Tag: dailyprompt

If you could relive one day from your past, which day would it be and why?

      The day I had my last child.

He is almost in the double – digits now. (10).

I miss when he was a newborn and I used to watch him sleep so peacefully in his swing or crib.

I miss when he was little (2 and 3) and used to do “Stinky faces”, and “Scrunchie noses”. I miss when he used to ask to watch “Em-O” because he couldn’t say the “L” to pronounce “Elmo”. 😄 I miss when he would say “Mama” and take baby steps learning how to walk.

I miss him dancing to the “Oohhh na na na” song.

He loved that song and I used to have to play it over and over and over, so he could dance. 🩵 I don’t know the name of the song and I’ve tried to find it, but I can’t. I just know we called it the “Oohhh na na na” song. 😁

I would absolutely relive the day he was born, because at the moment – I knew he’d probably be my last child, and I cherished that moment.

My cousin was in the room with me and she was the first to hold him. She was amazing and I was so blessed to have her there. That woman stayed with me all night, and took so many pictures for me once he was born.

I remember her crying, looking at me and telling me, “He’s perfect”. I was so tired and dozing in and out from the medication they gave me.

Elijah and I both almost died, but those doctors – the nurses – my cousin – all great people with me that day to make sure we were both Okay.

Yes. He’s about to be 10 in a few months and my heart is so happy that he’s healthy, smart and funny, but my heart has a little piece that just wants to go back to the day he was born – and relive it all over again – taking in every moment and every memory as he grows, learns, laughs, makes me laugh, and plays with toys again.

He doesn’t really play with toys anymore and it’s sad.

I have bins and bins of toys from when he was younger, and he used to love them. Now that he’s older, they’ve sat and collected dust while he plays video games, and Baseball, and does everything except touch those toys. 🫤

If you have babies, little ones, toddlers, kindergarten kids who still want to play, and be cuddled and held – trust me – cherish it because they grow, get older and take interest in other things.

One day – they no longer ask to watch Em-O …(lol) or dance to their favorite songs, and touch those toys they loved – so much.

If only I could go back and take it all in one more time. 🩵

Of course, I’d absolutely choose to go back and relive the day all 3 of my other kids were born as well, but knowing Elijah was my last – it just hits and feels different.

…………..

With that being said – my youngest daughter just turned 18 yesterday. 18!!!!!! Where the hell does the time go?

See what I mean?

Cherish them while they’re young. Time flies!

She and I went out and spent the entire day together.

I told her we could do whatever she wanted to do.

She wanted to go to Hot Topic.

I’ve never been there, so we drove an hour away to a huge mall (Gurnee Mills) and good Lord. I didn’t know that mall was that big and had almost every store you could think of – in it.

What made me giggle – were the signs that said, “K-9 patrolling”, and we saw police walking around with K-9 dogs.

That was pretty awesome. 🤗

My daughter joked that the dogs were so alert and standing / walking so proper. They have to be. They’re working! They’re waiting for something to go down. They’re ready!

This mall is so fancy, that I joked that it’s a “LeLe Pons” mall.

The Lele Pons story:

My kids and I were coming home from somewhere one day, and they were talking about Lele Pons being pregnant.

The way that they said her name and the way it sounded….it sounded so fancy, so I asked, “Who is Lele Pons? That sounds fancy!”, and my kids couldn’t stop laughing – as they showed me who she was.

So, now any time something is fancy or expensive – we say, “Lele Pons”, as our inside joke. (Not really an inside joke anymore, since I just told y’all). 😉

This was definitely a Lele Pons type of mall.

Back to my daughter’s birthday:

She’s my 3rd young adult.

My oldest would have been 26. My older son is 23. So, I now have another one.

We went to this mall, and walked inside Hot Topic.

It’s one of those alternative / emo stores you have to just try to understand if you’re my age. 🤣

They have so many crazy things, including dog collars that people (mostly teenagers) wear. Those dog collars had spikes. They had these crazy cat / dog ear ear headbands, and tons of dark and weird hoodies / T-shirts, earrings.

They have hotdog earrings. 👀

As I walked around and followed my daughter as she looked through everything, everything we passed became crazier and crazier.

I almost giggled when I looked on the side of me and saw an older woman that looked like a grandma – possibly with her teenage granddaughter – giving the granddaughter a funny kind of face like she didn’t understand things in that store, either.

I wanted to tell her, “Me too, grandma! Me too!”. That was totally my face when I saw everything in this store.

I smiled even more when I looked around and noticed a mother shaking her head (no) at her daughter who wanted some wild choker chain. 😂

I mean to be fair – Spencer’s is a lot worse, but I actually don’t mind Spencer’s. They have some really cool stuff in there.

Hot Topic is not a store I’d ever shop in, but I will say for the younger generations….it’s a fun store, and they do have a lot of cute things.

I planned to buy her some things, and she was ready to pick some things, but as she was grabbing this huge cross necklace that was way too big for her neck, I asked if she may want to try looking throughout the mall to make sure she wanted something from Hot Topic – or elsewhere.

I told her we can definitely come back if she wants to, and so – we went to look around the rest of the mall.

She ended up wanting a Chicago Bulls top from an amazing store that just opened up two weeks ago, and had tons of sports items.

I paid for that and then we went to Bath N’ Body works because she had some gift cards I gave her when she graduated high school a few months ago.

She ended up getting a few body sprays.

We got a few other things and walked around a bit more, before we left and tried to figure out where to grab lunch.

Stake N’ Shake.

After that, we stopped at Dollar General, went to get gas, and I asked what else she wanted to do. It was getting pretty late, and she had never seen the Home Alone house in person, so I planned to surprise her and take her there.

However, my brother messaged me and said that he and his fiance got my daughter a cake, so we ended up going back there instead.

My brother leaves his mark by placing ducks in different places for people to find, so we know he’s been there, and yesterday – you know he had to (duck her cake). 🤣

I did plan to stop and get her a cake before we went home, but I was grateful I didn’t have to, because I was exhausted from us being out all day.

She was so excited and loved her cake. ❤️

Oh.

We also stopped at the Bass Pro shop in the mall.

My daughter loves that store.

   She laughed about it and joked that I don’t follow the rules. I told her I didn’t even see the rules.

