Reporting for Duty, General

One of my greatest earthly joys is , The Princess. She is having a birthday week blowout in the days leading up to the Palooza, itself.

The Princess loves to be around all her family and likes them to go with her to birthday celebrations whether they be dog shows, trips to the beach, camping, shopping, zoos or amusement parks.

This has not been a problem until this year. Pa has a new wife. Wife has kids.
Mimi doesn't have a BOYFRIEND, MUCH LESS A HUSBAND, and one kid, Queen B. But, because I am Mimi of the Year, I chose to go to support one of my greatest earthly joys on her special day DESPITE THE TRAUMA I was going to have to endure.


All generals know you must have a researched battle plan before you enter the theatre of action. So, Mimi began to use strategy and a cunning plan to win, YES, WIN THIS SORTIE FOR ALL GRANDMOTHERS OF AMERICA. That is, those grandmothers whose ex-husbands show up with a new wife. Am I making my point?

1. Plan all escape routes
2. Plan that family P will not be in same vehicle as family Beachy

With that solved it was time for action of a different kind. Battle Dress Uniforms or BDU's.

I went in a store where the lady knows me well. There were a couple of other shoppers in there...GREAT. BACKUP is GOOD.

I said, "Storelady (name disguised to protect her)I need emergency help. Ex-husband is bringing new wife to birthday function for the Princess. I DON'T want him back, but I gotta look better than she does."

The other ladies in the store got all in a tizzy and said "Yes. Yes you do. We know just what you are talking about."

So, thus began the race of tops, bottoms, necklaces, earrings....you get the drift. If my makeup had been with me they would have done that, too. I tried on, discarded, tried on, discarded for about 20 minutes until they felt they had two reasonable options. Both were on sale.

I left with a sack of goodies and instructions on how to wear what with which jewelry, perfume and lipstick color.

Beachy Mimi reporting for battle.

The Next Day.

The natives were restless and circling the area in scouting positions. Someone spied the enemy and said "sighting". Everyone ran and got into place and the P family walks in.

In wanting to keep this a sweet, precious blog, let's just say pretend granny wore RED PUFFY VEST WITH HORIZONTAL STRIPE SHIRT AND CROCS. AND A VERY SWEET SMILE. She had no idea she had just been trounced and beaten like an old dusty rug.

I did my private little victory dance and new wife followed me around all day. She still thinks we can be BFF's. NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNnnnnOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooo

Losing Focus

Peeps, it was so good to get home and sleep in the Beachy Mimi bed. It's pink, fluffy and soft. As sleeps sooo good.

Last week The Queen B did a post on why people blog. I was very impressed with your comments. The homeschooling moms' blogs, the ministry blogs, the funny blogs, imformative blogs, the rambling and the obscure blogs all have a place in the blogosphere.

I think it helps us form a "relationship" that can be missing from a busy woman/man's daily life due to time restraints, children, loneliness or work. Sort of a therapy.

So you are my therapy group.

Thanks, Peeps. It was so sweet of you to volunteer!

This is going to be a really tough week at Beachy House. For the first time since evil divorce entered my life, I am having to return to the Pacific House and get the rest of my things. I left them there because we were hoping the house would sell. It didn't. Pacific bought it because.......he is getting married in a couple of weeks.

Wow.

I don't normally do this, but I want to say a couple of things about divorce.

DON'T DO IT!!

If you are thinking about it. Think again. Then think again. Get counseling. Pray.

Now I realize that no matter what, divorce happens to people. I'm not talking about the people who need to leave a relationship that is dangerous, abusive, cheating or whatever. I'm talking to those of us who have been happily married......but we lost our focus.

I was married for 35 years and NEVER thought it would end in this way. It only takes a moment to take your eyes off Christ and quickly lose the focus. You start looking at yourself.
We've all done it at weak moments. It just takes a tiny crack........and then the crack festers and one day, possibly erupts.

I am great friends with Pacific, and I hope I always will be. As "amicable" as our situation was, it still hurt so many people. You can't avoid it. Children at any age hurt. Families hurt.
The pain is devastating...gut wrenching.

I don't see how people recover if they do not have Jesus in their lives. He has pulled me through, picked me up and put His arms around me. He's told me through His word (paraphrasing) "Beachy Mimi, just hang on tight to ME and you will be just fine, and so will Pacific."

And, it is true.

Pacific found his love early. My time will come in God's time. Jer 29:11 tells me that whatever He has planned for me is far better than anything I could ever come up with.

When I try to take control, well, that's when I start to lose focus. One of my daily prayers is,
"God, please protect me from what I want".

I should probably tatoo it somewhere, along with "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should", which is a post for another day.

Mrs. Pacific is a wonderful woman and the Pacific home will be happy, again.

But before she can move in, I've gotta get my stuff. Which is going to be hard.....lots of memories collected in 35 years, mostly fun and wonderful memories. After all, stuff is just.....stuff.

So, GO NOW and kiss and hug your partner and forget all the ways they irritate the heck out of you and make you want to pull your hair out and scream. Just LET IT GO. Festering is dangerous.......then you lose focus........and, well, there you are. You are left wondering, "How did THAT happen?" Having the last word IS NOT IMPORTANT.


I will try not to post any more sermonettes but since I am older than most of you, and if I can save you ANY pain in your marriage, it is worth this little space.