Queenies Little Kingdom

It's strange to me what people are doing in the name of freedom in the USA!!  I can't see value in rioting in the streets and endangering innocent people and or police just to make your point.  It should be illegal!  Just turn on the tv and look at what's going on in Chicago.  How is that behavior justified as right?

Violent, angry protesters are dangerous…not helpful!  I'm certainly thankful that I don't live and work there.  Who can go about normal business with this kind of crazy going on?  Those trying to make a stance are putting so many in danger and it's as if they don't even care.

Funny how that works, huh?  They protest to be heard regarding what they feel is unfair or right only to put people in danger.

I'm not secretive about my political direction.  However,  I'm not going to riot in the streets and act like a crazy psycho when the President comes to do business.  What help is that?  I'm sickened when I see the absurd behaviors of Americans.  Who decides this is helpful?  It does nothing but make America just like every other place in the world.

Hostile, dangerous and unable to handle our differences without putting everyone around us in harms way.

Please pray for our country.  It's quickly slipping into a land of upset and uncertainty.  That's not the land of the free….if you ask me.

Lord Jesus

It makes no sense.  Our country is at war within itself.  I pray for your hand of protection over those who live in the cities where protesters are behaving badly.  Our world seems to be out of control.  We need you — please reign over us with your love and mercy.

Amen

People who work in education live for days like today.  In my world, we say things like, "It's OUR LAST FRIDAY of the year!" and "No more school after Monday!".  Usually both are followed with a big YAHOO!  Because you know…we love our jobs and all.  Oh who am I kidding?  WE LOVE OUR SUMMERS OFF too!

Before I could head out the door for school this morning, I received a text from my school bestie who gets there way before me.  She said they were paging me to call main office.  So, I quick dialed the secretary to find out what they needed with me sooooo early.  She answered and told me that the elementary school called and my dog is there greeting students.  I cracked up!  Actually, I yelled…"WHAT?".

The funniest part of the whole conversation was when she said they told her the dog was being mean.  That's when I said, "Are you sure they have MY DOG?".  Haha.  That poor girl doesn't have a mean bone in her.  She's a lover and she may love someone to death but she wouldn't dare get aggressive.  I'm not making this up.  The dog is a baby!  A sweet spirited one at that.

Just look at that face…those eyes!  No meanness!

I called the elementary school and they are just laughing away.  It is my dog and she followed all her neighborhood kid friends to school.  It's time for the bell and she can't stay UNLESS as Mr. Hearne puts it–she can pass the ISTEP and if that's the case she's more than welcome to join them.  I love living so close to the school.  This has only happened a million times over the last 10 years.

Gates reminded me on the way to school of all the times while they were growing up — being called to the office and asked, "Is this your dog?".  Our other lab, Maggie, who loved every person she ever met used to do the same thing.  She would follow everyone to school in the morning and one day she even jumped on a school bus.  I'd have to go get her and bring her back home.

I miss her!

As far as I know…this is Gracie's first trip to school.  She's been on lockdown for her young life so she hadn't discovered the joys of all her bud's walking to school in the morning.

Luckily for me…..there's only ONE MORE DAY OF SCHOOL LEFT!!!  Yahoo!

Have you ever tried to tell someone something they're doing wrong or need to change?  You know, like when you have to give a friend or acquaintance a piece of painful advice?  Maybe I've never been gifted with the nice gene, I don't know.  My delivery is always way off and I end up hurting whomever I'm trying to nicely correct.  Or I just sound like a jerk!

Some people just have the gift of correction.  Nice correction.  My hubby….he has it.  Anytime I need something really taken care of…I go to him and ask him to handle it.  He has a great way of convincing the person to make the change or whatever it is that needs improving.  He knows how to speak with kindness and persuasion, while I just come off sounding rude or snotty.

Dang my over-the-top personality!  I blame it all on my high strung anal way of thinking!

I've noticed that I'm not the only one with this inability to communicate.  Over the last few years at work…a certain group of people {leave notes} for other's to read when they want them to change a behavior or stop doing something they don't approve of.  The notes can vary from –>Don't drink our coffee! to Don't print in color anymore!  But that's not all they say.  Usually the notice comes with a bit of tongue lashing or harsh hurtful words.

And they post it for the world to see.

