Broken Glasses

I was removing my glasses last night, and I realized that the eye piece was still on my nose. So, all day at work, my lens were resting on my nose which meant that my glasses were lower than usual. I had to tilt my head back to my butt in order to see what I was trying to do. I went to the optical company, and they are putting my lenses in new frames. Different color; same style. (I hope it doesn't affect my looks too much).

I got my haircut. She cut a little more off than I had planned on. Then, I went to CVS to buy some cheaters since my glasses will not be ready for a day or two. So, I have cheaters, short hair, and I am styling!

It is amazing how much we take for granted until it is gone. I miss my glasses. I get aggravated at having to wear them, but if I don't, I'm pretty much blind when it comes to reading or trying to do anything at close range. Getting old is not fun! I need to hold everything at arms length in order to see it, but my arms are so weak; they hurt.

Well, I better go. I am working 4 to 12 the next two days, and I still need to do my bible study.

Love to all,
Sisters

Hang Onto the Memories

That is how I plan to survive the next couple of weeks. As I mentioned before, I have sold the 3 acres where our house used to sit, and we cleaned the rest of our items out of the barn today. I said goodbye to the property, but not to the memories. I have an offer on the farm, so I imagine it will be sold within the next week.

It is not easy letting go of your childhood home, nor is it easy to let go of the first homesite that my partner and I shared, but I will never let go of the memories of the times shared with family and friends. Our home was a gathering place. Every September, we would host a campout/cookout in our back yard. Our friends would bring their tents and campers, and we would build a fire in the pit to gather around. We ate, we laughed, we even sometimes cried, but we always had fun.

Our friends are heading back from North Carolina today, and we pray for their safe travel. It is a long drive, but it was worth the time we were able to spend together.

We got to see my GodGranddaughter today. She is the light of my life, and I believe she knows it. She could not wait to see what we brought her from The Outer Banks. She looked absolutely gorgeous in her crab sunglasses. And, her "plip plops" fit her perfectly. She was really styling.

We are going to dinner with my partner's niece and her mother. It will be fun spending time with them.

We pray for blessings on everyone,
Sisters

The Party's Over

My partner and I left at 10:00 pm. on Wednesday night to head back home. We arrived at 1:30 pm. on Thursday. Needless to say, we were totally exhausted. We stopped at a rest part and slept for a little while, and then we drove again. Next time, I believe we will fly.

We had a great time visiting with our friends, and the Outer Banks is absolutely beautiful. I neve thought I would say this, but I actually got my fill of seafood. It was fresh and delicious, and you do not leave hungry.

We slept most of the day and the evening. We are getting ready to put our luggage away, and then we are heading South to finish cleaning out our barn.

I can't think of the words to describe the friends that we left behind in N.C. I guess a better description would be "family." We have been to hell and back; we have experienced nearly everything any person could, and we are still friends..."heart" friends. I wouldn't trade any one of them for a billion dollars.

To the Indiana Cornfed: please have fun, and be careful on your return trip. WE LOVE YOU, and we miss you. Sorry that circumstances worked out the way they did, but I am so happy to be selling the property. It is time.

Love to all,
Sisters

An Indiana Cornfed Breakfast

We are in Nags Head, North Carolina with our group of "heart" friends, eating, swimming, eating, doing puzzles, eating, singing, eating...well, you get the picture. We just finished our breakfast which consisted of 12 lbs. of potatoes, 6 lbs. of bacon, 46 eggs, 3 loaves of bread for toast, margarine, and jam. We are definitely well-fed.

We are having a great time! We have truly had a "vacation." Everyone does their own thing, and we also hang together as much as we want. We have laughed, cried, sang, and been quiet together. (Which can be very hard with 19 people.) We lost one who had to fly back home to go to work.

We are staying in a huge house on the beach with all the amenities of home. We have t.v.'s in every room, karaoke, a pool table, a computer, a pool, a hottub, a cabana, well, you name it, its here. But the best part of the whole thing is being with friends that love you unconditionally. That is the best part of life, and I am more blessed than most.

