June 18, 2006
Ahhh...Good Stuff
As for me, tomorrow morning I'm going to call and make my appointments to get the ball rolling on my teeth adventure. Now that Mom has had her surgery, I've got the green light to go ahead and get my stuff taken care of again. So...here we go again.
There's something to be said for making new friends. That's an adventure in itself. A discovery of sorts. I've made a few new friends over the past couple of years. Some of them have become true and forever friends. Some of them have come and gone and left their mark on my life. The thing about friendships...and not just friendships, but the interaction between one human being and another...it's an interesting and complex thing. If you aren't open to listening...if you aren't open to being understanding, then forget making friendships. Or be ready to make superficial ones. Lately, I've been thinking about being "real" with a person. Not being someone you aren't. Someone recently used the example of: If someone tells you that they love a certain ice cream, all of a sudden you find yourself saying you love it too...even though you may not really give a damn either way. Why do we do that? I'm guessing because we are afraid of those parts of us that are not glamorous...the parts of us that may not be in "sync" with that other person. So, we adlib along the way...making these new friendships, or even sustaining current ones...to impress and "keep alive" the facade. But...if we stop...if we make ourselves "raw" again...REAL...then when we make friends...or revel in the friendships or relationships we currently have as our REAL selves...then there isn't anything to be afraid of anymore. There isn't that facade. The barriers are down. Sure, it makes us more vulnerable...and I guess that's why we do it in the first place, right? To hide our insecurities and vulnerability. But when we let go of that...when we just LET GO...wow. It can be so TRUE. The bond that you can build with someone can be so real and unbreakable. No walls...just evoking emotions that are hard to deal with at first. But practice makes perfect. The key is to never abandon yourself for the sake of others. If someone doesn't love you for who you REALLY are...and ALL of who you really are, then they don't deserve to love you. End of it.
Alright, so there's my tangent for the day. Go out and make new friends and be raw and real with them and just see what happens. You may just find you make a friend that is more true and real than you've ever had in your life. And what can beat that? Maybe peanut butter and chocolate ice cream...but you don't have to love it just because I do.
June 09, 2006
Back In The Bowl
As for me...I'm doing ok. And by "ok" I mean that I am just mentally putting one foot in front of the other. And I'm managing to do it without breaking something valuable. Several things have gone on personally for me that have been both good and bad lately. And as I don't like to ALL the time get into too much personal stuffs especially if it has to do with someone else...I will just leave it as this.
Yesterday was a special day for me...not many people know why...and to anyone other than myself and a select few...it doesn't matter why. What matters is that it made me think about a lot of things. It made me think of how far I'd come...with a lot of help and love...to believe in myself again. Because several years ago, I was completely empty. I didn't think that another living soul on the planet would ever love me. And I don't mean that I would have one of those "PMS" moments where I'd cry and scream, "NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE ME!!" No...I truly believed it. You see, a long time ago, someone made me believe that. Someone made me believe that I wasn't worth the shit on the bottom of someone's shoe. And it was drilled into my brain so many times and with so much force that I actually started to believe it. I believed that I had nothing to offer. I had zero confidence in myself. I was scared of the world. But then an amazing thing happened. One day...love, belief, confidence, hope, strength and safety found me. Walked right in my door and made me speechless. See, people come into your life for a reason. Six years later and I believe in myself again. I can hope again. I can love again...and most importantly BE loved again. And while life changes and people change and circumstances change...one thing always remains the same....
When someone touches your life, they leave an imprint on your heart. Sometimes that imprint can hurt like a bruise and needs love and caring to heal it...but it always remains. And sometimes...the imprint is that of truth and strength and hope and above all...love. And when the people who leave these kinds of imprints come into your lives, they remain in your heart long after they are gone. It's a cycle of healing and loving and leaving imprints. So, just know that no matter how short of a time you are in a person's life...you are leaving an imprint. Make sure you are leaving the right one. You just may be healing a bruise...you just may be strengthening a spirit...you just may be mending a broken heart...you just may be restoring hope.
Some imprints are deep...all are everlasting...few are genuine and pure love.
June 03, 2006
Some Things
Mom is having a double masectomy on Monday. She's not going to have reconstruction right now because it would just be too tough of a surgery and recovery for her at the moment. She and the docs will revisit that in about 6 months to a year. Grandma Lynda is coming up here to stay with us and help Mom while she recovers. Mom has talked with me a little bit about how she's feeling, but I can't imagine really how she feels. How it must feel to lose something that is part of your femininity. We actually haven't talked too much about the cancer. I guess you could say I'm not handling this very well. We keep joking that I can only take this in "bits and pieces, bits and pieces." I will keep everyone posted on how she is doing.
I had 2 more teeth pulled on Wednesday and one filled that they are leaving in. Because Mom is having her surgery so soon, we are having to put off the rest of the extractions for a few weeks. I feel a bit like a hillbilly walking around with so many teeth gone out of my head. Definitely won't be eating steak for a while.
Other things...
It absolutely AMAZES me how one minute you think you know someone and the next minute they turn around and show you that you didn't know them one single itsy bitsy bit. When someone tells you and SHOWS you that they are a true friend...trust me when I say that you still need to keep your eyes open. The world is full of people with double standards.
