Yesterday my oldest son left for Iraq. It's feels very sad and depressing. It also causes me a lot of anxiety knowing he is in harm's way. I will have him on my mind and in my heart and can only hope I will continue to function in a normal manner while he is gone.
I have a lot of admiration for Sarah Palin who sent her son to Iraq during her Vice Presidential campaign recently. I wondered at the time how she could continue campaigning in the public eye when her heart had to be filled with pain. I guess we all go through difficult things and keep on going.......if we are strong enough.
I have three other children and two wonderful grandchildren. I am trying to focus my attention on giving them a good Christmas this year in spite of the dire economy. I've been staying very busy making preparations for the biggest holiday of the year at our house. The dreary days of January and February are when I'll have the hardest time worrying about my oldest son. I don't think he will be gone too long and will definitely look forward to his return.
Thank you for reading and please keep my son, and all other sons serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, in your prayers this Christmas.
Please visit:
Ozzie's Place
Archive for the ‘ozzieblackcat’ Category
Sending a Child to Iraq
Friday, December 12th, 2008After the Party’s Over
Sunday, November 30th, 2008by Susan
I'm usually exhausted after the party is over....this time the party was Thanksgiving at the King's. I was exhausted by Saturday, but pleased with the way my dinner turned out on Thursday and the fun we all had. I think my children and grandchildren thoroughly enjoyed their time here. I really enjoyed having all of them. I'm rested today and starting to plan the next party which will be Christmas at the King's.
I had a few minor mishaps while preparing the dinner but all turned out well. My daughter was ill so my husband was my right hand in the kitchen this year. We ate dinner and visited for nearly two hours. Some of us took a walk after dinner since it was a beautiful day here in the Ozarks. One of my sons joined us while the other two and their dad reclined in their easy chairs and chuckled about us , harassing my youngest son for joining us.
We all ate leftovers on Friday evening and now the food and the family are gone. My only grandson was able to come for leftovers on Friday and was amazed that I still had pumpkin pie left. I told him I made two pumpkin pies this year. I also made brownies.....a favorite of all my kids and an apple cake, which was a big success.
Saturday morning at 4:00 a.m. my oldest son and I were playing our traditional game of Scrabble before he had to catch his plane to head back home. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he heads to Iraq in about two weeks.
Turkey Day at the Kings
Saturday, November 22nd, 2008by Susan
While preparing to give thanks this Thanksgiving, I have been gathering the food for what we also call Turkey Day at our house. I'm so relieved to say we finally have a new refrigerator and I've spent the last two days going from one grocery store to the next shopping for the holiday bargains and filling up the freezer. I know I got the best prices around for the feast my only daughter and I will prepare on Thursday.
My husband and I are senior citizens and these holiday gatherings cause us a lot stress even though I absolutely love them! Now that's definitely a conflict of emotions! It must be associated with my underlying depression. Last night we realized we are going to have a really crowded table and we're trying to come up with a good solution. No kiddie table for us this year since the only child will be my 18 month old granddaughter. The daughter of my middle son and his wife. Maybe we'll have an old folks table for me and the hubby. Then we can sit back and watch as our children interact with each other. That's always been one of my favorite things to do.
I am especially thankful this year because my oldest son will be home for this holiday. I'm so happy that he is able to come home before going to Iraq in early December. I'm also happy to have my youngest son and his new bride for Thanksgiving this year.
I've seen a lot of funny and touching holiday movies where family members might fight, hug, play games, tease each other and be bored with each other. My family would make a wonderful movie and I'm sure everyone would love it. I think I'll call it "Turkey Day at the Kings ".
When Your Ducks Aren’t All In a Row
Friday, November 14th, 2008by Susan
When your ducks aren't all in a row you often feel a lot of stress, especially if you suffer from depression and/or anxiety. Most of us cherish having some sense of control in our lives and when things happen to upset our apple cart we often feel as if we no longer have any control.
This week I felt the stress of things going wrong and I felt helpless to keep them from happening. It all started when we realized we needed a new refrigerator. The compressor on the old one was making a terrible sound each time it stopped running. After several days of shopping around, we chose a new fridge which had to be ordered. We waited the specified five days and then moved our food to ice chests while the new fridge was being delivered. Well, the new fridge hums so loudly that it can easily be mistaken for the washing machine in the adjoining laundry room. It is making me even nuttier than usual!
