5 Best decisions of my adult life.

Today I was reading Free Anissa's blog.  She posted what the 5 best decisions of her adult life were.  I don't have any good student stories, I think they are all hiding from me, so I decided to post my 5.

Bear with elephant slobber. Botlierskop Private Game Reserve, South Africa

1.  Marrying Bear
I met Bear in 1999 while organizing a military conference.  I was married at the time, but always admired him and his gentle spirit.  In 2004 after my divorce I was on the Air Force base and who should walk into the office, Bear.  We have been together ever since.  He is my rock, my stability, my calm, my partner, my best friend and my everything.

Benny Beaver and Me.  I had to knock a few 5 year old kids out the way for this picture.

2.  Moving to Oregon
Having lived in Utah for a very long time, we made the decision to move to Oregon.  Bear is a resident of Oregon and we didn't want him to lose residency, plus he needed to complete his degree at OSU.  It was tough to leave my friends who were my adoptive family, but leaving Zion was very easy.  My mantra is... I know I am going straight to heaven as I served my time in hell.

T volunteered for 3 months at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Brisbane, Australia

3.  Cutting the umbilical cord and allowing T to take his gap year in Australia, South Africa and England.
For some parents they cut the cord a long time ago.  For me, it took a while.  When I was married to the ex for many years, it was T and I against the world.  As a graduation gift from my mother, T was given the opportunity to take his gap year traveling.  During the time he was gone I got to know me again and T got to grow up.  We are both better for it.

They always look so serious.

4.  Cleaning homes and taking care of 7 boys from Saudi Arabia.
After struggling to find a job in my profession I decided to clean homes.  One thing my parents taught us growing up was that there is no job that is beneath you.  Everything fell into place when I started cleaning for a few students from Saudi Arabia.  I currently have seven that I not only clean for, but take care of.  I am their American Mom and I love what I do.

Harris Bridge, Corvallis, Oregon

5.  Divorcing negative friends and tightening my circle of positive ones.
After the death of a dear friend this year I learned the hard lesson of differentiating between a true friend and a fair weather friend.  My heart still aches sometimes over the loss of these friendships, but also rejoices at having found the true ones.

Another day, another student.

Note I left for a student on his vehicle.

My idea of porn.

Organized and in it's place.  Real Simple Magazine, October 2011

oh and...

Tiffany & Co.

 See how simple it is.  No foreplay needed.

Living in a college town.

Living in a college town has it's moments.  There are times that I love it and then there are times that I hate it, especially at 3:00am.

I was woken up to loud screaming.  Sounded like someone was hurt, but there was lots of giggling along with the 'ow, ow, ow' yelling.

I got up out of bed, put on my robe, and went flying out the front door.

Me:  HEY, do you guys know what the time is?

Young man:  I am so sorry to have woken you Ma'am, but my friend climbed over a hedge and now has a twig stuck in her vagina.

His mother would be proud.

Be careful what you wish for.

One evening husband and I were watching Inspector Lewis.  I love Inspector Lewis.  During one scene Detective Sergeant Hathaway is on a romantic date and starts quoting poetry to his lady friend.

I looked at my dearest hubby and asked, "Why do you never quote poetry to me?" 

Husband paused for a bit, turned to me and said:

I took her to the Comfort Inn,

Tucked her in,

Pulled out the third leg and pumped it in.

Sometimes reality just bites.

7x7 Link Award

On Friday I received an award from Tim Riley at Life of Riles  I think I was one of his earlier followers.  Tim writes exceptionally well and sometimes I really do feel like the little sister that many of my very well written bloggers tolerate.  It is great to be recognized by someone I admire in the blog world.  Thank you Tim.

This is what you have to do and I am quoting Tim "The 7 x 7 Link Award involves looking back at old posts to find pieces of writing that made a mark. I dig that."  

Here are my 7. (Click on the links to read)

Most Beautiful:
Navigating and rowing is better with two.

