Birthday!

My birthday is actually in April, but several of my friends have had birthdays lately. So I've decided to celebrate my birthday here on this blog!

So my birthday is approaching, and I've decided to really do it up and include my nearest and dearest friends. I send out invitations a few weeks in advance so they have plenty of time to plan ahead. If they're from far away, I work out the travel arrangements with them, and I pay for it, of course. We will start celebrating in the early afternoon of a Saturday and probably keep it going for several hours after dinner. Of course, for those of my friends with young children, I arrange for activities for them, suitably supervised by well-qualified babysitters.

We start the celebration with a gathering at my home. A wonderful band is there providing excellent music; there is food galore, not to mention my pool (of course!). With the variety of interests represented in my friends, there are running conversations about any of a number of subjects at any given time. It's so fun to keep moving from group to group to see what's being discussed!

In the evening, we move to one of my favorite restaurants: Olive Garden, which I've reserved for the night. Of course, before we go, I offer space in my home for people to shower and change clothes. I have ordered several limousines to get my friends to the restaurant from my house. Of course, we all arrive pretty much at the same time, and the food frenzy begins! I am so pleased with the staff that's present; they really do an excellent job of keeping my friends pampered. I make a note to myself to make sure to include a generous gratuity for the staff along with my final payment to Olive Garden, as they definitely deserve it!

At the end of the day, most of my friends go ahead and leave for home, but a few are so worn out or live far away, so I have rooms prepared for them, either in my house or in the guest house. Of course, there is plenty of food in the morning for them to have breakfast.

What a great way to celebrate my birthday--all that time with my dearest of friends, and all made possible because I HAVE A ROOM FULL OF MONEY!

Night Time

I tend to be a day person, but I just love being outside at night. Here is a scene I'd like to live out sometime.

So I have a nice, large, covered patio in my back yard. with some comfortable furniture and a pool. Tonight the weather is especially appealing; a nice, cool breeze is blowing softly and I can hear leaves rustling gently. I am dressed for bedtime, but I decide to go on outside and enjoy this serene setting for a while.

I turn on the patio light and take a book with me. There's already a boom box there and I turn on some nice jazz--just the right kind of music to relax to--and set the CD to repeat. I settle into a lounge chair and start to read my book, getting thoroughly immersed in it to the point of losing track of time. After several chapters, I get an urge to get into my pool, and in I dive! It's so refreshing and peaceful at the same time. I just play around in the water and enjoy the breeze blowing against my wet skin.

Finally I decide to get out and go on inside. I head to my bedroom and take a quick shower to rinse myself off. I dry my hair and dress for bed (again!); then I sink under the sheets of my bed, dozing off to sleep ever so easily.

What a wonderful patio I can enjoy this night, not to mention my pool--all because I HAVE A ROOM FULL OF MONEY!

A Vist to The East

I have a dear friend who lives in the eastern U.S. I've known him for about a year and a half, and although I've seen pictures as well as viewing him on a webcam, I've never seen him face to face. I will call him "F" in this entry, because I choose to protect his privacy.

So I've decided to fly east to visit F at long last. I purchase the plane tickets and make arrangements for a rental car. F has already said I won't need a hotel because he has plenty of room in his home. As I drive to the airport in Midland, I am so excited because I've dreamed of seeing him for what seems like forever. I have my MP3 player loaded with music because the trip will take several hours--first a flight to Dallas and then a connection to my final destination. F doesn't have a car, so I've already told him not to stress himself about picking me up, as it's easy to obtain a rental car.

Fortunately, my waiting time in Dallas isn't that long--only about an hour, which is just the right amount of time to get from one gate to another. My thoughts are all over the place as I board my second flight; I can barely sit still through its duration, even with my music. When the announcement finally comes that we are approaching the final airport, I can barely stand the wait; and then when we finally land, it's all I can do to keep myself sitting until I'm able to get up and leave the plane.

The luggage claim area as well as rental car section are both easy to find. Before long I'm in a nice vehicle equipped with a GPS system, and I call him just before leaving the airport to let him know I'm on the way. The GPS makes it easy to find his home, and in less than an hour I'm knocking on his door and then grabbed in a wondrous hug!

The next several days are absolutely wonderful. We're able to talk to each other and finally be able to look each other in the eye. We can share laughter and stories and cook together and loads of other things. The time of our visit flies altogether too fast and, before I know it, it's time for my return back to Texas. The beauty of it all is that he doesn't live too terribly far away so we promise that we will see each other soon--definitely within 3-4 months, if not sooner. The day of my return, after another long, scrumptious hug, I reluctantly get into the car and head back to the airport to embark on my return trip.

It is so cool to be able to visit friends I've made and yet never seen, and I can do it because I HAVE A ROOM FULL OF MONEY!

Home!

My parents have been so generous about the home we live in. They own it and have allowed my children and I to live in it without a single penny's rent for several years. I am so grateful to them for this!

So I've finally been able to buy the home from them and boy, do I have plans for it! I call in a reputable remodeling company first and go over all the modifications I have in mind--redoing the kitchen and one of the bathrooms, as well as installing a really good insulation. We also improve the heating element in each of the bathrooms. We put in new windows--the kind that will open from the top as well as on the side. Then I contact an interior decorator, and this is when the fun really intensifies! We choose new appliances that will last for years and years. We decide on new carpet and curtains, along with furniture for the living room and for all the bedrooms. We also pick out sheets for all the beds. In the front room, we focus on a welcoming theme for any guest that may come through the door. We purchase towels, mats, and a shower curtain for the bathrooms. It's all so much fun, but even when we complete the task, it's really not done, because . . .

