Once again taking my cue off of Cindy, I’m going to Grateful Friday it over here today.

It’s the last week of the pay period…and the first of the month is when the mortgage is due…today I only have two mens cuts. I’m hoping and praying for more clients today. Tomorrow…zero on the books. If I don’t get anything for tomorrow, I’m going to just take it off. One doesn’t get walk ins on a Saturday. The Level 1’s might get them, but not Level 5’s. Gert and I have discussed taking Noodle and her cousin to the pool somwhere. That’ll be fine and fun, but I was really worrying about money and my paycheck this morning while I was getting ready and all of a sudden a voice or thought popped into my head.

It’s gonna be alright. It’s gonna be alright. It’s gonna be alright.

Then I put my and in the back pocket of my jean skirt I’m wearing and pulled out two 20 dollar bills.

I’m grateful for that inner voice, that Spirit that leads us…if we listen.

I’m grateful that I’ve slowed down enough to listen.

Grateful Friday, ya’ll.

Faith

When you walk to the edge of all the light you have and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown, you must believe that one of two things will happen: There will be something solid for you to stand upon, or, you will be taught how to fly

© Patrick Overton The Leaning Tree, 1975 Rebuilding the Front Porch of America, 1997

I woke up this morning with a Grateful mantra on my lips…running on a loop in my subconcious.

As I bubbled to the surface my first thought was “I’m grateful that dream was only a dream. I’m grateful that I get to sleep in this morning. I’m grateful that I remembered to take out the trash. I’m grateful for my family. I’m grateful for my health. I’m grateful for my job. I’m grateful for my friends and their eternal support…” and it just went on from there. I stayed in bed a full hour so I could keep doing it.

Kiki and Sam were curled up in their parts of the bed and we all just laid there in peace and wallowing in gratefulness.

I’m enjoying my late morning with a (still) clean house, some really good coffee and knowing I have some appointments on my book this afternoon/evening. Cindy sent me the pictures from Chromecoming and they played on my computer in a slide show to “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” and I thought…it just doesn’t get much better than that. Everyone should look at pictures with background music. It’s awesome.

I looked horrible in all of them. Bloated. No makeup. Just worn out. It’s time to start taking care of myself and what I put into my body. The evidence is there in the photos…but because of the joy…it’s not the focus. Does that make sense? But it is there. Gross. Time time time to make some changes.

Look at my Note From The Universe for today…I love it.

Stop thinking that you have to make it happen, Misti, and let it happen…

That you have to be better, and be yourself…

That I’ve ever judged you, and be free.

WEDNESDAY!
The Universe

WEDNESDAY!!!grateful.

I usually read these first thing in the morning…today I did not. huh.
Look at that…

It is OK. You are alright. You needn’t second guess anymore, Misti.

Everyone is safe. Nothing “bad” is going to happen. All of the promises have been kept.

And you could not possibly be more adored.

By me,
The Universe

It is OK. You are alright. You’ve done so very well for yourself, Misti.

I’ve been looking and planning and working on Chromecoming for so long now that it’s over, I have to admit a little sadness. It was such an amazing night…no matter how many times I type the words there’s no way to tell you just how much laughter, how many stories or how much pure joy was present that night.

I didn’t move yesterday. Not much. And it was quiet. My roomate was gone for the weekend, taking his first load of stuff back to Texas. He’s moving back, as is his girlfriend. Heading back south to live life and be together…which is all good. The house was empty, save me and the cats. It’ll take some getting used to, again, just as it took getting used to someone being here. But I think a little break helped him figure out some stuff, and I’m grateful that I could help.

Today is Election Day. Primary election…I’ll go vote sometime today. My voting place is just about a mile or less up the street from me so it’s pretty easy.

I have no idea what my week of work looks like but here’s hoping it’s big money big money. Lotta tips! lotta tips! I got my August schedule for the bartending gig…I have 3 shifts next month that I’m sorely looking forward to. In looking back this year at all that I’ve earned and to still be broke…it just shows me how lucky I am to have had it. Glasses. Contacts. Plumber. Three times. Exterminator. Wedding shower. Computer payments. Gutter handyman. Backyard leveled and compounded. A/C transformer replaced.

so. I’m feeling really grateful for being able to pay for those thing…

and because I could…I have faith that I can.

Looking upwards…the next half of the year…flying by. Nothing really planned…I just want to enjoy. Gather with friends and family and enjoy it…slow it down, settle in and look forward.

I raise my coffee cup to ya…Here’s to a brilliant week ahead!

Or maybe not after a three hour nap and multiple Mexican Cokes with dinner…yeah – I almost made myself sick.

So I’m lying in bed. Typing from the phone. Thinking about a game Chrome and I played outside last night under the full moon.

Top Ten Things You’re Mad About/Hate/Dislike Right Now.

Top Ten Things You’re Happy/Grateful/Love….

