Upside Down Cats

In honor of Father's Day, I want to pay tribute to the Father Figures in my life.

My own father, Jim, was the finest father I can imagine. Dad to seven of us, he taught us about family loyalty, love and laughter. I have already written the ultimate testimonial to Dad back in November when I shared a series of posts on things for which I am thankful. Read Daddy's Little Girl to discover this daughter's admiration for the first man in her life.

Although I lost my dad nearly eleven years ago, I am so very fortunate to have in my life another wonderful man I consider my father as well - Scott's father, Marty.

Continue reading "My Two Dads" »

You may know by now that I am rather fond of my Sweetie, Scott...

What you may not know is that I got a very nice bonus when I opened my Box of Scott...

I got another mother in the bargain!

Continue reading "My Other Mother" »

I'm taking the occasion of Mother's Day to reflect on and celebrate the woman who gave me life

...and so much more.

Continue reading "My Mother" »

Deciding to have a baby is a monumental affair! Adding a baby to the mix changes the dynamics of established relationships within the family, routines and schedules. As the arrival of a baby is anticipated, mental and physical preparations are made so that when the little one arrives, everything and everyone is ready to accept the joys - and responsibilities - that go along with him or her...

I know this is not news to anyone who has a family...

Continue reading "I'm Expecting A ... »

There was a time in my life when just about everything sucked. I felt trapped in a violently abusive marriage, I felt my family of origin had betrayed me, I had no friends in whom I felt I could safely confide and we were drowning in debt. This was seventeen years ago in a land far, far away. Not one minute of my day felt safe...When was I going to be screamed at or hit by my first (and now - thankfully - ex-) husband? What was his tirade du jour going to be about? I was afraid to go to the mailbox for fear of finding a scathing letter from someone in my family. I was afraid to answer the phone for fear it would be a bill collector demanding payment. And when the doorbell rang...well, that was rarely pleasant either. I was suffocating in a miserable, lonely cesspool that continually closed in on me, squeezing the life and sanity out of me, minute by minute.

For a girl who, by my very nature, prides herself on keeping a handle on things, I couldn't have felt more desperately out of touch with myself...more out of control...

Continue reading "Regis, I'd Like To Use A ... »

I'm baaaaack for day 26 of National Blog Posting Month!

The subject of being reunited is on my mind today. This is a topic I've wanted to address all month long. As NaBloPoMo draws to its end, I'm glad I've been inspired before my opportunity to include this subject in my collection of posts about things for which I am thankful had passed.

Why am I thinking that I am thankful for being reunited today?

Continue reading "...And It Feels So Good" »

Can you believe I've been posting throughout the month of November about things for which I am thankful, and I haven't mentioned my Sweetie yet? Well, today's the day, and it only took until twenty days into National Blog Posting Month to do it!

There is actually a good reason for this omission...I was purposely trying to avoid writing that I am thankful for Scott.

Continue reading "Synchronicity" »

I nearly couldn't get to my computer today, day eighteen of NaBloPoMo, to post my daily installment of things for which I am thankful. I was being held captive by a thirteen pound lump of fur named Desi, sitting on my lap. Now that I'm finally free of her persistent purring presence, I can write about how much I am thankful for kitty companionship.

Continue reading "The Cat In The Lap" »

"You finally figured out the girl in your heart isn't the girl in your dreams. Some people don't figure it out all their lives."

This is a quote from the movie, If Lucy Fell, written by Eric Schaeffer and Tony Spiridakis.

 

When I read this, I was immediately reminded of the times when I've realized that I'm not - strictly speaking - Scott's type. When he's mentioned the girls and women he thought were attractive in his formative and "pre-me" years, I am always struck by the fact that I don't resemble any of them in any way...Christie Brinkley, Raquel Welch, Cheryl Ladd or Judy Landers...

(sigh...)


It seems to me there are two possible reasons for the fact that he wound up with a girl who looks nothing like his fantasy girls...One, his tastes have changed - a lot.




Or, two, he is in love with something in addition to my physical appearance, which makes me perfectly suited for him. Like the quote from the movie...I'm the girl in his heart.



 



 

 

 

Of course, I choose to believe the latter is true.



Continue reading "Gina's Quote Du Jour ... »

The first time he hit me was two weeks after we started dating. We had been napping...my head was tucked up under his outstretched arm. When I rolled over, apparently my head caused a piece of the skin under his arm to be pinched...HE WENT BALLISTIC! He accused me of hurting him on purpose and went running into the bathroom to inspect his injury in the mirror. When he emerged from the bathroom, he called me a stupid, careless bitch and punched me on my right upper arm. I told him how sorry I was, how it was purely an accident and that I would be more careful in the future. Then I cried...Once he saw that I was hurt too, he apologized, saying he didn't know what came over him, and that such a thing would never happen again.

Thus began our ten year cycle of abuse...

Continue reading "My Survivor Story" »