It's one of those "wonderful, Ordinary, days'

It's the beginning of SPRING BREAK!!!!yipppeeee! It's beautiful outside, a cool 67 degrees with the sun shining ever so brightly....the birds are singing. When I was younger, MUCH younger (I know it's hard to believe)...I would have considered this kind of day, "boring." But Stephen changed that outlook. When he was three and had his brain surgery for the removal of a tumor, I would curiously gaze out the window from Children's Hospital and watch the cars as they zoomed by. The hospital is on the freeway heading toward downtown. So, every morning and every evening, people were going to and from work. I'd often think,"all those people are just going to work and having an ordinary day...I want one." I was so tired and my heart was so heavy, watching my precious son go through the agony of all the medical stuff. He looked so sick and weak. From that, I learned that these "boring" days are not at all boring...they are God's gift of the present. The present that is free from sickness...from exhaustion, and free from worry. In fact, if I just stop and look at the spring time flowers, blue sky, and bright sunshine, I see God's beautiful earth that He made for me.
So, I think I'll go "sit a spell" on the deck and enjoy a "WONDERFUL, ORDINARY DAY"..thank you Lord for this gift of now.

Random Update

Last weekend was a fast trip to Dallas to pay my respects to my friend and mentor, Bo Smith. The celebration was very beautiful and very non-traditional....just like Bo was. The girls, Amy, Molly, and Sloane, did a beautiful job of orchestrating Bo's wishes. Thank you girls for such a wonderful tribute to your mom. I also got to see Smitty. There were times I really thought he knew what had happened and then times when he didn't. Alzheimer's is a mean thief of life.
On another note...the recession. It's depressing to watch the news anymore. Even though I feel pretty sure my job is secure, I still feel the need to be even more frugal than usual. I think we should all try to get back to the basics of being thrifty and not wasteful. Here are some ways (albeit small things) to shrink your spending and still have the pleasures and necessities of life.
1. Make it yourself air freshener: use an empty spray bottle (re-use it) and fill with distilled water. Add several drops of essential oil until the scent is strong enough for you. Shake and spray as you like!
2. For pennies you can use a small amount of ammonia mixed with water and it will clean everything BUT wood. I use the lemon scented ammonia. It's especially great to use on windows. If cleaning windows, use your newspaper to leave your windows streak-free. A bottle of ammonia only costs about $1.25 and makes a lot of cleaner.
3. For those of you who have carpet (all mine is gone), you can make carpet freshener by putting baking soda and a few drops of essential oil in a sealed bag for a few days. Sprinkle on the carpet, wait about 20 minutes, and vacuum up. Your carpet will smell fresh and clean!
4. Use your crock pot! It not only saves energy, but dinner is ready when you get home from work!
5. I read the other day that Americans throw away about 1/3 of their food EVERY YEAR! Eat what you have, not always what you want! Our forefathers didn't waste anything, especially food. They ate what they had. I have really worked on this concept lately and it's surprising how easy it is if you bring it to work for lunch. If that's all you have, you eat it!

To all those who have lost their jobs, or are in danger of loosing theirs, I pray for this recession to ease. Hang in there, America..things may get worse before they get better. If you know someone who has lost their job...invite them to dinner and send them home with leftovers. They will appreciate the kindness.

All for now..

Live, Laugh, and Be Happy/ A Tribute to Bo

Tonight as I sit here trying to process the news that my dear friend, mentor, and "almost mom" has passed on, I can't seem to cry. Thinking about Bo makes me laugh..plain and simple! I know that sounds pretty strange because when people leave us, we are "supposed" to cry. But Bo, no, ....her smile was contagious. She taught me as a young girl, that when in doubt, LAUGH! What a beautiful laugh she had too. There were times when I was young, that I wished that SHE was my mother...I LOVED BEING AROUND BO SMITH! I couldn't get enough of her when we were neighbors.
Bo's inner laugh was genuine. She truly exuded the laughter from deep within her soul. Bo and Smitty lived through many tragedies in their life; the most difficult of those was losing two sons in a very short period of time. Bo and Smitty retreated to the country after David's death, in order to try to cope with their loss. They took their three beautiful daughters and put their family back together. During that time of healing, Bo learned how to smile again and most importantly, how to live again. And LIVE she did! She always lived life as if it were her last day on earth.
Bo, you make me laugh, just thinking about YOUR laugh! She would always say, "Oh, Cindy, you're so pretty." or "Oh, Cindy, you're so funny." Thank you Bo for being my friend, my "mom", my example of strength. I have never known anyone else like you. You have left your heart print on mine. Thank you for loving me just the way I am and showing me how to laugh AT, and with life. You were an INCREDIBLE woman and I am so blessed to have loved you.
Before I sign off...just do me one favor, Bo ...save me a place close to you in Heaven so that I can hear that laughter for all of eternity. I know tonight as I sit here, you are forever with your mom and David and Rocky. They are holding you close and I know that that makes you laugh once again....
I LOVE YOU BO SMITH... I wish I could have told you that one more time here on earth..............When I grow up, I want to be just like you.....