Courtesy

I am really not one to complain about disrespect from clients, but today...I will. I have been in the business long enough to know that some people have no respect to pick up the phone to call and cancel or reschedule an appointment. Usually I just chalk it up to another disrespectful person, someone who thinks it's ok to waste another persons time, then I go on about my day.

I have not been feeling well this week and haven't worked much, so when I had a full day today, I was pleased.  Still not feeling well, I pushed on to come to work. I took Natalie to school this morning to find that she was in a funk and had a hard time with me leaving her today. I felt this extreme guilt for pushing her off on her teacher so I could get to work. (I have the luxury of working when I want as to be with her as much as possible, but today was one day I had to work.) I arrive to work and begin to prepare my station, when I realize, it's 10:15 and my client isn't here. Just then, one of the girls that works for me comes and says "your client is on the phone wanting to know if she can still come in". She then tells me this same client is a frequent "no show".  (not to mention, she took up about 2 1/2hours of my schedule because she told the receptionist, she really wasn't sure what she wanted to do). I picked up the phone to talk with her, fully prepared to try and get her in somewhere else in my day. There was no apology, no remorse. All she said was "I had an appointment today at 10a, but I just woke up, can I still come in?" Seriously?? I wanted to give her a piece of my mind, but instead I kindly offered her my next available appointment. She was not satisfied with that because she had to go to work.  Really?

Here's a quote to remember "keep it, cancel it or make it!" When someone "No Shows" they are letting me know that they are so much more important than me and my time and my job mean nothing to them.

OK...done. I got it out. I feel better. Not another word.

Love these girls

Gracie, Shiloh, Natalie

Gracie and Shiloh came over yesterday to spend the day with Nat and I, and a delightful day it was! These three girls are just so precious, smart, fun and the cutest I have ever known! Of course they are typical little girls. Meaning that they do come with challenges sometimes. Nothing terrible, but little spats break out here and there. I am the pushover out of all the adults in their lives and they know it, but hey- someone has to be, right? We ended our day together yesterday at the park for about 2 hours. They played so hard and had a wonderful time. They were not however impressed at all that I stopped their play to make them strike a pose! I had to, that was the only pic I took all day. I loved hanging out with them all day. They each have these little individual personalities and quirks and I love learning more and more about them. Gracie, she is such a little teaser! That girl doesn't know what it means to be serious. Natalie is such a mother hen. She tries to baby and take care of anyone younger than her, which really irritates Shiloh! Speaking of Shiloh, she has been the baby for so long (not much longer though). She is so sweet, but she can hold her own with the older girls. She takes nothing from them and has learned to be a big girl so fast! (more on her next week when I post her birthday blog- wait until you see the pic for that!)  They are all so different, yet they fit together so well! God help that baby boy, who is on the way!

 

Fruit Plum-sy

1/2 plum cut in chunks (with a butter knife)

1 tsp. sugar

1 package of princess fruit snacks

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp. sugar

Stir

Place all into a small baking dish

1 tsp sugar

Bake in unheated oven for 4 minutes

It smells amazing, but she is taking it to aunt Ne Ne for tasting. Her choice not mine!! I must say, I am ok with that!

I love bananas

Ok, not really. I hate them actually. I don't like the smell, the texture or the taste! I thought naming this story "I love bananas" would bring more humor to it. When Nat was a baby one of the first foods she ate was bananas. I bought them organic

and smashed them up for her and she tore. them. up. Loved them! I suffered through my disgust for my baby to have something she liked. When she was about 3 she suddenly didn't like bananas any longer. I kept buying them thinking it was just a phase. After wasting dozens and about a year later, I realized she really didn't like them anymore. To save face here, I am NOT the cause of this, I tried!

On with the story...

She and I were at the supermarket a few days ago, starting in the produce area. The conversation goes like this...

N: mama can I get some bananas?

Me: why do you want to get bananas? You don't even like them.

N: I do now

Me: no honey, I am not getting bananas, you won't eat them.

N: please oh please, I eat them with daddy

Me: ( thinking, maybe she has been eating them again) Ok you can pick out 2.

N: yay! can I carry them

Me: Yes, but in a bag.

N: I want to eat one now

Me: lets just wait until we get home (knowing deep down she hates them, and not wanting to have a situation at a later time)

N: please oh please!

Me: ok, but you have to eat the whole thing. No spitting it out.

N: Yay! Ok!

We continued making our way around the store, as I kept watching her with this banana. I saw her trying to swallow it, but it just wouldn't go down. However she didn't say a word. She just kept putting more in her mouth, as if it would be easier to swallow. Then she gave me the look and just shook her head, as if she were telling me "I can't do it".