   We also stopped at Starbucks, so we could grab a few snacks and she could get her free birthday drink.

All in all, she said she had an amazing day and she was so happy, so that’s all that matters.

I even let her put the Bluetooth on in the car, and listen to her music. *Sigh*. Haha.

I can’t believe she’s 18.

If you want to laugh – my daughter isn’t allowed to swear. I don’t want to hear it, and while I don’t know if she’s ever sworn in front of her friends, I do know she has never sworn in front of me.

She always said when she turns 18, she’s letting every curse word fly out of her mouth, and we’ve joked about it, so yesterday – she asked if she could swear now.

I laughed and told her she can have one word, and then I never want to hear her swearing again.

She didn’t even want to do it.

She told me that because I’ve never allowed her to swear or wanted her to, and because I taught her to be so respectful, she feels awkward if she were to swear in front of me now. 🤣 

I guess I raised her right, huh?

My older son was trying so hard to get her to say some curse words, and she just felt so weird about it.

I told him to stop encouraging her, but we had a good laugh about it.

I’m guessing I won’t be hearing her swearing often, and that’s more than okay with me. It means she’s respectful, and likes to keep it classy.

     Last – but not least –

I went and got a rental while my car is still in the dang shop, and I almost don’t want to give it back.

I can keep it for however long I’d like, and it is not cheap, so I don’t know how long I’ll keep it, but it has been such a blessing and a huge help to me being able to get around IL. now.

They gave me a beautiful black Nissan Rouge, and this thing does so much – that I had to sit there and play “What does this button do?” – when I first got it. lol.

I love it though. It’s a 2025, and I almost want to see if I can just outright purchase it. I almost don’t want to go get my regular car back, but I know I have to.

 

So, that’s all I have going on right now.

As I sit here drinking my morning coffee, I smiled because I’m also watching the news and they just mentioned downtown Chicagos popular Christkindlmarket – and when it’s opening up for the holiday season.

It’s a bunch of pop up tents where you can buy all kinds of Christmas items, and so much more.

It usually brings out thousands and thousands of people from all over – who attend this thing. 🎄

    Alright.

Let me get out of here, shower and start my day.

Have a beautiful one my loves!

Big hugs.

             🫂Shel🫂

What’s a moment when you realized you were officially an adult?

Oh boy!

  I think for me – it was the moment I said “I do!”….. when I turned 17.

I’m not proud of this at all, but I got pregnant when I was 17. I had my oldest daughter a few months after I turned 18.

My mom absolutely refused to let me have a baby outside of marriage, so she went straight to my – (now ex-husbands) – parents house at the time, and told them she thinks we need to get married, and she’d appreciate it if they would back her up on it.

To be fair – I already had an engagement ring on my finger before finding out I was pregnant.

The guy I was dating at the time – worked his ass off and he was a good dude when I met him and started dating him.

My parents loved him. His parents were always super kind and loving with me, and we had been together for a while before I got pregnant.

We knew we wanted to get married back then, but we didn’t want to get married by city hall. He dreamed of a big church wedding with all of his friends and family, and he already knew who his best man was going to be, and I had always wanted a beautiful Christmas wedding, and he agreed to it.

That’s not how it went down though.

In January of 2000 – many months before I was due – my parents and his parents took us down to city hall – and we were married.

The moment it was finalized – and I was about to have a kid of my own – was the moment I realized I was officially an adult. (Kind of. Sort of.).

Life hasn’t slowed down since.

I’ve been adulting ever since.

He and I divorced in 2013, and – the moment I felt like I officially became an adult – has never left my mind.

That’s why I have always wanted better for my kids.

Go to school. Get your education. Finish high school. Go on to either get certified in something or get a degree in something, but do something with your life!

Become something in life and live your best life while you’re still young.

My kids know I won’t allow them to be out in the streets acting stupid, having babies young, or wasting their lives.

Get jobs after high school. Work hard. Save money.

I’ve tried my best to teach them right and I hope they follow my advice. So far, I think I’m doing a pretty damn good job.

My kids love money.

My older daughter is gone, but my older son works his ass off and buys his own things. My youngest daughter just finished high school and she’s looking for her first job and will be attending EMS classes soon, and my little dude – well, he still depends on me of course. 😁

Still, they’ve done well in school. My older son hasn’t gotten anyone pregnant, my daughter hasn’t gotten pregnant and I’m proud of that.

I’m so proud of that!

I don’t want them to be anything like I was when I was younger – because I was a little rebel. I was a little brat. I was always doing something stupid and getting into trouble or nonsense, and driving my mother crazy.

That’s why I think I’m so strict with my kids and so tough on them.

I want them to be way better than me – when I was their age(s). So far – they are. ❤️

Now that this WP writing prompt for today is answered….

  I’m praying I get my car back this week.

There were so many things wrong with it when it went into the shop, and I thought I’d get it back this past week when everything was finally fixed.

I kept saying my PCP valve busted, but I just found out it’s called the PCV, and I couldn’t stop laughing at my mixup.

PCP – PCV …. It still left me without my car for weeks now. 🙄

Being a Volkswagen…nobody in Minnesota wanted to touch it because they’re “complicated” – as I was told and any shops I’ve been to …couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it.

I was grateful when I finally found a shop that has a mechanic that deals with Volkswagens and knows what he’s doing, but thousands of dollars and weeks later – it’s still sitting in the shop.

I was told the PCV needed fixing, back and front brakes (which I already knew), but I had the back brakes done by some young guy who worked at a parts store and said he knew how to change them. Turns out the mechanic said (the parts store guy) butchered them, and the mechanic had to redo all of it.

The mechanic said legally – he couldn’t let me leave the shop with the back brakes the way they were, so that was thrown into the repair bill.

My oil line (or whatever the hell it was with the oil) needed to be replaced, and I had a major oil leak.

There were just so many different problems that no other shop this car had been to – caught, so I’m grateful for the mechanic who has my car now and knows what he’s doing.

So, he called me Thursday when my car was supposed to be ready, and I was a little excited.

He asked how I was doing, and I told him I was good – thinking I’m going to go out to Minnesota and get my car – with my older son.

The mechanic then says, “I have bad news, but I also have some good news”.

