Me and the gym...

Kitty...also known as the Devil! We have never had a cat like him...we have to warn people when they come over...HE BITES!! He is the meanest cat, but also very loving.

I have been horrible about the gym lately...I don't know if it is the class I am taking, winter blahs or what....but I have trickled down from 4 to 5 times a week to only one or two. I feel awful, but I am having a hard time dragging my big ass in there. It obviously has been noticed by my trainer....who I have not seen in the professional sense since November, when I ran out of training sessions....she texted me and told me to get in there. So, I did....she was monitoring the floor (there in case any one needs help) and talked to me most of the time I was on the treadmill. I really like her...she pushes me to go out of my comfort zone...but at the same time respects that I kinda like the comfort zone. I like that our training sessions, have turned into a friendship...I feel like she cares about me as a person and not just the potential income. Her challenge to me was to get my rear in gear....and to start off, we are attending a Zumba class on Monday evening, it is aerobics with a Latin flair...I am terrified. Jaime (my trainer/buddy) said that I cannot text her with an excuse...the time for excuses has expired. I weigh twice as much as she does, but she sure can bully me...in the nicest way!

So, I am off the the gym this afternoon...because I don't think Jaime can lift my dead body out of Zumba on Monday.

A confession...

I have been a horrible blogger lately.....it even keeps me awake at night. Actually, a lot of things keep me awake at night, I am a horrible sleeper. I can turn a tiny little thought into a full blown anxiety attack...it is not good.

I have had a lot on my mind lately...wondering what the future holds. I think Lee's Coast Guard career is getting close to ending. The Coast Guard has changed over the last few years and has really been starting to push out "the old guard". We have seen friends forced to retire, and had some told they can no longer stay in. They have a new program, where they take a critical look at anyone with over twenty years in service, and over three years in rate....the list was almost 1300 people long and they involuntarily retired almost 400 members. Lee's name was on this list...he made it through last November's round...but who knows about next November's round.

Lee could easily get his name off the list by advancing to Senior Chief or putting in to make Warrant Officer....but he would lose the one part of the CG he loves....the ability to do his job. Lee loves being a store keeper, and he does it very well....advancing takes his job to a different level, and he would not be able to get his hands dirty with the day to day logistics he loves. Is it worth it, if he may be miserable???

It is very scary to think that this part of our life may be ending....financially, it will be a nightmare. We would have a decent amount of time for Lee to find a job though, before his last day in the Coast Guard...and of course the CG will move us wherever we want to go. Emotionally, this whole situation scares the crap out of me....but, in the end I know we will be fine...we will have each other, the boys, our friends and family and that has helped us through even crazier stuff.

So much change...scary as it may be....change is good.

I got this email....and it made me think

A young man learns

what's most important in life from the guy next door.

It had been some
time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got
in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams.

There, in the rush
of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time
to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could
stop him.

Over the phone,
his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night The funeral is Wednesday." Memories
flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his
childhood days.

"Jack, did you
hear me?"

"Oh, sorry, Mom.
Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly
thought he died years ago," Jack said.

"Well, he didn't
forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about
the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old
house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack,
after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence
in your life," she said

"He's the one who
taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for
him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom,
I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was,
he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral
was small and uneventful He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives
had passed away.

The night before
he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next
door one more time.

Standing in the
doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension,
a leap through space and time The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step
held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong,
Jack?" his Mom asked..

"The box is gone,"
he said

"What box?" Mom
asked.

"There was a small
gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk I must have asked him a thousand
times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack
said.
It was gone. Everything
about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box.. He figured
someone from the Belser family had taken it.

"Now I'll never
know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an
early flight home, Mom."

It had been about
two weeks since Mr. Belser died Returning home from work one day Jack discovered
a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please
stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.
Early the next
day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been
mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return
address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out
to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope.
Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.

"Upon my death,
please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I
valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing,
as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found
a beautiful gold pocket watch.

Running his fingers
slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these
words engraved:

"Jack, Thanks for
your time! -Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued
most was...my time"

Jack held the watch
for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next
two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.

"I need some time
to spend with my son," he said.

"Oh, by the way,
Janet, thanks for your time!"

"Life is not measured
by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away,"

Think about this. You may not realize it, but
it's 100% true.

1. At least 2 people
in this world love you so much they would die for you.

2. At least 15 people
in this world love you in some way.

3. A smile from you
can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

4. Every night, SOMEONE
thinks about you before they go to sleep

5. You mean the world
to someone.

6. If not for you, someone
may not be living.

7. You are special and
unique.

8. When you think you
have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you trust
God to do what's best, and wait on His time, sooner or later, you will get it or
something better.

9. When you make the
biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from it.

10. When you think the
world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back
on the world.

11. Someone that you
don't even know exists loves you.

12. Always remember the
compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

13. Always tell
someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know and you'll
both be happy.

14. If you have a great
friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.

Halfway to 90!!

This is Lee's birthday cake....for his "halfway to 90" birthday. He turned 45 on Saturday. I made him a lemon cake...it was so good...it did not survive long enough to see Monday. I make layer cakes with 3 layers of cake. For this cake I added a little more lemon to the cake mix with some extract and lemon zest, I also used lemon curd in between the layers and I cheated and used ready made frosting. The cake was delicious!!! He had to write a paper for his English class, so he was on the computer most of the weekend. Susan and Emily came that evening and we watched Grown Ups...which was pretty funny! Lee has already used the Itunes card they sent him to download a lot of the songs we heard int he movie. On Sunday night, he said it was a great weekend...what more can I ask for!

I did something on Sunday....something I used to love. I sat on the couch and cross stitched the day away....it was awesome. I used to stitch all the time....from morning to night, for years...then I just stopped...the usual "life is busy" excuse. I cannot explain how nice it was to see all the little x's begin to make a picture. I hope I can continue it....I don't want to add ANOTHER piece to my stash of unfinished stuff.

My Front Office Medical Assistant class began today...so far so good. I love learning and I have really enjoyed these courses. I think I would like to take more in this field..we shall see.

Well...the dishes are calling me...more soon!

A Couple Pics...

My precious grandbaby, Bianca...all dressed for Christmas!

Elliott and Lauren waiting for the Tractor Parade..Dec 2010

Lee and I, at the very wet and cold tractor parade!

The first week of 2011....

Birds on my bird feeder, I positioned it so I could see it....they love me! Sometimes, it has 4 birds on it and a half dozen more on the ground eating everything they knock down!!

Wow, I clearly remember being fascinated in 1980, when the new year brought the change of a decade....back then we probably thought that the 2000's would be a lot like the science fiction shows we watched on tv. 2011...wow!!! Lee turns 45 on Saturday, that is crazy to me too....I keep telling him "wow, that is halfway to 90".....when did we grow up??? I take that back, there are days when we act like immature teenagers still. I hope I am amazed and can take it with a grain of salt, like Lee has, in 9 months when it is my turn to reach 45!!!

We had a fun New Years Eve, Susan came over and so did Elliott's friend Lauren....they are still just friends. We ate one too many appetizers and then played the fun games on the Wii. We toasted the new year at midnight with sparkling cider....it was really nice. New years day, I took down all the Christmas decorations...the house looks so bare now.

Lee began his English class on Monday....he is a good writer, so I think it will go well. I begin the last part of my course next Tuesday. I am pretty excited, I love learning new stuff. It has been a real quiet week, even the weather has been pretty boring. I caught myself watching Dr. Phil the other day.....realized what I was doing and quickly got up and did some laundry!!!