Summer isn't fun here....

Hi!

I hope you're all doing well. I'm boiling. It's miserable here...really. It's almost 100 degrees and extremely humid. If you thought I was complaining a few months back...now it's really bad! Plus... I have an even hotter August and September to look forward to. Or actually...NOT look forward to.

I've been thinking a lot lately about where I live and how I really don't like it. I've know since I was a child that I didn't like it here. The first memories I have was when I was very young and lived in New Orleans. I only remember good things about it there. The atmosphere felt happy...friendly...and exciting. My dad worked in the French Quarter and brought me gifts home most every night. I had crawfish in my backyard since we lived so close to the bayou, and I could stay home with my mom who would sing songs, exercise, and play records and games with me most everyday. Then I came here...Shreveport....and some of the first memories I have of this place are being put in some miserable speech class in the first grade because I didn't have an accent like the locals did. Of course they didn't come out and say that, but years later I knew why. Even though I don't care how someone talks, and I certainly don't judge someone for an accent, did they really need me to talk like them??? Do I really need a more hick-like accent instead of a southern Louisiana accent which is much more charming? Once again...a matter of opinion, and I'm not trying to criticize anyone. My dads side of the family, which has been in the southern Louisiana and southern Mississippi area for hundreds of years (seriously... I do genealogy research which is another story) has the most lovely accent. I could listen to them talk forever. I think I brought this up because in short, I've never really felt like I've fit in here. I moved back to the New Orleans area pretty much as soon as I finished high school...which was almost 20 years ago! WOW!!! Again ...another story! I stayed there for several years...came back here (for many reasons) where my parents and grandparents were after a short move to Miami. All in all...I only believed I'd be back here temporarily. I knew I'd never want to stay here. So, a year passed and I met my future husband. Not here of course. I never really liked guys from here either. Matt was from the Chicago area. He moved here to be with me, we got married, we were both somewhat "flighty" people and a couple of years later we went to Maine for a while...then California... then Oregon....then back to California. I moved all these places for work by the way. I could get a job basically anywhere I wanted and so that's what I did. We went where we wanted! Then after the real estate/mortgage industry started tanking out west we thought "Let's move back to our affordable house in Shreveport!" I can be near my parents and ageing grandparents and I can finally get out of the mortgage business and do what I want since I'm terribly burned out anyway!!! Sounds great!!! Lets go!!! Self employed and family close by...what could be better??? Truly... nothing is better!!! Oh...except one thing....we're here! We're in Shreveport. The land is flat and boring...it's hot...and humid...and there's hardly any culture. I don't see eye to eye with most people because it's not a very "open minded" area of the country. I have no roots here....and it feels like it... my grandparents only came here because my grandfather retired from the military and there's a base close by. I want to live close to my family. I enjoy being near them. I don't worry as much since I'm close by. I can be over to their house in 10 minutes if I need to, and ......they make me happy! I love them! I don't like "here" though. I think of California and Oregon all the time. Probably daily. I miss it. I felt free. I loved my surroundings.... I liked the people.... I loved the scenery. I could drive to the mountains in a couple of hours and be on the coast in less than 30 minutes. The weather was mostly perfect. I was surrounded by vineyards and rolling hills..... I was thankful for that everyday I spent there... and I want it back. BUT.... I'd miss my family so much. Such the dilemma huh?

On the bright side....I have a beautiful old home in an historic neighborhood I wish I could take with me wherever I one day go!

Oh well..... I felt like letting it all out..... so I did... to anyone that reads this I guess. Who cares if everyone knows how I feel anyway. I feel better. Isn't that what counts? I will leave this place again one day.... I know it!!! I have to.... we'll just take my parents with us. ; )

Beads!!! I'm working on that! Slowly... I take breaks a lot because of the heat but I'll have new charms to add tomorrow night and a few mini sets to add to my Etsy shop in a couple of days too. More focals on eBay as well.... just keep checking! Now that I've had a long break letting everything out... I must get back to my torch!!!

Have a great weekend!!!!!!!!!

Best Wishes,

Rebecca ; )