What do you do when someone continually bribes you?

If Isle of Capri Casino doesn't stop trying to bribe us with all these offers that they keep sending Paul.......

........we're just going to have to take them up on their offer.

Funny thing is.....he's not even the big gambler.......why am I not getting any mail?

And then again.......how much money IS he spending when we're off entertaining ourselves alone in the casino???????

An avalanche of blessings

It's interesting how snow can steam roll down a mountain and as it gathers momentum it grows into something bigger.

We experienced that today with a simple blessing.

One customer the other day mentioned on one of our FB posts that his wish was that all the angel wishes on their church Christmas tree would be filled.  I just happened to write him back and told him that maybe we would like to help see that happen and could he send me the details.

I received an e-mail back from him and he told me it was for a church that was in our area and that I needed to talk with Father Stan who would be happy to provide me with the information.

So I got on the phone and called Father Stan.  He told me that they had a tree filled with angel wishes for 20 families in need in our community.  You just picked what you could off the tree and provided whatever the wish was for that member of the family.  I told him that we would be honored to help out and make sure that all those wishes got taken care of. 

So this morning I went over to the church to meet with Father Stan.  What an awesome individual this man was.  He was so gracious and welcoming and in fact, most of the people there already knew I was coming and were so open and friendly.  Father Stan showed me the tree and I picked off a wish for a 5 year old girl and an 8 year old boy.  I also picked up 2 requests for gift cards for a nearby grocery store.

As we stood there chatting I told him that Paul had also wanted to try and find a halfway house or something similar and provide a pizza party for them.  Father Stan knew exactly the place.  He tracked down the youth minister and asked about a place nearby that helped mentally disabled people move out on their own and get them jobs.  Come to find out the church was providing a party for them and were going to purchase pizzas.  I quickly stepped up and volunteered to provide the pizzas for their party tomorrow night and I am personally going to deliver them.

As we continued chatting about the services this place provided for these adults, I found that we might be able to help out with providing a part-time job either helping me or helping out in the store.  So tomorrow night, I am also going to speak with the job coordinator and get more information.

Also, the youth minister said that they do lots of pizzas for their church groups and asked if we offered discounts.  Well since we do discounted pizzas for churches and schools.....it worked out perfectly and they will be using us in the future for their pizzas.

I am so excited to get the opportunity to bring their pizzas tomorrow and find out more about Home Place Texas and what we can do to help.

Isn't it funny how a little simple post on Facebook turned into something so much more?  Something that is really warming my heart today.  God sure does work in mysterious ways sometimes.

Sometimes life is just so incredibly sad

This is a difficult post to write.  But I need to do it.  I need to let out some of the sadness I've been feeling for the last two days.

Yesterday, I found out that one of my friends from high school passed away.

Sure, people die every single day.  Lots of times people I know die.  But this one has hit me really hard.  Maybe it's because she was my age and I had known her since she was a kid in high school like me.

Marilyn was special.  We were friends the last two years of my high school life.  We were songleaders together and we were part of the "lunch bunch".  We had lunch every day together and the four of us got along amazingly well.  I was with her as she recovered from a car accident that broke her jaw.  She had to wire it shut and I would go to her house in the afternoons and be totally grossed out when she had to put spaghetti in a blender and squeeze it into her mouth with a straw.  I was with her when we would make up songleading routines in her bedroom and listen to Carole King.

Graduation took us different directions, but a chance encounter with her at my brother's graduation gave us time to catch up with each other's lives.  She was there with her tiny baby that she had recently had.  She was now a married lady.

Our next meeting was in 1995 at our 20 year reunion.  We caught up on old times and had fun remembering the "good old days".

I would not see her again until 2009 when she and I hooked up as Facebook friends.  She was my inspiration to start blogging.  I loved sitting there reading about her life and her family.  We stayed connected through our blogs and through Facebook and occasionally sending a message or two to each other.

I last had an e-mail from her in May of this year when she was in the beginning stages of finding out what the spot on her lungs was.  At this point she still didn't know what her prognosis was.  I read her bloggings and her FB posts regularly to find out how she was doing.  At the point when she was diagnosed with cancer I was so inspired by her positive and courageous outlook that she was going to be well and all would be cured. 

At one point during her journey right after starting chemo, she had been so upbeat because the doctors thought she was doing so well and that the tumor was shrinking.  What a relief it was to hear that news.  And then there was no news for awhile until October 4th when she posted a blog entitled "Walking hand in hand with God".  In it she reported her progress and that her tumor had stopped responding to treatment and that they were going to do some more intensive therapy.  She still was so upbeat proclaiming that she was going to be well and that she was going to beat it.

There was a long time and still no news.  I kept checking her FB daily to see if she had any updates.  Yesterday, instead of good news......I found that she had lost her battle.

This woman was such a kind hearted and wonderful woman.  She radiated happiness and enthusiasm.  She leaves behind a husband, 7 children, and 15 grandchildren (2 of which were just born very recently).  I am so saddened for their family.  You could tell by her posts and by her postings that she was the center of that family's universe and I am sure that they are devastated by her death.

Thank you Marilyn, for showing me how to be a wonderful mother, friend, and an inspiration in love and courage.  I will truly miss your blogs and your sharing of your family and your life.  These last 5 years, I really feel like I know all your family like they were an extension of my own.  I am sorry that we never got to see each other in person again......but your memory will live forever in my heart.  Rest in peace sweet lady.

