I left you, the last post, on the day of our departure from the Midwest, on the beginning of our journey to New Mexico, September 8, 1989. My birthday.
In the small U-Haul trailer hooked to the back of the van my daughter was driving were our clothes, some household items, treasures that couldn't be replaced, some bedding, some small pieces of furniture, and not much else. I also had more things piled in my trunk and in my back seat. (We did take the bed for my 3 year old grandson...and I don't remember if we kept my daughter's bed or not..but I think we did....however, I had sold mine so I didn't have one. It was a gigantic canopied water bed with huge mirrors in the ceiling of the canopy (don't ask!) 4 drawers on each side of the base, tall, built-in shelves at the foot, and it would have been totally impractical to haul it. I did take a huge (about 4 1/2 ft tall) cactus that I had purchased here and had used as a Christmas tree, white mini-lights, Southwestern ornaments and all. (When we came back here in 1995 I bought a ficus tree that was about 5 feet tall and used that as a Christmas tree....I never was one for conventionality; the child ain't right! I still have that ficus...only it's now 8 feet tall!) How ironic that I bought that cactus here in OH where you wouldn't expect to find one that big, and I don't recall ever seeing one for sale like that in NM where you'd expect to find one! I loved that cactus and had it the whole time we lived in NM...and, once there, it got huge flowers on it every Summer...(I like to think of those blossoms as a "thank you" for bringing it back home to its natural habitat!) I sold it to a client in NM just before we came back here to the Midwest in 1995.
Also traveling in the van with my daughter and grandson, was our gray, long-haired cat named Bear...who didn't know he was a cat. He never used a litter box; (he went to the door and waited to be let out when he needed to go), he liked traveling in the car, and he acted more like a dog than a cat. My daughter made him a bed on the engine compartment that, in this type of van, was a high hump between the seats, so he could lie there and look out at the passing scenery. How many cats do you know that like to ride in a car? He wasn't in a crate, either.
We hit highway 70 west and the first day we made it to St. Louis, MO, somehow managing to stay together, before stopping for the night. We couldn't really travel too fast, obviously, but we weren't in any hurry anyway. It was a beautiful Fall day and we planned to enjoy our adventure.
We put out food and water in the motel room for Bear, and fashioned a litter box for him...we couldn't very well let him outside....but, not being a litter box type of cat, he would have nothing to do with it. We figured eventually he'd have to use it....right? He was too dignified to allow himself to potty in the house; he never had had any kind of accident the whole time we'd had him so we knew he wouldn't lose his dignity now.
The next morning we checked the litter box. There was a tiny little wet spot, but nothing else....and Bear was throwing mildly dirty looks our way.
On day two, after breakfast, we again hit the road, dropping down to highway 44, headed for Tulsa, Oklahoma, where we would then pick up US 40, which would take us into Amarillo, Texas, and then into Albuquerque. We figured we should make it in about 4 days or so, total.
We made it to Tulsa that evening and again stopped for the night. We were averaging a little over 350 miles each day. Again we put down food and water and the makeshift litter box for Bear. The next morning, there was once more a tiny wet spot and nothing else....and Bear's looks were growing darker and more accusatory.
On day three, we stopped for the night in Amarillo, pretty tired by now.
Once more we put out food, water and the litter box for Bear, who, by now was looking pretty ticked off, and most definitely had lost all sense of humor. In the morning there was the usual small wet spot....and Bear was looking rather large around the middle.
On day four, by mid-afternoon, we made it into Albuquerque and finally pulled up in front of our new home. My daughter opened the door of the van to get out and a streak of gray furry lightning shot past her and bounded out of sight before she could blink! It was as if Bear knew we'd come to the end of our journey....and he had reached the end of his patience! There was no point in trying to chase him...he was outta there!
**I want to add a little note here: living here in Ohio, we were used to grayish, gloomy skies most of the time; it's just how it is. During the trip, we hit some pretty bad weather, especially in Oklahoma and Texas....but, it was really amazing that the minute we hit the border of New Mexico, the rain stopped, the sun came out, the skies were the most beautiful shade of bright blue and the air was scented with the most wonderful fragrance...kind of sage/pine/thyme/wet sandy earth. It was a good omen; a "welcome to your new life". I felt such an immense sense of peace and happiness, such as I hadn't felt in way more years than I could count! We were home!
I will leave you here, until next time.
It is 7:01 pm on July 30, 2008.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
NEW MEXICO
Hello, and welcome back!
I promised you a "trip" to New Mexico......ah...New Mexico; my soul place.
