I got a kick and a boost of confidence out of the following comments that my sister, LeAnne, and Mom left on my last blog post (Cease, fire, cease!!):
cookie725 said...
The best part about this story, is as it was happening, she calls me... When I got on the phone, Jen is in one of those giggle fits that are SO cute and contagous -- but manages to get out "So, I think the fire department is on the way to my house!" *more giggles* Life IS always interesting, and I have great little stories like this to not only make me laugh, but make my day as well. Jen, I love the hell outta you!!
April 24, 2008 12:22 PM
mar5128 said...
I can just see you running through the house, over Aiden, looking out the windows, checking everything out, yet basically tiptoe-ing because the Gabbers is dozing. Then, after reading LeAnne's comment, I can just hear the giggles!!!!! You always did have the best laugh. So.....when are you going to take my suggestion & WRITE A BOOK????!!!!???? I love you, Jen
April 25, 2008 5:20 AM
cookie725 said...
Ah Jen, you really do have the best laugh -- it's like therapy!!! :)
April 25, 2008 5:42 AM
Thank you, ladies! That was really very sweet and made me feel really good.
Write a book? Hmmm....
My mom has been after me since I can remember to write a book. Problem is, I've started a few, gotten partially through the first quarter of it, then lost interest and tossed it aside. What would I even write about? What do I know well enough to put pen to paper and be confident enough that people would buy my book and read it? I like to write about things I know, because it is much easier to, in fact, write and get my point across clearly.
So when am I going to take the advice/suggestion? Already have. Baby steps, though...
Monday, April 28, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Cease, fire, cease!!
It's that time of year again. Everyone is burning trash and having bonfires in their yards...and their neighbors, upon seeing the plume of smoke, are calling the fire department or 911 in a panic, thinking someone's house is on fire. I think I've heard Bear Lake's siren go off at least four times this week (we only live about a mile and a half away from the hall). Not sure how many of the calls were false alarms - I'd say at least half.
Tonight, our friend Jim and his sons, Jimmy & Mike, are coming over. I decided that since they can't make it for dinner, I'd whip up some cookies for them instead. I turn on the oven to 350 and let it preheat. Now granted, we have a Caloric oven; however, it was here when we moved in 3-1/2 years ago and I couldn't tell you how long it was here before that. It is a bear to clean, and it always seems to cook off leftover drippings everytime we turn it on. Such was the case today.
Here I am, mixing away my oatmeal chocolate chip cookie batter when all of a sudden, our smoke alarm goes off. I grab a dish towel, leap in a panic over Aiden (who's sitting in his chair), and run into the hallway, fanning away before the noise wakes Gabriella up from her nap. (Naps are precious these days, as we are journeying through the terrible twos, and lack of sleep only makes the situation worse.) After repeating this scenario for the third time, I decide to open some windows and turn the ceiling fan on "suck." No sooner do I hang the dish towel back on the oven handle and return to spooning my cookie batter onto baking sheets, then I hear another alarm...only this time, it's Bear Lake's fire siren!!!!!!!!
"My GOD!" I cry out! I run out the front door, down the porch steps and out onto the lawn to survey the house. Nope...no smoke there. I run back into the house and go to the kitchen window. I slide the screen over with all my might and hang my upper body outside, craning my neck to get a look at the basement door. Ok, good...it's not the dryer. (Our dryer has been making these horrible noises - the bearings are pretty much shot, and I thought maybe it had caught on fire.) I run through the house, sniffing the air, checking electrical outlets, whatever I can think of. Nothing. I turn on the emergency scanner. False alarm - someone's burning trash again. *sigh*
Life...you gotta love it. It's always interesting.
Tonight, our friend Jim and his sons, Jimmy & Mike, are coming over. I decided that since they can't make it for dinner, I'd whip up some cookies for them instead. I turn on the oven to 350 and let it preheat. Now granted, we have a Caloric oven; however, it was here when we moved in 3-1/2 years ago and I couldn't tell you how long it was here before that. It is a bear to clean, and it always seems to cook off leftover drippings everytime we turn it on. Such was the case today.
