Danger

Linking up this week for five minute Friday. If you want to learn more, please click the box above and it will take you to the host website. Basically, we are freewriting for five minutes on the topic of the week. No pre planning, no editing, just free writing. 

 When I see the word "danger" I think of this scene from Ghost. In fact, when I'm watching movies and TV, I've been known to quote it. 

Looking at situations from the outside, we can easily see the red flags that scream "DANGER!" When you are in that situation, it isn't always so clear. 

You hear it all the time on dateline, some seemingly normal person just flipped (or more likely, shared their true character) causing inevitable tragedy. 

Danger doesn't come with a warning label. 

That's why we teach our children all about the dangers that are around us. Still, the danger comes when we least expect it to happen. Like in a fourth grade classroom in Texas last week. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it. Nineteen children who will never get to go home. There wasn't any way to keep them from that danger, unless they weren't at school that day. Or, if we could go back in time and have sensible gun control laws... 

In no other country can you walk in and buy yourself an assault rifle. In no other country can you buy more then 1000 rounds of ammo and just walk out of the store.

We all know the danger of a gun in the hands of someone who wants to do evil. That danger is just amplified when we add in a high powered rifle and so much ammunition readily available. I just don't know how we are ever going to get away from this danger. As long as the NRA has the government in it's pocket, no change will be made. Our government has proven time and time again, the "gun rights" of the people are greater then the rights for the rest of us to feel safe, ever. 

If you have been living under a rock or you aren't reading this currently. THIS is the shooting I am referring to. 

Thankful Tuesday

 Another week, another opportunity to express my gratitude. 

1. I am grateful for my job. Honestly, I love what I do most days. The ability to work from home and in the office is the best of both worlds. 

2. I am grateful for McKayla's counselor. We finally found someone she's comfortable with and I'm hoping will help her with her anxiety some. 

3. I am grateful for the ability we have to support those in Ukraine, even from home. You can donate to the Salvation army here - they have locations in Ukraine and neighboring countries already helping those in need.

4. I am thankful for the "sunflower" woman, who brought a ray of hope in such a dire time. 

5. I am thankful for the open conversations I have been able to have with my children. I can't overestimate the value of open dialogue with my children. 

What are you thankful for this week? 

Recent News...

Linking up again this week for writer's workshop - you can learn more by clicking the box at the bottom of this post. 

Write about a recent news story that you just keep thinking about.

Well, I can't help but think of Betty White. Her cause of death was released on Tuesday, you can read about it in People here. This cartoon says it all. 

She lived a great life and I'm sure her impact on this world isn't even close to over. People are already calling for her birthday (January 17) to be special day. I've seen loads of people sharing the idea of giving to their local animal rescue. I think it is a beautiful idea. Keeping in her spirit, give as she did. If you can't give monetarily, give of your time or your talents. You can give, even if you have nothing. Consider doing something on January 17 (or any day between now and then). 

If Betty White was America's grandma, then Bob Saget was America's dad and he, sadly, passed away on Sunday. You can read about some of the details in this People article. While Betty was 99 and had a long full life, Bob's life was cut off at just 65 years old. He went to bed after a comedy show (one that went well according to his last tweet) and didn't wake up. They are saying likely a heart attack or stroke, but "we" won't know until the results of the autopsy are released, possibly three months. A lot about his death reminds me of my mom's. Cardiac related, sudden, heartbreaking for many. 

Both of these people will be deeply missed, not only by their friends and family and the people who loved them but their fans, worldwide. 

This post inspired by: 

Lift Others Up

What the world needs during a pandemic is more uplifting news. That's what I look for when I am reading news reports. Stories of people trying to make the world a better place, despite the way things look as a broad picture.

Here is one such story that I stumbled across today: Meridian Teen Creates Amazing Sidewalk Art. I cannot even begin to imagine having that kind of talent and then using the medium of sidewalk chalk. Knowing that that night it could easily rain and wash away all my hard work.

But she's out there, rocking the sidewalk chalk art and making her neighborhood beautiful. LOVE IT!

I Voted

I was going to link up with Mama Kat for writer's workshop, but I feel compelled to write about something that is weighing heavily on my heart.

Tuesday, the country elected a new president. Like it or not, our next president will be Donald Trump. The country voted him into office, as is our right as citizens.

Wednesday morning I saw a lot of hateful talk on my facebook feed. So much hate that I deleted the app from my phone completely. My heart is hurting seeing all the hate toward one another.

Yesterday, the radio station I listen to, KTSY, did a day of prayer. It was just an amazing thing to have all these people together, praying for our country. What this country needs is God. Period. I am praying not only for the president elect, Donald Trump, but also for our country as a whole. I pray that somehow we are able to come back together and be a country united again.

If I am being completely honest, I almost didn't vote. Neither of the candidates were "ideal" and both have problems that I didn't want in our presidential office. Unfortunately, these are the candidates we ended up with. Personally, I ended up voting Trump.

