I love not being threatened every single day that I am going to lose my job if I don’t stop treating my customers like people and start treating them like a number for the sake of the ‘company’.

It’s nice to breathe.

And, while in my current position this will sound a little crazy and off kilter, I really am enjoying the part-time gig as well. I have time to actually cook breakfast for my children in the mornings and send them off for their school day on a positive note. I have time to listen to their stories, help with their school works and spend time with them as I haven’t in two years. No, it’s not fabulous on the pocket book, but it’s fabulous for irreplaceable time with my children. I have missed two years that I will never get back because I was too busy giving my time and attention to crooks for pay. A kind of whoring of oneself, in my mind.

I love being at home more. Being able to take care of the house, clean, cook, do laundry, without having to try and cram everything into one day, including the spending time with kids thing. It sure makes for a happier me. It’s not that I am one of those people who just refuses to work long hours out of the home. I am merely one of those people who has a much happier soul when I am at home, tending to my children and my home, not dedicating my life to a company. I know I”m not alone in that, and unfortunately, so many parents cannot just quit the rat race or they’ll starve, lose their homes, etc. It’s the great American travesty.

Maybe it makes me crazy. The fact that less money, no title or notoriety any longer makes me a happier girl. What is a fancy title and office when you’re forced to basically give up your children in honor of the paycheck? What good does it do when your child needs you and you are gone kissing some corporate ass so that you can come home and explain to your child why your job is more important than they are? Means nothing to me. Not a thing.

I’d rather work part time bringing home minimum wage and take my children to church. I’d rather eat top ramen for dinner and be able to sit and talk with my children in the evenings, cook them eggs for breakfast in the morning and be here to see their activities, partake in their lives, and have them know that they are the most important beings in my life.

I am blessed. My children are blessed. Things are good. I am completely content being a part time checker at the local grocery store with the option of being a full time mother in the home.

And it’s only going to get better from here.

Been quite some time, and it was about damn time too. Yup. Headed out to Crossroads last Saturday night to see my boys. BoneSauce. Gosh, I’m startin’ to get all drooly thinking about it again….

I first saw these guys shortly after I moved to Illinois. They were recommended to my by Jamie and Bill and after hearing them rave on and on about how fabulous they were, of course I had to go check them out.

I was not disappointed.

So, heading back out this past weekend to see them in my old stompin’ grounds just felt like I was comin’ home. Once again, BoneSauce did not disappoint. I arrived during their first set, as I’d had to work and didn’t get off in time to beat the band. Luckily, my seat was being saved so I didn’t have to worry about having to crowd against the wall in the back of the bar! I got to park my ass right up front. Yeah baby. That’s just how I roll.

Immediately BoneSauce began to take over. I found my body movin’ and shakin’ right there where I was sitting! I’m telling you, these guys are damned hot. Their sound is clean, their sets are the bomb and they are real people. Like you and me. They aren’t too good to interact with the crowd. They mingle when they take breaks and they welcome their fans to chat with them. I love that about these guys!

It wasn’t long before my ass was on the dance floor. Shaddup. I know, it can’t be a pretty sight I am sure, but holy shit did it feel good to be out there! It was hot in the bar, crowded and loud. It was perfect! BoneSauce kept the flow of unadulterated good times by choosing just the perfect songs to play! I have to wonder. Is it a science that goes into choosing songs for sets? Like, do they sit around and, depending upon the venue and the crowd, plan out the sets based on specific criteria? Because I’m telling you, it was perfect. I do not recall a single song starting up and me sitting down or feeling ‘ho-hum’ about it. Not one time. Every time a song started, I got more pumped than I was during the one before!

That’s the thing with these guys. Just pure good times. They play to their fans, to the crowd. They create an atmosphere of laid back easy fun. They are amazing as a band. Their sound, their skill…everything. Each member brings to the group not only a set of unique talents, but a huge dose of personality and it all just clicks and flows. I have been to see many bands, and apparently (as I learned on Saturday night lol) I have been living under a rock as there are a couple that I *should* have known about and already seen, but have not due to my own deprivation as of late. However, no matter how good anybody else is, BoneSauce will remain my first love and first choice for a down home good time.

