My life can be kind of weird. Just saying. But as someone told me–it would make a great blog post!!! So here you go!
My Mr. Wonderful planned a little get away for us around his work schedule before we make the official move back to Iowa from Ohio. He has a business trip to California so we are doing a quick get away. The problem was how I was going to get to the Detroit airport. Yes, I could drive but we really did not want to leave my car there as we are going to be driving his car back from Iowa and did not want an added 4 hours to the already horrifically long drive. So……I did some looking and found a man who would drive me to the airport. Enter Ralph.
Ralph and I had a couple phone conversations before the actual pick up and I figured he was an older gent but he said he did this all the time for folks. When Ralph arrived my suspicions were confirmed. I suspect he was on the other side of 80 or close to it. He had a few less teeth than I have, longer hair pulled back in a pony tail and was a tall drink of water as they say as he folded himself into my TL. I told him I would drive up and he could then just enjoy the ride and do the drive back. He was agreeable and we had an enjoyable ride up talking and getting to know each other. I know a lot about Ralph. I won’t bore you. He was fascinated by my GPS. Fortunately I did not have the Billy Bob Thorton Karl from Sling Blade voice talking or else I think he would have freaked out. The New Zealand dude was bad enough. He commented “I just don’t understand how those things work—it isn’t like there is a little guy in there watching you drive, is it?”
As we got closer to the hotel that I was going to spend the night at since I had a really early morning flight we noticed this tent canopy thing constructed close to the entrance of the hotel and we both wondered why it was there as it was just odd. It was in a place where you had to make a u turn to actually get the right way to go to the hotel and it was just weird. But anyway–I pulled up to the hotel, pulled out my luggage and gave Ralph the car keys to take my car back to Lima. Ever the gentleman he offered to help me with all that but I told him I was pretty independent and used to doing stuff on my own so I could handle it.
As I approached the hotel all of the doors had signs on them indicating that those doors were not working (or so I thought) and we were all being funneled into one small door. The kind that you had to open on your own. No automatic opening. With suitcases. And no one to help you. The man in front of me had 2 massive suitcases and several smaller ones and I am afraid I was not much help to him. As soon as we reached the lobby we were immediately in a security line. I looked around to make sure that I was in a hotel. It was just weird. There were “officials” all over the place. There was a metal detector. There was a conveyer belt and an xray machine. There were sniffing dogs. It was WEIRD, I tell you. And no one was smiling. Not the usual “Welcome to our Hotel” greeting. I waited my turn and watched as the woman crammed my bag through the xray machine–proceeded through the detector when told and stood obediently while they “wanded “me. THEN a hotel employee welcomed me and said “thank you for your patience”. I told her I was afraid I was in the wrong place as I had never had that done before in a hotel and she said they had an “event”. Okay…. I checked in and the desk guy told me nothing—just an “event”. Okay. Since my husband is Mr. Wonderful he used his status to book me on the executive super special super secret floor where you have access to the club lounge. I was starving and thirsty so I wandered down the hall for a bit of a bite and was the only one in there. I tried to chat up the lounge lady and she wasn’t talking either—said it was an “event”. Come on, people!
Later that night I ordered room service and Tim was much more forthcoming! I had my Nancy Drew hat on by that time and had watched the news and had an idea what was going on. Tim confirmed. The President was flying in and was supposedly staying here. I told him it was crazy checking in and he said “yea–usually things like that happen when the President is here”. Every time I looked out the window there were tons of police cars blocking traffic and just being there so I guess that was the reason. This morning as I got up early and left the hotel at 5 am there were guys on my floor by the elevator with cool looking things in their ears and cords coming down…….pretty sure they were not listening to their Ipods. The lobby was like a convention hall for the state highway patrol and sheriff’s office. Suffice it to say I felt safe. Probably the closest I will ever come to being close to someone famous. Oh but there was that one brush with fame with John Glenn…..
Today I got my hair done by my favorite Ohio Aveda stylist, Cirrus. I know!!! She has a great name!!! If you are not familiar with Aveda products there is a lot of chemistry involved. The color (yes—I color my hair–don’t hate me!) is measured out and mixed together to make magic on my head. I usually have 3 bowls of magic to achieve the look. It is a pretty cool process, actually, and I got hooked on Aveda salons in Mason City when my stylist moved there. I love the attention they give you at a salon. For years I did the $12 haircut places and saved money by doing that. Then I decided that I wanted to splurge a bit and now I will never go back to those strip mall places. When I came to Lima in July I googled Aveda salons and the closest one was well over an hour away. Cirrus was worth it.
Now for all of you uninformed out there in blogland –the whole process of highlighting and coloring hair is just that—a process. It is not for the faint of heart. You have to sit and endure having foils or papers put in your hair. You have to sit and let it process. You hope there is not a fire because if there is you will have to leave with those crazy looking foils on your head. The salon in Mason City uses more of a paper product and so I always felt like I was one of those judges or something when I got my hair done.