My personal desk is in a classroom that I'm only in for one class.  If that makes sense.  Another class uses this room when I'm not there.  Every time that I come back to my desk, it's trashed!  My desk calender has been doodled all over and stuff written all over it.  The items inside my desk are stolen or "missing" and the whole thing is just ransacked!  Insert: ME VERY ANAL!!

It really makes me feel crazy!  I mean, really crazy.  I've been overlooking it all semester and cleaning up the mess.  But honestly, I want to tell whoever it is to NOT SIT AND PLAY AT MY DESK!!  It's not their place to party!  Except I remember my weakness at communicating such information nicely.  I'd surely be the mean queen if I said anything….don't you think?

Which points me right where I'm going with this whole post…..HOW TO BE NICE!  How do you nicely ask someone to stop doing something?  Is a note sufficient?  Do you need to (gently) confront them face to face?  What?  Or do you think just letting the whole issue go is best?  I'm not good at being a doormat or allowing people to get away with poor behavior.  It isn't right.  Then again, I also don't want to be the make people do what I want police either.

What would you do?  Or should I be asking WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

Challenge:  Be nice to everyone.  For everyone you meet is going through something!

I returned home from Chicago to a heap of special surprises. Since it was so late (around 11:30pm) when we pulled into the driveaway, it was difficult for me to see all the fruit of my hubby & son's labor. They navigated me around the yard anyway and I was so excited….I didn't even try to hide my squeals (sorry neighbors)!

I've been bummed since last summer when my swing broke. When I say broke, I mean crunched to pieces broke and crashed to the ground LIKE GARBAGE!! It wasn't an expensive swing and it was little too. I'd been dragging it around for years and had only gotten it out of storage a couple years ago. It was a friend to me. I liked sitting out under my kids playhouse and swinging away on its scrawny little scratchy seat.

My excited family led me out to the playhouse (which was lit up with the sweetest lights–I LOVE LIGHTS) and there hung the biggest, fanciest, comfiest swing ever! A NICE SWING!! Not a cheapo flimsy one like before. I felt like a QUEEN! I love it! I can't wait to swing my summer away! It's been raining since I arrived back in town or else I'd have been enjoying it all day today.

Remember my story about the prom day fiasco? Hubby taking off and missing all the chaos? Yea, he was out buying garden blocks for my new flower bed. The one I've been waiting on for the last 10 years of living in this house. All I can say….is it was a gift worth the wait! It's just what I pictured everytime I walked up to my front door but didn't have. I can't believe how it changed my front yard. Wow! I am H A P P Y !!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that all I wanted for mother's day was the two broken windows on our house repaired. Nothing says white trash rednecks like a bunch of home maintenance jobs that are left undone, indefinitely or a washer on the front porch (I don't do any of the sort, I hide all extra junk in my garage). Everytime I walked up to my kitchen window…I wanted to cry. Same with my garage window. Both were so depressing! Not anymore! I have nice clear glass in my windows again.

See why I have to do my part and paint this summer?

Those weren't the only ME ME ME surprises going on. My girls had been putting together their own love gifts. They had journeyed off to the grocery store and bought ingredients for an amazing supper. Which is just what it was, amazing! I couldn't have cooked a better meal myself! Good job, Sister & Gator! The whole family pigged out.

I've mentioned here about my love language being ACTS OF SERVICE and this has to be one of the very best mother's day weekends of my life. I was off partying it up in a great city with 95 other fun friends only to come home to pure Eutopia! Home and family smearing blessings all over me. I felt loved, really loved.  And still do.

But there's one problem.

Remember this—–>

Yea, looks cool right? Well, I came home last week only to find a horrible attack had taken place. "Someone" had ransacked the whole walkway and flipped every piece of moss over. Leaving a trashed wrecked mess of the walkway. It stopped me in my tracks. I mean, look at it.  You have to jump spot to spot to get to your destination.  WHAT HAPPENED?

I was stunned and almost sure it was the works of this sweet little darlin!

Could it be?  Nope, she was inside locked safely in her kennel.  Hmmm!

Fast forward to this weekend. Hubby had patched it all back up and I even went out this morning in the rain to smash a few stray spots back down. Within a few hours THE CULPRIT had once again launched an all-out moss flipping attack! The place was trashed, again!

The case is cold as of now.  I believe I heard the words surveillance camera under hubby's breath when I told him the news.  He won't stop until he solves the crime!  No critter is going to trash my place and 'git away' with it.  Whoever it is….your days are numbered!

Speaking of numbered….

6 more days on the COUNTDOWN TO SUMMER!!