Leaving for Spain!

Jennie and I are off to Spain tomorrow morning! I still have not done any research except for the weather (which is going to be perfect!!). I cannot forget my sunblock! Did you know that sunblock costs 20 euros for 1 bottle?? That is $30, my friends!! Is that not ridiculous??!! I refuse to forget and have to buy another bottle in Spain. My goodness. Anyway, I am over it (can you tell?!).

Jennie and I are hitting our Brussels favorites while she is here...Canterbury (our favorite restaurant) on Thursday night; Grand Place on Friday night; and the mall, Ikea, and farmer's market today!

Oh, I finally bought a Belgian lace tablecloth on Friday night. I have been wanting one and had never taken the plunge, until now! I am not a 'lacey' person at all...but I knew I would regret it if I did not get one while I was here. I got it home and put it on my table...and it is so pretty! It is more linen than lace, so that makes it a little more 'me'! I will get pics posted soon!

Now, we are napping and about to pack up! Jennie is bringing her Mac to Spain, so we will be blogging from road! Stay tuned for some Spanish fun!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend!

Jennie has arrived!

Jennie has landed in Brussels for what will be a very good time! We had dinner at our favorite restaurant, Canterbury, and had some catching up time before jet-lag set in!

She finally got into the world of blogging a couple of weeks ago so she brought her iMac with her to blog from the road! Let me tell you, I have not seen the iMac in action until now...but that is one awesome computer! You can do so many cool things! So, last night, we decided to create a little podcast! It is so neat! Check it out here. There is even a guest appearance from Maxie herself! Something tells me we will be creating many podcasts from Spain!!!

Good Stuff!

A few good things I wanted to share today! First, my friend, Jennie, made it to Amsterdam and is now about to board a plane bound for Brussels! She will land in 1 hour and I am so excited to see her!!!!! It has been 8 months! Yikes!

Next, I booked something today that I am so excited about I could scream! I am going on a Mediterranean cruise!!!!! I have wanted to go on a cruise since I arrived in Europe! I was supposed to go with my friend, Ginnie; however, God intervened and sent little Geater to grow inside her (due at the end of March 2009!)! I could not be more excited for her! So, I put the cruise on the back burner and hoped something would come along! Then, my friend, Pam, got wind that I was looking for a cruising buddy and thought it was a fantastic idea! So, we booked our cruise today!! We are leaving on my birthday (October 25th!!) for 7 days! I am so excited!!!

So, lots to get ready for over the next couple of months, but before all of that, Jennie and I are off to Madrid and Barcelona, Spain next week! So excited!

Hanging with the Locals (Part 2) and Meet "Trixie"

Steen and Linda took us to a gorgeous marina in Vedbaek, Denmark where we had an incredible lunch! Vedbaek is a wealthy suburb of Copenhagen, which is probably best known for this being where the Danish football team gathers when they are preparing for a match. The harbour is packed with probably the biggest display of luxury motor boats and sail boats in Denmark. After lunch we headed over Oresund Bridge into Sweden. It is a 5-mile bridge, 2.5 mile tunnel, and a man-made island. The bridge-tunnel is the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe and connects the two metropolitan areas of the Oresund Region: the Danish capital of Copenhagen and the Swedish city of Malmö. When you look across at the bridge it looks like it just ends in the water...but really, you go down into a tunnel. The Oresund Bridge was selected as one of the seven wonders of Sweden in a 2007 Swedish newspaper poll.

