Once again we are going to try to get Boomer’s hair into dreadlocks. We did this last year around this time and the dreads looked great. Unfortunately, they didn’t stay in. Boomer’s hair is just so soft and pretty.

We’re going to tonight for a consultation to determine what method, if any, would work best and how much they’ll cost. He really wants these for his senior pictures. I’m not sure how my mom and mother-in-law will react to a graduation announcement with Boomer’s hair in dreadlocks but if it’s what he want’s I’m okay with it. In fact, I have no problem with dreadlocks as long as they stay in. If they come out this time, he’s on his own if he wants to try again.

Here’s a picture of his dreads last year. His hair is much longer now, down his back when it’s wet, so I’m sure it will look different this time.

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I’m not easily silenced. I tend to speak out when I have something to say, whether anyone wants to hear me or not. That, I suppose, would explain why I blog.

Explaining why I would stop blogging is a whole other story. At some point I may tell that story but not now. Not yet. The dust hasn’t quite settled and I’m still not sure what I should share.

I am coming back to blogging, slowly. Even though I can’t yet share the events of these past several months, I still have much to say. Despite all the drama around here, regular life has continued. Kids in school, a new grandchild, parents getting older… Even in the midst of upheaval, life goes on.

As I mentioned a long time ago in this blog

“It isn’t so much the ups and downs that have me in such distress; it’s the jolt that I’m never expecting. I’ve learned to close my eyes at the end of the climb and hold my breath as I plummet to the bottom. I just can’t shake the shock of being blind sided.”

This last jolt was a big one. I didn’t see it coming. It’s the kind of thing that happens to someone else’s family, not your own. Except it did happen to my family.

So now I’m going to try to be normal again. I’m going to pick up the pace and blog about the family here, favorite websites there, this crazy world way over yonder and my faith over there. And then I’ll try to finally get my new blog up and running.

For now, keep my family in your prayers. If I’ve learned anything it’s that this kind of stuff is never really over.

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Jason “Moe” Sadler (left)
October 6, 1981 – April 28, 2009

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I really don’t like to complain. I know, I have kids and a husband who would beg to differ on that point, but it’s true. Complaining is not my thing. It’s just that some things really get under my skin, you know?

For instance, I’ve mentioned before that I don’t like winter. I don’t like when it gets dark so early. I love sunshine! So during the winter, I like to leave my window blinds open enough to let in as much light as possible, for as long as possible. It helps my mood.

The problem is that someone is always following behind me, closing the blinds that I’d just opened. GRRRR! I’ve asked the family why they do it but I usually get a series of denials.

That’s right, no one shuts the blinds. They close on their own. Isn’t that just amazing? I mean, these aren’t hi-tech contraptions. They’re not even premium bamboo shades. They’re mini-blinds from Dollar General! Who knew they had a mind of their own and the ability to close at will?

Okay, I think I’m done complaining. For this week.

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I’m really trying to stick to my diet this time. I’ve messed up only a time or two so far and that’s because we’ve had extra food in the house for the upcoming holidays. I’m going to need some extra resolve and will power if I’m going to get through December.

I’m not relying on any gimmicks or special products this time. I’ve tried so many things with varying success. I did really well on the protein drinks but not eating solid food really began to get to me emotionally. I tried the alli weight loss pill for about a week but I’m not very good at remembering to take pills. Of course, I had great success with Atkins the first time but since then, I’ve had trouble making it work again.

So now I’m winging it. I’m watching my carbs, because my body just doesn’t handle carbs well. I’m trying to consume enough calories because I have a tendancy to eat too little, causing my metabolism to slow to a crawl. And I’m getting up from my computer to move around several times each day. Perhaps moving is the best part of my plan. Yeah, I think it is.

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I’ve stopped watching the financial reports on TV. Every time we hear that there’s a rise in the stock market, it’s followed by another dip. Consumer confidence is down, investors aren’t investing and everyone is waiting and watching. In the meantime, life goes on.

No matter what is happening in the world of finance, we all still have bills to pay. Utilities, mortgage or rent, car payments, insurance, food and fuel continue to eat away at our income. We can cut out the extras like movies or eating out but we can’t stop providing the necessities. And you know, when things get really tough, the government sure isn’t going to bail out a regular old citizen.

Things are tight here but we’re getting by. In fact, we’ve take steps to reduce our fuel consumption by installing a wood burning stove in our fireplace to help heat our house and reduce our need for propane this year. Still, that doesn’t mean that we’re not worried about our personal finances. I can’t help but wonder what will happen if one of our vehicles need major repairs. What if our refrigerator dies or our water heater fizzles out? With a few bad winters behind us and the currently dead construction industry, there just isn’t all that much money saved up to cover something unexpected.

I’ve read about various payday loans and frankly, I’m not comfortable with most of them. My understanding is that they’re very short term and carry extremely high interest rates. That makes me very uncomfortable. So I’ve been looking around and I’ve discovered ThinkCash, specializing in providing short term cash loans for those unexpected emergencies.

