So-o pinteresting

I had mentioned in Tuesday's posting, how browsing pinterest was a good thing to do while being on hold. Turns out it's also a lot of fun to do late at night, while waiting out hot flashes. I have had ever so much fun stumbling across things to pin to my boards.    The other night I had decided to pursue pins for one particular board. I typed that name into the 'search' bar, then once pic's came up, I clicked on 'boards', meaning that I wanted to see boards other people have for that subject matter. I usually look at the main picture as well as the four little pictures underneath, then decide if I think that board might have materials I too might like. Sometimes that methodology works. Other times, not so much. The other night I knew I was going to be up for awhile anyways, so I pretty much just went board by board down the wall.     Things I found both amused and befuddled me. I'd be scrolling down through some peoples boards and start thinking things such as, "really, you like THAT?!?", or, "why in the world would you even pin that?!?". But then on other boards, I'd be smiling my way through and repinning this or that thing I really liked. The big irony that hit me, was that I started noticing that most of the time the boards I didn't like the most, were also the boards that had the highest number of followers. 'Nothing new there I guess, never have been one to follow fads, or be part of the 'in crowd'. I tried to shrug it off and just do that particular board the way I had the others in that 'category' - my way/style. After all, they are 'my' boards. I do so enjoy looking through them over and over again.    But I didn't succeed in fully shaking that felling of disappointment. I'd like to be the owner of boards that has high number of followers. Why is it that I'm always so different?  Same 'ole human feelings that I've struggled with for years. I know that God made me me for a reason. I know that wanting to have high number of followers is a pride issue. I prayed about all of it. I determined with in my mind, to let go and just enjoy pinterest for what it is, a world wide collection of styles and ides, out of which I can set aside the ones that I really like, on what ever board I choose to do so.    The next morning God had an awesome surprise waiting for me. I usually check my emails, then Facebook, before venturing forth into pinterest. The surprise awaited me on Facebook. Abby A. M. had posted this to my wall - "I could seriously look at your pinterest for hours. It's like this huge collection of awesomeness."  And Laurie M. had 'liked' it. My reply back was, "WOW! Thank you ever so much!!! just wow!"

it's been a year...

   It was one year ago this week, that Byron and Elliot moved in. What a year it's been! Sigh. Having your children go through a separation, that's headed to a divorce, is hard! You never want anything to hurt any of your children. No matter their age. No matter if they were born into your little family, or married into it, or arrived as grand children. Sometimes that means that you want to wrap them up in plastic wrap and protect them from 'life'. Other times, the mother bear in you needs reigned in. Oh how you want to hurt those who are hurting yours. Yet you know that's not the right way to feel, let alone act. So you vent to your husband and dear friends. Asking for comfort. Asking to be held accountable. And you pray constantly for strength. And wisdom.
    And you proceed forward. Striving ever so hard, to make sure you dot all your 'i's' and cross all your 't's'. You really don't want to be responsible for adding any fuel to any fire.
    And apologize when you keep going on about something, when you need to 'drop it'. After all, they are adults. While yes, you do have the right (so to speak) to add input and insight,  they  are  adults.  And must make their own decisions. Just like you wanted to be allowed to make your own.
   And you strive ever so diligently (and hard), to let all involved know they ARE loved! Period.
   So it's been quite the year. Man has it. In many ways, a very l-o-n-g year. And this coming year shall be too.
   And of course, that's not the only struggles we've had this past year. And I know this coming year shall hold struggles else where in our lives as well. That is after all, 'life'.
   'Lord, thank-you for your never wavering love for us! Thank-you for being my strength. Sure couldn't keep going on my own! Thank-you for being in charge of all of the 'details'. Help me to remember it really is 'your will not mine' that I want. I really do! It's just hard to keep in focus at times. And thank-you for these kids. All of them. I am so-o blessed!'

Smiles amongst 'details'

   Some of you might remember way back HERE, when I told you about getting our new trash and recycling carts. Recently, we had received notification that the city was 'upgrading' their cart program. They were completely doing away with the city garbage bags. EVERY body is suppose to call and request a rolling bin. Yes, each sized bin still has a different cost to it, but instead of paying for service a year in advance, you 'pay as you dump'. Which is kind of false, seeings how you have to go on line and put money on your account, before they will start dumping your cart.  Any-ways, if you don't put your cart out to get dumped one week, you won't be charged for service that week. So in the winter, when smells will be frozen, if the cart's only half full, we won't bother wrestling it through the piles of white precipitation stuff, to get it out that week.
    When we were notified about the coming of this change, it said that those who already have carts, will be receiving a letter containing their new account number and pass word. I kept an eye out for it, but it never arrived. Then last week, our emptied trash bin had an orange 'flyer' sticking out of it, stating that if we did not activate our account, they would no longer be dumping our cart. The 'flyer' gave both an on line address and a phone number.
    I tried the online address first. Couldn't activate anything. Bother! So I dialed the phone number. The recording asked me to please hold, and let me know that I was "position number 24 in cue". Then the music started. Then the recording came back with an update on my position. Sometimes it seemed I was moving forwards. Other times, nothing had changed. "But if I hang up, it will be this way the next time I try too" I told myself.
   Deep breath. 'I can be on hold and still browse pinterest...'  O:-D
   Once I was connected to a human, he answered my comment about how busy they must be, by telling me they had moved 9 people into the phone bank. Thankfully, he was a very nice, even humerus man. And he tried ever so hard, but he couldn't access our account either! He tried via our address. He tried via our name. He had me walk outside and read the code off of our cart to him. That didn't help at all. He said that he couldn't find any history of cart pick up at that address of that street. I suggested that maybe it's under this other street name. "Which street do you live on?!?" he asked. 'The first one, but our trash is picked up in the alley, which runs next to our house and the alley has a street name'. "Oh". "Nope, not finding it listed on there either". "This is most befuddling". I agreed!
    He let me go, reassuring me that he would make sure this was looked into, that he would call back if they had any further questions, and they would let me know when it was all sorted out so I could again try accessing my account. "Thank-you". "No, thank-you for being patient and even fun to talk to" he replied. I smiled.
    That day I felt like one of my sons. I never left a room with out taking the phone with me. But they never called. They didn't call the next day either, which was a Friday. 'Okay then... we'll see if this gets straightened out before next trash day' I told myself.
    I found this message in my email inbox when I got on line Sat. evening -
"Hi—

I just wanted to let you know that we will be sending you a new refuse cart in the next 3 business days because the cart that you currently have is not ready for the new Pay as You Throw Program.  We will be picking up your old cart on a service day sometime after that.  If you could please have your old cart empty and out on the curb on your service days that would help us a lot.  Thanks so much and let us know if you have any questions."  It had been sent by a lady. Well, he did pass the information on and it did get handled', 'Thank-you' I mentally said.

    Then I got to thinking about it. 'I really should send them a thank-you reply'. So I did. This is what I sent -

"Hi        :->
   Thank-you for looking into and rectifying our situation! We shall be watching for the arrival of our new cart, then transfer our trash into it and put the old cart out on trash days to be picked up. Kind of sad, I found that old cart to be such an aid(!).. I so enjoyed being able to just fill it up when I went on one of my cleaning sprees. It's almost like letting go of a beloved toy of my adulthood...

chuckling... 
    Thanks again!!!
Cheryl B.

      At 8:00 a.m. Monday morning, she sent this back -

"Too funny! Have a great week!"

'Lord, thank-you for prompting me to start her week with a smile'.