I contact a friend of mine who works in a shelter here in town. I ask my friend if she knows of any families who have had a really difficult time and could use a break. Of course, she has a name for me right away, and I find out how to get in contact with them. I am bubbling with excitement, because this will be the very best part! I decide to ask my friend to come with me, since she knows them and will help to make my news for the family more believable. As we travel to the family's location, I let her in on my plan, and even though she is amazed at what I am telling her, she gets just as excited as I am.

We arrive at the family's place--actually, the shelter my friend works at. They are all together, quietly occupying themselves. My friend and I ask them if they'd like to come with us to get something to eat. They're concerned about leaving their things, but I promise them this will not be a problem. My friend assures them they can trust me, and so off we go.

We arrive at the restaurant and I tell them to feel free to order whatever they want. We all make our selections and a waitress takes our order. While we wait for our food to arrive, I spring the news to them: they will be moving into a new home TONIGHT! Of course, they are aghast, and my friend and I are just grinning from ear to ear. I tell them we can stop at some stores after we eat and they can pick out food for their new kitchen and some new clothing, too. When what I say finally sinks in, they are talking excitedly and asking loads of questions. I don't answer most of those questions because I want to let them see the home for themselves.

Needless to say, we all eat our food as quickly as we can because the family is definitely ready to embark on this new adventure. We stop at a department store and we all have loads of fun on the buying spree! We take our bags to the car and drive to their new home.

Oh, the excitement as we enter! They are all super impressed at what they see all throughout the house and my friend and I have smiling muscles that are just about worn down for as happy as this is making us. But then I have one last piece of news for them--that the father and the mother are welcome to come work for me if they'd like, and if I don't have anything that interests them, I will help them find work elsewhere. I tell them we can discuss this detail in a few days.

So, needless to say, I leave their home with my friend feeling totally elated. And I know that there is one less family in misery because I HAVE A ROOM FULL OF MONEY!

Beautiful Walk

I love to walk. It's so good for me in so many ways--of course, as far as exercise, but also mentally and spiritually. I was walking the other day when I thought of this.

So I decide to develop a portion of my land to make a beautiful walkway, about a mile long. It's a dirt pathway and the surrounding grass is well-groomed and emerald green. I hire a landscaper and give them a generous budget, asking them to include flowers as well as statues and a pond, too. We include things that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds, not to mention bird baths and bird feeders. There are a couple of benches along the way so I can sit and relax if the mood strikes me, as well as a pavilion.

Of course, I'm involved in the planning of this walkway and I am so excited to see it coming together. I just love that this is a gift to myself and that it's being designed to my specifications!

And when my walkway is finally done, I savor every square inch of it as I walk around the pond, knowing that it came to be because I HAVE A ROOM FULL OF MONEY!

Motorcycle Mama

A looooooong time ago--back in the late 1970's--I learned how to ride a motorcycle. Not "drive" it, mind you, but ride behind the driver. I haven't been able to ride a motorcycle since then, despite a few earnest attempts. And I LOVE riding them!

So I ask a good friend to help me pick out a motorcycle of my own and also teach me how to ride it on my own. They come with me to a good, reputable dealer's and help me pick out a bike that's suitable for me. They take the next little while to help me become a safe driver so I can pass the operator's test. Before long, I really know what I'm doing and successfully get an operator's license! I am just loving being able to hit the road on my bike whenever I please and fully enjoy the experience. I even take my children out on the road with me and show my older son how to drive it, too.

And all this was made possible because I HAVE A ROOM FULL OF MONEY!

Bath 'n Body Works

I love Bath 'n Body Works. I often just browse through the store in our local mall (Music City Mall in Odessa TX), sniffing the different scents and imagining having all kinds of different, luxurious products in my home, using them regularly.

So I stop into our Bath 'n Body Works with a full intention to have whatever strikes my fancy. I take as much time as I please, checking out the different lotions and shower gels, buying them in any form I please, and even decide to experiment with the shampoos and different aromatherapy items, not to mention the things designed to make my home more inviting. I leave with several bags full of things as well as a wide grin on my face, because I HAVE A ROOM FULL OF MONEY!

Restaurant

So I'm walking down the street one day and pass by a restaurant that looks incredibly crowded. I get this thought and backtrack with a smile on my face. I walk into the restaurant and ask for either the owner or the manager. A harassed-looking woman comes to the front and identifies herself as the manager. I tell her that I want to pay for all the checks that are open right now; she instantly smiles right back at me and motions to the cashier to total up all the checks that haven't been paid up yet. The cashier gives the total to the manager, who shows it to me. I whip out my debit card, hand it to the cashier.

And before you know it, I'm walking out of the restaurant with an even bigger smile on my face because I HAVE A ROOM FULL OF MONEY!

Food

I have always liked the idea of helping people who need it. Here is a unique idea.

I have found a huge orchard, full of different kinds of fruit trees--apples, pears, peaches, pecans, you name it. They are all full-grown and are bearing loads of fruit every year. I buy it from the owner at a generous price, along with several acres of surrounding land, and then open it up to anyone who wants to come and get any of the produce. I also hire some people to keep the surrounding land planted with fruit and vegetables--high quality organic, so incredibly healthy as well as delicious. Before I know it, word has traveled and there are loads of people coming. It's so popular that I start similar places in different parts of the country, and then all over the world.

I love how this is helping hundreds of thousands of people, and I can enjoy this giving spree because I HAVE A ROOM FULL OF MONEY!