It's That Time of Year!

For the first time in my life (since the 80's anyway) I am doing my taxes on my own. While I really don't enjoy doing paperwork of any kind (who does) this year is quite enjoyable since I am not being ragged on by anyone but me. The best news I found out so far is that I don't have to pay taxes on child support, yipee! You have to look for the little enjoyments in life when you are going through a divorce.

Of course it is not without any flareups from my still hopefully soon-to-be-ex. The other night I received the nastiest email I think I have ever received in my life. I should have expected it, money was always the most important thing to him and he doesn't think that after 24 years of marriage that I should have any. Maybe he received the report from the vocational counselor that told him that after so many years off of the job market that it was true I was unemployable.

Whatever the reason, I let him know that none of this was my choice. I am just trying to bide my time until all of the paperwork is finished and we can pretend we never knew each other. (yes that's sad too, after so many years of marriage he doesn't want to be friends !)

Of well to cheer myself up I go shopping and here is the link to my latest therapeutic purchase.

It's cheaper that therapy and I get to go home with something I really like!

http://mycheapfashionfix.blogspot.com/2015/03/double-take-consignment-boutique.html

I Have Become Comfortably Numb.

Well, my almost ex-mother-in-law never made it out of the coma. Her children took her off of life support and she died the next day. Sad really, my hopefully soon-to-be-ex wasn't even there when she passed. He was there when his dad died and could have been there for her but wasn't.  

My almost ex asked that I not attend the funeral even though I asked if I could. I even said I would sit in the back. I think he was afraid I would say something about our impending divorce, I don't think he has told his family about his girlfriend even though it will soon be two years. I wouldn't have said a thing, bad timing and in my past now. Doesn't matter anyway I will probably never see these people again, now that his parents are both gone. The end of an era. Almost as if they were never here.

I wish I could have been there for my daughter. Her first funeral, I wanted to be there to support her but I wasn't allowed. I wonder how she felt. Her dad had tried to make our son feel bad about not going, so I am unsure of how supportive he would have been. It is more his style to want to be supported. 

I did send a beautiful spray of flowers, that held the message that we loved her and would miss her. On her funeral page was the request of a donation to a cause in lieu of flowers but I knew this woman for over 30 years and she would have wanted the flowers. I sent them from her favorite florist, kind of a last order for her. I hope she liked them!

A link to My Cheap Fashion Fix, she wouldn't have liked this, she only shopped at the best stores! http://mycheapfashionfix.blogspot.com/

Divorce and Life: Exercises in Letting Go!

Last night I learned that my ex-mother-in-law is in a coma in the hospital. I have known this woman for over 30 years. Years ago when we went to Disneyland I was the one who pushed her wheelchair all day in the heat (it was 102 degrees that day).

She suffered a stroke. I feel this probably happened because her children were making plans to put her into an assisted living facility and the stress was too much for her. Change is difficult, especially as we get older. She raised a lot of children and no one would take her in.  With no pets to comfort her, she rarely received visits and she lived alone.

I had been a part of this family for so long that I can remember when she was getting ready to put her own mother into a retirement home.  Her mother didn't want to go either, but it was getting dangerous for her to live unassisted. She also had so many children and not one of them would take her in. I recollect that my almost ex-mother-in-law didn't even call her mom; she addressed her by her first name. I remember thinking how sad that she didn't feel close enough to her to call her mom.

Maybe I was never really part of the family (even after all of those years), when my hopefully soon-to-be-ex left no one called to see if I was ok, or even to see if the kids were alright (at least they are blood relatives). Now I think they may just not be a warm caring family, or maybe my soon to be ex-mother-in-law didn't model caring behavior (or her mother for that matter). I believe most of us have dysfunctional families in one-way or another.

I really hope she comes out of the coma. I don't think I would be welcome at the funeral. We didn't attend her husband's funeral years ago because my hopefully-soon-to-be-ex didn't want to pay for the airfare (too expensive for just a few days) and I think he probably told his family it was my fault for not attending.

So much to let go of and so much to look forward to embrace!

Here is my latest Cheap Fashion Fix!

http://mycheapfashionfix.blogspot.com/2015/02/fashion-week-season.html

My Hopefully-Soon-To-Be-Ex: Poster Child for Midlife Crisis!

Shame on me, I should have known; the new Porsche, working out too much and constantly fishing for compliments with "I look pretty good for my age" over and over and over (he didn't, no matter how much he worked out). You starting dying your hair and then the final straw: when you looked at me, I felt your eyes say "meh"!

I knew then we wouldn't grow old together and be like the old couples you still see holding hands as they walk together down the street.

