Category: Misc.

I went to bed super late, crying over Parenthood– of course. That show has that effect on pretty much everyone who watches it. My husband, who has avoided it like the plague, suddenly decides (this season) he wants to “get into it”, so I imagine we will now be watching Parenthood, in our downtime, from the beginning. 

Not right now though, right now we are watching Homeland. CRAZY raw and intense. So glad there are only 12 episodes…

This post really isn’t about television, that was sort of a bunny trail. You see, while i went to be super late because of a tv show, I also woke up crazy-early. Initially i was annoyed at my body’s far-earlier-than-normal prompting, but that annoyance soon turned to gratitude.

My husband has a really hard few days ahead, at work. He’s beyond stressed about them, (a mounting stress) and a lot is riding on the success/failure of them. It was really nice to spend the early morning talking to/listening to him. 

I also got the RARE opportunity to facebook chat my son, who is currently deployed in Afghanistan. 

Sometimes I get overcome with the “I don’t want to’s”. 

Sometimes I groan, and mumble, not wanting to crawl from my warm bed. 

Sometimes I gripe and complain, not wanting to leave the house for ____________. 

Sometimes I pretend there is nothing better to do, and spend evening after evening watching tv. 

Sometimes I hit an afternoon lull and the idea of making dinner seems torturous, so I request Chw to pick up something convenient, on his way home. 

Sometimes… 

But isn’t it during these times that life happens? No amount of warmth in my bed would be worth missing out on the opportunity to be there for my husband this morning, or to connect with Lucas. 

As much as I may feel, in the moment, that I’d rather laze in the moment- I want to be so much better about living this gift of life that I have. 

I am grateful for the chance…

Dear Starbucks, 

After a ridiculously quick trip to the supermarket, my daughter and I ran through your drive through. Being that we are Americans, we appreciate the occasional trip to one of your coffee bars like the good treat it should be. While there though, I have to admit you disappointed me. 

Well, no, it wasn’t my chai latte or the drink my teenage daughter chose.

It was, instead, your holiday plans. Thanksgiving? Christmas? Is it REALLY a vital necessity that you insist your stores are open for BOTH holidays? Really? 

REALLY??? 

Let’s be honest, our society has moved ourselves so far off the mark that it’s ridiculous. What was once a reclusive act of a select number of stores opening early on the Friday after Thanksgiving, to jumpstart the holiday shopping, has become a ridiculous and out of control obsession. Every store in the world participates, and people eat it up like candy flavored crack snack cakes that are about to be pulled from the shelves… 

{Sidenote for the people… Two weeks ago, did you put ANY Hostess snack cakes on your must-have, grocery staple list? No? Then why the flip were you pushing aside young children to get the last box of ho ho’s not even a week ago?} 

We, as a society, sicken me, Starbucks. Our consumer driven obsessions are out of control and driving our economy straight to the crapper. Spending money we don’t have on cheap-ass garbage made exclusively FOR black friday shoppers will NOT bring back jobs and stability. Why? Because said cheap-ass garbage wasn’t even made here, and more than likely half of the work force would rather NOT deal with: 

A) being forced to work holidays where they’d rather be spending time with their family; 

B) having to cook a Thanksgiving meal in between shifts; 

C) having to go to work at midnight, on black Friday  and stay til God knows when, witnessing the out of control gorging of complete strangers. 

Starbucks, YOU are responsible for furthering the chaos. 

Granted, it isn’t all your fault, but when a company like you- known for bringing jobs, supporting fair trade and being an all around fairly (I said fairly, critics) stand up company- you manipulate a weak minded and influential society to corporate worship you. Other companies do it too, so don’t get your knickers all twisted because I am singling you out. 

I am singling you out because I really thought you were better than this. 

Who will finally ignore the bottom line and put an end to the madness? To the camping out for cheaply manufactured electronics and rushed dinners so that you can be the first in line at the biggest sale? 

Remind me why we bother with Thanksgiving at all? 

Where is the gratitude? 

As we start the holiday season, where is the good will? The Peace to all? 

Because all I see is America’s disgusting corporate motto: Make another buck, make them spend another buck… 

And I am so sad that we still fall for it…

I did ask our Starbucks why in the world they were open, and in a very sad voice the manager told us that you corporately polled a variety of customers and they unanimously “voted” for you to be open both Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

It is sad that you even took the poll in the first place, but far sadder that anyone was selfish enough to expect a Starbucks to be open both days. It’s not like it’s a place of shelter and refuge, or a place for groceries or water. It’s a place for $5, high calorie coffee drinks and pastries. 

Disappointed and finding your lattes less, and less delicious, 

Misty Wagner

I’ve talked before about themes that life takes, and how mine consistently follows suit in such a way. 

Well, this month, as i am devoting first thing every morning to focusing on things which i am grateful for- i am having an unexpected undertow issue and honestly i just don’t know what to do with it. 

And the thing is, I can look back and see peek-a-boos and threats of it, before these past few weeks, but I guess they didn’t just grab my attention enough. 

I like to take the time to focus a bit extra on things I’m (sometimes unexpectedly) grateful for, because it’s like a great perspective flush. For example, I am still in tremendous back pain, (week 4) and I am ticking down the hours until we stick my son on a plane and send him back to Afghanistan. Both of these, (more so the second) are ultra crappy things… But with my perspective flush/cleanse, I can be grateful that there is significant improvement regarding my back AND that we’ve had sixteen amazing days with our son, who is more and more becoming a man that we are so blessed by and proud of. 

See. Like magic. This was my goal/hope… 

But. 

BUT… 

Instead I feel restless. Like, is this it? Is this all there is? Wake up, breakfast, homeschool, write/edit, lunch, homeschool, write/edit, make dinner and then run around or veg the evening away until bed, where I wake up and do it all again. Every. Day. 

The only things that differ are how often I’ll have to fight with my kid, or if I’ll have to throw errands into the mix. 

Every morning, with my gratitude thoughts comes this increasingly louder, little voice that yearns for something more. Something less trivial. Something more vital…

I don’t even know what that means… And it isn’t even like i feel like my life is “less”. God knows I don’t. Some days I am so overwhelmed and exhausted that I think I couldn’t handle anything more.

But I feel like it’s a different kind of more. 

Or maybe I’m just a blubbering fool. 

Maybe it’s the writer in me longing.

Maybe…