Drop everything and become a HERO

So last night i was writing on my blog--
getting ready for bed--
winding down for the day--
and all of a sudden my cell phone rang--

I thought about disregarding it
but used my better judgement and picked it up--


So instead of finishing my entry--
I threw my clothes back on
and ran out the door--

The phone call was from another driver
I had left him my phone number that day
in hopes of switching trips with him the next day.
It was a good thing i had left the note--
as his bus had broken down
outside of Gila Bend
and he had 47 kids and adults
that he needed to get home.
He had tried to call our bosses
with no luck--
So at that point
he gave me a ring
and being the kind soul
and thinking
"what would I do if I were in the same situation"
left me no choice---
I would spend the next 3 hours
driving in a circle
to get everyone home.

I called my boss
and left a message--
just so they would know....
I decided that I was going with my OLD faithful bus--
(while i have been given a new BUS this year
I am having my doubts about its dependability
until all the bugs are worked out)
I was off--
Before i got onto the freeway
my boss called me--
I pulled over
(not allowed to drive the bus and chat on the phone)
and we had a brief conversation
and he told me not to worry about coming in in the morning--
(I have been helping out with a route at 5:30 each morning)

Now I really was off--
speeding through the night
on a mission of mercy--
It was weird being in on bus ALL by myself
on these really dark roads--
I thought about what would happen if I broke down--
I would really be stuck--
since the area I was in was cell phone impaired--
I got to sing as loud as I wanted
without offending any one--
It is amazing the things you do to keep yourself occupied...
As I was pulling into Gila Bend
My phone rang--
it was the other driver
wondering how far out I was--
At that point
I debated stopping for a Coke--
But didn't--
I figured they didn't need to wait any longer--
and when i finally would arrive home
I didn't want to be wide awake
from drinking so late.

I continued on
arriving an hour and a half
after he had called me.
The kids were so happy
they were thanking me for picking them up
(I knew some of the kids from swimming with my daughter--
I thought about their parents and how i would have felt
if it was my child stuck in the middle of no where in the middle of the night)
We got everyone loaded up
turned around
and we were off--
rather uneventful drive.
I finished driving at one in the morning--
grateful for the fact that i didn't have to get up at five
feeling good that i had done a good deed.
Sleeping in didn't really happen--
the alarm went off at five
and my husband proceeded to tell me to get up--
and wasn't so happy when i told him i didn't have too--
"why didn't i tell him that earlier"--
when would i have--
at one in the morning?---Oh well....

The next morning
at 5:30 a.m. I was
retelling this story to the girl i have been riding with
She was so impressed
that i had dropped everything and had gone out to "save" that group
She said "Your like a HERO"
It made me feel pretty good---
kinda made me want to pat myself on the back
and stick my chest out.
I was thinking
"Yeah---I was a HERO"
Feeling soooooo impressed with myself
that i had made a difference
that i could do no wrong--
As she was stepped out of the bus for a minute
She threw this statement out
(mind you it immediately followed the HERO statement)
"By the way--your shirt is inside out"
Ego was immediately deflated
I was brought back down to earth
HUMBLED......
Even HERO's have their OFF days.......
(and remember it was 5:30 in the morning--
not all hero's are morning people.....)

life interfers with blogging

As my blog states

LIFE HAPPENS--

much to the demise of my blog.

It's not that i don't have anything to write about

OH contraire--

I have too much to write about

things happening...

events...

LIFE!

And then i feel the need to check up on all of you

and i am easily distracted

and forget what i was going to write about

And then the time gets away from me

and i remember i have to get up at 5AM

And i remember that i really don't do mornings

at least not that well...

especially not on little sleep.

(Do you see how i ramble on when the sleep is lacking?)

So i throw my blog entry in the draft file

and close up for the night

thinking i will get to it in the morning

and we see how well that has happened...

NOT!

So be prepared

one of these days

entries will be popping up

and if i get my camera fixed

maybe even pictures.

One can hope...

to be continued.....

Today i am grateful for:

the chance to learn new things--

like how to make my own yogurt and grow wheat grass

probably things that i will never use--

but they are now filed in my brain for another day.....

little man turns 7

As hard as it is to believe
my baby turned seven today?!

Where has the time gone?

Yes,he is seven in chronological age
but he is not seven really--

He is far from being a "normal" seven year old.

in these last seven
he has blessed our family--

He has taught us patience,

unconditional love

This child knows no stranger--
only people he has yet to meet.

He continues to develop
and progress.

He has taught us to have faith
that things will work out

He has made us stop to appreciate
those small things we take for granted

He makes us better people
just by being him.

He might only be seven
but he continues to teach us daily
of the things that really matter most.....

We all love you little man......
XOXOXO

Arizonans test of Faith

To rain or not to rain
that is the question?


Supposedly the monsoon season is supposed to be over.
And yet we have been having clouds
along with random drops
falling from the sky--
usually not enough to actually count--
but just enough to make your car
a mess.

And then the humidity.....
I know I am not the only Arizonan
that is wanting summer to be over.
It has been fun--
but enough already....


We are no different than other parts of the country
that endure the long winter weather--
(only we don't have to shovel sunshine.)

But there comes a point where you begin to go stir crazy.
You begin to wonder if you will ever be able to turn off your A.C.
you wonder if you will ever be able to wear socks again--
or even long sleeve shirts.

Or how about leaving a door open--
or getting fresh air through a window.
It is a test of our FAITH
to believe that it will eventually cool down.

