Freedom at Last

The straw that broke the camel's back happened Sunday night. I finally left retail. I couldn't take the mental abuse anymore.  I even quit without giving my 2 weeks notice, which I have never done. 

It was very liberating. I normally get worked up over a lot of things, but not this.  I have worked retail since 2003 and it has definitely increased my dislike of most of the human race.

Yes, I still need to work 2 jobs but at least now, I can work the jobs I want & need, not just need.

They Live Within Us

 February 2021 is when my husband and I had to say goodbye to our sweet, fuzzy daughter. The pain of losing her is still there, it has dulled a bit. There are moments that will suddenly make me think of her and I will smile sadly at the memory.

A friend of mine recently commented how, even after 4 years of her own fur son's passing, it still hurts. It made me start thinking about why.  When we share our heart with them, they share theirs with us. I think that is why it still hurts, even though time has passed since they left us. The good thing is, a piece of them still lives with us.  

Remember, it is okay to be sad about our beloved lost pets but they are still with us, in our hearts.

The picture I use on my lock screen so I can still see her every day.

Ad Oddities

 So, we all know that ads are on social media so that, for the most part, it is free to those that use it. Now, there are mathematical algorithms to put ads with certian audiences.  Apparently, the algorithm is broken on one of my social media platforms. 

Just today, I have had the following:

Medicine for RA, lung cancer, and another I couldn't figure out

Stop smoking

Alcohol of 4 different types

Being a surrogate mother in IL

These are just the weird ones that I have seen today. The weirdest one ever is one saying that I should become a nun in the Catholic church. The algorithm must have really been broken that day since I am active on several new age pages and I am married. 

It just amuses me to see what the algorithms will bring me as I scroll through my newsfeed. What weird ones have you gotten?

Digging In the Dirt

 So my bff Marie has a bit of an etsy addiction, just like I have a bit of a stone addiction. When these two addictions collide, silly fun happens.

To set the scene, my sister & mom came out for a visit. After they left, Marie decided to send me a small gift to chase away the blues of my family leaving to go home. The package arrives and is really heavy.  I open it up to find this:

It is a bit squishy so I figure it is padding. Nope! It is a bag of sand!

According to the directions, the crystals are in the sand. It is up to you to find them. Let the fun begin!

I poured the bag into a bowl and dug it. It took about 20 minutes but I found all the awesome crystals. It was a lot of fun. I'd recommend this to anyone, kids & kids at heart.

After I opened the bag but before digging in the dirt.

My wonderful treasures unearthed

On the Search

 It has been 4 months since my fuzzy daughter Gabby crossed the rainbow bridge. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her. She was the 1st pet my husband & I had together and was a huge part of my heart.

Ever since she passed, I have wanted to tattoo an outline of her actual paw print (major thanks to my vet for helping us get that before she passed). The hard thing about this is trying to find a tattoo artist to do this for me. As an artist myself, I would never ask for discounts for a piece of art done by another. However, it has been harder than what I thought. I can't seem to get a clear cost on what I want & the few quotes I have gotten seem ridiculously high (ex: $100 per hour plus cost of the piece which would be around another $100).

All I wish to do is honor my daughter; a simple outline of her paw print with her name under it. 

My beautiful baby girl

Can't Go Wrong with Potatoes

 I am always looking for recipes to expand our meals. I found a fried potato recipe that seemed pretty easy: Pommes Persillade.

Yes this is a French recipe, but I figured its potatoes. What can go wrong?

Well, they didn't turn out too bad. I might have boiled them a bit longer than I should have, which made for an interesting frying experience. I was also out of dried parsley, so I added a bit of dried basil in its place.  I think I will try to make these again. It seems like a recipe that gets better with more practice at it. Hey, at least I can say I cooked something French.

Here is my copy of the recipe.

No Choice but to Give Up on Him

 I work with students who have behavior and emotional disabilities.  I love my job and wouldn't trade it.  I get to make connections with these kids who a lot of people have already given up on.  And these kids have such personalities; some seem to blossom under the attention. 

I try to listen to what they like, what they don't like, and just have a conversation with them about mundane things.  It often surprises them that I remember what they tell me.  For example, I bring in a birthday treat for each kid: donuts to share with the whole class and a special food treat just for them, based on what they have told me or that I have observed.  They also get a hand drawn card with a message from me and my fellow teacher written inside.  The kids who are new to my room, are often shocked to see a treat that is just for them and it is based off of stuff that I know about them.

What hurts is when one of my kids (yes, they are my kids even though I did not birth them) has given up on his education, for one reason or another.  I keep trying to help them realize the importance of it and how having a high school diploma can help them in the future, but sometimes it doesn't make a difference.  I do not what to give up on them but I have to come to that point where I can't continue to pour water on a dead plant, thinking that it will grow again.  I have three students who have pretty much check out of their education and it hurts to see. 

I still love and care about those kids and I let them know that, but I have to remind myself that there are other kids in my room that haven't checked out of their education.   I don't want to give up on them, but in the end, I have no choice.  Those three have made their choice and there is nothing that I can do to change it.