The Source of all Wildness

Usually you can find me here writing about my wild boys. Their antics usually are consuming most of my waking thoughts. I have shared the reason behind the term “Wild”, stemming from Eldredge’s book “Wild at Heart”, and how I KNOW there is a divine purpose for them being just as they are. They will be creative, independent leaders someday. You can read more about them here to the right-

see, in the sidebar. My book.

But right now at 9 and 13, Wild says it best.

But today I thought I would mention the source of all wildness.

well, in this little family, anyway.

Wildman.

Someday I hope to take the time to write more confessions about our first date, with Phil collins playing in the background, our elopement right before his 7 month Navy cruise, or the way he still cancels out all misgivings when he kisses me with those lips….

umm.

but for now I thought I would just introduce him a little.

WORK, WORK, WORK

We have walked through some stuff – Wildman and I. Through all 21 years of the stuff, he has never ceased to support me and my creative flairs, my gifts, my art, my projects, my ministry, my speaking (well He did encourage me to slow down with that) and my talents. There have been times that he really had a hard time seeing the vision I saw, but if I expressed a desire to press on,  he wanted me to be happy. My art has never been the most lucrative choice (hence the term starving artist), but he wanted my happiness and worked to help me make them happen.

Through our 8 years as special needs parents, he supported us, and continued on through homeschooling and ministry endeavors.

He was there.

working.

He is a great salesman, and after leaving the Navy, jumped right into the workforce and made things happen. He has been one of the top salesman in his company (6 stores) for many years, and was promoted to the role of store manager, AND sales, the same month our oldest son passed away. I really wanted him to step down, but he felt that we needed the income and he stayed and has done a phenomenal job.

This is phenomenal when I think of him, his personal habits, his spontaneous and unpredictable nature. Sometimes we may kid about the adult ADD thing, but man, he is there, consistently, taking care of this family, takin care of business, and I am so proud.

The great thing about sales is that YOU determine your income, your input and your calendar. The challenge right now is that with the economical changes going on, everyone is affected. Sales still provides  some flexibility, but it takes much longer hours, more driving, more calls and more effort to make a percentage of a previous income.

We have nominated Dave Ramsey as Director of Finances for 2010 and are diligently working his plan. So I am thinking of new ventures that I want to pursue, and started really contemplating what Wildman would like to do, if he had the choice to even think about that.

DREAMS

He is very established in the Orange park community and loves his job and plans to stay there, but what does he really LOVE to do with his spare time?

Well, I can rule out becoming a professional football player, since he prefers watching.

And although he has healed from his 2 ruptured discs, we cannot afford for him to go pro in Basketball right now.

But in addition to that- He cooks.

I mean, he reeally cooks.

Having Greek roots, his grandfather came from Asia minor persecution to America for a better life. They all cook. They feast. The Dentistes in North Carolina have always been in restaurants and know how to whip up an awesome feast with their eyes closed, and for absolutely any reason.

Wildman made a very specifically conscious choice years ago to leave the restaurant business and its stressful lifestyle, but I know deep-down he would love to cook. Just for entertaining, not a job.

So as much as I am setting goals this year for me and my talents, I am setting a goal to eventually be able to send him to an exotic European cooking school, maybe a week in Greece or Italy.

Of course, I will need to go with him just for moral support.

And to taste his yummy creations.

yum.

So until the day that I am able to send take him to an exotic cooking school, I will just encourage you to stop by his store.

He is the manager of Carpet N Drapes in Orange Park, FL on Blanding Boulevard.

If you are in the market for flooring, cabinets, window treatments, cement, or other refurbishing, or if you just have floors and want them cleaner, or KNOW someone who has floors-

 he is in that business and will be able to take care of you. or them.

Ask for WILDMAN and you will get a free lithograph print of mine, with the HOPE scripture from Lamentations.

Sometimes he does Customer Appreciation Saturdays, where he COOKS. Right there, in the store. That’s right.

No, they don’t worry about whether someone drops food on the floor.

got a cleaner for that.

I am trying to convince him to start cooking in the store every last Saturday of the month, maybe even a taste of GREEK.