He tells me that he got everything changed, parts replaced, front and back brakes done, lines put in, oil leak stopped, oil change done, and so many other things it needed, and as soon as he put everything back together and started the car – it ran for about 60 seconds …………

And the timing jumped!

He talked about the tensioner, and another $2,500 or so, but the good news?

“Once that gets fixed – you’re golden! The car will run beautifully with all these new parts and it should give you another few years”.  That’s what he told me.

That’s where I’m at right now.

Life has kicked my ass the last few weeks, and I’ve thought so many times, “I can’t do this anymore”… But, as a mom – we don’t get to just give up!

No matter what life throws a moms way – we have to keep going and figure it out. 🙂‍↔️

It is what it is.

              Love ya my loves.

                                     ❤️Shel❤️

I’m just going to go ahead and say it – even if some don’t agree.

IHOP!

My kids and I love IHOP.

Living in Minnesota for so long, we didn’t have one close to us. It feels so good to be back in Illinois, and to be within minutes of an IHOP again.

Breakfast there? Yes, please. Lunch / Dinner? Sure.

No matter what time of day you go, it’s usually always busy, and for good reasons.

I could also say Olive Garden, TBK, and Central Gyros are some of my favs in IL. / Chicago as well. Ohhhhhhhh……..and let me not forget Panda Express.

Okay. I know I was probably only supposed to say one, but I just can’t. 😊

I know these are simple and basic, but when you live in a small town for years – that has almost nothing in it or the nearest bigger city, and you move to an even bigger city or back home to it – it makes you appreciate even the littlest things. ❤️

With that being said……………..

Yesterday, my daughter and I went to the dollar store, and then we traveled over to Tony’s a few blocks down. That’s another place we’ve missed while living in Minnesota.

Tony’s has almost everything you can think of – including Hispanic foods, and candies – which is what my daughter was looking for. We don’t have that in Minnesota, so it made us and our hearts smile to walk back into a Tony’s.

I was at my brother’s place and he didn’t have dinner figured out and I decided to just go grab a few pizzas because it’s his weekend with his kids (my nephews), and what kid doesn’t like pizza, right?

I grabbed Garlic bread to go with it, milk (that my daughter asked for because she only drinks the blue cap milk), a few cases of sodas, and a few other things.

Upon walking to the cash register – I saw this:

I was so damn thrilled and I had to grab one, as my daughter grabbed her Dubai Chocolate bar.

Now, if only the weather went along with this.

I’m a little excited it’s almost Pumpkin season everywhere, and almost Autumn. I love Autumn, and everything that comes with it.

As we were loading groceries, a man came walking over to us, grabbed the cases of sodas from under the cart, and handed them to us to load. He was trying to help, and I felt awful that I didn’t have any cash on me. I told him I didn’t carry cash, and he told me he just wanted to help, and enjoys helping others.

I thanked him and he thanked me for not ignoring him like almost everyone else does, or telling him to “get the hell away”. He said most people tell him they don’t need help, and just want him to leave them alone.

I told him how sorry I was that people are so rude, and that not everyone is like that.

It broke my heart when he said, “It’s okay. Maybe I’ll be dead in the morning. I’ve been wanting to die, and God keeps waking me up”. I begged him not to talk like that and I told him there’s a reason God is waking him up every day, but he didn’t want to hear that and kept saying he’s better off gone, and that he doesn’t want to be on this earth anymore. He continued to say nobody cares, and I let him know I do.

He said he’s been homeless for years now, living on the streets. He said his dad died many years back and that’s when everything changed, and that his mom sold the house he grew up in without even telling him or talking to him first. He told me he’s 59, and I was surprised because he looked good for 59.

I told him that, and it seemed like his eyes lit up when he heard that and asked, “Really?”. It seemed like he had a little sparkle in his eyes and for the first time since he came up to us, he smiled a bit and looked up. He had his head down most of the time he was talking to us, and telling us a little about his life.

When we were done loading groceries, he grabbed the cart and went to put it back.

He said one last time that he hopes to die soon, and I asked if I could pray with him or for him. He told me he doesn’t believe in that anymore, and I told him if he didn’t want to pray, I would pray for him. He told me not to do that, and said he’s been praying for years and it never works.

He thanked me one more time for not telling him to get the hell away from me and not being rude to him – as he walked away.

I wish I had cash on me. I offered him a soda, but he didn’t want it.

I wish there was more I could do for him yesterday.

I couldn’t stop thinking about him last night, and I feel so bad that I didn’t even ask him what his name was.

The next time I go back to Tony’s, I plan to have cash on me just in case we run into him again.

I did pray for him last night and asked God to just protect him, be with him, and let him find his way back to God. I asked God to put kind people in his path who may help him want to live again.

I thought about starting a Gofundme for him, but I don’t even know who he is or where he can be found if he’s roaming the streets.

My goodness. If you see a homeless person and they talk to you, it’s not hard to smile, say hello and just be kind! It’s not hard to give them a few bucks, let them help you load groceries, or for you to just offer what you can – even if it’s a kind word.

It doesn’t take much to just be a good human being to other human beings.

I’m so disappointed in whatever people have been rude to this man, and to other people in general.

One of my favorite songs is:

I feel like if more people were a lot kinder and more helpful to the underdog (those who have nothing, those who are hopeless, depressed, need people to care) – there would be a lot less suicides and a lot more people who actually want to stay another day.

If nobody told you lately – I love you. You matter. You’re amazing!

Xoxo.

😊Shel😊

Which author would you love to have dinner with?

      Gabrielle Union!

She’s definitely an amazing actress, but did you also know she has written a few books as well?

She has been through some traumatic things in her life, including being raped at a job she had while in college, having trouble getting pregnant, and other issues she’s dealt with – and yet, she’s still such a great person and advocate for many others who can’t advocate for themselves.

I’ve read both books she’s written and absolutely loved them, and the way she got through her struggles.

  I recommend these two books, and they are both great reads!

    Her movies?

Love those as well.

If you’ve never seen her movies – definitely go check some out.

Gabrielle Union plays (Isis) – the Cheer Captain of the Clovers – who is tired of the Toros stealing cheers from them.

   This hilarious movie is based on Steve Harvey’s book (Act like a lady, Think like a man).

