Ok, so the days are ticking down. Pretty much, I'm waiting on my lawyer to get her butt in gear and get a counter-counter offer to Cody. If he wants to keep everything, he's gonna pay me my half of it, by golly. I think once we get that settled on, we'll be divorced since our 60 days have run. I've asked Cody twice to at least TRY to work on things. He won't entertain the idea.
So here's my 2 cents on divorce: IT SUCKS! It's painful. Don't do it if you can avoid it! Today's church is WAAAAAAY too accepting of it. Cody sits his butt in church but absolutely ignores God's word on divorce....but no one will direct him on it because they're "afraid he'll stop coming." One of the articles I read said that research shows that the divorce rate in Atheists & Agnostics is 3% lower than that of Christians. Hmmmm....I can see that.
What's done is done, though. I'll try to never make the same mistakes again. I have grown very much from this experience...and continue to. Unfortunately, I have lost alot of faith in some things and people. Fortunately, though, my faith in God has grown more than I ever could have expected. I think he has just taken the biggest stumbling block out of my life.
SO! I'll continue twiddling my thumbs, waiting for a divorce settlement so that I can get rid of this last name to put on my diploma.
I'm Moving On. . .
I guess it's time for an update!
It has been 5 weeks since Cody and I split. I woke up one night this week and was like, "Where am I?!" Then I remembered everything. That was kind of weird, but it has only happened once since the first few nights in the new apartment.
I have had some very sad days and I have had some very happy days. As everyone kept telling me, the sad days will get fewer and fewer....and they have! Almost two weeks ago, I had a VERY catharsic day...and haven't been that low since! When I am happy now, I am REALLY happy! My entire world is wide open! When I am sad, it's just because I miss my usual comfort zone.
Life has taken on a different meaning since all of this. I spent 5 years doing the responsible thing and what was expected. You know what? Not anymore!!! I will do what I feel like and what makes me happy! I have had fabulous old friends and new ones come out of this to support me. I will never again take that for granted! I've seen what family really means. Some have been unconcerned and not been there...but I expected that from them. No great loss. What IS a loss is for me to take the valuable family for granted.
When all of this happened, I felt like I should never trust anyone and not let anyone matter to me anymore. Now, I see that the opposite is true. I invested so much into one person that I shut everyone else out....and THEY were the true jewels! I have realized alot in the past 5 weeks...and CONTINUE to learn more! What an experience! What a time of personal growth!
Anyway, Mel and I are headed to Nashville for a concert tonight. I am SuPeR pumped! WOO HOO! Girls' night!!! It feels awesome!
It has been 5 weeks since Cody and I split. I woke up one night this week and was like, "Where am I?!" Then I remembered everything. That was kind of weird, but it has only happened once since the first few nights in the new apartment.
I have had some very sad days and I have had some very happy days. As everyone kept telling me, the sad days will get fewer and fewer....and they have! Almost two weeks ago, I had a VERY catharsic day...and haven't been that low since! When I am happy now, I am REALLY happy! My entire world is wide open! When I am sad, it's just because I miss my usual comfort zone.
Life has taken on a different meaning since all of this. I spent 5 years doing the responsible thing and what was expected. You know what? Not anymore!!! I will do what I feel like and what makes me happy! I have had fabulous old friends and new ones come out of this to support me. I will never again take that for granted! I've seen what family really means. Some have been unconcerned and not been there...but I expected that from them. No great loss. What IS a loss is for me to take the valuable family for granted.
When all of this happened, I felt like I should never trust anyone and not let anyone matter to me anymore. Now, I see that the opposite is true. I invested so much into one person that I shut everyone else out....and THEY were the true jewels! I have realized alot in the past 5 weeks...and CONTINUE to learn more! What an experience! What a time of personal growth!
Anyway, Mel and I are headed to Nashville for a concert tonight. I am SuPeR pumped! WOO HOO! Girls' night!!! It feels awesome!
I Am Not A Duck
So I was leaving for work yesterday morning and heard a conversation between the male and female DJ's on the radio. Apparently, he had been slammed in some article and she was reassuring him. She said, "Do NOT let that bother you! If I said, 'You're a duck,' you would just be like, 'What's she talking about? Of course I'm not a duck, I don't have feathers!' It's so crazy that you know it isn't true, but since I said it about YOU, you question it. When people say things about you, you should know they aren't true, but you still worry about them. There's no reason to. Now, when you hear people say things about you, imagine me calling you a duck."
Yesterday played out to me being accused of lying and twisting the story. I twisted NOTHING. So, obviously, Cody is telling different versions. I knew going into this, that it would be ugly. I just didn't realize that the man that I loved so deeply would do so much to trash me. I know it makes him look completely innocent for him to leave big parts of our marriage out, but we are BOTH to blame for things.
