Hi Friend!

The last few days have been busy and yeah, stressful. Last night I got unreasonably angry. I’m glad that I can finally, usually, recognize runaway moods and pamper them.

Fires

2 nights ago it was warm, finally, so we had all the windows open. As usual I was last to bed, when my abnormally sensitive nose smelled smoke. It was getting worse really fast. I forced my daughter to get up (she hates my “emergencies”) and come smell. Sounds a bit weird, I know.

This time my nearly nose blind kid smelled it too. There was a lot. So we, of course, got a fire scanner app and figured out it was just 2 blocks away.

Families

A week or so, maybe two, my oldest son told us he needs a place to stay. So we invited him to stay with us as long as he needs to. Of course moving our stuff around so he has enough room has made it look like WE just moved in. Ick.

Fruit

Yesterday I had a pretty scary allergic reaction to a banana and 5 strawberries. Which was it? Dunno. Should I have washed the berries. Probably, yes. Am I now allowed to eat fruit home alone? That would be a resounding, NO! Geeze.

My EpiPen refills today. Go figure.

Little Balls

Yesterday Son #1 and I were playing ball with dog #1 (Bailey – oh right. Just one dog!). On his very first throw it went into the neighbors yard. He was not a happy camper.

Having retrieved the ball he tried it again. Ahhh… oops! Over the garbage and recycling bins and the gate and OUT. Out? Out where? Hell if we could find it. 15 minutes later… no ball. He wasn’t exactly chipper at this point. We eventually gave up and got a another spare ball because you know mom always throws them on the roof. Ha, ha.

Snork.

Today Bailey and I went for a walk. We were heading to the fire house to do some rubber-necking when what do you think caught my eye, much farther down the road, yet quite easy to see? That troublesome little ball.

What’s Up?

Self Check – Did I take it all in stride?

I say YES. I changed my behavior when I needed to. I didn’t get hysterical about stuff burning. I laughed when we lost the ball, and when I found it.

Mood Charts

As an afterthought let me mention mood charts or mood journals. I don’t use them. Never have and I’m pretty sure nobody is ever going to convince me to do so.

I do what I just did in this letter to you. I look over a day or a week or whatever and I ask myself, “How have I handled life and the way I’ve lived it?” If I don’t know, I ask somebody close to me.

I have shelter, food, cloths, and so on. I have a family that hasn’t abandoned me. You know what’s the most important thing (or 2) to me right now?

I am (usually) able to LOVE others and I am LEARNING to LOVE MYSELF.

And laughter – find something silly to laugh about. My advise is that you don’t look for it on line. Look for any hint of it in YOUR life.

And don’t forget… look for those little balls.