Its been a harder year than usual for her. For me. For you. But after this weekend, being around true friends, everything seemed to lighten up.

The work bullshit and general vibe of distrust that abounds…the bills…the glass breaking…hahahaha! Seriously. These things are all just temporary. With or without…life goes on. The Ride continues.
And if you’re lucky…if you’re really lucky you will have someone buckled in next to you that will hold your hand and make you simultaneously spit beer and toot. All the while softly encouraging you…

“You got this. . . You GOT this.”

Good night friends…

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It rained.
a lot.
more than once.
and I only had a card table.
and I freaked out and made everyone move the tent when it started lightening…shift to the garage if we needed to.
and of course, once we did that…
it quit raining.

Joy. Joyous reunions. Blessings. We were all reminded last night just how precious our lives are to have intersected and touched…ebb and flow…such is life…but even after not seeing Jack and Sarah in 12 years…

it was just like yesterday.

Alex, God bless her, we raised that girl, and now here she is at the grown up table talking about her 4 point gpa and a boyfriend…

We had about 15 people here and if laughing out loud is putting forth good energy into the world…well then you all should be feeling just a little better today.

I took zero pictures. I’ll have to wait for Cindy to post some that I can “borrow” . . .

i’m tired. but other than a bunch of muddy tracks on the carpets, the yard and the house are still clean. So I’m going to lay on this couch and think about how lucky I am to have been able to sit under the full moon into the wee morning hours and laugh and cry and hold hands and feel.

blessings.
they really are everywhere…

I had just bought a brand new umbrella for the party today. I needed help, but rather than wait I tried….well. It shattered. Complete. Epic. Fail.

My dearest friend Steve Maddox sent his shop vac over with his son. I’d hired the kid to spray my yard for skeeters for the party tonight. So. I vacuumed mt grass yesterday for what seemed like forever. I have some cuts. Scrapes. Picking glass bits out of my feet, because of course I had on flip flops when it shattered on me.

I was just defeated.

But funnily enough, I am becoming familiar, if not friendly with this feeling.

So. Glass Table- 1 Misti Ridiculous-0

Oh. And it effing rained last night so the yard spray is null and void.

Upside? I have gobs of friends coming this evening. We shall laugh. We shall eat. And we shall be grateful.

Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

Gert messaged me yesterday saying that when she pulled up my blog outside of her reader, it detected a threat. Gah. I dunno. Chris tinkered a bit and quite frankly, I like this look best of all the new ones! I have a lot to learn about the semantics of WordPress and blogging in general…lo these many years I’ve just been flying by the seat of my pants. Look! No hands! No hands! But we’ve still got half a year left to cross that off my list. Anyways, that’s why the redecorating over here.

Groupon.

Do you know it? Do you participate? I have recently jumped onto that bandwagon. This week alone I have had a dinner with M’lynn dinner and drinks cost us 50 bucks without tip. WITH the groupon I used? we each threw down about 11 bucks. Tonight, MS.PICKY and her Cleaning Service will arrive around 7pm and spend up to 3 hours cleaning my house. that was a 150 dollar value that I purchased for a mere 39 dollars. And kids, lemme just tell you there almost isn’t a price I wouldn’t pay to get the bathroom and kitchen deeeeeeeeeeeep cleaned. The house, while it always has piles and stacks here and there, has kind of gotten away from me. I think if Kim can just come tonight and really help with the big stuff, ceiling fans, floors, bathroom and kitchen mopping etc…I’ll be able to keep ahead of the game. There’s been a lot of internet flack over this service. The woman sold over 1600 groupons. There was IMMEDIATE backlash online…and who’s to say she didn’t make some mistakes. However me, being me, has been right up on that line, and sending emails and making phone calls to keep communication clear. The woman has called me personally TWICE to make sure I know things are cool, that Kim was running behind today and would be arriving later than our 6:30 time slot, that if there was ANYTHING I found to be unsatisfactory to call her at her personal number (which she gave me) and she would come over and right the wrong. I have told her I understand how the internet can turn on you. Boy howdy do I know. From personal experience and watching my friends…gah. people suck. So I wasn’t going to judge or spread bad joo-joo until I had first hand experience.

long story short….MY CLEANING LADY IS COMIN’ TONIGHT, YA’LL…

and having just finished reading The Help last night…I have mixed feelings about it! haha. Have you heard about this book? The Help. GO RIGHT NOW AND GET A COPY. You won’t regret it. I’m still sideways about it.

While Ms Picky is banging away inside mi casa, I’ma work that yard over out there. It’s nice and green and ass deep it seems! I’ma mow. I’ma weedeat. I’ma make it look right purdy for our ChromeComing on Sunday!

Helluva way to spend a Friday night, but whatever. I’m just happy to have the time. And airconditioning. It was a transformer that blew…did I tell you that? Yup. But it’s fixed. Onwards and Upwards.