Gratitude. Perspective. Wine.

The feed back about my blog has been AWESOME! So a thousand Thank-Yous are in order!!! As long as people are reading, I'll keep posting. Everything thus far has been pretty mushy-mushy. My life isn't always like this (promise).

There are a few extraordinary women that have come into my life. Today I had the pleasure of catching up with one of them and I think that she deserves a moment to shine (even if it is only on my blog).

Working in the school system, I have the whole summer off. I'm away from work (yay!) - but also away from some of the amazing co-workers I have the honor of working beside. Well, a lot can happen in a summer. So when we all return to the daily grind, we catch up on each other's lives. Well- meet C.M., a 6th grade teacher. She is the most dedicated person I know. If I went back to Middle School, she is the kind of teacher I would pray for. She engages the students in fun learning activities that are just AWESOME! [I mean she has the students where togas every day through the units on Ancient Rome and Greece. How cool is that!?] Well this woman has quite a full plate. She not only has the full time teaching job (plus some afterschool clubs), she also is the mother to 3 children, taking classes to finish her Master's degree in Education, AND her husband is deploying in a few weeks. I thought my life was crazy! Everything was put into perspective today. I know she doesn't read my blog, but a HUGE thank-you is being sent (telepathically) your way - your story was a swift kick to my butt to push on through my own un-comparible craziness.

So many women maintain a schedule similar to C.M.'s. KUDDO's to you!! If you are one of them.. pat your self on the back, toot your own horn, and give yourself a hug (or a cocktail). You deserve it!!! Tomorrow morning when I'm grumpy about starting my "hectic" day - I'll be thinking of all the women in my life that carry the weight of the world on their shoulders and still push on.

On another note, I know that many many people from my hometown have started to read my blog. So, I just want to say a quick THANK YOU to everyone in Rome. I had a lovely vacation home and it was because I was able to spend time with you fabulous people! I might not have spent all the time I wanted to with everyone (a million-trillion apologies for that and for any future visits). There just isn't enough time to do everything, see everyone, and go everywhere. Of course the biggest Thank-You goes to those people that: gave up their room for us (my brother Michael), opened their house for us (my Mom), and let us borrow their car for the WHOLE time (Kelley). Without you 3 our vacation would have consisted of us in a cardboard box using newspaper for blankets near to a bus station to get around. I don't know if my friend Mickenzie has had the time to look at my blog yet, but a CONGRATULATIONS is in order. She just bought her 1st home and I couldn't be happier!

We couldn't be happier to be on vacation!

My last thought is about a lesson learned:

A glass of wine really does make everything a little better. So after the emotional vomiting that took place this past weekend, I sat on my balcony and enjoyed a much needed glass (or was it a goblet?) of wine. It was relaxing & delicious. 
If you find yourself in the middle of a bad day, make time in your evening schedule for a little vino. 
If your husband is deployed, on assignment, away for business, working late, or whatever it may be - serve up yourself a non-selfish glass of wine. 
If your kids are driving you craaaaazy, when they are asleep, cure your temper with your favorite bottle.

Cheers! Cheerio! Prost! Kampai! Saude! Oogy Wawa!
Whether your American, British, German, Japanese, Portugese, or Zulu....
Toast yourself! You deserve it!

-K