Day 194: A New Invention

What is something you would like to see invented that would make your life easier?

A transporter.  Yep, I am thinking Star Trek.  There is also the magical powder used in the fireplace in the Harry Potter movies.  I want a new way to travel where it takes seconds to get from here to Bozeman or Europe.  Anywhere.  I love to travel, but oh, the flights get really long.  Or the drives get really long.  If I could get to Everett, Washington in seconds, I could go over for an evening to see my nephew play football on a Wednesday or my niece play volleyball on any given day.  This might not make day to day life easier, but it sure would make traveling amazing!

Of course, I will still go on road trips.  I love to drive!!!  I love to watch for wildlife, especially hawks, eagles, and falcons.  Thus, I wouldn't want the new transportation to take away cars and pickups.  I just want it as another option.

Day 193: Thank You Note

Write a one-minute “Thank You” note to someone.

Wow, one thank you.  I have hundreds to write.  I have been blessed with so many people coming into my life, sharing my ups and downs, making a difference.  I wouldn’t even know where to start.  I guess the person I would like to thank the most at the moment is Susan.  She is my daughter’s therapist.  After four years and as many therapists, Susan is the right one for Madelle right now.  She listens patiently while Madelle vents all her frustrations.  Once a week they spend an hour together.  Madelle gets pretty stressed as the days pass until her next appointment.  She comes out refreshed.  Thank you, Susan.

Day 192: Childhood Dreams

As a kid, what job did you dream you would have as an adult?  What job do you have now?

I was a dreamer.  I dreamt of being an oceanographer.  I loved the reruns of Flipper.  I watched things on the television about the ocean.  I daydreamed of going to Sea World.  By the time I went to the ocean for the first time, the year before I graduated from high school, I turned my thinking to accounting and journalism.  My first time to Sea World was about three years after graduation.  I am still fascinated by the ocean and all that lives under the surface.  I love to snorkel.  About every other year, I make my way to see the waves.  This year...Maui.  I can't wait to tell you about my trip.

I dreamt of being a photographer for National Geographic.  My dad let me use his Cannon AE-1 for a sixth grade project that last all year.  I was hooked.  However, I decided this wasn't the job for me due to all the travel.  I wanted to be close to home when I had kids.  Now, I am an amateur photographer.  Once the daughter is graduated, I want to play more with this hobby.  I think a book would be fun to write with my photos on the pages.  I keep thinking a book about Churches of Montana.  More to come of that in a couple of years.

I dreamt of being a writer like Laura Ingalls Wilder.  When I went off to college, practicality forced my hand.  I choose teaching instead of writing.  I did stay in the field by studying English and the great authors of Britain.  Funny enough, I only taught for three years.  Then I made my career with the military on a fulltime basis.  Now that I am retired, I do write.  I am very fortunate to have all three loves of my life play a roll in my life.  No wonder I am always filled with so much joy.

Day 191: People Watching

The library intrigues me.  So many types of people wander in and out the electric sliding door.  I watch them come and go when I sit in the atrium.  About ninety-nine percent of the time, a homeless person hangs out at a table.  Sometimes I become uncomfortable with the hard core types.  Yesterday, I watched one of about five that meandered around the area.

He wore mismatched uniform parts.  I get annoyed with people who wear the uniform incorrectly and for everyday living.  I believe the uniform should be a sign of respect.  I do take exception with the homeless.  When I see them, I imagine they suffer with PTSD.  This man looked old, Vietnam era.  However, as I grow older, some of the Iraqi vets are looking old as well.  He wore the duty coat of the computer camouflage era and trousers from the time I first enlisted in 1990.  On the back of the coat, the words "Got Jesus, Jesus is Lord" were written in black ink.  To finish his outfit, he wore a plain grey t-shirt, boots, ball cap, and a camouflaged stocking cap over the top.

