Weekend in Pictures

It has been a minute since I stepped in here to blog. I have been floating around the blogsphere, just not motivated enough to write much. I am so appreciative of all the kind words that were shared after my last post. I really appreciated it. Also, I am grateful for a few who emailed me to check on me. Your sincere concern is appreciated. We still don't have a lot of new information on the job situation, so I am just standing still and staying prayerful. I am standing in the middle of His will.

Enjoying good music and good times !

I had a lovely weekend starting on Friday night, me and my Beau and some friends went to Miller Outdoor Theatre in the Museum District to watch a performance called the Motown Review. This is an annual event for four nights usually during this same time each year. A lot of talented local artists and musicians perform a wide range of music from 60's, 70's and 80's. It is an awesome show and family friendly. You can bring your own picnic, coolers, blankets, chairs and relax on the hill & watch the show. The best part
is that it is  Free.99 ! LOL

Mr.Mixologist mixing his famous libations !

We enjoyed ourselves that night, and were so thrilled by how inexpensive the whole evening was since the concert didn't cost us anything & we brought our own food and drinks.  After all that bragging,we get to the car & discover a parking ticket that we got along with about 20 other cars ! We were parked along a curb that is evidently for bus loading/unloading. We were pissed ! My problem with this ticket is that the show does not start until 8:15 pm. I am SURE that  no buses were coming into the area during that time, but sure enough there was a sign posted. We just parked behind a long row of vehicles in the same area thinking it was after hours, so they surely would not be writing tickets. I guess the good luck is that we weren't towed.

Charlene had to get on her feet for the Michael Jackson Medley !

Everybody enjoyed themselves 

While fuming about the ticket & loading up the vehicles with all our things, my beloved Mr.Mixologist dropped the keys in the trunk of the car and closed it without realizing it !!!! So then we had to call AAA to get us back into the vehicle....oh what a night ! But it was fun all and all, we just had to laugh about it all once we made it home LOL


Saturday, we went to what is probably our last Crawfish boil of the season since it is almost June. They were pretty good too. We probably have about 3 more weeks before they start getting too small to fool with, but I managed to get my fill on Saturday night.

Luv those mudbugs !

Mr Mixologist does not each Crawfish, so luckily they had some other things to eat. But really as long as he has someplace to smoke his Cigars, talk about Cigars, share his knowledge of Cigars, he is a happy camper. He is easy to please, so very laid back.

Mr. Mixologist dropping some Cigar Knowledge LOL

The night would not have been complete without a dance contest and a Karaoke contest. My friend Kim's family never lacks entertainment and once the challenge is thrown out, my friend Charlene cannot back down! She truly believes she can out dance anybody LOL I promise you that on Sunday morning, I had no voice from laughing so hard at all that went on. You can see one of my other friends below  in the doorway wiping tears from her eyes from laughing so hard.  Fun times indeed !

Old School Dance Off !

On Sunday, I helped my best friend host her daughter's Birthday Party and I will blog about that tomorrow. Monday, I did absolutely nothing but get some much needed rest. I felt a little guilty for about 5 minutes LOL. All we did was watch movies and relax. We even bought barbecue from Harris County Smokehouse instead of firing up the grill and it was on point ! I enjoyed a wonderful weekend and hope you did too.


How was your holiday ?

Did you do anything special?

What did you eat this weekend ?

Beautifully Complex 

  

Sun Shining..Rain Comes..Clouds Clear..Sun Returns

It's been a minute since I have been here and I have had my hands full dealing with LIFE.  Not that it's anything that many others aren't also dealing with.   As they say, "there is nothing new under the sun". Sometimes though, when things happen, you just have to be still and listen. That's what I have been doing while I was away.  My company dropped the bomb a couple of weeks ago. They have their "corporate speak" and are calling this a "Migration" but we all know that it means downsize/layoff/reorganization since so many people aren't mobile to the city they are migrating us to for various reasons. I am truly not interested in relocating there either, as I have gotten settled into Houston, really like the city, and have managed to finally find love here. There is a good chance I will not have to move, due to the specific nature of what I do, but there is no guarantee as ALL departments are being looked at & possibly redesigned. If push comes to shove, I may have to go for a short time, but it will be with an exit strategy for sure to get to a city I really want to be in.