I am a little sad today tho. BoneSauce is going to be playing at the Grand Tap in Galesburg tonight and I am going to miss it. *sniff* I have to work, and that just really sucks. So much that if I think about it too hard I will cry, and I don’t want to do that cuz then I will end up with salt stains on my new BoneSauce shirt and well, we just can’t have that at all.

On a side note, I am soo disappointed in my Samsung Caliber. So much so that I would almost like to purposefully drop the damn thing in the toilet, then flush it. Asshat.

One of the HUGE pluses to seeing BoneSauce is getting to witness the awesome drum skills of Terry Hodges. Hot damn this guy is hot. Anyhow, he will randomly begin beating out a drum solo that will knock your socks off and this time, I got it on video! OMG I was soooo excited! Yeah, well, thank you to my stupid, retarded, lame ass Samsung Caliber the sound is so screwed up it just ruins the entire video! He is a God and I was finally able to catch his Godliness on video and my phone sucks so bad it made me cry in pain. Really? Ugh.

Here is a clip of the vid minus the sound. Which ended up being a good thing cuz the sound quality sucked so badly your ears would bleed. Truly, in real life, he sounds amazing!

So, I guess you’ll just have to go see BoneSauce live and check it out for yourselves. Hey, get off my back. I tried to let you out the easy way. It’s not my fault my phone sucks ass.

In case you missed it above, their next gig is going to be at:

Grand Tap – August 20  9:00pm-1:00am
2100 Grand Avenue
Galesburg, IL 61401-6455
(309) 342-9149

I love you guys! MWUAH!

Mostly last week was spent catching up on some much needed zzzz’s and working. We have spent this weekend thus far waiting for the internet peeps to show up (you know how that goes….”sometime between 12 and 5pm…yadda yadda) and doing some more unpacking, running laundry, basic household/weekend chores types of things.

I did show Hailey how to use my camera yesterday and sent her off on a photography spree around town. I just turned her loose. She was excited to carry it around and I was anxious to see what her eye would catch through the lens. She gets that stuff from me. The creativity. She sings, she writes, she loves photography. It’s in the Gingerich gene that comes down from my maternal side of the family.

I went through and prepared/posted the ones that caught my eye right off the bat. She’s pretty good if I do say so myself! You should check them out!

Our evening went well! New friends over to the new house for BBQ and good times before we headed out to see the fireworks here in Monmouth. The show was ok, could have been executed better, but it was fireworks, with a grand finale and it was a good time spent with lots of laughter!

We started out the morning at church, then went to Jim’s farm for some bbq lunch before heading to the grocery store for the ingredients for supper. It was a full day, a long day, but a day well worth it! I am just glad that I am off work tomorrow and can sleep in! No appointments, no reason to rise with the sun! Just pure unadulterated undisturbed sleeping in. Ok, well, now that I said that out loud, you know I just totally jinxed myself and will rise before dawn, unable to fall back to sleep and will end up frustrated. Keep your fingers crossed for me! LOL

I hope everyone else had a wonderful 4th, or just a fabulous weekend, depending on your whereabouts!

Time for my beauty sleep…..

She’s coming! She’s coming!

HURRY! Pinch me! Make sure I am awake, that it’s real and it’s not going to disappear before Sunday?!?! OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG.

Yes. I am just a tad excited. Ok, oooodles and oooodles of excited so much so it’s spewing from every pore on my body. She is moving to me. My family will FINALLY be utterly and truly complete. No matter who, no matter what, no matter when, no matter how…complete.

“Will the circle be unbroken

By and by Lord by and by”

This song has been going on and on in my head since I found out she was coming home to me finally.

I keep pulling her E-Ticket up in my inbox just to look at it. To confirm the date of purchase. The date of arrival. It’s real. I look at my CC statement, to make sure the purchase truly did go through. I will stare at all of these items relentlessly until Sunday comes and I find myself driving to Moline to pick up my first born angel and bring her home to me where she belongs. Where she’s belonged all of this time.

I am going to be a wreck of nerves until she actually steps off that airplane and lands in my arms.

Complete. My heart. My soul. My family.

Thank you Lord.

