I Have A Secret ... My Secret Is .....

 

Sharing from my writing site on:  myLot.com

When I went grocery shopping not long ago. I did something maybe I shouldn't have ... shouldn't have doesn't stop me if I think there's a good reason for it! Sometimes, I feel I have to justify in my mind ... sometimes, I don't.

I have my way of thinking about things just as you do. I will tell you what happened... when I tell all ... you are welcomed to voice your opinion ... of course with respect.

I walked by the meat department thinking about getting chicken ... we like chicken ... Camie, our 9 year old Pup loves it!

I always try to have portions of meat to prepare Skip's meals with. Myself ... I have a battle eating meat ... I truly wish I never grew up eating meat. I won't get into that ... I won't get on that subject with anyone. I will say I truly love animals.

Preferably I would always eat Metiterranean ... foods. I love colorful, beautiful foods ... vegetables. Mediteranean is my kind of food but, it's too expensive to buy for one person and buy foods the other likes ... Skip is like most men ... meat, potatoes.

So ... most of the time I buy food with Skip in mind. Before getting to the chicken display ... I looked at hamburger ... stew beef ... steaks. I haven't bought steaks in quite some time ... I try to get all I can from the grocery budget ... not spend a big sum on any one thing.

Well, those rib eye steaks were thick, nicely marbled ... the price was what I would pay. I had to think about it.

I continued to the chicken forgetting the steaks. I picked up several packs of chicken to put in the freezer ... some to cook, some to freeze in portions for Camie, our Pup.

I walked around picking up all I needed ... went to pay. I was putting all on the conveyer belt to be rung up. I was watching all move along on the belt to the cashier ... I saw that pack of rib eye steaks! Mmmm-mmm ... I must have justified them without realizing it.

Anyway ... I decided to cook them for a late breakfast ... I only cook once ... no more than twice daily. I don't cook big meals. I cooked them with a good steak seasoning, butter. Oh my, they looked good ... smelled good cooking.

I always leave my steak on the hot griddle until I serve Skip ... making sure everything is ready for him to eat. Once he is settled ... I make my own plate, iced tea.

All I put on my plate is steak ... when I sit down to eat I ... lack one thing to make my meal complete. My secret! I get up, go to the pantry ... I see what I need! I grab the box of Premium crackers.

I walk back, sit down at the table ... open a sleeve of crackers ... place 5 crackers beside my steak. Time to eat! My secret is ... I eat crackers with my steak!

Christmas Lights Early For Skip!

 

October 29, 2022 ... Saturday Morning 

I am sharing my story I wrote on myLot.com.

In September Skip was sitting quietly... he began to speak. I knew it was serious by the tone of his voice, he had something on his mind.

Whenever Skip does that, I listen. I know it's important. It was important and as soon as I could I acted on it.

Skip began telling me he really felt this was his last Christmas, in fact he hoped to make it to Christmas. Not because of lots of presents and such. We don't have families around us like most people do. It is sad, yes ... but, we don't dwell on it ... we try hard not to. I make it happy as I can.

No one knows just how sick Skip has been, what he has suffered. He is finally getting surgeries to remove cataracts  ... he has been legally blind for so long.  This has been on top of having another stroke,  walking with difficulty,  having a heart valve replacement.  The list goes on ...

I always focus on making a nice meal, having a cheerful Christmas tree up. We stay to ourselves with our 9 year old Pup. We watch happy Christmas movies ... we both tear up when each Christmas miracle happens for people. We love to see good things happen for others. Oh yes, we love when it happens to us too.

Skip said he very much wished to have a Christmas tree up with pretty lights ... yes, now...  would be good.

I didn't have the money just then to get him a Xmas tree with lights. I had to wait a couple of weeks. I ordered him the prettiest 4 ft. tree and ... beautiful lights! from Amazon. I put that tree up as fast as I could, turned it on for Skip! His face lit up! My Heart sang! I felt such happiness,  thankfulness ... I got Christmas lights for Skip!