Most Helpful:
You never know.

Most Controversial:
Christmas card etiquette

Most Surprisingly Successful:
Finding the perfect bra.

Most Underrated:
It's the most hectic-i-ful time of the year.

Most Prideworthy:
Mom

I now pass on this award to 7 other fantastic bloggers that I follow.  Get into your comfy chair and jammies, open up that bottle of wine and click on the following links and enjoy. 

The Defiant Marshmallow
Think. Stew.
101 Things in 1001 Days
The Good, The Bad, The Worse.
My Small Soldiers.
A Little Sprite
Alokoli by David Allen Waters

Update to previous blog post.

My peace picture and ladybird from a dear friend.

My previous blog post still has me thinking.  I am grateful for my blog readers, all 16 of you who read the blog and I love that we are all on the same page.  I 100% agreed with Linda's comment that I don't begrudge anyone their deserved riches, but as my very wise husband stated "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required"

After I posted, my friend T sent me an email.  I asked her if I could share it.

Nubian:

Even if Kim Kardashian says she gives 10% of her income to charity because she was taught to give back, there's just too much 'celebrity' to take that seriously. I think most of them give $$, but not to many give of themselves to the level of say, Matt Damon for clean water, George Clooney about the genocide in Darfur, Ashley Judd re the tungsten mines in Africa and women and children's rights, and Christie Turlington for women's right in Africa (No Woman, No Cry). These people get dirty and sweaty for their causes. They don't write checks, they get on planes and then use their magazine interviews to educate people and get you pissed off that the world is so damn unequal that we should all do something.

A little closer to home Sean Penn, Brad Pitt and Anderson Cooper are the only ones wondering why Katrina victims are still victims.

I think our fast paced, overly-communicated world has made us apathetic. If it's not happening to you, who cares. The thing is, someone always has it worse than you do. When everyone asked me why I was so calm during my unemployment that was the answer I gave. Because someone out there has it way worse than me. I'm grateful and thankful.

I think the celebrity fantasy and all the reality show fascination is the world's crack. They do it to escape because the world is full of horrible bad news, so they take a hit of Jersey Shore and blissfully fall asleep. It's exactly why I refused to watch anything about the Royal Wedding this year. My life will never be that privileged, so I don't need to see it. I'm not a dreamer, I'm a realist. And we need to change our reality.

I couldn't agree more.

And then I read this.

 Today as I was glancing through the newspapers online I saw stories with the following headings.

Diddy parties it up at exclusive resort in Las Vegas with hundreds of guests. ($$$)

Petra Ecclestone get's Rolls Royce Ghost from new husband. ($300,000)

Kim Kardashian sex tape worth $30 million.

And then I read this

750,000 people in Somalia facing starvation

and I cried.

For a third world country, we do have a sense of humor.

With regards to my last blog post I thought I should share with you one of my favorite ad's from home.

Cracks me up. Every. Time.

I'm from where?!

Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa

Today I was at the gas station.  I live in a State where people pump your gas for you.  I am 100% okay with that.  The female attendant was speaking with another attendant.  This is how the conversation went.

Male Attendant:  My girlfriend is doing an internship in Cape Town and is only paying $35.00 per month for internet access.  

Female Attendant:  Wow that is great.  You would think in a third world country it would be more.

Wait. What?  What did she just say?  Oh no she didn't.  I did the reverse tortoise and my head shot out of my car window and loudly exclaimed:

'Excuse me?  I am from Cape Town and South Africa is far from being a third world country.'

Female Attendant:  *crickets*

Verbal bitch slaps make my day. 

National Marrow Donor Program Update.

Husband received a call today that the patient is ready for the next step.  On Tuesday he will be going in for some blood work.

As a family we are all so excited and hopeful. 

I think that this is better than winning the lottery, don't you?

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

 

Finally, tight end season has begun.

Go Beavs!