEATER ROOM. I WORK IN THE BUILDING AND LIVE DOWN THE STREET WITH MY BIG HUSBAND WHO STARTS TO SEARCH FOR ME IF I AM EVEN 1 MINUTE LATE (which is a total lie - I always beat my husband home.)"

Now I know from his perspective he was probably saying in his mind, "I should have told someone that I was down in this room with this crazy loud chick?" I grabbed a handful of boxes and practically ran down the hallway. I threw them in the back of my vehicle and he did the same.

He then asked, "Do you want anymore boxes?" I needed more but as I heard the theme song from Unsolved Mysteries playing in the back of my mind, I decided to cut my losses and decline more boxes.

As I told my friends the next day about my experience I received lots of laughing and lots of questioning like, "You did not shout out like that, did you?" My response,

"Yes I did and that is why I am still alive and well!!!!"

Special birthday message

Tomorrow is my 31st birthday and to my delight, people are posting special messages for me. Take a look at the fun! My bestest friend Sarah has paid a tribute to me through photos - yikes! My mom has left a message too. Thank you for your kind words and for helping me celebrate another year. Here's to another year of joy and fun!!

Do you have a second home?

I visited my mom this weekend and had a great time. Got some birthday presents (yay me!). While home, I got a chance to visit with one of my best friends, Sarah. We have been friends since 1992 (16 years - crazy). I spent so much time with Sarah in my high school years, and each of us adopted the other's family. We had a chance to visit her parents for a couple moments during my visit, and I was so amazed when we stopped by. As soon as we walked through the door, everything familiar hit me. The smell of the house (a good one Denise - no worries!), the stools I spent hours sitting on, the dining room where I shared meals, the living room where we watched so many movies and just remembering all the times Sarah and I did absolutely nothing - just hung around the house.

Everyone has places that you love to go that make you just stop everything in your life and take a deep breath and STOP. Sarah's parent's house is my house, just like my mom's house is Sarah's house. I guess it just struck me this weekend how lucky I am that I have two houses where I can go and reconnect with the ME that I like to be. So, in honor of my joy this weekend to come home to my second home, I have to share with you some of my favorite memories shared with Sarah and her family when we were in high school. Thank you guys for always allowing me to come to my second home.

My memories:

• Sarah and I taking our socks off and whipping each other with them (what was that about anyway?)
• Denise making us put magazines under the pull out couch in the living room so we didn't scrape the floors up
• Walking into the bathroom to find Kenny's pant leg in the toilet (I still remember laughing so hard I thought I may have an accident)
• Staying at the house while preparing for my wedding and Sarah's niece calling me "The Bride" Too Cute
• Spending a whole Thanksgiving break with Sarah in our college days
• Spending Easter at the Grandparents in Arkansas (remember climbing the trees and me hanging on for dear life while you took pics - crazy!)
• Denise walking through the house in her high heels early in the morning
• Kenny being covered with animals as soon as he sat down. (That still amazes me)
• Kenny scratching on the window screen when we watched the scary movie, almost making me die on the spot.
• Hours spent outside hanging out on the back porch

I know I am forgetting many more and I could probably go on for hours. I just wanted to share my joy at having two homes that give me joy and love. Kenny and Denise - thank you so much for putting up with Sarah and I all those times we were loud and crazy. You are my second set of parents and I love you both dearly. Sarah - what do you say to a sock rematch? Remember how they stretched out each time we whipped them? Hilarious!! I am so thankful for your friendship and I cannot wait until we have been friends for 32 years.

My wish for those of you reading this is that all of you have a second home and if you do, reach out to those people and tell them how much they mean to you. A trip down memory lane is always the best way to spend your day!

I voted today!!!!

Have you voted in your state's primaries? If not, get out there and vote for whoever you support. It is fun and this election especially is making history. Be a part of it!!!

Women's History Month

Get out there and learn more about the women in the world who made it possible for women today. I am searching for some really good sites about women's history and hope to post some a couple times a week. Celebrate women!!!

Updates on Craft Blog

See my latest creative projects:

• A new apron to update
• Handmade recipe cards
• New craft area organized

You can see it all on my craft blog!

People mean well most days, but........

I often avoid the topic I am going to blog about due to the raw emotion it brings me, but have found in reading a section of Elizabeth Gilbert's book Eat, Pray, Love that really resonates with me. After a lot of prayer and consideration the last several years, Bart and I have reached the decision to not have children. This decision does not stem from anything religious, career-oriented, children hating or selfish motives, but just out of the understanding that we have elected to not partake of this journey for our lives. Now, before sharing some passages from Gilbert's book that helped me find some peace and understanding, I want to share with you some experiences we have had.