Here I am, mixing away my oatmeal chocolate chip cookie batter when all of a sudden, our smoke alarm goes off. I grab a dish towel, leap in a panic over Aiden (who's sitting in his chair), and run into the hallway, fanning away before the noise wakes Gabriella up from her nap. (Naps are precious these days, as we are journeying through the terrible twos, and lack of sleep only makes the situation worse.) After repeating this scenario for the third time, I decide to open some windows and turn the ceiling fan on "suck." No sooner do I hang the dish towel back on the oven handle and return to spooning my cookie batter onto baking sheets, then I hear another alarm...only this time, it's Bear Lake's fire siren!!!!!!!!
"My GOD!" I cry out! I run out the front door, down the porch steps and out onto the lawn to survey the house. Nope...no smoke there. I run back into the house and go to the kitchen window. I slide the screen over with all my might and hang my upper body outside, craning my neck to get a look at the basement door. Ok, good...it's not the dryer. (Our dryer has been making these horrible noises - the bearings are pretty much shot, and I thought maybe it had caught on fire.) I run through the house, sniffing the air, checking electrical outlets, whatever I can think of. Nothing. I turn on the emergency scanner. False alarm - someone's burning trash again. *sigh*
Life...you gotta love it. It's always interesting.
Monday, April 14, 2008
New venture for Charlie!
Ask and you shall receive?
Charlie has been on the hunt for a new job since Aiden was born. At first, not a lot of people were hiring. Then came a few prospects, but nothing real promising. About a month ago, Charlie heard through the grapevine that one of his friends, a boss at National Steel, would hire him in a heartbeat if he was interested in leaving Corry Contract. So Charlie took his resume over and welded a couple of components for the owner to look at. His work was so seamless and clean, the owner wanted him in there the very next day! Of course, Charlie is obligated to put in his 2 weeks notice, so he can't start until the 21st, but he was flattered nonetheless. We prayed every night for the right job to come along, and I really think this one is it. Not only does it offer a cleaner environment for him to work in, better pay and benefits, but it offers hope for the future - something Corry Contract could not even fathom.
Other than that, not much is new. Short post today, as I have a ton of emails to answer and a few chores to do while it is still naptime! Take care all!
Charlie has been on the hunt for a new job since Aiden was born. At first, not a lot of people were hiring. Then came a few prospects, but nothing real promising. About a month ago, Charlie heard through the grapevine that one of his friends, a boss at National Steel, would hire him in a heartbeat if he was interested in leaving Corry Contract. So Charlie took his resume over and welded a couple of components for the owner to look at. His work was so seamless and clean, the owner wanted him in there the very next day! Of course, Charlie is obligated to put in his 2 weeks notice, so he can't start until the 21st, but he was flattered nonetheless. We prayed every night for the right job to come along, and I really think this one is it. Not only does it offer a cleaner environment for him to work in, better pay and benefits, but it offers hope for the future - something Corry Contract could not even fathom.
Other than that, not much is new. Short post today, as I have a ton of emails to answer and a few chores to do while it is still naptime! Take care all!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
LIFE (short word, short altogether)
Today is actually warm enough for me to take the kids outside for a walk. I can't believe it - I am actually going to set foot outside other than getting in and out of the car!! Woo hoo!! Hey, simple pleasures, folks - simple pleasures. Life is full of them.
Yesterday, Charlie came home crabby. On Tuesday, he was approached by the bosses and asked what it would take, money-wise, to make him happy where he's at. To put it in plain English, they were offering a raise and asking him what he wanted. He came up with some figures that night, and when he went in yesterday, they did a 180 on him and basically told him to forget it - there'd be enough overtime coming to satisfy his needs. So he came home, depressed and feeling worthless, and it immediately affected me. I don't like to see him like that, nor does he deserve to be treated that way! Mostly, there's nothing I can do except offer advice; sometimes I know it's easier for me to tell him something than to actually endure the situation in his shoes. I told him that he's not stuck there unless he lets himself. I told him to take a few days off and look around - get his name out there, see who is hiring and what they have to offer. He half-heartedly mumbled "Thanks," and I felt brushed off. Then we were both pouty - him about work and me about feeling unappreciated. During dinner, neither of us spoke a word. Gabby did most of the babbling until finally, Charlie spoke up and said, "It really stinks that both of us are in a bad mood at the same time. We can't even rely on each other to cheer us up."
