Takin' Off To Tennessee...

I decided yesterday I needed to surround myself with the one person who loves me and my absolutely crazy self - even when I'm having a moment like this. The one person who takes the clouds in my soul and shoos them away, leaving only my soul to shine brightly again - just by being in his presence. I know I do the same for him.

I'm not telling people I'm heading south, I called him and he told me to "C'Mon!".... to bring the kids and he's got plenty of room... and we'll just hang out and let them play and sit and talk. He lives on a bunch of land, out in the country just outside of Nashville... and honestly, I need to just sit around in the backyard with him and hang. He's got his kids rooms with extra beds, and said he had seven kids at the house this past week... so he told me to get in the car and head on down.

I'm in. Maybe I can even try to squeeze in a few interviews while I'm down there with the kids. I might bring my plants down too, and plant some in his yard...Hm. This could be exactly what I need to pull myself out of my funk. We'll see.

Incredibly Negative

I'm just having a day. I feel incredibly negative today. Loneliness creeps in, despite a full house. I'm having one of those days where I just wish I could POOF and disappear... or POOF and have someone there to hold me and hug me...
That's really what I want... a night of being held... with nothing else...I just want a big, night long hug. Odd, I know, but hugs make you feel better.

Going to try and cheer myself up... I did do four paintings (well started them) today, and I'm waiting for the layers to dry so I can do the next ones...

I've lived by this, and will continue to...

"Chase the dream, not the competition".

I write, sing and paint because I love to do it. People love my work because they feel the emotion I put into what I do. I chase the dream of being successful my creative talents...and pushing the envelope to open myself more and more to pour out even more emotion in words, voice and on canvas.

"Boys Shack. Men Make Homes."

I read that quote above, in the new book "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man" by Steve Harvey.

I was in the middle of Sam's club, and had heard a few pieces of an interview or two, so I picked it up to peruse the book. I flipped through it, and had two things jump out at me. The first, was the title of this blog.

Truly the above could apply to both sexes. As I was cleaning my house and picking up the kids toys, pondering life as a single woman with some very special men (or are they boys?) in my life, I started to think about what it is I truly want, if anything, from these men. Is it friendship? Am I truly just enjoying their time as a friend? Do I want anything more to develop? Am I content with the status quo?

In Nashville, and here too, I know plenty of boys. I know plenty of boys who masquerade as men as well. After all the mental sorting, I know a handful of men.

I know what I want in life. I want to make a home with someone who is my best friend, confidante and lover. Someone who will accept me for all my positives and negatives. Someone who will know when to give me space, and when I just want to be held. Someone who loves my children, as they would their own. Someone who my kids love right back. Someone who loves me that I love in return. That's what I want.

I don't want to rush ANY of that above paragraph either. I'm in NO hurry to find said person, develop said relationship, or any of that good stuff. As far as I'm concerned, the best stuff in life takes time to grow, develop and mature.

It's true... the things that take time to mature are wine, cheese and men. Once you get a hold of a good one, you savor the moments and make it last.

The second quote that caught my eye was actually a chapter title. "The Ninety Day Rule". This rule makes a decent amount of sense, and I like the way he put it. The premise, is to wait ninety days before sex. Now, that might seem like a long time, but... it does fly by... and I agree with what Steve said in his book- that men know that a good woman is worth waiting for.

Going further, if someone just wanted me for sex, and didn't want to develop a relationship or get to know me, then where's the benefit for me? I can satisfy any itch I need to scratch... on my own.

What he also said in the book was to think about Cleopatra, or Helen of Troy... women who brought men to their knees, had them fighting wars... for what? The love of a woman/Sex. I think a lot of women do know their own power, but rarely exercise it to the best of their ability.
I'm sometimes guilty of not utilizing my woman-power... (Yes, I did watch She-Ra and loved it - By the power of Greyskull!)

I think getting to know someone over a 90 day period is completely logical, and in the interest of a long-term relationship, probably the best thing to do. In a world where everything is "on-demand", waiting to develop a sexual relationship is "worth the wait" and makes you, as a woman, an instant rarity and treasure.

So that's what I was thinking about as I was cleaning. I took a break to write it down so I wouldn't forget it (that happens often).

Gotta finish cleaning up the house before the kids get home...

Planning a Cross-Country Summer Trip...

So I've always wanted to plan a FUN-filled exploring kind of trip across the country but have never been able to just pick up and leave for an extended amount of time... well, I thought about it, and this summer, the kids and I are going to have our "Summer of Fun". We need a little bonding time together and I am up to the challenge of taking them on a summer trip they'll remember forever.

I'm trying to be smart about it, so I'm researching destinations and campgrounds along the way. I'd really like to get them all sorted out, so we can have a healthy distribution of things to do and hiking/camping.

Originally I was just going to throw the tents/sleeping bags in the car and go... but then I started thinking about it... and my Honda Pilot can tow, so I thought about it more and found this perfect addition to my trip.

http://www.forestriverinc.com/nd/default22.asp?page=floorview&model=RP-172&choice=rpod&nav=rec&name=6&series=Rpod

Anyway, I'm planning and researching now, but I really like the idea of doing a lot of hiking, camping and the trailer will just assist in the times when we're not at a campground or national park... saves money when you can cook for yourself and not feed munchkins lots of icky fast food.

I have to talk to a friend of mine and see if he's game to travel with me and the kids (and his dog), so we can take a summer trip full of physical activity, fun sights, educational stops (come on, learning about something vs. SEEING something which would you remember better?) and a summer of fun.

So right now, I'm scouring websites for campgrounds, national parks with hiking and fun stuff.

I figure if I can swing it somehow... I will do it for as long as I can. So we'll see. I really, really want that R-Pod, so badly! I think it would be awesome. I might have to sell my little Honda to help pay for it... but I think I could swing it if I sell enough stuff around here that I have. Plus, all my soaps and artwork. I can do it!

Now back to my printing and organizing... I think I'll start with AAA's website and their trip calendar thing they have... more later!