This picture is not very good, but you can see in the distance how it looks like the bridge just stops in the middle of the sea! Steen and Linda live in a beautiful farm house in Ostra Vemmenhog, Sweden! I think the house was built in the 1800's (I cannot remember the exact date), but it was really nice and renovated! Except the ceilings were REALLY short....poor Dan had to watch his head everywhere he walked! They have 2 beautiful horses!
The sky was gorgeous!
Saturday night the fun began! Steen and Linda made an incredible dinner for us! The first course was a beef tenderloin which was fantastic...then came the pork roast (I told you the Danish love their pork!!)! Steen just got a new grill and he was so excited to show off his new toy! Dan and Pam enjoying the night!
Linda whipping up dessert! Steen and Dan are really big into wine! The girls, well, we just like to drink it...so we did, and a lot of it!!!!!!! They would not stop pouring it down us! What was that all about??!!
This is Emma (the dog) and what used to be a glass of wine!So as the night progressed and more bottles of wine were emptied by the visitors and hosts, all bets were off when the Nintendo Wii came out!!! I am a light weight when it comes to alcohol since I do not drink that much! So, it did not take much to get me giggling! That was when my drunken alter-ego "Trixie" made her appearance! She was created by Pam who somehow decided to tell everyone, in a very convincing way, that I was a bowling champion back in my college days, who won medals than Michael Phelps! Everyone believed her...it was hysterical (you just had to be there to understand how funny this really was!)! I was laughing too hard to try to deny it! Then karaoke got started...and it was downhill after that! And yes, Trixie was the karaoke champion back in her college day too!
My drunken alter-ego was given a last name on Sunday when we started playing the Tiger Woods golf game on the Wii. I was actually good...hence the name, "Trixie Woods"!After playing the Wii, we got to visit the beach close to Steen and Linda's home. The Baltic Sea is about half a mile from their farm! Nice, uh!! The day we visited there was a lot of seaweed, but it was still a lovely beach nonetheless!

Steen, Linda, Pam, and Dan!
We also visited the Swedish fishing towns, Abbekås and Ystad. It was a Sunday morning when we were there, so many of the shops were closed, but it was a nice time walking around!
After a fantastic lunch (yes, cooked by Steen again!), they brought us back to Copenhagen so we could catch our very early flight back to Brussels on Monday morning!

I loved getting the opportunity to see some of Denmark and Sweden through the eyes of locals!

Thank you, Linda and Steen, for your warm hospitality!!! We had such a great time!

Hanging with the Locals (Part 1)

On Saturday morning, we met up with 2 colleagues of Dan's who now live in Sweden! Steen is from Denmark and Linda is from England. Since the weather was perfect, they took us to one of the largest and oldest (1897) open-air museums in the world--Frilandsmuseet.

From the website: You can wander into a time capsule of long ago -- a sort of Danish version of the Scottish Brigadoon -- and return to a town that still lives on in the 19th century, when Hans Christian Andersen was writing all those fairy tales. This reconstructed village in Lyngby, just outside of Copenhagen, recaptures Denmark's one-time rural character. The "museum" is nearly 89 acres, a 1 3/4-mile walk around the compound, and includes more than 50 re-created buildings -- farmsteads, windmills, and fisherman's cottages. Exhibits include a half-timbered 18th-century farmstead from one of the tiny windswept Danish islands, a primitive longhouse from the remote Faroe Islands, thatched fisherman's huts from Jutland, tower windmills, and a potter's workshop from the mid-19th century.

Since the weather was so great, it was nice to just walk around and enjoy the day. It was very interesting to see how people lived back then and how grateful I am to have been born in the 21st century of modern conveniences (air-conditioning, gas cars, electricity, indoor plumbing, just to name a few). These houses were real houses moved from some of the islands in Denmark to this museum. The thatched roof was very common back in the day...and I can only imagine how much of a fire hazard it was! From my understanding, some houses today in Denmark and Sweden have these thatched roofs which are good for insulation. Wonder how much they pay in insurance??
Some things I realized while walking through some of these homes were just how dang tiny Europeans are! Check out the bed below. Seriously, they were little people! Also, the mattress was made out of some sort of bean...kinda like a beanbag!!

Old country store!
Yes, even animals live on the farm! What a cute little lamb!
Pigs, pigs, and more pigs! There are more pigs in Denmark than people in Germany! Seriously, I am not kidding! The Danish love their pork! When it comes to pigs, Denmark reigns supreme. This little country of just 5.4 million people raises 24 million pigs a year, making it the world's biggest exporter of pork.
Off to Sweden next...

Copenhagen, Denmark

As I mentioned in a previous post, I did very little research on Copenhagen and left all the planning to Dan! I turned out to be the best decision I’ve made in a long time!

Copenhagen is a very small city, easily covered in a day! We left Brussels on Thursday night, as Friday was a holiday here in Belgium!

Copenhagen (Københaven in Danish), capital of Denmark and once head of Sweden and Norway too, is a pretty, seaside city and is the world’s ninth richest city in terms of gross pay her head (maybe I should have looked for a husband there!??!). It is also located on the largest of Denmark’s 406 islands.

