Kids making bad choices

Twice now in the past week I've heard stories of kids my daughter's age (15), kids I know, either using illegal substances or drinking. 

That seriously scares the crap out of me! 

You might think I'm weird but I've never really done either.  Never tried any drugs and because I've seen first hand what alcohol can do to a family, I've never had any interest in drinking.  Plus I think it all tastes disgusting! 

Yeah, I know it goes on with teens.  I see it movies, TV, hear about it on the news.  But none of it seems real, ya know?  It's just a TV show or it's a story about a kid in some other city or state. 

But to hear a story about a kid you know?  A kid who your child used to hang out with?  It makes me sick to my stomach. 

What if my kids get into that?  What would I do?  I have a hard time if they don't listen or do their chores.  I can't imagine what I'd do if I found out one of them was doing drugs or drinking underage.  Sometimes I feel like I'm not cut out to be the mom of a teen.  I don't know if I could handle that.  I never thought that far ahead when I signed up for this parenting stuff!

Advice

I was cleaning out my inbox the other day.......it really needed it!  I'm and email pack rat.  I had over 550 personal emails that I hadn't deleted for one reason or another.  That doesn't include emails that I get from a couple mailing lists that I'm on that go into a separate folder!

Anyway, I came across one titled "Love this Advice" that I got from my aunt a couple years ago.  After posting about my emotional issues  the other day I thought it was exactly what I needed to hear.  So I figured I'd post it here.  Now if I could only follow some of these on a regular basis I think I'd feel a little better.

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli , almonds & walnuts.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

14. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

17. Forgive everyone for everything.

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. GOD heals everything.

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch!!!

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________.

Today I accomplished _________.

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

My new love

I've been watching American Pickers lately.  Love the show.  In fact I have it on right now.  It's been playing all day.  I think what they do is kinda fun.  I like seeing some of the cool stuff they find.  In fact I think I'd have a field day trying to photograph some of that old, rusty, cool looking stuff.

And.......I'm liking this guy

Mike Wolfe

He rocks.

That's all.  Just thought I'd share.

My life

I'm not exactly sure where to start.  My blog is titled Lynn's Life, but I don't always write about all aspects of my life.  I normally try to keep things kind of light and fun on my blog but my life is not always that way!  Is anybody's?  But sometimes I feel like leaving the bad out is not being truthful and you don't see who I really am.  But does anyone really want to read it?  And what I'm most worried about is will people just think I'm being whiney and not like me for it?  I'm not talking nitty gritty details, some things should just be kept private. 

Things aren't always peaches and cream.  Especially over the past few years.  Seems the older I get the worse I get.  I think turning 40 made it worse, I was really bothered by the whole "I'm 40 already and what have I done with my life?" thing.  I'm depressed more often, more critical and judgemental of my family, more uptight about everything and things are bothering me that never even phased me before.  I'm not liking it and of course neither is my family but I'm having a hard time overcoming it. 

I had a bad day (or two) over the weekend of the 4th.  I won't go into details because like I said some things should just be kept private plus I don't want to bore you and as I think back on it most of it is pretty trivial though at the time it seemed monumental to me.  The way I'm becoming is starting to scare me and freak me out more and more. 

I don't think I've ever mentioned it here but yes, I've had some therapy for it.  A few years ago.  And I was getting better.  Then my therapist had to move away and at the time we both agreed I was good and didn't need to move on to another therapist, that I was better and could handle things on my own.  Now I'm wondering again if that's possible.

I kind of had a revelation the other day too after my melt down or whatever I should call it.  I seem to be "turning into" my grandmother.  Now don't get me wrong I loved and adored my grandmother.  I still miss her everyday.  But she could be very negative and critical of us all.  I don't remember that so much as a child but as I got older I started to notice it.  I don't know if she was always that way and it was just my maturing that noticed it or if she was just getting more critical with age.  Everything we did or said seemed to be fair game for her.

I feel like that is what's happening with me and I don't like it.  I don't want to get to the point where my family cringes when I'm around.  I don't want them to remember me that way when I'm gone.  I'm not liking what I'm becoming but I'm having a hard time changing.  I suppose recognizing that it's happening is the first step. 

Sorry for being such a downer on this one.  I think I just needed to vent it.  Maybe that's wrong and I don't need the whole world.....or the few of you that read my blog knowing all this.  But then again maybe it's a good thing knowing that everyone doesn't think that my life is all hunky dory. 

Or maybe I'll find someone who can relate or offer some suggestions......anyone? 

No fireworks

Well, this is the first July 4th in years that we didn't go see fireworks.  This year we decided to drive up to Minnesota and visit the Mall of America on Saturday. 

The kids loved it because we got to shop!  They each had a limit and they actually stayed under it quite easily, so I'm putting the rest in their college fund account since we've been pretty bad at adding to that over the years!  We had dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.  Everyone had shrimp but me, the picky one!

Then on Sunday the 4th we went to the Minnesota Zoo.  It's a fairly nice one as far as being clean and kept up but the kids were a little disappointed because there weren't all that many animals compared to our zoo.  They also had nice exhibits with lots of room for the animals to move around which then meant they were far apart so there was tons of walking in between.  But overall I thought it was nice.

 

Skowt loves the Prairie Dogs....I think their claws look a little creepy! 

I'm putting the rest of the pics from the zoo in a gallery on my smug mug site. 

How did you spend your 4th?

Late, Late at Night by Rick Springfield

So looking forward to this autobiography from Rick coming in October! Check out the podcast at the link below to hear what he has to say about the book.


Late, Late at Night by Rick Springfield by BurstMarketing




Late, Late at Night by Rick Springfield