Why do we live all year for our annual vacation time away from the daily grind of the job we are all supposed to be so thankful to have....hmmm I do not have an answer for that.. BUTTTT I do have a few thoughts on it....
We spend SO much time with our co-workers...more than with our families...we get caught up in their drama, struggles, moods, delights, kids, grand kids, activities, religious beliefs, you name it...we can not escape them....at times this wears me out and drives me to the brink of exhaustion and very near depression.....
In a small town, you can NOT help but know STUFF about people....I have often said IF i did not KNOW so much about people it would be easier to like them.
Sometimes in the work-place ALL is not FAIR...much like life....
So much of WHO we are and what people expect of us is SOOO wrapped up in our actions and decisions made while on the job....Am I worthy, smart, pretty, capable, patient etc etc... enough for all the demands that are made of me on a daily basis....
Working for the public, you are exposed to the best and the worst of people, they smell, they cough on you, they don't clean their fingernails, they talk on the dreaded cell phone while conducting their business without EVER really speaking to YOU, they tell you all their medical problems, their joys and their fears....sometimes it simply is T M I I tell ya...
Men are way OVER-PAID and WOMEN do ALL the 'running' of nearly every business....yet Good Ole boys seem to rule....and Old MEN are GRUMPIER than old women....plus they are just grodie....
Some of us work to simply be able to afford Health Insurance....
Some of us have more than one job...some have spouses that have lost a job, or can't maintain employment, or work ALL. THE. TIME.
I wish I did not HAVE to go to work...I am never bored.... I have too many interests...but since most of them involve money in one form or another....I guess I will continue living for these few short days of complete bliss and quiet and reading, and praying, and sitting on the deck, not setting the alarm clock that has been flashing for over a week, I wake up at 5 every morning anyway, not cooking, cleaning my treasures, playing in the dirt, generally avoiding all public appearances, just being thankful for ALLL that I am truly blessed with..playing with grandkids, put on a Happy Face and Get myself back to work bright and early in the morning....
The GOOD NEWS...I still have 5 more days of vacation left....My one EXTRA benefit f working someplace going on 19 yrs....I EARN 3 weeks of paid vacation....WaHOOOO
TIME TO COUNT THE MONEY.....
I am working on the attitude....of being grateful for my job....it is a struggle more now than it EVER has been....
So for right now I am going to CHERISH deep in my soul the next few hours.....
How may I help You????
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
We call him Papa
Father's Day is upon us....A Day to be thankful for the men in our lives....
Just a few short years ago....20 in February...Jene Allen entered our lives to become the Step-dad to my 2 children...I do NOT know how the term 'step' got involved with re-marriages and blended families...I for one am not a big fan of that description...
HE LOVES HIS HARLEY more than life itself!!
He is the youngest in his family...some say a spoiled rotten brat....
He was a single dad to 3 very onry boys for nearly 3 yrs...He had NEVER. EVER. been around a little girl.. We quite literally ROCKED their world...we came with, potions and creams and beauty supplies, and magazines, and we didn't like gravy on everything that we ate....they moved in with us...we had one semi-working bathroom, they came with 3 paper routes, one job as county Sheriff with 24-7 calls and 'STUFF', they were rough and tumbled and shot stuff and drove fast, and made huge messes EVERYWHERE, UN-ending laundry, more sports than we could attend...we were book-worms and had cats, we were quite people, they were loud.....
He asked me on a date.....HOLY CRAP a date ....I went thinking he was a dirty old man....we had fun...and we kept going on dates...so that they were... I was AFRAID to tell me mom...after- all I was nearly 31 years old....we talked and talked and did some kissing...not bad for an OLD guy....then YIKES..he proclaimed he loved me and thought this could all work as ONE family....I stood firm and declared NOT ON YOUR LIFE Sheriff....I got the heck out of that relationship in a HURRY....Silence was not so golden....He was hurt but alas he was PERSISTENT...then he felt sorry for me and hired me so I could have 3 jobs to make ends meet and I became his dispatcher....some training was required and equipment was installed in my house....a few awkward moments....and soon we were kissing again....