Also...what has HAPPENED to women these days??? OK...I know that I am a woman. And I used to be a jealous woman. Yeah, I was one of "those" women. And I can sit here and give you a mighty damn good reason for it, but really, it wouldn't matter. Because I was lucky enough to get the hell over it a few years ago. And when I say get over it...I mean that I got over it and now I am ANTI-BITCHY-JEALOUS-MAN-HATING-HOLIER-THAN-THOU-THINKS-SHE-RULES-THE-MALE-SPECIES-WOMAN. I mean, granted...I can get an attitude when called for, but REALLY...CHILL THE HELL OUT girls!!! Let me have a word with you. There is NO reason that you have to know every detail of your
boyfriend's/date's/husband's/fiance's/lover's/pimp's/homey's/fella's
EX - girlfriends/dates/wife or wives/fiancee/lovers/hoes/homeys/gals
whatsoever. Not only was he probably a different guy with them, but you probably do not WANT to know that she was WORSE or BETTER
on a date/with money/cooking food/communicating/looking/
AND ESPECIALLY...........IN BED!!!!!
So you know what?? LEAVE IT ALONE! He's with YOU now! As long as he's not showing up with lipstick on his collar...shut the hell up. Who CARES how many chicks he's been with as long as he's CLEAN. That's what matters in this day and age. Seriously. If you open a can of worms about his emotional feelings with his ex "whatevers" then all you're doing is comparing YOURSELF to that person. HE most likely is not constantly comparing you to her. If he was...he would BE with her. Not with you. Now...don't hate me for saying all of that ladies. I am NOT by any means saying that you can't share your hurts over past relationships. The MAJOR issues like WHY you broke up and such things like that. Sharing such things are a part of being with someone...but ONLY if each of you WANT to share such things. If he WANTS to share, then by all means...yippee freaking skippee. It's actually NOT required believe it or not. But DETAILS don't need to be brought up and for some strange reason, women like to torment themselves by wanting to know ALL the details about their men's past lives. The past is the past and that's where it stays. It doesn't need to be drudged up over and over again. Let it friggin' BE and save yourselves some heartache girls. OH...and another thing. If you find yourselves plotting ways to "rescue" or "change" your man within the first 6 months of knowing him. Give it the hell up.
OK...I feel a little bit better now I think.
May 26, 2006
Randomness Part Uh...437
Ron White is going to be at the Pearl River Resort Saturday, June 3rd...SATURDAY. OK...my comps are only for WEEKDAYS...bloody hell. But, as he likes to say, "I believe if life gives you lemons....make lemonade. Then find someone with vodka and have yourself a party!!" Ron...you rule. Pass the smirnoff.
I have dyed my hair...again. I bought "Warm Golden Brown." Instead...it's dark chestnut brown with auburn highlights. And it's fabulous. I know you're jealous. Don't try to hide it.
Anderson Cooper's new book, Dispatches From The Edge is out now. It's basically in a nutshell supposed to be his memoir. OK. I like Anderson. I don't have any reason to DISLIKE him. He's been getting some beatings from certain media outlets that his book really can't be considered a memoir because he doesn't talk about his personal life...i.e. being gay. He does, however, talk about his father's death. He also talks about how his brother threw himself off of his mother's (Gloria Vanderbilt) penthouse balcony right in front of her. For a guy that started out as a freelance journalist traveling around the world trying to show people the CRAP that goes on...I think we need to cut the guy a friggin break already.
Sometimes things happen. And it may be a good thing or a bad thing...doesn't matter what "thing." And you may be scared. Because you may have been through it before, and you're scared of getting hurt or burned or lost or turned away or "we can't help this time" or just scared. Or you may be starting a new chapter in your life...or maybe your world SEEMS turned upside down...or maybe your days seem to be running together. Or maybe you're just tired. But this thing that's happening...whatever it may be...don't look back. Don't ask why. Don't analyze. Because it won't get you anywhere. Remember that great achievements, great opportunities, great love, great outcomes, great happiness........sometimes involve great risk. Go ahead and risk it...what if you get hit by an asteroid tomorrow?
If someone calls you a pathetic loser...THEY are the pathetic loser...no matter what the situation.
I really am going to quit smoking............really...............I am.
I own about 423,567 candles, and I don't ever light them.
I own about 423,566 pairs of flip flops, and I alternate wearing only 2 pair of them. Unless it's a special occasion of course...then I break out the stash.
I own 1 dress...and I never....ever....EVER wear it. And that doesn't phase me one single itsy bitsy bit. If it bothers you....call Anderson Cooper.
I had a nightmare once about Bruce Willis chasing me through a haunted house naked...HE was naked, not me. And let me tell ya...it was not a pretty sight. I had seen a movie with him in a POOL.....NAKED....ok...and then my cousin was telling me a story about her getting chased through the haunted house at the very end by the chainsaw guy. SO naturally, that night...I had a nightmare that naked Bruce (with cold water flapping winkie) was running after me through a haunted house! This was seriously, like, 4 years ago that I had this dream. I am still to this day traumatized by it. And now you are too.
Party on Wayne.
May 24, 2006
The Mini Vaca
After the hour and a half drive there, I walked in to what appeared to be Retirement Jamboree Day at the Golden Moon. Senior citizens poured out of every nook and cranny. Lines a million people long were at every place I needed to go. On a Monday. But...that's ok...I was in no hurry at all. After I finally got my room key and had given the desk clerk my $50 deposit for my FREE room in case I decided to watch any porn (don't they know they should've asked me for at LEAST $100 with my porn addiction!) I got up to my room on the 11th floor and immediately turned the thermostat to "Igloo." Then I proceeded to go downstairs and immediately lose some money. SO I went back upstairs and watched Law and Order until time for dinner. I headed over to the Bistro with my free meal ticket in hand ready to chow down on a New York strip steak medium rare, eggs, hashbrowns and toast. Yummy. The plate came out steaming hot. Eggs scrambled soft just like I like em. Steak mooing just a little. Time to dig in. One problem though. Have you ever tried to eat a steak when you've recently had a root canal on one side of your mouth and on the other side of your mouth you've had extractions and a dry socket? Well, if you haven't ever tried it, don't. A little less than half the steak gone (which took me about 1/2 an hour to accomplish) and I was dunzo. But hey...it was free. Back to the slots where I finally grabbed my fav Texas Tea and of COURSE it didn't fail me. Won back my money plus some. And had my way with a few amaretto sours in the process. It was a little boring having no one to talk to, but that WAS the whole purpose of me coming here by myself wasn't it? Ahhh. Time for some serious sleepage. Once I got back to my room and wiped the icicles off the bed and snuggled in, I was OUT. That is...until about 4 AM. When all hell broke loose.
