I HAVE RETURNED~

We have returned from 5 days in WONDERFUL Panama City Beach~ and it was GORGEOUS everyday! We never even saw a cloud! So lucky! We went once and it rained almost everyday. Not willing to be outdone, we went to a tanning bed while we were there so as not to come home paler that we were when we went!

We left at 4:00 a.m. amidst threats of leaving Cameron at home if he didn't get his tail in the car! That kid loves the beach so in record time he complied! He also took his friend "Brian" with him. We pulled out of the driveway at the allotted time and I was basking in the sun on the beach at 10:30 a.m. Pretty good time if I do say so myself!

And we basked and we basked and we basked!! Flip over and bask some more! We played in the ocean, rode the waves, had pina coladas and ate good seafood! Life was good I am telling you~Good!

It was a bit of a change, however, because Cameron can drive! It took everything I had to give him the keys to MY car and let them "go"! UGH! You know how I am....at this point you KNOW how I am!

But I digress....he did fine...no wrecks, no fender benders, no tickets, no running over anyone on a motorcycle! I was so relieved! It was nice AND a little sad that he was off doing his own thing and I wasn't chasing him around to apply sunscreen and find his goggles and build sand castles and look for shells! He came in telling us about volleyball games and parasailing and riding the banana in the ocean! Once again, a child doing stuff WITHOUT ME!! It is what it is...

An added bonus was his sweetheart Malory came down with her Aunt (who is also a dear, dear friend of mine) so Cameron got to spend a couple of days at the beach with her! He was thrilled...

They grow up so fast...

Saturday night as we were sitting on the deck having a pina colada, Jamie looked at me and said "I just feel heat emanating from my body...." I said "well, let's do the math..."

We go out to the beach at approximately 10:00 a.m. every morning...
We come in from the beach at approximately 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. every night...
EVERYDAY SINGLE DAY WE WERE THERE!!

Yeah, together we are putting off some serious heat! But it was so much fun!!!

My Heart and Soul is Home... :)

Seth and Company had decided to stay one more night in Vegas, so instead of coming home Sunday night, they came home last night.

They had a nonstop flight on the way back, so his flight was supposed to land at 11:00 p.m. So exactly at 11:00 p.m. I text him and say "R U landed?" I get nothing back...I look at Steve and say, I know they never land on time do they? No, he says. He is fine. So I do my normal fretting and walking around and trying to "busy" myself. Longest 4 flippin minutes of my life, cos' at 11:04 he sends a text that says "were down."

Happy Dance!!!!!! Of course I waited up on him to get home which was around 12:00 and then stayed up til' 1:30 a.m. listening to him tell me all about the trip. Who they saw, and where they went, and all that good stuff! He had a blast!!

I am so glad he had this opportunity, and I am so thankful to Phil and Becky for taking him along with their family, like he was one of their own! He will never forget this experience.....but he did tell me he still loves Disney World the best :)

Thank you to all of you that were SO supportive and understanding as I went through my trauma!! One of many that I go through!! lol

Now I can breathe a sigh of relief...all is well....life is good....God is Great.....

But....

We are leaving for the beach tomorrow and won't be back til' Sunday....Seth is staying home, Cammie Pie is going with us...Seth will be home alone.....all alone.....for 5 days!

Oh no......

The Apron Strings are Fraying......

The threads on my apron strings are getting more and more frayed I am sorry to report. I keep trying and trying to reinforce those threads, but...that don't work!!

Seth came and told me on Tuesday that he had been invited on an all expenses paid trip to Las Vegas with a friend and her parents. They were leaving Friday (today). While I was really excited for him, I was also sad...The biggest place I have taken him I guess was Disney World. I was a single mom for several years up until 4 years ago. I told him Vegas might trump Mickey Mouse! He said no, Disney is still his favorite place of a million dreams. Seth has never flown before...

So...I sort of put it out of my mind cos' that's what I do when I worry about things, I just don't let myself think about them. Then yesterday I thought Dear Heaven!! He is leaving in the morning for Las Vegas......without me!!! I sort of went into some sort of tail spin mode called and asked him if he had clothes washed, suitcase out, etc. Yes, mom, it is all under control.

I come home look in the washer and there are about 2 shirts, one pair of underwear and some jeans. NOT ENOUGH! So, I start washing and pulling stuff together and just really trying to occupy my brain so I still don't have to think about him being on a plane...in the air....WITHOUT ME, after all, I have always been there to keep him safe, and kiss his boo boos and brush his hair out of his eyes and watch out for mean people. Always....

I called the family he is going with last night and spoke with Phil, (the dad) whom Seth is crazy about. He gave me the itinerary, staying at Ceasar's Palace in a suite, eating at Palazzio tonight, shopping tomorrow, eating at Nobu tomorrow night, third row seats to see Chelsea Handler, VIP passes, whatever on Sunday. I WANT TO GO!!! He will have a blast!! He is 19, he is grown, he is pulling away....I am STILL hanging on his leg!