When I first arrived, a couple of tables were being used.  Shortly, I found myself alone with him.  At this point, he didn't sit still.  Half his items he moved to a big round table: three packages of cup of noodle soup that had been damaged in his army green duffle bag, three books, a magazine, and a silver drinking cup.  He place a cup of soup on the magazine with a book on the top of the cup.  With a pocket knife, he began cutting up a roast beef sandwich that materialized from the duffle. 

At this point, I wondered about his condition.  How bad was his PTSD?  Or maybe this wasn't his diagnosis, but instead he had a different mental illness.  I thought of the knife.  What would push him to a point he would wield it against another.  I feel guilty thinking of these things, very uncharitable.  But in my defense, I am a writer, and I was thinking of my next novel and how I might use a character like him in the story.  Not once did I feel threatened by him.

While the soup cooked, he smoked a pipe outside, walking up and down the sidewalk.  He came back into the building to sit down with his soup.  The liquid spilled onto the magazine.  I would have panicked.  He didn't.  Casually, he took the bread from his sandwich, mopping up the broth and plopping it in his mouth.  I never saw him eat the rest of the sandwich or the soup.

Two of his friends joined him right before I began packing up to leave.  One of them was very stinky, but he left after a few moments.  I had thought to chat with him when I left, but he was busy with a friend.  Fleetingly, I considered handing him some cash, but he wasn't asking for any, and I didn't want to be disrespectful.  What would Jesus do?  Alas, I am not Jesus.  I do what Lisa does.  I watch, contemplate, and consider.  That is how I am with all the people I come across because I tend to be an introvert.  Oh, and I let my imagination run a little wild when thinking of stories.

Day 190: Embarrassing Moments

Write about one of your most embarrassing moments.

Man, nothing is coming to mind.  I know I have been embarrassed.  I just can’t think of anything.  Hum, I guess I was embarrassed a lot when I started wearing a bra.  Most of adolescence was an embarrassment.  I developed first in my class.  Well, that caused a novelty and the boys would snap my bra during recess.  I hated it and was embarrassed, but I was also angry.  I still get annoyed just thinking about it.  Stupid boys!!!

Day 189: First Apartment

Write about your first home: your childhood home or your first apartment or house of your own.

My first apartment was in the basement of a three story apartment building in Billings, Montana.  Pipes ran through the apartment.  I had a bedroom, super tiny kitchen, claw foot tub in the little bathroom, and a cozy living room.  I lived on 1st Avenue North, just a few blocks down from where the hookers walked the street.  Yep, a bad section of town.  I never had any bad situations happen to me, but I sure hated going in and out of the apartment in the dark.  Scary!

Day 188: Physically Fit

Have you ever been significantly more or less physically fit than you are today?  What was different about that?  What was easier?  Harder?  Did others treat you any differently?

In my early thirties, I was in the best shape of my life.  I was running a lot.  I even competed in a couple of biathlons.  I wanted to continue, but I would have had to take a lot of time that I spent with my boys and train instead.  I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my kids for the sport, especially since I wasn’t very good at the running.

Being physically active was easer then it had been in the past because I was given three hours a week to work out during my work day.  This was awesome.  Also I was younger.  Now, I can’t run at all.  My body is almost always in pain at the moment because of the rheumatoid arthritis.  I have plenty of time to workout, but it just hurts like hell.

As for being treated any differently?  Well, sure.  Guys treated me differently because I looked great.  Human nature right there.  But they just treated the outside differently, I am still treated the same by my friends and family no matter what shape I am in.

Day 187: Needed

When was the last time you felt needed?

As a mom, I am needed most days.  I am the one to drive Madelle to and from school.  She also needs me to help her with her emotional disabilities.  Just today, I picked from school, and she was having a meltdown.  When people complain and are negative, it sucks her down into a deep pit of despair.  She is oversensitive.  She knows her reaction is illogical, we just haven't found the key for a better outcome.  Today, school was very negative.  For about 45 minutes, she had to vent.  She needed me to listen. I think this block of instruction will be a high need for my help for her.  I am going to need a vacation.  Though she is better at advocating for herself, I still have to step in for her.  When her dad wanted to step in with this situation, she said no.  We have gone to the school way to much she said.  I agreed.  She needs to try to work this one out herself.