Many times when people ask about if we have any children or plan to, I many times find myself saying, "not yet" instead of being truthful and saying I don't intend to. The reason I chose to start responding that way began with other's responses. Bart and I have endured the following questions or statements before:

• Do you hate children?
• You have to - that is what you are supposed to do
• Children are blessings..... you can't miss out
• You'll change your mind one day
• Hope it isn't too late WHEN you do change your mind
• You aren't getting any younger, you should start now. You'll be thankful later.
• That is a selfish thing to say. Do you want to save your money?

I kid you not, these are the responses we are often left to deal with when people say such things. Let me set the record straight, we LOVE children and one of the greatest days for me was when I became an aunt. Some of our decision comes from the desire to find ourselves a place in social justice issues and to be able to move freely. I once heard someone say, "Some people are placed on the earth to raise their children, and others are placed on earth to raise those children who are without". I can't remember where I heard it, but I think that describes Bart and me best. We won't have our own children, but my hope is that in our future work and careers we will touch lives and become family among many differing people.

My purpose for this blog is not to guilt individuals to avoid this topic with us nor to claim myself to be a speaker on behalf of all childless people everywhere. It is purely to begin to help myself understand that I need not hide my childless journey anymore. It is time for me to be true to my goals and future by telling the truth from now on, regardless of what responses I receive from others. I am allowing others opinions and beliefs to dictate how I respond to such an easy question and allow that fear to dominate my interactions with people who genuinely just want to understand. Being known as different is not necessarily a bad thing, and sometime people just want to know why what you believe makes you so different?

Let me share some passages from Gilbert's book that have helped me reach the conclusion that I can speak the truth for my life with no shame and really begin to live my life to help others:

"But what if, either by choice or by reluctant necessity, you end up not participating in this comforting cycle of family and continuity? What if you step out? Where do you sit at the reunion? How do you mark time's passage without the fear that you've just frittered away your time on earth without being relevant? You'll need to find another purpose, another measure by which to judge whether or not you have been a successful human being. I love children, but what if I don't have any? What kind of person does that make me?"

"Not all reasons not to have children are the same, either, though. Nor are all those reasons necessarily selfish"

"It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection"

To all of you who are parents or will be parents, thank you for being the people you are. I agree with Oprah that it is the toughest job in the world. Most of all, to my friends and family, and to anyone who may read this - THANK YOU for allowing me the chance to finally tell the truth about who I really am and to finally let go of the misconception that childless=purposeless. I know I have a purpose to not be a mom and I cannot wait to find out what that journey is going to encompass.

Good questions to think about

I am behind in reading my Eat, Pray, Love book because I have found sections that make me stop and really think. There are two that speak to me and I will start with one now. I will try to post the other tomorrow as I am still thinking about how I want to say what I want to say (hee hee- that was confusing!!). In Elizabeth Gilbert's book she asks the greatest questions, things that I have started asking myself. Take a second to reflect on them for yourself and see what your answers are. Here are the questions (found on page 83 in her book):

• What are my choices to be?
• What do I believe that I deserve in this life?
• Where can I accept sacrifice?
• Where can I not?

I am still thinking over these questions, and I probably won't bore you with the answers for them. I challenge you to consider these questions and reflect on what your answers would be. You are welcome to leave them as comments, but I respect the sensitivity of privacy that would accompany these types of questions.

My Apron from my swap partner

Today I received my apron from my swap partner. I was overjoyed at how beautiful this apron is. Even better, it is reversible. I absolutely LOVE it. I want to wear it outside of the house as a top - that is how crazy I am about it. Thanks go out to my AWESOME apron creator - Julie Ross from San Diego, CA. While making the apron and receiving one is such a fun part of this swap, I think the greatest part for me is that someone I never knew before put hours of their precious time into a gift for me to enjoy. Can you imagine what a better world we would live in if we all acted selfless like this? I would put a link on to my swap partner's blog, but I also want to protect her privacy - so for all of you out there, if you could take a moment to leave some comments about the apron that she could check in the comment section - I would love to hear what you think too!!!!! Julie - from the bottom of my heart - thank you for your time and effort that you put into my apron. I LOVE it and cannot begin to thank you enough. You created a masterpiece. Blessings to you and your family.

Chocolate Yogurt????

I picked up this yogurt at Whole Foods because chocolate yogurt sounds interesting. I am still out on the taste, I think it is good. I had banana with it too and that seemed to make it taste yummy!! I have another yogurt that is caramel flavored. We will have to see what that is like.