A group of women start using the book and taking Steve’s advice about relationships – to take control of their love lives and their unsuspecting male partners – who find out the women are using the book, and decide to fight back. 🩵

Gabrielle Union plays (Kristen). The one who wants her long-term boyfriend to grow up, get serious and propose to her.

She also plays in:

I can’t forget the cute movie:

In this feisty movie, she plays Eva.

An out-spoken, straight-forward, no BS – kind of woman who demands others plays by the rules she sets or feels should be set in place. She’s a no-nonsense kind of woman and doesn’t take any shit from anyone, as she looks out for her sisters in ways she thinks help

When her brother-in-laws want peace and to be able to live good lives with Eva’s sisters without Eva getting in the middle of their relationships, they hire Raymond – a local player and woman’s man – to take her out on dates, make her fall in love with him, and get her out of their relationships, so they can enjoy time with their ladies again.

Nothing goes right for Raymond, and Eva is just as tough on him as she is on her brother-in-laws.

It really is a cute movie, and one of my favorites. ❤️

So, if I had one author I’d love to have dinner with – it would be Gabrielle, because she has such a unique, strong, fierce attitude about her, and as great as she is as an actress in all of the movies I’ve seen her in, she’s also such a great writer, and person.

I just recently found out from my brother’s step-daughter as well – that Gabrielle’s husband Dwayne Wade graduated from the high school my brother’s step-daughter went to, so that was pretty cool to hear because I didn’t even realize he’s from Chicago.

I never even looked it up.

So, now that I answered this – someone let me know when Gabrielle is free, and have her agent contact mine! 🤣 (That would be great if only………………). haha.

I’m out for now.

XOXO.

❤️Shel❤️

What’s a moment when a stranger completely restored your faith in people?

   Oh, let me tell you about today’s WP writing prompt. ☺️

I’ll call this man (Jeremiah).

It was around Christmas time, and I was finishing up some last minute Christmas shopping online.

I had also been chatting with a random stranger online because he needed someone to talk to and he felt lonely.

It started in one of those chat rooms people used to mess around in when they were bored, but I remember it was a chat room that my best friend and I were in – just making each other and others laugh.

When I noticed that this guy wrote something like, “Does anyone care to chat? Feeling lonely. No sexual stuff. Just a friendly conversation”.

I messaged Jeremiah. (PM = Private message) – as they call DMs now. 😆

I told him I’d love to chat with him, and asked him what was on his mind.

He told me about his family and how they’re in another state. He won’t get to see them for Christmas because he has a lot of work to do with his small business he’s trying to open.

He told me that he doesn’t have a spouse or anyone to share the holidays with, and no kids.

He told me about many of his troubles over the last few months – that led him to need someone to talk to.

He told me he was just feeling anxious and overwhelmed, but wanted to talk about other things besides himself and his issues once he got everything off of his mind.

So, we talked about him for a bit and what he was dealing with, and then – he asked me to change the subject.

I asked if he had animals. We talked about that.

I asked what his favorite movies and genre of music were and we talked about that.

We laughed about some of our best birthdays and childhood memories.

We talked about many different things, and eventually – he said he was going to get some sleep, but I gave him my phone number because he seemed normal and if he ever needed to talk again, I never wanted him to feel alone.

He seemed like a decent guy.

The next morning, he asked me for my Cash App.

He said he wanted to send me some money for the holidays, especially because he knew I had kids.

I told him he absolutely DID NOT have to do that.

He kept insisting and told me that I was there for him the night before – like nobody else had ever been. He said he wanted to thank me.

I told him it was just me being kind and being a good human being.

He kept asking if I was going to give him my cash app or not. I said no. He joked that he may have to look it up by my number – which would prompt him to stalk me.

He kept insisting and wouldn’t leave it alone, and begged me to let him do something kind for me for the holidays.

He wouldn’t let up, and told me he wasn’t going to, so I finally gave him my cash app – thinking he’d probably send me money for a coffee or something small because we also chatted about how much I love and need my coffee in the mornings, and the way I wanted to decorate my nails for the holidays.

He got my cash app, and this man – this random stranger – ended up sending me $1,000.

I was speechless. I had to look at my phone twice, and then I had to insist it was way too much and that I’d send it back to him.

He told me if I sent it back, he’d be upset and told me to do something nice for myself or for my kids. He told me to go on a little mini weekend getaway somewhere or to do whatever I wanted to do with it.

His reason? “You were better than any therapist I could have gone to”.

Would you believe I never heard from him again?

Sometimes – during the holidays – I think about him and pray he’s alive and doing well.

This happened a few years ago, but it made me feel like if we give others hope, love, kindness, and restore their faith in humanity – the universe gives us the same hope, love, and kindness and does things that will restore our own faith in humanity.

I tried to message him a few days after that – to see how he was doing, but he never replied and when I tried to call him, the number was disconnected.

He never even got online again.

It worries me still.

I’ll never know about that random stranger or where he is, but he gave me back a random act of kindness I truly didn’t expect and it restored my faith in people as well.

One of my favorite rappers (Lil’ Wayne) says in one of his songs, “Karma is a b****, well – just make sure that b**** is beautiful”. What goes around really does come back around, so spread kindness out into the world if that’s what you want back.

It has nothing to do with the money.

It has everything to do with the way he wanted to repay my kindness and being there for him – in a way I never saw coming – at a time where everyone should feel loved and happy.

Christmas.

I have no idea who that man is or where he is, but his kindness made me smile, and I can only hope and pray that my kindness did the same for him that night. ❤️

I’m the type of person who wants to see people happy, wants people to know that somebody out here cares, and never wants anyone to feel alone, so I just did what I always do that night and his generosity was beyond what I wanted or expected.

So, to that random man that night – I hope and pray that you’re still on this earth and you’re doing amazing!

In other news – if you’re ever having a panic attack – people watch!

……. This morning, I felt like I was having a panic / anxiety attack and I don’t get those. It’s very rare.

I have to be super stressed out to feel that way, and I’m usually a calm and relaxed person.

I woke up feeling like I couldn’t breathe, and I almost wanted to run downstairs and sit outside for a bit, but Simba was in the window looking down, so – I walked over there to see what he was looking at.

I started (people watching).

