Stumbled Upon Interesting Posts

How To Deal With Estrangement (if it was not your decision to estrange)

The Critical Parent-How much is too much?  Wish I had found this article 25 years ago...

TheQueenandKing Blog-A new blog that I have round, that I will need to add to my resource list (along with others)

Wanted to Point out A Couple Excellent Posts

Before these get lost, there are two excellent posts.  The first is not a happy story, but so important for those of you who are being silent to realize the damage being caused to YOURSELF.   You don't  have to suffer the kind of abuse that this man did to do this damage to yourself, and the damage does not need to come in the guise of your death.   By not being truthful and releasing our feelings, lessor but important damage can be done to ourselves.  This is an extreme (and terribly sad), but an important example of what silence can do to YOU.

Bill Zeller's Letter
On Bill Zeller's Family Situation

Even if your biological family won't listen or recognize what is going on, find someone to talk to.   There is someone out there that will support you.   There are groups of people that you can find who have gone through the same thing.   Ask for help and understanding.   Your life is meaningful, and you deserve and need to find your own worth.  It's possible if Bill Zeller had found this acceptance for himself, that he might not have been pushed to such a drastic measure.  One of his friends talked about a disconnect from how he perceived himself to the way his friends perceived him.  I suspect the support was closer than he realized. 

Same author and another great post regarding how to spot a true apology.  You know, the ones that don't say "why should I apologize when you won't talk to me" or the ones that don't include phrases like "bite me" or "shit happens"...   Ones who do not put conditions on you or put you to work to right their wrong doing.  Never seen one of those from certain people that were in your life?   I am not surprised, I have only seen real apologies from people that I know really love me as well instead of the bastardized and narcissistic version of "their love".

Apologies

Seven Lucky or Unlucky? Hard to Say...

So, for the first time in seven years, we had a year without the death of a beloved family member or friend.   That is a success for sure.

2011 is going well (and still the streak of no dying continues--course it's January).  I did continue 1 week of doing my music, I have to get back to it.   Three dogs are being prepared for competition, and while it is not an acceptable excuse, it is all I got.  In fact, I am going back to practice today.   In just seven days, the performance got better, but I really want to make something happen for Sweetie's (my husband) Valentine's day.  I know he really misses my playing from the old days.   I am also trying to create a Valentine's card in addition.

I see that Spermy visited recently.  Didn't leave a comment, and most likely didn't like what he had to read, oh well.  I am sure he still disagrees with my version of my life and feelings .  He and his wife, in his mind, have been lovely, wonderful, fun, and loving people in their relationship to me.  That is okay, good for him.  Have a nice life, and bah bye.  Why does he still come here?   Does he expect to be regaled with stories about all that "wonderfulness" that was his parenting style?  HAH!  I saw that he read my "Nitty and Gritty" page.  

Yeah, yeah, I did not graduate from U Lowell in my music major, so of course, it was only natural for my father to be emotionally abusive (threaten physical abuse, and support the monster in her actual physical abuse) to his daughter.   Not to mention that I apologized, picked up the bill (when I could have left the loans to him as they were cosigned). Poor Spermy that this is all that his accident did wrong, you know besides become estranged.   And besides having moved in with her now husband to be sure this was the right "forever" relationship.   And besides not wanting the monster to sell my house.    And besides not wanting monster to sell my own house while my mother in law was dying.  But you know:

"Join most of the human race. Life is tough some times, people loose loved ones, they get cancer, they get hurt, bad things happen all of the time."

Which interprets to, "Geesh, I could care less that your mother-in-law is dying.  My evil monster of a wife finds it to be an insult that we can't sell YOUR home.  So just buck it up buttercup.   There will be no *oh, whatever you need in your hour of grief* here, only our selfish desires.  Cause afterall, you ARE the accident, and you did not graduate U Lowell, even as you foot the bill.  So our abuse of you is perfectly reasonable and within our right." 

Which I should really thank Spermy for, because I had under estimated what a selfish dickhead he really was (I mean I knew he was a dickhead, but the depths that he would go to for his own comfort were as yet unknown to me).   Er, yeah, so you see I am still improving LOL (if he is going to visit, he is going to be visited upon by my anger at his prickedness).   The "Nitty and Gritty" truth stings a bit, eh?   Course, I had good times beyond that, just ask Spermy.   I am not saying there may not have been a few, especially before I reached the third grade and started to develop my own take on the world, but I am saying that the bad (by far) out weighed the good.  Unless normal people feel that being treated like a pawn in your donor's ongoing drama for most of your life equals "good times".

I so wish that I had acted out more.   My husband had plenty of good times (parties while they were away which ended in some furniture loss) at his house, and although his parents found out, they loved him even still.   He did not graduate from college, and you know what?   His parents still loved him, and made sure he knew it (that does not mean he did not get properly disciplined, but it does mean that they actually took care of him in a loving way).   Perhaps that is not the norm...   However, observation of other people who do not view their children as "accidents" or an extension of their hated ex, tell me differently.  I could have at least gotten away with some real doosey's before I left to justify the donor's future treatment of me.

 I have kept my goal of not visiting Eggy's blog.  I have been able to let go better recently than I have in the past.  Although, even as I write this, just saying that gives me the itchy urge to type in the address, but I won't.  It's like when you know that eating something gives you a short term high, but long term you don't feel as emotionally or physically good.   Yet you do it anyway, just for that short term satisfaction of "knowing".   It's not worth it though, and I have enjoyed not knowing.  It doesn't mean that the morbid curiosity does not still exist, however.   I was improving in the past, but the improvements continue.   The reality that I have all the info that I need on these subjects.  Years and years of info and reality, I really don't need to know anymore.   Time to breathe deep and let it go.

