Life as a CrazyMimi

As we approach the end of this year, my mind is all over the place.  I feel like this year has flown by.  But 2021 was supposed to be really good wasn't it?  Wasn't it supposed to be so much better than 2020? So as we get ready to plunge headfirst into 2022...or is it 2020 too?...I want some kind of plan in place in case it doesn't get better.  I mean, who wants to repeat these past two years?  Just being funny, but seriously, can we all just pray for some relief from the constant influx of bad news, terrible medical statistics, and economic disasters? So I've decided to implement a few changes in my life to ensure my sanity, and bring positivity to my family and others.  Here's what I'm thinking... **I plan to work out at least six days a week for stress relief...oh wait...I already do that.  Oh well, I will continue this! **I will love my family and friends, and do everything I can to support them and show my love.  Hmmm...already do this.  Ok, no problem.  I&

This weekend, Troy and I are taking a short trip to celebrate our anniversary. On Monday, the 11th, we will be married 46 years.  Let me say that again... FORTY-SIX YEARS! That is 72% of my entire life.  And yes, I actually sat down to figure that out! Some days it seems like 375 years.  Ok, most days it seems that way!  Life isn't always easy.  And this trip almost didn't happen. If you know me...truly know me...you know that my social media does not depict the true day to day struggle of a couple going through many challenges.  I don't post my "dirt" on Facebook.  That's not the place for it.  So for the past 18 months, our lives have been most challenging to say the least.  We have dealt with Troy's heart attack, a son with a cancer diagnosis, aging parents, the daily stress of owning a business during Covid, and Troy's Mom's dementia struggle.  One of these things alone would be enough to derail most relationships, but put them together with no

 If you have ever been around Dementia patients, you will know exactly what I'm talking about when I say that I am living in a state of exhaustion.  Today I am beyond exhausted.  Let me give you a glimpse into our world right now.... My Mother-In-Law has dementia.  It seemed to come on very fast and is escalating every day.  Truthfully, we may not have noticed the early stages, or written off the forgetfulness and other erratic behavior as "just getting old".  But when dillusions and harmful behavior started, we knew it was more.  This has been one of the saddest things I have ever watched happen to a loved one.  When she moved out of her apartment, she went to her son's house. After a couple of weeks, she became very disruptive, very aggresive, and started wandering. It is so scary and frightening to see your Mother become a violent person, when all of her life, she has been a sweet, loving person. But that, my friends, is Dementia. When we kept her on Saturdays and

I have posted on social media a lot this month about gratitude.  I write in a journal most every day.  I find it calming when I'm having a bad day, but mostly, I find it satisfying to just get my thoughts down. I noticed toward the end of July that I was writing a lot about things that upset me, worried me, or irritated me.  Basically, a lot of negative things. So when I got to the end of the July chapter, I decided that the August chapter would be about gratitude.  I felt I needed that. August 1st, I started my new chapter as I do every month, but this month the title wasn't Aug '21.  It was Attitude of Gratitude. My first week was easy.  August 1st was our first day at the lake with the entire family.  So for the first week of August, I was grateful for the opportunity to take a vacation with my family, and of course things like baby giggles, beautiful sunrises, kayaking with Emily at 6AM to watch that sun rise, kayaking with Taylor and Angie, enjoying the gorgeous lake,

Our annual Lake Anna week starts this coming Sunday.   Most people definitely look forward to their vacation week with great anticipation!  They pack their clothes, maybe some snacks, possibly some fishing gear if that is an activity they enjoy, maybe a kayak or SUP, load the car, and off they go. Well, Linda has to make everything complicated, so yeah, not so simple with us! So about 6 weeks ago, I started my planning.  I pulled up my lake spreadsheets...yes plural.  There's the menu to make, and assign the proper person to cook each meal. Then there's the list of items to pack. Every year there are staples, but every year it changes by what meals we are making, so there's a lot of planning that goes into that list!  Sleeping arrangements are on the next one.  Then the list of what has to be done before we leave...stop the mail, find a cat sitter, etc.  Why all this fuss for a week at the lake?  I will tell you... We cook every meal but one at the lake house.  Remember, I

For as long as I can remember, the 4th of July has been a day to celebrate our Freedom with family. The patriotic pride in our family is strong. As the daughter of a Marine, and the Mom of an Army Vet, I always start this special holiday with patriotic music. I listen to the Army band, the Marine band, and of course Lee Greenwood. I love the pride I feel for my country on this day, and pretty much every day for that matter, but this music just really sets the tone for the day!   I have wonderful memories of Independence Days of my youth. Let me take you to the mid 60s...yes, I'm that old. We would always go to my grandparents' house on the 4th of July.  The whole family would gather there. It was a special day as a kid. We got all the soda and ice cream we wanted.  We always had ice cream cones as our dessert, and on a hot July day, what could be better?  Remember, we didn't even have fast food yet. We ate meals prepared by our Moms every single meal. Soda was a luxury. Ice

Five years ago today was a very dark day in our family's history....or at the time we considered it so. Five years ago today, Ryan's leg/ankle was crushed by 2000 lbs of stone, and his life changed instantly.  It took multiple surgeries just to get to the point where he could move around.  That Summer was like no other. He was in a wheelchair, not able to do anything.  A trip to the grocery store wasn't even possible for a while.  I remember calling the local pizza place where he had worked part time to earn extra cash for his family, and ordering food to be delivered to him just so he would have something hot and fresh to eat.  I had instructed them to take the food inside because he couldn't answer the door. It was torture for this Mom to be 3 hours away, and to make matters worse, I was diagnosed with Mono and not allowed to travel.  But as soon as I could, I made weekend trips to help out, clean, cook, grocery shop, etc. I did what any Mom would do, and Ryan and I g

Well, it's creeping upon that time of year again...my birthday. Those of you who know me well, know I couldn't care less about my age.  It's a number.  It only tells how many trips around the sun I've made, how many years I've been breathing.  It says nothing about ME.  I am not my age....if you know what I mean. Of course, I've never acted my age.  Telling me to grow up when I was younger was just not something I took heed to.  I didn't want to grow up.  I still don't.  Why should a birthday, another year added to that number, make a difference in my life?  I feel the same inside as I did when I was 40 years younger.  I am still the same me.  I hope I am a bit smarter, maybe a bit more forgiving, more appreciative of what I have, but still the same me. So for me, a birthday is just a day to acknowledge my presence here on Earth.  It's a day to happily celebrate with family and friends.  It's a day to say "Yup, here I am.  Let's do this