All is RIght

A few weeks back I posted about the loss of one of my bestest buddies...

We were so close. This was a friend who gave so much to me and asked so little in return. Our whole family has been mourning the loss every since.

But yesterday, a mysterious package showed up on our doorstep.

What could it be?





Ahh...look. Prince Charming to the rescue!




Thanks Prince Charming!

You know who else showed up yeterday? FINALLY?


The AT&T guy.

Yes, I got my land line back. I got a new printer. All is right with the world here at the zoo......

An Interruption

We interrupt these lovely blogging moments to issue a complaint.

Today, I wondered why the phone was so quiet. Usually it rings off the hook. After some investigation I realized we had a problem. NO dial tone.

Putting our chief mechanic/repairman on the job (Princess Sophia), we quickly arrived at the conclusion that it was not an internal problem, but an external one.

Our landline service provider is AT&T. When I called AT&T, they confirmed there is an issue, and gave me a repair date of 2 WEEKS out.

EXCUSE ME????

AND, if I'm not home, they may have to reschedule. No, they could not give me a specific time.

HELLO???? Do they not think I have a life? Do they think I can sit here and blog for two weeks and not move until they show up at my residence? (Well, I probably could, but we'll keep that our little secret - K?)

Now, normally I would just rely on my cell phone. BUT, Grandma lives with us (my mom, the kids' Grandma, but everyone calls her Grandma, even the kids' friends), and is not very steady on her feet. She has LIFELINE service (a WONDERFUL thing, let me tell you), which allows me and mine the ability to leave Grandma in order to flit here and there. We know if she got into trouble, she could get help quickly through her LIFELINE service. But, in order to utilize LIFELINE, you have to have a land line. A funtioning land line.

Do you think AT&T cares that we have an elderly invalid dependent on the telephone residing here? Notta. Nope. No. Made no difference to them.

So, as a consumer, I have options.

Do I:
A. Lose the landline (well, can't really do that because of Grandma and the LIFELINE)
B. Change service providers to SBC Global. I'm sure they could have us up and running within a day or two.
C. Call AT&T daily and nag them.
D. Breath deeply, relax, and say: "Come whenever you like. It's OK. I'll sit right here by my door until you come knocking...."

GRRRRR............

You would think that in today's market, companies would be a little more eager to please their customers, wouldn't you.

For all those that know me, until further notice, call me on the cell...........

Two kinds of people

My life has taken on a new perspective this past month. I have discovered that there are two groups of people in life – the bloggers and the non-bloggers.

Friends who don’t blog just don’t get it. How many of you have blogging buggies who you have never met but who you would consider your friend, because they “drop by and visit” regularly? Just a sentence or two, but it means a lot. You’ve had a glimpse into their life, their home, and their heart. You’ve shared in their triumphs and tragedies --you’ve bonded. If you don’t see a new post for several days, you begin to worry.

Non-blogging friends just don't get it.

I know that I feel much closer to my sister having jumped into her gardening mania. For the first time I think I finally understand her obsession, I mean interest, in gardening. I mean I like gardening as well, but I’ve never been obsessed. But now I feel myself being drawn into the gardening obsessiveness (let’s just call it what it is!) more and more since visiting with so many lovely gardeners through the blogging world. I understand now! My vision and horizons have been expanded! I have big dreams for my garden this year – bigger than I would have ever dreamed without all the garden blogging cheerleaders out there.

Blogging is sort of like old fashioned letter writing. It’s just a new and improved form of letter writing – don’t you think? And so much better than letter writing, because you can visit with so many people. I love clicking here, clicking there, seeing where the clicks will lead, seeing what new insight into life someone’s blog will bring to surface.

Three of my friends blog. We are all homeschool moms, all part of the same support group. I feel as if I know them so much better since becoming blogging buddies. I know all about Nicky’s love life, her new beau.

I can share in Charmaine’s joy as her daughter finishes Phonics Pathways. I can glean from her wisdom as she so kindly has put all sorts of essential homeschool resource sites on her sidebar.

And Laurie. I love the pictures of her children. Laurie is funny. She makes me laugh.








But, I still love my friends who don’t blog. Jill for one. Recently she sent “the blogging beauties” an email. She’s made us bloggers into an email network…..
(BTW…She knows I’m copying part of her email, she said it was ‘fine”)

First, please notice that I have given you a special place - you ARE an email group (The Blogging Beauties) in my address book. No, I won't have you as a link on my blog (because I DON'T blog), but you are still special!

Poor Jill. She just figured out cell phones, then we all started emailing. Now she has figured out email, and actually checks it daily, and now we are all blogging.

In case you don't know, I am just getting the hang of email and now you are moving into blogging. HELP.......wait.......don't forget about the old dogs!!

Here's some more history: I have been a "telephone" girl since junior high. As the number of children who needed to be homeschooled increased, I realized that my talking days were coming to an end. My telephone conversations would be for emergencies - especially those waaaahm-bulance calls (ask Sherry), last minutes schedule changes and making appointments.

Gone were the days of leisurely phone calls when we talked on the phone and pretended that we were at quiet, little coffee shop sipping on our favorite coffee (even if it was one of those high maintenance drinks) just us - no children. (The children may have been in background, but as long as there was no blood then they were fine!)

So, I moved into the 21st century and jumped on the web and began emailing. It has taken some time to become proficient, but homeschooling has greatly improved my email communication skills.

Almost a year later, I am feeling pretty good. I check email not just once daily, but usually 3 or 4 times a day. Hurray!!!

But hold the phone (lame joke I know), now all of you are doing this blogging thing!! Yikes!!!! I hear the excitement in your voices and I see how you feel the connections to each others' lives, but I am still looking in from the outside. Woe is me. Now, I am not trying to make you feel sorry for me and I have already heard the distant rumblings of the impending pressure to start blogging. BUT, please just give me some time.

Time? Time? Just wait, we’ll have her blogging one day soon. Her and Donna both. And Kitty. And Julia. And Ady. And all the rest of the non-bloggers out there.

Then they’ll understand. And they’ll look at life from a whole different perspective. After all, don't you?