Many of my friends and family often hear me speaking about how much I love my husband. It’s a fact. And to hear me talk, one might think he is all gushy and romantic. Truth be told, he is…just not like a movie or a romance novel. Honestly, the first half of our marriage I thought there might be something wrong with me. Maybe my breath stunk or my curvy (fat) butt was a turn-off because my husband NEVER did the things movies said he should. This scared me because he did when we were dating. Continue reading →

We live in a society of instant gratification. Everything moves in rapid fire with lots of bells and whistles, blinky lights and promises of more, more, more. Fast cars, fast women and men, fast food, and, yes, fast sex. But what are we really gaining? If I listen to all the hype, I will be a happier person…more gratified if I just give in to the speed and ride the wave with everyone else. But I can’t because I know the hype is nothing but hot air and empty promises. Let’s take a look at some of this hype and see why. Continue reading →

What is in my head that the devil doesn’t want coming out? What story does God have for me to tell the world? Or is it something I must do or say? Maybe somewhere I need to be at a specific time? Those are the questions I have been asking myself here lately. Every imaginable distraction has occurred to keep me from writing and most everything else outside of my mountain. Be it writer’s block, depression, migraines, boys training for boot camp, nail in a child’s foot, an axle breaking on my Suburban, a flat tire with no spare on the truck, a dog being hit, the points on my water pump pressure valve locking up…oh, the list is so long.

As I have mentioned before, I have a hard time focusing on more than five things out of the ordinary at a time. I am a creature of habit. Oh, I can do thirty but soon, very soon, I will start to have panic attacks and then I am no good for anyone or anything. So I must choose wisely the things I will and will not do. Continue reading →

For nearly 6 weeks I have been in an epic battle with the bulge…the dimple…the flab…and, yes, the roll. At first, I didn’t realize what was going on. I simply wanted to help my sons get in shape for boot camp. My oldest was tipping the scale at 234 and he needed to be closer to 200. That is a whole lot of weight to lose in a short period of time. I knew the best way to do that was to share the pain with everyone, including myself. I’ve always had the rule that I wouldn’t ask the kids to do something I wouldn’t do myself. Careful what rules you make in your house. They have a way of creeping up on you and smacking the tar out of you when you least expect it.

We started out walk-running a 1.2 mile course twice a day. My children did much better than I did. My son dropped a cool 5 pounds the first week. I have extended the length of our course and added exercise twice a day (sometimes one if time is short). He continued losing. All of us lost some, but my loss dead-ended at three weeks at 7 pounds. Then in week four I gained three of those pounds back and have yet to lose any more. I am happy to say my son is at 209 and still losing with about a week to go. Continue reading →

Have you ever had your hair pulled so hard the skin beneath it pulled away from your skull? There is a pop, followed by a warm sensation, ending with excruciating pain. Hours later, your head is tender and bruised feeling in the area of the trauma. Now, imagine your whole head feeling like that for days and you have one aspect of what a migraine feels like.

Have you ever had an ear ache? Deep in the recesses of your ear canal it feels like an umbrella is opening slowly and pushing your eardrum into your brain. Every once and while, the umbrella jolts so the steady ache turns to a sharp jab…like a spoke of the umbrella broke away and decided to leave a little blood for its effort. Now you know another part of what a migraine feels like.

How about a tooth ache? A kink in the neck? Nausea? Punched in the eye or nose? A clamp on your brain?

It’s not a pretty thing. I am awake at 3 in the morning because I have wrestled this beast for a full 27 hours and cannot beat it. It has been angry and vicious, never letting up more than a few minutes at a time. I’ve checked my ears but there is no actual blood. It only feels like it. The tears streaming down my cheeks are thick and hot. The splotches of white in my vision are like watching a UFO sighting in the Arizona dessert. It is a bad one that has caused my hand eye coordination to falter a bit and I’ve knocked several things over in the last day. I am naturally clumsy all on my own. Don’t really need any help, migraine, thank you very much.

I am going back in. Sleep, I long for you.

Growing up, I never thought I was poor. Truth be told, I really never was. But by the standards of man, we were on the border of poverty at times. Momma worked three jobs to keep us clothed, fed and … Continue reading →