It started in 1987 with a trip there to see my beloved friend Marcie (the one I mentioned in my first post in this series, with whom I've been friends since kindergarten). Her daughter was getting married and, since I had a video and photography business at that time, Marcie asked me if I'd like to come out to visit, and photograph the wedding. I didn't need much convincing.
Long story short: I absolutely fell in love with the place! I mean, I felt like I was home; like I'd connected with something deep in my soul. (I once had a psychic tell me that I'd been an Indian chief in a past life, so maybe that's why the connection. :)
They don't call it "The Land of Enchantment" for nothing.
Anyway, I came back, reluctantly, to my home in the Midwest, feeling as if were leaving part of me behind in NM. But, I was engaged to be married (again) and I knew I had to come back....not to mention that my kids were here, even though they were grown..(the youngest was 18)...and all on their own.
However, I knew that I'd go back to NM someday and I "put it out there", even though I was unaware at the time of how powerful that was, or even that I had consciously done that.
Two years went by; it was July of 1989, and my marriage was over. It was pretty much my fault; I just wasn't into it....and I think part of the reason was that I wanted to be elsewhere: NM. I hadn't been able to get it out of my mind or heart.
During this two year period, my oldest daughter and my little three year old grandson came back to live with me, and we decided that she and my grandson would move to NM with me....after all, why not?
As soon as I knew my marriage was done, my daughter and I began to plan. Again, we didn't have much money. We were both working, of course, but still didn't have much. What I DID have was a goal, determination and a house full of stuff....and I've never been attached to stuff, so selling everything was no problem for me. I'm definitely not a "material girl"! Stuff, to me, is just money in the bank...there to sell if need be.
The first thing I did (because I may be crazy, but I'm not insane) was to secure a place to live. I could take a leap of faith as far as us being able to get jobs right away, but you don't go across country with a three year old child and not have, at the very least, a home to go to. I had one person I knew there, and that was my lifelong friend Marcie. I called her and told her what I wanted to do. Now, here's where The Secret came into play: Marcie just happened to know a woman who had a place for rent exactly in my price range....right in Albuquerque where I wanted to live! Marcie went to look at the place, called me and told me it was perfect and gave me this woman's phone number. I called her right away and made arrangements to rent the place sight unseen...(but, remember, Marcie saw it, and I trusted her judgment.) The landlady required first, last and security deposit equal to a month's rent.....so we had to come up with $2,100.00 right off the bat.
I never doubted that we would, and that it would be just fine.....and it was! We had huge yard sales, saved all our money and had the rent and deposit before we knew it, plus enough to rent a small U-Haul trailer (to carry the things we had to have to start over) that my daughter would pull behind her 1979 Ford Econoline van. I would be driving my 1978 VW Rabbit....both of which had high mileage.....talk about a leap of faith! (by the way, she didn't have that van when we first hatched our plan...it just came to be when we needed it!...and at the price we could afford.) And, of course, we had a modest amount of money that we'd have to live on once we arrived.
All of this happened within a period of two months......and, on the morning of September 8, 1989, (my 46th birthday), we said good-bye to loved ones and friends and pulled out, ready and eager for our new lives, full of hope, enthusiasm, and confidence!
Once again, it's time to end here until next time. I hope you will continue to come back and share the adventures yet to come! It was an exciting time and changed our lives forever!
It is 9:25 pm on July 25, 2008.
I promised you a "trip" to New Mexico......ah...New Mexico; my soul place.
It started in 1987 with a trip there to see my beloved friend Marcie (the one I mentioned in my first post in this series, with whom I've been friends since kindergarten). Her daughter was getting married and, since I had a video and photography business at that time, Marcie asked me if I'd like to come out to visit, and photograph the wedding. I didn't need much convincing.
Long story short: I absolutely fell in love with the place! I mean, I felt like I was home; like I'd connected with something deep in my soul. (I once had a psychic tell me that I'd been an Indian chief in a past life, so maybe that's why the connection. :)
They don't call it "The Land of Enchantment" for nothing.
Anyway, I came back, reluctantly, to my home in the Midwest, feeling as if were leaving part of me behind in NM. But, I was engaged to be married (again) and I knew I had to come back....not to mention that my kids were here, even though they were grown..(the youngest was 18)...and all on their own.
However, I knew that I'd go back to NM someday and I "put it out there", even though I was unaware at the time of how powerful that was, or even that I had consciously done that.