In reality, I don't like to be needed.  Sure, I have no issue with a friend needing a ride and such.  But for someone to rely on me for everything makes me claustrophobic.  I am very fortunate because both the daughter and husband can handle everything else.  I really am not needed.  However, they appreciate the fact that I take care of the housework and laundry.

Day 187: Virtual Friends

Have you ever made a friend with, or fallen in love with, someone you met online?

Back in 1986, I worked at United Bank in Libby.  I was the night processer.  I ran all the nightly reports and sorted all the checks.  Once a month, I also put the checks in envelopes to send to the owners.  I loved this job.  During the evening, I always chatted on the computer with a guy from Columbia Falls who did my same job there.  We discussed problems we had during the night.  Over the months, we got to know each other really well.  He was married with a couple of kids.  When the computers went offline, we called one another.  Both of us appreciated the uniqueness in our friendship.  This was in the day when no one talked over computer.  He was my first friend made through the computer.  And I never met him in person nor had a clue what he looked like in real life.

Day 186: Easter 2019

My favorite holiday has been Easter for a very long time.  The day takes place in the spring, my favorite season. The joy of all the snow melting, the grass turning green, and tulips sprouting up from the warming earth fits so well with the promise of new life with Jesus.  This year, the day leading up to Easter killed my joy.

Excitement filled the air with some new flowers coming from Breaks along with a promising forecast of sunshine.  Thursday, I went out to dig a couple of areas in my beds, clean out some weeds, and prepare some pots. I successfully planted half the order, but my hip began aching.  I decided to rest. I worried about whether I could finish up on Friday.

I woke with energy.  I succeeded in doing the Easter shopping first thing in the morning.  Yay!!! With the temperature soaring into the high 60’s I tackled my new flower bed that I call the Memorial Garden.  I started the project three years ago. The first year I put in a sugar maple. Year two, I laid down plastic to kill grass.  This year, I am actually planting flowers. I rototilled, added compost, and planted five plants. I still felt good.

Yesterday, I paid the price for all the work.  However, the pain hit even harder because our nice desert area turned into Seattle on steroids.  Today has been more the same: rain and clouds. My RA kicks in on days like today. But I had to power on.  I cleaned the office for my work, the real work where I get paid. The rest of the day I made cookies, shopped again for a potential new bed, wrote a little, and spent a lovely evening with friends.  I limped as I walked to their house, two doors down. Not good. Last night, I didn’t sleep well.

So, today has been tough.  I just want to sleep. Instead, we of course went to Mass.  I hurt both sitting and standing. Once home, I started the heating pad.  I am so blessed. Jerry took over the dinner I prepared. Sure he usually does all the cooking, but he just got home from three weeks in Fort Lewis.  I wanted to do the meal. Oh well. I did make the bread pudding and half the pesto dip.

I have still enjoyed the day.  I played a game of cribbage with Clay.  All four of us have been visiting all day.  Madelle is enjoying the family gift of a new PS4.  Our XBox quite working in December. Now I finally have something to watch my movies on and her and her brother can play games long distance together.  Our day hasn’t been super spectacular. Instead, the day has been a pleasant ordinary day. These can be some of the best.

Day 185: Commonalities

What do you and your spouse or best friend have in common?

When I was dating, I had a few requirements for a husband.  He had to carry on a conversation that went beyond his car, his band, and karate.  Yep, those were some of the guys I dated before him that couldn’t talk about anything else.  I also wanted him to be a good dad.  I had the best dad in the world, and he had to be second best.  Finally, he had to have a faith life of his own.  My spouse is all of that and so much more.