It’s amazing how many people are coming and going at 4 AM, so I just stood there and watched them all.

I watched cars parking and watching who got out or what they were doing. I watched cars leaving and the people who went to those cars to start their days. I watched people walking by – and let me tell you – it really calms the nerves and helps you relax.

If you have a panic / anxiety attack – try people watching!!!!

I laid back down and I ended up watching the lights from someone backing into a parking spot outside. The lights hit the ceiling and I smiled – remembering the times I spent the night at my grandma’s house when I was younger – and I’d watch the lights from the bakery trucks that went by – on her ceiling in the dark.

The bakery was right on the corner of her house (Grand and May) out here in Chicago, but if I remember correctly, they had a warehouse across the street as well. Maybe the warehouse was something different, but either way – trucks passed down her street a lot early in the morning and I’d watch the lights on the ceiling.

    Anyway, I’m about to shower and make some coffee. 😊

              Have a beautiful day my loves.

                 🩵 Shel 🩵

I love this writing prompt.

Let me introduce you to our pets.

This is Simba. (aka Asshole).

When my little dude was 5 and had just graduated Kindergarten, I asked what he wanted as a grad gift.

He replied, “A kitten”.

I didn’t like cats at all. I had two bad experiences with cats in the past, and I vowed to never get one – like – ever. So, I was a little bit hesitant to grant his wish. He had been asking for a kitten long before his Kindergarten graduation, and I always said no, but the fact that he did so well in school, and was such a great kid, I finally decided to surprise him and pray that getting a cat – was not a mistake.

I looked online and found a guy who had a farm, and tons of kittens because the older cats on his property would have kittens, and they’d start roaming around.

He and his daughters took care of all of the cats and kittens, and gave them away free to people who wanted them – once they were ready. They would take the kittens for their first check-ups, and whatever else they needed, and they would have people come and get them.

The same day as my little dude graduated Kindergarten years ago – we had him stay home with my older son, while my daughter and I took a ride 3 hours away to this guys farm, and sat their deciding which kitten would be best for Elijah.

We laughed when this cute little Orange one was walking by and one of the guys daughters grabbed him, tossed him into my daughters arms, and said:

“We call him Asshole!”.

We decided to bring him home with us.

We went to the pet store and grabbed all the things he would need and a few cat toys, and headed home to surprise Elijah.

When we got home, my daughter hid Simba under her shirt. (Technically, we should have let Elijah name him), but my daughter named the kitten on the way home – because he looked like a skinnier, smaller version of Simba from the Lion King movie.

I handed Elijah a bag and told him it was part of his graduation gift. He opened it and asked why I got him cat stuff, and said, “Don’t I need a cat if I have all of this?”. My daughter walked up to him and took Simba out from under her shirt.

My little dude was so excited.

My little dude is almost 10 now and I think it’s safe to say that over the years, Simba has become more of my cat – than his. Elijah doesn’t really pay much attention to him anymore, and I’m the one who feeds him, gives him water, takes care of him, plays with him, pays attention to him, etc.

Simba follows me around, cuddles up to me, goes wherever I am, and meows at my feet. Simba has become attached to me.

Elijah takes about 15 minutes out of every day to say hello to Simba, but that’s as far as it goes.

So, he’s my cat, I guess and I’m fine with that.

I will say though – that once Elijah falls asleep, Simba runs over to him and cuddles up right by his head. 🩵

When we first got Simba – he really was an Asshole.

He would run around the room at bedtime – with his claws out acting crazy. I’d have to cover myself from head to toe if I didn’t want to get a claw to the face or any part of my body. He’d jump all over the place in the middle of the night, wouldn’t sleep and thus – wouldn’t let me sleep. He’d bite, and fight, and just act stupid.

Thankfully, as he got a little older – he started getting into a routine and learning ours. He started sleeping all night, acting a lot better, and learning his environment.

These days, he’s such a cuddle bug. He’s such a sweetheart. He is a lot more relaxed than what he was as a kitten, and those claws no longer come out if they don’t need to.

When he’s tired, he’ll literally sit by my side and meow over and over, and if I say, “Bedtime” – he’ll turn around and follow me to the bedroom. He loves to chase strings, and at our old place, he’d watch out the window as he chattered and chirped at the birds or the frogs outside.

He loves to head bump us to say hello, or show affection, and he’s become such a great cat, that I don’t even think about how much I hate cats anymore. lol.

I absolutely adore Simba, and I even stopped calling him “Asshole”. ha.

We’ve had him for years now, and he’s grown on me.

My daughter has a Bunny. (Looney).

I had no idea how smart bunnies were until we got Looney.

My older son and I went to a pet store one day to get my daughter a new bird when hers died. She had her old bird (Zazu) for almost 5 years, and it broke my heart when she called me at work one night – in tears – saying he passed.

I still have no idea why I wanted to surprise her with another animal, but a year later – I know I was standing in a pet store with my older son – as we were looking at birds while she was in school, and then my older son and I saw a big cage with bunnies in them.

We asked to hold them, and this one right here – was so pretty and so soft.

I will say that if you’re ever going to get a Bunny, please do your research because we didn’t, and we fully regret it. As much as we love Looney, having a Bunny is a lot of work, and the vet bills are ridiculously expensive.

When my daughter came home from school that day, she thought we were pet-sitting for someone, but when she found out Looney was hers, she was so happy.

Now, I’ve heard that bunnies can learn some amazing tricks, and become great pals if you work with them, pay attention to them, and handle them daily. My daughter doesn’t really do that.

She’s more on her phone scrolling social medias, than working with Looney or paying attention to him, but – she loves the heck out of him, and she will talk to him daily, pet him, show him some kind of love – daily.

As long as she’s feeding him, making sure he has water, love and a clean cage, that’s all I ask for. She plays with him often, but she would definitely rather be scrolling – than teaching her bunny tricks.

It is obvious that Looney knows my daughter well, and he loves throwing his bowl to the front of the cage to get her attention when it’s time to eat.

He knows her voice. It’s too cute.

When she walks in the room and talks, his whole body flips around and he’s on his hind legs looking around and waiting for her to come pet him. He loves the moment his cage opens and he knows he’s getting fed, and she has many photos of him just laying on her chest sleeping under the blankets – when she does pay attention to him.

