Coming back to center

The last month has been, well, interesting. I had all kinds of posts I wanted to put up, never got to or scrapped. I've been blasted from the left, put down by the right and you know, it's actually a good laugh anytime that happens now. I've lost and yes found, in particular, what's important in my life. I swear I was so off kilter at times, I would drop off the edge. Thankfully, I've come back to center.

Loss has been a pretty big item so far. Grandma was just shy of her 94th birthday. The funeral turned out great. Weather held and every bit their tongue for the day. Relatives are strange creatures. I like most of mine and having grown up with lots of extended family, I think I learned at an early age that people can be difficult, weird, and pains. You either take things way too personally, or you learn to look past the differences and see what is good. Unfortunately, that's also taught me that many times, people let their bad overwhelm their good.

Then there's Hope. We had actually gotten her just a week over 14 years ago. 14 month old, yes this is hard to believe, ball of fire. She was our first official dog as a married couple. We had our first real house. She became the dog that defined us for so long. Over the last few years everyone that met her has fond memories of her blackness imbedded on the, exuse me, her couch, aka her nickname, the Couch Slug. Or seeing her just wandering around outside, snooping, using her selective hearing to it's upmost. She was a super snoopy dog. But played the innocent look so well-Eddie took lessons from her. The dogs all took turns sleeping in her spot last night, then would get up and leave it empty. I just think they all knew they would never be able to fill her spot.

But enough of the sad, today is a day for fun. Yeap, it's Saint Patrick's Day and the office is buzzing with excitement. Last year I related, how, in my new job, I attended my first SaPaDaPaSo Parade in Downtown Cedar Rapids. Because of the location of the office, along the parade route and that the parade organizers use the electric in the building to power the announcer's stand, we can't get much done during that time. Lunch is the local mexican restaurant, appropriate for the day-- Carlos O'Kelly's and my folding chair is sitting by my desk so that after lunch I can plant my butt outside, enjoy the sun(I think it will burn through the fog) and relax. I have my camera handy and will make sure to take photos to post tomorrow. I think this is the perfect way to work on coming back to center.

I found this at the end of an email and thought it fit perfectly with my March so far.....

Don't tell God how big your storm is, Tell the storm how big your God is!!!!! Amen

Later gators.....

C