Unique

This shrub was planted shortly after we built our house.  It's one of three shrub/tree varieties that are still alive in our yard.  Don't get me wrong, you can almost stick a broomstick in the ground here and it will grow.  But over the past five years, other plants have died (two killing frosts) or have overtaken the area there were planted and we replaced them. 

Blue is my favorite color so it's not surprising that I would pick this shrub to plant.  I feel that my life and experiences have been unique in many ways and these flowers struck me as being unique too!  They remind me of hearts or teardrops or even angel wings. 

Have a blessed day!



Old and Independent

Recently, I have read a few magazine articles about age.... more specifically what age we feel and act. 

If I were to awake suddenly and be confronted by the question, "What age are you?"  I think I would say 47.  When I calculate what year that was, I find myself back in 1998-1999.  The year I decided it was time (after 12 years in Georgia) to move back to Wisconsin to live closer to my family.  It was an exciting time, selling stuff at our yard sale, finding land on a Wisconsin lake, selling our house in Georgia on the first day and drawing up house plans!

It felt like new beginnings AGAIN!  Those who know me are not surprised by that comment.  I have moved and changed states, homes and jobs "more times than some people change underwear."  Of course I wouldn't want to be around those smelly people, but then again, maybe I would!  Would you believe that a dream of mine is to just be a bum?  A traveling one that is! 

I have a comrade-in-arms in this dream, my husband.  He says he wants to be a "beach bum."  However, I am leaning more towards being a mountain bum.  I wonder what a person calls them?  Sasquatch?  Actually I think my husband does not want to be a bum at all, he is concerned about my retiring and not having the nice paycheck I bring home every other week. 

At my age, a person would think that I am set for life and just cruising into old age.  Wrong?  I feel trapped in my job, I count the days and weeks until I am fully vested in the employer matching funds in my 403B.  Maybe hubby is not the only one concerned about not having my paycheck. 

Restlessness is overwhelming sometimes!  To feel confined means that I don't feel independent.  I feel like I have no control over my life, yet my life is good.  Crap!  I just feel frustrated. 

Pedicure -----> Pain-a-cure

Almost every lose weight plan has the rewards category.  You know, get a goal and when you lose that weight you reward yourself with something non-food.  One of the many suggestions is a pedicure.  Ahhh!  Having someone else massage your feet and primp your toes, all for $25 (including tip).  Pretty cheap pleasures, right?

Well for most people, but not me. I HATE pedicures, it hurts!   I bet 99% of my readers (all two of you) will wonder what in the world I'm writing about.  I have a wide foot and my big toes are BIG toes.  This seems to create a syndrome called in-grown toenails.  Since the price of pedicures seems relatively cheap in my area, I have treated myself more often here in Texas, about every 4-5 weeks. 

I should say I have an operation done on my feet every 4-5 weeks.  The pedicure person (don't know what they call them, maybe pedophiles) just think they have-to remove every bit of cuticle and they dig and dig and dig around my toes.  They seem to get special please when they can grab one end and pull out about an inch worth of my cuticles.  I wince, I whine, I whimper.  I say (I should say shout) "OUCH" and "Stop."  All to no avail.  The last time I walked out of the salon. 

So, I went to another salon.  Let's try this again!  I explained to the pedicurist that I had just walked out of one salon due to pain.  I asked him, I "know you won't do that to me, will you?"  He did.

That was about six weeks ago and I know I'm really in need for another pedicure.  I lamenting about my situation at work yesterday and one co-worker said she saw a TV report about how unsanitary are the pedicure bins.  I can only imagine.  She said you got a massage bin and does her own pedicures.

Good idea!  Today, I found a Dr. Scholl's massage bin for $19.99 and I just gave myself the most relaxing pedicure.  That purchase already paid for itself.  Now it's time to do my cover-my-gray hair routine, that's not painful at all.