He’s such a loving, sweet Bunny, but he’s so messy.

Let me also tell you – (if you’re thinking of getting a Bunny) – male bunnies can make themselves smell by not cleaning themselves as they should – if they’re horny.

Yep.

I was told by the vet that the smellier the male Bunny is, the more he attracts a female Bunny, and when Looney started smelling so bad, I took him to the vet and found out it’s because he’s not grooming himself. He’s horny. He’s waiting for a female Bunny.

The surgery to have him fixed and get rid of that feeling and smell, and for him to start grooming himself again when he’s fixed? $300-700.

While I truly wish I did my research when I was deciding between another bird and a Bunny, I didn’t and we still love Looney, either way.
He also loves to eat only his treats and tip his whole pellet bowl over, burying them to act like he ate them, and since we were told by the vet he should only be getting hay, with treats every so often – he now has no choice but to only eat hay.

He loves to kick his bedding out of the cage, and bunnies are just such picky, messy cuties. Looney loves head rubs though, and is such a great animal despite all the headaches.

My older son’s dog is Scrappy.

You ever see them videos that say, “Does your dog bite?”, and the reply is, “Not me!?”.

That’s our Scrappy.

Yes, he bites. No, he’s not friendly, and if you get too close to us if he doesn’t know you or you don’t give him time to get used to you before approaching him – he’s going to try to attack.

Let him get to know you and approach slowly.

Pay no attention to him, and once he sees you’re not a threat, he’ll be fine.

Scrappy is friendly with us, but we joke that he can be iffy even with us at times. He’ll cuddle up and want to be pet, but he’ll give the side eye at the same time.

He’s a great protector and barks his ass off when he hears someone by the door, and he’s always on high alert.
If he sees someone approaching us, he’ll give warning growls and barks, and he’s been a great dog for such a long time, but ………….

If I’m being honest – he’s getting older, crabbier, and we don’t know how much more time he has left.

Still, we love him dearly, and no matter what mood he’s in – he’s still part of the family.

There ya have it! Our pets and what makes them unique.

Babes.

Love you!

                     ☺️Shel☺️

What is your favorite quote?

“DO NOT BE AFRAID”.

   I don’t know if this would just be a sentence and saying or an actual quote, but I try to always remember this in everything I do that makes me worried, nervous, scared, etc.

DO NOT BE AFRAID – is written in the Bible many times. I’ve heard it’s written over 365 times, but some say the regular version of the Bible has it written between 70-110 times.

It doesn’t matter how many times it’s written, the Bible repeats it over and over in many chapters and verses.

I’ve actually thought about getting it tattooed on me. 🩵

I think when we’re dealing with difficult situations, choices, problems, and people – that have us feeling anxious and all of the above, it’s hard not to be afraid or wonder what’s going to happen. It’s hard not to fear that everything won’t work out, and we forget that God is in control up there.

It’s hard not to fear the unknown when we have tough things or people to face, but I’ve learned to follow DO NOT BE AFRAID, and add that to my mindset no matter what I’m going through or dealing with.

This has become my favorite saying / sentence / quote, and I live by it!

I think we all should.

                     🥰

I have nothing for you today.

I just wanted to come here and answer this WP prompt.

Today, we’ll just be packing and getting everything ready for our move in a few days.

I can say that this is the perfect example of being worried, nervous, anxious, and afraid, and having to put that (DO NOT BE AFRAID) into play.

I think any big move makes people feel this way, and I just have to know that the Good Lord is in control and will guide us. ❤️

I LOVE YOU and hope you all have the best day!

😴Shel😴

Don’t buy a Car / SUV / Truck from an actual car dealer, unless you’re legit – rich.

I’m so serious, too!

Not only are old school / older model cars better quality and made better – but……………………….

I’ve gotten two cars from an actual car dealer, and both have given me nothing but headaches, drama, and nonsense. One was many years ago, and the other was four years ago when I purchased the car I have now – that’s sitting in the shop with $4,800 worth of work waiting to be put into it.

Any car I’ve gotten off the streets from regular people – mainly older cars I’ve gotten from off the streets – have been beautiful to me, have lasted a long time, and I’ve rarely had problems with those.

Now, I’m not going to sit here and say that you will never have problems with a streetcar, but I’m saying it’s very rare and if you have it checked out first by a legit mechanic – I can almost guarantee that those older cars you can buy from people who have had them for a while, or come from small used car buy here / pay here places with their own cute little shops – are always going to outlast a brand new or used big car dealer car.

That’s just my experience, but I have a good friend who absolutely agrees with me, got all of her cars from the streets, and has never had any issues.

Even if I had tons of money, I could never wrap my head around paying $60,000 – $80,000 for a brand new / used big dealer car – when you can easily get a car for a few thousand off the streets – and have no payments to worry about, or high insurance because you’ll need full coverage for a huge dealer car / truck.

After buying this car I have now from a huge car dealer for $37,000 and the car I had previously from a large car dealer – that both gave me issues and realizing that any car I’ve gotten from the streets – has never given me problems – I have my mind made up.

Any future cars will gladly be purchased from the streets. Plus – if it’s 7-10 years old, and if it’s going to last me another 7-10 years with good maintenance – I’ll take it!

I don’t need anything brand new, flashy or fancy, and I just want a future car to be safe, and reliable.

I’ve totally learned my lessons, and this can be life-changing for someone else who doesn’t realize it yet, but I don’t think I’ll ever walk into a car dealer again, sign my life away, and get myself stuck with monthly payments and hundreds for insurance because it’s a new dealer car.

After my current car broke down, and it’s a newer model as well – and after seeing how expensive newer car repairs are – I was about to go get a new car from a dealer, but I really had to sit and think about it, and I don’t want another monthly payment on a high expensive car.

I just want something I can pay off in one payment, drive and get around.

I’ve done that dealer stuff before, and after having nothing but drama with dealership cars, I will absolutely be finding my future cars with “FOR SALE” signs on sides of different roads or parked somewhere – just waiting for a new owner to come and get their old selves. ha.

I’d happily take an old pickup truck over a brand new one any day.

I’d happily take an older model car over a brand new one any day.

Before I got the car I have now, I had a Ford Explorer.

