Wed Hodge Podge Vol 108

1. What is ONE thing or area in your home or life you hope to report is completely organized when 2013 draws to a close?  Do you  have a plan to make it happen?
The one part of my home/life that I intend to have completely organized is my Creativity Center.  I need to get a room or a storage unit big enough to encompass all my crafts and projects and big enough to allow me to work in.  Right now, there is so much craft stuff, yarns, fabric, scrapbooking stuff, picture frames, and much more to boot all over my bedroom and it is totally driving me to distraction.  It's pretty overwhelming. 

2. What's the worst uniform you've ever had to wear for a job?
The taco bell uniform in the 80's.  THAT was pretty bad...at least I didn't have to dress like a giant taco!  That would have been a nightmare!

3. What was your last kitchen 'mishap'?  This question comes to you courtesy of Betty who blogs over at A Glimpse Into Midlife...everyone go say hi to Betty!
I play it pretty safe in my kitchen as far as recipes and such.  But I will have to say that I tried to replace the Velveeta, Rotel Tomatoes, and Philadelphia Cream Cheese (that I use for my cheese dip) with generic replacements.........DEFINITELY will not be doing that again. 

4. How do you protect yourself from other people's negativity?

Somehow, I seemed to have developed a knack for letting negativity roll off me like water on a duck's back. Much of my life was surrounded in negativity so I finally decided that I wasn't going to go down like that!  Maybe it's the gallons of Diet Coke I drink daily or it's the hours of playtime with my grandbabies that has helped.  I have noticed though, once you have grandchildren, the world really does look a whole lot different.  A mother takes her child for a walk and by the time they return to the house, mom is ready to be committed after calling the gypsies to come take her unruly child away from her. She dumps out her "Mom bag" with a first aid kit, extra socks, an extra set of clothes, snacks, toys, books, and other various things she felt was an absolute necessity on this walk and falls onto the couch absolutely frazzled and exhausted.  Grandparents take 2 things on a walk with same child....Kleenex and Lifesavers.  It's amazing to me to see how I used to be that frazzled mother and now I'm the Grandma with the Kleenex and the camera! 

5. Who in your family do you most resemble (physically)? If you have children, who do people say they favor? Do you agree?

Apparently, my dad said that I resemble a couple of his aunts (whom I have never met) I tend to favor my dad's side of the family anyways.  Out of my four children, my two oldest resemble me, and my two youngest resemble their father! It's uncanny at times to watch my son walk into the room, or smile a certain way.

6. January 8th is National Bubble Bath Day...will you be celebrating?

Actually, I celebrated the National Bubble Bath Day a few days early.  My 1 year old granddaughter and I had fun in a bubble bath till the water got too cold and we had to end it!

7.  Some of the 'world's best winter festivals' are - Mardi Gras (New Orleans), Quebec Winter Festival (Canada), Sundance Film Festival (Park City, Utah),  Rio Carnivale (Brazil), Sapporo Snow Festival (Japan), Venice Carnival (Italy) and the Harbin Ice Festival (Northern China).  Of those listed (and if cost were not a factor) which would you most like to attend and why?

Well, Nani at Chronicles of Nani, who is my best friend, and I had made plans to hit Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge, (not New Orleans because of the crime), but Hurricane Katrina ended those plans double quick and in a hurry.  So that's still something I would like to do, someday.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
I've decided that being politically correct at all times is debilitating to your sense of who you are and I choose not to adhere so strictly to that school of thought in 2013.

Melancholy & Humdrum

You ever have those days where time feels like the enemy and you just wish you weren't human?  I'm having one of those days...weeks...months?

In this "politically correct" world we live in, sometimes I get tired of always searching for the right thing to say.  (Not hateful, spiteful, condescending, or racist or anything of that matter).  But dealing with someone who has grated on your nerves and done everything in their power to continue using you as lawn fertilizer just gets frustrating.  There are so many things you shouldn't say, want to say, and things that even just need to be said.  But being the good, little "poli-correct" girl, that I try to be, I say the placating things that just keeps things calm.

Does this mean that I'm a nice person? Does it mean that I'm a "peacemaker"? Or does this just mean that I'm a hypocrite for not saying the things that I truly want to say, come what may...regardless the feelings involved?

My husband of 17 years is seeing someone else.  Although we've been separated for a couple of years, we still saw each other on a regular basis, ie; going to dinners, holiday things, birthday things, just hanging out, and even going to church together.  We were going through a "getting to know you again" period, that I had hoped would yield better results than finding out from my 4-yr old grandson that "pawpaw" sleeps on the couch with "heather".  For several weeks apparently...all the while, talking me up about working on our relationship, how much he loves me, and how much he desperately wants to reconnect and get back to a healthy relationship.

Granted, we've been separated for quite a while.  So was this my fault?   I refused to let him back into the household until we got things totally squared away...which I guess was optimistic on my part.  But do you go from professing your "love" for someone to that same evening "shacking up" with another woman?  I truly don't know how to feel about this.

Part of me wants to just scream, throw a tantrum, get evil, and look for paybacks.  Another part of me just wants to let bygones be bygones and carry on.  (Divorced, obviously).  And yet, there is another part that feels an absolute sense of relief, as if a giant weight has been lifted from my shoulders.  Do I cry for all those lost years?  Do I cry for the lost "future" we could have had together? Should I be relieved to not have to continue being politically correct all the time, trying to be the "better" person?  Or should I just jump for joy, hoot and hollar, and go about my merry way?  I'm totally at a loss right now?

I know this is a bit  of a personal post, but I would really appreciate some advice or some girl rally time.  Any input would be welcome!  Thanks for reading, Kelly.