It's okay

My friend Susan was over for my 39th birthday  and was saying that we should go on a cruise to celebrate by 40th.
Elise said, "I want to go."
I said, "You'll have to talk to Grandaddy about that."
No sooner had I said the words, she had hightailed into the kitchen and made the arrangements for the our family.
Susan didn't go.
But...
My sister and her family minus Joshua, her son that is in welding school.
My step-mom also joined us and brought her son-in-law, daughter, nephew and his wife. (We were seated with them at dinner...Cathron and my Dad were at the kids' table)

My friend Shanel, who turned 40 a few weeks before me has been saying how old she is...and I would tell her not to say that because then I would be old too.
Well, Thursday night I was at the Library working and realized that I am old.
I don't know the name of any movies, let alone the people in them, and I don't have the foggiest idea who is on the radio... (I'm even sketchy about who is on Air1.)
The thing is, I don't even care anymore
Yep, I'm old and it's okay.

Focus

This week has been a hard week and a relaxing week all in one.
Hard because I've had a cold, relaxing because I've only had one job outside the home to go to.

I gave up "candy" for Lent.   Quotations,.... because I didn't count peppermints...because I can eat just one and stop.  My co-workers leave bags of candy on the desk and when I'm there by myself on Saturday and Sunday I finish off their candy and then have ended up buying replacements.  So Lent helped me focus on not starting in the first place.  I didn't buy any Easter candy to eat before Easter and only bought Robin Eggs and the mini Cadbury hard shell eggs to eat after Easter. I've had a few jelly beans but nothing like I've had in the past.

My neighbor and I ran for the first time since our half marathon on Monday but then didn't on Wednesday because of the smoke.
Friday we ran but I couldn't turn off the "I don't want to do this" recording in my head so I asked if we could walk at mile 4.

 Less than two weeks before my birthday cruise.  Last year Tracy and Susan wanted to do something special for my 40th so they proposed going on a cruise.  I found one on my birthday that Josh and I were willing to save for.
Elise said she wanted to go.
I said, "You'll have to talk to Grandaddy about that."
No sooner had I finished speaking than she was on the phone talking to my dad.
So now the whole family is going.
Susan and Tracy decided not to.
My sister Cathron and her family decided to.
My step-sister also decided to join us.

With so much focus on me turning 40 I need to not forget someone turning 42 in eight days.

All over that

This is what I found this morning.
It's funny to me because Josh is saying: I miss being on a cruise, do you?
My dad took our family on another cruise.
Carnival, out of Jacksonville to Nasau and Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas.
The weeks leading up to it I was a little nervous, a few days before, near panic because there were 16 ft waves. The day we left it was 4ft waves, beautiful...hot but beautiful. And that was the way it was for the next 4 days.
I was also nervous because the parents of my BFF Susan also went on the cruise and I didn't know if my dad and them would enjoy each other's company. Don't ya know I prayed about that the past couple of months. Have I mentioned how much I hate group interactions? I can only handle one person at a time and sometimes that is too much.
BUT I still very much want to have lunch with Gloria VERY soon.
Sorry for that commercial interuption.

Stewart was the cruise director, he ran into the Mankowski's regularly and put a smile on their face, he pursued playing Whist with my dad and he did the waterslides with Emmett and Elise. Have I told you how much he is like his father...always looking out for other people while having a grand time for himself? Mom and Pop Mankowski said he should be a model...when I told him it might be an easy way to make money he was all over that.
On a side note, did you notice my shower curtain? I wanted to show it to you this summer but never got around to it. A couple of years ago I got a stomach virus and it my sick stupor of cleaning up after myself I sprayed cleaner everywhere and got bleach spots all across the bottom of the curtain. I have been looking ever since for something to replace it with but I really liked those colors. The grommets on the striped one were falling apart so something really needed to be done. This summer I found that aqua curtain, so I cut it apart and the striped one and sewed them together. That was my big summer project. ;)
We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8 : 28

Belated

Last Thursday was my 37th birthday (Sherri, thanks for b-day wishes) and I started off the day sweating at 5 am to my tunes on the Elliptical and Treadmill at the Y and ended the day by blowing out the candles on diet orange cake on the Carnival Ship Sensation heading out on yet another 3 night cruise with family...compliments of my father. This cruise left out of Port Canaveral and sailed to Nassau, just like we had done twice before (out of Jacksonville) but this time there was a water park. We all had a good time. I got up early on Friday and used the ship's gym but didn't on Saturday. Probably should've though...because that diet orange cake wasn't the first dessert that I had eaten that night and I tried a fare share of anything sweet offered EVERY other meal. But I did run up and down the steps for the water slides and played a round of mini golf so it wasn't like I just sat on my bum the entire trip soaking up the sun.
I was leading in mini golf until the last several holes and then I moved to dead last! Craziness I tell you. We didn't go into Nassau, and had our run of the ship while everyone else was off on excursions.



Read The #1 Ladies Detective Agency...been hearing about it for years by several friends and I agree with them that it is a lovely read. Have any of you seen the tv show that is based on it? It's on cable and Susan has t-vo'd it so maybe I'll jog over to her house tonight to check it out.