So this morning he gets up at 5:00. I set my alarm too. I get up and he is in the kitchen and I ask "are you up?" DUH!! Yes, mom. He gets in the shower and I sit on th couch and wonder how in the world he got this big!! How did this happen!! He gets out of the shower and I am asking him, did you pack this, did you pack that, did you get your phone charger, your flip flops, your billfold, your toothbrush, your razor? Please shave Seth!! Yes, mom. He kisses me goodbye, tells me he loves me and....he drives away....WITHOUT ME!!

I just sat down and cried like a baby! I do not do the letting go well at all!!! NOT AT ALL!!!

He texts me when he gets on the plane and says, "This is the smallest plane I have ever seen."

CRAP, (I think)!! So I text back and say, "how many seats on either side of the aisle?" Two he says, this is a 50 passenger plane!! CRAP!! I am thinking TURBULANCE!! I HATE turbulance! I have hung on to many a stranger sitting next to me in a plane going through TURBULANCE! I wanted him to be on a BIG plane with WIDE aisles, lots of leg room, movies! Instead he is on a flippin CROP DUSTER!! I text back, "that is okay, it will be fun."

He texts again "there are some sketchy looking characters on this plan." CRAP!! Terrorists!! Dear Heaven he is on a crop duster with terrorists!!! I say more prayers, then text back "befriend them." He thought that was funny.

So, the last time I text him he didn't answer. He is in the sky. Way up high in the sky in a crop duster with potential terrorists! WITHOUT ME!!! He will call me when he lands in Denver where they switch planes and then he will call me when he gets to Vegas.

In the meantime, on my lunch hour I am going to go to Hobby Lobby and buy me some EXTRA STRENGTH BINDING TAPE cos' I am going to have to reinforce those apron strings.......

I do not do letting go....I'm against it......BIG TIME!

~~Update~~Seth has landed safely in Denver. They have an hour layover and then they will fly into Vegas ~ This has been a looooong morning for me! But he is safe :)

~~Another Update ~~ Seth is in Vegas..safe and sound :) Let the games begin! (He can't gamble, he's not 21)

Today's Thrifty Treasures

I am joining in Today's Thrifty Treasures hosted by the wonderful Rhoda at Southern Hospitality.

There was an estate sale Friday which was close to our office. It was a "Living" Estate Sale which somehow made me feel better. I always feel sad when I am poking through someone's life after they are gone. I have no idea why I feel better about it when they are alive! I guess I feel like they have some sort of say in it since they are still with us.

Anyway, I did find several things that I really liked.

First up was this little spice set. I thought it was so cute and I got it for $5. Each little glass jar had a cork stopper in it.

The fronts had a little tag for the name of the spice.

Then I spotted these curtains and valances. I really bought them for the valance. There were four valances and 3 sets of curtains for $7.

I LOVED the lace detail on them. I am thinking about turning this into a bedskirt for my bed. Of course, that will involve a certain amount of measuring and possible sewing, and we know how I am with that!!

Then I spotted this vase which I thought was so dainty. It was $2 I believe. The hydrangea is my FAVORITE hydrangea and this particular bush is at our church and yes, I absconded with one bloom today! I took it off the BACK of the bush!

This is the bottom of the vase. It is silver and has some pretty detail around the bottom.

This little frog I spotted for $2. It is old and heavy and I just love it!

These brass candlesticks were $4 for the pair. I am going to paint them I think.

This little urn I loved too! It was $3 and I put some roses from my yard in it.

I think this was my favorite find of all! A little bee pot. I LOVE the bee on top...he had a little chip on his wing, but I don't care!

It had the honeycomb texture on it and some more little bees. I actually saw this and didn't get it, went back that afternoon and was so glad to see it was still there! It was $3. I didn't know if it would fit in my kitchen, but it fit in just fine!

I had so many things in my arms I yelled out "I think I need a buggy!" A sweet woman guarded my treasures for me while I finished my hunt! I will keep you posted as I recreate some of these finds.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today and be sure and check out all the other great finds over at Southern Hospitality.

Have a great week!

Lou Cinda

Was He Breathing?

I am so glad that the lazy days of summer are here!! We are fortunate that my friend Jamie (of the tornado warning post fame) and her husband have a place on the lake and we spend most weekends there. It is about 35 minutes from our house.

Now that Cameron drives, I don't really like to be away from home overnight because 1) he might have an accident or hit someone on a motorcycle and 2) he may have a party at the house while I am away! Now Seth, is home and is really good about "police-ing" the place, but still....I worry!

So last weekend we went up to the lake, Cameron worked until 9:00 (he is a lifeguard) then he and two of his friends came up to the lake too! They sat around on the big screened in porch with us laughing and having a good time.

We went to bed and they all slept out there on various and asundry couches, papasan chairs and the like. The next morning Steve got up early to go fishing and I said "check on Cameron". So he trots out on the porch and is gone a few minutes, comes back in and says, "he is asleep in his car."