My first impression of Copenhagen was that everyone spoke perfect English (yeah!!) and how the city was so clean and modern. Did you know that the Danish people are considered the happiest people in the world??!! How cool is that?! I found it to be true!

We got up on Friday, walked around a little, and decided to take the city bus tour! One of the first stops was The Little Mermaid ! Hans Christian Andersen first published the beloved fairy tale of The Little Mermaid in 1837. It is the story of the Little Mermaid who saves the life of a shipwrecked prince and sets off on a perilous quest to win his love. The price she pays is dear. To become human she must give up her lovely voice as well as her mermaid's tail, and if the prince should wed another, she will turn into foam on the waves and disappear forever… The sculpture was put up in 1913, and has since then been the symbol of Denmark.

Our next stop was at the Amalienborg Palace (Amalienborg in Danish), which is the winter home of the Danish royal family. It consists of four identical palace facades with rococo interiors around an octagonal courtyard; in the center of the square is a monumental equestrian statue of Amalienborg's founder, King Frederik V. Amalienborg was originally built for four noble families; however, when Christiansborg Castle burnt down on February 26, 1794, the royal family bought the palaces and moved in. Over the years various kings and their families have resided in the four different palaces.

We got there just in time to see the changing of the guard ceremony. This was my view of the ceremony!!

Close to the palace is Frederik's Church, popularly known as The Marble Church. Frederik's Church has the largest church dome in Scandinavia with a span of 31 meters. The dome rests on 12 columns. The inspiration was probably the Pantheon in Rome. It was opened August 19, 1894.

Yep, this was the toilet!!!!!!! Love the name!

Next up was the Copenhagen Opera House (Operaen in Danish) which is the national opera house of Denmark, and among the most modern opera houses in the world. It is also one of the most expensive opera houses ever built with construction costs well over 500 million dollars. It is located on the island of Holmen in the center of Copenhagen.

Next, we stopped for lunch at Nyhavn, the canal and promenade that runs down to the sound. The name literally means “new harbor”, has tons of restaurants and terrace cafes.

As with any trip with Pam, we shopped! We strolled along Strøget (literally means "the straight" or "to wander"), where we bought some amber (ring and earrings, for me!!). Amber is very popular in Denmark. Hardened tree sap from ancient forests, amber can today be harvested from beaches all around the Baltic as "stones". My favorite part of Copenhagen was Tivoli Gardens (amusement park). Tivoli (spell it backwards) is a famous amusement park and pleasure garden and opened on August 15, 1843 and, except for Dyrehavsbakken in nearby Klampenborg, it is the oldest amusement park which has survived intact to the present day. It was also the inspiration for a little well known man named, Walt Disney!! Walt Disney, during a trip overseas with his wife Lilly, visited Tivoli Gardens. Walt was so impressed with the Danish amusement park, he immediately decided Disneyland should try to emulate its "happy and unbuttoned air of relaxed fun”.

We had such a great time at Tivoli! As soon as we entered, we ran over to a ride called the “Demon” and rode it twice! It was awesome!! We then had dinner and rode it again and walked around! It was such a great atmosphere and a beautiful night.

My 2 favorite people!

Part of the Demon!!!

There was also a rock concert (have no idea who it was and it was not in English!) going while we were there. It was just a fun place to be!
Of all of the fun we had the entire weekend...the picture below sums it up! It is of Dan, Pam, and I on the Demon ride in Tivoli! Please note the overwhelming excitement on my face and how much fun Dan is having! However, you must also notice the sheer FEAR Pam was experiencing while riding the Demon! Her face tells it all!!! If I do not post anything for a while, that means Pam has literally killed me for posting this picture...so go after her first!!!
We had a great time visiting Copenhagen; however, the time we spent in Sweden the following day was incredible! That story up next! And, don't forget, you are going to meet Trixie Woods!

Busy Week

I am back from an incredible trip to Denmark and Sweden!! It has been a busy week at work and I have been exhausted and unmotivated to update my blog about my trip! I promise to get it updated within the next couple of days!!!

Stay tuned and you will get to meet "Trixie Woods"!

This Weekend!

I am off to Copenhagen, Denmark this weekend! I am giggling right now because I have not planned one single thing for this trip! Seriously, nothing!!!! I am going with my friends, Dan and Pam. We booked this trip a while back and I really have not thought too much about it since. Yes, we got our flights and hotels, but nothing more than that. I did buy a travel book for Copenhagen several months ago, but have I opened it? Nope and my flight leaves in 3 hours!