Honestly, I haven't been nearly as upset as the majority of my co-workers & I think that's because I already had my life turned upside down just a few years back & although it took me quite some time to recover, transition and land on my feet, I gained some perspective I never would have had without those life changing situations. If you are a new reader/lurker, it is pretty much summarized in a nutshell here.  Even still, that does not make me immune to the feelings of my peers. People are having a HARD time with this. There have been many tears (openly), depression has set in and morale is horrible. The energy is just bringing me down, even though I feel confident that it will be okay. I really dread going into the office on the rare occasions that I have to, because it can be so draining. On my own, I am cool, but seeing others so hurt is hard.  Barrista posted something on her blog today, which summed up the way I feel, but having her say it, made me feel all the more better:

This will be my 3rd time going through a layoff (2 mergers and a downsizing) and all have taken me to bigger and better things. I also know that every single thing works out in the end the way it’s supposed to and there’s nothing to be gained in stressing something you can’t change. Aight? 

I can be honest an express that one of the things that I have been contemplating is how this situation  may impact my relationship with Mr. Mixologist. This is still somewhat new.  Oh,  he has definitely gone out of his way to really assure me of his commitment to this relationship and has been very supportive, encouraging and open to the whole situation, which has been a great feeling.  Honestly, I was enjoying the ride we have been on, coasting along at our own leisurely pace and this situation has just added unwanted pressure ( in my mind). I mean, I just want this relationship to evolve organically into what it is supposed to be.  I have prayed about it and am doing my best not to over think it, and just know that it is going to be what it is going to be. Trust God and let it go.

In the midst of all of this work stuff, on the family side of things,  my mom has been recently expressing some  worry about my Dad's health, specifically she is having serious concerns that he is having problems remembering things, repeating himself in short time spans, and she is alarmed........ no, correct that, she is scared that this could be really something serious, and one of the most unsettling feelings is hearing the fear in your parent's voice.  I feel so helpless being so far away.  Me & Mr. Mixologist traveled to where my parents live a couple of weeks ago for my Aunt's 60th Birthday Party. I don't know if it's the power of suggestion or what , but my Dad does seem a little different to me. Just a bit more fragile than the last time I saw him & just not himself at all times. He has a doctor's appointment scheduled for this week and I just hope we can get to the bottom of it.

I had a Manager at work that used to say, "Nothing too good, or too bad, lasts for too long".  One of my most  favorite Pastor's used to say, " Either you are going through a storm, coming out of a storm or heading towards a storm. "  An that just about summarizes life to me. None of us know what crosses we will have to bear in this life or for how long. There is no magical place that you get to, where everything is fine and it seems that if you ever get close to that point, you worry when it will end. I don't say any of this to sound negative & I really  hope that it doesn't come across that way, I am just reflecting on things and trying to position myself to respond positively to each situation as it comes. I know that everything is going to work out for my good.   That is why I always try to stand in the sun when it's shining on me because I know the clouds will come, but the truth is, they too always part, and the sun comes right back out again !

I count on the Sun to come back out, each and every day. I go to sleep each night and never worry that it's not coming up tomorrow. I don't even give it a second thought. It never crosses my mind, what if the sun doesn't come up tomorrow ? I lay down with the full confidence that He will make the sun rise tomorrow. I don't know how he does and couldn't begin to figure that out for myself, but I trust that it will be.  Just as it is with the smaller things in this life. I will put my faith in Him and stand on his word.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen".    Hebrews 11:1 


How do you handle life's challenges ?   Is religious faith part of your life ?

Thoughts ?    Questions ?    Comments ?

Beautifully Complex