Cammie Pie has an SUV so he had put the seats down and apparently sacked out in there.

Me: Was he breathing?
Steve: What?
Me: Was he breathing?
Steve: I assume he was breathing.
Me: Did you stand there and watch him until you saw him breath?
Steve: Uh, no.
Me: Good grief!

So, up I hop, trot out to his car, look in, stand there until I see his chest rise and fall and then I go back in, stopping on the porch to make sure Brandon and Dakota were breathing too.

Me: He is breathing.
Steve: Good.
Me: They were all breathing.
Steve: Good to know....I'm goin' fishin'

I am crazy freaky about that. Everyday before I leave for work, Seth and Cam are still asleep and I walk down the hall, open their bedroom doors, make sure they are breathing, then I can go to work. I do NOT know where this comes from. Motherhood? Those deep internal maternal instincts?

My friends don't do this. I do though, everyday...

Have a great day!

AND THE DECISION IS...

I AM STAYING WHERE I AM!

It has been an extremely difficult decision!! All of your comments and suggestions helped SO much more than you could ever imagine!

I ended up calling the secretary that I would be replacing and talked with her "frankly" about the position. "New" boss is a very nice man, however, he is a stickler about the time thing. Will not let you work through lunch to make up time for say a doctor's appointment or something for your child. Bonuses ~ Christmas only~ (I get approx four a year where I am now) ~ raises come in April and everyone gets the same amount, usually small ~ cost of living raise. This definitely gave me something to think AND pray about.

I made my list like you guys suggested: Pros and Cons!

Then , I called my "now" boss and asked him to meet me at the office on Saturday afternoon, that I needed to talk to him. He said okay, dropped what he was doing and came to the office. I could tell when I saw him that he was afraid that I was going to tell him I was leaving. I told him I had been offered another job and that I was honestly torn about what to do.....I told him I had lamented, cried and prayed over the right decision.

And then he said....please don't go! You are the best secretary I have ever had and you make working here so much more pleasant!! I will give you a raise, I will lighten your stress, I just really don't want you to go!!!

LORD HAVE MERCY!!! I said why in the cottin pickin world have you not told me any of this BEFORE??????

Him: I thought you knew!

TYPICAL MALE!!

I told him I would stay and his exact words were "I sincerely, sincerely, sincerely appreciate your staying with me."

That is THREE sincerely's!!

Then two of the other attorneys in my office called me and told me they didn't want me to go either!

I must be pretty darn good! WHO KNEW????
I told'em I wanted a BIG raise!! lol

Well alrighty then!! Decision made!

NEW DELIMA: Call "new" boss tomorrow and tell him I am not coming!

Could one of you call him for me and handle that "little" detail? I am sure he will understand...

Thanks!

And again, thank you all for being there for me during this! It was really HARD for me! I just love you guys!

Have a GREAT week!

The Winds of Change....They Are A'Blowin'

Those of you that read my blog know that I am a legal secretary, and that I work for a very "needy" type of attorney! On MOST days he makes me absolutely INSANE!! Then there are days when he is a dear! I told him one day we are like an unhappily married couple. We can just fuss and fuss at each other and then we are fine!

Well, I have threatened for months and months to look for another job. I have kept my eyes peeled for one, haven't seen anything I would be interested in and then....a friend called to tell me that he had heard that there was an attorney in town looking for a secretary.

I pondered it for a few minutes and thought well, I'll just call and check it out. Well, they set up an appointment for me to come in on Wednesday. I went, I interviewed, I left.

Thursday, another call, come back in. I went, I sat, we chatted, I got the job!! Now, I really never thought I would get it!! I mean, he has been interviewing for 2 weeks! I just thought I would go "see" about it! The pay is a little more, the stress level, WAY less!

I AM FREAKED OUT!!!! I do not know what to do!!!!! I mean TOTALLY FREAKED OUT!!!

I feel like I have had an affair or something. Like I have betrayed a trust, a friendship!! My boss walked in the office today and I just went to the bathroom and cried!! I am SICK!

I am an extremely loyal person....to a fault!! I mean, I told one of my coworkers today "I know he is an ass, but he is my ass"!! I have gone back and forth since yesterday!! I didn't sleep last night!! It feels like I am going to ask for a divorce!!

My sweetie pie Steve does not get it! He has heard me rant and rave and fuss and cuss for 3 years and here I am lamenting over whether or not to go!!

The FEAR of the unknown! I am OLD! Do I want to start over again in another office, new coworkers, new personalities, new rules????? I honestly don't know!

Our office here is really laid back! you need to go to the doctor, you go. Run to the bank, do it. A few minutes late from lunch, no problem. Do I want to give that up? Do I?

Dear Lord someone tell me what to do!!! THEN on the other hand, I feel like I am letting this attorney down that has offered me this job. I go and interview and get it and then, turn him down? That just seems rude! I am awful ~

I need therapy...