We both love our kids, including the ones we have collected along the way.  Faith is the staple of our marriage.  We love our parish and both volunteer.  We love to read, study history, and travel everywhere.  We can talk almost all topics.  We are loyal Americans and soldiers.  We love to go to the movies or just walk around downtown.  We are both game to go to a theater production, an art gallery, a museum, or a concert.  Oh, and Monday nights, we love to go watch football and have a drink. He isn’t into gardening like I am, but he will go through a botanical garden, and he enjoys watching my plants grow and bloom.  I am not one to like cooking, but I enjoy his passion to cook and smoke/barbecue and go to competitions.  In the same respect, I don’t mind sending him out the door to hangout with a buddy or volunteer for one of his organizations.  He sends me out the door to attend a writing workshop or go on a weekend getaway by myself to write.  I can’t imagine a better person to travel with on this journey.

Day 184: Morons

Not one, but two people, right in a row, blew through the four way stop at Montana and Sierra.  I sat there in disbelief.  The first was a black truck.  He rolled through the intersection, turning right.  I stopped just before him and had hesitated because we almost got there at the same time.  Well, he obviously thought he deserved to go first.  Thank goodness, I waited a second.

Right behind him, a white van with writing on the side, cruised through going about twenty miles an hour.  Not breaking at all!  The drive was a woman looking down at her phone.  Come on?  Are serious?  I doubled checked to see if the stop sign had been removed in the last three days since I drove this route last.  Nope, it is still there.  I thank God that I had a feeling and refused to trust other drivers?  Why?  Because they are morons.

Be safe out their people and practice defensive driving.

Day 183: Resting

What do you spend most of your time doing every day (when you are not writing)?

Resting.  I hate to rest, but it is necessary, especially of late.  I love to go, go, go.  I love to do, do, do.  I have lists of things to do that are a mile long.  I have spreadsheets I make up for the year.  If I didn’t have RA, I think I might be the supreme ruler I discussed last week.  Kidding, but not completely.

If I were to spend a day going, like I would love to do, the next day my poor husband would have to take time off from work to get our daughter to and from school because I would be in bed.  I hate this so much, but this is the reality of my life.  So, I do a task or two and then go rest for one television show.  I could spend my time better by reading a book or researching, but I know me.  After twenty minutes, I would be up doing something.  The television show keeps me down for a good 40 to 45 minutes.

I keep looking at my walls.  I so want to repaint them.  Unfortunately, my remission ended last year, so I have been dealing with a lot of pain and excruciating fatigue.  I have some hope.  I am doubling my meds (I hate being on meds), hoping the RA will go back into remission.  If that happens, watch out.  The paint brush is going to come out!!!  The resting will come to only in the evening.

Day 183: Storage

What would you like to put in storage?

I just read an article about storage facilities.  Everywhere we turn here in our little Montana, new storage buildings are being built.  I hadn't really noticed until my brother-in-law talked about one of his friends in the Seattle area.  This guy was brilliant.  He grabs up property by new housing developments and builds storage units.  The guy is now super rich.  I look at this happening here and wish I would have thought of that.  Someone here is making a killing.  However, they aren't making a killing off of me.  I don't believe in storage units unless they are for a transition in life, a move or a military deployment.  However, there is something I would love to store in my garage.

In the winter, I would like to put an old classic car in my side of the garage for storage.  I would like an old 68 Mustang.  Of course, I also wouldn’t mind an old classic Mercedes or a pickup truck.  I have a pickup in mind, but I can’t remember the year or make. If I had the money for one, I would contact my cousin to see what my grandpa drove when I was little.  I loved his truck.

Other then that, I hate putting things in “storage” in my garage and shed besides the gardening equipment and Christmas Ornaments.  I really need to clean both areas. They are way too cluttered.  I couldn't get a vehicle in there at the moment.  However, if I had a antique vehicle, I would move stuff out of the garage and put a take for free sign on it.