It has still been dark when i have gotten up this week--
I think that is a sign that winter is coming?
I wouldn't exactly call it cool--yet
but it is cooler--
which means that not as HOT for as LONG
these days--

At this point in the year
my mantra is this
Winter is coming.....
winter is coming....
it is cooling down....
I figure if i say it often enough
it will eventually come true.

Isn't that what FAITH is
believing in things unseen?
And if you have lived in AZ you know that
we have not seen (felt) the cool for awhile....

I am ready...
I am waiting....
I will continue to practice FAITH--
in the hopes that it will pay off
and will eventually cool off.

I am giving up for the day--
daughters melt down
sons attitude
and a cranky camera
along with computer issues
has done me in.
Tomorrow is another day
and hopefully i can get things to work
the way i want them to.
But for now--
I shall call it a day--
This week the mornings are coming early-
especially early for me--
I DO NOT like getting up when it is still
DARK---
wish me luck!


This weekend we were asked to start a
gratitude journal of sorts
we have to find ONE thing that was GOOD
about the day--
sounds easy enough--
I can do that
Right?
It does not have to be anything earth shattering
maybe its just the simple things
we need to appreciate

So here it is:

Today i am grateful for
a little boy learning to swim--blowing bubbles
and sticking his whole face in the water--
and a wonderful SLP who works with him to do it--
(I will post pictures later--
when my camera decides to co-operate)

Birthdays and Break the Fast

My baby has never had actual birthday party--
We have celebrated his birthday
and had cake and such with the family--
but never a party with his little friends.
He doesn't know he is missing out--
at least i don't think he does....
I mean he has never mentioned it to me?
(Maybe being non-verbal could be part of the reason)

This year I felt some guilt about this
Not enough to have a real party for him--
with invitations and such--
but i figured we could kill two birds with one stone.

We were already scheduled to have break the fast at our house
and it was only a few days before little mans birthday.
We already had a pinata'
So i bought some candy and a birthday cake-
We sang happy birthday--

he blew out the candles
and then him and all the kids that were here
went out front
and took a whack at the pinata'



Kids,
Cake and Candy.....
Seems like a party to me--

There are those that say

"When you give service--

you get more out of it than you give"

How true is that statement?

I had a great weekend.

I got to meet some really nice ladies

from all over the world,

hang out with my best friend

and have my creativity inspired.

I was inspired to be a better person,

to look for the good in my life,

and to count my blessings.

And all of that happened while i was volunteering.

I did get "stuff" as well

and that was really cool--

but in the big scheme of things

it was the lives i touched

and those that touched me

that really made my weekend.

"Stuff" is nice--

but it is those relationships you forge

and the things you learn

that will be with you forever--

I am so LUCKY that i had this opportunity

and the best part was that it was FREE for me.

Yes, I was a volunteer and i paid for my experience in service--

but i think that was why I enjoyed it all the more.

The best way to find yourself

is to lose yourself in the service of others."

- Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

Adult decisions

Growing up is scary.
Making adult decisions is hard--
especially when you are new at being an adult.
We ask alot of our high school seniors
to know what they want to do the rest of their lives--
to know where they want to go to school.
And all of these choices are based on what?

I understand my daughters hesitation
in wanting to make these choices--
the idea of leaving home
and all you have ever known
can be quite daunting.
She has been dragging her feet--
she is the first born--
and i have not been entirely ready to push her out just yet--
I want her to be ready
I want her to make her own choice
to own it--
Not have it be mine or her dad's decision.
It is hard to sit back watch--
and wait,
and wait,
and wait--
but tonight we saw some action,
some initiative
some desire.
So with some encouragement and help
letters were sent out to various schools
with swimming programs.
We will see what happens--
at least it is a step in the right direction
at least it will give her some choices
something to think about--
and if there is someone willing to pay her
to use her talent
we definitely are in favor of that.
So once again we get to
WAIT.
Only this time the ball is in someone elses court.

I voted

Today was the primary elections--
and at 2 minutes to 7 i snuck in under the wire
to make my voice heard.
to make my vote count.
This was NOT an easy task--
trying to find the proper place to cast my vote
was a real headache.
Could it have been any of the three places
that are close to my house--
and that have been used previously?
The answer to that is a
BIG fat NO!
Let's hide the polling place--
tuck it back in some obscure neighborhood
and then wonder why only 54 people turn out.
I thought i was the last voter at number 54--
as it turned out the let another woman skate in
under the wire at 7pm.
There was a question as to whether they should let her vote
but they decided they would not turn her away
since she made an effort.
As she was coming in she also was complaining of trying to find this place--
(Do you think there was a problem?)
I couldn't help but agree with her.
So lets hear it for those 55 people
who did their civic duty today--
Let it be known--
we are the only people in our precinct
who are allowed to gripe and complain
about the politicians--
because let's face it
if your not willing to take the time to at least
try to have your voice heard--
to make a difference through the voting system--
I say to you
why should your opinion matter otherwise?

If you have no will to change it,
you have no right to criticize it.
~Author Unknown

Awkward conversations

Our children are growing up--
and with that comes questions--
awkward questions for us and them.
Only when they ask the question--
they do not realize that it is awkward.

Take the word
circumcision--
while it is contained in the scriptures
it is not normally dinner time conversation--
that is until someone asks--
(try working that word into your next conversation)
I don't even remember where the conversation started--
but it left my daughters running away
with their hands over their ears.
The poor son that asked--
even he was embarrassed--
and left wincing at the thought.

I tried to redeem the dinner conversation
by explaining that was how they were able
to tell the Jews from the non-Jews
years ago.
Somehow it did help--
sorta

One thing for sure--
our children can never deny
that we were not open and honest with them
Much to their chagrin
if a question is asked--
it is answered.