Senseless Violence

Once again, a senseless tragedy has occurred with the bombings of the Boston Marathon.  I don't understand the minds of those that perform these acts of terrorism.  Yes--I said terrorism.  Whether foreign or domestic, it is terrorism.

The Boston Marathon was dedicated to Newtown, in memory of those lost in the senseless shootings there.  Now not only the people of Newtown have been exposed to more senseless violence, so have the rest of us.

It's frightening to know that there are people out there that care nothing for human life, have no values, and no code of honor.  This bombing will trigger yet more nonsense from both sides of the gun control issue, and those already on edge will be pushed over the edge.

Our children deserve to grow up in a world where they can feel safe doing their normal, daily routines.  Yet they don't.

My prayer for all is that we can come together and be stronger for all of this, and hopefully stem the tide of violence.

God bless.

Excitement Expanding

I'm getting so excited.  Getting ready for a vacation in Colorado to see some old friends and renew a friendship with someone I haven't seen in 26 years.  The excitement is building and I have butterflies in my stomache, but I know it's going to be great!

Renewed and Improved

I had an epiphany yesterday.  I have been hiding myself from the world.  I realized that I allowed the Ex to keep me down, which I knew to an extent, but didn't realize how deep it really was.  I allowed him to "put me in a corner" and that is unacceptable.  Afterall, "nobody puts Baby in a corner."

I realized all the weight gain, lack of energy, reluctance to go do anything, and crappy clothing choices were because he either made comments or ignored me.  So, I ate more to gain weight and downplayed my looks, subconsciously thinking that if I made myself more invisible, it would justify these actions on his part.

Well, no more of that.  I got rid of all the granny clothes; I'm comfortable in my looks and carriage.  No longer will I be the wallflower I found myself to be in recent years.  That's right, the Bitch is back and I take no prisoners.

Friday Night Blues

Feeling kind of blue tonight. Coming off a fun vacation and got lots accomplished when I got back, but now, I'm not sure what to do.  I think I just need to chill and work on me.

It's been a long time coming...

Been busy for awhile. The Man moved out...it's been a long time coming. I'm a free woman now and living life to the fullest.

Happy (Belated) New Year

Early Saturday morning . . . don't want to be up, but no choice.  I'm happy that 2013 has arrived and so far, I'm doing what I need to do.  One of my biggest things is to get out of my own head and just go out and take life by the horns and enjoy it.  We always say, "Life is short, make the most of it. Or, you only live once."  But really, how many of us actually do that?  I've said it over and over again, until I'm blue in the face, but I still do nothing, sit at home, watching tv, reading, drinking . . . alone.  Well, no more.  I still do those things (because I enjoy them), but I'm adding to the list . . . I made a list of goals and I'm sticking to them.  Granted--it's only January 12th, but I'm doing it, dammit.

So, here are my goals and wishing you a very happy and prosperous 2013!

13 Goals for 2013

1.       Spending

a.       Create a realistic budget

b.      Spend only what is on budget

c.       Save—even if it’s only $5 a pay check

d.      Create an envelope system to save/spend on wish list items

e.      Buy groceries—limit eating out to 2x per month

f.        Try a “cash only” approach

g.       Always use lists and prioritize

 

2.       Eating

a.       Buy food and groceries—cook instead of fast food

b.      Pack lunch with food I’ll actually eat (plan!)

c.       Keep logging in food journal

d.      Substitute fruit and veggies for snacks

 

3.       Exercise

a.       Be realistic

b.      Walking is key—try for every day, even if it is only 10-15 minutes

c.       Calendar exercise programs and keep the appointment—try for every day, even if it is only 10-15 minutes

d.      Stretch, stretch, stretch, stretch . . . did I mention stretch?

e.      Keep logging in exercise journal

f.        Keep a positive attitude

 

4.       Hair and nail care—you’re a professional, look like one

a.       Regular mani/pedi—at least once a month, shoot for twice a month

b.      Regular color and cut—every 6-8 weeks

c.       Put these in the budget!

 

5.       Journaling—every day, even if only a sentence or two

 

6.       Blogging—2-3x/week on personal and joint blogs

 

7.        Daily review of blogs I follow

 

8.       Kindle books—read 3x per week, at least

 

9.       Read one new “real” book each month, e.g., actual book, not digital media

 

10.   At least once a month, spend actual time out with friends (budget!)

 

11.   At least once a week, talk to one or two friends on the phone—not text or Facebook

 

12.   Be more spontaneous, BUT stay in the budget

 

13.   Number one priority—more quality time with the Boy

 

Reflections

Some reflection on the fragility of life.  The elementary school shooting in Connecticut is another in a series of senseless acts of violence in this country.  I could go into the whole issue of gun control, the right to bear arms, and all the other arguments, but they aren’t going to change anything.

Let me state up front that I do believe in the right to bear arms; however, I don’t believe our founding fathers intended that right to be abused by owning semi-automatic weapons and turning them on the innocent.  The right to bear arms was created in a time of war—people needed to be able to defend their homes against invasion.  I still believe they/we have that right.

I also believe in gun control.  There is absolutely no good reason that anyone, other than military and law enforcement should have access to semi-automatic and fully automatic weapons.  There is also no good reason not to do thorough background checks.  If it takes six months to a year to be approved, so be it.  If you don’t have the patience to wait, you don’t have the patience to own a weapon. And sorry, #catscratchfever, you don’t need an AK47 for deer hunting . . . just sayin’.

Having said all that, there are those, that if determined, will find a way to obtain weapons and use them against the innocent.  In the case of yesterday’s tragedy, the weapons were registered to the gunman’s mother, who became his first victim.

Another big issue is access to mental health care.  The articles I’ve read are mixed as to whether the young man had mental disorders.  Let’s just get this clear . . . anyone who can go on a shooting spree like that, especially against young children, has a mental disorder.  Does that make him bad or evil?  Not necessarily.  By all reports, he seemed to be a “nice guy” and smart—an honor roll student when he was in high school.  So, what is the catalyst for someone to get up in the morning, shoot his mother in the face, drive to an elementary school, shoot and kill 28 people (20 of whom are children), before turning the gun on himself?  Would he have benefited from some sort of mental health care?  Did anyone recognize symptoms of mental illness?  Would it have mattered?  These are questions that we will never have answered as the only person that could answer them is dead by his own hand.

So today, my heart goes out to those who lost loved ones.  I cannot imagine the pain of losing my child in “normal” circumstances, much less to such senseless violence.  But my heart also goes out to that young man that didn’t see another way out and committed the horrible deed.  While I’m sure we are all judging him, his final judgment is not ours to make.

Take a minute to reflect on what you have rather than what you want today--hug your kids, parents, significant others, friends, and family.  Let the people you love know that you love them.  Life is fragile.