That's Not a Snow! This is a Snow!

    So we are currently in the midst of whats being called Snowquestration here in Virginia. Overnight we got about 5 inches of snow and it continued snowing for most of the day. Now for all of the precipitards out there this was not a happy day. Especially if they still had to drive to work in it. Now please note that I once included myself as a precipitard, but these past few years of northernly living have hardened me to the elements. See, I was born and raised in a little town called Aiken in the beautiful state of South Carolina. And when it even thought about snowing there, the whole town would go into utter chaos and just shut down. I hardly ever got to experience the wonder of snow when I was a child. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I can recall it snowing enough for me to play in. My youthful experience of this type of precipitation did not prepare me at all for what I would encounter when I decided to move up to be with my husband in Connecticut.

     In October of 2008 I had decided that I'd had about enough of long distance dating with then boyfriend, now husband and we made the decision for me to relocate to Vernon, Connecticut where he was stationed. I was excited at the prospect of a new life with someone that I thought I could really have something with and gave no mind to what the next few months would bring me. To put it simply, I was naive. On so many levels. But we won't go off on that tangent right now. The half bottle of yummy blueberry wine may make me a little snarky. So I'll just stick to the weather.

     I think the first thing that signaled that I most definately was not in "Kansas" anymore was when I went out to go to work one morning and my windshield was frosted over. Now normally in wonderful South Cackalacki you can just push your clean windshield button and squirt that fluid on there and wipe all that frost away and go about your business. Well guess what. That is totally not what happened when I tried that in Connecticutt. That crap froze instantly! Even thicker! I was like, "What in the world!" But I am a smart one and quickly figured out how to remedy that situation by scraping and blasting the defroster for a bit. Yeah...somebody could have warned me so that I could save face on that one. Or better yet, there should be a how-to book for transplants.

      I won't even go into telling you about me freaking out when "The Worst Winter EVER" hit while I was at work at the jewelry store in Hartford which is about 3o minutes away on the interstate from where we lived. I kept asking why we weren't closing the store. Needless to say I had to have my then boyfriend, now husband come and pick me up. It was crazy! You couldn't even see the lines in the road or even tell if you were still on the road. I drove really really slow everytime I had to drive after that and would put my flashers on. Yeah...people hated me.

     Flash forward to present day and we have this here Snowquestration. And let me just say that while it is so awesome because I get to enjoy my husband being home with me all day, it still makes me laugh. Although it is a gallant effort, it still isn't the several feet we would get overnight in Connecticut or the blizzards that I would have to drive through in Indiana.

 

 

     However, I will take what I can get. And I am totally enjoying this snow even if it isn't quite as devastating as in some other states. I enjoyed it, my husband enjoyed it, and more importantly, my son enjoyed it.

     So what all did you do today? Were you stranded inside due to weather today?

Quitters Never Prosper....Or Do They?

   So I have a confession to make. I smoke cigarettes. <Gasp!> I know, I know, this is probably a shock to many of you since I have been a closet smoker for the past 6 months on again and off again. I hate smoking. I really do. It stinks and I swear that I am a lot less patient when I am a smoker. The problem is that its just so darn addictive! I had quit for well over a year and one small moment of weakness caused all that hard work and effort to become non-existent. See, I thought that just one little smoke with my family (yes, my mother and step-father are both smokers too) as we were enjoying some adult beverages over the summer would be no problem. I would just not smoke anymore after that. Well, that one choice to smoke led to me thinking that I could just smoke while I was there visiting with them and that when I got back home I wouldn't smoke after that. Well, here I am at the beginning of March and I still haven't successfully quit again. Sure, there's been a few weeks here and there that I didn't smoke, but ultimately I suck at quitting. As the wonderful Mr. Clemens said, To stop smoking is the easiest thing I ever did. I ought to know; I've done it a thousand times.

     For all you non-smokers who have never been addicted to anything in your lives, don't waggle your finger at me. Seriously, an addiction is not an easy thing to overcome. You could never understand just how difficult it is to break a habit. However, I do have some wonderful motivators to help me with quitting. The biggest one is my son. I do not want him to grow up thinking that it is perfectly normal to have a cigarette hanging out of your mouth. I don't want him to ever pick up this nasty habit and I know that our children model our behaviours. Another motivator I have is Boot Camp. No, I'm not enlisting in the military. I'll leave that job to my able-bodied husband. Boot Camp is an intense exercise regimen that I have fallen in love with. I can't keep up in it though because I get so winded. Oh yeah, did I mention that my husband and I just signed up for the Zombie run? Its where you run from Zombies that are trying to eat your brains (steal your flags from your belt). I don't want to be eaten! So those are some pretty good motivators in my opinion. Now I just have to buckle down and go refill my Chantix. If I could only convince my hubby to quit with me again I just know I could do it. But seriously, two quitters in the same room is just an ugly sight. But I will overcome and I will be all the more healthier and a better role model for it. See, quitters do prosper!

  Is there something you are addicted to? Some monkey that you would like to get off your back? It doesn't have to be smoking. There are tons of things that folks are addicted to these days. The internet is a big one. Constantly checking Facebook to see if anyone has posted something new or commented on something you've posted. I would consider that a form of addiction. Or caffeine, I know tons of people who need coffee just to start their day. By the way, coffee and cigarettes make for some really really horrible dragon breath. Just sayin'. Whatever your crutch might be, if you are worried about being a quitter, its okay! Sometimes a quitter doesn't equate being a loser.

Manifesto of a Charm

     Welcome to my blog! I have to admit that I am new to this whole realm of journaling, so please bear with me as I figure it out. You may have stumbled upon this page by accident and are now wondering if you've fallen into the Twilight Zone. Well, maybe you have. Things can get really weird around here sometimes. But never fear! You are free to leave at anytime. This is not the Hotel California and you can check out if you like. If you think you can handle the ride, then please do stick around because you never know what might come out of my mind.

     The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (yes, I'm a self-proclaimed wordsmith and use the dictionary quite frequently) gives the definition of the word Manifesto as:  a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer. So I'd like to start my blog with my own manifesto.

     This blog, The Life of a Charm, is intended for entertainment purposes. This blog is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Although it may induce some chuckles and face palms. I intend to educate my readers about the everyday happenings of a charm. You may be asking yourself what exactly a charm is used in this context. Well, quite simply I am the third wife of my amazing husband and the joke has always been that it would either be three strikes you're out, or third time's a charm. We are going for the latter option. So this is my life, my ramblings, posted forever out into cyber space for friends and strangers to laugh about or commiserate with. I may provide some interesting tips or facts about things such as: rehabilitating animals, cooking, cleaning, keeping a three year old occupied and out of trouble, homeschooling, marriage, and Jesus. I am passionate about all of these.

   Are you still reading? Is your interest piqued? Well stay tuned, I hope to post again soon. Thanks for sticking with it.