Shedding my bad girl ways…

In an effort to change my horrific ways, I’ve decided to resource some better behaviors, from a friend

In all seriousness though, she’s a COMPLETE genius and I do have some horrible habits that her revolutionary idea really spotlighted…

Like, for one: I am a compulsive list maker. I have, on an average day, three or four to-do lists going, at one time. It has happened less than 20 times, in my entire life of 34 years, that every tedious detail has been checked off and every task completed… The end result is always a resounding “you suck!” non-pep talk to myself…

But then, my google reader paved the way to her glorious post and i thought to myself- with a task list like that, life already sounded happier.

More peaceful…

So, I’m doing it. I’m buying a ticket for the fast train to living a life that can be both Type A anal and lead to days of seizing the moment and focusing on what matters.

{Clarifying, here and now, that I don’t actually own sweat pants. I do own yoga pants and I’m not promising not to wear them… She, this friend of mine, is so much better than me.}

I do, however, plan to:
1} Bring my sewing machine out, (it intimidates me) and fix things/play.
2} Read a book. No pressure about what book, it just has to be a book- for me- in it’s entirety.
3} Dance, everyday, for fun.
4} Play with my cricut.
5} Do yoga, at least twice. Twice is reasonable.
6} Listen to 5 cd’s that i haven’t listened to in a very long time.
7} Continue purging things we don’t need or love…
8} Fill out the foster care paperwork.
9} Give myself a pedicure.
10} Bake home made bread.

I would love to hear what you are doing this week to make it a productive but beautiful one… 

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Confession: I’m a total harlot…

Ok… Not really, but i feel like one. I am giving myself the Shame Award, and i completely deserve it!
Our homeschool co-op has a pretty reasonable dress code established. No bare midriffs, no cleavage… you know, the norm. One of these totally normal things is that no part of an undergarment, male or female, is exposed. Also, COMPLETELY reasonable. 
Except that, my shoulders really like to push my bra straps towards my neck. it’s lame, i know. Usually my shirts are of the variety that over compensates for that, at least on co-op days. don’t get me wrong, I never wanted to be THAT woman, you know, the one with the bra straps there for the entire world to see. Unfortunately, it happens. 
Sometimes a lot.
I’ve come to terms… 
So, this morning, I quadruple checked the compliance of my shoulders and straps, their ability to play nice with one another while also showing respect to my chosen shirt. Everything seemed amicably fine. 
Until, of course, we actually got to co-op… {Five minutes late, at that… I HATE to be late…} 
Apparently my bra straps felt that they were the socialites of the century and that everyone there was simply dying for an opportunity to see them up close and personal. 
This was the day that i had a dozen different people to meet with. {Of Course.} 
The day that i had to stand in front of the classroom and speak to a class full of children about public speaking and story telling. {*sigh*}
The day that the heat in the entire building was cranked up to 300 and the only thing I had to wear over said defiant straps and tramp shirt was a wool pea coat… {W-O-O-L}
May as well have just slapped a gigantic read A across my bodice and called it a day…
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The Cheating and the Cheated…

At it’s core, adultery is simply betrayal…
And yet, anyone who has ever been somehow connected to an adulterous affair can tell you that there is nothing simple about it. In most cases, hearts are broken, families are decimated, and usually everyone even slightly associated with the marriage affected sees their own lives altered and affected in unexpected ways… 
I remember… 
When my husband cheated on me, back in 1999, I had people (well meaning people, who loved us) ranting to me about how much my husband’s actions had hurt them. We divorced. Friendships were broken. Two years later, when we (him and I) decided to pursue reconciliation, those same people were the ones shouting the loudest, telling me to steer clear of him and run as fast as I could- in the other direction. 
Every situation isn’t mine, and I understand that. Still though, I’ve been wondering how many people would be able and willing to forgive and heal, if the people in their lives would support them? So often, as we support loved ones, we tend to merely push our own agenda based on our own hurts. 
Back to betrayal. Most of us are guilty. Maybe it’s not sexual, but what about a long conversation with a co-worker about how unhappy we are at home? What about constantly spilling, to a girlfriend, about our husband’s faults and flaws? How are these not also, betrayals? So you’ll say But Misty, it’s not the same! No, it’s not the same, but in any relationship the standard should be “You are either FOR me, or AGAINST me.” 
And folks, it really is that simple… 
Not every marriage can survive a betrayal, and that’s sad because like I said, hearts are broken and families wind up torn apart. When you find yourself in the “friends and family members” category of that situation, (and unfortunately, with the divorce rate what it is- you probably will) do everyone a favor and wake up every morning- let go of your hurt- and love that person/couple. Even if it’s something you have to wake up and do, everyday, for the rest of your life.
 Just do it.
Let go and love…
Whether you understand, or don’t. Whether you approve or not, because it’s not about you. You may have been super close, but you weren’t there when the doors were closed and ultimately you don’t know what happened in the quiet recesses of that marriage. While it takes two people to cheat, statistically it also takes two people to drive a marriage to the point where there is room for that in the first place… 
Because, turning your back on someone whose life has been turned upside down by an affair, and choosing to hand over your love for them in exchange for judgement- all the while justifying it because of all the “hurt they caused”, is a betrayal too… and maybe one with an even bigger decimation range…
Stepping off my soap box now, thanks for listening… 
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Image courtesy ofMajtorp’s photostream   

My shiniest, proudest moment EVER…

Ok, So maybe not the proudest moment, ever, but I chuckled a little… 
While continuing my quest as to what direction I want my blog journey to head, lots of interesting articles have been mentioning that I should know my audience… 
OF COURSE! Why didn’t I think of that? 
Naturally, my next step was to venture into my stats- as it was there that I would learn the truth. The truth like how Google brought me brilliant people searching for:
– rainy day in may. (thank you! really…) 
– disappointment in people. (not even sure. In me? Me in others? Most importantly- did they find what they were looking for?) 
– how many days are in may? (mkay) 
– how many rainy days are in may, every year? (hmm.) 
but this one took the cake:
– bloggers who think twilight sucks. Ha ha ha… 
{For the record: i loved the book, hated the movie and yet appear hypocritical because I’ve seen it a bazillion times… I’m sorry. Loved the soundtrack; can’t stand Kristen Stewart. Totally Team Edward (due to the books) though i would absolutely jump on the bandwagon to wash Rob’s hair for him- should he need some help… 
And yes, I do own a Twilight hoodie…
i think that about covers that…}