Yes folks, my house. FINALLY! Oh, I can almost feel my lungs expanding with air that hasn’t already been breathed by another person practically on my lap; my ears are nearly ringing with the silence they will encounter as I roam through the enormousness of space and find several rooms with not a soul in them! There are places for everyone and everyone in their place means there will be no interaction what so ever unless it is WANTED and SOUGHT after on PURPOSE! I don’t think I can even explain to you the level(s) of excitement I am currently feeling right now. Truly. I know that the hundreds clowns, that ride around all stuffed into a tiny car, know exactly what I am feeling. They would feel the same way if suddenly someone gave them a school bus to ride in!

The house needs work, and for me that’s part of my excitement. That just means I get to make it mine. Totally mine. I have already been picking out paint ideas for each room of the house. I have been using this tool to play with color combinations and what not. I can’t wait to get in, get unpacked and begin the art of yard sales and auctions to find the perfect decorative/functional pieces for my house.

She’s a 120 year old Folk Victorian built in 1890. She has original framework throughout the house, sporting the intricate designs that were popular in that era. The original hardware is still on a lot of the doors throughout the home, and the pocket doors that separate the living room, parlor, and dining room are still in tact. It is rare, to find a house this old, with so much of it’s original parts still in tact. It’s even more rare to find an old Victorian with pocket doors still installed with the original hardware!

While, I plan on decorating with replicas of that era, I don’t have the money to restore the home to it’s original splendor. I am a little more eclectic in my tastes as well, and while I love the look of the Victorian Era, everything was a little dark, drab and heavy for me. Of course, I will take pictures, before and after pictures, so that y’all can see my magical transformations of this beautiful old house! I can’t wait to get in and get started!

Today I plan to begin taking a couple of loads from the storage unit over to the house and I am taking my camera over as well. I am going to take photos of the inside of the house, pre-move in. I will then take pictures of the house post-move in, but pre-redecorating. Then, will come the photos of the after I’ve worked my mad skillz.

I only have two weeks, working 40+ hours, 5 1/2 days a week in between. Got the electric/gas scheduled to be turned on. Cable/internet/phone….? Ah, well, working on that as these people will rape you in your ass! I can’t get over how expensive this shit is. I thought by moving, I can get out of under the horrible expensive, shitty ass service of MediaCom. Well, I am getting out of under them, but it seems there is only one option for new cable/internet/phone service and it’s just as expensive with gnarly installation fees that gouge out your eyes and cry for your first born child for the PRIVILEGE of surfing the internet, using a home phone and watching Mylie freakin’ Cyrus. What a crock of shit they are. *Sigh* This week, I will be scheduling to have the water turned on and am seriously considering hiring a bug man to go out and do a thorough spray of the inside of the house before I begin the hardcore moving process.

I will be going to Lowe’s to get me a couple of these babies for my closet (which is a small room all by it’s self, mind you and the most awesome closet I have ever had!) asap as there is no where for me to hang my good work clothes right at this moment. Good thing they are rather cheap and easily installed, as I found out in Arizona when I installed some in my house in Glendale.

Little bit more coffee, and it’s off to get as much done as I possibly can! Have a fabulous Sunday y’all!

I can’t say I actually got to meet him, but I watched him walk back and forth all cocky (pffftt ha ha ha ha) two or three times!

I know. You’re envious.

I can’t say that I blame you, really.

It was a once in a lifetime sighting.

You may come here and gander at his greatness anytime you please.

You’re welcome.

Nothing Like Speed on a Saturday Afternoon!

To get right to the pics, click on the picture above. That will take you to the best of the best that I posted on my Flickr photostream.

It was quite the interesting day. We sat next to a most desirable couple. The husband, at one point, totally spit his teeth out while cheering for one of the races. They bounced on the grandstand floor before him, then promptly headed off the edge into the grass. He looked a little like Charles Manson, sans the swastika. The wife was the roughest lookin’ woman I have ever seen. She spent the entire day with a cigarette in her hand while screaming endlessly at a little girl that was there at the races with her. The threats to bring harm to the child never ceased.

I shot the most adorable picture of a little boy riding on his daddy’s shoulders, watching the races from up high. He wore a little white wife beater and Levi jeans. The jeans were falling below his waist line, giving all behind him a peek of chubby little baby butt cheeks and I couldn’t help but snap a picture. The photo was portrait in orientation and the entire shot encompassed him resting on his daddy’s shoulders. I turned it into a black and white and it’s just precious. I would have posted it, however, I would die if someone accused me of something unsavory and fear has kept me from doing anything with it.