Two years went by; it was July of 1989, and my marriage was over. It was pretty much my fault; I just wasn't into it....and I think part of the reason was that I wanted to be elsewhere: NM. I hadn't been able to get it out of my mind or heart.
During this two year period, my oldest daughter and my little three year old grandson came back to live with me, and we decided that she and my grandson would move to NM with me....after all, why not?
As soon as I knew my marriage was done, my daughter and I began to plan. Again, we didn't have much money. We were both working, of course, but still didn't have much. What I DID have was a goal, determination and a house full of stuff....and I've never been attached to stuff, so selling everything was no problem for me. I'm definitely not a "material girl"! Stuff, to me, is just money in the bank...there to sell if need be.
The first thing I did (because I may be crazy, but I'm not insane) was to secure a place to live. I could take a leap of faith as far as us being able to get jobs right away, but you don't go across country with a three year old child and not have, at the very least, a home to go to. I had one person I knew there, and that was my lifelong friend Marcie. I called her and told her what I wanted to do. Now, here's where The Secret came into play: Marcie just happened to know a woman who had a place for rent exactly in my price range....right in Albuquerque where I wanted to live! Marcie went to look at the place, called me and told me it was perfect and gave me this woman's phone number. I called her right away and made arrangements to rent the place sight unseen...(but, remember, Marcie saw it, and I trusted her judgment.) The landlady required first, last and security deposit equal to a month's rent.....so we had to come up with $2,100.00 right off the bat.
I never doubted that we would, and that it would be just fine.....and it was! We had huge yard sales, saved all our money and had the rent and deposit before we knew it, plus enough to rent a small U-Haul trailer (to carry the things we had to have to start over) that my daughter would pull behind her 1979 Ford Econoline van. I would be driving my 1978 VW Rabbit....both of which had high mileage.....talk about a leap of faith! (by the way, she didn't have that van when we first hatched our plan...it just came to be when we needed it!...and at the price we could afford.) And, of course, we had a modest amount of money that we'd have to live on once we arrived.
All of this happened within a period of two months......and, on the morning of September 8, 1989, (my 46th birthday), we said good-bye to loved ones and friends and pulled out, ready and eager for our new lives, full of hope, enthusiasm, and confidence!
Once again, it's time to end here until next time. I hope you will continue to come back and share the adventures yet to come! It was an exciting time and changed our lives forever!
It is 9:25 pm on July 25, 2008.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
Hello Again.
Continuing with "The Secret":
We were in Akron; Portage Lakes...when I left you. We'd just moved into our little house and things were clicking along.
One thing I want to talk about today is: Be careful what you wish for. It goes along with putting things out into the Universe, positive or negative.
Things were, of course, stressful, (as things will be when you are a single mother with three kids, working three jobs and in a continual state of exhaustion.)
One day, I was in my bedroom, feeling really down. It seemed at that time like everything was going wrong, and I was in the middle of a good pity party. Then, in a fit of frustration, I pounded my fists several times as hard as I could on my dresser, looked up Heavenward, and yelled to God: "Give me just two years, just TWO YEARS of peace, and calmness, and smoothness!! Just TWO YEARS where things go right and I'll never ask for anything else!!" I remember after this little fit, dropping down on my bed....and then suddenly feeling a sense of calm and peace come over me.....and, without giving it much more thought, I just went about my business.
(At that time, although I truly appreciated every good thing that had happened, I really was exhausted and wasn't thinking about the good things. I had never heard of The Secret then.)
About two weeks later, things started falling into place and everything started going smoothly and peacefully. After having to deal with so much stress for so long, I just couldn't believe it.....and by then I had forgotten my little tantrum so I didn't give things a whole lot of thought; I was just glad for the break I seemed to be getting.
By now you probably have guessed what I'm going to say next. For two years things went great. Oh, a little glitch here and there, but nothing major; nothing I couldn't deal with.........and then......at the end of the two years, everything turned upside down again and it seemed like nothing was going right, no matter what I did. (Don't let anyone ever tell you than God does not have a sense of humor because I'm here to tell you, He does!!) I was puzzled and upset....and then, I remembered what I had asked for......"Just two years, JUST TWO YEARS"...and that's exactly what I got!
Be careful what you wish for! When you put your thoughts out there, positive and negative, they become things and we need to recognize that fact.
That's all for today. Next time I will take you to the next major change in my life and when The Secret again came into play. We will go to New Mexico.
It is 8:20 pm on Sunday, July 19, 2008. Blog hits are 350. Still slow, but I haven't been concentrating like I should be lately. It's easy to lose focus sometimes.
