Cindy's Coffee Break

My main reason for starting my blog was to document my infertility journey and somehow make sense of it all. I also started making virtual friends along the way, whiched helped tremendously. And it helped to have a blog for friends and family to see so that they could keep in contact with us since we had moved out of state. But the time has come for me to concentrate on my job, try to finish my writing, and hope that the next year brings a baby in our life. We are working pretty feverishly at paying things down and preparing for IVF. With that being said, this is my final post. If you ever need to talk, you can reach me at cindycarlisle@gmail.com. I also enjoy keeping up with everyone on Facebook. Take care!

Posted in: on Sunday, April 5, 2009 at at 9:36 AM 6 comments  

Here is a picture that Brian took of me tonight at work! The azaleas are absolutely gorgeous in northwest Louisiana and there are a ton of azaleas all over the property at work! It's nice when you look out your office window and see blooming azaleas and an ocassional deer, or two. Enjoy! :-)

Posted in: on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 at at 6:55 PM 0 comments  

(This is Oak Alley Plantation where Midnight Bayou was filmed and where I'd like to visit this spring).

I was meandering through the shelves and displays in a local bookstore sometime last year and came across Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts. I've never read any of her books, but I've heard she's an excellent author. I think the woman can churn out a book every couple of weeks because every time I go to the bookstore it seems as if she's got another new book staring at me in the face! :-) Anyways, I was especially curious about the book when I came across it because now that I live in Louisiana, I'm surrounded by beautiful architecture and nature, which is the backdrop of this book. It really is something else to get to live in an area so enriched with history. I'm originally from Texas and even though Texas has a lot of history, Louisiana has a ton of history to speak of as well. New Orleans is one of the oldest ports in the United States. It's possibly the oldest, but I'm not sure? And the swamplands/lakes/bayous are amazing. Louisiana itself is so full of history, culture, and beauty. It's very old-world, if that makes any sense? There is a charm about this state. It's very different from progressive, middle-class suburbia. I'm just so glad that we got the opportunity to step out of our box and move to an area where I have learned so much from.

By the way, the Nora Roberts book was turned into a movie and will be on Lifetime this weekend. I already have my DVR set to record! By the way, if you're looking for a Saturday night movie rental, you should rent The Skeleton Key. That movie showcases Louisiana (south of New Orleans) very well and it even has some twists in the end! :-) Happy Friday!

Posted in: on Thursday, March 26, 2009 at at 4:58 PM 0 comments  

You Would Make a Great 1930's Wife

You've got a few retro ways, and you would make the ideal 1930's wife. At least, that's how it looks on paper. You may just be an easygoing, pleasant person. With a personality like yours, you'd be a great wife in any era!

I absolutely love the results of this quiz! The older I'm getting the more I respect my husband. He has always worked his tail off, and now that we're getting older I see it more and appreciate him more than anything else. I love being a wife who can sew when he needs it, handle the grocery shopping (with my reuseable Tar.get shopping bags, of course!), pay the bills, handle the house chores, etc. I'm not nearly as neurotic about "woman power" as I used to be. To me, being a good wife is a form of feminism at it's finest! :-)

Posted in: on Thursday, March 12, 2009 at at 4:48 PM 0 comments  

Have changed because the weather decided to take a turn for the cold and rainy. :-( Initially, we were wanting to sand and stain the front porch, and plant flowers and shrubs. I was especially excited because we were going to plant some gardenia shrubs (they smell wonderful!), but the forty-degree drop in temperature and rain will keep that from happening. I've decided to do some work on the inside of the house instead. Brian has never been too particularly fond of the kitchen wall color, so I told him that I'd re-paint the kitchen if I could buy some new curtains for the kitchen. So, I ordered some new kitchen curtains and plan to paint the kitchen a mocha-like color to match. What do you think of the curtains? Hopefully, I can post some pictures of the kitchen soon!

Posted in: on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at at 7:19 PM 3 comments  

Brian and I had a very relaxing weekend while staying at a cabin on Lake Claiborne. Here are some pictures of the wildlife and the cabin. Enjoy!

Posted in: on Sunday, February 15, 2009 at at 2:09 PM 6 comments  

Here's why:

1. It's a 4-day work week. Brian and I are
taking Friday off for Valentine's Day weekend.

2. We're going to stay at a cabin at the lake for the weekend.

3. We went to Academy Sporting Goods last night to purchase some camping items, such as, fold-out chairs, lantern, first-aid kit, coffee percolator, etc. We are so excited! I can't wait to make smores, hot dogs, hamburgers, go canoeing, hiking, etc.

4. Thursday we're having a pot luck lunch for an employee that's retiring. So, Thursday will definitely feel like a Friday to us! Guess I better think of something to bring. :-0

5. I'm hoping to get my review this week. Brian has already had his and it went well.

6. I'm hoping to find out about raises/bonuses this week, too.

7. If I/Brian do get raises/bonuses, we're going to continue to put back and pay off things. If this is the case, I can't wait for August to arrive!

8. I've found a new love in my life, which is Facebook. I was talking to a lady I worked with over twelve years ago. I was even talking to my senior class clown the other night. Of course he had my laughing! I'm finding so many people on there.

9. I will get to work on my screenplay next weekend when I won't have access to Facebook. ;-)

10. This has nothing to do with what a great week it will be, but I'm LOVING my new front-load washer. LOVE IT!!

So, I'm doing really well and I hope as the summer gets closer I'll be doing even better! :-)

Have a great week!

Posted in: on Sunday, February 8, 2009 at at 4:43 PM 2 comments  

This is a short post today! I have a question for you all and would like to know your opinions. So, please send them! :-)

I've been thinking about my post a few months back about not wanting to talk about infertility. I still don't want to talk about it, but I'm trying to navigate through my feelings a little further. I guess I'm realizing that all the support in the world won't help me achieve a pregnancy any faster, although I greatly appreciate the support that's been given to me by the people who follow my blog. So, maybe some of you have been to where I am. It's a place where I don't need anyone to tell me to hold onto my dream, but not wanting to do without any support at all. How do you tell the kind people that follow your blog that you appreciate their support, but it's not helping, so don't waste your time. Is that a slap in the face to someone who takes their precious time to read my blog? I guess I just figure that this situation is in my hands anyways, and I tend to look down on people that need a cheer leading squad that sit on the sidelines to cheer them on constantly. It all seems a little ridiculous to me because it's us who makes changes in our lives, inevitably.

I wished the summer would hurry and arrive.

Posted in: on Saturday, January 31, 2009 at at 11:25 AM 4 comments