As Promised

I hinted to a few of you that I'd have some good news to share with everyone soon. Told you that I'd post an update this weekend. My life's been busy here lately, so I'll try to keep this short.

We are loving the new house. Life here has been so peaceful since we moved in. The neighbors don't bother us, and several are even helpful when we have problems (which isn't very often).

We have been waiting to plant annual flowers in the yard, because we are waiting to see what the previous owner planted. So far, we have found Golden Rod (at the end of last summer), Tulips (early this spring), and Peonies (blooming now). There are also 2 rose bushes, a couple of hibiscus (Rose of Sharon), and a hydrangea bush. I know there will be more because the previous owner had a green thumb and she believed in herbs, so I have no idea what goodies will come up.

Courtney has started planting our vegetable garden, and Bonnie has joined in to some extent. Courtney wants all types of veggies to grow and to eat. She's never been one to be too picky. Bonnie, on the other hand, only wants to grow strawberries, and a lot of them. Courtney says that next year, they are adding some pecan trees to the 2 peach trees already there.

The dogs have settled in nicely. We lost 2 in the first 2 months we lived here, and my daughter has gotten another pup. So we have Duke (8 years), Daisy (6 years), Frodo (5 years), and now we have Talos (5 or 6 months). Sadly, Blondie and Mara passed away from an illness because of my ex's stupidity.

We have 3 cats and 3 kittens, plus all the strays that came with the house. Klingon and Clementine are both still with us. Sadly, our Dutch, he went out one day and never came back. Irene was one of the strays, but she walked in, refused to go back out, and now has given us three kittens (Aegon, Lyonel, and Meera Syrup) to find new homes for. As for the strays, I believe they all belong next door, but I cannot be too sure. We just set out leftovers and some kibble, along with de-wormer, to keep them healthy.

Courtney is going back to school. She's in her second semester and studying plant science at college. While even joining the Ag club, too. She's come out of her shell so much, I'm so proud of her.

Bonnie decided to get a job for now, so she can build up her work experience while she decides what she wants to do. Besides, she's tired of school life for right now. She spends any spare moment she can with her boyfriend, who is a sweet and kind young man.

I've lost 20 pounds since last August. I've done nothing special. EXCEPT we did change what we ate, and when we ate. We no longer eat the things my ex wanted. We eat things we enjoy, and we try new meals, too. Meals have been so much healthier for us since we moved. Healthier, especially for my heart.

My heart has improved in function, with the effraction rate going up from 22% to 25%. I know that doesn't seem like much, but it's a lot when you consider the normal effraction rate is between 50-70%. A 15% effraction rate is when they do a heart transplant, so I pray I continue to improve or maintain a 25%.

I also received a scary call from the medical office, which reads my pacemaker's readings. They were having trouble finding one of the leads on the IUD, so I had to set up several appointments this month to have tests done and to meet my new electro-cardiologist. The good news, the lead is still there. The bad news, it's about 110% covered in calcium. When it's covered 150%, they'll replace the lead. Unless my battery, which only has 4 years left on it, needs replacing first. Then they'll do it all at once.

Don't worry, I feel pretty heart great, considering everything that has been going on in my life. There are still things I can't do, but my life has gotten somewhat easier. I can still walk for 20 minutes at a time, and can walk through a store, as long as I push the cart. I know I won't be running a marathon anytime too soon.

I've been hanging out with a friend that I met through my ex. She and her husband have both told me everything that my ex did behind my back and said about me (which helped so much in killing any love I may have had for my said ex). All the lies he said while we were together. The drug addicts that he has been seen with, too. They have been a real help through this. They've even been taking me to my heart appointments, 3 hours away from here. I didn't plan on taking any of his friends, but he has changed so much that many have taken my side. Just when I felt the most ostracized, she contacted me. Together we'll be going to a women's therapy group.

Now, for the pièce de résistance. The update I've been holding back. The one I know everyone is most curious about. On February 10th (my ex's and my anniversary), we signed our divorce papers. We've been waiting this whole time for the judge to review them. We finally had our day in court on April 17th, and boy, was it freeing. The judge listened to how I divided everything, decided it was all fair, and said that in 2 weeks, we would have his signed papers granting us our divorce. Then he told us not to get married again this weekend (as if I'd ever do that again!!)

Now, hopefully, my ex will quit showing up randomly at my house! After all, he did tell my girls he wasn't their father (he is 100%.)

Everything has been going great. There's been some rough spots, but that's life. I don't know what I'd do if there weren't rough patches to go through. But life as it is now has been the best it's been in so long. My girls are happier. The dogs and cats are content. Then there is me, so busy but so blessed.

Sometimes, divorce does make you happier.