Continuing with "The Secret":
We were in Akron; Portage Lakes...when I left you. We'd just moved into our little house and things were clicking along.
One thing I want to talk about today is: Be careful what you wish for. It goes along with putting things out into the Universe, positive or negative.
Things were, of course, stressful, (as things will be when you are a single mother with three kids, working three jobs and in a continual state of exhaustion.)
One day, I was in my bedroom, feeling really down. It seemed at that time like everything was going wrong, and I was in the middle of a good pity party. Then, in a fit of frustration, I pounded my fists several times as hard as I could on my dresser, looked up Heavenward, and yelled to God: "Give me just two years, just TWO YEARS of peace, and calmness, and smoothness!! Just TWO YEARS where things go right and I'll never ask for anything else!!" I remember after this little fit, dropping down on my bed....and then suddenly feeling a sense of calm and peace come over me.....and, without giving it much more thought, I just went about my business.
(At that time, although I truly appreciated every good thing that had happened, I really was exhausted and wasn't thinking about the good things. I had never heard of The Secret then.)
About two weeks later, things started falling into place and everything started going smoothly and peacefully. After having to deal with so much stress for so long, I just couldn't believe it.....and by then I had forgotten my little tantrum so I didn't give things a whole lot of thought; I was just glad for the break I seemed to be getting.
By now you probably have guessed what I'm going to say next. For two years things went great. Oh, a little glitch here and there, but nothing major; nothing I couldn't deal with.........and then......at the end of the two years, everything turned upside down again and it seemed like nothing was going right, no matter what I did. (Don't let anyone ever tell you than God does not have a sense of humor because I'm here to tell you, He does!!) I was puzzled and upset....and then, I remembered what I had asked for......"Just two years, JUST TWO YEARS"...and that's exactly what I got!
Be careful what you wish for! When you put your thoughts out there, positive and negative, they become things and we need to recognize that fact.
That's all for today. Next time I will take you to the next major change in my life and when The Secret again came into play. We will go to New Mexico.
It is 8:20 pm on Sunday, July 19, 2008. Blog hits are 350. Still slow, but I haven't been concentrating like I should be lately. It's easy to lose focus sometimes.
Monday, July 14, 2008
PORTAGE LAKES, (AKRON) THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
Hello again...thanks for coming back.
I left you the last time when we were coming to the end of our stay at my aunt and uncle's place in Akron, and knowing it was time to move out on our own.
I grew to love Portage Lakes, which is a suburb of Akron, and I often visited that area while living with my aunt and uncle and wished I could live there. It was kind of like taking a step back in time, and peaceful; the lakes there were so pretty.
One day my uncle (knowing I was ready to get a place of our own) asked me where I'd like to live. I immediately said "Portage Lakes, but I'm pretty sure we couldn't afford that area." He didn't say anything then, but about a week later, he came to me and told me that he had arranged for us to rent this little place right across the street from one of the lakes!
(Here's The Secret at work again!) I was dumbfounded. My uncle was a much-beloved doctor and had many, many friends of all walks of life who would do anything for him.....this house came about when he called in a favor....and the rent was within my budget!
It was just a little place and I loved it on sight! It was perfect. And it was ours. My son was back home with us by then.
As I'm looking around, I'm thinking, "Okay, now we have to get some furniture", and I'm confident that we will be able to; I'm picturing in my mind where some used furniture places were in Akron. Oh yeah, and then there's the car issue. As I told you, I was using one that belonged to my aunt and uncle, but I didn't expect that to last forever. However, I wasn't afraid; I knew it would be fine.
We didn't have much to move into the house...remember what we arrived with. Bringing in a load, I looked behind me when I heard the sound of a truck pulling into the driveway....and out jumped a couple of guys who opened the back of the truck and started unloading furniture....everything we needed! I just couldn't believe my eyes. Seems my uncle called in some more favors. I was told not to ask any questions..so I didn't. (I'm sure you've heard the old saying: "don't look a gift horse in the mouth.)
The guys brought in everything and set it all up, including the beds. There were even sheets, blankets, pillows, etc. I went to the grocery store and got us what we needed and by that evening we were all settled in, having dinner in our new home. It was Heaven!
I continued to use my borrowed car for a little while longer, but knew I had to find my own.....and, guess what? About a week after we moved into our place, the couple across the street mentioned that they wanted to sell their car. It was not a new car (who cares, it ran!) and he only wanted $200 for it. That I could do....and now we had a car.
