After The Storm

Went to let the pups out after the daily downpour and saw this beautiful rainbow stretching from end to end over the college campus across from our back yard,

There's just something magical about rainbows. They almost seem like a promise from The Big Guy Upstairs.


Actually, I feel like they are.

A year ago next month, we threw our crap in a moving van and moved over four hundred miles away to start over in Orlando.

I thought I was ready. I thought I was excited for this new chapter to begin, but I wasn't.

That day I left my airport job for the last time was a crushing blow to me. The job had literally saved us from drowning and put us ahead for the first time in almost ten years.

The day I turned in my airport badge to my manager and walked away from the job of a lifetime was one of the most bittersweet moments I've ever experienced.

It was horrible at first, not gonna lie. The depression almost crushed me completely, until my brother stepped in, gave me a verbal slap in the face and told me to get over it.

So I did.

Yes I had to start all over again at a new job (I detest starting new jobs) and had to use a GPS just to get there but at least I was working again.

I think the day Massey and I first discovered Cocoa Beach, a thirty minute drive away...knew it would all be okay.

If I managed to be happy in Georgia when we were slap broke, I could most certainly be happy when we lived in Orlando and weren't.


Here's the thing.

The people who truly love you will keep in touch with you, no matter where you live or how far away it is.

The ones who don't keep in touch, don't really matter all that much.

We're making the last payment on our house in Georgia this month. That's something; actually it's awesome considering it's been only twenty two years.

 Our daughter is graduating from college with her degree in a few short months, with much thanks to help from my wonderful brother. Our oldest son is doing well and advancing in his career in Charlotte. Our younger son has blown my mind and actually making his way through his own life back in Georgia, without me.

It kinda hurts but also makes me proud.

I sweated like crazy for ten years, even when I wasn't in the sun...partially from  hot flashes but  kept on going when I didn't think (we) or I could.


I've had several people contact me, asking me how I did it...while in dire straights of their own.

There is no recipe or map to life.

It's a blindfolded journey we all travel.

Never stop trying at life. If there is a breath left in you, there is a chance for success.




This song came on tonight while I was blogging. It came out the year I was a senior in high school.

True that!

Life isn't logical.

Life is what you make of and do with it.

 I'm quickly getting a lot older but slowly, gradually, getting a lot smarter.


So should you.


Till next time...COTTON

Simply Me

For all my faults (and have more than a few) consider myself to be an okay person. I may not be the best person but am certainly not the worst. I may not be a great wife, but it's been close to thirty years now and he hasn't tried to kill me once. (that I know about)

I'm an okay mother. I'm certainly no June Cleaver or Carol Brady but no Mommy Dearest either and all three kids are still alive and kicking.

I'm a needy sister...just ask either of my Sib's.

Sometimes I wish I was a better wife, mother and Sib but that seems like an awful lot of pressure to me and pressure is one thing I'm not good at doing.

I think I'm okay with simply being me.

I guess my family's okay with it too, no body's jumped ship yet.

So if I'm not June, Carol or Joan...think the answer is as simple as me. Laughter makes everything better and easier to take.

There's a reason why I like Phyllis Diller and Granny Clampett so much.

I think they were both hysterical...

and both strong women. Perfect combination for me.

I find humor in most everything. It's my coping mechanism and has worked for almost fifty seven years.

Why change now?

So I'm not the perfect wife, mother or sibling but am a good person. We don't have a lot of money but have enough.

 What we do have plenty of, is love and have always had tons of laughter.

And these pictures don't begin to scratch the surface of our craziness. I wouldn't have my life turn out any other way for all the money in the world.

And luckily my family is strong enough to love me, with all my faults.

I think back to when Tim and I both lost our jobs and almost lost our home. It was hard to find anything to laugh about but we still did, just not as often.

Here we are... almost ten years later, doing almost as well as before that all happened and laughing a lot more. Tim's gone completely gray and I've gone completely skinny with twice as many wrinkles.

Still beats the alternative.

It's when you can't find anything to laugh about in life, that's when it's time to worry.

I guess it's the simple things which make life so wonderful.

We have an extremely wonderful life!

Luckiest crazy chick ever... COTTON