Advice...or no?

So its been 2 months since I've written a word. And sadly, I don't have much to report. I have decided to give FL one more year and see where it takes me. I'm just not ready to call it quits yet. I still miss home, but I'm having fun, so I'm staying. Although, I do not look forward to spending my birthday, tomorrow, without my family. I think its the first time ever I have not been able to spend it with my family. But I'm sure I will be alright. I'll just have to make up for it the next time I'm able to go home.
And here's my thought for the day. Recently, I've been seeing a lot of young couples, teens or early twenties, profess their undying love for each other and post it all over Facebook/MySpace for the world to see. And then a few months later the whole world gets to see the breakup and the heartache that follows. Or, as in one case, this incredibly young couple decides they need to get married. Right away. Now don't get me wrong, I wanted to get married as soon as I turned 18. Thankfully, the Lord knew that would be a crazy idea and let me be single at that time. If you've read my blog before, you know that I have the best example of marriage in the world as my parents were one of those crazy young couples who got married right after graduation. And 30 some years later they are still together. But I feel like the times and people have changed since then and I'm just not sure its a good idea for most kids to run off and get married or make their significant other the reason for their existence. And my dilemma: should I say something to these kids, just give them a word of advice, or would that come across as bitterness?
I hate to see broken hearts, especially if it can be avoided. So I'm hesitant to voice my opinion. At the same time, I feel like I have an obligation to ask them to just take a breath for a minute and realize the world really does not revolve around the other person. For instance, I know a guy who is still in his teens and he proposed to his girlfriend. They are planning the wedding for next year, yet he still makes comments about how he can't stand her sometimes and he is unsure about the relationship. If you aren't sure you can stand her you most certainly DO NOT need to be married to her! I tried to explain that, but it fell on deaf ears and the wedding is still on. Hopefully my friend does not end up another statistic.
I am a hopeless romantic. I wish things were as wonderful as we all seem to believe when we're young and "in love." I've learned the hard way though that its not that easy. I guess I see myself in these starry eyed kids and don't want to see them go thru the pain that I went thru, and that is in the end inevitable. But even if I do say something, would they listen? Would reason make it thru to their heads so far up in the clouds? Who knows.

55 Years and Counting

This past weekend I went home to visit family and friends. I have spent 26 springs in the mountains of Virginia but I believe this is the most beautiful springtime I have ever seen. As I flew into the mountains I could see all the white and pink dogwoods in bloom. The trees are starting to get their leaves and the grass is green. I was actually kinda surprised at all the color I could see from the plane alone. I got off the plane and walked outside looking for my Mom who was picking me up. But...she forgot about me. Well not really, but she thought the plane came in later. No big deal as that gave me a few minutes to sit outside the airport and soak in the sunshine.

The day before I came back to my second home my Mom, brother and myself went to visit my grandparents who are in far Southwest VA. It just so happened to be their 55th wedding anniversary. What an inspiration they are! My grandparents met when they were both in their teens. After dating for 3 months they decided it was time to get married and off they went. They, like many couples, have endured a number of things that test any marriage. Time apart, the death of a child, serious injuries and illnesses. But what sets them apart is instead of allowing these things to come between them, they allowed it to bring them closer. For the first 10 years of my life my grandparents lived with me and my family since they were truck drivers and away from home so much. But what an example I got during a pivotal time in my life. Seeing my grandparents and my parents together and how a marriage is supposed to be. I realize now how blessed I am since this is definitely not the norm for relationships.

So we spent the day with my grandparents in the beautiful springtime colors. As they get older and I move farther away, I cherish each moment more and more. We drove to lunch at a tiny out of the way place somewhere in NC. On the way we found an old gospel CD in the car that I thought my grandfather would like. So we drove in the sunshine, through the colors, listening to old church songs that remind me of my childhood. My Mom, grandma and myself were singing the hymns while my grandpa and brother just sat quietly. It sounds cheesy, but it was one of those moments in time that seems frozen in my memory. And I hope it stays there forever.

Do I really want to see that?