Time went on. I needed another job in addition to the one I had as an executive secretary. (There was no child support from the kids' father and in those days there was little, if any, enforcement.) I got a second job as a waitress in a dinner theatre close to home. I worked from 8 to 5 at the first job, then rushed home, ate a very quick dinner with the kids, (thank God for Crock Pots!!) and rushed off to my second job at the dinner theatre where I worked from 6 to midnight. Later on, when two jobs weren't enough, I got a third, working at McDonald's part time on weekends. Somehow, in between all this, I managed to do things with the kids.
Still, it was a struggle. I had to ask for help from the state: they gave us $70 a month food stamps and an allotment of $70 a month for child care...which were both Godsends. (remember, this was in 1973-1974). It made all the difference in the world.
The kids needed clothes....the neighbor across the street (from whom I bought the car) had kids older than mine so she passed on her kids' outgrown..and still new-looking...clothes to mine.
Are you getting the picture? Have you read The Secret yet?
Well, it's time to say bye for today...but, I want to leave you with a word of encouragement: put positive thoughts out into the Universe; override the negative...and believe! Recognize when your thoughts become things! and appreciate them.
It's July 14, 2008. My blog hits are now 345.....slowly, but surely.
I left you the last time when we were coming to the end of our stay at my aunt and uncle's place in Akron, and knowing it was time to move out on our own.
I grew to love Portage Lakes, which is a suburb of Akron, and I often visited that area while living with my aunt and uncle and wished I could live there. It was kind of like taking a step back in time, and peaceful; the lakes there were so pretty.
One day my uncle (knowing I was ready to get a place of our own) asked me where I'd like to live. I immediately said "Portage Lakes, but I'm pretty sure we couldn't afford that area." He didn't say anything then, but about a week later, he came to me and told me that he had arranged for us to rent this little place right across the street from one of the lakes!
(Here's The Secret at work again!) I was dumbfounded. My uncle was a much-beloved doctor and had many, many friends of all walks of life who would do anything for him.....this house came about when he called in a favor....and the rent was within my budget!
It was just a little place and I loved it on sight! It was perfect. And it was ours. My son was back home with us by then.
As I'm looking around, I'm thinking, "Okay, now we have to get some furniture", and I'm confident that we will be able to; I'm picturing in my mind where some used furniture places were in Akron. Oh yeah, and then there's the car issue. As I told you, I was using one that belonged to my aunt and uncle, but I didn't expect that to last forever. However, I wasn't afraid; I knew it would be fine.
We didn't have much to move into the house...remember what we arrived with. Bringing in a load, I looked behind me when I heard the sound of a truck pulling into the driveway....and out jumped a couple of guys who opened the back of the truck and started unloading furniture....everything we needed! I just couldn't believe my eyes. Seems my uncle called in some more favors. I was told not to ask any questions..so I didn't. (I'm sure you've heard the old saying: "don't look a gift horse in the mouth.)
The guys brought in everything and set it all up, including the beds. There were even sheets, blankets, pillows, etc. I went to the grocery store and got us what we needed and by that evening we were all settled in, having dinner in our new home. It was Heaven!
I continued to use my borrowed car for a little while longer, but knew I had to find my own.....and, guess what? About a week after we moved into our place, the couple across the street mentioned that they wanted to sell their car. It was not a new car (who cares, it ran!) and he only wanted $200 for it. That I could do....and now we had a car.
Time went on. I needed another job in addition to the one I had as an executive secretary. (There was no child support from the kids' father and in those days there was little, if any, enforcement.) I got a second job as a waitress in a dinner theatre close to home. I worked from 8 to 5 at the first job, then rushed home, ate a very quick dinner with the kids, (thank God for Crock Pots!!) and rushed off to my second job at the dinner theatre where I worked from 6 to midnight. Later on, when two jobs weren't enough, I got a third, working at McDonald's part time on weekends. Somehow, in between all this, I managed to do things with the kids.
Still, it was a struggle. I had to ask for help from the state: they gave us $70 a month food stamps and an allotment of $70 a month for child care...which were both Godsends. (remember, this was in 1973-1974). It made all the difference in the world.
The kids needed clothes....the neighbor across the street (from whom I bought the car) had kids older than mine so she passed on her kids' outgrown..and still new-looking...clothes to mine.
Are you getting the picture? Have you read The Secret yet?
Well, it's time to say bye for today...but, I want to leave you with a word of encouragement: put positive thoughts out into the Universe; override the negative...and believe! Recognize when your thoughts become things! and appreciate them.