THE REST IS HISTORY....
Loretta insisted on a cake after the wedding, we went on an overnite HONEYMOON to Wichita, we both had to work on Monday....Moving commenced and LO and BEHOLD I found myself in a big ole busy blended family...
LONG story short.....It had a million rough spots, and bunch of laughter, buckets of tears, hundreds of loads of laundry, a TON and 1/2 of food, Gallons of Milk and even more gallons of gas...
He really is the very best thing that has come along in my life....
The biggest blessing to me and my heart is that he has ALWAYS treated my children as if they were his own...
My Grandkids have no idea he is NOT their BIOLOGICAL Papa....their love between the 4 of them is palpable, honest, spontaneous, genuine, without time limits and full of hugs and giggles....They all favor him over me ( SNIFF.. sniff pout and cry - t0 NO avail)
So my tribute to FATHERS DAY goes to Mr... A....We love YA
His boys and grandkids think he is tops and so do we.....
Happy DAD's day Papa Jene....
Just a few short years ago....20 in February...Jene Allen entered our lives to become the Step-dad to my 2 children...I do NOT know how the term 'step' got involved with re-marriages and blended families...I for one am not a big fan of that description...
HE LOVES HIS HARLEY more than life itself!!
He is the youngest in his family...some say a spoiled rotten brat....
He was a single dad to 3 very onry boys for nearly 3 yrs...He had NEVER. EVER. been around a little girl.. We quite literally ROCKED their world...we came with, potions and creams and beauty supplies, and magazines, and we didn't like gravy on everything that we ate....they moved in with us...we had one semi-working bathroom, they came with 3 paper routes, one job as county Sheriff with 24-7 calls and 'STUFF', they were rough and tumbled and shot stuff and drove fast, and made huge messes EVERYWHERE, UN-ending laundry, more sports than we could attend...we were book-worms and had cats, we were quite people, they were loud.....
He asked me on a date.....HOLY CRAP a date ....I went thinking he was a dirty old man....we had fun...and we kept going on dates...so that they were... I was AFRAID to tell me mom...after- all I was nearly 31 years old....we talked and talked and did some kissing...not bad for an OLD guy....then YIKES..he proclaimed he loved me and thought this could all work as ONE family....I stood firm and declared NOT ON YOUR LIFE Sheriff....I got the heck out of that relationship in a HURRY....Silence was not so golden....He was hurt but alas he was PERSISTENT...then he felt sorry for me and hired me so I could have 3 jobs to make ends meet and I became his dispatcher....some training was required and equipment was installed in my house....a few awkward moments....and soon we were kissing again....
THE REST IS HISTORY....
Loretta insisted on a cake after the wedding, we went on an overnite HONEYMOON to Wichita, we both had to work on Monday....Moving commenced and LO and BEHOLD I found myself in a big ole busy blended family...
LONG story short.....It had a million rough spots, and bunch of laughter, buckets of tears, hundreds of loads of laundry, a TON and 1/2 of food, Gallons of Milk and even more gallons of gas...
He really is the very best thing that has come along in my life....
The biggest blessing to me and my heart is that he has ALWAYS treated my children as if they were his own...
My Grandkids have no idea he is NOT their BIOLOGICAL Papa....their love between the 4 of them is palpable, honest, spontaneous, genuine, without time limits and full of hugs and giggles....They all favor him over me ( SNIFF.. sniff pout and cry - t0 NO avail)
So my tribute to FATHERS DAY goes to Mr... A....We love YA
His boys and grandkids think he is tops and so do we.....
Happy DAD's day Papa Jene....
Monday, June 13, 2011
Blogs are so much fun...They are cheap..Free if you don't count the cost of Internet....I have cancelled nearly all of my magazine subscriptions....this place is full of low cost ideas and I love to read, imagine, wish, dream, do, paint, plan, cook, decorate, collect, display, rearrange, organize, drink, read, re-do, spray-paint....what more could a girl ask for...
I love it that WESTYNN loves to help when we are working on a project....A cuter helper would be hard to find.
We love to eat FUN food when we have a 30th Birthday party.....