When I met you, you were wearing khakis and polo shirts. A nerd from the east. You weren't cool before you met me.

You called me the recalcitrant teenager when all along I was just being myself and you were becoming the teenager-again.

You will never know how difficult it is for a single mom to raise a teenage son, alone. You left at a point in his life when he needed you the most. An almost man; he needs a man to learn how to be a man. But how could teach him anyway as you were becoming a teenager again?

I remember a time that feels so long ago, before we had children we would go out to dinner and observe over the hill men having dinner with naive young women. We would smile and comment on how nice we thought it was that they were taking their daughters to dinner. 

If I ever run into you with your new amore, I will try my best not to congratulate you on your new daughter!

Here is the link to my latest Cheap Fashion Fix, a visit to a consignment boutique!

http://mycheapfashionfix.blogspot.com/2015/02/repeat-boutique-consignment.html

Stuck In Time! (I Would Have Called it Frozen, but This is no Disney Tale!)

Still not divorced with no end in sight! Everything has come to a complete standstill. My hopefully soon to be ex started all of this and it is because of him that everything has come to a halt. Not surprised actually, he is a control freak and I'm sure this is his way of being controlling. Everything my attorney asks for is ignored and everything my hopefully soon to be ex asks for is completed due to my having picked the nice attorney.  Or is it because I am the woman and the old boy network we have hired expects it of me?

Like next week I am going to see a court ordered vocational counselor. I have been out of the job market for 27 years, who on earth would hire me? He is requesting this because after all of my years of servitude he doesn't want to pay me alimony. In his out of touch world he actually thinks I am hirable. I wish that I was, I had a career I loved and I gave it up. I should have had my head examined. 

Every choice in our lives, he chose, where we lived, our furniture even the dishes. He will have a surprise as this experience draws to a close he will also have to pay me for all of our stuff that he chose!

I'm sorry this post has no humor in it, I feel like I am starting to lose it! But I still enjoy fashion and here is my latest blog about Paris Haute Couture week, I can dream can't I?

http://mycheapfashionfix.blogspot.com/2015/01/paris-haute-couture-fashion-week.html

My Theory of Everything!

A new year, another chance to start over. I only hope this one will be happier for my son. His father has stopped responding to my texts or emails that I send only when it is something important and that I am legally obligated to let him know. After all he is still his father even though he doesn't act like it. He is acting like a man without any responsibilities, how am I supposed to co-parent under these circumstances? 

Now to add to my son's depression his dad wasn't even in town for the holidays. Doesn't he realize what he is doing to his child? Does he even care? How can some people put their own happiness before their child's? I put my son's needs before my own. I brought him into this world and I am going to take care of him until he is grown and on his own. I only hope he will grow into a happier man. 

I think my hopefully soon to be ex is probably mad because the court ordered him to pay alimony. I gave up my life and my career to help him with his career, and I know he doesn't feel my life was worth anything. After 30 years I was so easily replaced by someone almost half my age. 

I was thinking about the movie "The Theory of Everything". Would our understanding of the universe have been forever changed if Stephen had been Stephanie? Would a man have been as supportive of a brilliant disabled female physicist? Even from his wheelchair and without a voice of his own Stephen Hawking left his wife of 30 years for the nurse he met while he was hospitalized. Really? I guess I shouldn't feel too bad about being replaced.

January seems a good time to start linking my other blog: My Cheap Fashion Fix, with hopes of giving more information on fashion and deals!

http://mycheapfashionfix.blogspot.com/2014/12/woodstock-in-honor-of-joe-cocker.html

 

Ghosts of Christmas Past!

Wrapping presents for Christmas morning I thought about all of the Christmases we have spent in this house. Next year will probably be the last one spent in this house, my home for the longest period of my life and all of my children's life. The only home they have ever known.

This year is no different from any other Christmas when the kids were small. I always shopped alone for all the presents and always wrapped them by myself, alone, trying so hard to make the perfect Christmas for my family.

Looking back I feel really bad that I raised my kids with such a controlling father. Even when they were very small, they were never allowed to run to the tree, to express their joy openly and freely as children should be allowed to do. Their dad had to videotape their entrance no matter how many times it took for him to get the shot he was looking for.

I really hope for their sake they can take and remember the good parts of their Christmases growing up and maybe even use a part for their own holiday traditions as they build new families of their own and maybe if I am lucky they will allow me to be part of the fun too!

No Cheap Fashion Fix for today, but my newest article for Divorcedmoms.com; my Christmas gift: Favorite romantic holiday scenes just in time! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!  
http://divorcedmoms.com/articles/my-10-favorite-romantic-holiday-movie-scenes