Ramblings from the Birthday Girl

February 27, 2016February 27, 2016 my13daychallenge

I turned old today.

It’s my birthday. I’m now 38. You might not think that is old, but it’s older than I’ve ever been in my entire life. Birthdays are a time to celebrate. I get to open birthday gifts. It’s just a fun day on my birthday.

I received a very special gift 38 years ago. I was given these two wonderful people as my Mom and Dad. It’s the best birthday gift I’ve ever been given. Mom and Dad have shaped my life in a beautiful way.

Thank you for my birthday, Mom and Dad.

I love you both so very much!

Musings

Freelove Olney

February 17, 2016February 17, 2016 my13daychallenge

I’ve started a new hobby. I’m spending a few hours each month looking at pictures and family pedigree charts. It’s a little addictive. I keep hunting for more stuff. In particular, I’m interested in people’s names. I’ve got plenty of ordinary names like Mary and John in my family, but there is this whole side with unique names. I wish that birth certificates and family Bibles came with the back story. There have been a few that I’ve just scratched my head. What were your parents thinking?

Here is my favorite girl’s names. Freelove Olney. How cool is that name? It sounds like a flower child from the 1970’s. Nope, the year was 1702. She had to live an interesting life with such a creative name.

If you are having a little girl, feel free to borrow some names from my ancestors. Discovered, Hallelujah and Thankful all made me smile. If you’re having a boy, I’m sorry but my ancestors can’t help you with ideas. The guy names sound like they could be my classroom attendance roster. John, Joshua, David, George, Stephen, Richard, Thomas, Paul. You get the idea.

Musings

The Test

January 18, 2016December 15, 2019 my13daychallenge1 Comment

Two months ago, I found myself in a public bathroom at my local grocery store. I usually try to avoid grocery store bathrooms but I was feeling desperate. Sometimes my body just doesn’t want to wait until I get home. As I was washing my hands, I saw a white pregnancy test stick sitting on the counter. The results were facing me so I read them. Two Lines. Pregnant.

I glanced around the bathroom to see if any one was there. It was empty. I looked at the pale walls and the smudged mirror. I saw the little sign with the cleaning schedule over the overflowing trash can. And then it hit me. Two Lines. Pregnant.

The image of the lines burrowed into my mind and I started to cry. “Who are you? What is your story? Why are you taking the test here at the grocery store instead of the home of a family member or a dear friend?”

The two lines dug deeper into my soul and I cried harder. “Are you safe? Do you have someone who really loves you?” In that moment, I tried to believe that you were a thirty-something-year-old woman. You were just too excited to wait to get home to start the test. Glancing around the room though, I knew that probably wasn’t the case. You had taken the test in the grocery store bathroom. Maybe you had a friend with you. Maybe you were alone. Either way, you had waited the three minutes for the results and then left the stick on the counter. “Where did you go? Are you safe? Do you have someone who really loves you?”

The image of the two lines has haunted me the last two month. I keep thinking about it. I’ve prayed for you my unknown sister. I’ve given money to charity that helps woman in hopes that they will somehow help you. I’ve prayed again. I hope that you are okay. The image of the lines has burrowed into my heart. Two Lines. Pregnant.

Today is Civil Rights Day. It’s a day to remember Martin Luther King Jr, and others, who fought for equal rights for all Americans. We remember the stories. I watch the I have a dream speech and I think about how far our country has come. I also think about where we still need to go. There’s still so much that needs to be done.

Then I remember you. The girl or woman who took the pregnancy test in the grocery store bathroom. A person who has become real to me. My sister. I hope you are okay.

Dear Sister,

Your story matters. You matter. Please believe that.

With Love,

Amee

Musings

Words

January 16, 2016January 16, 2016 my13daychallenge

Words have power. They can bind us together. They can tear us apart. Use your words for good.

Musings · My Creative Challenges

Lottery Winnings and Memes

January 15, 2016January 15, 2016 my13daychallenge

I didn’t win the lottery. Of course, I didn’t play it either so losing wasn’t a huge surprise. Last night, I had a funny dream about the lottery though. I dreamed the guy that won the big jackpot of 10 billion decided to give me 1/2 of the money as a gift. I paid off my house, helped out my siblings with their mortgages, took my parents on a European tour, started a non-profit, landscaped the backyard, hired a cook to make me delicious, healthy meals and still had enough money to live comfortably on the interest for the rest of my life. In the middle of spending lots of money, I sat down at a computer and created one of those memes you see on social media. Then I woke up.

I didn’t win the lottery, but I did figure out how to make one of those memes. By the way, if you are that lucky person who won 10 billion dollars, I’d be happy to take 1/2 of it of it as a gift.

Musings

Take Me to Your Leader

January 6, 2016January 6, 2016 my13daychallenge

I’ve tried many times over the years to make a homemade face mask that will magically erase all of my acne. I finally gave in and bought one of those face masks from the store. The package says it will magically erase all of my acne. We will see if it works. The fun part is that I look like a green alien. Greetings Earthlings! Take me to your leader.

I will be announcing my latest challenge on this blog tomorrow morning. I’m so excited. I wonder what the challenge will be. I guess I better start thinking about it so I can announce it. (Actually, I do know what it will be. You’ll have to wait to to find out though. )

Be happy! Be yourself!