My apron is finished

Check out my craft blog to see the tutu I made my niece and my apron I made for a swap.

I had a great time making them!

Apron started

I started my apron for the apron swap I am participating in. Check out my craft blog:

I will hopefully be finished or close to finished by today. Check back tonight for some more pics hopefully. Enjoy!

March Book Selection

I have started this book so many times and have enjoyed it, but always seem to quit reading before I finished it. I am going to try again!! I am finishing Eat, Pray, Love for February and will start March with:

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft

Synopsis from Amazon.com

Writing in an age when the call for the rights of man had brought revolution to America and France, Mary Wollstonecraft produced her own declaration of female independence in 1792. Passionate and forthright, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman attacked the prevailing view of docile, decorative femininity and instead laid out the principles of emancipation: an equal education for girls and boys, an end to prejudice, and the call for women to become defined by their profession, not their partner. Mary Wollstonecraft’s work was received with a mixture of admiration and outrage—Walpole called her “a hyena in petticoats”—yet it established her as the mother of modern feminism.

Want more information? Check out this link to Amazon:

Here is to finishing the book for the first time!

My Dreams for 2008

UPDATED

• Read one book written by a woman or about a woman who fought for the rights of women each month
• Take dance lessons - possibly swing and salsa
• Participate in at least 3 sewing classes to increase my knowledge and skills
• Get involved in Yoga again
• Chase my Number One dream (I will share eventually, but am still intimidated by the hugeness {is that even a word?} of what this dream entails!)
• Try a new recipe once a month (let's keep it realistic - maybe I can try for more - but keep it simple for now!!!)
• Participate in the 3 Day Walk to end breast cancer - 60 miles baby!!!!
• Visit the Kimball Art Museum at least 2 times this year (I still haven't made it there)
• Take a cooking class
• Write out a life plan - what do I want my life to encompass and how will I get there?
• Visit The Women's Museum in Dallas

Some of these may seem so weird, but they are things that I have always wanted to do and I can do them here all locally! I am still processing if there is anything else I really want to do for myself - so I'll just keep updating. Good Luck to anyone else starting their own fun little journey!

The Year of ME!!!

I have caught the fever!! I have been reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I am not one to usually get caught up with Oprah books, but after seeing her on Oprah, I knew I had to read the book. It is the story of a woman who takes a year to spend time in 3 countries, Italy, India and Indonesia to spend time studying herself and finding one's passion. While reading this book, I have had the "fever" to declare something as wonderful for myself like she has. Now, I have no plans to divorce my husband, nor can I afford to take off for a year and travel the world (if only we all could, huh?). I started thinking about what could I do to have my own Eat, Pray, Love moments here? I already have started the journey of higher knowledge by returning to school for my Masters Degree, but what else could I do to rejuvinate myself? So, I have come up with a list of things I really want to do or have wanted to do, but somehow, always make excuses or put off!! I am sure as I go along I will think of new things, but I am going to start my list and begin the year of ME. A lot of times we are told it is self-absorbed to focus on ourselves and dreams, but why not? Wouldn't we all be happier and healthier if we even did one thing a year we wanted to? I will post my list above this. Wish me luck and consider doing something you want or for yourself this year. Tell me what it is or what all you want to do in my comments. Keep me posted if anyone else decides to make this your year too!!!

Cool Apron Contest

Check out this blog:

http://apronista.blogspot.com/

Not only do they have a great blog, but they are hosting a contest. Check it out and you could get some pretty neat gifts and ideas!

Where I find my HOPE for the future of America

I know many people say you shouldn't discuss politics because it can become very heated or even offensive to some individuals. I, however, feel differently. I don't expect you to agree with everything I say on my blog, but I know all of you will respect what I say - and that is all that matters to me. I am HUGE HUGE HUGE fan of Barack Obama and see him as the change that America needs. He is the first and only candidate that has been able to inspire me to watch debates, to follow the primaries, to read about issues and concerns in America and to REALLY believe that I can make a change by simply voting. Even if you are not interested in voting for Barack Obama - I encourage you to visit his site and really get to know what makes this man a great candidate for America. No matter which candidate you are for - get to those voting booths and make a difference. Thanks for allowing my plug!! If you do disagree - I ask that you politely not leave hateful messages in my comments, but just peruse the rest of my blog entries. Thank you! Please enjoy the will I am video below done by Obama supporters. It is a good one!! You will need to silence my playlist found at the bottom of my blog.

Yes We Can Obama Song by will.i.am