Even beyond my thinking about the estrangement, I think that my communication improves on many levels in business and personal life.   I still find myself getting a little hot and sarcastic on occasion (NO NOT ME and not that this is any great fault) but am able to take a deep breath and reign it in (when it does not involve Spermy or Eggy invasions---and I unfotunately saw that Spermy also went to some of the blogs to the left as well).

We are all just imperfect players in the game of life, but we can always grow, enjoy, and reach out for all that life has to offer us.   I am thinking about someone going through a hard time right now, and you know what?  Someday it will be over, and so don't give up just keep pushing ahead!  Things that seem so important and upsetting one day, dwindle in their power over time, especially when they are really not all that important.  My donor's they just do not amount to anything important in my life.

Sharing a Personal Goal

Sorry for the freaky mask BTW, LOL...not sure I want to show my true face on this blog yet.

When I was in third grade, our elementary school had music lessons for individual students.   I am not sure if this was required for all, or if parents got to choose to pay for them themselves.   Fortunately, although I in no way wanted to play an instrument unless it was a violin (in May Street school, I admired another first grader who played the violin), I was forced into this.  I think the flute was the cheapest one you could rent, and so that was the instrument picked for me.   I detested it:)  

In third grade, I had a music teacher that would stay with me most years including college.   Her name is Iva Milch .   Easily a teacher that I felt shaped me as a person, even if I did not make my musical goals.   Iva pushed later on in High School.   She made no bones about it if I did not practice.   She knew, and I knew she knew.   Best thing to do was to practice.   It's the part of music that I never got used to, as I had no patience.   Patience, I have learned in dog training, helps everyone and thing achieve goals and harmony.   It turns out, patience is the thing that lacked most in my cooking.  I wanted to go from A to Z right away.  

The things she taught me then that I sometimes ignored, make me understand myself better today.  Music and the flute ended up being a real gift.  In High School, it allowed me to escape from my family and awkward social life. 

Since I did not make it to the Boston Symphony myself, I got frustrated and stopped playing.  Once you stop, it's hard to start again, as you are so far behind.  That patience thing comes back into play, as you need to build your skills back up.  

For a period of time in High School, I was quite good.   I really needed to be at a more stable place in order to be as disciplined as needed.  I also did not have perfect pitch or a good ear, so lots and lots of work would have been needed.   I can play it seems somewhat naturally, but I am no savant.

What you hear above is probably not even at my third grade level !  But who cares, it's my starting point and I am just glad I remembered a few notes.

So my resolution this year is to start doing just that.   In this video I have skipped ahead a little, never fear, I will need to be practicing my scales ET as well.   Just thought I would start to see where I could bring this simple little piece.  Was surprisingly difficult just to stay on beat!

This Year of 2010 Ending Well

2010 brought us difficulties in the job world this year.  The merger and acquisition challenges combined with the new company entering into an unfamiliar business during a recession kind of challenges.  One might think that a sharp decline in income from corporate America would make this a bad year.

I'll tell you why (assuming this lasts until midnight) 2010 is a banner year.  So far (knock on wood, and hoping not to jinx myself) we have had no deaths of participating and loved family members, friends, or our personal canines this year.   A client did loose his dog, Petey, who I have known since puppy hood this year.   That was very sad, but (again knock on wood) our current dogs remain alive and healthy.   To me that is a good year.   We have gone seven years in a row of loosing human and canine family member friends.   At least five of whom were in five different years but in the same month of December.

You can imagine why I get a little blue in December and expect that some horrible thing is going to happen.   As a matter of fact, I should have accompanied my husband to the grocery store just to keep a watch out.   Traditionally, we stay in on New Year's Eve because there are a record number of drunk or tired drivers out that night.  

I did hear that the Monster got sick on Christmas Eve, and had to cancel the celebrations at her house.   My cousin picked it up instead (we did not get the notification personally).   I would like to share these comforting words that my father had to say about my mother in law dying and other difficulties he was unable to be a human being for:

"Join most of the human race. Life is tough some times, people loose loved ones, they get cancer, they get hurt, bad things happen all of the time."

Only I am not that cold hearted or selfish because an event is inferring with my self interest.  I wish I were.   I was tempted to inquire that nothing was seriously wrong with the monster.  It does figure into the realm of reason, knowing how she truly felt about preparing the Christmas Eve fest, that she simply did not want to do it and lied.   Course she is also morbidly obese with diabetes (supposedly or that was the excuse I was given for behavior), so she could be seriously ill.  I do figure that she is such a martyr, she would have to be very ill in order not to "suffer through it".

However, the thought above is more thought than the monster deserves, and does not change what kind of a human being she has been or how Spermy has aided and abetted her in her mission(s).  Or the fact that they take such horrible care of themselves.  I'm just thankful that I am not as miserable as they are OR trapped in that particular marriage.

Karma, she is a bitch.  That's two for two for Karma this year, as Eggy got someone stealing from her in cyber space as well and harassing her.  Karma did just fine by me in 2010.   My more materialistic donors would think I had a horrible year though:)  Hence, most likely, why they seem so miserable.

Snow, snow, snow and then some more snow

We will be enjoying our first real snow storm today.  I have six dogs to get out in the snow (that means we have four guest boarders).  Our daycare may come along if his owner feels like braving the blizzard today.

I tried to complete a blog posting titled "Apologies, Acknowledgements, and Boundaries, Oh My!", but my mind is distracted by going out and having some fun!

That is a good thing:)