This is what I do know...

We are flying into Copenhagen tonight! Tomorrow we are taking some boat ride to some place I have no idea where. Then, we are going to an amusement park, which as I understand it, is like a park but has rides in it as well (not like Disneyland). We are also going to see the other sites of the city (whatever they may be!)

Saturday, some friends of Dan's will be meeting up with us to show us some of their favorite spots in Copenhagen (they live in Sweden). We are then going to a local market to pick some food for a BBQ (Swedish style) and then head to their house. They have a guest house on their property, which is where we will be sleeping Saturday night! How cool is that??!!! Hanging out with locals doing what the locals do! Supposedly, they live on the water somewhere in Sweden so we will also have some beach time as well!

Sunday is completely open, as far as I know, then Monday, we fly home super early to be able to make it to work on time (or soon thereafter!!).

I know that sounds a little like a plan, which, I suppose it is a little, but I had nothing to do with any of it! I am just showing up!

If you know me, you know that I am a complete organized freak! Really, almost scary how organized I am---always prepared and ready! I buy travel books and read them cover to cover and plan out every detail of my trips! I believe in not missing a single must-see thing that I am suppose to see! Sounds stressful, but it really isn't. I do not stress out about any of it, but I just make sure to plan accordingly! Well, I have seen my attitude change over the past few months when it comes to upcoming trips. I am more interested in just showing up and letting the spirit take me to the places I am suppose to go! Is that bad?

Here is another example---My dear friend, Jennie, will be arriving in Brussels in 13 days (but who is counting!!). Our plan is to go to Madrid and Barcelona, Spain! We have the flights booked, hotels booked, and even a train ticket booked....everything else, well, the spirit will guide us! Oh wait, I think she did book the bus tours! You should have seen the itinerary of her last trip over here! We covered some serious ground! That stresses me out just thinking about it!

I am off to some unplanned fun!

Olympics in Beijing!!

I love the Olympics! I was going to be the next Mary Lou Retton back in the day. As in years past, I am addicted to watching all the events and staying up way past my bedtime to see if Michael Phelps has done it again! (And he did!!!!)

What an incredible race this was! You can see it in this reaction just how much passion they have for their sport, their team, and each other! Unlike in years past, I am cheering for Team USA from Belgium! I have Sky TV (British TV) so I am experiencing the Olympics through the eyes of the Brits and learning about the British commentators and British athletes. It is not that bad, but not anything like I am used to. I am used to full nonstop Team USA coverage, knowing all the US athletes by name, stats, hometown, what's playing on their iPod, their favorite food, how much sleep they get at night, and how many calories they consume in a day!

This year, I know very little about the US athletes, except for Michael Phelps!! The Brits are OBSESSED with Phelps (as am I) so there is nonstop coverage of his events! I am definitely not complaining, but I would love to see some of the American gymnastics too!

Here's to you, Team USA....keep going for GOLD!

Shutterfly

I have used Shutterfly for years to store and share all of my thousands of pictures! I love Shutterfly! They recently updated the personal site where you share your pictures with visitors. I just checked it out and it looks great! They set it up to be more like a blog site where you can add a blog and share your pictures as well!

Anyway, check it out when you get a chance!

http://tippa.shutterfly.com/

On the Horizon...

I just looked at my calendar and noticed the Fall is going to be pretty busy. I just returned from a 3 week stay in the bustling city of Stansted, England (ok really, not that exciting!). Next weekend is a holiday weekend in Belgium and I am heading up to Copenhagen, Denmark with my wonderful friends, Dan and Pam. We will be seeing Copenhagen as well as visiting some friends of theirs in Sweden! Should be a great trip!

Then, on August 27th, my dear friend, Jennie, arrives for her 2nd trip over to visit me! We will be heading to Madrid and Barcelona, Spain!! We are so excited!!!

Then, September will bring me back to Germany (locations yet to be determined) for work and a personal trip to Prague, Czech Republic! I cannot wait!

Then, I will be making my first trip back to the US on October 3-11!!!!!!!! I have not been home since Christmas and I CANNOT WAIT!

Then, there are a few unconfirmed trips in October and November...then back home for Christmas! Wow, can you believe we are already in the last part of 2008?! Where has this year gone?

