The Way We Are

Today I am sitting here listening to Barbara Streisand sing the song The Way We Were.  Who can hear that and not tear up.  Somewhere inside of yourself there is a memory that it tugs on.  That time you held hands for just a bit longer than any other time.  Or when you caught your breath that time you say them turn and look at you.  Knowing that someone loves you all the way into your soul. 

I love my husband so deeply.  Feeling so very special that he looks at me with the love deep in his eyes.  Knowing how he makes my toes curl and my stomach flutter.  I am sure this feeling will always be a part of our relationship.  But it will change too as we age.  We are entering our later stages of life.  And our love is strong as ever but there are other parts that are beginning to take a dip.

My mom-in-law told me that it grows into a deeper love.  Her and my dad-in-law lay in bed at night holding hands.  They say their prayers together and share the day in soft whispers.  Clinging to the love that has taken them through more than 50 years of marriage.  The physical has cooled but never the emotional.  Do you see when that time is coming?  I feel it could be around the corner for us. 

Not that I want that but see the foreshadowing of a time to come.  It has made me start looking at how to keep the spark alive there.  I have heard so much about EdenFantasys online, I am sure you have too.  So I had a look around at Eden Cafe (their blog) to see if there was any advice for us.  I know there are all kinds of toys and such, but is there a magic thing to give us our energy back?  I mean when you both just look at each other and say I love you but my back hurts too dang much?  It has happened. 

Well?  I know many of y'all are younger but there has to be others out there in this situation.  Where your knees are shaking but not from the sexual tremor.  What do you do?  Tell me.  I am not ready to just hold hands, but I am thrilled it is his hand I am holding.  Maybe I can find a few tricks of the trade over at EdenFantasys.  Who knows?

Holidays & Mixed Families

If your not aware I am like so many others. I have been married and divorced and married..........and now I have a mixed family. With that is always new lessons to learn on how to exist in these families with harmony. I feel quite lucky that my ex and I sat down and talked on how to have a friendly divorce. We knew we would always be our daughter's parents and would have to be part of each others lives after our divorce. And we have made it work out with little fuss.

So how did we get there? Well, first we wasted a long time. Staying married 15 years when our marriage was over in the first 5 years. I would have liked to have read "How to Know if it's Time to Go-A 10-Step Reality Test for Your Marriage". Now I know that we all wish to keep our marriage healthy. I wanted to do the very same thing. But instead wasted 10 years of mine and my ex's life. And drug our sweet daughter through those trying times. Sometimes we just have to face reality.

What I do like about this book is that it addresses your children's issues. Making it a fact that there needs to be healthy relationships between the separated parents and future families. So you need to deal with how a healthy divorce works compared to an unhealthy marriage. (I know having been there.) And helping your child or children with school, family, friends, self esteem and all the issues that come up. I feel quiet lucky that we took a logical look at our future. Now having been divorced over 7 years we can still visit each other with our College Girl. And even better yet, College Girl now has her (half) lil sister to share her life with. The two families often share meals, holidays and even for a short while a home together.

I would like to thank Sterling Publishing Company for sharing "How to Know if it's Time to Go". And would highly recommend it as a tool to help when you need to take a reality check of your marriage. You will most likely find that your marriage is in better shape than you thought. And that life can be improved through communication and maybe counseling.

#6

Today makes 6 years of marriage for Dear Hubby and I. And it feels so much longer.

Image by sonson via Flickr

Not in that 'longer' way like oh my goodness....no like we have always been together.
I have wanted to always love and be loved in the way we do.
He is my knight in shining armor,
my hero,
my lover,
my friend,
my partner,
my world.
Happy Anniversary Dear Hubby!

Cute Gifts for my Grandson

jellycat

haba toys

barefoot dreams

appaman

These are not the latest cartoon characters, nor are they TV show spokes models but they are some of the newest and cutest toys and clothes available. I just fell in love with them when I was looking for something special for my grandson. I could not decide what I wanted the most.

I am really partial to the jellycat peguin. Of course I am very fond of peguins anyway. So that just goes to reason that I would want one for myself. So no not for the grandson. But the darling lil barefoot dreams elephant blankie sure would be a great way to snuggle. I really am loving this 'phunt as I called them when I was a lil one. Of course my grand son is now a big 1 year old so this may be too baby-ish for him. What about the haba toys doggie. This is certainly very colorful and the varied pattern would be great stimulation. Now my lil grandson has several very active real doggies who might wanna eat this one up. Guess it has to be (and would look so cute on him) the appaman green monkey tee-shirt. It is bright and makes me think of my own lil monkey of a grand son.

Laugh Out Loud Advice

I have had so much fun looking for my Dear Hubby's lil black book. Honest! I always said he had the book that has all the excuses men give their wives. You know what I mean. Why men can't pick up their dirty clothes? How did they forget your anniversary? And didn't they see that game last week?
Honest my DH always has such sweet answers I know he has to be getting them from some cheat sheet some where. Now I know where! Yep, I found his lil black book and it was (as expected) in disguise with a plain white wrapper. Even had the nerve to title it 'Rick and Bubba's Guide To The Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage'
I have had so much fun reading this book. And the CD that is at the end has had me in stitches in the Durango. I was so happy to receive this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers. I do not know how I have not heard Rick and Bubba on the radio or their TV show or through their books. It must have been a conspiracy to save DH from me. I know that I now have a goal to let all the other GRITS (girls raised in the south) know that there is a book (man's guide to marriage) that has all the secrets we have been looking for. Oh and to top it off I found out they stole our secrets too!
They published our well hidden Book of Blame to share with our football loving, hunting, fishing, can't find the remote darling husbands. There is even a confidentiality agreement the men must sign to keep us from finding out. So GRITS, I have caught them red handed and expect you to go out and find your DH's copy of 'Rick and Bubba's Guide To The Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage'.

San Saba House

Here is the house in San Saba Texas that we stayed at this weekend with Nessa. It is a beautiful home and made my soul sing. I wish I could have taken all of my blog friends with me and had a great weekend sitting on the front porch drinking wine and yaking.
This is the children's bedroom. What a quaint iron baby bed that is there. Of course all of that lovely sunshine made me happy.
Here I am in the room that appealed to me the most. The front parlor with all of the roses, lace and sunshine made me feel so relaxed. I am not one of the formal ones there, nope curled right up with a book!


This is the downstairs bedroom that was the "servants" quarters. Don't we all wish we were servants here!


The front entrance hall with a massive staircase. Here is the setting for a bride to be coming down the stairs to meet her future husband. Think I need to get a second wedding soon?

The front "mans" den had all the right touches. It would be a great place for the fellows to talk about the fish that got away or how beautiful that deer was that they could not bear to shoot.

Oh how I love a large claw foot tub to soak in. Yes I did sit here and dream away some time. Bath time ladies is not for getting clean but for relaxing.

And my dream country kitchen! How I could spend my days making cakes and cookies here. But wait, that is an original oven from the 1900's without a thermostat.

This was a great home to visit. I would adore living here. Heck I would even be the "hired help" for a fantastic bed and breakfast. Think I can get a job from the owner????