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Hello from Quarantine

4/2/2020

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I honestly don't even know what day it is. I don't know how many days we have been "staying home".  Our life has been off track since March 3, 2020. That stinking tornado. 
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<-- You wanna Pin that? Go for it!
Life was going to be a little odd for all of our DCA family. The administration worked tirelessly to find temporary housing for our kids... When it looked like we were going to open back up for school, COVID-19 took over. And we, like the rest of the country, opted for distance learning. 

We received word that school (hopefully) will resume on 4/27. Reagan is counting down the days. Riley is loving life. Remy is wondering where all his people are. The introvert in me is thrilled, but it is starting to get to me. I'm sure Stu is over-the-moon to be with us all the time. All. The. Time. 

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The Aftermath

3/11/2020

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In the week following the tornado, I have been in a haze. I think I'm just know coming out of my shocked state. It has been almost an out-of-body experience. Like it's happening to someone else. 

A few things have caught my attention though. And I want to share just a few observations. 
1. God's timing is incredible.
In my last post, I talked about the moments the tornado actually made its way through our neighborhood. I didn't discuss our school at all. Donelson Christian Academy, the amazing school all three Stus attend and the place I work, was devastated. The preschool is completely gone. Nothing remains of Remy's section of the school. The lower elementary wing was wiped out. It is a pile of rubble. 

Had school been in session when the tornado reared its ugly head, I don't think I'd be here to write at all. 

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The Night of Nightmares

3/9/2020

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I knew the rain was coming. On my way home from work, the radio DJ mentioned the yucky weather we were going to get. Apparently some nasty cells would be moving through middle Tennessee between 1-4am. 

I listened. Well, half-listened. I was thinking about other things... I was tired. It had been a long day. I was hungry. 
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We went to sleep pretty early. I think the entire family was in bed by 9pm. 

I was not sleeping well. Between Remy's intermittent screaming and Stu's obnoxious snoring, sleep was just not happening. I dozed in and out. Around 12:30am my subconscious zeroed in on the flickering power. And I was slowly pulled from my dream. 

I lay there watching the sky. The lightning storm was insane. I remember vaguely thinking the storm had rolled in early. It was not quite 1am yet. 
At 12:47am (isn't odd how we look at the clock and the numbers just stick sometimes?), I got up. Nature was calling. I thought I should go now before the power goes out and wakes up the baby. I was still standing next to my bed. 

The next few things happened so quickly I am not even sure if I am recounting them in the correct order. 

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Trading Flip Flops for Cowboy Boots

6/10/2019

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Ok, I probably will not rock cowboy boots. 

We are moving to Nashville, Tennessee! I can't quite believe it. Stu and I have been trying to move our family out of Florida for 13 years. And it is finally happening. 
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As our wedding approached in 2006, we went to Nashville for job interviews (Stu even had an official offer from a police department) and shopped for houses with a realtor. Then some conversations happened, decisions were made, and we stayed in Florida. Since then, we have randomly attempted to find jobs in various other states... I think at least 10 states have our resumes. The doors never opened. 

So we stayed. 

And dreamt of four seasons. 

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Hurricane Irma

9/13/2017

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Hurricane Pro: 
- There is plenty of time to get the house boarded up, buy water and food.
- They boost the economy (water, gas, hotels, food, etc).
Hurricane Con:
- Duh, they cause an insane amount of damage.
- They are disruptive to our lives, way of life, and livelihoods. 
- It can feel like an eternity of time passes.
Obviously, these are not complete lists. They are my snarky thoughts as I am feeling them at the moment. I am coming out of my hurricane hole. Irma put me in a funk. This felt like the longest storm - and I was around for all the 2004-05 hurricanes and went without power for weeks! Irma drained me mentally, emotionally. She stressed me out.  

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Life Without Wifi... Stinks!

5/3/2017

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We moved into our new house about 2 weeks ago. Immediately after closing and getting the keys, we called to get all the usual utilities set up. This included a call to the cable and internet company. 

They told us for new construction, that had to come out and hook some things up. Ok. No worries.
They told us, because of the volume of new construction around us, it was going to be 2 weeks before they could get to us. Huh? Two weeks without internet? How are we supposed to live? 

Riley was crushed when I told him. It took the fun right out of the new house purchase (for him). And I think he probably contemplated asking if he could remain at Grammie's house for a few more weeks. 
Well, I am SO HAPPY to tell you that our time is up. We are back in the land of the living. Our zero-bars lifestyle is done! We survived! 