I love Facebook. I too have become addicted to the strange little community where people you haven't talked to in 10 years suddenly want to be best friends and pretend all those mean things they said about you in high school were never spoken. But whatever. Its fun, its interesting to see what people are up to and it helps me stay in touch with my friends I left behind. Here's what I don't get...why do people put up crazy pregnancy pictures?? I'm glad you are pregnant. Congratulations. But honestly, I do not want to see that pee on a positive stick, I do not want to see your expanding belly, nor do I want to see your sonogram. I mean, really, thats kinda weird when you think about it. Anyone can look you up and anyone can see your profile pic. And you have your pee on a stick out there for the world to see. Now, posting those pictures inside your profile in a photo album, thats great. That way far away family and friends can keep up with your progress. But setting your profile picture to show your bare belly...I don't know. It kinda freaks me out. I only want to see the belly's of my friends, my closest friends. And I certainly would not want to show my pee to perfect strangers. Its just weird!

MIA

I've been gone for a while. Not because anything took me away from my computer, just because I've been a slacker. So, since my last post some exciting things have happened. My brother moved down to FL and is staying with me until he gets all settled. Sharing a one bedroom apartment with two cats and a brother definitely takes some getting used to! But its kinda nice having family here. However, I'm kind of a neat freak....and he is not....some issues going on there but we will work thru them.

Shortly after my brother arrived, we drove to the coast and watched the space shuttle Discovery take off. For some reason my whole family are NASA nerds so this was quite exciting for us. Brad filmed the launch on his cell phone and I called my parents and let them listen to the scene while they watched on TV. For some reason, most other people aren't as excited as I was about this! But, I think the coolest thing was the patriotism I felt. The beach was full, the most people I've ever seen on a beach. Right when the shuttle took off everyone started cheering and more cheering when the sound barrier was broken. It was awesome. There we all were, watching our astronauts fly into space for our country. And we all just stood there watching the small ball of light cross the sky. It almost reminded me of the 4th of July. I saw kids, I saw elderly people and everyone in between. I don't know, it was just a beautiful site for me. One of the most exciting memories for sure.

And finally, due to the economic crisis, I've had to get a second job in retail. Wow what a shock! I haven't been in retail since my college days. Although I must say, its not as bad as I thought it would be. I almost enjoy it. I work with college kids, as is expected, but they crack me up. I feel like I'm in college again. I don't like working nights and weekends, but beggers can't be choosers and until the economy gets better for my consulting job, retail it is. I have found several co-workers in the same position. Thankfully, there are still retail positions out there for people like me, and others who only have that one job to rely on. It just reminds me that life is full of surprises. No matter how much we plan, life can, and probably will, throw you a curve ball. Make sure you can keep up!

Old Country Roads

OK Holly, here goes.

I grew up in a small town in southwest Virginia. And when I say small, I'm talking no stoplights in the town. Only one gas station and one fast food joint. Since I've grown up, there are a few more restaurants and local businesses, but still no stoplights. So I'm talking SMALL town. My parents live outside the town down a long dirt road. Beyond state maintenance. So when it snows, Dad gets out the tractor so we can get out of the house. When we get potholes in the road the neighbor goes and buys some gravel to fill the hole. Way out in the boonies. Moving there at the age of 10 after growing up in a neighborhood was horrible. They only kid to play with...my brother. Terrible. But I think it ended up working out quite well. I have awesome memories of playing in the leaves with Brad, the older brother, and our black lab Black Jack. Memories of riding the four-wheeler thru the woods to a clearing where we could see all the mountains. But I think the best memory is walking down the dirt road with my Mom. Spring and summer meant longer days. Days when there was still sunlight after dinner was cooked and the dishes were done. So after the dishes me and my Mom would take walks down the road. It was only about a mile long, but it was beautiful. We would walk and talk about school or work in her case. And listen to the birds sing and watch out for deer and rabbits eating their dinner. At the end of the road it was clear, no trees in the way, and we could watch the sun set behind the mountains. The day was over and it was time to head back home and get ready for the next day. When we would walk down the road again.

