Beta I and Beta II

A few months ago a friend posted on Facebook that they were moving and would someone please adopt their beta fish.  Being the lonesome girl that I am, I sent a message and she delivered the fish to my office the next day.  The kids wanted to know if they could come and visit the beta anytime.  I said SURE!

I took the fish home and he wouldn't eat.  He lived for about a week without eating and then one morning he was racing around the jar he lived in like something was after him.  When I came home for lunch he was belly up and he found his resting place in the white throne.

I immediately went to Petco and bought another beta because I was so afraid that the previous owner kids would want to come and see the fish.  I bought another beta that was very similar, but not identical.  He is a very beautiful bluish turquoise color.  His name is Shark, which inspires him to be the best he can be.  He started eating the next day after he came home with me.  I like him a lot.  Except I think that he is trying to live up to his name and is trying to eat me.  Twice he has gnawed on my finger when I dipped it in the vase during a feeding frenzy.  Holy smoke Shark, down boy.  Then tonight when I was sprinkling his odd-shaped worms on the water for the feeding, he jumped at me again.  It isn't like he doesn't get fed.  He eats well and jumps at his food like he has to kill it.

A couple of weeks ago I bought another beta fish.  He is such a beautiful pink.  I remember when my kids used to have beta fish and we would put them side by side in their tank and watch them flare at each other.  It was the thrill of the day.  My two fish must be used to each other because they don't care and don't ever flare at each other.  But Shark does continue to try to eat me.  My new fish isn't this dark coral, he is lighter and pinker.  The new fish is named Fin.

I like these guys.  They know me....not like "Hi Cheeryl, how are you today?"  But as soon as I walk into the room they are flipping and flopping all over the place trying to get attention.  Perhaps it is because I am the bearer of food.  Even when I put them on the table when I am studying, they move to the side of their tank where I am.  I kinda think they like company too....well at least I know they like food.

Life Isn't Easy I

It breaks my heart to see so much strife in this life.  People driving into washed out roads and a teenager killed...an 8 year old boy, walking home from day camp, killed and dismembered...and health problems...and emotional upsets....and more marriage problems and divorces.  Why can't we all just be ok?  Why can't we all just get along?  Why are these bodies temporary and falling apart?

Some days the only things that pull me through the sadness and depression of life are the little happy things I find around me...my quilting class, block of the month; taking a grandson to a splash pad and watching him make new friends; the sun on my face; two roosters in the neighborhood that wake me up each morning at 4:00 am; the flowers on my porch; my grandbabies, O how I love them; my children, they inspire me; Luke Peterson's farm open for business; people that recognize me because of my kids; and music and stories and scenery that touches my heart and soul.

I organized all my paperwork.  It only took all day Saturday last week and part of this week, but it is done.  I loved the surprises I found as I went through it.  Dated memories.  Poems from my children and one in particular from Kateka.  Coupon book of service from Tazia.  Letters from my missionary boy Travis.  Pictures of Makayla and jj just after they were married at Christmastime, they just glowed.  I finally have all my paperwork in one filing cabinet in my closet.  Even just getting one part of my life organized makes me happy.

So I guess the message of this blog is that through all the trials, and misery that we face as mortals, there is still so much to enjoy and be happy about.  Generally it is the small things that make us feel ok again. I am back to  coming up with a happy thought each day.  This was an emotional survival technique that me and the kids came up with at a point in our lives when we were so sad after the emotional earthquake in our lives.  It was amazing to me how well it worked!  In fact, one of the papers that I found while going through paperwork was from Kateka, and it said, "Here is your happy thought for the day" and it was something about getting together after school, after work.  Just the smallest things can make such a difference.  Sometimes that small thing is something you do for someone else to lighten and brighten their day.  My dad always used to tell me that "Happiness is a by-product of things you do for others."  Thanks dad.

Sometimes happiness is a byproduct of taking the time to notice the little things that make a big difference.

Hexbug Nano

I bought two Hexbug Nano for the grandbabies to play with when they come over.  Gentry slept over last night so I got the Hexbugs out.  One is black and the other is green.  I think the green one is a little faster.  The Hexbugs are eerily realistic and remind me of crickets.  They were crawling all over the counter and then jumping, and crawling all over the floor and under the door into the pantry, and then getting lost under the goodie cabinet and were out of control.  You should see them crawl across the keyboard of the computer...I really had to resist the urge to get the fly swatter out and beat the L out of them.  I knew they needed to be contained.  I got out a cookie sheet and the Hexbugs were so happy to be running on it.  They run into the walls and immediately turn and head in another direction.  They bump into each other and it doesn't even phase them.  They flop over on their sides and immediately can right themselves.

These are pretty amazing little pieces of technology.  We took them with us outside to dig in the flower garden, and they came along when we had lunch, and Gentry just found a new habitat for them in the lid of the taffy jar.  We have had to try them out on every surface we could find.  Hey, how does it work on my arm?  How about in your hair?  How about on the driveway?  Can they move in carpet?  Now we want to get 20.
http://www.hexbug.com/nano
Gentry just asked me "What if they were called Creepytrons?" He will have to design those.