So I have the next three days off, which is actually rather nice, considering that in a week and four days, things really kick off at my new job, and I'll only have one day off every week for three weeks.  This will be my mini-vacation prior to the madness of the holiday season.  Not that I'm going to complain mind you, because my paychecks for the entire month of December, will probably equal what I've made in the last two months combined, and probably more.  On that note, let me pause to say Huzzah!  The good news, is that during my brief vacation, I'll finally get around to getting my blog themes up on my website design blog.  Hopefully that will generate some extra post-holiday spending money for me as well.  So keep your eyes peeled for the unveiling of these themes over at Valued Jewels Design.

I just love this time of year, and for a few reasons:

• My birthday starts the 12 days of Christmas, because it's December 13th.
• I get to celebrate Thanksgiving and M's birthday sometimes on the same day, which means he gets to have a stellar feast for his birthday.
• I love Christmas Carols.  I love hearing them, and I love singing them.  Sometimes I cheat and sing them when it's the middle of July.  Why?  Because I'm a nonconformist, that's why.  *grin*
• It puts me in the right kind of spirit to take the time to look around me at all the wonderful things I have, and makes it harder for me to focus on the negatives.
• I just love Christmas decorations, and how they can make even the coldest winters seem warm and cozy, especially when you're surrounded by people you love.

Life took me on a bit of an off-road adventure as it were.  I'm in a new job, a new place, and I just needed some time off the interweb to soak up all the goodness of it.  While I was off the interweb, I went and redesigned my layout for this blog.  For those of you who might not know me well, I do this often.  However, with the new tools at my disposal, I was really able to craft this exactly as I wanted to.  If you keep your eyes peeled, here in the next week you'll see a new layout for my website design blog, and 8 templates I've designed to work with both Blogger and WordPress.  I had a request before my 'vacation' to do a layout for someone, and I'll toss up a link over on my other blog, along with links to other sites that have my work on it.  That's all the news from me for now.  Toodles!

So I stumbled across a little meme that I thought was cool, and this is my first Friday that I've had the opportunity to take part in it.  So here's the Friday Five for this week. By the way, if you'd like to take part in the Friday Five yourself, just click right here.

1.  What was the last thing you dropped on the kitchen floor? 

So life is really starting to fall into place for me, on a scale I wasn't quite sure it would.  I'm starting to feel more of that solid ground under my feet, and it's such an amazing feeling.  To all of you, my friends and adopted family, thank you for bearing with me, for praying for me, and giving me words of wisdom when they were needed.  I count each of you as being a part of this path my life is on, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.  I look back at the last two years, and I'm left in bewilderment as just how wonderfully blessed I have been, and continue to be. Who knew?

This week, I'm choosing a song by Sting.  He's one of my favorite artists of all time, even though he's not entirely Rock-n-Roll.  This song is just very fitting with how things are going in my life at this time.  But I'm fortunate to be loved by a wonderful man and it is for him that I post this song.



Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Sometimes it feels as if there's never enough time to do the things that you want to do in life.  So, in those rare moments when you find yourself having a few extra moments, do something nice for yourself, or someone you care a great deal about.  If you do that, you'll find that even if you don't get to do everything you wanted, you've at least you've done the things that really mattered.

I look back on what I've done with my life, and I sometimes wonder what I have to show for it all.  Then I smile that silly knowing smile, and I remember:

• I gave birth to four of the most amazing young boys that I know.  I am allowed to say that, because they are my boys.  S has taught me so much about grace and dignity, and my life is richer for it.  M has taught me how to laugh at myself, and know that it's okay to be who I really am.  T has shown me to take the simple joys in life and run free with them with reckless abandon.  G has shown me that it's not what you look like, it's how you love those around you.
• I am loved by the very best man in all the world.  I am allowed to say that, because he's done more for the benefit of my soul, my spirit, and has healed all the cracks that were in my broken heart.
• I have overcome most of what I've suffered, and because I have, I can be strong for those around me who cannot be strong for themselves.
• I'm educated enough to know that I've still got alot to learn, and I take every opportunity that presents itself to be smarter than I am at this moment.
• I have been able to forgive those who may not have earned it in their own right, simply because it was what I needed to do for my own sanity, and to be emotionally available to the people I care most about.

I'm glad that I took this time to write this post for myself, and the ones I hold dearest in my heart.  If any who read this blog find me having a moment when I seem to be overlooking what I wrote here today, please smack me in the back of my head and tell me to come back to this post and read it.  I'm serious, if you don't take a firm hand with me, I'm going to be too stubborn to do what is best for me.  I know I don't really have to say that to those of you who are my real life friends and family, because you do it for me each moment that I have you in my life.

No matter where I am going,
I hope you'll see me when I get there.

No matter what I say,
I hope you'll take the time to listen.

Because...

No matter where you are going,
I hope to be a part of your journey.

No matter what you say,
I'm going to love you anyway.

I'm happy to say that I've finally come to that exact moment where the rest of my life can begin.  Every chapter that can be finished, has been, leaving me with new pages to write.  I find myself standing on the edge of that cliff, and as I take that leap of faith, hoping that perhaps I can learn to fly, I realize there is solid ground beneath my feet.  There's nothing outside of pure and honest love that can give you the most solid ground in which to grow your roots, and watch your dreams sprout to life.  I thank each and every one of you that has given me this solid ground.  There's not enough time, nor enough words in the world to fully convey the depth of my gratitude.  You've seen me as I've bravely forded a new stream, knowing that the current would try to take me where I didn't want to go.  You were there to offer me a hand when I got caught in those currents.  If I were the captain of a ship, there's no better crew I'd want sailing with me.  I love you all so very much.  You're the best that this world has to offer.

When you're busy.  It seems that most of my time isn't my own anymore.  Not that I'm complaining, mind you.  Being busy is helping me work toward my goal.  Let me just tell you all how awesome my boys are.  Even in the midst of the changes in the past couple of years, they still manage to bring joy to me and their father.  They're such good boys, and I'm proud of each of them.  There isn't a day that goes by when my heart doesn't swell with the love they give me, and the love I feel for them.  They aren't the only wonderful people in my life right now.  I am so blessed to have some of the best friends anywhere.  Their support means more than I could ever find the words to express.  No more time for chatting, I'm off to do great things one day at a time.

I don't always have the time I'd like to have to dedicate to my craft.  However, this blog is one of my designs, and if you want to see more of my work, you can browse on over to XXCultRadio.  I am the Station Manager for this internet radio station, which is the only radio station anywhere that plays 60 years of Rock-n-Roll.  And when I say anywhere, I mean it.  You won't find a station like this on any am/fm band, any satellite radio station or anywhere else on the internet.  You can go ahead and try, you won't find one.  However, back to the original point of this post.  If you are interested in some cheap but amazing web design for your blog or website, you can email me with the particulars, and I will give you a reasonable set of expectations on how long it will take me, and what the final cost will be.  I'd love to make your website as spectacular as it can be, for a reasonable price.  I believe that website design should be amazing, but shouldn't cost a fortune.  Toodles.

I have been very fortunate in recent times to love and be loved by an amazing man.  How much I've grown and changed under the glow of it.  I often feel so minute in the shadow of it.  This song by Pink really states in a few minutes what I could expound on for hours without ceasing.




Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!