The Prickly Pineapple

The weather where we live is brutal right now. Between the cold temperatures, wicked wind, and gargantuan amounts of snow, I find myself using multiple measures to try to stay warm. I have been wearing layers upon layers of clothing, drinking gallons of coffee, living in Cuddle Dud socks, wrapping myself in soft blankies, and eating lots of soup. And, of course, this means it is fireplace season. Or it is supposed to be. Our gas fireplace bit the dust this week. I did not realize what a tremendous difference it makes during the cold season in our home. We live in a split-level house and the fireplace resides in the room adjacent to the three-season room. The fireplace has a thermostat so we set it and forget it - it keeps that area of the house cozy and warm. Well, it did - up until last week. Now that area of the house is frigid cold, dark, uninviting, a place to be avoided. We've been looking in to getting it fixed and that might also be a bit of a challenge. It's 23 years ol...

 It's been a rough couple of weeks. I had told my hubby I was just starting to feel like I was getting a bit of energy back and then news of the school shooting in Perry came out. I didn't know how hearing that type of news would impact me. I am a tender-hearted person and always have been impacted by tragedies such as this, but I was not prepared for how I would respond to this horrible news. I don't have a child in the Perry schools, I don't think I even know anyone from Perry, but when I first heard the news it felt like I was getting the news about my Brendan all over again. I cried, hard. I felt sick. My head started pounding. My heart went crazy. I could not think of anything other than those poor families that were getting ready to receive terrible news that would hurtle them into the depths of despair. My heart broke, again. Each time my phone buzzed with an update, each time my work computer dinged with someone updating the team, I felt sick and cried harder. I...