But I digress. As I contemplated that this would most likely be the last time that Cirrus did my hair I got a little reflective. Finding someone who does your hair right and who actually listens to what you want the end product to be is rare. I have had that in Cirrus. And she is sweet. She is young enough to be my daughter but we have never run out of things to talk about. Like our joint love of Pinterest.
I appreciate it when I find someone who actually listens and does what I want. I remember one stylist I went to in Pennsylvania that my friend used. I told her what I wanted and when I left I came out looking exactly like my friend—at least my hair. Not the look I wanted. So today I am grateful for professionals who take their job seriously and who really listen. A great skill and makes me happy! I realize that that is not as plentiful in this world as I would like.
What do you find when you go to a stylist? Do they do what you want or do they have their own agenda?
This little beauty is one that I am “inheriting” from the house here in Lima. I remember one time when Chris’s folks came to see us in Mooresville they went to “Cotton” Ketchie’s gallery and bought 3 pieces for their family room to put on display on the fireplace wall where there are 3 little shelves that jut out. They were very excited about them and this was one of them so I will always have sweet memories when I look at it!
I have met some interesting folks along the way, trust me! Working in a church affords someone quite a few interesting experiences and I was definitely not exempt. One of my tasks in my last position was to help assess and administer our Compassion Fund. Mainly we gave out gas vouchers because that was something that no other agency in the area did and sometimes having $10 of gas made a difference.
One day I met Harry. Harry and I had a relationship over the span of several months and I came to look forward to his visits. Often folks who come seeking help at a church have an interesting story and Harry was no different. When I first met him his neck was bandaged and he could only whisper. Seems he was in an altercation where he was robbed and ended up getting shot in the throat. When he first showed up he still had his hospital bracelet on—evidence that he found us because of our close proximity to the hospital and our beautiful carillon which drew folks in.
Harry was well versed in the Bible. He put me to shame. Here I was the “church lady” and he knew way more than me. Harry and I had many adventures and even though I imagine some of my church friends worried about me when I was helping him I never felt in harm’s way. I helped him get stuff out of his car and store it safely since he was homeless, I provided cleaning items for him to clean the still blood stained steering wheel and dashboard and yes—I even gave him a few meals.
One of the more memorable experiences was when he let me in on the secret that he was a police informant. He was staying at a home in the area helping the owner do some renovations in exchange for a place to stay. He told me he needed a ride to the police station as they were going to pay him for information. Having no clue how this stuff usually works I went along with that story–after all—I felt he hadn’t lied to me yet. So I drove and on the way he asked me to stop at the home he was staying at to get something. I obliged and he returned with a sweatshirt. We were driving along –destination police station. I stopped at a stoplight and Harry hopped out of the car and I was perplexed until he hopped back in completely clad in sweatshirt with hoodie up and drawn tight. It was hot out and I wondered what the heck that was all about and asked him and he told me he had to hide his identity when he went to the station in case someone saw him and recognized him. Okay…….I admit now that maybe I had not used the best judgment but hey—-we were going to a police station, right?
When we got to the police station he went in the back door and I waited in the car. I called the secretary at the church and told her if I didn’t come back to come find me in the police parking lot and we had a good laugh about that but she made me promise to call her if anything went weird!! Harry came back out shortly with no money and I dropped him back off at his place. He was not forthcoming with what had happened but I guess it wasn’t anything worth paying for.
Harry disappeared after some time and I wondered what had happened. Every once in a while he would call the church and update us on where he was and how he was doing. Life was not always easy for Harry but I still think of him today and wonder if he remembers me at all. He made a difference in my life and I hope and pray that life has gotten easier for him. Did you ever meet someone like Harry that you couldn’t forget???
Boy, do I love a great cup of coffee! There is nothing like having a steaming cup of my favorite brew placed in front of me especially on a chilly day. My current favorite at my local hangout is a venti mocha, 2 percent, with raspberry and whipped cream. While it probably isn’t the most healthy choice I do relish that first taste! Funny that this has become my obsession in my “later” years when in my younger days I could hardly even stand the smell of coffee. Guess I have grown up or something.
The whole coffee experience is just that –an experience. Coffee houses have sprung up all over the place. You can hardly go a mile without seeing some sort of national chain or local coffee shop in my area. What I have experienced is that it is not just about that cup of coffee no matter how wonderful it is—it is about all that surrounds that cup of coffee. If you choose to go into the establishment rather than through the drive thru you enter into a world of cozy couches, music that feeds your soul and artwork that is pleasing to the eye. It is here that you can choose to either be alone or join friends.
