Author: letsgetitoutfront

This One Landed!

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I had my operation 7 days ago and I walked away as one lucky person! It was a two-hour procedure but I had no pain afterwards and I was able to walk the same day! No pain killers needed and I was sent home 4 days later to recuperate at home.

I had hired help for Chachi, the cat, before I left to have this thing done. A sweet girl who loves cats and she told me that my precious bundle of fur was in good hands. She was right. However, Chachi didn’t think so. His question, “Who are you and what have you done with my mummy?!!!”

Coming back home, I found him looking as grumpy as ever. It took him hours to warm up and when he did, it was a lovefest of the best kind! Coming back to the girl, she offered more help. She said, “If you need anything else done, I can do that too.” I thought that was sweet of her.

The next day she showed up with a bouquet of flowers. Some pink roses with baby’s breath woven in and it was a pretty bouquet but more than that it touched me. I thanked her. We talked and she told me that she was a student and was getting into fitness by going to the gym and I gave her some pointers. Conversation started flowing between us. She also did more than she should like taking the trash out and mopping the floor!

Yesterday, she showed up here and said, “I saw you in my dream! You were all dressed up and looking gorgeous!”

I perked up. “What else did you see?”

“You had beautiful earrings on and your face was all glowy. Looked like you were getting ready for a girls’ night out.”

A girls’ night out? I haven’t done that in ages.

Now, picture this. I haven’t had a shower in almost a week, haven’t washed my hair for about that same time, no makeup, gritty clothes and I was feeling a little down in the dumps.

THIS ONE DEFINITELY LANDED AND HOW!

So I offered to take her out for coffee after she finishes working here. I might need her again for the second operation coming up, plus she has been awfully sweet and has taken good care of Chachi.

Sometimes the praises you give out lands exactly where it should and this one did.

White House Press Secretary

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I’ve always wanted to work in the White House but not under this administration and I have my reasons as you already know.

I think it would be a job that would be exciting, interesting, AND stressful to boot but it would be a job that I would love doing. It would be right where everything happens and I can’t see another job taking its place. It’s where the movers and shakers live and breathe! Money wouldn’t matter and neither would prestige. Pressure would be through the roof but who cares! It is my dream job.

Maybe in my next lifetime!

Daily writing prompt
If the salary was the same, what job would you be doing right now and why?
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Mandy Hale

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This New York Times bestselling author and speaker has a way with words and a knack for beautiful quotes. They are not only beautiful but they do speak to the heart and hits the nail where it needs to go! Here are some of my favorites where this lady is concerned.

“It’s OKAY to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave.”

I DID!

“Have faith in your journey. Everything had to happen exactly as it did to get you where you’re going next.”

The lessons are coming in fast and furious!

“You can’t force something to happen. You can only drive yourself crazy trying. At some point you just have to let go and let God.”

I DID!

“Rid yourself of all the things you’ve outgrown and the things you’re meant to grow into will track you down!”

Fingers and toes crossed!

“That’s the thing about fear. It can only hang around until faith enters the room, then it’s forced to flee.”

It did but in my case, it returns at a drop of a coin!

“God is telling you to rest your heart. You have done everything you could, prayed every prayer you knew, and stayed faithful even when it hurt. Now let ME handle it. What you cannot fix I am working behind the scenes, aligning things you cannot see yet.”

Of this, I am SURE!

“Don’t go back to something God has already rescued you from.”

Hard to do but trying really hard!

“Sometimes you have to realize that you’ve HAD enough to realize that you ARE enough.”

And you my friend are ENOUGH as YOU ARE! Always have been.

Back from the Dead!

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I thought I was a goner when I went in for the surgery. It was going to be a two-hour operation with risks involved as with most procedures that requires a surgeon’s hands to put things back together again. You probably read about my fears here and the feeling that I was going to die was front and center!