With rates 25% – 75% lower than typical payday loans, ThinkCash is a no-brainer. Why would anyone go elsewhere? Even better, these loans, which can range from $250 – $2,500, can be paid back in several installments. You can even pay the loan back early without penalty. There are no hidden fees and there’s no paperwork. The entire process happens online and the money can be deposited into your bank account the very next day.

My husband and I have never really used Credit Cards much. Our loans have always been for our home or for vehicles. Nevertheless, we’ve found ourselves needing a personal loan a few times and by the looks of this winter, that may happen again. It’s good to know that regardless of credit history, there’s someone out there willing to help the average guy get through a rough time. It’s good to know that there’s a lifesaver when we’re faced with an unexpected car repair or a miscalculation is going to cause a check to bounce.

Money is on everyone’s mind right now. We’re all trying to get through this economically rough time and just stay afloat. There are a number of ways to control our debt, reduce our spending and make it through the financially tight times. ThinkCash is one tool that might come in handy for some of us. It’s one option that I’m going to keep in mind. You should, too.

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The kids are already asking for special gifts for Christmas. Kendyll is at that age where she notices every toy advertised on TV and proclaims, “I want that” every 30 seconds. Steven is happy to play with any toy that he finds lying around and can entertain himself quietly forever. Boomer and Maggie are more selective but their gifts are much more expensive, too. Levi never knows exactly what he wants. He’ll mention one or two things but it’s like he’s not even sure.

I have a few ideas for Kendyll and Steven but I’m stumped for the other kids this year. Money is a bit tighter than years past. I can remember when each kid got a new bike, new remote control helicopters, cars or trucks, 3 or 4 video games each and more Legos than any ten kids could use in a lifetime. And Maggie always ended up with a half dozen dolls or so. My how times have changed around here!

The thing is, though, that the kids are fine with fewer gifts. Its the grown ups who expect to see more. When I’m trying to make the Christmas money stretch this year, I’m going to have to remember that.

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I can’t seem to figure out why numbers that end with zero are more significant than numbers that end in, say, 4 or 7 or 9. Why is 30 more significant than 29?

As I sit here staring at the half century mark I can’t help wonder what the big deal is. I’m the same this moment as I was an hour ago, before those numbers clicked up one more. I’m almost certain I have no more wrinkles than I did two days ago, no extra gray hair. My weight is holding steady at “Oh, NO!” and the same bones that creaked last week are creaking again today. In other words, nothing has really changed.

And yet here I sit, contemplating this age. I wonder and I fret. I know I’ll get past this and head on to the next Zero-ending milestone but for now, I’m just not sure how I’m supposed to be feeling. Maybe I thought that something magical and fantastic would happen as midnight rolled around. Maybe it will happen at 6am, the hour I was born.

Or maybe not.

My husband says, every single year, “It’s just another day. One day older than yesterday, that’s all.” And he’s right. I’m not a year older than yesterday, I’m a day older. Every day, I wake up one day older than the day before. This is no different really. I’ve just been doing it for 50 years and if I have my way, I’ll be doing it every day for another 50 years. Or so.

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Well, I’ve changed my mind. I had every intention of waiting until the first of the year to begin my weight loss plan. I had such great success quitting smoking as a New Year’s resolution 3 years ago that I figured it would work as well for losing this weight that I put on when I quit smoking. But I changed my mind.

After the weekend, I’m beginning my weight loss plan. I thought about starting on Thursday but I wanted to celebrate my birthday with Kendyll this weekend so Monday looks better. I’ll begin with a fast/cleanse. I have a couple of herbal teas, one a blend and the other dandelion, that I’ve used before. Hopefully, one day of herbal tea will jump start my metabolism and send my weight loss in the right direction. After that, I’ll do my modified low-carb plan. In fact, I’m going to begin working on that plan now so it will be ready by Monday.

I have a closet full of clothes that don’t fit right now so being able to wear them again will be quite a treat. Heck, it may be like getting all new clothes! Once I’m at a more comfortable weight, I’m going to up my exercise from a couple times each month to 3-4 times each week. I may look over my life insurance plan and get a few lower insurance quotes, too. Being healthy and fit will have all kinds of benefits.

Most of all, I just want to look and feel better. I want the aching to go away. I want my clothes to fit right. I want to feel good about me. And that won’t wait till the first of the year.

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Maybe it’s because I’ve raised so many boys. Or maybe it’s because I just love kids. Whatever, I’m always happiest when my house is full of children of all ages laughing, yelling, jumping and playing.

As long as no one is fighting or crying, the sounds of children are the happiest sounds around. I know, some people call those sounds “noise” but I don’t. Noise is a jackhammer. Noise is the garbage truck on Friday morning. The sounds of children are not noise.

Then there’s the linear motion: Up and down, up and down, as if their feet have springs in the bottoms or sailing across the floor on a rug, down the steps in laundry baskets, and yes, even through the air occasionally. And let’s not forget the circular motion – spinning spinning spinning around until the dizziness drops them to the ground.

Did I mention that I love when the kids are all playing like that? Did I mention that the kids in question range from 2 to 20? This went on for over 15 minutes. It was a wonderful 15 minutes!

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