Will let you know if that creative idea takes flight.

Carpet N Drapes

351 Blanding Blvd.

Manager- Robert Dentiste

904-591-5484

www.carepetndrapes.com

Free In Home Estimates

I did it! I finally finished my E-book, compiling my years of speaking on wild boys, down to eight little chapters. I cannot believe I did it. I know this now starts the editing process, which may taper it down even further. But we have really pushed over that first hurdle and the baby is OUT!

woohoo!

Look for my E-book, coming soon!

Today is Wildman’s 44th birthday. I do not think he feels like a birthday boy.

It is chilly and raining.

A tree branch fell on his car.

The morning started with our 13 year old getting up off the couch to look out the window early this morning, and blacked out, falling on his electric guitar and scratching up his back pretty bad. They came and woke me up. It was concerning, but I think he has been working out so hard in football, maybe needing to drink more water? and needed to move around some before he stands up quickly. We are getting food and vitamins in him today.

So he is now okay. Wildman is off to play basketball at the gym, and I decided to write a little about him on his birthday.

In reference to “Wildman”, I love the book Wild at Heart by John Eldredge, as well as The ways of the wild heart. Both gave me a better understanding of the divine purposes of men, and why God has created them so differently than women. It helped me see a bigger picture of why he is more of a risk-taker, more of a spontaneous, ready-fire-aim, kinda guy. It can be really annoying until I read about how God sees my man and all he has been created to BE and to DO. Since all of my boys have some impulsive tendencies, I call them my wildmen, and know there is an ultimate purpose to all of this madness!

Top 10 things I love about my husband:

1. I love his spontenaeity. Sometimes it can be unnerving to anyone who likes to plan or organize or prepare, but it also makes life anything but boring. Just when I think I know him and he is predictable, he will do something new and off the cuff and surprise me all over again.

2. His greek roots inspire him to find joy in cooking and creatively inventing new dishes to share with others. I get to be the guinea pig, and have never been sorry. (altho I usually avoid the really hot stuff!) No matter how challenging our finances may have been, we have always had good eats.

3.He has stood by my side for 21 years and three children and we share some great memories.

4. After his experience with health challenges, he has become a nutrition advocate, and is constantly concerned with taking care of us and eating healthy, unswaying devotion to exercise and taking time for down time. This is really a necessary reminder for a type A like me.

5. His devotion to exercise has produced some really cut muscles and he looks dashing in just about anything!

6. He remembers numbers and has a great head for math, and has always wanted to take care of the finances and protect me from having to worry about it.

7. He makes a great cup of cappucino and surprises me with it in the mornings for no reason.

8. He is phlegmatic. The most laid-back personality, and does not hold onto issues or worries and is always willing to start again. (which I can find irritating if i really want to hold a grudge). But I know it is a good thing, and probably why we are still together after all we have walked thru.

9. He is also a charmer. Just when you may feel upset at him for some spontaneous thing he just did, he says something charming and totally redeems himself.

10. He’s pretty handy to have around to fix things. Larger projects may be on the back-burner indefinitely, but when he has the time to help me with a honey-do, he does a really good job. i.e. fixing the pipes under sink, putting the knobs back on our new cabinets, installing a ceiling fan, and even the 4 hour tedium of constructing a basketball goal! He is a keeper.

11. (still thinking of more) He has always loved me enough to support my dreams and desires and goals, and artistic inspirations, no matter how far off on a tangent they go. I am really grateful for that and know how truly exceptional that is.

12. He is really committed to being there for the boys and their sports and activities, knowing how fast this time will fly by.

Well I could think of more, but I really must go spend some time with him.

It is his birthday after all.

When I woke this morning, it was raining buckets. I was scheduled to have a booth at the Island Dayz fall festival. Since I do not have a tent, I was having a hard time envisioning myself standing in the pouring rain, at a table, with my plates, and the foamcore mounted pictures I use to show my art.

and my hair all curled and all.
It’s just this thing in my Dad’s family, where we just really do not like to go out when it’s a-rainin.

Buckets.

So I cancelled the sitter.

then the sun came out.

So now I am considering a day with my boys, just being in the moment, or stress and run around trying to make accomodations and get myself back to the festival.