I woke up to screams and grunts and a child crying. And you know when you wake up in a place that you are unfamiliar with, you are totally disoriented at first. My heart is beating 1000 beats a minute and I'm wondering if I'm dreaming. Then a thud...right beside my hotel room door. Holy Do Not Disturb Batman. I jump out of the bed and go over to the door and look out the peep hole and all I can see is a couple of arms swinging. But I can HEAR everything. A child is screaming, "Mommy!!! You're BLEEDING!!" Mommy was screaming at her husband to stop hitting her...to put away the knife. I run to the phone and call down to the front desk. Tell them I'm on the 11th floor, there's a woman who I believe is getting the living crap beat out of her and she might be bleeding...please send security. The woman on the phone said, "Okkkkaaaay." Maybe she thought I was dreaming too. In 2 minutes I heard the man and woman freak out and try to RUN from the security guards into their hotel room. The woman actually didn't want her freak of a husband to go to jail. But security saw what room they went into...not to mention, you could have heard that poor child screaming from a mile away. They pulled the woman and child out into the hall and started questioning her. I couldn't hear all of it over the sound of walkie talkies and people coming and going. Her excuse was this..."We're just so TIRED!" Umm hmm. Whatever lady. You're child just witnessed your husband beat and cut you up, and you're hyperventilating and crying and bleeding all over the place. You're tired my ass. So, for the next 2 1/2 hours I listened to crying and yelling and walkie talkies and doors slamming and people running and walking and talking and blah blah blah until I finally passed back out again. I woke up again just in time to get my stuff out of the room for check out. People...let me tell you something.
After the night I had, I probably SHOULDN'T have tried my luck at the slots again, but I'm glad I did. I played the nickel slots and won $200. AND I walked away. However...I have no idea how much I came out ahead. Because I don't know exactly how much I brought and how much I spent and all that jazz. Case in point why I need a casino money management coach...cough cough...BT. I have to say that I'm glad I went. It WAS good to get away for a night...even if it was rudely interrupted. And I'll be going back soon...VERY soon...with my June comps. But next time I'll be asking for the room with the king size bed on the DRAMA FREE floor.
Stay tuned for more adventures!
~*MareBear*~
May 22, 2006
Return of The Big "C" - Episode 3
Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. She found a lump in her breast, went to get a mammogram and lo and behold, there it was. A lumpectomy, radiation and chemo and it was gone. Less than a year later, it was back again. And this time it had metastasized to her skull and spine. Stage 4 cancer. Prognosis....not good. There was some hinting around that Mom needed to take some vacations and wrap it up. But then a great thing happened. A thing called Herceptin. It was a pretty new drug therapy that they started her on and, amazingly, it worked! Along with some intense radiation to the back of her skull (which for a while left her with a FINE looking bald spot!) the cancer went away....again. Mom would go every 3 months for a PET scan that would look for spots of cancer and every 3 months the scans came back clear! So then we were left with NED. We loved NED. No Evidence of Disease. NED was our friend. I got REAL cozy with NED. Mom kept trying to prepare me that with a recurrence like she had (meaning one that came back only less than a year after first being diagnosed and one that had metastasized) that it was very likely the cancer would come back. And every time she would tell me that...I would get FURIOUS. NO...it is NOT going to come back. "Life is a highway...I'm gonna ride it all night long!"
So, this past Tuesday, Mom went for her PET scan. Normally when she calls in the afternoon to get the results, the nurse puts her on hold and goes to get them. This time, the nurse told her they didn't have them yet and that they would call her tomorrow. Five minutes later, her phone rings. It was the doctor. They had found 4 spots on the scan in her left breast. She needed to come in ASAP for a mammogram and a biopsy. (I smell a skunk.) Wednesday, Mom went in and had NINE mammograms on her left breast and a needle biopsy. But it was basically just a formality. (Does anyone hear that dinging? I think my gas light's on.) Friday, she got the call. The lab results were in. Return of the big "C", and I don't mean the carnival's in town. (Ohhh...here comes the rain.)
Here is where we stand. Mom goes and sees the doc again on Wednesday. She will most likely have a double masectomy and chemo. The doc wants to take her case in front of the tumor board (which is basically like getting a whole bunch of second opinions all at once) because of her history. So, we will see what he has to say.
All I really want to say is that at any point we can be driving along and get side-swiped. You can live your life braced for it and cowering, or you can enjoy the scenery along the way. Either way, sometimes you're going to hit a skunk or run out of gas or hit a rain shower. You just have to learn to hold your nose, bring a gas can and turn on your windshield wipers.
We're gonna fight it. And we're gonna kick it's ass.
Love to all as always!