Anyway, I just thought I would share the DJs' conversation. I do not care what the people who are dumb enough to only get one side of the story and think that they have enough information to judge say. I am NOT a duck! Remember that, people! (Or, as Van Wilder would say, "Write that down.)
Yesterday played out to me being accused of lying and twisting the story. I twisted NOTHING. So, obviously, Cody is telling different versions. I knew going into this, that it would be ugly. I just didn't realize that the man that I loved so deeply would do so much to trash me. I know it makes him look completely innocent for him to leave big parts of our marriage out, but we are BOTH to blame for things.
Anyway, I just thought I would share the DJs' conversation. I do not care what the people who are dumb enough to only get one side of the story and think that they have enough information to judge say. I am NOT a duck! Remember that, people! (Or, as Van Wilder would say, "Write that down.)
Daily Bible Verse
About a year ago, I subscribed to this Daily Bible Verse via email. It is absolutely AMAZING how God sends me scripture pertinent to my life at that time. There have been NUMEROUS times this has happened. Here is today's scripture:
Daily Bible Verse
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 (New King James Version)
Tomorrow is a big day..I will see Cody for the first time in 2 weeks. I am scared to death of how he's going to act. (Mainly, I'm afraid he's going to try to run away from facing up to our situation.) I have been VERY anxious.
I put my husband before God in my marriage and that was a mistake. Now look who has turned his back on me and then look Who hasn't.
Daily Bible Verse
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 (New King James Version)
Tomorrow is a big day..I will see Cody for the first time in 2 weeks. I am scared to death of how he's going to act. (Mainly, I'm afraid he's going to try to run away from facing up to our situation.) I have been VERY anxious.
I put my husband before God in my marriage and that was a mistake. Now look who has turned his back on me and then look Who hasn't.
5 Years...That's A Wrap!
Just for those wondering, Cody and I lasted just past 5 years. They were enjoyable. We can't get along, though, so we're divorcing. We are 2 completely different people and have kept each other from doing things that were important to us. If you have any questions about what's going on, just ask. I'd much rather tell you than to have the gossip mill add juicy details.
I appreciate all the friends that have shown me support. If I would have known that I would feel this good and loved, I would have done it sooner. Yes, it hurts me DEEPLY to lose my best friend of 7 years, but it appears that I am the only one that feels that way.
Anyway, I feel like my life has begun all over again. I loved alot, but I learned even more.
Love you guys!!!
P.S. Call me soon to hang out!!!!
I appreciate all the friends that have shown me support. If I would have known that I would feel this good and loved, I would have done it sooner. Yes, it hurts me DEEPLY to lose my best friend of 7 years, but it appears that I am the only one that feels that way.
Anyway, I feel like my life has begun all over again. I loved alot, but I learned even more.
Love you guys!!!
P.S. Call me soon to hang out!!!!
Dairy
We visited Monte Vista Dairy in Greeley, CO. Currently, they are milking 3,200 head. We toured their facilities, and I thought I'd post some pics and explain the process.
For those that don't know, there are two different classes of cattle. You have beef cattle and dairy cattle. Beef breeds are raised for-you guessed it-BEEF. Those breeds muscle up more and finish out to produce ideal steaks and other beef cuts. The milk produced by those cows is only enough to raise a momma cow's calf. (We raise beef cattle, by the way.) Common beef breeds are Angus, Hereford, Limousin, Simmental, Brangus, and many, many others.
Dairy cows, on the other hand, are raised to produce milk. The females of the dairy breeds have extremely large udders and produce massive amounts of milk. Dairy breeds include Holstein, Jerseys, Guernseys, Brown Swiss, and a few others. (FYI: Those are Holsteins in the pictures.) In the old days, everyone ha
d a cow which they milked every day for their family's milk needs. Today, however, farmers have herds of dairy cows which they milk in their "parlors" twice a day, every day. In Henry County, our dairy farms range in size from 30 head to 500 head. The parlors also range in sophistication. I've only visited the parlors that are like the one at Monte Vista, so that's what I'll explain. Keep in mind, though, that there are other set-ups. Also keep in mind that they do this on a MUCH larger scale than many dairies.
d a cow which they milked every day for their family's milk needs. Today, however, farmers have herds of dairy cows which they milk in their "parlors" twice a day, every day. In Henry County, our dairy farms range in size from 30 head to 500 head. The parlors also range in sophistication. I've only visited the parlors that are like the one at Monte Vista, so that's what I'll explain. Keep in mind, though, that there are other set-ups. Also keep in mind that they do this on a MUCH larger scale than many dairies. 
First, the girls file into the stalls. They walk down the lane then turn 90 degrees to stick their heads through the gates. As you can see in the picture, this puts their rears and udders at eye level with the farmer standing in the working area. Dairy cows are extremely gentle and docile animals.