Well, fortunately I just wrote this article for Pear magazine called Celebrate the Moment, that made it soo easy to make this decision today.

We are going to see a movie.

Plus, it just started raining again.

(Warning! This post is for those with a sense of humor)

When I am invited to speak sometimes, my topic usually will touch on the issue of control, and how very little we have of it. I have always been a strong, type A, red personality with a touch of blue, so my sons call me purple. I have so much more peace when everything around me is somewhat organized, and the red in me tends to delegate and organize others. But it never seems to go as planned. Since I married and subsequently had active boys, life has been full of surprises and unscripted, happen-stance that somehow evolves into life. All the world is a play. I am onstage. The lights are on, and I am the only one who knows the lines. Everyone else is acting out a different play. Ever had that dream?

So I find myself saying things I never thought I would say, doing things I never planned to do, and realizing that I do not have control, and God is constantly trying to teach me lessons here, to let go, trust Him, and enjoy the ride. “Be still..and know that I am God.”

I love to share with ladies, that although we do not always know the outcome, God has magnificent plans  for all of us, and remind them of their significance in every individual, unexpected, moment of thier lives.

Sometimes it is obvious. I know that God was holding us in His arms when I spent my first eight years as a mother with a frail and beautiful boy with special needs and a never-ending smile. I even felt God with me on the moment Joshua died in my arms in our van. I had no doubt. I feel His presence in so many little things in my day.

I know God blessed me with little pictures of His grace when I have had an exhausting day, and then I snuggle with my sons and they want to hear “Little Town on the Prairie” as we talk about the tough lessons of Pioneer living.

I know God is merciful, when I have had an emotional night whining to my husband (or even just whining to God) about my needs that are not being met. me-me-me. Then I wake up to my husband bringing me his wonderful vanilla cappucino in bed. He is speaking to me in the language that he knows, and always ready to start a new fresh day.

But most of the other little unexplainable,  instances in my life have been thrown in a bucket called patience. I feel sure that most of the unorganized, impulsive, and downright frustrating things that happen to me as mom are also part of God’s plan as well, and mostly to help me grow in patience, as we press on raising Godly, responsible young men.

For instance – Our dog loves to eat dirty laundry. i thought he had outgrown this habit, and am now wondering if it is related to his allergies, and needing meds. I just noticed him in the backyard this weekend walking in a sort-of squat, all over the yard. When I saw him walk/squatting back toward the house, I called Gibb-12 and said,”

Please come here! I need you to come help me pull something out of Cody.”

Then I thought, “I cannot believe I just said that.”

It was strands of fabric, which we discovered later was a new pair of Bear’s underwear. But I hopefully will not have to say that again for awhile.

I thought of some other little lines that have been part of my daily script:(notice most end with an exclamation. I am still working on soft-spoken-ness)

Get down off that roof right now!  and bring your brother!

Do you need a tissue for that?

You have to wear underwear with the school uniform!

Take all the lizards back outside!

HOW did you staple your fingers together?

Okay, go hose each other down before you come in. ..and hose down the sides of the house too.

We do NOT karate punch the sheet-rock!

where are your shoes? we just drove all the way to NC, where are your shoes?

Do you need a tissue for that?

No more body-noises at the table!

Here-on-out, all urinating WILL be done IN the house, in a bathroom!!!

My boys are NOT going to look for alligators! (when we had a boat)..(and my husband took them anyway)

go back and put on underwear for church.

Dig your brother up right now, and fill the hole!

Bear, you cannot just PUT McCain signs in other people’s yards!

Why are apple cores under your bed?

Do you need a tissue for that?

Where are your shoes?

No more drawing on the walls! (my mother is laughing at this one!)

We do not use a leaf blower to dust the house!

Why are you sticking tweezers up his nose? (My husband found a raisin, swollen to a grape size.) (Bear was a toddler.)

I am sure all of these times are small threads in the elaborate fabrics of God’s magnificent plan for us. One day I will see the bigger picture.

In the meantime, I am being called back to the stage.

And there is no dress rehearsal.

Jeremiah 29:11″For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”