Dreams Don't Believe In Statistics

***Note:  to my faithful readers who would rather stay out of the politics- this will NOT be another political post!!!***

We've all seen the staggering statistics about what happens to kids whose parents are drug addicted. 
Then there are the issues presented for kids who have parents that suffer from mental illness.  Previously, I have touched upon the fact that my husband and I are both people who grew up in these types of households.  And we both want nothing more in this life than to break that mold and have truly happy lives that affect others in a positive way. 

My husband and I especially want to be an alternative view for our nephew and other kids who have had a rough start in any way that we can.

One phone call I received on Friday afternoon has hit me like a giant firework covering the entire night sky on the 4th of July!

My husband and I have been dreaming of many things over the past few years.  We have had big ideas about what kind of life we want.  We have worked diligently to move in a direction that will fulfill some hearts desires for us and also some things we believe will allow us to be the people we are meant to be.

Along the way, we have learned that sometimes things don't happen the way we imagine that they will.

Just as I have come to accept that some things will have to wait, I have also realized that the bigger we dream and the harder we work- the more there is that is possible than either of us could ever have imagined!

As kids who were repeatedly reminded that their world was small and they should never expect to amount to anything, my husband and I are especially thankful for anything that comes our way and we always look forward to how we will be able to share and hopefully motivate others to strive for more.

As for this moment, I wish I could just shout from the rooftops how much I feel validated in always knowing in my heart of hearts that nobody can ever stop you from dreaming and that eventually even really big dreams can be realized.  Never doubt that anyone can become their own tiny statistic.  And then influence others to make that statistic grow.

Along with the picture at the top of this blog, my little cactus garden on my dining room table has served as motivation to scrimp and save and plan and dream.  It will now be a reminder of my own little place in the sun.

We are buying a vacation condo in Palm Springs, CA!!!

That's right.  This 'Yellow Rose Of Texas' may not be in Texas yet, but I'm going to have a whole lot more sun in my life starting about 45 days from now when my husband and I close on our property purchase.

As I cruise off to continue on with my weekend long happy dance, I'll leave you with this:

Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

Please do me a huge favor and read this blog post.

Then let me know what you think.

Honestly.

Growing Pains

How come being authentic has to be so darn painful sometimes???

Anyway.  I stuck to my word.  Here's the proof.

Maybe by being open and honest about my politics, I'm asking for anything that comes my way. 

And I thought I was just being brave and hoping that maybe others would see that they are not alone here in the land of  'only leftist politics allowed'.  Silly me.

So far... one of my neighbors has accosted me with a screechy speech about the Koch brothers.  Another neighbor has informed me that she feels guns should be reserved only for those who live 'out in the country'.  And last night when I picked up a friend to take her to a basketball game, she actually asked me if I had put my dogs on the roof of my car during my last trip to California.

I kid you not.  These are completely real comments.  Including the one from someone who is supposed to be my friend.  Oh and then there's the guy who flipped me off on the freeway while gesturing fervently toward my bumper...

To neighbor #1 I answered by telling him that if he wanted to have any kind of real open conversation, he would have to pick a better opening line. 

To neighbor #2 I told her that we would have to just agree to disagree.  I really didn't know what else to say.  Believe it or not, I've never actually thought to question the second amendment.

As to my friend's rude dog comment, I simply told her that I take plenty of abuse from all the wonderfully tolerant souls here in our fair city of Seattle and I felt that was enough.  I didn't need to take any extra abuse from my friends. 

She got real quiet.  Real fast.

I'm not gonna' lie.  This is not easy.  It's just as bad as I thought it might be.

But I'd rather be honest than popular.  And I'm still smiling.  And glad I decided to do this. 

Even through the tears...

The Star Spangled Banner Still Rocks!

I love traditional with a twist.  A good friend sent me this today because she knows that about me.

With everything that is going on in the world right now, I can't imagine a better time to celebrate America and the freedom we love.

Enjoy!

Stuff That Doesn't Really Matter

The world is a crazy place.  It feels even more crazy than usual these days.

During times like this, my natural instinct tends toward making sure I fight back, in a constructive way.

One of the things I find helpful for daily survival is watching others and taking in how they behave and how things turn out for them.  This has saved me from countless hours of wheel spinning and sorrow. 

And sometimes I just get a kick out of the whole darn thing.  People watching is great sport, really!

Have you ever seen how seriously whacked people can get over the smallest things???

One particular thing that I have noticed people get a riled up about, that is just plain silly, is this:
          
                        Toilet Paper 

Should it be this way?                                                   Or this way?

Seriously.  Does it really matter?

Honestly, I have actually listened to people argue about this.  More than once. 

I have had people come over for a party and use my bathroom and actually tell me that they 'fixed' my toilet paper roll because it was 'on wrong'. 

Which is super funny, because in this household we are ambidextrous when it comes to the direction of our TP.  Honestly, we just don't give any effort whatsoever to whichever way it ends up on the holder.  But hey, if you're somebody who wants to waste their time 'fixing' it then, yeah I will laugh in your face.  For sure.

With everything that does matter, it's a wonder that anybody ever finds time to argue about such silly stuff.  But as humans, we do.  Don't we?!  

What have you found that people argue about that is just plain ludicrous?  Be careful.  It's a jungle out there!

Please Tell Me This Is Not A Cockroach

My apologies to those who are creeped out by bugs.  I'm with ya.

We found this scary bugger in the pool.


Check out the size of this thing!!!

Nathan's Dad scooped it out with a net and sent it on its way.  But maybe we shouldn't have unleashed this beast back into the world...

Now, I've just gotta ask:  what is this???  Do I even want to know???

Best Day Ever!!!!!!

For at least the last few years, my nephew Nathan has had a really hard time remembering that he already knows how to swim.  I had shown him photos of himself swimming as a baby and toddler when I used to take him to swim classes.  It didn't help.  He just couldn't believe that he could swim. 

Every time I took him to a pool or a lake he felt really insecure trying to swim without wearing a life jacket.  Now, I'm all for life jackets when they are appropriate for safety.  However, it always seemed sad that Nathan would spend all his time being insecure and maybe on the last day of a week long trip start to finally swim on his own again. 

Not so, this time in Palm Springs!  Nathan used his life jacket for about 5 minutes. 

Then, with a little urging from his Dad, he began diving for coins at the bottom of the pool.

All this while telling me that he still couldn't really swim ACROSS the pool....

Funny how quickly he proved himself wrong!

It was super cool to see Nathan's confidence grow so much and have him realize right away that he is a great swimmer.  This time there was no time wasted being hesitant or scared.  I just love watching Nathan enjoy himself so thoroughly and knowing that at 10 years old, he will always have this wonderful memory of swimming so freely and loving his time in the pool at Palm Springs. 

Nathan Says It's All About The Pool...

Copyright: Laughing Jasmine Images

We're away in Palm Springs again, catching up on some much needed warmth and vitamin D.  This time, my husband and I are especially excited to be sharing this place that we love with our nephew, Nathan. 

I am super happy that he loves it here, just as much as we do.

Oh, and he thinks it's all about the pool.  All day, every day... for hours!  And hey, who I am to argue with that?!