The farmer then comes through and sprays all the udders with a cleaning solution. He then goes down and wipes off every teat on every cow. The important thing here is that he uses a clean rag for each cow. That way, no infections or bacteria will be transferred from cow to cow. Once every teat is cleaned, the farmer turns the suction on the milkers and puts a milker on each cow. If you look closely at these pictures, you can see that one milker has 4 metal tubes. Each metal tube suctions onto a teat to milk the cow. The milker carries the milk through pipes to the milk storage tanks. The milk is stored there until the milk truck comes to pick it up and take it to a local processing plant.
The frequency of the milk truck depends, of course, on the number of cows milked (which is directly correlated to the volume of milk collected).
Oh yeah...that's just the morning shift. It all has to be done again in the evening! Twice a day, EVERY day.
Another little tidbit that I find interesting is that in some set-ups, the cows decide when they want to be milked. They make their way up to the pen to be moved into the parlor. Isn't that cool? I guess the mom's that have nursed their children can relate....engorged mams aren't fun.
Need
At the YF&R Summer Conference, a rep from Second Harvest Food Bank came and spoke to our group. She stated that since she had talked to us one year ago, need in the Middle Tennessee area is up 31%. ONE YEAR and the number of people needing a food bank for FOOD is up 31%! She also showed a news clip of Second Harvest's mobile pantry. The video showed a long line of people waiting to get food to feed their families. Interviews revealed a mother in tears at the reality that she didn't have enough food for her children, along with a woman who had been laid off repeatedly. It was heartbreaking...and then they told where it had been filmed. Right next door to Henry County, Stewart County was where this had taken place.
I know, I know...I am somewhat of a bleeding heart, but this just really hit home. I know that was the purpose, so when we passed the hats, I think alot of us were compelled to give more than we usually do. I guess I'm just posting this to remind anyone reading that there is dire need right around our corner and in our own county. If you feel a need to contribute and give back, it won't be hard to find a way to do so. Contact your local food bank or even Second Harvest. Second Harvest will direct you where you need to go.
Lastly...and I hesitated about this...I'll leave you with this photo. I snapped it at the Cheyenne Frontier Days parade. There was a mission group passing out water. When I saw t
he kids, I wondered how much money they had to raise to travel to Cheyenne when I'm sure there were people in their own community who were in need. Meanwhile, in front of us, a cute little Shitzu puppy was enjoying the parade. The group came through again, and the Shitzu's owner got a bottle for the dog. Here's the cute little dog that probably cost at least $200 drinking water. That's God's work, right? When we all got back on the bus, there were several people that had bottles of the free water. Mind you, we all paid our own ways on this trip...it's not as if we would have dehydrated had this mission group not been there to hand us a bottle. So my question is this...how much did it cost for a bunch of kids to travel to Cheyenne to hand out bottles of water at the parade? How much did it cost to give the overpriced puppy and vacationing Tennesseeans a free bottle of water? Would that money not have gone MUCH, MUCH further in the group's home town with people who are homeless and foodless? I suppose it would not have been as glamorous, right? Just like it would not be very glamorous for Henry Countians to take a 30 minute drive to Stewart County to distribute collected food. I guess a "Mission Trip" has to be fun and exciting these days.
I know, I know...I am somewhat of a bleeding heart, but this just really hit home. I know that was the purpose, so when we passed the hats, I think alot of us were compelled to give more than we usually do. I guess I'm just posting this to remind anyone reading that there is dire need right around our corner and in our own county. If you feel a need to contribute and give back, it won't be hard to find a way to do so. Contact your local food bank or even Second Harvest. Second Harvest will direct you where you need to go.
Lastly...and I hesitated about this...I'll leave you with this photo. I snapped it at the Cheyenne Frontier Days parade. There was a mission group passing out water. When I saw t
he kids, I wondered how much money they had to raise to travel to Cheyenne when I'm sure there were people in their own community who were in need. Meanwhile, in front of us, a cute little Shitzu puppy was enjoying the parade. The group came through again, and the Shitzu's owner got a bottle for the dog. Here's the cute little dog that probably cost at least $200 drinking water. That's God's work, right? When we all got back on the bus, there were several people that had bottles of the free water. Mind you, we all paid our own ways on this trip...it's not as if we would have dehydrated had this mission group not been there to hand us a bottle. So my question is this...how much did it cost for a bunch of kids to travel to Cheyenne to hand out bottles of water at the parade? How much did it cost to give the overpriced puppy and vacationing Tennesseeans a free bottle of water? Would that money not have gone MUCH, MUCH further in the group's home town with people who are homeless and foodless? I suppose it would not have been as glamorous, right? Just like it would not be very glamorous for Henry Countians to take a 30 minute drive to Stewart County to distribute collected food. I guess a "Mission Trip" has to be fun and exciting these days.
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