My Life- it's as fun as puttin' lipstick on a squirrel

Here we are in our third official hurricane season at the Niles household. Well sort of, this is our third summer of being a growing adoptive family. So our normal...is not your normal. you would think by now that we would have this drill memorized. However, just like the pains of childbirth...you forget.  First read this old post and then we will go Back to the Future   Flashback  to July 2012 What does our hurricane season look like you ask? Well, let me tell you the necessary components of a perfect storm in our house. new school year, different school, new outpatient therapist, new med check doctor, braces, fun with family, upcoming trip out of town for Mom, upcoming trip out of town for Mom and Dad and then add a bit of PMDD and yep. there ya go . category 5. So if you read the post I linked into the beginning of this one you see both excitement and trepidation that I felt with the thought of adding a new child into our family. A week ago we were...

How do you do it? dusted this old writing off from: July 26, 2011 People always ask how do you do it? They say you are so strong. I say no you are wrong. I don't do it and I am weak. I did not quit drinking. God took the urge to drink away from me simply because I could not do it. I had tried and tried and failed many times. It was at that moment that I believe he said. "Well, I guess I am gonna have to do this for you so you can move on girl." I was stuck. And he pulled me out of the mire (sp?) He had bigger plans for me and my propensity for getting stuck repeatedly was really getting on his nerves. so he took the wheel. end of story. That's how it happened. In my weakness he stepped in. "Hallowed be Thy Name." What does that mean to us? Here "name" is used in the sense of "spirit." The words mean praise to God for His spirit in the world, making us better. We should be especially grateful for God's spirit, which...

   Dusting this one off from Thursday, July 28, 2011 I wrote this a year ago...I have now been sober for 3 1/2 years. I have a come a long way. Yet still have a LONG way to go. old habits die hard....in this case it would be my quick temper...and defensive nature. God is assisting me with those. :) read on to see where I was a year ago.   head in sand, drink cuz you're mad, drink cuz you're happy, drink to make others mad. drink cuz you're sad. It's almost unbelievable to look back over the last 4 -5 years and see the change that has been made in my life. yes I said 4-5 years. and you say: you been sober 2 1/2. It took THAT long to get it right folks. it's work. but it's worth it. keep the faith! Trouble ^*^*^ "There was a time when we ignored trouble, hoping it would go away. Or, in fear and depression, we ran from it, but found it was still with us. Often, full of unreason, bitterness, and blame, we fought back. These mistaken ...

Dusting this one off from July 29, 2011    I have come a long way in the worry game. I tend to put most of my worries... nearly all of my worries in my hands...then lift them up and give them to GOD. seriously...it's very simple and makes life go a lot easier!   flashback: I  need to read this every day. just to remember how important it is. I was awake way too much last night worrying about the past. rollin' back and forth , too and fro. did no good. did not change a thing. have a super day peeps. There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days that should be kept from fear and apprehension. One of these days is yesterday, with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed. We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone beyon...

dusting this one off from:  Thursday, August 11, 2011    Meditation for the Day He who made the ordered world out of chaos and set the stars in their courses and made each plant to know its season, He can bring peace and order out of your private chaos if you will let Him. God is watching over you, too, to bless you and care for you. Out of the darkness He is leading you to light, out of unrest to rest, out of disorder to order, out of faults and failure to success. You belong to God and your affairs are His affairs and can be ordered by Him if you are willing. Meet Cora Michelle Niles...named after my Nana (Cora) and my beautiful high school friend Michelle!     just remember...before you get mad at a person...think..what is hurting them. what has hurt them? why are they really reacting like this? give 'em a chance...if I can change...THEY can! :) it's so easy A caveman can do it! :)   God Bless ya'll, Tracy

This was a meditation for Monday, August 15, 2011    Meditation for the Day "Where two or three are banded together, I will be there in the midst of them." When God finds two or three people in union, who only want His will to be done, who want only to serve Him, He has a plan that can be revealed to them. The grace of God can come to people who are together in one place with one accord. A union like this is miracle-working. God is able to use such people. Only good can come through such consecrated people, brought together in unified groups for a single purpose and of a single mind. this disobedient bird reminds me of a little girl I know!!!!! last summer this little chickadee kept jumping out of his nest...Bryan would patiently put him back in ...only to find him back in the grass minutes later...soon Momma bird coaxed the baby into our neighbors back yard where SHE could complete her job of ....getting the BIRD outta the NEST!:) we were simply mak...