What would it be like if I embraced God with the same enthusiasm that I embrace that cup of special mocha curled up in my favorite corner couch? What if each day I woke up and actually looked forward to spending time with my best friend who knows all and is always there for me? Would my day be different? Would there be more positive things happening? Or would I just notice them more? The experience of living with God daily is something that I crave. How do I get there??? I think I need to seek it out and personally make the time to enjoy the experience. I need to start the day opening my eyes to the beauties of the day and the experiences that God has in store for me and those around me.
So why don’t you join me—have a cup of your favorite “joe” and take time to appreciate the experience of being one of God’s children. Nestle in and curl up with God’s presence. Let Him fill your every sense and envelop you in love. You won’t be disappointed.
I most likely posted this before but was in a reflective mood this Sunday morning and thought I would give it another post. Let me know what you think!
My sweet Buddy is doing better!!! I took him to see Dr. Melissa this afternoon and his breathing is roughly 70% better than it was a week ago!!! He still has extra fluid but you can definitely see where it is so much clearer on the xrays than it was a week ago. She was happy and I am happy!!! We still will continue with the Rutin 3 times a day and they are going to keep him while I go back to Iowa to get the other car but I am feeling so much better about things. Thanks to all of you out there who have said a prayer or left a sweet comment—I am so blessed!
Hilary at Feeling Beachie has such a great blog hop every week. She offers up 4 statements for us to fill in the blanks! Some weeks it is hard to come up with answers and I always try to do mine without looking at what anyone else writes so I won’t be “influenced”. Here we go—if you want to join in hop over to her blog by clicking on the link highlighted here and join in the fun. She explains how to do it once you get there! It is a great way to meet new friends.
This week’s statements:
1. I used to enjoy ______ but now I don’t really anymore except for when I____
2. My first job was ______
3. I am a bit obsessed with ________ at the moment
4. If I don’t have my ___________ at night, I don’t sleep well
My answers:
This week’s statements:
1. I used to enjoy walking on the beach everyday but now I don’t really anymore except for when I go on vacation since I don’t live on a beach anymore. :-( I wish I did.
Looking out on our backyard (the Coral Sea) in Australia
2. My first job was babysitting for families in the neighborhood when I was twelve. I used to babysit a lot and made quite a little bit of money doing it—and promptly spent it all on clothes and make up!
3. I am a bit obsessed with my cat, Buddy at the moment since he has been so sick. See post here.
4. If I don’t have my husband with me at night, I don’t sleep well.
Buddy goes to the vet today for xrays so we will know more. He is acting much better so I hope that is a good sign. Thanks for all of the sweet comments and prayers!! Appreciated much more than you can possibly know!
Apparently Facebook has a new app—it is the “If I Die” app. I stumbled upon an article on Huffington Post detailing the ins and outs of this new app. It is intriguing to think about it but it gives the user an opportunity to have messages, even videos, posted upon their death to Facebook. The user selects 3 “trustees” who they would allow to be the ones to activate the app upon their death.
The creator of the app–Willook, an Israeli startup, says that they can not see the messages or videos themselves until they are made live upon the activation of one of the trustees upon the user’s death.
The thought is that the user can leave one last (or several if they so choose) message to their family and friends on Facebook. Some may leave a love message, others may tell a deep secret that they have held and still others may use the opportunity to tell someone off that they could not do in life.
It is intriguing to me. And honestly kind of creepy. Kind of like the number of Facebook friends that I have that have died yet still have pages that are active. I don’t think I will take advantage of this app but it does make me think. What about you? Would you use it and if so ….what would your last message be? I would love to hear.
One thing I have figured out over the past 5 days is how to have a lot of viewers and comments on a blog. Have a sick kitty. I would not recommend this way to “stardom” and “fame” but I have had so many heart felt comments in the past few days because of my sick Buddy. Thank you to all. I mean it. From the bottom of my heart.
Just a quick update—took Buddy to see Dr. Tracy at Metz Petz Veterinary Clinic this morning and his breathing is still rapid. His heart sounds good and he is eating and drinking and doing all the normal things so that is a good sign but we are not sure if the Rutin that we are giving him will help or not. Go back for xrays on Friday and will know more then so until then I hover and watch and try to keep Hissy Holly away from him. Geez. As if I needed anything else stressful going on.
What I have learned is that Metz Petz is awesome. A huge thank you to Dr. Tracy, Dr. Melissa and Dr. Nathan for their care and concern for Buddy. I could not have found a better place to take him. I know they will be honest with me and do right by Buddy and that is all that I can ask for at this point.
My world has gotten pretty small since Thursday—vets and home and that is about it. We are winding down the house cleaning and straightening out here and this weekend made huge headway on getting ready to put the house here up for sale. It looks like an orange dot sale here because Chris and I put stickers on the items that we are going to be taking with us back to Iowa someday. The auctioneers will hopefully come this week and give us an idea of what we have and what we can expect from the May sale. My Lima “vacation” is nearing an end. I must admit I am having some emotions with that. I have gotten used to being closer to family….it will be difficult to leave that behind.