I started a blog at the encouragement of a very good friend and a spunky daughter that writes the best blog that should have at least a million followers...then I promptly decided I (we) are beyond boring and NO ONE would read this....Well,, after nearly a million of my own personal 'reads' of other blogs....I am NOT boring.....just lazy....and somewhat techno challenged....I take random photos that mostly suck with a free camera...I THINK alot of cool things...I tackle any number of DIY things, we eat often, party some (as in birthdays ) so I am once again going to try this....
BEAR WITH ME....
I love to have the cutest centerpieces for the table...courtesy of Sara and my Christmas garlands....NOTHING is sacred.....
some random ness from, the very boring life of the ALLEN's with a touch of dry humor, some wit, sarcasm, insight and strickly my OWN opinions....It's genetic I have one on nearly EVERYTHING....
I LOVE LOVE LOVE, did I mention I love to make jelly....I would so quit my day job to make jelly....hmmmmmm I have some for sale.....I REALLY love CAAute jar lids too...
Welcome back to GLORIOUS JUNKE....my son went to Ireland and Europe for nearly 18 months and wrote a wonderful GLORIOUS travel blog...that will bring tears to my eyes, and in a post he went to or by or saw a flea market and referred to it as MOM would love all the GLORIOUS JUNKE they have over here.....Bingo...name for a blog that I did not know that I was going to write....
Clink...HERE is to ALL the GLORIOUS Junke that I am sharing with you...
I love it that WESTYNN loves to help when we are working on a project....A cuter helper would be hard to find.
I started a blog at the encouragement of a very good friend and a spunky daughter that writes the best blog that should have at least a million followers...then I promptly decided I (we) are beyond boring and NO ONE would read this....Well,, after nearly a million of my own personal 'reads' of other blogs....I am NOT boring.....just lazy....and somewhat techno challenged....I take random photos that mostly suck with a free camera...I THINK alot of cool things...I tackle any number of DIY things, we eat often, party some (as in birthdays ) so I am once again going to try this....
BEAR WITH ME....
some random ness from, the very boring life of the ALLEN's with a touch of dry humor, some wit, sarcasm, insight and strickly my OWN opinions....It's genetic I have one on nearly EVERYTHING....
Welcome back to GLORIOUS JUNKE....my son went to Ireland and Europe for nearly 18 months and wrote a wonderful GLORIOUS travel blog...that will bring tears to my eyes, and in a post he went to or by or saw a flea market and referred to it as MOM would love all the GLORIOUS JUNKE they have over here.....Bingo...name for a blog that I did not know that I was going to write....
Clink...HERE is to ALL the GLORIOUS Junke that I am sharing with you...
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Fall
Coleus Who knew It would grow here
Grandma Nina always had some growing in her house.
One Final burst of Red Beauties before a frost
These are just a few photos of some of the back yard flowers....They seem to have re-gained their desire to flourish...for just a few more days...
I have been enjoying them more than ever....I love fall and all the leaves changing and blowing and falling....I do not enjoy the bare-ness of winter.....
My mums ( the few that the grasshoppers did not gulp down) are beautiful...not a lush as in years past but pretty lavender and yellow...
Happy Fall y'all..
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Party Place
This is certainly a week of using this old house...
Wednesday = I hosted a little party for my cousin Shawn who is trying to re-start her At Home America home-based party thingy...She does not have enough to do with her days...so now she wants to fill her nights too...I don't have her energy....she has dial-up Internet...so she is not as easily distracted as I am...
PRIOR to this event....THis 50 year old had some MAJOR house cleaning to do....can you say DUST-BUNNIES without thinking I am terrible....this house is nearly 100 yrs. old,..the joints creak, the floors dip here and there, the windows look CLOUDY ( never-mind that I have only washed them twice the entire time that I have lived here) ( in my DEFENSE they are practically impossible to get open, in,,,, out, much less clean.!!), so dust flies in here at free will, and lands on every surface that I abuse with my collections.( THAT I STILL LOVE), plus we are major slobs-- Jene and I...we used to blame the children all 5 of them in birth order, slowly as they left home, the laundry just got lighter and the messes remained...durnd kids~!~!..
