Dishonesty...

I read somewhere recently that people who are trusting can more easily detect when someone is lying. I hadn't really thought much about this before but I believe it to be true. It is not something that blares out at you when a person is dishonest but rather a 'gut' feeling that you get. Accompanied by the fact that the person doesn't look you straight in the eye when talking to you. Not only quite unnerving but it pisses me off. Why put all that energy into lying when you can just deal with the matter at hand? Our society has gotten to the point that people don't like to be held accountable for their actions so they resort to lying. Yep, this world is going to hell in a hand basket...

New microwave and other electronics...

Sometimes all things electronic I think are out to get me. My initial initiation to my new microwave was pretty easy thanks to Nate. But as of late I am still trying to figure out how not to overcook and dry out my food. I had the other microwave with the dial for so long that it is hard for me to remember that this new one definitely cooks and heats foods faster, like in half the time faster. Now my fairly new Blue-Ray DVD player is shooting out movies at random times. I know it wasn't me hitting the buttons by accident as I wasn't even in the room. The computer in Steve's office has decided to shut itself off at a whim and the battery back up in said office went nuts the other day. High pitched and piercing noises are not fun. I shut everything off but now I can't access Quicken to pay bills. See, the electronic gods are messing with me. Damn.

Never too old...

I have discovered you are never too old to learn something new. I am still trying to conquer the world of computers and I believe this will be an on going learning experience for me. I continue to learn new and sometimes re-inventive ways to scrapbook my memories. I am continuing to learn how to take better pictures with my digital SLR. I am starting to understand some of Cash's 'baby' talk. He actually said "outside" the other evening clear as a bell, his dad was a witness. In the new column, I have learned that it is never too late to learn to pick your friends wisely. Whether you are six, twenty-six or fifty-six this lesson is a painful one. The fact that there are just some people and situations that will never change no matter how much you want them too. If there is one thing I learned from my first marriage is that wishing a person will change because they love you doesn't mean it will happen because they are probably wishing the same of you. And I continue to learn to appreciate the things I do have in my life. My wonderful family who make life so enjoyable.  I am not going to focus any energy on people or things that want to bring me down. So I take small steps into the new era in my life beginning with cleaning out the crap and because Steve and I had a hard time throwing things out I now pay for it. Damn...

Two amazing daughters...

Steve and I raised two amazing girls. They have stepped in countless times these last twenty months to help me when I needed it. From cleaning to moving furniture and boxes they have taken up the task at hand to do the things that I just can't do. I know that this has to be hard on them too but they don't complain. 

In fact there have been times while we were sorting through stuff that we laughed ourselves silly over the memories that came up. Of course, mostly at Steve's expense but then he had it coming. We usually laughed when it happened and then the memories came and we laughed more. Comments usually range from "Dad never got it" (Sarah) to "Dad was such a geek" (Lisa) that sides hurt from the laughter. 

As the memories resurface we laugh, cry and laugh some more. It is what makes it so bittersweet that he couldn't have made his 'grandpa' memories with Cash because we all know it would have been an unending supply of laughter, again at his expense. 

My personal memories of how we met, dated, married and lived our twenty-four years are what hold me together now. Some of course are of a personal nature, others are of how he impacted those he encountered while he went about living life. He constantly amazed me what a wonderful person he was and though we didn't have the 'perfect' marriage it was really really good. 

Now it is on to making new memories with my family and their families.We are doing it in small steps and they have been great ones. I just hope that this continues for this new year.