~*MareBear*~
May 21, 2006
Boobs, Grass and Teeth
I went in there and told her straight up that I was NOT going to have root canals on every single tooth just to have them fail on me later. Not to mention...no way in hell am I giving up my Vaults. I was ready for a fight!! Ready to go in there and set her straight, prepared to take my teeth elsewhere. But...this strange thing happened. The universe just stopped. A DOCTOR AGREED WITH ME!!!!!!!!! She said, OK then. I'll do whatever you want to do. We'll take all the teeth out except for the molars and put in fake ones. AND...are you guys ready for THIS?!?!? AND they are going to treat me as if I have dental insurance...meaning I only have to pay 20%. They are going to cover the rest of the cost. Ummm. Holy dentures Batman!!!! So the entire enchilada which would have originally cost me around $4200 is NOW only going to cost me around $1000! I would have kissed the woman if she hadn't had sharp instruments in her hand! I did have to endure one root canal on one of the molars that they are leaving...but hey...that was NOTHING compared to the extractions I had done by Dr. Mutilator a month or so ago! So...the next step is pulling ALL of my teeth which will NOT be fun...at all. Hopefully they won't be as bad as the last time I got some pulled. Needless to say, I will be eating mush for quite a while because even though I will have my fake beautiful teeth IMMEDIATELY, my gums will be so tender that I won't want to bite down on anything for a long time. But hey...guess this is one weight loss plan I hadn't really thought about! But in the end, I will have a GORGEOUS, perfect smile, and I won't have to worry about infection when it comes to my hip surgery!!! YAY!!!!!
So yesterday we got something that we've been waiting for since January 1st. GRASS!!! Mom and the dogs were especially thrilled. The yard looks absolutely transformed. The workers showed up yesterday morning at around 9 AM and didn't leave until almost 8 PM. I use the term "workers" lightly. They took turns sleeping on the side of the house, sleeping in our patio chairs, waving their empty cups at us through our window to get "filtered water" instead of water from the outside faucet, and asking us to use our phone to call friends to ask when they could be picked up. What they DIDN'T realize is that THEIR boss works for a guy who works with my dad. So one phone call and their boss was on his way over. He snuck around the side of the house and caught a few of them sleeping. There was some cussing and kicking and surprised people. After the fact it's pretty amusing, but at the time I was a little afraid that they'd come shoot up the house that night for us getting them in trouble with their boss! But anyway, now we have a nice green yard for mom and the dogs to play in!! FINALLY! Here's a before and after.
Now on to the boob section of this blog entry, which I'm sure many of the guys out there may have fast forwarded to. Sorry to disappoint fellas, but this isn't going to be a kinky rendition of Sex In the City. Tuesday, I had my first mammogram. For those of you who have never had one...pull up a chair. I had to have one being only 25 years old because since Mom was struck with the big "C" before she hit menopause that put me in the "VERY STRONG" category of getting breast cancer. So, I go in to the cancer center and don a VERY attractive gown and sit in front of this very inviting machine. The nurse was pretty cool though. Side note here... She used to work with Dr. Warmth and Charm!!! We dished about him for about 30 minutes. She gave me some good tips on how to handle lovely residents that don't know their ass from a hole in the ground. But anywho. She asks me to stand in front of this machine that has a platform at boob level and a clear flat board above it that can be manually or mechanically moved up and down. She puts my boobs up there one by one and proceeds to SMASH the hell out of them. I don't look until she has pushed the clear plastic board down as far as she needs it to and then she says, OK...you can look. Ummm...I had NO idea my boob could be as flat as a pancake. But I do now. My boob is talented. It's a shape shifter. And to be honest...the up and down smashing didn't even really hurt. But when she had to smash them DIAGONALLY!?!? Yeah...let's not even go there. That involves armpit and boob and nipple and muscle and a whole bunch of holding your breath and just...well...ugh. At least it only lasts a couple of seconds. As for the results...they haven't called me back for a follow up ultrasound, so I'm taking that as a good sign. And they said as long as I don't have any problems I won't have to have another one until I'm 30! YEE HAW!!!
So...there you have it...there has been plenty of drama...and I will have more posts to come that have to do with some other more serious family drama. But as for now...boobs, grass and teeth...you are pretty much caught up! ; )
Love to all as always!
~*MareBear*~
May 18, 2006
Introducing Elizabeth Grace

This is what she did pretty much the whole time we were there....SLEEP!! Don't get TOO used to it Mommy!!! ; ) She really IS the bestest baby in the world!

Again...sleeping, but see that finger she's holding so tight? That would be her Aunt MAREBEAR's finger!! She adores me. Really...she does. She told me so when no one else was watching. We have a bond already!

This is me holding the precious sleeping girl! We'll ignore the fact that I'm teaching her horrible habits because I'm wearing a t-shirt from Cancun with a BEER prominently across it with the word AAAHHH in really big print. Well...at least it's a BOTTLE right? Right. : )

This is Mom (Aunt Beth) with little Elizabeth! Aren't they adorable??? I love this picture! I think Mom was the only sensible one to wear a pink shirt to the hospital!! Smart thinking Mom!
I will have PLENTY more pictures to come and PLENTY more entries on Miss Elizabeth on the way!!! In the meantime, I hope you guys enjoy these pics!!! Love you guys SO very very much!!
~*Cousin/Aunt MareBear*~
April 29, 2006
Every Once In A While
Every once in a while...I get really really really tired of rolling with the punches. I get tired of brushing the dirt off. I get tired of having to keep my sense of humor about all of this. I'm sick of having this pain. I'm sick of going through horrible procedures that put me in even more pain. I'm sick and tired of being positive. Every once in a while...I get tired of feeling utterly alone even though I'm surrounded by people. Because at night, when the lights go out...it's just me. And I have to deal with this all by myself. And the people who say that they are "there for me" are at home with the people they love. They are with people that need them. Nermil needs me. Every once in a while I get really pissed off. I'm tired of being strong. I'm tired of being patient. I'm tired of dealing with all of this. I'm tired of feeling like I have to be happy in the face of adversity. Sometimes...every once in a while...I just want to be mad. I want to be angry. I want to be in bed with the covers over my face imagining that this isn't happening to me. Every once in a while...I want to hand this over to someone else. I want something GOOD to happen for once. Every once in a while I get tired of people telling me that "things could be worse." Yes, I already know that. But right now, things suck for me...so I don't want to hear that, OK?!?!? I'm tired of not living. I'm tired of not doing. I'm tired of pain. I'm tired of doctors. I'm tired of being alone. I'm tired of smiling when I don't want to.
