Bubblews: New and Improved?

Surprise!  Bubblews is new and improved!  As a consumer, I always dreaded seeing the words new and improved.  I always think to myself..What was it before, old and lousy?

Well, while it was not lousy, Bubblews has certainly gone out and made some drastic changes to improve the site.  Of course, like with all change, some think it's good and others don't.  But change is what makes the world go 'round.  It's the only constant you can count on.

The best change I've seen is that you are now able to see those who are connected with you.  Before you could see them as they connected with you on the notification feed, but if you missed it or were off-line for a day or so, well, you missed it.

Now you can see a list of all the people connected with you and a list of all the people you connected with.  You can also use this list to make connections instead of having to visit a person's profile page.  This is much easier and faster.

Sometimes, you need to embrace change and go with the flow to see where it leads you.  Trying to fight change only causes you undue stress.

As you can see in the pic above, Sassy never lets change get in her way.  She sleeps right through it. 

Summer is Over!

Bummer!  The summer is over!  It's time to go back to school.....at least that's what the homebody part of me is saying.  The other part of me, the teacher me, is excited to begin a new year full of possibilities.  I've been back two days now and have learned about the changes this new year will bring.  It will be interesting to say the least. 

One of the most challenging one will be adding Edmodo (like Facebook for school communities) to my arsenal of tools.  I'm a bit apprehensive about how it will work in the classroom, but can definitely see the benefits, so here I go.

RELIVING THE PAST?

Don't you wish some times that you could read someone's mind?  I bet if I could read Champ's mind, he would be thinking that life is pretty good for him these days.  He's pretty hefty so you know he eats well and doesn't worry about where his next meal is coming from.  He likes to "torpedo" the porch in his, what I like to call, submarine look.  In fact, he pretty much lays wherever he wants.  And he seems to be very confident in his surroundings and doesn't mind taking a cat nap which wasn't always the case.  Yep, he has a pretty good life these days.

I read an article today written by someone wanting to go back in time to change the past and correct mistakes.  I thought to myself......Hmmm.....NOPE!  Living my life was hard enough the first time. Thank you very much!  Besides what would happen to the time continuum if I went back to change one little thing?  All hell would break loose, that's what!  It would start a spiral of unprecedented chaos.  It could erase all the good things that have happened to me along the way.

For example, so I don't marry my cheating first ex-husband, okay.  But then, I don't learn all the things that I learned from that relationship, pain, strength, and recovery.  Let's face it.  We are our experiences.  Our experiences and lessons learned shape us into the person we become.  Besides, if I hadn't had that experience, then I wouldn't have been in the right place to meet my second ex-husband.  He gave me one of my greatest blessings, my oldest son, and I wouldn't have missed that for the world.

Ask Champs, he'd tell you if he could.  All the bad things that happened in his earlier life help him to appreciate just how wonderful it can be.  Yes, life is good now, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Expect the Unexpected!

So some time around the end of January I got this text from my son:  "Soooo....I kinda have something to tell you.  you're kinda sorta gonna have another grandson..  :)" 

Hmmmmm.....okay...when?  I think this was my reaction. 

What else was I gonna say?  NO?  Too late.  Cry?  Maybe.  Continue to love and support my son?  Definitely.

I've stopped being shocked by life and all the things it throws at me.  At my age, I just go with the flow.  I've also come to expect the unexpected which saves me a lot of heartache.  How does this work?  Just think...if it can go wrong, then it will.  Expect and anticipate and plan for the worse case scenario.  Then if it happens, you're prepared to deal with it.  If it doesn't, well, then you'll be tickled pink!

Well, he was born, and he's beautiful.  So did I expect another grandchild so soon?  Would I have wished my son to have two children at such a young age.  No, but the world didn't explode, and I'm still standing and stronger than ever.  My son has two beautiful boys, and he is a great father.  What else could I ask for?

A Better Time

It's been over a year since my last posting, but what a year it has been.  I got married and started a new job.  My son's girlfriend moved in.  Another grandchild has been born.  Our cat family grew two new members, and Sassy Cat is now an indoor cat and loving it as you can tell in the picture.

My life has really changed.  It's what I had wanted - needed, but was afraid of.

Life is always changing.  It's always moving, and you have to move with it or get run over.  Life is funny like that sometimes.  I've heard people say "God doesn't give us more than we can handle."  Well, I think God has a wicked sense of humor.  I'm the clown juggler at the circus with all these balls in the air, and the fates decide to throw me another and another and another.  "Ha!  Let's see how she handles that!"

Yes, life is funny.  Just when you think that you've got it all figured out, a knuckle ball comes out of nowhere to bowl you over.  But it's how you handle these problems that make you who you are.  Well, I am still standing, and I am still here.

What if?

Sassy Cat used to be fearless.  She used to stand up to dogs and if a cat got too close, a well aimed swipe of her paw usually took care of ‘em.  About two weeks ago something happened though.  I don’t know what.  I just know that it happened at night and that the Sassy Cat I knew and admired was no more.  She is now afraid…of everything.

Fear is a disease.  It can cripple lives and stunt growth of happy personalities.  If left uncheck, well, it’s not pretty.  It is the reason we stay in relationships we know are doomed.  We are afraid to leave.  We are afraid to try something new.  We can’t quit our hated jobs because we are afraid to look for something else.  We are afraid we won’t find something else.  We don’t move to a new place because we are afraid.  We are afraid of the unknown and of change.

Yet, change is inevitable and unavoidable.  We must be able to grow with change and adapt or we fail to thrive.  We have to accept that we will make mistakes, but we learn from mistakes and grow wiser…more savvy.  I am working with Sassy everyday to restore her sense of balance in the world, but it will be tough.  For me, the biggest fear is the “what if” syndrome.  I don’t have fear of change.  I like challenges.  What I don’t want to do on my death bed is have regrets about those things that I was too afraid to do.  I don’t want to wonder how my life would have turned out if I hadn’t been too afraid to do the things I was too afraid to do.