Day 182: Distractions

What is a sure-fire way to distract you from the task at hand?

Low energy and pain, which is an everyday occurrence.  Yes, this seems very doom and gloom.  I don’t like to say my disease gets the best of me, but it does.  I have all these high hopes to get so much accomplished in the day.  The morning begins well.  I start crossing off my to do list.  However, after three hours, I find myself resting.  I either read a book or watch a television show.  I don’t want to be distracted.  I don’t want to lose the battle.  What keeps me going is my thankful prayer at the end of every day.  Otherwise, I would probably become depressed.  Prayer is a huge factor in my life to help me get through the disappointments.

Oh, my husband is also a great distracter.  He always finds fun things to do or places to go.  I will think I have all day Saturday to do work.  The next thing I know, we are running around town.  Or even better, we drive to a neighboring town for an activity.  Earlier this year, we went to Belgrade to watch Wolf Point girls play in the championship basketball game.  Before hand, we had dinner with Clay and his roommate.  I love our spontaneous, distracting outings!  Oh, and these distractions help distract me from my issues with low energy and pain.  What a bonus.

Day 181: Saying My Piece

Fill in the blanks: "I would like to march right up to ___________and say, '__________.'"

Wow, this prompt feels very aggressive.  I am not one to air my dirty laundry on the internet for the most part.  I am also not very confrontational.  However, I have to say, the couple people that come to mind, if they aren't so self-absorbed to not listen to my words, know what I have said to them.  I really believe there are a basic three types of people.  Those you tell the truth to who are really not worth the drama.  They won't change.  I won't change.  So being confrontational with this is a waste of time.  The self-absorbed people ignore what you say and go on as if everything is peachy.  The rare few listen.  They try to help me by making the situation better.  I could give examples, but I want to turn this prompt into something positive.

Yesterday, I did march up to a person, and I said my piece.  I was at Mass going to the alter for communion.  A friend of mine I hadn't seen in a couple of months was three rows back from where I was standing in line.  I marched up to Laura.  We embraced in a long hug.  I said, "I love you."  At the exact same time, she said the same to me.

Life is short.  Life is full of struggles.  I don't know what my disease will do to me next.  She doesn't know what her disease will do to her.  We are both battling our health.  Even without that battle, life can end so quickly.  I learned that so many years ago when my sister-in-law died in a vehicle accident at the age of 20.  We need to march up to those we love and tell them. 

Day 180: Compliments

How do you react when someone compliments you?

Oh, there are a number of ways I respond to the person.  If I don’t know them or don’t know them well, I thank them and smile.  My reaction gets tricky if I know the person well.  When I am feeling good about myself, I grin and say thank you, or I actually agree with them.  Most of the time, this isn’t the case.  I usually roll my eyes and say something that I mean to be funny but is actually degrading to myself.  I basically don’t believe people when they compliment me.  I do try to work on this, but I fail more often then not.

When people compliment me on something I do, I tend to point out the areas where I see flaws.  Stupid.  Everything has flaws, take the compliment already with grace.  No, I am not good at taking a compliment.

Day 179: Supreme Ruler

If and when you become the Supreme Ruler of the World, who will be your top advisor?

Hum, picking my husband makes a lot of sense.  He and I see the world with a similar viewpoint.  I would like almost everything he has to say; however, I think we would be too much alike.  So, I pick one of my dear friend’s, Barb.  Now granted, we could be considered similar, but she is different in all the ways I would enhance my rule the world.  She isn’t shy about telling me how I need to react better in certain areas and to look at things from a different angle.  I think she would be an added benefit for my supreme rule.

Day 178: Extracurricular Activities

Write about an extracurricular activity you did when you were growing up, and how it affects (or does not affect) your life now.  If you did not do any extracurricular activities, write about what you would have liked to do.