I'm just tired. Really tired. And every once in a while...I wish this wasn't happening to me.
April 25, 2006
Love Quotes
Doc Childre
Our true identity is to love without fear and insecurity. Our higher potential finds us when we set our course in that direction. The power of love and compassion transforms insecurity.
I'll never understand why some people have the need to make us feel insecure to "show us their love." I've been there, done that. But true love is when our insecurity is no longer felt. It's when one day, we wake up and say, "Whatever happened to that insecure person?" That person is gone because true love has transformed you into someone who is secure in yourself again. That's when you know that someone truly loves you.
Vipin Sharma
Love the heart that hurts you, but never hurt the heart that loves you.
Jason Jordan
True love does not come by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.
Jason Jordan
Love is fire. But whether it's gonna warm your heart or burn your house down you can never tell.
This one made me crack up.
Rainer Maria Rilke
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart. And try to love the questions themselves.
Always keep growing and keep asking those questions.
Unknown
If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it was, and always will be yours. If it never returns, it was never yours to begin with.
Hmmmm...Something to ponder!
Franklin P. Jones
Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
Yeeeee Hawwwww!!!!
Dinah Shore
Trouble is part of your life — if you don't share it, you don't give the person who loves you a chance to love you enough.
This is a hard one for me to grasp. Guess I'll have to work on it.
Luciano de Crescenzo
We are, each of us angels with only one wing; and we can only fly by embracing one another.
Ursula K. LeGuin from The Lathe of Heaven
Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new.
This is something that EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THE PLANET needs to work on. No exceptions!!! So get to it people!! Right now!
Buddha
You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.
Again, something that everyone needs to work on. So...what are you waiting on?
Jeremy Irons
Love is friendship set on fire.
Wowza...I LOVE this quote. If you don't have friendship to fall back on, you have NOTHING. And Jeremy Irons said this??? Umm ok then!
Sir Hugh Walpoe
The most wonderful of all things in life, I believe, is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship has a glowing depth, beauty, and joy as the years increase. This inner progressiveness of love between two human beings is a most marvelous thing, it cannot be found by looking for it or by passionately wishing for it. It is a sort of Divine accident.
Let's all just collectively sigh now.
Mae West
Loves conquers all things except poverty and toothache.
I couldn't resist.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Love is not just looking at each other, it's looking in the same direction.
This quote hit the nail on the head.
W. H. Auden
In those whom I like, I can find no common denominator; in those whom I love I can: they all make me laugh.
True dat!
English proverb
Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it.
Are these people living my LIFE???
Douglas Yates
People who are sensible about love are incapable of it.
Bessie Stanley
He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much.
Well, let's all hope we are very successful people!! So far, I think I've had quite a bit of success! Can you say the same?!?! If not, GET TO IT!
Happiness Quotes
Richard Bach, Illusions
Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours!
I read this one and had to put it as #1. You want 'em...you got 'em!
Carl Jung
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.
Interesting!!! Maybe we should THINK about that, huh??
Unknown
The really happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery when on a detour.
I like this one. Especially since I've been on quite a long "detour" and I'm doing my bestest to enjoy the scenery. This is a good quote to remember.
Victor Hugo
The supreme happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved — loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.
Aristotle
Happiness depends upon ourselves.
Kind of reminds me of an entry I did a few days ago! ; )
Robert Anthony
Most people would rather be certain they're miserable, than risk being happy.
Woah...so much I could say on this one. But I shall refrain.
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.
Please reread this quote...stamp it on your forehead so you can see it every time you look in the mirror. Post it everywhere you might see it OFTEN...PLEASE!!!!!
Roy M. Goodman
Remember that happiness is a way of travel — not a destination.
Let's all join hands and sing!
Oscar Wilde
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.
This one makes me happy just by reading it!
Helen Keller
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.
Jacques Prévert
Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.
When you get to the end of your rope...tie a knot and hang on!
Thomas Paine
It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself.
Miscellaneous Quotes
Unknown
The best relationship is the one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
Joseph F. Newton
People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.
Francois de la Rochefoucauld
If we are incapable of finding peace in ourselves, it is pointless to search elsewhere.
Richard Bach
The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.
This one is SO true!
Richard Bach
Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you.
Robert Fulghum
Peace is not something you wish for; it's something you make, something you do, something you are, something you give away.
Hans Selye
Its not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.
What are you trying to say?!?!?! Huh? HUH???? Are you saying that I OVERREACT???
Anonymous
Not respecting yourself, is the same as committing suicide at a slow rate.
Buddha
Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.
Thomas Haliburton
When a man is wrong and won't admit it, he always gets angry.
Hmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Winston Churchill
Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.
Know anyone like this????
Unknown
Pace yourself...an elephant can be swallowed, one bite at a time.
Mmmm...Yummy
Coco Chanel
How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.
Addison Walker
It's not true that nice guys finish last. Nice guys are winners before the game even starts.
Winston Churchill
If you're going through hell, keep going.
OK! I will!!! I like this one...I know a few of us who need to have this as our mantra.
Confucius
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
In other words...Keep rolling with the punches!
April 24, 2006
Things I Want To Do Before I Die
*Have a child or children that I can raise to be good and strong people. People that I can be proud to call my own. I want to have the experience of making a baby with someone that I love and watching that little baby grow up to be a great person someday.
*Write that book that I keep threatening to write. I have a subject. Everyone CLAIMS I have the talent. I just have to start believing in myself enough to do it. I honestly don't think that I can compare to the Nicholas Sparks and Danielle Steels out there...but maybe I'll give it a shot. If anything, just to get some things off my chest.
