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Thank you for visiting my blog; it is an exciting venture for me and I hope this will become a forum for moms and homemakers of all types to share stories, frustrations, and triumphs. There will be recipes, pictures of my latest and greatest soap creations, and anything I think will be interesting to Enthusiastic Homemakers.....

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Playing the Hand You're Dealt

This week has been a really, really, bad week with my migraines; and it's caused me to think a lot about the title phrase; which is really cliche at this point; but such a good statement, "Play the hand you're dealt".

I know that in the grand scheme of things; I have a FANTASTIC life; and as I mentioned in an earlier post; I am so lucky in so many ways. But that doesn't mean that my life is perfect. There are a few things in my life that are downright yucky.

The picture above is my grandmother, Vivian. Gorgeous, isn't she? I remember seeing this picture as a child and being quite disappointed when I looked in the mirror and saw my button nose and round face; and hoping someday it would morph into her high-cheekboned glamour! I can't say that it ever really happened; although as I get older I do see glimpses of a resemblance.

My grandmother was dealt some horrible circumstances in her life; most devastatingly; losing not one but TWO children in different horrid ways. But she never lost her sense of humor. She must have been so strong; I can't imagine going on living after losing a child, but she did; even having MORE children, including my mother, after the devastating losses. My grandmother died when I was 21; but not before she was able to meet my oldest child, Andrew. My last memory of her was her holding her arms out to hold him; sick as she was, she still bounced him on her knee and smiled at him.

She was a stylish woman in her youth, and carried that into older age; she loved to wear red lipstick and had a laugh you could hear miles away.

It's so funny; I hadn't intended this to be a post about my Grandmother at all; but after reading this article about overcoming adversity: http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/rising-above-adversity-the-amazing-story-of-jean-dominique-bauby/ I happened to see her picture and it all seemed to fit!

For myself; although my plight is not nearly as severe as ANY of the examples in the article, nor my grandmother's; I still am struggling with my health issues and trying to find a way to cope with them. I'll never stop looking for a "cure"; and my stubborn side refuses to believe that I will spend the rest of my life in pain. To that end; I've pursued many treatments; including massage (which I'm doing tomorrow), and physical therapy. I'm thinking it's probably time for a tune-up!

But, I have had to adjust the way I do things, as much as it irks me to have to consider limitations. For me, mornings are hard because I generally wake up with a migraine; so I've pushed all my obligations later in the morning or in the afternoon. I also am a night owl; but I've had to adjust that; and now go to bed no later than 11pm. Some part of me still considers it a personal failure every time I experience a migraine and have to rely on my husband or my son to take care of things while I'm laying down. I really hate that! But I have had to learn to rely on others, which maybe, just maybe is a blessing in disguise.

I often think of the Scripture that says, "In all things, give thanks". And it may sound weird, but I'm GRATEFUL for the adversity I've experienced, even on a small scale. Because it's made me a better person, and made me appreciate the good things in my life so much more. And maybe...that's worth it!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

The 13 year....Glitch

......or how I accidentally got a new wedding ring: (written by me; posted elsewhere, reposted here)

So...my 13th anniversary is coming up on Tuesday. When I got married; I was 18; with a 25" waist. After 5 children; all over 9 pounds and 2 over 10 lbs.....I no longer have a 25" waist. At all. But, I've been wearing the same wedding ring all these years; I probably haven't taken it off in 5.

Well...yesterday; I realize that I have a blister on my ring finger where the point of my pear-shaped diamond has been poking into my now-fatter fingers. I decide to take my ring off so it can heal. I cannot get it off. I am severely claustrophobic and not being able to get my ring off is FREAKING ME OUT. But, trying to get the darn thing off is making my finger swell like crazy; making it truly impossible to get the thing off. Finally, I ask my husband to please take me to the Fire Dept. where they have a ring cutter. Yes, I'm THAT freaked.

We go; get the ring cut off; my finger is swollen like crazy but now I have NO RING. Duh! I've been thinking about getting a new setting for my diamond for at least 5 years; it's a rather dated gold thin band with a matching gold thin band for a wedding band. Keep in mind that in 1999; the wedding band cost $39.99 and the solitaire cost $900. That was a LOT of money for an 18 year old me and a 19 year old my husband!

We go to this gorgeous jewelry store where they ply us with pastries and shinies and I come to the terrible realization that gold has gone up SO MUCH in the last 13 years that to replace what I had with something similar (which I hate) would be WAY MORE THAN $39.99! We're talking like $800 just for a plain gold band!

But, I find; in the last jewelry case; where they keep the estate jewelry and the misfit stuff that nobody wants; at 50% discount....this gorgeous setting, in white gold with little diamonds all around! It's unique and amazing and they can set my original diamond into the center. It is not $39.99. It is not $900. It IS 50% off, though; and my choices are to go without a ring indefinitely, wear something I hate; or buy this one that I LOVE....with money I don't *technically* have.

I bought it. Eek. But my husband kept telling me that I deserve it; he wants me to have something I can wear forever; and blah blah. Plus, to sweeten the deal, the jeweler takes my now-destroyed band and setting and scraps them for me; $90 in scrap gold, woohoo!

And now I feel terrible. But also excited. AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!