Well, I need to go. The puzzle is calling me, and I need to do everyone's eyebrows today. They are calling themselves the "unibrow girls," and we cannot drift from "Indiana Cornfed." We're loud and we're proud.

Blessings to all,
Sisters

Letting Go

Today, I sold the 3 acre tract where our home sat which is in the middle of the 71 acre farm I own. It was difficult, because my parents had lived there nearly all of their 54 years of marriage. They put alot of blood, sweat, and tears into that property, and they were very proud of their achievement. I was proud of them as well.

During the years when many farmers were losing their farms due to foreclosures, my dad held onto his. I feel like a part of them is in that soil, but greater than that, they are a part of me.

I am getting ready to watch American Idol. I really hope that Taylor wins; he is definitely the best singer, and the best entertainer. I do not particularly care for Kathryn's voice, and I do not think she is seasoned enough to do any major recordings. Of course, that is just my opinion.

I went in at 5:00 this morning, so after the show, I am heading straight to bed.

Hope everyone has a great evening!

Sisters

p.s. Good job on the blog VGC. I would invite everyone to link to 143friends.blogspot.com

Full Body Mammogram

That's how I feel today. Like my whole body is being crushed in a mammography grid while someone scans parts unknown.

I cannot describe what I feel right now or how it is affecting me. I have learned throughout the last 3 years...that those who love us, love us, and those who don't, probably never did...and probably never will. I have spent most of my life trying to please everyone around me. And most everyone loved that I did. But, when I began to live my life for me...whoa, not many people liked that twist.

I also learned to say "no". Alot of people had never heard me utter that word very much, and they were very surprised to here it for the first few times. I love people, especially my friends, but some people will take advantage if you let them. And there is the answer, if you let them. I can't blame anyone for my choices. And, I do not care to be blamed for anyone else's choices. I am doing just fine with my own choices as bad as some of them may have been.

I have revealed alot about my personal life over the last couple of years, and I can honestly say that I am glad that I did. I regret that I did not do it sooner. I have had a big weight on my shoulders since I was a little girl, and I finally decided that I did not care who knew about my life. I did not choose my life, my life chose me. All I want to do is love my friends and family unconditionally. Is it too much to ask that they might do the same for me? I don't think so.

Life is too short to squabble over anything. We are all human. We are all sinners. All we need to do is quit judging one another and love each other the way we would like to be loved. Hold onto God, and He will hold onto you.

I wish you peace and unconditional love in your lives.

Sisters

That Little Voice Inside

Have you ever experienced a little voice inside of you telling you to do something? (No, not the ones that you need medication and therapy for...but, the ones that prod you to contact someone). This evening, my partner and I had the pleasure of the company of a nun that we both know. She is an absolute hoot, and we both love her dearly. She is going to take care of our pets while we are on vacation next week.

When she got to our house, we both thought at the same time, "Let's introduce her to our next door neighbors. So, we walked over to their house and knocked on the door. Our neighbor came to the door, and he said his wife was in the other room. When she came into the hallway, we could tell she had been crying. At first we felt awkward, and then we realized that is why we were there. She shared with us that she has been arguing with three of her grown children, and that her other son is not involved in the squabble yet.

Her concern is that her grandson will soon be returning from Iraq, and she wants him to have a great homecoming. We consoled her, and we told her she need not apologize for crying, because we all do that at one time or another. We assured her that we cannot only laugh together, but we can cry together as well.

By the time we left, she was laughing, and we told her to tell her son to "put on his big girl panties and move on." She cracked up, and said she was going to tell him that very thing. Perhaps they will both laugh and everything will be a little better.

I know that we should never ignore those little voices or gut feelings that tell us to call, visit, or write someone. It could be that they need a kind or encouraging word at that very moment. God does work his wonders even when we are too oblivious to realize they are happening.

I pray you have a great evening, and that you are loved.

Sisters