Hum, HUm, HUM!!!!!!

"CHIPPIE THE PARAKEET NEVER saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage. The next he was sucked in, washed up, and blown over.

The problems began when Chippie's owner decided to clean Chippie's cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She'd barely said 'hello' when 'sssopp!' Chippie got sucked in.

"The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie-- still alive, but stunned. Since the bird was covered with dust and soot, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do . . she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air.

"Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.

"A few days after the trauma, the reporter who'd initially written about the event contacted Chippie's owner to see how the bird was recovering. 'Well,' she replied, 'Chippie doesn't sing much anymorc he just sits and stares.' An excerpt from Max Lucado "In the eye of the storm."

These last two years have probably been the hardest of my life. Accusations, slander & lies, rejections, loss of income, change of lifestyle, added responsibility of the full-time care of my sister, having to put my aunt that raised me in a nursing home and dealing with her degenerated mental state, my own physical issues......many, many changes.

Remember this, "I'm A Hummer", entry I posted in March '08. Definitely a simplier time!!!! Like Chippie I've found myself not humming much, if at all, over the last couple years. I didn't really think about it until a couple months ago when David brought it to my attention that he had'nt heard me humming for quite some time.

I'm happy to say though in the last month I've caught myself humming every once in a while. It is a good sign that my heart and mind are loosening up. I don't want to give the impression that there hasn't been great joy during the last two years. It definitely hasn't all been bad, much of the changes have brought great freedom. However, I have found myself thinking "I want my life back." The life where I wasn't so mentally strained with the daily decisions and such that any creativity was squelched. The life where I had the time, strength, joy and creativity to blog, knit, spin, cook, garden, sew..........

Even though we may feel like Chippie. We need to give ourselves time. The song may not be the same as it was before but still a song it will be. I'm a Hummer!!!!!!!