I don’t remember what year it was, but it was an older SUV. Maybe 2007? I wish I still had the paperwork, but that older Explorer was so good to me, ran beautifully and never gave me any issues.

I only lost that one because I was driving my oldest kiddo somewhere, and we slid on black ice and went into a ditch filled with snow. If I didn’t continue to try to get us out of there and snow didn’t kick up under the hood, I probably would have still had that SUV.

Either way – if you want a life-changing tip – get an older car / SUV / Truck – from the streets. From a regular person selling one.

Don’t get a new or used newer car from the car dealers.

I’ve known many people who went and got new / used dealer cars and had nothing but issues, and I’ve known many who got cars from around their towns or cities and had great experiences.

The only thing I will say when finding a car from the streets / an older model car or truck – like I said before – is to take a mechanic with you just to check it out.

Now, you don’t have to agree with me about getting an older model car anywhere but a dealership – but my experience has always been so much better with older cars coming straight from people – rather than new cars from dealers.

Take my advice or leave it, but that’s my life-changing tip I’ve learned the hard way and live by now. ❤️

Have you seen older classic trucks? They’re so vintage and amazing.

How cool is this one?

I’ve always loved the look of the old school Explorer as well.

There’s something about these older cars that are just so well built and sturdy, and their parts are sometimes cheaper, but could also be harder to find – so it’s just a mix of researching what you’re getting and being smart about it.

Still, you could never convince me NOT to buy an older streetcar from a regular person, because that’s my move from now on.

LIFE-CHANGING TIP. Take it!

Xoxo.

😁Shel😁

Do you think everything happens for a reason?

  This question is the WP writing prompt for today and it made me giggle a bit.

How ironic that this would be the one today.

My car just broke down this week, and when I had it towed to a shop where they have great mechanics that work on foreign cars, I thought it was going to be a simple fix and at the most – a few hundred bucks if even that.

Imagine my shock when the main mechanic called me and told me $4,800.

I had to decide if it was even worth fixing or not, and I also had to make choices because if I don’t have it fixed and I live in this small little town – with everything and work being 30 miles away, I can’t do anything without this car.

Since the beginning of summer, I’ve said that I want to be out of this small little town by the end of the summer, and if I’m going to be without a car for a while, I need to be where everything is close together and I can walk or take Uber / Lyft until I get a new car. I need to be somewhere where I have a way to get to work, and a way to do everything else I need to do or get to places I need to get to.

Part of me was stressed, upset, bothered, annoyed and wondering what the hell I was going to do about this $4,800 bill for a car that’s probably not even worth fixing, and then I was talking to some good friends because if I don’t fix this car – again like I said – I can’t get around, or to work. You don’t work – you don’t pay bills, right?

A good friend of mine (Lily) said, “Well, I know this is hard on you, but let’s think about it! What if God is making you so uncomfortable in Minnesota, that he’s literally trying to push you to come back home to IL. and end this chapter of your life, so you can start your new one back where you have support, love, and people you know?”. She said when he’s about to close one door in someone’s life – he will make them uncomfortable and make their life difficult where they’re at – so that they want to make changes, move forward and help him open new doors.

She feels like God is making me uncomfortable for a reason, and I can’t say I disagree with her. Maybe that’s the case!

I had to laugh when I told her the Devil is kicking my ass and he’s winning, and she came back with, “Or – you can think of it like this! They say that the Devil doesn’t attack someone so hard unless there is something valuable there, or they’re about to find their happiness and he’s trying to stop it!”.

She told me, “Come home, Shel! You belong in IL. and there’s so many more opportunities”.

I’ve missed home, and being in this little town with absolutely nothing for us here has been a struggle. It’s hindered us in a lot of ways, and I had to laugh when my good friend (Ashley) told me, “Hey! You put it out into the universe about what you wanted when you said you wanted to move out of Minnesota by the end of the summer, and going into August there – you’re almost out of the summer season, so you manifested this! Ask and you shall receive! This could be the Universe giving you what you asked for!”.

She said it may not be the way I wanted it to go, or how I planned it – but God and the Universe are telling me it’s time. We shared a good laugh about it, and again – maybe she’s right, too! Maybe it is time to get out of this little town.

Maybe it’s time to let go of this car that has given me nothing but issues since I got it years ago, and get a new one.

Maybe it’s time to start the next chapter and finally get my career going in the field I want it to be in, and that only happens if I go where there’s better opportunities like Lily said and if I keep my Faith over my fears.

Ashley yesterday asked if I’ve been reading my Bible, and she’s on her journey to be closer to God – reading her Bible and writing down verses / scriptures to tape around her house. I told her I have not. She asked if I had a Bible. I told her I have a few (I do!). I told her they are in a bin in my closet somewhere, and she told me I need to take one out and get to reading my Bible, and find the verses that deal with fear, and trusting God.

Ashley was very serious about taking this as a sign from God – that it’s time to make changes and put my faith in him. That it’s time to let go of this place, and my life here and start over back home in IL. That it’s time to take chances and let God “teach me how to fly!”.

I know that my time in Minnesota has come to an end, and friends are right.

It’s time to go home.

There’s nothing for us out here anymore, and there’s no reason to stay, so what if God is using this car issue to make me uncomfortable, so I have no choice but to move somewhere where I can actually thrive and grow?! It’s a thought.

I’ve wanted to go back home for a while now, and now that my youngest daughter graduated high school, and my little dude is homeschooling this year, we have no more reason to stay stuck here, and if we continue to stay in Minnesota – in our small little town – we’re not going to get anywhere – anytime soon, and time is just going to pass us by – with no improvements, and with very little happiness.

I know what I have to do, but the fear is there and of course – there’s job hunting and looking for a new place to live out in IL. There’s moving trucks, and storage rentals for now, and so many other aspects that I’ll be working on today, and I pray everything goes well.

Yes. We will be moving, and I’ve made that decision already.

I think it will be good for our mental health because we’ve been so unhappy and unsettled here, and because there’s so much more in IL. to do – to see – and people we love and miss dearly – to be around.

My brother has talked about coming out here to help us get everything together and help us move back, and he’s even offered to let us stay with him until I find a place out there, but – let me tell you – as much as I appreciate him and his girlfriend for that – it’s not going to work.

