Merry Happy Ho Ho Ho y'all!

Hey all. (quick disclaimer - I do not own any of the pictures used in this post. I found them on the net.)


Well, it hasn't been the best year for blogging for me. Hell, it hasn't been the best year for me period.


My dad, at the beginning of the year, said that 2008 was going to be a bad year. And boy was it ever! I mean, some good things did come out of it - I got published, I'm still ALIVE, friends had babies, weddings are being planned - but overall...sigh.


I refuse to recount the disasters that occurred, because frankly, I think dwelling on the negative encourages it to return. So, instead, I'll just make this entry my wishes for you this year.



I wish you love. It doesn't get simpler than that. I know that everyone reading this blog has someone in their lives that they adore more than life, whether it be a significant other, a child, a parent or a friend. Don't dwell on the love you lack - embrace the love you have. Once you do that, then the rest doesn't matter.

I wish you friendship. True friendship, that doesn't judge, that doesn't waver, that doesn't fade. I know that we are all friends here, and yes, I would say that we are true friends, despite having never met in person. But I know that I can count on y'all to be here to listen and to give advice when I need it. From the very day I "met" you, it's been a no brainer. I wish our type of friendship for you in every avenue of your lives.


I wish you peace. There is too much violence in this world. I truly hope that none of it spills over into your lives. For those that have family and friends serving abroad, I wish for peace so that they may never have to endanger their lives again. In your homes, I hope that angry words never have to be spoken in haste, but that emotions stay in control.



I wish you happiness. As with violence, too much sadness exists. Most can be explained by circumstances, but some is man inflicting it upon man. For you, my friends, I wish that it never touches your lives. Laugh every day and remember that you are loved and adored. Every day you wake up is another reason to smile.


I wish you truth. Lies are terrible and can cause sadness. So I wish for you that every person you meet has the courage to tell you the truth, and you to them, no matter how painful, no matter what the cost.


I wish you health, both physical and mental. Above all else, this is so very necessary for a wonderful quality of life. I've learned that this year. So please, take care of yourselves. Eat right (indulge a little every now and then - after all, we are only human), exersize, and remember to enjoy.






I wish you compassion. So many people in this world have less than we do. If we did one random act of kindness for one person a day, whether that person is a stranger or a friend, imagine what this world could be.




I wish you hope. Never give up. As long as we can have hope, there is still good in this world.


And lastly, I wish you family. They will always be there for you, they will always love you. They are your safe haven, they are your support.





May 2009 be a better year for all of us than 2008. To all my friends, I wish all this for you.



I love you.








Stay sane inside insanity ~ and never forget your towel.

HIIIIIIIII

Ok I know.

Bad Angell. *hangs head in shame*

Life is hectic, but it's also been exhausting. Frankly, I've been too lazy to be creative lately, which is no excuse for not at least letting y'all know that I'm still alive.

So - I'm alive.

I've got a lot on my mind these days, and I think that here might be the only place where people understand, cuz God only knows my family doesn't. Neither do most of my friends.

Since the heart attack, I've been taking stock of my life. Which is to be expected right? Of course it is. But I've come to some realizations. One of which is that I have always had someone to take care of me. If it wasn't my parents or grandparents, it's been a boyfriend or my husband. And while people have assured me that there's nothing wrong with being taken care of, I feel useless. I have this urge to know if I can do it myself.

I feel like I need to know if I have what it takes to do it alone - so to speak.

Rod & I have discussed separation. It's no big secret that neither of us has been ecstatic with the way our lives have been going the last five years. We've been growing further apart, and fighting all the time. But it's not that I love him any less, at least I don't think that's it. I just think our circumstances have dictated the way things have gone, and we've allowed that.

Now it's time to break out of it. But I think I need to do it by myself. I mean, I want to live in the city, not spend my whole life in the suburbs. I know that I would need a roommate, for more than one reason. One - because I'm not a millionaire, and rent is expensive no matter where you go. Two - I would be terrified to live totally on my own, because Three - I have a heart condition.

But a roommate would be just that - a roommate. It's not mommy and daddy. It's not someone taking care of me. It's just someone there in case something goes wrong. And yeah, it would be nice to live with a friend (or two if that's how it goes). And I think Rod & I might be able to build US back up. Starting again. Getting to know each other as the people we are NOW. Because we've both changed. Maybe, after getting to know who we are, we might realize that we don't fit anymore. Or maybe we'll find out that the people we were before aren't as dead as we thought, and that we still fit.

It's hard. My whole life I've taken the easy way out of everything. Quit school when it got to be too hard. Working for family because it was easier than getting a real job. Stayed with mommy and daddy because getting our own place meant less money to spend on ourselves.

And while working at the relationship would be work, it would be easier to stay and do that than to move out and work on myself.

Because most days, I don't like who I see in the mirror.

I spoke with my mom on this. She told me "Do you think that life will be easier without him?" And I wanted to scream at her "NO. Life will NOT be easier without Rod. It'll be HELL, but something's gotta give. " I know that life without him will suck for a while. But how can I ever respect myself if I don't do something that will challenge me? I've given up on a lot of dreams. I've tossed them aside because it was the easy thing to do.

Most people in my life, at one time or another, have called me a spoiled princess who knows nothing about how REAL life works.

Maybe I am. And if so, how can I ever contribute anything worthwhile to this world, or the people in my life, if I don't change? How can I ever truly make Rod happy if I'm not happy myself?

I'm lost right now. I don't know who I am, or what my purpose is. But I want to. I need to. I've been struggling with these thoughts for six months now.

Sometimes you have to get lost in order to find yourself again. And sometimes, like Dorothy, you find that happiness lies in your own backyard.

But she still got to see Oz.

Stay sane inside insanity ~ and never forget your towel.