Queenies Little Kingdom

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!!

I'm stopping in to say "Hello" while on the high school senior trip. ; In a world full of technology, the world is at your fingertips….or in a donut cafe next door to the Bugs Bunny & Co. souvenir store! ; Whichever suits your fancy. ; The only problem is the keyboard I'm typing on doesn't like to space. ; It requires double the clicking to have words that are seperated.

No problem! ; I'm typing extra hard!!

I started out my morning riding The Batman coaster! ; I couldn't have been inside SIx Flags for more than 10 minutes when I succomed to peer pressure and found myself in a very short line, handing over my purse to a teen ride worker and buckling up for a wild bit of twisting & flipping speed. ; Ahh, exhilerating! ; ; I'm too old, y'all! ; Seriously, I'm not too far away from being the granny who sits with the stroller. ; Just call me, Gladys. ; I don't mind.

The trip has been so much fun. ; I love the staff members that I'm here with and I have enjoyed their company. ; Life is good when the people around you are likeminded and know how to have fun. ; Oh, who am I kidding? LIFE IS GOOD! ; ; Any day that God gives me…..is good!

I miss my family. ; But I know they are plucking right along doing their thing. ; They like having a break from me (it's cool) and I'm happy to get away too. ; It makes me appreciate them and vice-versa (right, family?). ; ; I think everyone needs to escape every once in a while, right?

I love Chicago! ; It is one of the greatest cities. ; I could spend the whole trip downtown! ; ; The shopping is off the charts but the having to carry what you buy….not so awesome! ; I tend to find the biggest & heaviest items when I shop! ; So, I've disciplined myself and NOT BOUGHT ANYTHING!!

It's time to get back on my wandering through the park tour. ; I'm in search of some good shows. ; Somehow I make it to the ones that are either closed for today or don't start for 2 hours. ; Hrmph!

Hope your weekend rocks! ; And may all your mother's day wishes come true! ; ; TaTa!