Through out school, I was in basketball, volleyball, twirling, pep band, pep club, school historian, and speech.  All of these activities taught me the value of being involved and extended community.  The activity to impact me the most was school historian.  I traveled with all the team sports and attended every event.  I took pictures and organized them in a scrapbook.  I loved this activity more then any of the others.  To this day, I still take pictures.  Granted, the way people take pictures with their phones, I don’t do it that often, but I do try to document life.  I believe the activity gave me a love of history and current events in everyday life.

Day 177: Lost Track of Time

Write about an experience you had when you lost track of time.

Some of these writing topics are bla, bla, bla.  The only time I can think of is a couple years ago I was busy writing.  I can’t remember the scene, but I was wrapped up in my world of Icordia.  I looked at the clock and realized we were late for an appointment.  From that time forward, I always set my alarm on my phone if I think I have the potential of forgetting the time.

Of course, when I am on vacation, I ignore time, unless of course needing to catch a plane or train.  Oh, or getting to a destination as soon as the doors open.  I am so looking forward to our mother/daughter trip to Hawaii.  I plan to cancel all my alarms, well, except the one to remind me to take my medicine.  I am going to leave my phone in the room every time I go to the beach.  Granted, I will make sure I am tracking time for the Luau, but that is about it.  Otherwise, I am going to lose track of time while on the island.

Day 176: The Wrong Picture

Look around you right now.  What is wrong with this picture?

Absolutely nothing is wrong with this picture of me sitting in my living room typing on my laptop.  Sure, the area behind the television needs to be stuccoed, painted, and decorated.  I plan to do this when Jerry and Madelle go off to a barbecue competition this summer.  At the same time, I am going to repaint the brown in the living room.  I don’t like the color with the new floors.  I guess that is wrong with this picture.  In the next day or two, I am going to paint the armrest of the bench that sits off to my left.  I have put the project off for a number of years.  This week will be the end of that procrastination.  I hope.  Other then these small items, I love my living room.

Day 175: Locked Up

Chapel in Hampton Court

Where would you be pleased to find yourself locked up overnight?

My first thought was on a cruise ship.  But, I can stay on a cruise ship.  I have stayed on a cruise ship.  My next thought was Windsor Castle.  What a beautiful place to visit!!!  However, I finally came up with the perfect answer: Hampton Court.  I would wander from room to room in hopes of seeing the ghost of Elizabeth I or her father, Henry the VIII.  Of course, the potential number of ghosts is more then I care to list.  These two are a good start.

Hampton Court may be my favorite “home” that I have visited so far in my travels.  I loved the age of the castle, the history, the feeling of stepping back in time.  I loved walking where Elizabeth walked.  In the chapel, I loved praying where Catherine of Aragon prayed for her doomed marriage to Henry VIII.  I still get giddy thinking about being there.  I want to go again someday.  I missed walking in the gardens.  In fact, next time, I think I should book two nights in the vicinity, so I can spend one day in the house and one day in the gardens.  I would loved being locked up there.

Day 174: Sunrise or Sunset?

Which do you prefer: sunrise or sunset?

Both the sunrise and sunset are beautiful, but I prefer sunrise.  One of the main reasons is because I am already up.  I love mornings.  Now that the weather is warming, I will spend time in the morning on the front porch communing with the sun.  I love to feel the rays as they warm the earth and my bones.  I also love the sunrise because the mornings are so peaceful.

With that said, I am so excited to see both later this year on a Maui beach.  Stunning!!!

Day 173: Statements

What do the clothes you are wearing now say about you?

I am sitting on the couch resting.  I am wearing a pair of dress black Capri pants with a purple flowered blouse.  The statement, I have been to church.  I am also wearing a steampunk necklace with a heart watch at the end of the chain with three gears, expressing my unique and quirky personality.  But alas, I think it is time to take the daughter shopping for a new pair of shoes.  I think I will change into a pair of jeans to be a little more practical with my shoe selection.