Needless to say, we have complained to the store and they will be sending out another new refrigerator.......in another five days. We sure didn't need this unexpected expense during this sluggish economy. I guess we could consider this our Christmas present even if it isn't what we wanted. I will be thankful if we manage to get our ducks in a row by having a quiet and reliable refrigerator installed. I need to fill it with Thanksgiving food items.....before Thanksgiving. My family is coming and they will want some turkey and trimmings!
Bloggers Unite to Help Refugees
Monday, November 10th, 2008by Susan
Today bloggers all over the Internet are uniting to write about refugees in many different situations. I have chosen to make my article for Bloggers Unite about all of the evacuations in my state of Missouri during the historic flooding in the Spring of 2008.
Many peoples' homes were destroyed or heavily damaged as their occupants had to evacuate to higher ground. Lives were disrupted in ways many Missourians never dreamed they could be. On March 19th, 2008, President Bush declared a major disaster in Missouri and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in areas struck by severe storms and flooding.
Missourians were displaced to shelters, relatives homes, hotels and motels until they could return to their homes and begin the painful process of recovery and cleanup. Some Missourians weren't that fortunate as there were over a dozen deaths in the Midwest in the early Spring floods.
You can view an MSNslide show which shows you the extent of the damage and disruption caused by the flooding. Evacuations, displaced persons and property damage were rampant and all of this was accompanied by waves of depression and fear as the rain kept falling. Here in Missouri we were happy when the heat of Summer arrived and we experienced the end of a long season of devastating floods.
President Elect Obama
Thursday, November 6th, 2008
by Susan
Congratulations to President Elect Obama and his family on winning the Presidential Election Tuesday. I'm so glad the election is over! It was the longest, most grueling campaign in our history and I listened to way too much of it. I wanted to be informed but I think I went overboard reading, watching and listening and became somewhat obsessed with politics.
Obama said one thing in his acceptance speech that I thought was very unifying. He said he knew he didn't have everyone's support but he would be their president too. I'm hoping he will be an excellent president for all of us. I think it will be a long, long time before we see much progress with our economy or any of the other issues. I also think we will continue to hear politics on the media for quite a time and I'm tired of it. However, I will be looking forward to hearing some other world and U.S. news.
If your candidate won, I know you're very happy. If your candidate lost, maybe you will give our new president a chance to win your support. Opening up our hearts and minds to change can be a big risk and cause us anxiety, but it can also be rewarding if the change goes in a good direction for all of us.
Congratulations to President Elect Obama and his family on winning the Presidential Election Tuesday. I'm so glad the election is over! It was the longest, most grueling campaign in our history and I listened to way too much of it. I wanted to be informed but I think I went overboard reading, watching and listening and became somewhat obsessed with politics.
Obama said one thing in his acceptance speech that I thought was very unifying. He said he knew he didn't have everyone's support but he would be their president too. I'm hoping he will be an excellent president for all of us. I think it will be a long, long time before we see much progress with our economy or any of the other issues. I also think we will continue to hear politics on the media for quite a time and I'm tired of it. However, I will be looking forward to hearing some other world and U.S. news.
If your candidate won, I know you're very happy. If your candidate lost, maybe you will give our new president a chance to win your support. Opening up our hearts and minds to change can be a big risk and cause us anxiety, but it can also be rewarding if the change goes in a good direction for all of us.
You Don’t Know What You’ve Got
Saturday, October 25th, 2008by Susan
Taking people for granted is one of the easiest things to do and one of the hardest things to undo. The same can be said for taking things for granted, whether it be material things or even our own physical or mental health. The bottom line is that we don't know what we've got until we lose it.
We don't fully appreciate the good things in our lives until we no longer have them. Loss of a loved one or a broken relationship can cause us a great deal of pain. Dealing with severe depression or other mental health problems can totally upset our world as we once knew it. Suffering through difficult physical problems can also be extremely stressful. When faced with all of these dilemmas we often wonder what happened to the good times. We often miss them terribly.
We can learn to cherish our good relationships and other things, knowing we will dearly miss them when they are gone. Reach out to those you love now rather than later. You never know when it might be too late. We'll also miss our 'feelin good' days, so let's be sure to take full advantage of all the ones we get.