Borrowed this one from AA back in 08/11. the photo below is taken by My daughter who at that time was 4. It's raw, it's real...and it's ME. she loves ME. not the makeup I wear. Not who I was but who I am. She just loves me. And I just love her! you can see it in my eyes. "We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator. We can laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness. Paradoxically, it is the way of strength. The verdict of the ages is that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust their God. We never apologize for God. Instead we let Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do. We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. At once, we commence to outgrow fear." ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition, How It Works, pg. 68~ God Bless ya'll, the alcoholic who is not so anonymous.

Dusting this one off from 8/11. enjoy! Here's a story with an interesting twist that really makes you think about how God works in anyone... A woman was at work when she received a phone call that her daughter was very sick with a fever. She left her work and stopped by the store to get some pills for her daughter. When returning to her car she found that she had locked her keys in the car. She was in a hurry to get home to her sick daughter, she didn't know what to do, so she called her home and told the baby sitter what had happened and that she did not know what to do. The baby sitter told her that her daughter was getting worse. She said, "You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door." The woman looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been thrown down on the ground possibly by someone else who at some time or other had locked their keys in their car. Then she looked at the hanger and said, "I don...

I found this one from  September 13, 2011 Meditation for the Day----probably relocated from Our Daily Bread When you call on God in prayer to help you overcome weakness, sorrow, pain, discord, and conflict. God never fails in some way to answer the appeal. When you are in need of strength for yourself or for the help of some other person, call on God in prayer. The power you need will come simply, naturally, and forcefully. Pray to God not only when you need help, but also just to commune with Him. The spirit of prayer can alter an atmosphere from one of discord to one of reconciliation. It will raise the quality of thought and word and bring order out of chaos. ready to GO LEARN!

dusted this one off from November 2011~ but it came to mind just now...my super beautiful friend Becky may need to read these words right now! :) Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure.... It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some; it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others. Never play small...you have small people watching you! :) big feet, a band aid and a smile!

This is an old writing I did on  Feb 2, 2012. as I am neck deep in the adoption process I will share some of my first writings! :) I set off today in search of a homeless person. Long story short. Bryan got a GREAT jacket from the Beltline Railroad. He has too many jackets so this one was earmarked for PIN Ministries. I got a burr in my fur and decided that I would personally hand this to a homeless person. TODAY. At the beach. Off went Cora and I. with a carload of determination and donations. first stop: Birdneck and Va. Bch Blvd. GREAT spot. plenty of homeless. they used to live in the woods right there. easy job right? WRONG. Lot's of people. but were they homeless? no. just standing at the bustop. well . shoot. now , How do you walk up and ask. hi, i have a free jacket. are you homeless? are you cold? moving on second stop: Judeo Christian Outreach. many people milling around. but Cora had a great observation. Mom. they all have jackets. onward: look...

This is a Blog Hop! take a hop around! :) And so it begins! the journey of 7.  Book Club met for the first time on Monday. Two are ALL in...one is pregnant so food will not be on her agenda, and one is on the fence. Two more ladies coming in the next 3 weeks. This will be a GREAT mix! Different women...different results! Here is the author's website: Jen Hatmaker As for me I shall commence month one of 7 on : drum roll please.......June 11. Gotta get my grocery list right. After much thought and prayer and reading...I went with the author's list of food items: here they are. Chicken Eggs Whole-Wheat Bread Sweet Potatoes Spinach Avocados Apples just when I was doubting myself and my choices AND my ability to do this! God sent affirmation. In the form of an email! From Harris Teeter! does He do that to you? Chicken- ON SALE buy 2 get 3 free! done! Sweet Potatoes- ON SALE...I love my God's sense of humor APPLES- ON SALE! love it! Spinach- My husband ...

They ( the friends and family) say WRITE a BLOG. I relent. here it is. The beginning. Well, not THE beginning...I will start with some old musings...to work out the kinks and learn the ropes here online! My life forever changed the day I received TWO UPS deliveries ....the first was a little tykes tiny coupe car! you know the one. orange. yellow roof. yep! every tot has one! Then on top of that a flat envelope with graduation announcements. for my son. the UPS guy has me sign and says : Wow...you got a LOT going on here.... he nailed it. bam. right on the head. Come on IN: I DO have a LOT going on! Welcome to My Life----it's as fun as puttin' lipstick on a squirrel. :) Here is what is commonly called a Cora Story around these here parts: This was written 1/26/2010 on facebook.  Last Saturday I had a little conversation with my daughter, Cora, about going to church and tried to let her know what to expect when we went on Sunday morning. I started off with tell...