It's July 14, 2008. My blog hits are now 345.....slowly, but surely.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
AKRON, JUNE 1973
I left you in my last post with our arrival in Akron at the home of my aunt and uncle.....and at the beginning of our new lives.
I was scared...but, still confident.
When we walked into my aunt and uncle's home, I handed my aunt the last $64.00 I had...a very small contribution for what I knew was a huge sacrifice for them and for my 5 cousins. (In today's money, that was probably the equivalent of $200.) My uncle was a doctor and the home was large and lovely, in the country, and was a paradise for us especially, because we had come from severe financial struggles. However, I did NOT have the attitude that because they were well-off that they owed us anything! I want to make that very clear! I simply felt blessed that they were there when we needed them, and willing to allow us the grace of sharing their home with us. If not for them, I don't know what we would have done.....but, the Secret was at work, and there they were.
The second thing I did upon arriving was to ask for the newspaper so I could look through the help-wanted ads for a job. This wasn't a vacation; I didn't use any excuses like I was tired, or wanted to take a break before looking for work. No. It was serious business and I knew I had to get moving so that we could get out on our own as soon as possible.
I sat down with the paper and a pen and started circling ads. Then I started making calls and arranging interviews.
The next day, I had an interview with an insurance company for the position of executive secretary. I did not have any experience in this field....but, that didn't deter me; I knew I could do it. When I walked into the office for the interview, I was handed the application to fill out and I sat down to fill it out.....along with about 10 other young ladies, who probably had loads more experience than I did.
I passed the first interview, and was given a second where I had to type a letter as it was being dictated to me by the boss. Talk about intimidating! But, somehow I passed all the tests and got the job, and started immediately.
Now, of course, I needed a car....and, remember I told you in my last post what we arrived with, and a car wasn't one of those things!
Again, the Secret was working: my aunt and uncle had an extra one that they let me use.....so, off to work I went.
During our stay in my aunt and uncle's home, my 14 year old son, who was extremely angry with me for taking him away from his friends and All-Star baseball team in the state we'd left, was busy rebelling and making life difficult for everyone. He wasn't getting along with my cousins and was being disruptive. You don't go stay in someone else's home and then become a source of disruption to them....so, we had to find a solution.
My best friend, whom I mentioned in my first post in this series, stepped up and offered to take him in....her cheerful and kind attitude was, "I already have 5 kids, what's one more?" (Well, I KNOW what one more was! She didn't live in a mansion and she certainly wasn't wealthy; she worked as hard as I did just to try to make it, so I know what a sacrifice it was. Not to mention that my son wasn't the little ray of sunshine that would have made his addition to their family more pleasant!)
Three months went by and somehow everyone survived....but it was time for us to get out on our own.....and getting our own place and a car of my own became my intense immediate goal. (It had always been my goal, but, had I known then what I know now about the Secret, I would have been able to know the steps necessary to achieve that goal much sooner!)
Well, this is a good place to stop for today, but I'll be back soon. I hope all of you had a wonderfully fun and exciting Fourth of July......mine was great, and The Secret was at work!
It's now 12:26 pm my time on July 5, 2008. There are 341 hits on my blog. (remember, part of this experiment is to explode the hits on my blog!)
I was scared...but, still confident.
When we walked into my aunt and uncle's home, I handed my aunt the last $64.00 I had...a very small contribution for what I knew was a huge sacrifice for them and for my 5 cousins. (In today's money, that was probably the equivalent of $200.) My uncle was a doctor and the home was large and lovely, in the country, and was a paradise for us especially, because we had come from severe financial struggles. However, I did NOT have the attitude that because they were well-off that they owed us anything! I want to make that very clear! I simply felt blessed that they were there when we needed them, and willing to allow us the grace of sharing their home with us. If not for them, I don't know what we would have done.....but, the Secret was at work, and there they were.
The second thing I did upon arriving was to ask for the newspaper so I could look through the help-wanted ads for a job. This wasn't a vacation; I didn't use any excuses like I was tired, or wanted to take a break before looking for work. No. It was serious business and I knew I had to get moving so that we could get out on our own as soon as possible.
I sat down with the paper and a pen and started circling ads. Then I started making calls and arranging interviews.
The next day, I had an interview with an insurance company for the position of executive secretary. I did not have any experience in this field....but, that didn't deter me; I knew I could do it. When I walked into the office for the interview, I was handed the application to fill out and I sat down to fill it out.....along with about 10 other young ladies, who probably had loads more experience than I did.