The next memory of my country roads is perhaps the best one. When I was young, under 10, I had an uncle who owned a large amount of land on a creek. My grandparents would set up camp there for several weeks during the summer. After several years, it would end up with all the grandkids there and some local families too. So, my Papa built this campgroup up. He made 2 huge picnic tables, set up a nice little cooking area for my Nana, built a shower and even an outhouse. So it was camping on another level. But we would go and stay with Nana and Papa for a time during the summer. It wasn't too far from my house, but it felt like it was. The campground was on my uncle's land maybe 3 miles from the house. And of course, it was down an old dirt road. As kids we would walk up the road and go to the barn to see the horses or walk to the house just see what was going on. We would play in the spring, look for arrow heads or my favorite was lay in the hammock with my Papa. We spent several summers at camp. Then, due to divorce, our family didn't own the land anymore and we never went back to "the creek."

Those are my memories of my old country roads. I was telling a friend the other day, what a shame my kids won't get to experience that. Maybe parts if my parents still live in the same house. I guess each generation makes its own memories. But I just feel like things are heading for a change and memories won't be as wholesome as they once were. I'm not sure kids today or my future kids could appreciate spending weeks away from TV, cell phones and computers. I'm not sure if they would find the meaning in listening to birds sing and watching deer eat their dinner. But times change and so must we. I, however, wouldn't change my memories for the world.

Spring Forward

I love daylight savings time. I'm not one of those people who looks at it as losing an hour of sleep. I look at it as more sunshine in the day! Longer days, which reminds me of summer. That in turn reminds me of my childhood and for some reason dirt roads in the country. I actually almost get giddy when daylight savings rolls around. Maybe its because I'm afraid of the dark, no really, I am. Maybe its because summer brings those feelings of carefree childhood. Maybe its all of those things but daylight savings rejuvenates me just like the spring flowers. So long winter...and hello spring time!

Am I old?

This day in history....yahoo was incorporated in 1995 according to my little gadget box. After learning this, my thought was, "Wow its only been around since 1995? What did I do before 1995?" Wait, that was almost 15 years ago. Then I started thinking about how kids today don't remember the time before computers, cell phones or IPOD's. Yes, I was playing The Oregon Trail on the computer in the 3rd grade, but it still makes me feel old. I don't have an IPOD and I don't want one. There is a part of me that rebels against the mainstream technology craziness that goes around. Plus there is the small problem that I have trouble working anything that needs more updates than I do. But am I old?? I sound like my parents! I mean, I would rather my little gadget box thing tell me that today is Dr. Suess's birthday. That is more interesting to me. But the technology wins again. And I, at age 26, am left saying "Kids today blah blah blah." Next thing you know I'll be talking about walking to school in the snow uphill both ways.

A Bit Concerned

I moved to Central Florida about 6 months ago. It seems almost weekly since I moved I hear another sad story about a child abused, abducted or killed. I know this occurs all over but I hear a different story almost every day. My brother came to visit me from VA a few weeks ago. He is thinking of moving to FL and was researching the crime in this big city. Being from a small town, we are not really used to having crime issues. So he did research and watched the news. He made a statement several weeks ago that has stuck with me all this time. "It seems like you'll be OK in FL if you aren't a little kid. Why do they mess with kids all the time down here?!" How sad yet true. Little girls can't walk to the school bus without an attempted rape or abduction. And then there is the Caylee Anthony story. Now there is another little 5 year old girl missing. Is this happening so frequently only in FL? Or does it happen this often all over? Again, I'm from a small town so I know it didn't happen this much back home. But why does it seem all the major news stories of crime against children come from FL?

Spay Day USA

I'm a little late on this post, but this past Tuesday was Spay Day USA. The Humane Society sponsors this annual event in an effort to bring awareness and inspire people to spay or neuter their pets or even homeless ones. All over the country the Humane Society holds events and offers low cost or even free spay and neuter procedures. This is the only permanent method of birth control for animals and if you read my blog, you know about the feral cat problem that exists all over the world, not just the US. So while I may be late on my post, it is never too late to spay or neuter your cat or dog. Or even a homeless one you may come in contact with. Check out your local humane society location for more information.