Of course Shawn remembered that I said I would LOVE to host a party for her...called and said let's have a date....YIKES....messy summer house...LOVE TO....secretly scoping out the dirt....HOLY CRAP!! So promptly set down at the laptop to check out facebook....
For 2 days....
then I thought about cleaning for nearly a week,,, then I started tweaking the dust and
thinking I should clean a closet or 3 in preparation for the city wide garage sale (In October) see I like to start things EARLY!!! You know how people look in your closet when they come for a party!! Snoops~~ The night before I worked myself into a frenzy and by golly this old house came out looking like a Queenie....
Party on, guests came, we ate, we laughed, we drank, we spent money, Shawn and I (Mostly Shawn) gossiped about our ENTIRE family....I got some free stuff, Shawn made a few extra bucks, Jene got a ride on HD, Cooper got ALOT of attention....What more could a girl ask for....
Thursday....Preparation for party No 2 and Party No 3 this week....
For none-other than Sweet Little coming into HIS own Personality Great Big One Year old
WESTYNN COLE...
His Beach Bum Water Park Invite All your friends and family from 3 states ( they all said YES we will come) party is Saturday...
His Bless His Little Heart to Heaven Baptism Celebration after Church Dinner will be Sunday - with Most of the people that came for the water splash party and a preacher and his bride ..
Excited...Why yes we are....
When we remodeled I said to handsome Jene...I just want people to feel welcome and at home in our home...I want to share the room that we are blessed with...I want to hear laughter, I want to have alot of good food, I want to make memories here for me and my family ( and yours if they want to participate)..
He never rolled his eyes (in front of me anyway)
So he set about to let me decorate this house to suit me, he has been mowing for weeks and watering to beat the heat and grasshoppers and fussing over the meat for the grill....and telling me to get off of facebook and do my part around here ( HE IS SO BOSSY) I say FEAR NOT MR. Allen....multi-talented daughter is in CHARGE of decorations and party planning...I just have to make potato salad...( while I am checking a few of my favorite BLOGS)
So preparations are nearly done....Anticipation is high....food is getting ready....no photos....decorations are top secret....
We leave for Zenda to Celebrate Brother Jerry turning 80...I hope the SURPRISE is gentle on his heart....
4 parties - 1 week -- = The Party Place..
I could not have any more wishes for this house to come true...( unless is STAYED this clean...always)
Oh..well...we have to live here....
Happy Birthday
Wednesday = I hosted a little party for my cousin Shawn who is trying to re-start her At Home America home-based party thingy...She does not have enough to do with her days...so now she wants to fill her nights too...I don't have her energy....she has dial-up Internet...so she is not as easily distracted as I am...
PRIOR to this event....THis 50 year old had some MAJOR house cleaning to do....can you say DUST-BUNNIES without thinking I am terrible....this house is nearly 100 yrs. old,..the joints creak, the floors dip here and there, the windows look CLOUDY ( never-mind that I have only washed them twice the entire time that I have lived here) ( in my DEFENSE they are practically impossible to get open, in,,,, out, much less clean.!!), so dust flies in here at free will, and lands on every surface that I abuse with my collections.( THAT I STILL LOVE), plus we are major slobs-- Jene and I...we used to blame the children all 5 of them in birth order, slowly as they left home, the laundry just got lighter and the messes remained...durnd kids~!~!..
Of course Shawn remembered that I said I would LOVE to host a party for her...called and said let's have a date....YIKES....messy summer house...LOVE TO....secretly scoping out the dirt....HOLY CRAP!! So promptly set down at the laptop to check out facebook....
For 2 days....
then I thought about cleaning for nearly a week,,, then I started tweaking the dust and
thinking I should clean a closet or 3 in preparation for the city wide garage sale (In October) see I like to start things EARLY!!! You know how people look in your closet when they come for a party!! Snoops~~ The night before I worked myself into a frenzy and by golly this old house came out looking like a Queenie....