It is now Day 6 after the surgery. I came home yesterday with another OP looming next month. What? Yes, they need to do another one to make sure everything is as it should be. According to one doctor, “You will be a new person once it is done.” Or dead was my retort but I kept it to myself.

They (the doctors) expected pain to be a mainstay but were surprised when none showed up. I was hooked up to different things and one in particular I couldn’t stand! A nurse helped me to walk a few hours after the surgery and I did fine. She left the room and I decided to do it on my own. I trained like an athlete before the procedure so I knew I was fully capable of doing it. I walked the length and width of the room and did it with no problems except for a few twinges here and there. I jotted the progress down. Two hours later, I did it again! By end of day, I had done 5 rounds!

Day 2, I was up at break of day. I couldn’t sleep because the anesthesia was giving me a run for the money! It was still coursing through my veins and sleeplessness or rather insomnia was one of the after effects. The main thing, I wasn’t being given pain killers. My body was reacting well and HEALING I hoped. They checked the vitals and everything was excellent. The light at the end of the tunnel?

It looked like it except for the second OP looming in the not so distant future. I made up my mind to go throw the storm and meet it head on when it shows up. I still had time, for now the healing needs to take place and I will work hard on that. No workouts, no heavy lifting, no driving, and no eating crap! Coffee is down to one cup a day, anything that can irritate the wound is out the window, and lots of rest and relaxation. I can weather the first two, that last one is going to be hard. I LOVE moving around!

I made it up and down the stairs yesterday! Very, very, slowly of course. I can’t lift Chachi and hold him close because he is considered too heavy! So, I’ve been stroking him and giving him kisses, lots of it.

Recovery needs lots of work and I’ve already started. I have to look at other alternatives of keeping myself fit and ready for the next phase of what is coming up. Walking in the garden is one option, not fast but slow and steady is the way to go. Three times a day should do it.

I was rolled into that operating theatre with two heavyweights by my side. My angel who never leaves my side and the ONE who moves mountains. I’m sure he guided the surgeon’s hands as well!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Nature Watching

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A hobby is defined as something you do regularly, one that you do for fun, relaxation, and personal enjoyment during your free time. In that vein, I choose nature watching.

I love writing but this latest hobby is my all-time favorite. It keeps me sane, shuts my mind down from overthinking, and it is something I do for fun and relaxation and it calms the “beast down!”

My mind takes a reprieve from jumping up and down and my body and soul are given a chance to take a much needed breath and to SLOW DOWN and smell the roses. Sometimes we forget to do that in the daily hustle and bustle that we call life.

I had a life-changing experience recently and this hobby helped me in more ways than one. Counting butterflies flitting from flower to flower, listening to the bees buzzing around, and watching the birds flying overhead all became my daily mainstay and a way of calming myself down. It was also a wonderful way to let go and let life takes its course.

I am known as a worrywart and an overthinker. Both are detrimental to peace and PEACE was nowhere to be found as the days drew closer to what I had to face. Somehow, a simple thing as watching nature helped me to focus on the “beautiful” vs. the not so nice stuff that life can throw your way at a moment’s notice.

Nature watching gave me a new perspective on life. It said, “there are always options. Life is not always doom and gloom.”

This is a hobby that I love for all the reasons I mentioned above and it is going to stay with me for a while.

Daily writing prompt
Share a hobby you’ve picked up recently — what got you into it?
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The Day Before Armageddon!

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It’s here, the day before I show up at the hospital ready to meet the team who will do what needs to be done. I HATE THIS! My bag is packed and being a female I am bringing more than I should. Probably, half the clothes and things I am bringing will not be needed but I’m female, hear me roar!

Yesterday was a tough one. I had to come to terms with the fact that this surgery is going to happen whether I want it to or not. The house has been cleaned, the trash taken out, and everything is spotless. I got the laundry done and met a girlfriend for coffee and breakfast. It was nice until a wasp or was it a bee decided to make its presence known. A sharp sting and I was in agony! I told the owner, who is Italian, that I just got stung by a bee! He laughed and said, “Your blood must be sweet!” We made a mad dash to the pharmacy because it was hurting like hell. After doling out 40 euros, I had a pen that felt hot when held against the sting and some gel to cool afterwards. She also told me to let the people at the hospital know about what happened. Sometimes, they will postpone the surgery!