Makeover!

I got a new ‘do! I am probably a hair designer’s worst nightmare. I have a ton of long, thick hair. And every few months I get bored with my style. So I go into the salon and tell the girls, “Just do something new! Something trendy.” Right. That’s all I give them to go on. Luckily, I have found a designer who knows what’s hot and trendy and what will look good on me. I met Petra Sondi at a trade show shortly after moving to Orlando. Initially, I just wanted a little change, so at the show she gave me a quick trim and added just a few layers. It was great, I loved it. It was just what I wanted. It was different yet trendy and went well with what I had to work with. But alas, a few months later the desire for something new came along. Time to call Petra at J Bauman Salon. I also had a friend come along who had an idea of how I should do my hair. So we went to see Petra, I threw out my usual “time to change line” and off we went. Even with my vague “kinda, sorta like this” statements, Petra somehow knows exactly what I’m talking about. It’s great. She studies in Europe for the latest trends and techniques along with continuing her studies here in the US. The chopping went on forever it seemed like as I watched long locks fall to the floor. And about an hour later I emerged with a great style! My hair is still long like I want, lots of layers which I love and bangs which are the all the rage. I look like a completely different person and I love it! So while Petra may dread seeing me walk in the door, I love walking in only with a want of change and no direction yet somehow leaving with a great style and a smile on my face!

Attention Proud Parents- Of the furry 4 legged children!

If you are like me and think your kids, ahm...pets, are the cutest out there and you just have to show everyone you meet their pictures, check out peoplepets.com. Its part of people.com but its just a place where you post pictures and stories about your little ones so other members can read. No real purpose here. Just showing off your pride and joy. I love taking pics of my kids and sharing them, so I thought I would share!

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It's Animal Dental Care Month!

February is Animal Dental Care month, oh how fun. If you are a dog owner this shouldn't be too much of a problem. Dogs are much more receptive to brushing teeth than cats. They also have special brushes for dogs that are flavored. So while you dog is enjoying a tasty treat, you can be taking care of his oral hygiene. If you have a cat like me, its not so much fun. My cats won't stay still long enough for me to even think about looking at their teeth. I do give them a toothbrush to chew on and play with in hopes this will do some good. Not sure about that thou. For me the only real option is to take them to the vet to get their teeth cleaned. I'm not a big fan as I do not like anesthesia but I realize their oral health is more important. Other things to check for during this month, look at the food and treats you are giving your pet. Do they in any way promote dental health? One good treat recommended by vets is Greenies. My cats LOVE them and they are good for their teeth, so they get little treats everyday. Also check your pet's breath. If it is too much to handle or causes your eyes to water at the stench, perhaps you should take a trip to the vet. This could be a sign of a more serious problem. Most humans hate the dentist so I'm sure our little furry ones do too, but it is a must. The responsibility of being a pet owner, or a pet Mom in my case, is taking care of their overall well-being. And that includes their chompers!

A Big Let Down

I love trying new restaurants and occassionally new things to eat. After moving to a new state and a big city, I was so excited to try out friend's suggestions. My cousin INSISTED I try this rib place as they had the best chicken strips ever. If you know anything about me, you know I love chicken so I was stoked to try this new place. I checked it out online where the restaurant's web site again boasted the best chicken strips around. The reviews online weren't bad, said prices were decent and food portions were filling. So I went. I was excited and I was hungry. Of course I ordered the chicken strips. As I waited for the food to come, my brother and I talked about the hype of this joint. The food came, it looked great. But oh what a let down. The chicken was dry and the sauces weren't even that good. How disappointing. Maybe the cook was having a bad day, I'm not sure. But I do know I won't be going back to give it another try. What a shame. I've been hearing the hype about this place since I moved here. You MUST eat there! You've NEVER had chicken that good. Riiiight. McDonald's chicken nuggets are better. And I'm not even sure they have real chicken! So I guess my final though is this: we build ourselves up for so much, in my case chicken, and are we just setting ourselves up for disappointment? I guess maybe it could have had a different outcome at a different chain of this restaurant. And I guess I will never know. I left with my hunger satisfied - the purpose of a restaurant, but I feel somehow cheated. And a little let down.

