LOVE LIVES ON

It is so cold.  Our thermometer reads -16 and with the windchill it’s even colder.  Makes me just want to stay at home and huddle under my blankets and hibernate.

But hey, I’m a Minnesotan!  We are a hearty bunch.  So I’ll do as I always do and head off to work.  Luckily work is only a couple of miles away.

I don’t like being negative, but this time of year is my least favorite.  It seems so boring.  The days are made up of work, cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, watching TV, eating and sleeping.

My next travel excursion isn’t until May which right now seems like a long time away.

But I have a lot to be thankful for.  I need to keep remembering that and embrace the mundane and the cold … for a while anyway. 

Another Christmas has come and gone and another year is all but history.

As much as I love Christmas, each year I keep thinking we shouldn’t do so much.  We really don’t need to buy presents  … after all we are at a point in life  (or at least I am) where I don’t really need anything … and if I do, I can just go buy it.

I certainly don’t need to do any Christmas baking … after all cutting back on food intake woul be a good thing for my physical body.

Of course, I really don’t need to send out Christmas cards … after all everyone that is meaningful in my life, I already keep in close contact with.

Here’s the thing though … if I cut out the presents, the food and the Christmas cards, I would most definitely be less stressed out, of that there is no question.  But each of those things are all a part of Christmas for me … and if I didn’t do them I am certain I would miss them.

So I’m going to keep on doing what I’ve always done … because it feels right for me.

Our house is quiet once again, and I have time to be alone with my thoughts and do as I please. 

2007 has been one of the best year’s of my life.  My family and I are all healthy and happy …  I traveled to many places I have never been before.  I spoke at a gathering in the Twin Cities, my story has been published in a wonderful book.  I’ve met some amazing people who I now call friends.  I started my own blog.   Work was, well work, but always proved to be”interesting!”   All in all, I live a very blessed life; and I am so very thankful for that.

I am excited to see what 2008 will bring to the journey!

I’ve had a few people ask me why I haven’t written in my blog for a while.  Wow … can’t believe I haven’t posted in a month.  But the truth is, I just haven’t had much to write about.

And that’s a good thing I think … I’m just living an ordinary life … and I love it!  There’s been some changes at work and I had to take on more responsibilities than I really wanted to bite off … but it’s stretched me and it’s turned out to be a very good thing. 

Home is good … my family is good … so in general LIFE IS GOOD!  Preparing for Christmas is also fun.  There’s always much that can be done … but I bite off little chunks at a time … it’s less stressful that way and I enjoy it much more.

This weekend is my baking weekend.  I bake cookies and Christmas candy for 2 days straight.  And I love it!  I crank up my Christmas CD’s and get busy.  I give most of it away and that is lots of fun as well.

Enjoy the season and each wonderful, ordinary day!

I so wanted yesterday to be a normal work day.  But it was anything but.  Another bomb threat was called into our company.  When the decision was made not to evacuate, another threat came in an hour later.

This is new territory for all concerned at our company.  After learning of the 2nd call, my supervisor sent us all home.  I really didn’t want to go … by now I’ve got to believe these calls are nothing but idle threats by someone getting their kicks by jerking us around.  But … when someone in authority tells me to do something … I listen.  So, at 10:00 am I was once again in my car headed home.

Only Roger didn’t come home … I knew he was still working … as were most everybody else in the company other than my department.  I really considered going back but thought I would probably be blocked from entering the parking lot. I thought about calling Roger, but that didn’t seem like a good idea either … so I spent another day at home … not that I mind being at home … I love being at home … but I felt like I should be at work.

An emergency employee meeting was held yesterday afternoon.  A security specialist from our company headquarters in Charlotte, NC had flown in.  There is now a $5000 reward for anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest of the caller.

But, the most un-nerving news was that they believe the calls are internal … someone inside our building is making these calls!!  

I AM going to work this morning with alittle trepidation, but mostly hope that this craziness will end.

It’s been an interesting week.  Last Friday I attended the Intuitive Forum in Maple Grove and heard Joann Bruhn share her story of the loss of her son, Craig and her journey through that and the signs she received from him, which ultimately lead her to develop her own intuitive abilities.

