Who else doesn't know where their kid is?

Does anyone else not know where their child is for the next month?

Let me explain.

My little sweetheart is on an extended visit with my Ex right now. And if there is one thing that my ex hates, aside from me, it's having to tell me anything. 

The other week I asked him about plans and he litterally started whistling. 

I even have sole legal and sole physical custody, and I still don't know where my sweetheart is.

I've mentioned before that divorce does not solve everything. I still have to deal with secrecy. I still have to deal with deceit (especially in the court room). And I still have to deal with personal attacks. I can't tell you how many times he's told me I'm a bad parent, that I'm crazy, that I'm stupid, that I'm whatever else he wants to call me that day.

Another thing I deal with on a regular basis is the misrepresentation of history. Being told that one thing happened when in fact I know that something else happened.

I mean, seriously? I was there. I saw and heard what happened. On some things I have texts, on some I have e-mails, on some I have computer files that prove my memory is correct. And still I am constantly told that something that isn't even close to the truth happened.

So, what do you do? In all of this, how do I deal with it?

I'll tell you. 1) I always stick to the truth. There will always be people in the world that want to convince you that the truth is a lie and that lies are truth. Don't let them. If you always tell the truth, then the truth is on your side and will help you. There is a peace and protection that only comes with telling the truth.

2) I try to always act respectfully. Even when I am disagreeing with something, or am frusterated. Your interactions can still be respectful durring those times. You can
't be resposible for how other people act, but you are responsible for how you react.

If the whole world would just 1) tell the truth and 2) handle things respectfully, then we would be so much better off.

The sign said walk...

The sign said walk...

True story.

I was standing on the corner of an intersection, waiting for the little blue man to pop up on the crosswalk sign.

When he arrived, and the sign said it was safe for me to go, something else arrived as well.

A train.

A train!

A train arrived at the same time the sign told me to cross the intersection.

I believe this is commonly referred to as a conflict of interest.

Because last time I checked, sharing a crosswalk with a train was not a good idea.

And yet people metaphorically do this all the time. Like with pornography. I heard a gal on the radio yesterday defending the use pornography, even claiming that it had helped some couples.

And I'm sitting here thinking, can't you see the dang train coming down the track?

The train that will inevitably bring unrealistic expectations, a feeling of lessened self worth, and the chance at a raging addiction that takes you to more and more grotesque things with every stop.

At some point the metephorical pornography train makes a surprise appearance at everyone's crosswalk. Sometimes it's a picture that pops up on the internet, something on the tv, a not-so-good friend, or a spouse that brings it into the home.

And at that point, you will have to make a decision. Do you try to beat the train across the walk, do you try to get just close enough to see the train up close, or do you stay firmly on the sidewalk and refuse to play chicken.

If we are talking about an actual train, the answer seems obvious. You don't mess with the train, you stay on the sidewalk.

But talking about something more psychological and emotional, it is amazing how many people choose to try and beat the train.

You can't beat the train. Commit to staying planted on the sidewalk.

Call it what it is: a monkey...or is it an ape?

Not only do I get this song stuck in my head virtually every time I go to the zoo, it is quite educational!

If it doesn't have a tail, it is an ape. If it has a tail, it is a monkey.

Until Larry the cucumber starts applying this concept to everything: comets, cows, etc.

Which I think we all do sometimes. We try to explain others' situations by using our own experiences and knowledge. It doesn't always work.

I do this all the time with my garden. I look at other people's gardens and think, why aren't I getting the same results? I have a monkey, they have a monkey... shouldn't we both have the same thing?

No. Different soils, different gopher and vole problems, different experience levels, etc. will make a huge difference. Which is comforting to know. Your experiences will always be unique to you.

This is a cute video!

What the Canada Fire teaches us about our lives. This fire fact will shock you!

Unless you've been living under a rock somewhere, I'm sure you've heard about the burning fires in Canada.

Massive, massive fires that just keep spreading. Many of them out of control.

But, did you know that fires that look put out can survive underground during the winter?

I know, I know. Crazy, right? Fires are supposed to be put out by all that cold, wet, snow. Right?

According to this article, the fires can last underground through the entire winter. Like burning coals, feasting on peat in the ground. And then next season, up springs the wild fires you thought you got rid of last season.

What a mess!

So many things in our lives are like this wild fire. A habit, an addiction, a specific fight, sadness, a memory, etc. etc. etc. You think you've gotten rid of it, you have a nice, comfy winter and then boom! it strikes again. That same old wild fire that just keeps on coming back.

You know, the firefighters do a couple of things to stop this from happening. They 1) watch for those fires to come back and then do their best to put them out. and 2) if they know where the underground hot spots are, they can basically take a back hoe and rake water into the ground to put out the spot.

For more info, check out this article: http://www.kpax.com/story/31947814/when-wildfires-hide-underground-then-rage-again

"Tomorrow is a new day."

Call it what it is - a bucket of Lard.

It really is just a bucket of lard.

Is this sad news? Maybe. It might have been cooler if it was a bucket of ice cream or something.

But instead it is a bucket of pig fat.

MMMMMMMM......

But, don't  be too disappointed. It is good to be honest about these things and call it what it is. Because now you know what to do with it.

It's like when you hear someone say, "I always knew something was wrong in my marriage, I just didn't know what. And then when I found out my spouse had an addiction, I was devastated. But now I at least know what we are dealing with, which means we know what kind of help we need and we can hopefully figure it out."

It's like you've been eating lard all these years, thinking it was ice cream and wondering why the taste was so wrong.

It doesn't work like that.

Lard will never be ice cream. But, with hard work and a little bit of help, it can become stronger... I mean, it can become a flaky pie crust or yummy fried chicken.

But it will never become stronger... I mean a flaky pie crust or yummy fried chicken...if you keep calling it ice cream.

So, yes. You have a bucket of lard. But at least now you know, and can look forward to a hopefully yummy dinner.

For lard inspiration, visit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/28/cooking-with-lard-baking_n_5212804.html

Have you seen the 2016 Dirty Dozen List?

Have you seen the yearly Dirty Dozen List put out by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation?

The idea is that these dozen companies/organizations are the 12 leading facilitators of sexual exploitation.

HBO, Sexpresso Cafe (shocker that this made the list, right?), and the DOJ are a few of those on the 2016 list.

Follow this LINK and see for yourself. Also, scroll down and see some of the victories from the past Dirty Dozen Lists and NCOSE work!