*Go to Paris. For that matter, I'd love to just travel abroad ANYWHERE. But particularly Paris. I want to see the Eiffel Tower at night. Just once.
*Renew some old friendships from the past. It's amazing to me how people drift apart. How you can be so close to people and then POOF! I would love to have this HUGE network of friends. Some people say that it's better to have just a few VERY close friends. And maybe that's true. But I believe that the more people you love, the bigger and stronger your heart is. And I don't see anything wrong with having a lot of friends spread out all over the country. Jeez. NONE of my friends even live in the same STATE as I do!
*Make some friends in the same state as I live. Even better. The same zip code.
*Get stronger in my faith. Walk the walk. The other day I was talking to a friend of mine about some library books I had gotten. When I told her that they were Christian books, she was a little surprised at that. I told her, "Yeah, I guess you wouldn't know from talking to me that I have a lot of Christian books." She laughed and said, "NOPE!" Well, that made me feel INCREDIBLY ashamed. And that's an understatement. I felt more like crawling under the nearest rock and hoping God hadn't just been watching that. Maybe He had been getting a non-fat latte at Heavenly Starbucks at that moment...but I doubt it. So, needless to say, I need to work on that. It was a bit of a wake up call for me. More like a huge slap in the face or a bucket of ice water thrown over my head. Kind of funny...a few days before all of this, I found a church that I think Mom and I are going to try going to. The Big Guy has His ways, doesn't He? If you want to walk on water, you've got to get out of the boat!
*Relax! Stop taking life and everything IN it so seriously. That's pretty much self explanatory. And I'm getting better at this one. WAY better. If you had put me through what I'm going through now, 2 years ago...WOAH...stay OUTTA MY WAY!! I would not have been a pleasant person to be around. But I still need to work on my sensitivity level, and I just need to learn to go with the flow a little bit more. And I know SO many people out there who could use this one in their list.
*Career- This is a tough one because I want so badly to write professionally. But that's a HARD thing to do and make money at it right away. So, once I get back on my feet physically, pun TOTALLY intended, I want to do something that I LIKE doing. And yes, this is everyone's dream, but I have been given a chance to take the time out to figure OUT what I want to do when it's time to go back to work. So...I will have to get back to you on this subject. I have some ideas, but nothing substantial.
*Get back to playing the guitar and maybe even writing my own songs again. And get good enough to where I WON'T be mortified if someone asks me to play for them.
*Grow. And no, I don't mean get TALLER. I want to keep growing and learning every single day of my life. I hope I never ever stop. I want to use the talents I've been given and not keep them bottled up. I want to LIVE and not just sit around NOT living anymore. I want to learn and experience new things and meet new people. I just want to BE.
*Add to this list. I want to keep adding to this list everytime I think of something else I want to do before I die. And this is a rather SHORT list. A general list. There isn't too much that is detailed on here. I'm sure I could think of a million LITTLE things I want to do, but this is a good start. I think all of us should take a "life inventory" at some point. Check in with ourselves and see how we're doing.
Hopefully, I'll live a long, full life. But if I don't, I know that I have learned and loved a lot in the life that I have lived so far. But it's good to think about how I could make my next years better. How I can learn and love and live a little bit better and a little bit more. And after writing this...I'm kinda looking forward to it!
Oh, and if you're still sitting there wondering if I meant you on the RELAX and go with the flow statement...you know...the one where I said that I knew SO many people who could use this one their list? If you are STILL sitting here getting a little defensive, thinking I might have meant you, then yes, I meant you.
Love to all as always!
~*MareBear*~
April 20, 2006
Slice And Dice No More
The dentist took a full mouth x-ray and surprise surprise, I had THREE teeth that were already abscessed!! So lucky me, I got laid up on the chair with my trusty gas mask and the excision began. No, not EXORCISM...although at one point I did almost want to turn into Linda Blair and start screaming dirty words at the woman in a really evil voice...but I couldn't because my mouth was otherwise engaged. Anyway...one of the teeth had to be surgically removed, and by surgically, I mean she had to tug...and pull....and cut...and twist...and yank...and tear it out in pieces. At one point the novocaine wore off and I felt her pulling and cutting and it was like lightening shooting through my body (or at least what I would assume lightening would feel like) and I grabbed the nurses hand. The dentist said, "Is it sharp or deep?" Ummmm. WHAT?? Well, it's EXCRUTIATING, but since you still have your hand and twelve instruments in my mouth, "AR AR AR AR AR AR ARARARARARARAR" was about all I could manage. So she gave me about 10 more novocaine shots that she CLAIMED could numb an elephant (was she calling me fat?) and went about her business. She was DRENCHED with sweat and looked down at me and said, "Honey, I swear I'm going to give you some good drugs." I looked at her like, woman...you better, cause I'm gonna toilet paper your office if you don't. (That was the meanest threat I could think of at the time.) After it was all over...I felt like I had earned a spot in Fight Club...SCREW the first rule. My lips were bruised and scraped, my face swelled up like I had gotten wisdom teeth removed, and my jaw felt like someone had used it for target practice for a few hours. I think I'd like a refund on the laughing gas...that was NOT FUNNY. So, we asked the dentist if I should still go on with the surgery seeing as I'd had THREE abscessed teeth. She said SURE!! She said that I had even MORE decayed teeth on the VERGE of abscess, but that they would PROBABLY hold out until after the surgery. OK...I'm going to let you guys take a minute to let that sink in...Here...I'll even separate that sentence out...let you think about what that nurse said at the beginning...and what the dentist just said...and YOU guys...with NO medical experience...put 2 and 2 together...here....