I am cracking up now as I write about it, but at that very moment,

 I. was. irritated.

I knew that if I didn't intervene, she was going to puke right there in the store. I pulled the other banana out of the bag, and made her spit the mush out. I made her take the other banana back to where she got it. It was very obvious I was not happy about it and I might have lost my "mother of the year" award, but not another word was spoken about it.

I had every intention to pay for that one banana, but I totally forgot to tell the cashier to put it on my bill.  I put it on my grocery list to pay for it next time.

And that my friends, will be the last time I ever buy a banana!

Trusting God to Provide

"test me in this...and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing, that you will not have enough room for it" Malachi 3:10

God wants us to test Him on His Word. When I read this, I asked how am I supposed to test God? I always thought one shouldn't test or play games with God. That is not what is meant here though. Testing God equals Trusting God. We are to be obedient and trust Him whether in time of Joy or time of despair. We need to have Patience and always remember that He knows the How, When and Why. This isn't easy! I am notorious for rushing things along or worrying about things or trying to figure it out myself. I am here to say, "that has never worked out for me"! I have made it a point to let it go in every circumstance, and I can say "that IS working out for me".

This week has been terribly slow as far as business goes for the salon. Not good for the budget at all, but I have been so productive this week. I have been able to get things taken care of that have needed done for weeks.  I paid all the bills with some funds left over! Without going into the whole, long, winding story, there was a little financial blessing that was unfolded right after I paid the last bill! Amazing, isn't it?

Patio Garden Completed

natalie watering the plants

We spent our good Friday afternoon planting our herb garden, and had a blast doing it I must say! Natalie was so helpful in the planting process, which made it even more fun and even more messy! In our garden, you will find Basil, Rosemary, Parsley, Cilantro, Oregano and Lavender. We also planted some Tulips and Hyacinth in pots. 

We have plans to try out strawberries in a pot and a few other flowers. As for now, we are giving this little garden the TLC it needs. The oregano and cilantro are kind of an educational experiment. We are starting those from seeds. I will be quite impressed and pleased with myself if these two actually turn out.

Patio Garden

our tiny pot of oregano seeds

I am going to try my hand at a bit of gardening. Nothing major, as it will be a little

 patio gardening. I plan on growing most of the herbs that I use, a few pots of flowers and strawberries. I'm not sure how the berries will work, but I was told you could grow them in a pot. They may end up getting transplated to my sister's garden.

I decided to give this a shot when I spent $10 on herbs for a meal or two, then had to throw them away when they retired. That is crazy, why not grow them myself, and snip off what I need, when I need it.

Waste not. Want not.

I bought these little kits to start the seeds for later transplant. I bought basil and oregano. When I opened the basil, there were no seeds, so as of now, or until later this afternoon, we have two pots of oregano.

More to come on my little patio garden.

FAITH

This devotion comes from Happily Ever After by Kristin Armstrong, day 32 from my journal.

Child-like Faith for Grown up Dreams

2 Corinthians 5:17

God never asks us to settle for anything less than he intends,
WE are the ones who settle. We hold ourselves back to please people with a limited view. As a child, I had big dreams! As most childhood dreams do, mine crashed in the REALITY called LIFE. Change is hard and it sometimes hurts, but it can be used as a time to reflect and remember how you
 USED to see yourself. Resurrect your youthful dreams that you dismissed impossible.
Nothing. Is. Impossible.

What I am reading

Since about 2 weeks after my divorce, I began searching for books to read, books of devotions, and websites. Everything I picked up was "how to be the wife he needs", or "steps to fixing your marriage". Ok, not exactly what I was searching for. I mean really! I read these types of books when the marriage was struggling. I. was. past. that. I needed something modern, to help me after the divorce. After reading through book summaries that made me feel like I was horrible, I finally found two books by Kristin Armstrong -the ex-wife of Lance Armstrong. The first one I read is called Work in Progress and unfinished Woman's guide to Grace. LOVE. IT! It is a must read for any woman. It's not just about getting through a divorce, but going through Life being a woman of GRACE. In the midst of reading that I began the second. Happily Ever After, is a daily devotional directed towards that year after going through the divorce. I am a little slow moving through it, as when I get busy, I skip a day or so.  I have journaled some of the devotions. I would like to share them in blog-world. Her words opened my eyes to step out of my box and not feel sorry for myself, but to live this life how I was meant to live it. She was very encouraging.