Home is Where the Heart Is

As I woke up this morning, my first thought was of my Mom. Her beautiful smile and her melodic laugh. I'm not sure if it was the 31 degree weather in FL that reminded me of home. Or if it was my brother being here for a visit that reminded me. But whatever it was, I laid in bed thinking of my parents house. The everyday routine that goes on. And how I miss that routine. I miss my friends back home. I miss back home. And I wondered, do you ever get over those feelings? I haven't been gone long so I'm probably not the best to ask, but I know people who have been away from "home" for years and still miss it. I love having both places to visit. I love my current location. I love proving to myself that I am independent and can make it on my own. But right along with those feelings I miss my family so much it hurts. Everyday. If my family could be here with me that would be awesome. But would it be the same? Would I have grown as much as I have? Would I want to get out of FL and live somewhere else? Would I still appreciate them as much as I do? So I laid under the covers on this freezing morning in Central Florida, curled up with my little buddy Max, listening to him purr in contentment, thanking God for allowing me to be a part of such a wonderful and amazing group of people back home that I have the honor of calling my family. But also thanking God for taking me away from that group so I can truly appreciate them and their love. And also giving me the opportunity to find a new group of people, and new animals!, to know about, learn about and love.

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Photobucket Album

Photobucket Album

Doing my part

I admit, I am an avid animal lover. Probably an animal fanatic. Most people find passion in sports, music, literature, movies, etc. Kinda normal things. Not me. My passion is animals, cats more specifically. I cannot remember a time in my life not having and loving a cat. Being from a small town in Virginia, I did see a lot of homeless cats. Most of the time these cats hung around homes or barns where I told myself they could find stuff to eat and warm places to sleep at night. Last year I moved to my first big city, Orlando. My very first night here, staying in a hotel before I moved in my apartment, I noticed a group of small kittens behind the hotel. Naturally I wanted to take them all home with me. I figured they were family and just happened to be born nearby or dropped off nearby. I had no idea Orlando, and most of the large cities, had a feral cat problem. In fact, I had never even heard of a feral cat until I saw a news report weeks later addressing the issue and the growing problem for this area. I’m not ashamed to say I cried after seeing that news story. Feral, or homeless, un-socialized, cats, number over 40 million in the US alone. Orlando’s solution: euthanize a large number of these cats. Sure this may seem like a quick fix, but all it does is free up a new space for a large family of more feral cats to move in. It is not solving the problem. With advancing medical technology and care, the lifespan of a domestic cat can be into their 20’s. A feral cat will be lucky to make it past age 2 and 75% of kittens do not make it past 6 months. To me, a great animal lover, this is heartbreaking. These little guys are not even being given a chance at life. To others who may not care about the cats so much, this can become a source of disturbance and disease. The solution is not killing as many cats as possible. More will always come back, not to mention this is inhumane. The solution is to spay and neuter these animals so their numbers do not continue to grow. There are many organizations out there that will do these procedures for free, realizing this is a major problem that needs a viable solution. You may not be a cat fanatic like me, and that’s OK. But as a citizen of whatever community you live in, you have to be concerned with health related issues, which this problem is quickly becoming. Check out these sites to find out ways just a small act can make a huge impact!

http://www.feralcatproject.org/how_help_cats.aspx

http://www.carefelinerescue.org/

http://www.spayusa.org/

Hello World!

Welcome to my very first attempt at a blog! I am computer illiterate, so bear with me. But I want this to be a place where I can share my thoughts, my wonderz, my ideas and what is going on in my world. We all have things we wish we could be a part of or help out a cause. This is my small way of hoping to make a difference somewhere to someone or something. Stay tuned for updates. I am undertaking a new business venture that I will share with you. I'm really excited about what I'm planning and I hope you will check it out. I also am a HUGE animal lover so I will also be putting up ideas and information regarding animals and helping those who can't help themselves. Thats it for now, so stay tuned!