That stuck in my head like glue. It repeats over and over. He's right. What good is a relationship, any relationship at all, if you can't rely on each other for support, love, understanding, and acceptance? Sometimes we get so caught up in our own thoughts and emotions, that we can't be bothered with things, good or bad, that are happening to those around us. Instead of taking a step back and looking at how we can help each other, we put ourselves first and to hell with what the other person is feeling. When we could be helping each other out and talking through our problems, we're pushing each other to the side for a time and place that is more convenient for us. And you know, that's not right.
Life is too short for pettiness, grudges, and selfishness. I had really no right to be in a bad mood yesterday. Charlie didn't mean to make me feel unappreciated; he was just working through his own dilemma. How could I expect him to be as chipper as a blue bird and automatically put on a happy face? And how could I justify my blue mood? As his wife and friend, I should have brushed those bad feelings aside and focused on Charlie. Maybe I could have done more to make him feel better about himself. Maybe I could have coaxed more communication out of him and given him ideas on what he could do to remedy the situation. But I didn't, and for that, I feel awful. I apologized profusely last night and today, and while Charlie has forgiven and forgotten, I can't say the same of myself. I do not want to be like that again.
So the next time you're in a foul mood and someone approaches you, stop and think: "Am I taking my emotions out on this person, or am I asking for them to just listen to me?" How you vent your feelings is just as important as venting! And it may sound cliche, but whenever I catch myself working up to a crabby, I find myself asking this lately: WWJD?
Yesterday, Charlie came home crabby. On Tuesday, he was approached by the bosses and asked what it would take, money-wise, to make him happy where he's at. To put it in plain English, they were offering a raise and asking him what he wanted. He came up with some figures that night, and when he went in yesterday, they did a 180 on him and basically told him to forget it - there'd be enough overtime coming to satisfy his needs. So he came home, depressed and feeling worthless, and it immediately affected me. I don't like to see him like that, nor does he deserve to be treated that way! Mostly, there's nothing I can do except offer advice; sometimes I know it's easier for me to tell him something than to actually endure the situation in his shoes. I told him that he's not stuck there unless he lets himself. I told him to take a few days off and look around - get his name out there, see who is hiring and what they have to offer. He half-heartedly mumbled "Thanks," and I felt brushed off. Then we were both pouty - him about work and me about feeling unappreciated. During dinner, neither of us spoke a word. Gabby did most of the babbling until finally, Charlie spoke up and said, "It really stinks that both of us are in a bad mood at the same time. We can't even rely on each other to cheer us up."
That stuck in my head like glue. It repeats over and over. He's right. What good is a relationship, any relationship at all, if you can't rely on each other for support, love, understanding, and acceptance? Sometimes we get so caught up in our own thoughts and emotions, that we can't be bothered with things, good or bad, that are happening to those around us. Instead of taking a step back and looking at how we can help each other, we put ourselves first and to hell with what the other person is feeling. When we could be helping each other out and talking through our problems, we're pushing each other to the side for a time and place that is more convenient for us. And you know, that's not right.
Life is too short for pettiness, grudges, and selfishness. I had really no right to be in a bad mood yesterday. Charlie didn't mean to make me feel unappreciated; he was just working through his own dilemma. How could I expect him to be as chipper as a blue bird and automatically put on a happy face? And how could I justify my blue mood? As his wife and friend, I should have brushed those bad feelings aside and focused on Charlie. Maybe I could have done more to make him feel better about himself. Maybe I could have coaxed more communication out of him and given him ideas on what he could do to remedy the situation. But I didn't, and for that, I feel awful. I apologized profusely last night and today, and while Charlie has forgiven and forgotten, I can't say the same of myself. I do not want to be like that again.
So the next time you're in a foul mood and someone approaches you, stop and think: "Am I taking my emotions out on this person, or am I asking for them to just listen to me?" How you vent your feelings is just as important as venting! And it may sound cliche, but whenever I catch myself working up to a crabby, I find myself asking this lately: WWJD?
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