20 Things You Promised You Would Never Do

Be honest.  Have you ever said, "I'll never be like that when I get old?"  All of us have fallen short in some form or another by doing the things we swore we would never do.

Most of us made some hard and fast rules when we became parents.

"I will never yell at my children."  Come on, tell us, have you ever yelled at your kids.

What Do You Think About More? Your Present or Your Past?

It is quite normal to wonder what would have been different if you had made a different decision. Would it have changed the direction your life took?  Hindsight and reflection are the best teachers. In light of the trauma, anxiety, and stress in many of our lives, it is common to think about the What Ifs and If Onlys. 

If you could go back 20 years for one hour and change the rest of your life, what would you change and why?

My life has been a tumultuous one - on every level, in every arena.  Often the storms would come one after the other but many times they would be happening at the same time.  Every year had turbulence and it would be impossible to attempt changing anything - it's done. Complicated.  Exhausting.  

In the light of a cancer diagnosis, loss of a child, being gang-raped and left for dead, total financial ruin, husband falsely imprisoned and more...it is easy to wish things had been different. HOWEVER, who we are today is a result of what happened yesterday. If we dwell on those setbacks and calamities, we can get stuck in self-pity. But, if we look at each situation as a stepping stone to something better and be thankful for what we learned through the crisis, we will not only survive but will thrive.

Is Owning a Dog Better Than Being Married?

I never met a dog I didn't like love.  Give me five minutes with any dog and I will create a life-long bond.  After years of rescuing dogs - over 30 so far - I can't imagine life without at least one furbaby in the house. My daughter has six at the moment - the acorn doesn't fall far....

Dogs make us laugh -- every single day.  When you learn to speak 'dog' they will tell you what you want to hear -- "I love you.  I have always loved you.  I will always love you.  Nothing else matters."

A bachelor friend of ours loves dogs as much as we do and has always maintained it is easier to date a woman and come home to his four-legged furry friend than to to be married. WHAT?

Admit it -- I bet some of you have thought that.  And here are some reasons why.......

1.  The later you come home, the more excited the dog is to see you.  You don't have to have an excuse or an explanation.  Giving a dog a pat on the head and a treat will make them forget you were ever gone at all.

For Better, For Worse -- A Language a Dog Understands

 

When we think of the words "For better, for worse," we usually think of marriage. We say our vows on our wedding day proclaiming that we will never leave our spouse, no matter what happens.

But sometimes we don't follow through with those vows.  Sometimes, our spouse is abusive or falls out of love with us or...vice versa. Those words ring in our ears -- for better, for worse -- but......it may be out of our control.

If Only You Had Not Made That Mistake, Then What?

Has there ever been a time in your life where, in the heat of the moment, you would have literally sold your soul for a different outcome if it was an actual possibility and not just a phrase?

Like the time my doctor told me I had cancer and without a hysterectomy, I would die?  Instead of accepting his diagnosis, I chose to challenge him and refuse treatment.  I wish I did not have to go through all those years of pain but I cured myself and 40 years later am healthier than ever.

 



Like the time my husband decided to throw himself on the mercy of the court and plead guilty to a crime he was innocent in hopes that the judge would realize the only witness we had to prove our case committed suicide before we went to trial?  If only, we had known hubby would go to prison resulting in that bad decision.

10 Reasons Why You Should NOT Have a Dog as a Pet

Do you wonder if you should get a dog? Have you weighed the pros and cons and stress over the extra work and time it will take? 

Hubby and I rescued over 30 dogs and each one of them became a family member quickly. Each one knew they were loved, wanted, and they would no longer be abused. In our current climate of unrest and stress, NOTHING is more calming than the love of a four-legged fur baby. 

Yes, there is deep hurt when you lose your precious furry family member and may not want to ever adopt another. But, there are hundreds of them waiting for a good home. I am convinced that they are completely aware they were rescued and will do anything to protect you and love you with every ounce of their being. 

Here is my list of why we need a dog in our life:

1. You will no longer need an alarm clock. Dogs have internal clocks with alarms that go off right on time. They know when it is time to get up, to eat, to exercise, and a host of other activities. 

Are You Terrified When the Phone Rings in the Middle of the Night?

When the phone rings at 3:30 in the morning, it is rarely good news. I grabbed the phone before the ringing woke up my husband.

"Hello."

"This is the alarm company for your store on Marine. There has been a report of glass breakage."

"Have the police been dispatched?"

"Yes."

"Thank you. We will be right there."

So began the comedy of errors. I flew into my office while shouting en-route, "Babe, get up. There's been a break-in." Why the alarm company called my home instead the manager's home was a mystery.

I continued to shout with the loudest voice I could "Babe! BABE!"  There was no response so I walked back to the bedroom and he was snoring peacefully.  At this point, there didn't seem to be any legitimate reason to wake him up. 

Finally, my cell booted up, I got Tim's number and called him. "The cops are on the way. There has been a break-in."

I imagined that Tim was out the door before I finished that sentence. He is only five minutes from the store. We are several hours away.

Thirty minutes later, Tim called. He said that our front glass door was completely shattered and it looked as though they tried to reach in and open the door from the inside. The second alarm and flashing lights must have scared them away. I was certainly relieved but knew the cost of the door would be a at least two thousand dollars.

It was 4:45 A.M. Hubby was resting comfortably so thought I would go back to sleep. At 5:15 A.M. the police called. 