Flip Flops

We're still working hard to figure out what we're going to do with our first location.

We really want to move it.  But the expenses to move will be high, contractors to deal with, moving stress in general, blah blah blah.

Paul talked with our current landlord yesterday and the landlord has really made us some good offers to stay where we're at. 

You know.....he's causing us to "flip flop"

So Paul sat down and drew up a rough draft of what the setup would be if we stayed where we were at and expanded into the empty space that's next door to us.

Yes, I'll say it again.....we are now in full blown "flip flop" stage.

Now, it's just opened up our mind to a whole different way of thinking.  More about the advantages of where we stay where we're at or if we move.

*sigh*.......seems like our whole life is a lot "flip flopping"

Note: the pictures of flip flops really had nothing much to do with this entry except they were bright and colorful.  Put a little "summer" back into a winter day.

I think I'll go read a book

It's the first of the month and that is my busiest time.

There is always so much to do with getting the word out on the new Pizza of the Month.  But here it is only 3pm on the last day of the month and I am in such good shape.  I must have had little elves that did some of my work because it seemed to easy this month.

I've got the boxtoppers done.

I've got the calendars for the store made and all our marketing events for the month figured out.

I've got the signs for the stores done.

I've got the signs for the gift cards done.

And I've got the e-mail for the first of the month designed and ready to send out tomorrow.  (no picture for this one.....you'll have to take my word for it or sign up for our VIP E-club so that you'll get one tomorrow)

All I have left is to update the website pages with the new Pizza of the Month, the latest news for the PZ News page, and update the online ordering with the new pizza......and I am good to go.

Since I've apparently been working extremely hard the last couple of days......I think I'll take a break and go read one of those three books that I downloaded on my Kindle today.

It feels kind of good to actually have something done once in awhile.

Prayers asked. Prayers answered.

As I sat at the dinner table yesterday and looked at the magnificent feast I had created, it reminded me of a few things.  And yes.......I would consider them blessings.

I think back to when the boys were little and I was a single mom living in my mobile home that my parents so graciously provided for me.  I would lay there at night and just pray my little heart out that I would win the lottery or some giant windfall would happen my way.  I didn't know how I was going to pay a babysitter, buy food, pay rent, make car payments, and all the other necessary things that were needed to get by in life.

And no I never did win that windfall......but instead I've been paid many times over throughout my life.

Thank God I had such wonderful people in my life that made sure I was going to make it.  My parents, my father-in-law, my sister and her family, and my coworkers.  I have to even thank my mother-in-law, who was already gone, but still provided me with the example of how I needed to work hard to be a good mother.

I was not laying at home waiting for the government or some charity to take care of me.  I was working my butt off every single day doing the best I could on the little that I made.  Thankfully, I had help from my family.  I used to think that if I worked hard, was a good daughter and sister, and most importantly a good mother......that it would all come back ten-fold to me in the future.  Sometimes, I felt so emotionally exhausted and tired because I didn't have a "husband/father" to help me with raising the kids.  I had to deal with every single school issue, every illness, every disciplinary problem, EVERYTHING.  But you know what?  I also got to deal with every hug and kiss, every birthday, every "I love you", celebrate every wonderous achievement, and every crazy moment that we had together.  And I didn't have to share them with anyone.

It's funny how those requests to God don't always seem to come when you first ask for them.

My blessings all came later.......

After 10 years of being a single mom who devoted her entire life to making sure her kids had the best life possible.......I met someone who would change my life.

After that.....my life has been nothing but blessing filled.

Sure there is a lot of crap we have to deal with along the way.  But I feel now that I have reaped the rewards of all those prayers.  All those nights I laid there and cried not knowing how I was going to make it. 

I have two kids who I still would do anything for and still try to make their lives adventure filled (as much as I can).  And I have a husband/partner/best friend who makes me laugh and has opened my eyes to what adventure really is.  

I'm sorry for the boy's father that didn't get to have the wonderful opportunity that I had to raise them.  I'm sorry for the boy's father that doesn't know them and will never know them the way I do.  But you know what?  That's not my problem.......that's his.

I've worked hard to be where I am today and I am going to enjoy every single solitary good or bad moment of it.

Thank you so much for all my blessings.

I must be sick

The turkey is a brining away.  The dishwasher is running.  The washer is full of rugs getting all nice and clean.  Yes.....there is progress happening at this house today.  In fact, I'm just waiting for the rugs to finish so I can get them out to dry in this 40 degree weather.  Then it's off to do the bank runs.

Paul offered to do a couple of my errands today.....so that will leave me the rest of the day to clean house.  I'm back to 80% today and mostly just some lingering head congestion and a little run down feeling.....but must really be sick if I'm looking forward to cleaning house.  Actually, I'm more sick of having to live in a dirty house and looking forward to it being a little cleaned up.

So as soon as the washer is done......I'll be on my way and spend my afternoon being a domestic goddess and my evening being a gourmet chef as I prepare my meal for tomorrow.

Today.....life is good and I'm glad I finally am feeling a little better again!

Here's the star of our dinner brining away with some fresh sage tucked up in her breast.  Hope she turns out delicious.