I passed the first interview, and was given a second where I had to type a letter as it was being dictated to me by the boss. Talk about intimidating! But, somehow I passed all the tests and got the job, and started immediately.
Now, of course, I needed a car....and, remember I told you in my last post what we arrived with, and a car wasn't one of those things!
Again, the Secret was working: my aunt and uncle had an extra one that they let me use.....so, off to work I went.
During our stay in my aunt and uncle's home, my 14 year old son, who was extremely angry with me for taking him away from his friends and All-Star baseball team in the state we'd left, was busy rebelling and making life difficult for everyone. He wasn't getting along with my cousins and was being disruptive. You don't go stay in someone else's home and then become a source of disruption to them....so, we had to find a solution.
My best friend, whom I mentioned in my first post in this series, stepped up and offered to take him in....her cheerful and kind attitude was, "I already have 5 kids, what's one more?" (Well, I KNOW what one more was! She didn't live in a mansion and she certainly wasn't wealthy; she worked as hard as I did just to try to make it, so I know what a sacrifice it was. Not to mention that my son wasn't the little ray of sunshine that would have made his addition to their family more pleasant!)
Three months went by and somehow everyone survived....but it was time for us to get out on our own.....and getting our own place and a car of my own became my intense immediate goal. (It had always been my goal, but, had I known then what I know now about the Secret, I would have been able to know the steps necessary to achieve that goal much sooner!)
Well, this is a good place to stop for today, but I'll be back soon. I hope all of you had a wonderfully fun and exciting Fourth of July......mine was great, and The Secret was at work!
It's now 12:26 pm my time on July 5, 2008. There are 341 hits on my blog. (remember, part of this experiment is to explode the hits on my blog!)
Thursday, July 3, 2008
"THE SECRET" SERIES EXPERIMENT
It has been brought to my attention recently by a friend...(my best friend actually, with whom I've been friends for the past 60 years....since kindergarten!)that it has been a long time since I've written anything in my blog. She is, of course, right.
My response to her was that I got discouraged because it seemed no one knows this blog exists, despite my attempts to get it noticed, so I said to heck with it and gave up.
Shame on me! A defeatist attitude is really not my M.O. I guess I got a little jealous of the success of other blogs and couldn't figure out how to get there myself....and I'm still not sure....but, I have figured this out: If I give up, it definitely won't happen....so, here I am again.
One of the things that has changed my mind is a book I've just started reading this morning called "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. I've only read 25 pages so far and it was like a lightning bolt struck me......because I realized that I already KNOW the Secrets in this book; I've just forgotten them!
So, I started thinking about all the times the Secret has actually worked in my life, and came up with so many it was mind-blowing! I didn't have a name for it at the time, but there it was.
I'm not going to tell you all that is in this book...each person needs to read it themselves for it to be effective. Get it on Ebay (like I did), or get it from the library, or borrow it from a friend....(hey, I'm not here to try to help sell the book; I have nothing to gain, and it certainly needs no help from me!) But, I will tell you this: it has to do with the law of attraction; the effect that our thoughts have...both positive and negative...and getting what you want out of life....AND it tells you how! On page 25 it lists "Secret Summaries"...and if you read nothing else, read that page...although you'd be crazy not to read the entire book! It won't take you long, and you have everything to gain.
As I said, I started thinking about all the times this worked for me, and I thought I'd list some of them...so, here goes:
In 1973 I was in a bad marriage, living in a Western state that I absolutely hated more than words can explain, needing to get my kids and myself away from this place and situation, had NO money, and not a clue how I was going to do it. But, I knew I could! Didn't know how just then, but had the confidence that I could make these changes. So, I began planning...and it came to me. All the steps I needed to take were there. I called my favorite aunt and uncle who lived in Ohio where I wanted to go, (my home state) told them what was going on and what I wanted to do, and asked if we could stay with them for a short time while I got on my feet. Blessedly, they said yes. I called my best friend, (the same one I mentioned above), also here in Ohio, and told her what was going on, and asked if I could send some packages to her home...just things that I knew I would need upon arriving. She also agreed.
Then I put my plan into action. I was working...making little money...but managed to put some aside. I had some yard sales and sold everything I could possibly sell and somehow, before long, the money I needed for the four plane tickets was in my hand...with $64 left over.
So now, I had four plane tickets, three young kids, no car, no home of my own, and only the clothes we had on our backs and what we could pack into our suitcases...and I think but cannot recall for sure...I may have packed some clothes and toys into those boxes I shipped to my friend's house. Truly scary....BUT...I had put the Secret into play; I just didn't know it.