Loves

I have been such a downer lately and posting about stuff that annoys me here in Brussels, that I really need to share in some of the loves I have from my experience of living in Europe. So here are some:

• I love being in the center of Europe and within a couple of hours of fabulous places!
• I love being able to share my opportunities and blessings with my family and friends who are able to come visit and those who live vicariously through me by reading my blog.
• I love my blog! What a great way to document your memories!
• I love the farmer's markets around Brussels and other cities.
• I love the ease of train travel.
• I love, love, LOVE my apartment and garden in Brussels. I live in a fabulous neighborhood!
• I love the 'cafe' life in Europe. It is so cozy and relaxing to just hang out and have a drink!
• I love all of the festivals held in many neighborhoods around the year.
• I love all of the fabulous places I have visited and explored.
• I love the ease of public transportation in many European cities.
• I love that dogs are accepted most places and can travel freely.
• I love My Maxie!!
• I love getting to see how other cultures live on a day to day basis and what makes them happy.
• I love how the Internet makes the world seem so small!
• I love, love, love my Vonage phone!
• I love the city center in European cities. They have such charm and character to them and the architecture is unbelievable.
• I love how old and preserved everything is over here!
• I love how simple life is over. Europeans know how to live and focus on what is important...faith and family.
• I love how Europeans live life without the materialistic things that Americans think are important (huge house, huge car, huge diamond on their finger).
• I love how I can walk almost anywhere in European cities and not have to drive.
• I love the small amount of hot weather we have to endure. (It is 65 degrees in Brussels right now!)
• I love the locally owned 'mom and pop' shops and restaurants.
• I love the waffles in Brussels!
• I love all of the chocolate in Brussels!
• I love, love, love the friends I have met here.
• I love experiencing living in Europe (all of it....good, bad or indifferent).
• I love the thought of being where God wanted to be at the time He wanted me to be here.

Just a few things...

I found this blog entry as I was organizing and cleaning out some of my computer files during my train commute from England on Friday! I realized I never posted it...so here it is!

Since I have been in Brussels for over 1 year now (can you believe it?), I thought I would fill you in on some things I have found to be quite interesting and/or amusing:

• Never, EVER leave home without an umbrella. Even though the day looks perfect outside, it can change in an instant and leave your stranded and soaked!
• If the sun is shining, get out in it immediately to catch up on some Vitamin D…you never know when the next time it will appear!
• Always allow 30-45 minutes to get anywhere. Traffic can be a nightmare even on Sundays! I live 7 miles away from the office and some days I can be sitting in traffic for over an hour and have only driven about a half mile. I hate those days!
• All stores are closed on Sundays…everything!
• Personal space is an American thing!
• You can only find items on sale in the months of January and July….forget about it any other time of the year.
• Depending on where you are in Brussels depends on the language you should speak. There is French and Flemish; however, English is the neutral language…thank goodness, because that is the only one I am fluent in and sometimes I question that!
• When all else fails, use the universal language of gesturing!
• When you use the metro or trams, you are on the honor system! No one is there to stamp or validate your ticket! However, if caught without a ticket you can get a steep fine!
• Deodorant is not widely used….really, it is not good!
• Every phone call you make, you are charged. I have a home and mobile phone for which I pay a monthly fee. However, when I make a call, I am charged an additional fee and depending on who I call (land-line or mobile) the rates are different. It is more expensive to call a mobile phone than a land-line phone. Mobile to mobile calling is the most expensive.
• Never get in a hurry at a restaurant. Once you get your food, you practically have to chase down the waiter to get your bill!
• Summer days are so long (I love it!) and it does not get dark until 11PM! However, winter days are depressing and too short (it starts getting dark by 4PM)!
• Driving is ridiculous. While driving down a street you have to look out for: trams, pedestrians (as they have the right away), bike riders who are not allowed to ride on the sidewalk, people entering the street from the right as they have the priority, motorcycles who seem to think they can come around you any time they feel like it, and buses, which take up the entire road since the streets are so narrow.
• I am an expert parallel parker! Parking is a nightmare and you almost always have to park on the street in tiny little spaces! I am shocked sometimes at how small of a space I can get into now!
• Doing laundry can take all week especially when you have 1 machine that washes and dries. My washer/dryer is so small that I have to wash one sheet at a time. It takes over an hour to wash and at least 1 ½ hours to dry! That is about 3 hours for just 1 single load.
• Everything here is very expensive. I have stopped shopping in Brussels unless it is an emergency or I really absolutely need something. It is just too expensive not to mention the exchange rate which makes it that much more expensive.
• I could not live without my Vonage phone. It is nice not to have to worry about international long distance charges!
• I have learned to live without American food (I cannot believe I am saying that!).
• Americans are so loud. I can pick out a table of American tourists in a restaurant just by the noise they are making. I have started almost whispering while dining out!
• In many public places, including many restaurants, you have to pay at least 0.30 to use the restrooms!
• I feel like I am in my own world when listening to the radio. It is obviously in French, so I just make up my own stories! It is quite annoying when I want to hear about the traffic and can’t understand a word…jeez, maybe I should start those French lessons again!
• Maxie is able to go everywhere with me. Although not allowed in grocery stores, dogs are allowed in restaurants. Isn’t that interesting?!
• Belgians put huge holes (at least 1 foot deep) in the bus lanes to keep the normal folks out. However, sometimes when it is dark and POURING down rain (not to mention freezing cold), the normal folks get turned around while making a wrong turn and end up in the bus lane without knowing it. Then they find themselves in the HUGE hole meant to kill someone. Hitting a hole which is 1 foot deep while driving about 15 mph will cause you to completely blow out a tire, ruin your rim that will definitely need to be replaced, and have you stuck until help arrives. I speak from experience!