Challenges · Memory Lane · Musings

The Christmas Candle

December 22, 2015December 24, 2020 my13daychallenge

Each night for the 13 days before Christmas, my siblings and I would sit at the dinner table. In the middle of the table sat a burning candle. Mom would read us a few scriptures to teach us about Christ. Then we’d sing a Christmas song. One-year Mom told us that when the candle was all the way burned down to the bottom with nothing but a little wax left that she would make us a special cake. We were all very motivated by the idea of cake so the next night we each came to the kitchen table with our own candles. As Mom would read, we’d take our candle’s flame and gently encourage the Christmas candle to burn faster. This went on for a couple of nights as my poor mother tried to read us the words of Christ and we tried various means to make the candle burn faster.

The Christmas candle was taking forever to burn all the way down to the bottom so we decided to meet before mom’s readings and burn it on our time. We felt guilty about just burning the candle though so one of us read the Bible while the others started burning little holes into the Christmas candle. Mom came in and saw what we were doing. We thought we might be in trouble but instead she just laughed and said, “Wonderful! I’m raising a bunch of pyromaniacs who read their scriptures”. Then she went and got a lighter and joined us in our quest to burn that candle all the way to the bottom. (By the way, lighters can burn candles faster than other candles can burn candles. We got to eat cake that night!)

(This cute little Nativity set was a present from my awesome sister Jenny.)

My latest challenge is connected with Advent. The 30 days before Christmas I’m remembering Jesus by reading some scripture verses and doing 30 days of kind deeds. The hope is that this will make Christ the focus of my Christmas celebrations. So far, it’s been a good experience.

And no, I’m not going to tell you what I did for my good deeds because it’s suppose to be anonymous. I’m also a little selfish because I want all those blessings in heaven. Don’t have any idea what I’m talking about? That’s okay. I will fill you in with the Bible story. When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount he said people who do good deeds get rewards in Heaven. There’s a catch though. The angels don’t write it down on their heavenly Ipads if you blab all around town about it. Oops. I just told the entire internet all about my good deeds challenge. Somewhere there is a little angel who is hitting the delete button.

This challenge really has made this Christmas special though. What are you doing to make Christmas a wonderful time for you?

Challenge 14: Gratitude · Musings · Wonder Women

Everyone needs an Aunt

December 3, 2015December 3, 2015 my13daychallenge

Everybody needs an Aunt Marla in their life!

I had a good day at work and then I got stuck in some very heavy traffic driving home. My good day turned bad really fast. I was grouchy, tired and frustrated as more and more cars piled onto the same road as me.

I found this in the mail when I finally got home.

It’s a Christmas card from my Aunt Marla. The card turned my day back to a happy, good day. It’s also really cute and glittery. I now have glitter all over my hands, sweater and face. I guess I touch my face more than I realized. I look like a fairy princess ready to sprinkle pixie glitter all over to fly away. The card really did change my entire mood. It’s the power of a simple gift. It’s the power of remembering people. Thank you, Aunt Marla. You’re awesome. I love you.

By the way, I love all my aunts. They’re all strong, incredible woman who have influenced my life for good.

Have you thanked your Aunt Marla today?

(This photo was taken earlier this year at Good Friday services. Marla is the beautiful woman in the middle of the group.)

Challenge 14: Gratitude · Musings

The Joy of Green Arrows

November 24, 2015November 24, 2015 my13daychallenge

Some teens dream about the day when they can get their driver’s license. I wasn’t one of them. Driving terrified me. I got my driver’s permit like all my friends at 15 and then I let it expire. In fact, I let my driver’s permit expire three times.

My parents, bless their hearts, kept trying to teach me to drive. Mom and Dad would take me to safe, calm streets and parking lots for me to practice. They kept bringing me back to practice even though I would always tell them that they were signing their death certificate by being in a car with me. I even took one of those driver’s education classes at school. That actually made my anxiety worse as the teacher told me all the ways I could get killed while driving.

What does this have to do with my gratitude challenge? I was at a busy intersection on day 22 of this challenge. The radio was on. I was waiting for the green arrow that allows me to turn left. I’ve always liked green arrows. They are so helpful at busy intersections. I turned and then I drove down the street and got on the freeway. I went to my appointment and then I drove home. When I got home, I started thinking about the green arrow, the freeway and the way I had just nonchalantly driven to and from my destination. I got a little teary eyed thinking about it. I was a driver. Me. A driver. Driving does not scare me anymore. It hasn’t for several years.

This may not be a big deal to you but it is a big deal to me. I was in college before I finally got my driver’s license. I went for years with only taking surface streets and then I’d drive five under the speed limit. (Yes, I’m probably the person you honked at who was driving too slow.) There was one time when I actually said no to a really good job offer because it would have involved a daily freeway trip. I was over 25 years old before I had enough courage to brave the freeways. And at that point, I had to have the Accountant or a kind friend in the car with me while I was driving on the freeway. I was in my 30’s before I could drive on the freeways by myself.

I can drive on the freeways by myself now. I no longer make decisions in my life based on avoiding freeways. I can drive the speed limit and depending on the traffic flow, I can even go above that speed limit to keep up with the other cars. Am I a speed demon who loves the open road? No. I probably will never drive for fun but I can do it now and I’m grateful for that skill.

Day 22: I’m grateful for green arrows and the ability to drive. Driving did not come easy for me but I did learn how to do it. It’s a miracle in some ways. I can drive.

For any one out there who is struggling to learn something, keep trying.