We arrived at Cleveland-Hopkins Airport in June of 1973, tired and one of us wet...(my 4 year old daughter was afraid of the airplane's noisy bathroom, refused to go potty in it, and solved the problem in her own way by falling asleep and wetting her pants)...and my 80 year old grandfather, who happened to live in Cleveland, cheerfully picked us up at the airport, took us to his home, put us up overnight and then drove us the next day to Akron where my aunt and uncle lived, and where we were to stay for the next few months.
Okay. I'm going to stop here.
I'm going to put The Secret into play again and let's see what happens. This will be an experiment that you all can share with me and perhaps it will prove to you that it really works. I already know it does, as you will see in future postings. Your feedback will be most welcome!
I will make this into a series, with new postings on a regular basis. As I end this today, there have been 335 hits on my blog. It's July 3, 2008 at 12:40 pm my time.
I can't wait to see what happens....I haven't been this excited about anything for quite awhile!
My response to her was that I got discouraged because it seemed no one knows this blog exists, despite my attempts to get it noticed, so I said to heck with it and gave up.
Shame on me! A defeatist attitude is really not my M.O. I guess I got a little jealous of the success of other blogs and couldn't figure out how to get there myself....and I'm still not sure....but, I have figured this out: If I give up, it definitely won't happen....so, here I am again.
One of the things that has changed my mind is a book I've just started reading this morning called "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. I've only read 25 pages so far and it was like a lightning bolt struck me......because I realized that I already KNOW the Secrets in this book; I've just forgotten them!
So, I started thinking about all the times the Secret has actually worked in my life, and came up with so many it was mind-blowing! I didn't have a name for it at the time, but there it was.
I'm not going to tell you all that is in this book...each person needs to read it themselves for it to be effective. Get it on Ebay (like I did), or get it from the library, or borrow it from a friend....(hey, I'm not here to try to help sell the book; I have nothing to gain, and it certainly needs no help from me!) But, I will tell you this: it has to do with the law of attraction; the effect that our thoughts have...both positive and negative...and getting what you want out of life....AND it tells you how! On page 25 it lists "Secret Summaries"...and if you read nothing else, read that page...although you'd be crazy not to read the entire book! It won't take you long, and you have everything to gain.
As I said, I started thinking about all the times this worked for me, and I thought I'd list some of them...so, here goes:
In 1973 I was in a bad marriage, living in a Western state that I absolutely hated more than words can explain, needing to get my kids and myself away from this place and situation, had NO money, and not a clue how I was going to do it. But, I knew I could! Didn't know how just then, but had the confidence that I could make these changes. So, I began planning...and it came to me. All the steps I needed to take were there. I called my favorite aunt and uncle who lived in Ohio where I wanted to go, (my home state) told them what was going on and what I wanted to do, and asked if we could stay with them for a short time while I got on my feet. Blessedly, they said yes. I called my best friend, (the same one I mentioned above), also here in Ohio, and told her what was going on, and asked if I could send some packages to her home...just things that I knew I would need upon arriving. She also agreed.
Then I put my plan into action. I was working...making little money...but managed to put some aside. I had some yard sales and sold everything I could possibly sell and somehow, before long, the money I needed for the four plane tickets was in my hand...with $64 left over.
So now, I had four plane tickets, three young kids, no car, no home of my own, and only the clothes we had on our backs and what we could pack into our suitcases...and I think but cannot recall for sure...I may have packed some clothes and toys into those boxes I shipped to my friend's house. Truly scary....BUT...I had put the Secret into play; I just didn't know it.
We arrived at Cleveland-Hopkins Airport in June of 1973, tired and one of us wet...(my 4 year old daughter was afraid of the airplane's noisy bathroom, refused to go potty in it, and solved the problem in her own way by falling asleep and wetting her pants)...and my 80 year old grandfather, who happened to live in Cleveland, cheerfully picked us up at the airport, took us to his home, put us up overnight and then drove us the next day to Akron where my aunt and uncle lived, and where we were to stay for the next few months.
Okay. I'm going to stop here.
I'm going to put The Secret into play again and let's see what happens. This will be an experiment that you all can share with me and perhaps it will prove to you that it really works. I already know it does, as you will see in future postings. Your feedback will be most welcome!
I will make this into a series, with new postings on a regular basis. As I end this today, there have been 335 hits on my blog. It's July 3, 2008 at 12:40 pm my time.
I can't wait to see what happens....I haven't been this excited about anything for quite awhile!
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