Ruby the red nosed woman

Yesterday Pete and I ran to Walmart. We, no I, needed things for the trip and he graciously indulged my need for lists and crossing things off by coming with. On the way I told him that I needed some tissues for the car. He looked at me and said "Puffs Plus." I told him whatever they had and tried to continue talking. Then he said, "No you need Puffs Plus. Trust me."

I looked over and realized that my noze (or as I now say it 'node') must look some kind of awful. I asked if it was red He nodded and said that the creases were really red.

So I've now been named, Ruby the red nose woman. But I have my Puffs Plus which really all softer. I put lotion on the 'creases' often and I'm hoping it goes away soon. Both the cold and the redness.

I have algae!

Almost a year ago Pete gave me a fish tank for Valentine's Day. And I know what you're saying - 'How romantic!' Only it was a perfect gift. He helped me set it up at work and it sits on my desk where I look at it often. There is something peaceful about watching fish swim.

So he set it up for me, complete with plants that I picked out anda little cave thingy and pretty rocks. And fish. He told me that the first fish were just starter fish, likely to die soon, so don't worry about what is cute, just pick out something. Those fish? They're still here. Pete gave me his leftover fish when he was laid off and those have gone to the big tank in the sky. My 7 fishes are still gulping away, as ever. PS - don't tell them that I'm waiting for them to go to the tank in the sky so I can get 'cute' fish. OK?

Anyway, Pete brought me lunch today. And he announced that I have...algae.

I screamed. A little.

You know what this means, right?

I get to pick out one of those cool sucker fish that eat algae! YAY ALGAE!!!

Quiet

It's not that I don't want to blog lately, it's that I;m stumped when I sit down about what to write.

I can't tell if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I mean, I blog a lot about the difficulties in my life and if I'm not blogging, things must be going ok right? Only they're really not. There are stressors and worries and I think I've just gotten to the point that I feel like all I do is complain about them.

Maybe, just maybe, I need to make sure that I'm focusing on the positive a little more. Making sure that I blog about something good once a week. Something that brightens my day or makes me smile or makes me feel good.

I think that's my goal. Positive, not negative.

You say it's your birthday....

Na-NA-Na-Na.....Na-Na....

Actually it's Pete's day today. Bittersweet really. Today he has lived longer than his mom. At just over 40, that's a hard thing. When you think of outliving a parent, it's at 70, 80, 90 even. Not just over 40. It makes me sad for him. It makes him sad. And it makes me wish all over again that I could have met her. Just once. One conversation.

The sweet part is that I've got some gift surprises for him. Because I love him and because I love the look on his face when I can get that surprise. I wanted to take him to one of those Brazillian steak houses in the city. Only he researched it and found out how expensive it is and veto'd that. So I'll have to save my pennies and not tell him ahead of time when we actually do go there.

Happy Birthday Honey! I love you.

'Our" Purse

Girls love purses. Well, at least I do. I search for months for the right purse sometimes. I have shoulders that slope down so I need something that I can kind of balance on my shoulder. I just found out that my sister has this also. Anyway, I search for months sometimes. I try on purses at the store. Sometimes I buy them try them at home and then end up bringing them back. It's an addiction I tell you.

Then came Pete. And somehow my purse became "our purse". In it "we" carry lots of things. Extra medication for us, extra goopy stuff for him, candies, camera, money...

In fact it started to get so heavy one summer that I Pete actually did carry it for a bit. Then I started downsizing. I have a beautiful brown leather purse that I love, but it's so big. Bad? Not necessarily. Until "we" start filling it up.

So as I put his extra medication in my purse yesterday I realized that marriage comes with changes. And one of those changes is the advent of "our purse".