Sound familiar?  I was sooo happy to learn that I am not the only person who has walked this road!!

Even more amazing was that Joann knows the Spekien’s, the parents of Amanda, who died with Liz. 

Joann and I are planning to get together soon for coffee to share more of our similar experiences.

On the home front, our internet went out last week and after some very frustrating days dealing with customer service in some far away land, it inexplicably began to work again … a big THANK YOU to whoever is responsible for that …

Work is ever changing and that is always challenging … I’ve had to take on far more responsibility than I want … I came in on Monday wondering where to even begin –I turned on my computer — got a cup of coffee and was just starting to take it all in.  Suddenly the fire alarm sounded — who in their right mind schedules a fire drill at 7:45 am on a Monday when its cold and rainy??? 

As we all exited the building we soon found out someone had called in a bomb threat.  After waiting around for a couple of hours we were all sent home for the day … a very unexpected event, but all I could think of was all the work that was continuing to pile up.

On Tuesday we moved back into our remodeled offices … they are very nice, but again more time away from doing what I need to do.

Yesterday I thought … Ok a regular day … I can actually start to get some of this work done!  However, at 10:00 am the announcement was made … another bomb threat had been called in … again we all exited the building … after a search we were allowed back in after about an hour.

Maybe today will be a normal day …. but then again, what IS a normal day?

24 years ago today I gave birth for the first time to a very beautiful baby girl whom we named Elizabeth Jean … happy birthday my precious angel girl!

Roger woke me up at 5:30 am yesterday to tell me we had lots of water in our basement … boy did we ever … (not lots .. but some … about an inch, just enough to really get the carpeting wet and it wasn’t the whole lower level)   but there’s nothing like an early morning workout without the benefit of coffee to start off your day. 

We moved stuff and vacuumed and vacuumed and now we have about 6 fans running 24 – 7 and I think everything will be alright.

After watching the news of some of our SE Minnesota neighbors we were thanking our lucky stars.

We needed to clean out our spare bedroom anyway … it was way overdue.

NEWS FROM MY “OTHER LIFE”

A very interesting and fun development happened at work today.

We were told at the beginning of the year we needed to establish two personal goals for ourselves … in addition to the usual 3 or 4 work-related ones … it wasn’t a problem.  I knew immediately what my personal goals would be … after all they were already my personal goals before I even knew I had to have them for my job!

Goal #1 – give at least one speech in some sort of public venue

Goal #2 – get my writing published in either a magazine or  book

Friday was mid-year review day.   My Manager, Kari, was quite surprised that I had all of my goals under control.  My job goals are still a work in progress;  but, my personal goals … well they are complete!

And amazingly, I just happened to have a copy of “True Stories of Messages From Beyond” in my desk drawer … and just to be clear … I don’t always have a copy of “my book” in my desk drawer!  My friend Lynn had just returned it to me.

Kari was very surprised when I showed her the book.  She asked to read it … she came back a half an hour later and said “this is amazing!”  Can I keep it for the weekend?  Of course.

First thing this morning she was back at my desk  relating again how amazing my experiences were and how much she liked my writing.  She then proceeded to tell me that she planned to buy a copy of the book for each member of our team!

Oh … I just love the way this has worked out … better than I could ever have imagined or planned … but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised … after all today is the 20TH!

Thanks Liz … as usual you and The Universe have it all under control.  🙂  You are the best!

PS … for anyone who doesn’t understand, Liz died on the 20th and she tends to do things on the 20th … not every 20th mind you, but every now and then … just to keep me guessing and hoppin …  expect the unexpected … that is the motto where Liz is concerned … gotta love it! 

I did it, it’s over, and I survived — but I’m sooo tired! 

Yesterday we hosted the 24th Annual Wencl family get together at our house … not a big deal you may be thinking … but let me give you a brief synopsis of the past 23 Wencl family outings.