I am hoping that my next post won’t be so Buddy centered! I need to find something non catty to blog about now, don’t I? But if you have followed me for any length of time you know that I blog about what is on my heart so there you have it!
If you want to see something that will make you say “ahhhh”, check out this video that Christine of Random Thoughts of Midlife posted the other day.
Teapot Tuesday returns tomorrow—stay tuned. And thanks for the love and purrs!
Oh my goodness! I am so overwhelmed by the amount of kitty love coming our way. Thank you ALL! My friend, Hilary, over at Feeling Beachie, put the word out and now Buddy is a rock star of sorts on CatBlogosphere! They even made a blog button (see it at the top left) for him!
We brought Buddy home last night from the Emergency Vet Services as they were just watching him and not really doing anything for him at this point. He was happy to be “home” and snuggled right in with me on the couch. His breathing is still faster than normal but not labored like it was. We have started giving him Rutin and put him on a low fat diet (something we ALL need ) and are hoping and praying for the best. The research on chylothorax is not very plentiful and it is contradictory so we are not really sure where this will go. The prognosis ranges from grave to fair and since we are unsure what the cause is we can’t really know if we have the right thing treated at this point. Buddy has seen 5 different vets at this point and they are all working together on his case so I think we are doing all that we can for him. I am just glad to have him home.
Holly, on the other hand, is being utterly ridiculous. She will not stop hissing at him. She had to go into the time out room last night for the night because I just couldn’t have her being all hissy and mean to poor Buddy! This morning I had hoped there would be some resolution but of course not…she is being a nut case because he “smells” different. GET OVER IT! I have enough on my plate –I don’t need a hissy cat, too!
Thanks to all who have prayed for Buddy. And for me! I am trying to be optimistic. Your support and love helps. Who would have thought I would be so attached to a furry thing???
For every comment on any post during January I will donate 50 cents to KIVA. See my January 1st post for more info!
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Email me at beth.chiles@gmail.com
Hi! My name is Beth Ann and I welcome you to my blog! I love to write and share about my daily observations, travels, things I am reading, things I am doing and whatever other random things seem to be happening around me. Click on the About section on the sidebar to learn more about me and take some time looking around! Love to hear your comments so please feel free to leave your thoughts!!!
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and are hoping and praying for the best. The research on chylothorax is not very plentiful and it is contradictory so we are not really sure where this will go. The prognosis ranges from grave to fair and since we are unsure what the cause is we can’t really know if we have the right thing treated at this point. Buddy has seen 5 different vets at this point and they are all working together on his case so I think we are doing all that we can for him. I am just glad to have him home.
How to Get a Lot of Blog Comments
One thing I have figured out over the past 5 days is how to have a lot of viewers and comments on a blog. Have a sick kitty. I would not recommend this way to “stardom” and “fame” but I have had so many heart felt comments in the past few days because of my sick Buddy. Thank you to all. I mean it. From the bottom of my heart.
Just a quick update—took Buddy to see Dr. Tracy at Metz Petz Veterinary Clinic this morning and his breathing is still rapid. His heart sounds good and he is eating and drinking and doing all the normal things so that is a good sign but we are not sure if the Rutin that we are giving him will help or not. Go back for xrays on Friday and will know more then so until then I hover and watch and try to keep Hissy Holly away from him. Geez. As if I needed anything else stressful going on.
What I have learned is that Metz Petz is awesome. A huge thank you to Dr. Tracy, Dr. Melissa and Dr. Nathan for their care and concern for Buddy. I could not have found a better place to take him. I know they will be honest with me and do right by Buddy and that is all that I can ask for at this point.
My world has gotten pretty small since Thursday—vets and home and that is about it. We are winding down the house cleaning and straightening out here and this weekend made huge headway on getting ready to put the house here up for sale. It looks like an orange dot sale here because Chris and I put stickers on the items that we are going to be taking with us back to Iowa someday. The auctioneers will hopefully come this week and give us an idea of what we have and what we can expect from the May sale. My Lima “vacation” is nearing an end. I must admit I am having some emotions with that. I have gotten used to being closer to family….it will be difficult to leave that behind.
I am hoping that my next post won’t be so Buddy centered!
I need to find something non catty to blog about now, don’t I? But if you have followed me for any length of time you know that I blog about what is on my heart so there you have it!
If you want to see something that will make you say “ahhhh”, check out this video that Christine of Random Thoughts of Midlife posted the other day.
Teapot Tuesday returns tomorrow—stay tuned. And thanks for the love and purrs!
Tagged care and concern, feline chylothorax, how to get blog comments, otters holding hands video, sick cats |