Truthfully, it was more of a major inconvenience than anything else. It seems our whole world requires a strong wifi signal. And our black days have probably cost us, I'm sure my cell phone data usage is outrageous. (Sorry hun... just remember you love me and the kids.) 
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The New Stu Casa

4/13/2017

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Huge news from our family... We bought a house!
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I am having a difficult time putting into words just how special this is to me and Stu. Allow me a moment to ramble. 

About a year after I graduated from FSU, I bought a townhouse. Stu and I have a lot of awesome memories wrapped up in that townhouse. Stu moved in when we got hitched. It was the house we brought both of our babies home to when they were born. 
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The Difference Between Us

3/23/2017

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It's interesting how different we all are as humans. I think that's probably the reason I was always drawn to literature, I like to study people. I am interested in behaviors, motives, character. 

We can learn a lot from reading. Books teach us things. They show us that utopian worlds are often far from it. They teach us that kindness and courage go a long way. They tell us that Good will win over Evil. Literature makes it seem so black and white. If you are a good person, you will come out ahead in the end. This is the one I struggle with the most. I don't know if it transfers well into real life. 
What is good? What is evil? They are a lot like beauty - in the eye of the beholder. In the real world, it's important to look beyond the surface to find the good and bad apples. 

There are plenty of people who look shiny, perfect, blessed and happy, but when you open them up, some are the most rotten apples. These apples will tell you all sorts of wonderful and kind things to your face. But their behavior will not match their words. They will behave one way in front of some people and do a 180 when around a different group. In front of some, they will have nothing but kind words for you, honey flowing from their lips, praise and love for all to see; privately they will hardly open their door to receive you. 

Then there are the apples that fell off the tree long ago. They are bruised; they've been kicked around. They do not sparkle. These apples are rough and tough. They are harder to cut open. Because these apples won't kiss your butt or shower you with constant flattery, some people won't even bother to pick them up. These apples are quieter than the first group. They often appear rude because they sit silently and observe. 
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People are quick to judge. And the first apple is often dubbed the good one. 

I have a connection to the latter group. Give me fallen apples any day. I, myself, definitely fall into that group. I do not show my core easily. You have to earn that. Shiny apples refer to us as cynical or mean. I disagree. I am not cynical, I just might not like you. I choose to be real. My life is not perfect, but I do not feel the need to project a perfect image. I know plenty of cynical shiny apples... shiny apples sometimes make their Facebook posts pessimistic as a way to have others compliment them, shower them with affection, buff them (to extend the analogy). 

So, what to do? 

Books teach us that the true character of a person reveals itself through actions. Character is what a person is like when he/she does not think anyone is watching. No one is perfect. I have yet to meet a single perfect, sinless apple. 

I tell my kids to watch and listen - pick apples who do kind things (without seeking recognition for it), pick apples who are honest, do NOT pick apples based solely on what they project to the world. And most important, it is ok to put an apple down and walk away if you feel you made a bad choice. 
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I'm Losing It

3/10/2017

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Do you ever feel like life is getting away from you? 

Like you're trying to hold on, pay attention to the small things, accomplish all you can in each day... yet, they seem to be blowing by? 

​I do. 
I'm not unhappy. Quite the opposite. Things are wonderful in the Stu household (knock on wood). It just seems like some aspects of my life are moving at a snail's pace (like the afternoons when R & R decide they can't stand each other) and other parts are whizzing by me (I feel like it was just Christmas, but we are well into March). 

Ugh. 

When was the last time I wrote a post for this site? One of my New Year's Resolutions was to write (and post) twice a week, at minimum. Broke that already. Although, did I really break it if I was busy on another site? I mean, technically I have been writing... 

I've also been teaching... you know, that whole homeschool thing. 
I've also been editing... something I love that makes Stu happy.

But, that's about it. I think those things sums up my life. 
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Our 365 Project - January

2/1/2017

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A friend on Instagram should definitely be credited for this idea. Her brilliance pushed me to take more pictures. She uploads a photo everyday.

This morning, I saw her fantastic January slideshow. I immediately downloaded Collect (the app). And I had to make my own! 

It was outrageously easy. And I am SO excited with it! 
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Check out my talented friend on her website (click the photo).

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