Party on, guests came, we ate, we laughed, we drank, we spent money, Shawn and I (Mostly Shawn) gossiped about our ENTIRE family....I got some free stuff, Shawn made a few extra bucks, Jene got a ride on HD, Cooper got ALOT of attention....What more could a girl ask for....
Thursday....Preparation for party No 2 and Party No 3 this week....
For none-other than Sweet Little coming into HIS own Personality Great Big One Year old
WESTYNN COLE...
His Beach Bum Water Park Invite All your friends and family from 3 states ( they all said YES we will come) party is Saturday...
His Bless His Little Heart to Heaven Baptism Celebration after Church Dinner will be Sunday - with Most of the people that came for the water splash party and a preacher and his bride ..
Excited...Why yes we are....
When we remodeled I said to handsome Jene...I just want people to feel welcome and at home in our home...I want to share the room that we are blessed with...I want to hear laughter, I want to have alot of good food, I want to make memories here for me and my family ( and yours if they want to participate)..
He never rolled his eyes (in front of me anyway)
So he set about to let me decorate this house to suit me, he has been mowing for weeks and watering to beat the heat and grasshoppers and fussing over the meat for the grill....and telling me to get off of facebook and do my part around here ( HE IS SO BOSSY) I say FEAR NOT MR. Allen....multi-talented daughter is in CHARGE of decorations and party planning...I just have to make potato salad...( while I am checking a few of my favorite BLOGS)
So preparations are nearly done....Anticipation is high....food is getting ready....no photos....decorations are top secret....
We leave for Zenda to Celebrate Brother Jerry turning 80...I hope the SURPRISE is gentle on his heart....
4 parties - 1 week -- = The Party Place..
I could not have any more wishes for this house to come true...( unless is STAYED this clean...always)
Oh..well...we have to live here....
Happy Birthday
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Happiest Birthday EVER!!! to date!!
How may I help you??Saturday August 21, 2010..I turned 5o years old..quietly, laughing, taking photos, eating to much of a good thing from Jene's grill, swimming, cupcakes, home-made ice cream with all the toppings we could eat, spending time with my handsome hubby, onry-precious grandkids, and my 2 very talented and computer smart children, we dug through an old barn for some barn wood for Russ, I received a WONDERFUL old dining room table and 3 historic chairs just for being present, was on the receiving end of a MUCH NEEDED computer operator update and technical class, held on the couch with 2 laptops (PRICELESS) I would be hard-pressed to say WHAT was my favorite part of the day...
 |
| Family is the BEST |
It did not go un-noticed by me that they all gave up precious time from their busy lives and schedules and families to spend the weekend with me....I cherish this kind of devotion as a mom...It gets harder and harder to have quality family time as everyone grows up...(PRICELESS)
I am thankful to be healthy and of sound mind enough to just sit back and watch as they grow and evolve in to the people that I am so proud of and love with my entire being....(PRICELESS)
I thought about turning 50 a BUNCH....It just slipped right up on me...I NEVER really thing about my age...unless someone asks me how OLD my children are...29 and 27 how did that happen? yesterday they were babies...I don't know HOW I am supposed to feel at 50 so I am picking GREAT!!!
I think about MY mom every birthday I have...She had me at the very tender age of 17 and she had been married for over a yr, she was pregnant with me on her Sr. Trip, she had to be INCREDABLY HOT all summer long, I am sure she was unaware about EVERYTHING that was happening in her little body, and then along came ME....she was poor as a church mouse, my daddy was in the Navy so she lived with my paternal Grandpa, how she must have hated that, I in turn was the apple of his eye, I KNEW I was his favorite grandchild of all he had...we had a special bond....My mom, bless her heart and soul took a bunch of photos of me, she smoked like a stack, she was young, innocent, yet wordly at the same time...REMARKABLE is the job she did...She bloomed where she was planted...I thank God so much for her and her influence on who I am at 50!!
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| Debbie, Maxine, Me, Linda, Gayla.... MUMS!!!! |
To say I am blessed is to put it midly....I am the LUCKIEST GIRL in the WHOLE U S A....
A perfect way to CELEBRATE my day...
I have learned how to add photos...yippee!!!
Fifty year old ROBIN
Saturday, August 21, 2010
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