A young couple brought their 6 week old puppy to the races. Oh what a precious little thing he was! Of course I snapped his picture! I even got to hold him, bathe in his precious puppy breath and smother his little face in kisses for a spell! Oh, I so want one.

Need a house first, Jade. Need a house first.

And, of course, there were cars. Lots of cars! And street bikes too! With rumbly motors and squealing tires! Enough to make a young girl scream! And an old woman feel like a young girl again! Well, for a few minutes anyhow. Then the reality of sitting on that damned wooden bench kicked in and reminded me just how old and fat I am. Luckily, I spend most of my time on feet, camera to my eye, taking shot after shot after shot. All said and done I took 1233 pictures. *Whew*

I think it’s time this lady take a hot shower.

Impressed? I know, right. Me too.

3 babies that came from my own body. 3 babies God gave to me, nourished, protected and brought forth from Him, through me. The most incredible thing I have ever experienced in my life. Becoming a mother. Then, to have the opportunity to be blessed enough to times that by 3?

Wow. Just Wow.

Each one of them is growing into such beautiful human beings. Strong, confident, compassionate people. With the guidance of His hand, I have babies that are the sort of people that other’s want to emulate. While, their independence breaks my heart just a little, I swell with pride knowing they are strong and competent. Through my own trials and tribulations, I was able to teach my children even still. I look at each of them, how different they are from one another, how proud I am of each individually, and my heart just swells.

I am such a lucky woman.

Each day I thank the Lord for each one of my babies, faithfully. Yet, the good Lord didn’t think that was enough for me.

He saw fit to not only bring back into my life the man that I have loved in the shadows since I lost him 20 years ago, but with him, 2 beautiful babies he helped bring earth bound. His 2 angels I now get to share in the lives of. They are amazing kids whom bring so much to my life. Being blessed enough to be able to share in the grace of their being overwhelms me at times.

I never imagined in all of my life that I would find my life this enriched. I was content with my 3. I never imagined that I could love the way I found myself loving my children. I wouldn’t have thought it possible to add any more to that. I had no idea there would be room in my heart for any more, yet, I have. A whole new love has developed and encased 2 more incredible little people as if they were my own. On top of that, my 3+2, the good lord brought their father back into my life. Obviously I wouldn’t have my +2 without their dad. It’s all as sweet and over the top as a giant cupcake with butter cream icing piled so high the whole thing will never fit into anyone’s mouth in one bite.

All that sickly sweet makes your teeth and belly ache, don’t it.

I know. But it sure is grand.

All the mistakes, all the wrong turns, the heartache and the loss from the past has lead me here. Down this path, to this end and the amazing life I have now.

Happy Mother’s Day.

I love these visits! I had planned on getting more pictures than these, however, the weather just didn’t want to behave!

Next time, we head to the park and I can shoot and shoot and shoot!

I love these faces and having the chance to get to know such amazing personalities! I am a blessed woman.

That, and boredom. See, the blog theme is looked upon as kind of along the lines of a hair style to me. One of the FEW things in life that you can alter, change, and put back as many times as suits you and really, when the sun goes down at the end of the day, there will be no harm done by your indecision and impending boredom.

The lazy comes in with the other theme where the picture in the header was. I just didn’t have the gumption to change it out and update as much as I’d wanted to, leaving me heaving around this giant guilt trip every time I looked at my blog. I had to get rid of it. I must accommodate my laze in meaningless places. Thus, I chose here.

I like the game of finding a new theme for my blog, along with testing it, then implementing it and tweaking the this-and-that I need to in order to make it fit. I refuse to grease it up in order to obtain that fit, however, I am not beyond dabbing into a small tad of code to achieve what I want.

I have not done that here, yet.

Not sure I am ok with, or understand, the point of the ‘resources’ links there within the footer. It also might take me some time to get used to the two columns on the right side thing. It feels a little unbalanced to me. I am going to wear it like that though. I think the test of my OCD limits will be good for me. I have found myself looking at my blog with my head tilted to one side, however.

Yeah.

Like that.

Well, time to say g’nite. All this redecorating has got me a little pooped.

Sleep tight.

Don’t let the bed bugs bite!