Life is Not Fair!!

I haven't posted for a while because I really didn't know what to say. Last week I received news that a dear friend of mine was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). It might have been the lack of sleep recently, or the fact that I was in the middle of the period from hell; but when I heard the news I threw myself on the bed and cried. As I thought about how unfair it was that this incredible young woman be faced with this disease, my own words came back to haunt me. How many times had I told my own children that life wasn't fair?

The next day I spent a couple hours trying to contact my friend (she's in a hospital in Japan). When we finally connected, she was amazing. Instead of me providing cheer and comfort to her, I felt like she made me feel better! Again, just a testament to how incredible she is.

Now that I am on better footing (mentally), I will begin to explore my journey in journaling!! (I think I made up that word)

Lights Out!

You might be suprised how enjoyable a Sunday without power is. Shortly after our lights went out, Sarah and I walked the dogs in the pouring rain. We stopped and talked with neighbors about what news we've heard and shared our "what we felt" stories. The rest of the day was spent reading books and the newspaper, doing sudoku puzzles and talking with friends. My friend Susan brought me over two bags of ice which I placed in my freezer and refrigerator. Laurie came by twice to chat and share news from the neighborhood. Vicki and Michael invited us for a cookout--I volunteered to bring the beans! Jamie and Christina were dears and allowed me to plug my refrigerator into their generator. John, Sarah and Alexis studied for about three hours for their PSAT's.

The power came on right before the 5 p.m. cookout. We gathered at the neighbors with our food contributions and sat around "talking story" about our adventurous earthquake day!

Earthquake

Yesterday morning I was watching the news in bed when I felt the bed shake. Originally I thought Dexter was licking and/or scratching himself. I lifted my head and saw Dexter sitting at full attention at the foot of the bed. Since I was watching CNN's coverage of the war, my next concern was that a jet buzzed the house or a bomb landed close by. Just as I muted the television, the entire house rattled--including the wind chimes we have hanging up downstairs. Sarah screamed and I called out for her to come into my room. She ran into my room and jumped under the covers with Didi. I walked down the hall to check on John. As is typical of teenagers, he slept through the whole thing. I walked through the rest of the house to check for damage. Finding none, I went back upstairs to watch for local news. Shortly after I entered the room the power flickered and then faded.

Introduction

Today I was reading some blogs written by some incredible young women. As often is the case, we (meaning the older generation) are inspired by those we are supposed to inspire (the younger generation). I am not certain what the purpose of this blog is. I don't live in some exotic country, nor am I a college student preparing for the future. I am a Navy wife with two kids and two dogs. We live in base housing in Hawaii and I work for a non-profit agency. My kids are in high school, so I'm no longer needed in the classroom. In the few months--okay ten--we have left here, I am determined to make the most of this "living in paradise." I play mah jongg, bowl, golf and participate in a book club. I am determined that this will be THE time I get in shape and lose the 40-60 pounds I've gained over the 14-15 years since the kids were born. Perhaps no one will ever read this. Perhaps someone will read this and a connection will be made. Perhaps I will discover something about myself and the world through this exercise.