This was on October 5th! I kept my promise to Skip ... I promised I would have him a beautifully lighted Christmas tree! I got Christmas lights for Skip!

This Is How I Battle Sadness, Depression, Darkness When It Threatens My Peace of Mind ... by Gloria Faye Brown Bates ... October 29, 2010

 Shared from my writing site:  myLot.com

This Is How I Battle Sadness, Depression, and Darkness When It Threatens My Peace of Mind ...

                                                                             by Gloria Faye Brown Bates ... October 29, 2010

Shootout in Henderson, NC ... a bullet hit an innocent woman. The man had scratchy fingers ... he was touching a child in an inappropriate way.

It appears to be an isolated incident. The bystander is still receiving treatment. Some students walked out of class. They need to start making progress on real issues.

UNC tested water for chemicals. Internship discovered high lead ... Cape Fear Valley Memorial is seeing 150 patients today. Health officials urge parents to take their children to their doctors to avoid lengthy

wait times. This will be the worst flu season in 13 years.

Halloween ... do the the children treat or treat tonight? I don't know. You are hearing patchy news just as I did while writing it ... trying to listen at the same time to the news on tv.

It is 6:30 am. I have been up for about an hour. I have mopped, vacuumed ... fluffed pillows, made sure all is neat ... when daylight comes ... it will find a cheerful, colorful, clean house. 

The first thing I did when I got up ... I turned on Xmas Lights For Skip! That is his happy, beautiful Christmas tree he wished for (in October 2022!). I turned on the water fountain with its 3 beautiful, lighted mosaic pots ... colorful, blinking Xmas lights, the sound of water trickling down from pot to pot.

This is my morning so far.  Skip is still asleep. Miss Camie, our 9 year old Pup, has just come into the living room. I know what she wants ... she is ready to eat her chicken.  

I always cook chicken ahead ... separate it from the bones, place portions in baggies ... then, place into one big freezer bag in the freezer. This way when we have appointments, and every morning ... I can simply take her meal out of the freezer, warm it on low in the microwave.

Chicken isn't the only food she eats. Sometimes, I give her other things when we eat vegetables, and other meats. She has her dry food ... it sits in her dry food dispenser. She can go eat it when she wants to.

This is how my morning has begun. I wonder what do you do when you first get up?

Very Important Note :  

I don't want you to think my life is perfect at all. You are seeing reflections, colors of a woman who tries to make all negative in her life good as possible. Each day I strive to make all better, I try not to fall into the trap of depression, feel sad, dwell on anything that tries to hurt my Heart.

I most of the time succeed because I AM Not letting negative rule, determine my life ... nor Skip's and Camie's life. I take good care of us ... even when times aren't the best. When I don't succeed, I make sure all is good with Skip, retire to the bedroom until I feel better.

There ... I will play on my tablet, watch the news, sit ... meditate. I dream of the good things I want in our lives to happen ... happy, good things I want to do for Skip, Camie now, in the future. I dream of a million things ... I never lost my ability to dream because anything is possible.

I choose good over bad ... each day I get up knowing in my Heart good things are going to happen just any moment. I also, wake up with gratitude, thankfulness in my Heart.

Even when not so good happens ... good counteracts it making all bittersweet. Many flavors, colors are my Life. I smile, I wouldn't have it any other way. Who wants to live in a world without colors?  

I have this wonderful feeling inside ... something extra special is going to happen today ... I am going to embrace it with my being ... we all love ... something good to happen in our life!

One More Note:

I always make sure my house is clean (we live in an older mobile home ... I clean just as I was living in a million dollar home ... sparkling, smells so good! This is important to Me ... all has to be clean, neat as possible ... colorful, cheerful ...lights ... this is what keeps sadness, depression, anything negative away. If negative happens anyway ... I can look around, think ... I'm so glad my house is clean! I can think clearly!

This is how I battle with keeping sadness, depression, darkness away in my Life. No, I don't succeed everytime ... sometimes, I lose my battle. That's when I just lay down for a time to rest my mind, soul, get up ... try again. This is ME ... Gloria.