It was put to me like this..."The hip replacement is like a MAGNET for infection. So you need to get any infection completely out of your body so it doesn't travel through your blood stream straight to that hip!"
She said SURE!! She said that I had even MORE decayed teeth on the VERGE of abscess, but that they would PROBABLY hold out until after the surgery.
OK, got it? Now...here I am thinking...hmmm. I have more infection in my mouth. Yes, the dentist gave me a MASSIVE amount of antibiotics. But still...Do I want to bank my life on a PROBABLY? Umm no. So I worry and worry and worry. Then, Sunday I start having MAJOR pain in one of the extraction sites and guess what!!! DRY SOCKET! Yippee! So, I go BACK to the dentist Monday and have them pack it with medicine, and she is looking at my x-rays and she says that she just wants to make sure that it's not another tooth that has abscessed. Huh?? Umm...if another tooth could have abscessed this quickly...then what's stopping it from abscessing during my surgery? That's when I got REALLY scared. Really worried. So mom and I called the surgeon's office yesterday and talked to his nurse. The MINUTE we mentioned teeth, abscess, dry socket...she said, NO WAY and immediately cancelled the surgery. She said if there are other teeth in my mouth that are in ANY way decaying or infected I need to have them ALL taken care of before the surgery. She gave me her direct number to call her back once I get it all taken care of. WHEW!
So...here's where things stand now. #1...surgery is obviously NOT happening for now. Which is a good thing and a bad thing. A bad thing because of course I want to get my hip taken care of and get my wiggle and my booty shake goin' on. A good thing because I'm not going to be at such a high risk for infection, and I was REALLY concerned about that. And I'd much rather be safe than sorry. #2...I'm going to see a NEW dentist next Thursday to get a consult on exactly what it's going to take to get a complete overhaul on my teeth. I hope to not only get them completely healthy but maybe, just MAYBE finally have a pretty smile. #3...I didn't have to tell Dr. Fall-On-My-Knees-And-Worship-Him-Because-He's-So-Great that I couldn't have the surgery because of my teeth. Someone ELSE got to tell him that. So I didn't get to see the excited and overjoyed look on his face. Yeah...right. #3 1/2...a bonus...IF this whole teeth procedure takes a while...maybe, just MAYBE I will get lucky enough to get my surgery rescheduled when Dr. Wants-to-Get-His-Hands-On-My-Hip is no longer on rotation. That means........I may never see his pearly whites again. Or hear his witty banter. Or feel his loving warmth radiate around me. Or have the joy of his uplifting attitude carry me throughout my day EVER EVER AGAIN!!!! Let's all have a moment of silence.
So anyway...that's the drama surrounding the not-so-impending slice and dice. Thanks to those who have written and called and told me that I should hang in there, stay strong, give em hell, kick ass and take names...or even change my middle name to Pain (I'm still looking into that, Shell!) I appreciate them all. I am just trying to roll with the punches and keep my sense of humor while doing it. I wouldn't be able to make it without you guys! My family and my friends...you guys are my glue that holds me together when I just want to literally fall to pieces. So thank you...in all seriousness...from the bottom of my heart.
I love you all very much!
~*MareBear*~ (with a few less teeth)
April 16, 2006
Dependence Day
So, today...be happy because YOU are happy and not because you think someone made you that way. Sure...someone can always ADD to your happiness and that is a beautiful and wonderful thing. But no one can take away your power of emotions unless you let them. So when you smile today...let it be a smile straight and pure from your very own heart, and send out a prayer or hope or wish that the people you love can have an equally pure smile straight from their own hearts too.
Happily Yours Always
~*MareBear*~
April 15, 2006
The Baby Shower!!
April 13, 2006
Bruce Wayne

Bruce Wayne is a pure bred miniature rat terrier. And OH MY GOODNESS what a cutie he is. He prances around in absolute show dog style some of the time...the other times...he tears around like...well, like Batman. And his EARS are his best feature. He's very confident about them. Carries them well. The kitchen is his own "puppy condo" where he stays when mommy and daddy are both at work during the day. He has a crate where all of his toys are kept...and WOWZA is there a pile of them! My cousin Tammy (aka Tamster) and her fabulous hubby Justin are Brucie's mommy and daddy. I think having a puppy has been a lesson for them...Hey guys!! Here's what it'll be like to have a baby...well, take the pee and poop and sleepless nights and add some crying and drool and throw in horrible teenage years and multiply it times...oh, say 4 million!!! ; ) Love you guys!!! Give Brucie a big ole kiss from his godmomma!!
Oh yeah! And to see more pics of Brucie AND his mommy and daddy...go check out the My Pictures link!!
*Peace Out Peeps*
April 12, 2006
Impending Slice and Dice
Tomorrow I go for my pre-op stuff. EKG, MORE blood work (albeit NOT a garbage bag full), and maybe, JUST MAYBE, I'll see Dr. Fabulous so he can avoid more of my questions! I always look forward to an encounter with him. His warm, bored eyes. His white and straight teeth. His comforting and monotonous voice. His terrific way of reminding me every time I see him that I don't have insurance but that "it won't affect the quality of your care in ANY way." The silly way he acts like he wants to leave the room only 30 seconds after he got there. (I'm sure he's just playing hard to get.) GOSH...I can barely wait to see him! Too bad he's married. Seems like a great catch.