Day 172: Where the Boys Are

Sunday afternoon, my fingers tapped away at accomplishing another 700 words to reach my monthly goal.  I sat on the couch with my headphones on while my husband watched the end of a movie.  I looked up to see the next movie playing on TMC was Where the Boys Are.  I watched this movie way back in the day.  Finishing up the last hundred words, I closed the laptop and turned my attention to the television.

Wow, what a difference thirty plus years make on the important parts of the movie.  I always remembered the movie as a fun, free loving story about spring break in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  I wanted to take a trip there after I grew up and went to college.  Unfortunately, I didn’t even have enough money to make it home during spring break.  I was so poor.

I still loved the movie after all these years.  However, I was shocked at the end of the movie.  One of the girls was raped and tried to kill herself walking down a busy street.  I completely missed this part of the movie when I watched it the first time.  How did that happen?  I wonder if maybe I didn’t see the entire film.  Or I was simply too young when I watched it for that to really make an impression.  Only a brief second of fear crossed the girl’s face.  I am sure it didn’t even register for me.  I think I saw the movie in my early teens.  I was probably confused about her walking in the middle of the road and the hospital scene.  Since the movie was made in 1957, the references were subtle.  But what an eye opener.

Day 171: Overrated

What is something totally overrated in your world?

College education for everyone is highly overrated.  Yes, I have a college degree.  I am very happy I received that degree because it taught me that I love history.  I also learned how to work hard.  To get through school since I had no one helping me pay for anything, I learned to work three jobs while going to school fulltime.  My degree was hard won, and I am very proud of myself for graduating.

With all of this said, in reality, I only used my full degree for three years.  Was all that money a waste?  No.  When I was hired fulltime out at the fort as a technician, my boss said he hired me as the lead voucher examiner because I had a degree.  The door wouldn’t have opened to me so soon.  I am pretty positive my education also helped me rise in the federal program.  I also used my education training to train people in finances.

However, college isn’t for everyone.  All three of my kids have been pushed to go to college by the school system.  My oldest had no desire to go with a four year degree.  Instead, he worked for an associates.  My middle started out in college, but he wasn’t ready.  He is going now for an associates as well.  That is perfectly fine.  Currently, my youngest doesn’t want to go through more schooling.  We are supporting her and looking for other types of education in the fields that she is interested in at this point.  

I really believe we need to bring trade schools back as an option for our kids.  Our school counselors need to push other avenues as much as they push college.  In the end, I don’t care what job my kids have as long as they are working and making their way in the world.  I hope they have the wherewithal to save for retirement and live within their means.  But college? Highly overrated.

Day 170: Learning

What is something you have learned lately?

The other night while sitting at the Knights of Columbus bar, my husband helped me with the end of my novel.  Well, he gave me a tool to help me with the writing.  I am at the end of book five.  I have six potential battles in four areas and multiple groups of people.  The timeline is killing me at this point.  So, we asked for paper.  He taught me how to write an operations order.

Six pieces of scrap paper later, I had drawn out the terrain of the two valleys where the action will happen in for the end of the book.  I also started the operations order.  T-0 begins the timeline the day before the battles start. T-1 will be day two and you guessed it.  T-2 is day three.  Of course, for my purposes, I will do T-1-a for hour one. Wow, this is a huge.  Though it took me a while, I believe the end is organized.  I would post the operations order, but the end of the book would be known.  I can't do that.

Day 169: Magic Soap

You have magic soap.  What does it wash away?

Mental illness!  Of all the struggles that I have fought in my life of 50 years, mental illness wreaks the most havoc.  Many of my family members fight mental illness.  I have fought depression a couple of times and postpartum depression.  I have had panic attacks.  Though this was terrible, living through the first three years of my daughter’s illness was one hundred times worse.  Yes, I concentrate on all the good that has come through our journey, but from here on out, I would be so thankful to wash further episodes away.