Hello Again

WOW it has been over a year since my last post!!!! OMG!! I am currently working at the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition. I have been in remission 22 months and I am feeling great!!! There will be a lot more to come!!!

It has been too long

Wow I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted a blog. I have been through alot since the last post!! I have school work to do now but I will be back!

God's Perfect Timing

I have been unemployed now for 15 months. In this time God has taught me many, many lessons. I have learned to lean on and trust Him. When I was working and making good money I was leaning on and trusting myself to fullfill my needs. God did a much better job with next to nothing than I did while making alot. Every need I have has been met. I have not been homeless, or gone with out food or clothing. I haven't even gone without internet access! I have learned that He will always provide for me. I have also learned the joy of being a true servant. I have filled my time with volunteer work and other service adventures and my soul has been filled with such joy and gratitude. I have learned the joy of spending time with freinds. In my life I have made many friends I have never really learned to nuture those friendships. I have always been to busy with my life to just go to someones home just to sit for coffee. I do it now and I enjoy it. I am still not much of a phone talker but I am getting better. The point is that I have learned to truly value the people who are in my life. I needed to be unemployed for this period of time to learn the lessons I would have never slowed down enough to learn.

Now I have several job opportunities. Two of them are good paying jobs. One is a low paying job in a service position. I am leaning towards the lower paying job. In the past I was always looking to move up. To excel to the next level. To make more money. I don't need that anymore. I just need to be where God wants me to be. I just need to listen. I need to serve Him because He served me on the cross and he deserves no less than all I can give. I do not need a big fancy house or car. I don't even need a big bank account. Because God will provide for me. I trust Him.

I am so excited

I get to start volunteering at the Homless shelter kitchen tomorrow!! I know I am going to meet some great people and I just can't wait! I am going to be working in the kitchen helping with dinner. God is great and I can't wait!!

This Christmas

This year was probably the brokest I can remember in my adult life. It turned out to be the richest christmas ever!! It all started on the 23rd we met at my brother Eds house. He and his new wife put on a really nice dinner with shishkabobs and potato salad. It was also a celebration of my nephew Jeremy's 19th birthday. The whole family was there! Everyone who lives in Florida was there. And there was not even one argument! Everyone got along and we all had a great time! The only snafu came in the form of my daughter in law and although her behavior kind of embarrassed me and my son no one else seemed to mind so no harm no foul. What she did was go to McDonalds and come back with a big mac meal after my sister in law had taken all day to prepare such a great feast. I would have been offended. But everyone else just took it in stride! Now we have a new memory to bring us smiles and joy!

On the 24th we had Christmas eve celebration at my house. We do a gift exchange where we pick a number then a gift but if someone else wants your gift they are eligible to "Steal" it and give you thiers. This always is alot of fun! We played the Nativity Story and ate alot of good food. I even made just one batch of my Santas Private Stock Kaluha every one was so happy because I have not made this recipe in years. Again my whole family gathered together with no arguments. I did not buy gifts for anyone but my grandchildren and all they got was a movie. Cody got Kung Fu Panda and Dalton got Horton Hears A Who. Although the giving was not what I am ususally able to do NOONE even cared. We really just enjoyed being together. It was GREAT. I have been praying for this for so long I feel it was my heavenly Fathers bonus gift to me.
On Christmas day we had a turkey not every one came but the ones who did had a good meal. This was the best christmas ever!

Oh yeah and I got a new coffee pot!!

Tur-duc-hen

Last year we started a new tradition on Christmas Eve...the Tur-duc-hen. It was a fun and festive addition to our yearly get together that brought us a lot of laughs and it tasted good. As we near another Christmas Eve and we go through the yearly traditions I am reminded about what is important in life. God,Family and good friends. I wear alot of hats throughout the year mother, sister, daughter,nana and friend I dont wear any of them as well as I would like to. I am not the best mother I wish I had bought my son those red polyester pants he wanted so bad when he was 5 he even cried over the darn things but I said "no you will look foolish" I wish I had bought them then I could have the memory of the smile that they gave him instead of the tears of disappointment. I wish I had told my daughter more often that she was beautiful so she would always see herself as the beautiful woman I see instead of having insecurities. I wish I had spent more time teaching my sister the importance of being true to yourself and that I had not said such mean things to my mother when I was an angry teenager. I wish I made more time for my friends and told them more how much they mean to me. Somethings that have happened this year have made me look at myself and see so much disappointment in me. So many shortfalls so many negative qualities. When I feel this way I should turn to God who loves me but I don't I turn to the whiskey that medicates me then I have something else to beat the heck out of myself with. But this year as I was making cookies with my granddaughter we had the music playing in the background and she was doing her best to make sure we had the best looking cookies ever God spoke to me. He told me it is okay to be me. It is okay to not be as perfect as I think I should be. It is okay to fall as long as I get up and carry on. I am okay. Every year my family gathers around me and we have Christmas eve together we celebrate the birth of Jesus and we celebrate each other. With all of our flaws and inadequacies. And we love each other. And that is what is important. Traditions are important. Passing it down and on and making memories. Like the first Christmas Eve Tur-Duc-Hen a new tradition and hours of laughs that we will not forget.

Merry Christmas

HEY STU

Mr. Stewart Pidasso called again today. He hates to be called Stewart he wants to be called Stu. If you know a Stu Pidasso please tell him to stay away from me!

Thanks for your help with this situation