Off To London Again

Alan flys out to see Sharon next week and check on her. I wish, very much so, that I could go with. But I can't. So he shall send my love for me. While he is gone, I get the dog. The DOG - the one pictured above - that will FREAK OUT when dad is gone. The one that has all his "stuff in Wisconsin" and babysits the "usual spots" where his "stuff" used to live in Illinois - as if the items will magically appear if he wishes hard enough. On top of that, he insists on being hand fed - or almost hand fed. We have to hold his bowl (my corningware baking dish) for him as he eats. In how many languages can you say SPOILED! (German: Verdorben - Dutch: Bedorven - Spanish: Estropeado - Italian: Guastato - and Greek: Χαλασμένος) The Greek have pretty letters. The italian - I think their word for spoiled is classic. But I digress. Needless to say, I am for a few days of the dog putting on his own version of "A Greek Tragedy."

I am going to see mom the weekend of my birthday (2/15-2/18) and Alan will stay home with the dog and cats. I cancelled my Key West trip for May. The Singer/Songwriter Festival will (sadly) go on without me. They just don't know what they are missing in Key West. Ha ha. I may try to fly to The Netherlands to see Sharon in May.

Alyssa is getting ready to go to London. This time she has to pack her room for the movers to take to the new house. This one may still be unsold by the time she comes back (with the way the market is), but in any case, all her stuff is going to Wisconsin "just in case". Her Visa is valid only until May 30th - so that means while she is over there she will have to get it extended to complete the program year. They (they, being the British Visa People), are waiting for the final tuition payment to be made to extend her Visa to the end of the program. In my opinion, another way to soak another $210 out of us and I have no idea how that works while she is there. Here, she had to send her passport in, whereas there, she is required to have it on her. But that is what being 21 is all about. She will have to figure it out. 

So stress, I have no stress - just have to get her to the airport on time for Monday - and off she goes. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be her age again - but with options. And my quotes sadly did not readjust her. I got "the look". But London will readjust her. I am looking forward to the changes.

New Year Musings

The New Year has certainly started with a blur of activity! We are STILL moving. The movers are finally being scheduled. In the meantime we are working on getting the final packing put together. Alyssa just got her Visa Application papers yesterday. School starts 1/31 so we are uncertain if she will make it in time for the start of school. She will be very disappointed if she has to wait for a June start. The college in London offers a program not available in the U.S. (or very difficult to find) so hopefully her Visa application will go through quickly. Knowing Murphy's law and the Brits, it will, no doubt, be delayed by bureaucratic shenanigans. (Thus leaving me stuck with a very mad 20 year old).

I ended 2007 recuperating from being ill and Sharon has started 2008 being ill in the Netherlands. AJ is in Iraq and doing well. Emily and I get to talk daily about Bishop - their lovely Lab/Sharpei puppy.

So while we do the packing and moving the plus side is discovering the various things you forgot you owned. Alyssa packed up all the china and in the cabinet found old photos, papers and cards I had bought 12 years ago at Successories (a store selling business items). I found 18 cards - 16 large square cards with phenomenal pictures and quotes. So I thought I would share a few of them with you and what they mean to me on this day in 2008.

The Essence of a Hero

True Heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others whatever the cost.

To our soldiers. Each of you is a hero in my eyes. Thank you for your courage, your service, your sacrifice.

Living A Legacy

All that we are we will pass on to our children - our loves, our hopes, our dreams, our character. Therefore, let your thoughts be planted in rich soil and let your actions stand tall in a child's eyes. Just as fruit does not fall far from the tree, children do not stray far from their heroes.

It is important to remember that we are our children's heroes. What we do will impact them, teach them how to behave as they grow. I read this and am reminded of the song
"Watching You" by Rodney Atkins

Chorus:
He said I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We like fixing things and holding mama's hand
Yeah we're just alike, hey ain't we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I've been watching you
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Essence of Survival

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed....every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle... when the sun comes up, you'd better running"

I decided to include Survival - the raw reality of everyday life.

Finally, my last card for tonight is a tough choice: Topics are Attitude, Integrity, Today, Giving, Destiny, Achievement, Success, Leader, Persistence, Belief, and Truth.

To survive in this world, you need integrity and courage - and sometimes it takes courage to have integrity.

The Courage Of Integrity

The highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity. Choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over popularity... these are the choices that measure your life. Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for there is never a wrong time to do the right thing.

Well thanks for reading along with me. I enjoyed my cards and am looking over the booklet I found with the cards: Attitude, Your Internal Compass. and Fall In Love with Your Future. I should be readjusted by the end of the weekend (or have Alyssa readjusted by the end of the weekend). Wish me well!