I'm not going to defend that decision. If you have questions for me, you are welcome to email me. I will tell you that I am not uneducated nor am I a raciest or a bigot. When people clump "Trump voters" as such, you are showing that you are the one who is uneducated. People have the right to vote however they decide. You belittling them for that decision makes you small minded. The way I see it, each person had their chance to make their voice heard on Tuesday night.

A friend I had on facebook deleted me. She told me I was oppressing her. Something that I had shared with her didn't come across as the joke I intended it to. Hardest thing to swallow is that this person is family. I'm not sure where to draw the line between sharing my opinions and oppressing someone.

For those who don't know me in real life, I hate having someone be mad at me and the thought that I hurt someone in my family so bad that they didn't want to be part of my facebook life anymore (I don't even know about real life. 

Heartbroken

This morning my heart is breaking. I'm sure everyone has heard the news (click the link to read a CNN story). In Dallas, 11 police officers were shot at a peaceful protest, five of them killed. Honestly having a hard time even forming my thoughts into coherent sentences. I think that Jon Stewart said it very well:

All I can keep thinking about is the families who have been broken. Both the police and those who have been injured or killed by police overreach.

Eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind. Be the light. Share the love. That is the ONLY way this is going to end. When violence happens, there is never a winner, just victims. I'm just going to leave it at that. Prayers all around.

A Day In My Life (with pictures!)

5:30 am - alarm goes off for the first time, I repeatedly hit snooze until 6 when I figure I need to get up and start getting ready.
6:05 am - hot shower, as hot as I can stand to try and ease the ache in my shoulder.
6:35 am - turn on the news while getting dressed. Decide today is a pony tail day and put my hair up.
6:50 am - check my facebook to make sure nothing life altering has happened since last night.
7:00 am - news changes over to Good Morning America and updates me on happenings around the globe. Still boggles my mind they haven't found that jumbo jet! My heart is heavy for those families. I cannot even begin to imagine. I am glued to the television for the next two stories. One about the NYC building explosion and the other about the drunk driver who plowed through a crowd near the South by Southwest festival. Again my heart aches, so many lives altered forever.
7:15 am - lock up the house, leave the house for work
7:20 am - stop at the gas station for a little pick me up
7:40 am - arrive at work, make the long trek from the parking lot up to the office. Toes are already hurting because of these shoes. Good thing they are cute!

8 am - prepare deposit for the office
9 am - work. Check in patients, scanning, and because we are so slow: chatting with the coworkers.
10:15 am - finally hungry enough for breakfast. Oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins, YUM!

10:30 am - work some more. Again, because we are so slow, I was able to catch up on my blog reading for today. Had a few favorites: my friend Kaci's daughter's 2 year photo shoot, Heather Leigh's blog: The Most Important Thing, and I love you a Latte by Mama Kat.
11:30 am - wish my coworker safe travels as she heads to visit her parents this weekend. I can't wait for my trip home (SEVEN DAYS!!!)
12:30 pm - lunch! Chicken and rice soup with a side of steamed zucchini. YUM! Enjoy a little bit of my book (Get Out Of That Pit by Beth Moore)

1:00 pm - lunch is over way to fast. Back to work starting with the faxes. Not too many patients right now, so it's quiet.
1:45 pm - chatting with some of my favorite patients. He always brings us in old fashioned candy. Yum!
3:30 pm - off work and headed home. LOVING the sunshine so I took the "long" way through town so I could have my window down.
4:00 pm - walk to the girls' school
4:10 pm - kindergarten registration for my baby.

5:10 - haircut! I have been wanting to because my curls aren't as bouncy as they are when  my  hair is shorter

6:00 pm - troll Albertsons for something for Liv and I to have for dinner. She chose lunchable and I chose chicken.
6:10 pm - watch some Eureka while eating my dinner
7:10 pm - get Liv ready for bed (the other two are staying with daddy tonight.) It is so much harder to get them to go to sleep since it's still light outside.
7:30 pm - get into my own pj's. Turn off the lights in the rest of the house and lock the door.
7:35 pm - Bible reading and prayer time. I also journal about what I have read and usually write out my prayers as well.
8:00 pm - read in bed until I fall asleep.

Legless runner not allowed to run

Apparently an amputee with prosthetics has an 'athletic advantage' and isn't allowed to run in this years Olympics. It doesn't matter that he worked his way from being crippled to the level of an athletic runner, what matters is that his prosthetics give him an advantage. If you have no idea what I am talking about http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=4129714 here is an article about it. I don't know why this makes me so frustrated. I am more upset for him then anything. Can you imagine what he is feeling, having worked so hard to get where he is, only to have them tell you sorry your leg replacements are unfair to the other runners. It may not be fair that you lost your legs, or that you trained this hard to get where you are... sorry you can't run.



Man that would SUCK!!