These are just a few things that make me laugh on a daily basis! Really, all I can do is laugh, which I believe is better than the alternative!

Jealousy

I am not a jealous person, really, not at all. I actually hate the green-eyed monster! I believe everyone has their life and God has their plan it is the way it is suppose to be. I am truly happy for the blessings God has provided for each and every one of us. We all have our blessings in one way or the other and the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Saying that, I am very envious of the people who are married and live over here. Many of the people I know and blogs I read are written by married couples experiencing all life has to offer over here together. I hear of the places they hang out, the challenges they endure 'together', the things they do with other couples, the 'couple friends' they have made, the places they go, etc.

This blog is a place I express my feelings (the good, the bad, and the ugly). It is my blog so I can say what I want, right?!! Maybe I just need some sympathy today, who knows. I do not mean to offend anyone who is married, really, that is not my intention. I promise. I just want to say how INCREDIBLY difficult it is living over here alone.

Did I know that going into this? Yep.

Did I realize just how difficult it was going to be? Probably.

Do I like it? Not all the time.

Nothing here is easy for us singletons. All of the challenges that come with living in another country, I endure and handle on my own....just me...no one is there is help, to discuss with, to bounce off ideas with, to cook for me, to run errands for me, to shop for me, etc. Just me....I do it all. Many people have expressed just how strong this experience has made me. "Tough as nails", they say. Ok, maybe so, but that does not mean I like it all the time!

Would I rather have someone here to help out? You better believe it.

This experience has made me realize just how independent I am and how much I can do on my own. I have more patience than I ever realized imaginable. I am strong, I am independent, I can handle most things put in front of me...but sometimes you just want a little help...someone who understands, someone to go through this with you. You know, 98.9% of the time, I am perfectly happy and content in my world as a singleton living in Brussels. Really, I am stating the truth. But, that 1.1% seems to creep up on me sometimes!

I have made life-long friends over here who are my rock (and they ALL happen to be out of town right now, which is probably the reason for my mood). However, sometimes you just want to say to someone, "Please take care of this for me, I am just tired."

Excuse me.....I just had an "ah ha" moment. It JUST hit me - God is the person I should be saying all of this to. He is the one that takes care of it all for me. I do not need a friend or husband to take care of me when I have Him. I suppose it took me typing this to remember that.

Do I realize this is the way God wanted me to experience this opportunity in my life? Absolutely.

I know He has a plan for me and I know if I am meant to be with someone, then He knows the timing for me and I just have to be patient. But, oh it is hard!

I am done ranting now. I am going to pray!

Note: After I went back and read what I typed, I started to delete this entirely. I really do not want to offend anyone. However, there maybe people out there (single or married) that have these same thoughts. They need to know they always have someone to turn to. He is God, our Heavenly Father. We are NEVER alone. It took me typing this to remember that. I hope someone out there in the blog-world who has these same feelings will believe and remember that too!