As for my state of mind...I'm as STABLE as ever. : ) And that says A LOT...you know me...steady as a rock. Mmmmm hmmm...And if you believe THAT...Bill Gates is my brother. I'm a little freaked out at the prospect of getting sliced on. ESPECIALLY by Dr. AssMunch. I may end up with a toilet paper roll holding my leg together. But I'm doing my best to keep it together and stay strong and keep my sense of humor. I am having quite a lot more down moments the closer I get to the actual surgery, but I'm trying not to fault myself TOO much for it. I still get out of bed every day. I still make sure I smile a lot. It's just hard sometimes when the reality hits me that yes...I know this surgery is going to help me. I know it is...and I know that all of you are very excited for me, and I appreciate that. But it's hard for me too. Hard to realize that I'm 25 years old, and I'm getting a HIP REPLACEMENT. And even after this is over, and I go through a bitch of a recovery, I have to start all over again with my right leg. It's a little daunting. And no, I'm not trying to be negative though it may seem that way. It may come across that way because it's just a lot for one person to take on. It's a lot for one person, one young woman that hopefully has a long future ahead of her, to realize. I want to live and be happy. Preferrably NOT in pain. I'd like to think that I've taken what God's given me so far and handled it with some semblance of grace. I know that I've learned a lot. And I pray that He gives me the chance to learn more. So I'm going to take this step. Hopefully with less pain and limp. And I am hoping that I'll have my "peeps" right there beside me the whole way. I couldn't have limped this far without you. And my $50,000 wiggle won't be the same if I can't show it off to you once I've got it!
Love to all AS always!
~*MareBear*~
April 06, 2006
Nermil's Poops
But one horrible night...
I had Annie in my bedroom because Mom was in Biloxi, and I let Annie sleep in my room when Mom's gone since I take care of her. So there I was talking on my cell phone with my door tightly sealed. My ceiling fan blazing (I have this thing about being freezing cold when I go to sleep). Annie is on the floor on her bed (which just so happens to be right next to the litter box) and she's sawing logs. Dad is down the hall in his office typing away on his computer. Nermies is playing around somewhere on the floor where I can't see him. Next thing I know I hear scratchscratchscratchscratch. Annie IMMEDIATELY wakes from her sound slumber and her nose starts working and her ears perk up. I sit straight up on the bed and silently plead, PLEASE Nermies let it just be pee, let it just be pee. Nermies stands there for a minute and stares back at the two of us while we are both waiting...Annie wanting one outcome...Me wanting a totally different one. After what seems like an eternity...........pooooooooooop!!!!!!!! I JUMP off the bed (yes, that IS possible for me in emergency situations such as this!) with the phone in one hand, yelling for Annie to STAY STAY STAY. She is shaking like a leaf at the sight of her precious addiction only inches from her grasp. I grab the door and yell for Dad as I am GAGGING from the smell that is permeating my pores. Nermies has bailed at this point. Left me to my own devices at solving this conundrum. Dad hears me screaming at Annie to stay and yelling at him to BRING A PLASTIC BAG and comes running around the corner to see me in a football tackle stance with my shirt covering my nose, phone in one hand, other hand waving frantically at Annie to STAY!!!!!!! "What's the matter?!?!," he asks. He's all worried...but then it hits him. Yep...hits him REEEEAAAAALLLLL good. Right up the damn NOSE. The contortion on his face said it all. "Nermies...poop....smell...Annie....needed...bag..." was pretty much all I could get out at that point. I had set down the phone and was somehow warding off Annie with my foot and scooping out the foul pile into the bag while tears were pouring down my face. I finally got it out to the trash can...the OUTSIDE trash can. And I think I sprayed an entire can of Oust in my bedroom and bathroom and down the hall. But it was too late...it had already entered my bloodstream. And Annie was HORRIFIED that she didn't get her fix. Once I flopped back down on the bed from pure exhaustion Nermies hopped up there and was like, MEOW!!! HI!! I POOPED!!! And I was like, I know you did!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!
And so, I thought I would share it with YOU! Go back to enjoying your breakfast now!
~*MareBear*~
March 25, 2006
Who says?
Who says my cat can't beat your cat in a cuteness war? BRING IT!
Who says that I can't say "ole", or that Mom can't say "hose pipe", or that Denise can't say "SHAMpoo"? Who made you king of phonetics and the English language? I'll say abracaDAMNdabra if I want to.
Who says I can't believe in love at first sight? Watch me.
Who says I can't cry for no reason at all? It's MY party...I'll cry if I want to!
Who says I have to hold the door open for you when you are walking through behind me so it doesn't slam in your face? I don't...but I do it anyway...but you know what? YOU DO have to say thank you!
Who says we can't all just get along? If everyone would just shut up and realize that my opinion is the only one that counts...we'd all have it made! <---And for those of you out there who read this and think, Oh mah gah...what a SELFISH PERSON...YOU are the ones we need to start with on the "making the world a better place" scenario....LEARN TO APPRECIATE SARCASM PEOPLE! Humor is what makes the world go round.
Who says that I can't pick a couple's name from the phone book...send the wife 2 dozen roses with a note saying they are from her husband...hope he takes the credit...and maybe, just maybe, spark a change in a relationship that has needed to happen for a decade?
Who says I can't believe in miracles?
Who says I'm TOO short, TOO fat, TOO tan, TOO loud, TOO dramatic, TOO sensitive, TOO emotional, TOO analytical, TOO proud, TOO attached, TOO impulsive? Does someone out there have a sharpie that draws the line before "TOO" on all people...like a standardized TOO-ness of the world? Or is it judged on an individual basis?
Who says I can't watch soap operas and like them? You gotta problem with that??? HUH?
Who says I'm too old to...play in the rain, color in coloring books, watch cartoons, wish big, love Winnie the Pooh with a passion, eat dry Cheerios one by one with my fingers, build a fort with blankets and the dining room chairs, let my mom brush my hair, walk barefoot EVERYWHERE, drink milk through a crazy straw, listen to a bedtime story, love with the wholeheartedness of a child?
Who says I have to end this post now? Nobody...but I'm gonna.