Up until just a few years ago they were camping weekends.  Anyone who knows me, knows I DISLIKE IMMENSELY (hate is a better word, but it’s so harsh) any and all  forms of camping.  But, just for that one weekend every year, I would grit my teeth and soldier thru … all for the sake of family.

But bad things were happening … let me list just a few:

1) 1-1/2 yr old Anna falls out of our rented camper narrowly missing the hitch … scared and covered with dirt she is no worse for the wear and has no memory of it

2) a bat somehow gets inside our rented camper at night-I ran screaming out into the dark with Roger close behind.  Both girls peacefully sleep thru the entire episode

3) it freezes in mid-June and we spend the entire weekend huddled up around the campfire watching the frost melt from the grass

4) we wake up to find an all night rain has made a lake all around our tent (this happened 2 different years, at 2 different camp grounds).

These are just a few of the incidents from over the years … I finally came to the conclusion that all of these bad things were happening because I was there.  My negative energy had to be making bad things happen to these good Wencl people. I would be doing them all a huge favor if I just stayed home .  So I did for a few years.

In 1998 I decided to give it one more try … that year  a tornado went thru our campground (luckily they had a shelter and we were in it) … but that was it …. it was over … I would never again camp … family or no family NEVER, NEVER, NEVER … did I say NEVER!! 

But my Wencl family, they are a resilent clan … the day after the tornado they started to plan another camping outing for that same summer … we had to they said … this outing got cut short.  I looked at them and said, “Are you crazy?  We could have died yesterday!!  They looked at me and said … oh no, it was just a little bad luck …  I was only a visitor at the 2nd gathering that summer.

Fast forward to 2007, thankfully, the Wencl family is now reaching the age where they don’t want to  camp anymore … ALLELUIA!  This year, we would start a new tradition …  a day long picnic event.

Sounds good!  Now we are talking.  I love picnics.  Roger and I volunteered our home for this first inaugural picnic … how tough could it be … they come  … we eat … we play a few games …. we eat again … play a few more games … then everyone goes home … NO BIG DEAL … RIGHT?

Only … after months and months of sunny blue skies and warm temperatures, Mother Nature stepped in and decided that yesterday was the day to rain buckets and buckets, be extremely windy, and only reach a high of 63 degrees.   

But, we Wencl’s, a hearty throng of 28, are a strong, resilient bunch … we huddled together and still ate, played games, ate again, and played more games … all within the confines of our garage … and if that wasn’t enough togetherness, everyone came back for breakfast this morning before heading out to yet another reunion … the Calverley reunion (my mother-in-law’s side of the family).

What?  You’re not coming, they said?  They looked at me like I was crazy when I quietly mentioned I wouldn’t be attending … luckily they didn’t ask me why.  I would have had to tell them that I was exhausted, that I needed to clean up my house and my garage, but mostly — I just needed to bask in the solitude of own my humble abode.  I desperately needed A-L-O-N-E  time.

It’s 6 pm and I’m just barely beginning to claim my sanity and feel “normal” again.

And sadly, yesterday’s weather has shown me that the spell hasn’t been broken … I’m still bringing bad luck to our Wencl gatherings.  I guess I have a whole year to ponder attending next year’s event. 

And, the way I look at it, in 7 years when our turn rolls around again … I’ll be just too darn old to host another picnic … and if they don’t buy that, I think I’ll claim a sudden onset of Ahlzheimer’s.

Aaah, thank God, tomorrow is Monday … I can go to work and rest …

That’s life in the Wencl lane ….  

PS I really do love my family, I do, I do, I do …  really!  I do!

As I watch the horrific images of the bridge collapse in Minneapolis, it is a flashback moment for me … it’s like a slap in the face.  Life inexplicably changes in an instant for people I don’t personally know … but I do know their pain … and once again all of my own raw, painful emotion bubbles up and grabs me.

We traveled that bridge many a time when Liz was at the U.  In fact, her exit was the University exit at 35W.  It is a sad day.  I will be praying for those families who lost a loved one last night … even more for those who are still in limbo and know the worst has happened but haven’t yet received confirmation.

to me … today I start year 53!