Meanest Fortune



This pic has nothing to do with the post, but I WANT ONE!!!



“Never corner anything meaner than you.”

I am going to start off by apologizing for how long it has been in-between posts (and Book Blurbs – which I know I will never catch up on, I may just have to hop around), life has been moving all around me.

Since my last post, I have gotten my oldest son to college – a whirlwind trip to be sure and my wallet is still reeling! My middle Tart has started his sophomore year of high school and little Frosting has begun Pre-K with a new teacher. I lost part of a tooth and got a crown (temp right now)…paid a king’s ransom for it! Honestly I could probably go on and on…can’t we all.

So, with all this I pull out this fortune, “Never corner anything meaner than you.”

I could complain all day long, but there are some really wonderful things that I am grateful for! I have a son in college, another in high school and one in Pre-K. I was able to get a tooth fixed. I have two good jobs and co-workers that I truly enjoy working with.

What exactly do I need to corner? What is meaner than me? I need to corner the dirty rotten scoundrel that stole my old checkbook information and is cramping my style…I don’t like having all this hanging over my head. Might consider taking on the cable company to figure out why my bill is so high when I don’t have any premium channels. 

Probably the meanest thing I need to corner is MY HOUSE! The clutter monster continues to try to take over…I have read tons of tips on how to tame it, but that critter just won’t quit. It is MEAN! If I turn my back for a minute (or two or a couple of days), it just seems to spread like mad.

So basically…I may have to ignore this fortune and corner it.

Thanks for checking in – I’ll be making my rounds and trying to catch up!

Live, Laugh, Love ~

Vanilla Mama

PS…there are no lucky numbers on the back of this fortune. Now, really…that’s just MEAN!



Character of Fortune

“Character is much easier kept than recovered.”

Here I am in Arkansas getting ready to register my Pop for college – I am so excited, so proud, so heartbroken all at the same time. Who knew so many emotions were possible in the same heartbeat?

I watched him with pride on Saturday as he walked across the stage and received his diploma, and I managed not to cry. We had a wonderful party for him with a video his father made that is beyond words amazing, this video brought him from an infant to now with well wishes from friends and family, managed not to cry. But, as I am sitting here in the hotel room while he is working out with his new football team – I think I may cry.

It is too real the fact that he is moving away, while I am sitting here. It is too soon that it is happening…seriously wasn’t he just that little baby that would peek at me through the bars of his cribs with his bright eyes in the middle of the night? Wasn’t he just that little boy running through the house with only his diaper on? Wasn’t he just this new big brother holding his little brother, Tart, and poking his cheek to make him giggle? So…where has the time gone?

It has flown. And, here I am.

What on earth does this have to do with my Fortune Cookie? (Which by the way I got at the local Chinese Buffett, along with my Hot and Sour!)

“Character is much easier kept than recovered.”

It is very valid advice to him and to any graduate as they head into this semi-grownup stage. Life right now is open to them in a way it may never be again. Fresh start on a new campus, new town, new teachers with no preconceived notions of them – Keep your character. Keep your integrity, keep the heart and soul of who you are and grow. This is your shot to really shine, to be on your own and show everyone your character.

How hard is it to recover character? Ask Michael Vick. Ask Congressman Weiner. Ask Arnold – will we look at any of them the same? Think about the friends and family that have through the years let you down…what does that say about their character? Can they recover it with you?

“Character is much easier kept than recovered.”

My Pop, My Tart (and my Frosting, who is a little young for this), you have amazing character – keep it!

The world is wide open, step into it!

Live, Laugh, Love ~

Vanilla Mama

PS – I don’t know if Arkansas has a lottery…guess I need to look into it! Your lucky numbers are 55, 5, 45, 28, 13, 4.