Our three animals. His three animals. My three kids. His two boys, and his girlfriend’s two teenagers, and then all of us – it would be a total madhouse. Plus, he lives on the Southside of Chicago, and I joked that I’m “retired from the South”. 😁

Don’t get me wrong. I love the southside and they know how to party, but it’s not my vibe anymore. I want to be in a country setting with a little town feel – without actually being in the country or a little town if that makes sense.

My aunt and Uncle live in a beautiful little area and we’ll be staying somewhere around there.

So, we’re really making this move, and I’m excited, but I’m scared.

I’m really getting rid of “Maggie” – the car I’ve had for years now and have loved driving, but the same car that has drove me crazy with problem after problem.

I’m nervous.

I’m worried.

I’m praying so hard that God is in control of this move, and that everything is going to be just fine. ❤️ I pray we find a place with a lot of lighting because the one we have now – faces the parking lot and doesn’t let in much natural light. I pray I find a much better family SUV and not another small car like this one I have now, and I pray that IL. works out so much better for us than Minnesota did.

We moved to Minnesota because my oldest daughter moved here first when she turned 18, and when we visited her………………………………

(Imagine my sarcastic voice as you read this)……………………………………………

“The trees were so pretty, and the pine trees smelled so fresh”.

“The air was so clean, and we could see the stars so clearly with no city lights or streetlights”.

“There’s no traffic – like AT ALL – unless it’s a tractor here and there that we get stuck behind”.

“There’s so many lakes, and the closest one is 3 blocks down”.

“Oh my God! There’s cows next door and they sound so beautiful when they Moo!”.

And – there we so many other reasons we decided that we were going to live here one day, but once we got a taste of this little town life – we wondered what the hell we got ourselves into, and we regretted it only two years after moving here.

It’s hilarious because when I thought I wanted the country life – I went out and brought a Christmas ornament that says “Country girl” on it, and I joked with my kids that I’m tossing it in the garbage when I do decorate for Christmas as soon as we get a new place. 🤣

🎵 COUNTRY ROADS – TAKE ME HOME – to the place – where I belong! 🎵

So, this weekend – we’ll be packing up, getting rid of things we don’t need, use or want – and heading back soon.

I pray I’m making the right decision for myself and my kids. I know there’s better jobs, more money, and more things to do out there, and I’m excited about that.

I’m walking in faith right now and trusting God to let it all work out.

No. I don’t want my car anymore and I don’t want to pay the crazy $4,800 to have it fixed and still have more issues down the road like I’ve been having, and no. I don’t want to spend another year in Minnesota, so I almost feel like the good Lord is like, “It’s now or never!”.

I believe Lily and Ashley when they say maybe this is God’s way of saying – it’s time – and I’m going to roll with those positive thoughts, trust him, and hope that he’s making me this uncomfortable now – to get my ass moving and go back home to really truly be happy and live again – instead of struggling here and just ‘surviving’.

I will miss the frogs that sit on my patio at night and drive our cat crazy. lol.

I will miss the amazing people I’ve met here that have become a huge part of my life, and I know my daughter will miss her amazing friends. I know my little dude will miss his that he’s made here.

I will miss the woman who saved my life here – when I was at my lowest after my older daughter passed away. My Coffee pal. My sit and talk on the couch about everything and nothing pal. My laughing buddy. (Rachel).

I will miss good teachers at the school, and especially one who absolutely adores my Elijah, and he absolutely adores her.

I will miss no traffic, seeing tractors as soon as we turn the corner by our house, hearing the cows Moo next door, having the lake a few blocks down, and so many other things that made Minnesota beautiful.

I will not miss the lack of food choices, the 200 round-abouts, the clicky people, the gossip that spreads faster than wildfires in this little town, the huge spiders in the fall that like to attach themselves to the sides of the building (ha), everything closing at 8 PM or when the sun goes down, the fact that they do NOT sell wine in regular stores like Walgreens and CVS like IL. does, and I won’t miss the stress of everything being miles and hours away.

I’m going to love being back where we can see doctors a few days after we make an appointment and not months from whenever we call. I’m going to love that if one of us have to go to the hospital – there’s plenty of choices, rather than one hospital in the entire damn county. I’m going to love that the fact that my kids can see a dentist a few days after a phone call and again – not months in the future.

I’m going to love being able to see close family and friends whenever, and making new memories with them, taking new photos, etc. and actually having places to take the kids – that I don’t have to drive hours to. I’m going to love being around Mexican, Puerto Rican and Greek food places again, and having stores that sell things I want to learn how to cook.

I’m going to love – LOVE – LOVE – being home in IL. to actually be able to turn on 93.9 LITE FM on the radio and hearing Delilah again or hearing the team turn on the holiday lite – and not having to stream it from Minnesota.

I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!! *High pitched shhhhhhrrrrriiiieeeeeekkkkk*.

So, that’s exciting.

I think I’m making the right decision by going back, starting over, and just being home with loved ones.

The fact that I’ll be able to see my nephews whenever I want to and take them out and possibly see and get to know my niece if her mother allows – even better!

I can think of 100 reasons to be happy to move back home and let this place go, and only a few reasons to stay here in Minnesota, so the PROS right now – outweigh the cons of packing up and going back.

Part of me wants to believe that my car breaking down was a blessing in disguise and I’m taking it as one now, because if my car didn’t break down and it wasn’t so much to fix and not worth it – I wouldn’t have realized that there are so many pros of just heading back.

There were two other times that I felt like maybe we should go back, but I forced myself to stay, and Ashley feels like this is God’s way of getting my attention for the 3rd time – and told me to pay attention this time.

Did I mention that she’s on her God journey?

I’d like to think she’s right about everything, and again – I just pray my decision is the right one and we live happily ever after back home.

Pray for me and my kids as we go back and start fresh in our state. ❤️

So, do I believe everything happens for a reason?

Yes. Just like I believe my car breaking down – forced me to realize that it’s time to go home and get a new car on top of it. A more reliable car that isn’t giving trouble every other month.

When things go bad, or don’t work out the way you want them to – believe everything is for a reason, and things work out the way they should…………..

God knows what he’s doing up there. 😊

XOXO

😊Shel😊