Knowing when to ask for help

It's okay to ask. I know sometimes it feels embarrassing and humiliating, but it really shows strength. My father was a teacher, and he taught me that the only dumb question is the one not asked. It's the same when you need help, from the smallest thing to a major problem. It's okay to ask. Your friends (true ones) want to help, they feel good when they can help, that's why you chose them as friends, because you know who you can count on and trust. Your family (if not too dysfunctional, but whose isn't?) really want to help. No matter what, they love you unconditionally and even know you better than you know yourself sometimes. It's okay to ask. Please reach out and ask when you need help and especially when you think you don't.

It's been one month since my last entry. 30 days. A lot happens in 30 days. Another house payment due, utility payments, people get married, people pass away. I see both in my businesses and emotions can be the same for either occasion. You expect when there is a wedding that people are happy and joyful and filled with expectations, but not always. When there is a funeral you expect people to be sad and full of unhappiness. There can be a lot of stress and anxiety during the planning of a wedding and sometimes it is a blessing when the loved one goes to their "new life", because of all their suffering. In this new month of July I will look for all my blessings and aim to fulfill my own expectations. 2 months of no A.S. and 1 month of no chocolate! It can be done.

Just my opinion

There are laws and rules and policies and beliefs and ideas in life. The laws, rules and policies were made by man to control chaos. Beliefs and ideas are individual and
should never be forced on someone if they don't agree with your beliefs and ideas. I
think what makes our world interesting is that we can have our own beliefs and ideas.
That we are not forced to conform to one belief. I don't want to live in a world full
of robots, I like it that my friends have different ideas about things than I do. I
think that's why they like me too. I like having spirited conversations about different subjects, sometimes I even learn things. But . . . that's just my opinion.

Can anyone tell me why?

Let me start out by saying I LOVE DOGS! Even though I have some allergies, I am totally a dog person. What I cannot understand is why people think it is perfectly alright to take their dog into places of business other than PetSmart. I just don't get it. I own a flower shop, I have plants and flowers in buckets
on the floor. Your little FooFoo unloads on my merchandise, I'm
not cleaning it up and you are paying for everything they destroyed.
The other thing is not everybody likes dogs, some people are even
afraid of them, some people are highly allergic to them. When
did it become socially acceptable to take your dog into places
where they don't belong? I've been told they didn't want to leave
the dog in the car, SO LEAVE IT AT HOME WHERE IT BELONGS! Believe
me, I know some dogs are better behaved than some children, but
it is not okay to take dogs, carried or leashed into places of
business other than the vet, PetSmart, or dog friendly parks. I
even have customers arguing that it won't bite, or they'll carry
it, that's not the point. If you can't leave your dog at home,
then maybe you should stay home with the dog or not have one.
Thank you for letting me vent, and just try me on the helper dogs.

Support Team

I am SOOO lucky. I have 2 really great brothers and 2 totally awesome sis in laws. All of them are different and have amazing qualities all their own. The best quality of each of them is their support. Even at my worst, they have been there for me in whatever capacity they were able to. My newest sis in law is just as fabulous. She only joined the fam a short time ago but it feels like shes been a part of us for years. She fits in with us goofballs just fine. Hope that's taken as a compliment!
All four of them are truly my support team and I am proud to call them my family.
Day 6 in the no A.S. journey. Already wanting to take on new challenges. Went back to W.W. for the umpteenth time, but the leader lady I've known for a long time, and if I
don't show up to a meeting, she gets a free dozen roses!
Thanks to all out there who are supportive and encouraging of their loved ones.

Long Journey, Small Steps

Today is my second full day without artificial sweetener. I was motivated
by my brother and sister-in-law and I had been thinking about "quitting" for
a while. I have a friend whose 24 year old daughter has MS and artificial
sweeteners have an extreme adverse effect on that illness. I figured it
couldn't hurt. I bought a 1/2 gallon water jug so I have no excuse about
getting my water in, and found crystallized lemon, no added anything to
give the water flavor. I know I have been dependent on what will be known
as A.S. from here on in, so I have to learn to look to more natural substances.
I'm excited because it can't do anything but good. PS booked my 10th wedding
for this year. Not bad huh?

Then there was light!

I read a lot of magazines.expecially flower and bridal magazines. The lightbulb in my lamp burned out and the hubby and I could't find one to fit except a 40watt long skinny thing. It wasn't really bright enough, but it sufficed for the time being. But lo and behold on Easter morning the Easter Bunny brought me a new 60watt! That Easter Bunny sure is romantic!

True Colors

For the females out there, they understand when I say it isn't easy being a girl. Girls are our own worst enemy. For some reason that competitiveness starts very young and seems to be endless. That's probably why we have so few true girlfriends. We might have many acquaintances, but only a few (maybe only one) we could call in the middle of the night if we had an emergency. My daughter is almost 23, and this was something she had to learn from me early on. It isn't the quantity of friends, it's the quality. I would rather have one friend who loves me for me and all my faults, than many false ones who judge me behind my back.

No New Messages

For the last week or so, when I've checked my e-mail it has said "no new messages", but when I looked into it, there were one or two new messages. Not sure what' s happening with the system, but I look at it like a challenge. It says no one has contacted me, but I check anyway, and surprise someone has! but if there aren't any new messages, sometimes I read the old ones. It's like a visit with a friend who might repeat the same stories, but you don't mind because you like to spend time with them. And when I look at the list, it reminds me that maybe I haven't contacted someone in a while. So, new or not, messages remind me to keep in touch.

BusyBee

When I think too much, I don't get a lot done. When I just do the thing I'm thinking about, I feel accomplished and peaceful. Even better, when I do something that I really enjoy, I feel great! I mean, nobody likes to clean, do laundry, all the ho-hum stuff, but if I think about it, it takes me a lot longer to do. Just doing it gets it done and leaves me time for the stuff I really enjoy. Thinking about doing something is harder than just doing it. Just keeping busy.

The Power of a Flower

Good Morning, I'm new at this, so be patient. I own a flower shop, not a very high tech one, we're not on the internet, except for the fabulous blogsite my bro set up. So I see a lot of flowers, not many of the exotics, or upperscale type, just your regular carnations and roses. The other day a girl came in for a wedding consult and her mom asked her to just try white carnation with the roses, the girl wasn't too sure until we put some white carns up against red roses, and she loved it. Of course, it made her mom happy too. Something as simple as a white carnation can make a big difference in someone's life. It is so simple, but yet so beautiful and peaceful. Flowers have powers that go beyond their looks. And it doesn't have to be any kind of holiday, just a day that you see someone needs a lift, and it doesn't even have to be a flower, just a smile or a kind word, a nod that you understand what they're going through. It doesn't take much, just a little piece of yourself. What kind of flower will you be today?