Why are things going down south all the time? I don’t know but my girlfriend thinks it’s because I’ve decided to embrace “negativity” as my best friend! Anyway, it still hurts but postponing the surgery is just wishful thinking. I think it will take place as scheduled.

Then I met the cat sitter. A sweet girl who loves cats. However, she loved talking as well. An hour into the meeting, I had to cut it short. I handed over the house key and she will show up on Monday to take care of Chachi. The little guy knows that something is up. He has been eyeing me with a look that I can’t decipher. I think he knows something is coming up. Did I tell you he is sweet? He is adorable as well. I laid out my clothes on the bed before I went to take a shower and when I came back there was his favorite toy mouse with the innards hanging out laid carefully on my shirt! A token of love? Or is it like, “Mommy don’t send me away?” I don’t know but I bought him four more to make up for the one he has destroyed! I also wanted to make up for being away from him.

So here it is. My bags are packed and I am ready to go. I don’t want to do this but I have no choice. I will walk in hoping for the best and please don’t send me a Mr. Magoo to do the OP!

You won’t be hearing from me for however long it takes. I hope it won’t be too long.

Fingers, toes, and everything else crossed!

Destiny Stepped In

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I don’t have a significant other right now but I had one a long time ago. I met him by chance at a university dance. Nursing a broken heart after a breakup, I didn’t really want to be there but fate or rather destiny stepped in and it got the ball rolling.

Some friends wanted me to go along and since I was the only one with a car, they needed a ride! I went along but told them that I would have to leave at midnight or sooner. Just like Cinderella did except I didn’t have a fairy Godmother but who knows she might have been working behind the scenes.

Anyway, I met him on the way to the dance. A tall, geeky guy with huge goggle glasses and he was skinny to boot. He said, “Follow me.” His car was a beat up one with dents on the side and he drove like he didn’t know the rules and went through every red light! I decided to slow down and when I finally pulled up, he walked over and with a grin on his face said, “Why didn’t you follow me?”

I can’t remember what my answer was but it wasn’t too nice. I recall he kept asking me to dance and after saying no several times, I finally relented.

“Just one dance,” I said.

He smiled and led me onto the dance floor. We moved to the music and he kept looking down at me. He was tall, 6′ 2″inches to be exact. I was petite. Then the song finished and a slow one started. I walked back to our table and he ran after me. “Another dance please?” I shook my head and kept to myself. Right at midnight, I told the girls I had to leave. He jumped right in, “Why so soon? It is still early.” Making an excuse I left feeling a little uneasy. I told myself he wasn’t my type. Checked shorts, sandals with black socks right up to his knees, and those glasses. Nope, not my type at all. However, fate had other plans.

A week later, I got a call at home and there he was. I asked him how he got my number and he said the “girls” gave it to him. Let’s just say, we met several times after that. Not romantically, just as friends doing the group thing. Dinners, excursions, and theater visits. Three months later, he called and invited me to a play. I showed up but he was there alone. I asked where the others were and he said, “It’s a date.” Hmm….so it was a date. We watched the show, he took me to a nice dinner, and that was the start of a love story that would last about 16 years.

When did I fall in love with him? I recall I was back home visiting family when I got a call from him. He asked, “Can we sleep together when you get back?” I was lost for words but I also thought it was the sweetest thing. It happens without asking and when the time was right but here was someone who was asking!!! By the way, we had been dating for quite some time by then.

Long story short, it took off from there. I thought I had met the nicest person in the world but unfortunately he proved me wrong! NOT all that glitters is gold and I learned that lesson the hard way!

Daily writing prompt
How did you meet your significant other?
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