I loved the music of the 60's and there was a song of the 60's that came to mind the other day after I visited with a dear friend. The song is called "You Don't Know What You've Got (Until You Lose It)" I've posted the lyrics below in case some of you might remember it too. I really liked this song when it was popular and I guess I still do. Thanks for reading this blog.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT (UNTIL YOU LOSE IT)
(George Burton / Paul Hampton)
Ral Donner - 1961
Big Jim Sullivan - 1961
You don't know what you've got until you lose it
You gave me you-your love but I abused it
And now I'm sorry for the things I didn't say
`cause I know now I acted in a foolish way
(oh yeah) uh-huh-huh (oh yeah) oh-oh-yeah
You don't know what you've got until you lose it
You gave me you-your love but I misused it
I never knew how lonely loneliness could be
And now I need you, dear, as you once needed me
(oh yeah) uh-huh-huh (oh yeah) oh-oh-yeah
So now if you'd come to this lonely heart you own
I'd give you all my lovin' like you've never known
(bung, bung, bung, bung)
You don't know what you've got until you lose it
You gave me you-your love but I misused it
And now I'm sorry for the things I didn't say
`cause I know now I acted in a foolish way
(oh yeah) uh-huh-huh (oh yeah) oh-oh-yeah
(oh yeah) uh-huh-huh (oh yeah) oh-oh-yeah
FADE
(oh yeah) uh-huh-huh (oh yeah)
Is Apprehension the Same as Anxiety?
Sunday, October 19th, 2008by Susan
Is apprehension the same thing as anxiety? According to one definition of apprehension in the Encarta Dictionary, apprehension is dread...... a feeling of anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen. That sounds pretty much like what most of us feel when we suffer from anxiety. Frequently we feel this sense of dread when faced with decisions both small and large.
There is another definition in the Encarta Dictionary which says apprehension can also mean the power or ability to grasp the importance, significance, or meaning of something. I'm paying special attention to the words "ability to grasp". I believe our ability to grasp a things importance, whether it be an event, an object, a person, or an idea, is vital to our happiness and peace of mind. Sometimes we must research or study certain subjects at length in order to inform ourselves, so that we have the "ability to grasp".
So often when we are not informed or have not yet grasped a situation, we are unsure of ourselves and others. We find it difficult to make decisions and we suffer from anxiety(apprehension) for fear we will make the wrong decision. At times we may spend all our time trying to convince family members and others that we know what is correct. Are we really trying to convince ourselves when we engage in this behavior?
There is a huge weight lifted from our shoulders when we finally do grasp and understand what we are dealing with....and when we finally do make our decision. I believe apprehension, the ability to grasp a situation, is the best way to relieve our apprehension(anxiety) when it comes to making decisions, whether that decision involves where to make a major purchase, who to vote for, what church to attend, or decisions about daily events in our lives. The "ability to grasp" is something most of us can achieve with a little time and effort, thus engaging in a bit of self help. The time and effort spent might just go a long way in relieving our anxiety.
Success Goes a Long Way
Thursday, October 9th, 2008by Susan
I recently had some success in achieving a goal with my Avon sales and realize now that a little success goes a long way in relieving depression. Success also helps promote a good sense self esteem which is something most of us can use on a regular basis.
Although tackling new projects and taking new risks can cause us a good deal of stress, it can also eventually give us a lot of rewards. Success can greatly improve our general mental health and make us more pleasant to be around. Don't get me wrong........I'm usually a very pleasant person, although I suffer from depression.
Yesterday I attended my Avon District Sales Meeting and felt reassured about my future with Avon. I received recognition for my accomplishments and all of us received the assurance that Avon will not be laying off representatives. In this troubled economy that was a good thing to hear.
I'm very pleased that I was able to make myself get out there and start selling Avon two years ago. It was a risk that paid off in many ways......especially because it got me out of the house and interacting with people again. If we can make ourselves try new things, the success we achieve will go a long way in helping us cope with depression.
Protect Loved Ones From Resentment
Friday, September 26th, 2008by David
Sometimes we have to protect our loved ones from their own resentment. Imagine you are having a good day and all of a sudden something very unnatural happens. A loved one says something or does something that hurts you or makes you angry. You react and now there are two of you acting in an unnatural way. What if you were able to not react?
Some might call not reacting, turning the other cheek. A lot of people have trouble doing this. Well, this isn't a religion lesson where you feel you must become like a monk to get along in the world by not reacting to your loved ones resentment and/or cruelty. However, if you can stop reacting, you might help them to see what is going on. It takes two to fight. If you remain neutral it doesn't have to mean you are turning the other cheek. It means you're not going to be drawn into a disease I call resentment.
Your loved ones don't know how to cope with neutrality. You may not know either. but looking at it the right way may change your mind about it. The world is full of people who think their way is the right way and at the snap of a finger can become resentful, angry or even violent towards someone.
If someone takes their resentment out on you, neutralize the situation or take a break. After all, you may be wrong. If we harbor resentment we can't see that we are sometimes wrong because we can't see anything clearly. Take care of your little corner of the world, your friends, your loved ones............and you.