"Why isn't someone waiting for us at the store?" The officer asked. "Aren't you the owner?"

"Yes sir, but I am not in your town. Our manager has already been there and you weren't."

"What is your manager's name?"

"Tim Chaid. No, wait a minute. That's not his name. That Tim was a friend of mine who died several years ago." The cop must have wondered what blonde bimbo was on this end of the line. I was grasping to remember Tim's name. He has been our manager for over eleven years but with stress, my brain stopped functioning. 

"It's Tim Morris. Sorry about that!"

"Is that his legal name?"

"I don't know. I assume it is." 

"Why aren't you here?" He persisted.

What Are You Addicted to and Who is Spying on You?

The addiction surprised me. I'm a city girl who has lived in a rural community for the past 50 years. However, I love the rush of the city and the opportunities it presents. But, during this time of crisis for our world, I am thrilled to be living in a small town.

So when several people recommended I start watching "Heartland" I laughed. I couldn't imagine enjoying a Canadian drama television series featuring life on a ranch. Yet.....here I am. Just finished season three and I dread the day when I finish watching season 13. Will there be a Season 14? A devoted addict.

Anyone else addicted to a series?

Are you concerned?

How to block hackers and spys

On your Facebook account you can find and block all spybot and fact checkers from accessing your account. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I blocked over 150 of them and will continue to do it regularly. Give it a try - you will probably be shocked how many there are. 

Brie loves modeling her new dresses

Banilla, anyone?

I was thrilled to spend a full week with the grands. Considering that I had seen them a month ago made it every more thrilling. 

"What kind of ice cream do you want, Brie?"

"Banilla and Rainbow Herbert, please." I asked her to repeat it only because it sounded so cute. 

Closet Organizers not required

Brie is four years old but since she was two, she has been very specific (an understatement!) about the clothes she chooses for the day. She has her closet organized and nothing is out of order in her room. When she gets ready for the day, she does not want any input from anyone else. She will make the decisions. 

This gramma was especially impressed that no matter what she tried on, if it didn't 'work' she would carefully hang it back up -- in the proper order in her closet. Everything must match, including shoes and bag. Wonder where she gets that from?

Still getting lost in parking lots

During my visit, the temperatures soared. Summer is my least favorite time of year. The heat must have affected my brain because I suggested that Brie and I go for a walk - in that heat. She wanted to go to the trails which were a few blocks away. 

The trails were shaded but after we walked about one-half mile the heat was taking its toll. Unfortunately, this crazy person didn't bring her phone on the walk (too sticky to carry) and neither one of us knew where we were.

We got off the trails and stopped the first human we encountered.  "Would you be able to tell me how to get downtown?"

 

I ignored the weird look he gave me but I was too hot and tired to admit my ignorance. When he told me how far it was I almost cried. I didn't think either one of us could make it back home in the intense heat. But we did. Brie was so sweet trying to console her gramma.

"Don't worry, Gramma. We'll figure it out. We'll be home and get cooled down soon."

Oh my, was it that obvious that a four-year old detected my panic  concern?

Two and a half hours later, we crawled into the house. My daughter shook her head and reminded me that she never allowed me to go alone to a mall. I would either lose my car or never find my way back to where we agreed to meet up.

My hubby always told me that if he ever wanted a divorce, he would drop me off at the woods and probably never see me again. 

What a Gong Show

After spending FOUR AND A HALF hours on the phone the bank representative said,

"Sorry, we have no idea what is going on. There is nothing more we can do.

"Well, what do you suggest that I do?"

"No idea. Sorry."

I wasted a full day sitting on hold and talking to people who couldn't help me. That morning when I tried to access my bank account on line, it would not open. After several attempts and then being locked out of my account, I started the phone calls. 

They told me the only way to access my account was to call the bank and do any transactions with an agent by telephone.

Frustrated, I decided to try again on Monday. 

Daddy got them new toys - What FUN 

In the meantime.....

While I was on the phone, my friend popped in to say "Hi."  While there, her dog thought carpet was a good place to throw up. TWICE. And Mister is a big dog - need I say more?

While talking to the bank, I had no idea what my friend was doing in my living room for 30 minutes. During one of my minutes on hold, I found her on her knees, shampooing my carpet and attempting to get the stain out. 

At the same time, the new yard man showed up to mow the lawn. I heard the commotion outside, and asked the agent to hold a minute while I checked it out.

"There is no way I can bring that lawn mower up those stairs to your yard."

My friend started arguing with him that every other lawn guy has done it.

"But their machines probably didn't weigh 200 pounds."

Before the lawn guy could continue to protest, my friend started to maneuver the lawn mower by herself. Between the two of them, they lifted it up the three steps.

Now......what happens next week? Hopefully, he will bring a smaller one.

FINALLY....resolution - kinda

Monday morning I called the bank. Their technical department had figured it out. There had been malicious and suspicious activity between my internet provider and my bank. All clients using that provider were locked out of their bank accounts. 

That was a week ago. Still no resolution. At least they know what is going on - want to bet on how long it will take to resolve?

Patience is a virtue -- taking time to watch the clouds move in the sky with your grand daughter puts everything into perspective

This has been a Fly on the Wall monthly post. Check out my fellow bloggers posts to see what they have been up to and enjoy the humor.

Baking In A Tornado                  https://www.BakingInATornado.com

Never Ever Give Up Hope             https://batteredhope.blogspot.com

Menopausal Mother                   http://www.menopausalmom.com/