Seriously?!

If you came here looking for a happy go lucky post today...click the EXIT button NOW!

When I started this blog I told Mr. Tide that this would be a place for happy, relaxing posts, a place to escape for my readers and me!  But sometimes life has a way of changing even the best laid plans.  It's not that I don't want to keep things real on here, but I know that we all have things going on in our lives that make us want to visit blogs and see pretty pictures and read funny posts to get away from our everyday problems, and trust me we all have them!

A few days ago I met with a friend who had her whole world come tumbling down on her last year and as we talked I realized that we can't always be Suzy Sunshine.  She said that when her life imploded she felt like she was the only one, and that it wasn't until she started talking to others and hearing their stories that she realized things weren't so bad after all.

The last 5 weeks have been almost overwhelming for me, ok to be honest, the last 7 years have been a bit overwhelming.   But the last month and a half has really been exhausting and stressful.  It started with Ms. M's stroke which was very reminiscent of my own mother's stroke 7 years ago.  And taking on the care and responsibilities of someone who is not a family member, but who you consider to be one, is overwhelming in and of itself.

Now, let's throw on top of that the fact that one of my dearest friends in the world has entered hospice care in the UK for a brain tumor and I can't get to him to give him a hug or see him one more time!  That my baby is leaving for college in less than one week and I'm not a big fan of the empty nest situation!  And although I'm married to the most wonderful man in the world, his job can take him anywhere in the world (and I mean anywhere) at a moment's notice...!!! My health hasn't been the best in the last 5 years and I finally got normal bloodwork for the first time in 3 years, but I still have a long road ahead of me.  That I work full time and that my house was struck by lightning night before last!!!  Seriously?!  Did I really need ONE more thing on my plate at the moment?!

That's right, our house suffered a direct hit from a big bolt of ligthning a couple nights ago and fried nearly every electronic device in it!!!  The computers, ie. all of my work stuff, all of my photos, you name it!  The phones, my husband's computer, the lighting in half of the house, the AC, the garage door openers....the list goes on and on.

But you know what?  It could have been so much worse.  The house could have caught on fire and we could have lost everything, so for that I am very grateful!!!  Stuff is just that, it's stuff and it can be replaced.  And although this proverbial camel has reached her current limit on straws I know that my load is no greater than so many people out there.

I have loving friends and family, I have a house to come home to, I have sweet puppies that sense my stress and give me a nuzzle and a kiss to help me feel better, so life is good!  But hey, that doesn't mean I can't whine a bit, complain some, and feel a wee bit sorry for myself too.  We're all entitled to that I think!

Next post I promise will be a happy one, or maybe it won't be but I think it will...it's like the song lyrics to one of my favorite songs say....

And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd 
Cause these words are my diary screaming out loud
And I know that you'll use them however you want too

Just Breathe!!! 

I have a new laptop to use until we can see if we are able to recover anything from my beloved desktop!  And we'll be investing in an external hard drive this weekend.  On the bright side, this gives me an excuse to take lots of new pictures!!!

I hope each of you have a wonderful relaxing weekend and that you get a chance to Breathe!