Well, it took a while, but I finally took a picture of the bracelet Jim got me for my birthday. I think it's gorgeous. In case you're wondering, the stones are sky blue topaz. I am definitely one lucky lady--not because Jim has very good taste in jewelry, but because Jim is fantastic, sexy, wonderful man, and he loves me!!

For I while I felt as though I had to constantly pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, but this weekend it finally sunk in. This is real. It's not going to disappear or go away. I'm not dreaming. I'm wide awake and with the man I'm going to love for the rest of my life.

Some people say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. As much as I love Jim, I never would have believed that was possible, but it's true. When he was gone last week, I missed him more than I ever thought possible. I was so happy when he got home, my heart nearly burst.

He's gone again this week, and I do miss him, but I'm finding this time a little easier. Maybe because in the big scheme of things, another week apart is minuscule when you consider we're going to be together for a lifetime. It feels soooo good to know that an trust it!!

Next week Jim will be in Detroit for work. He's doing some training. He'll be home for the weekend, but then will be back in Detroit the following week. This will be the first time that we've been apart for any extended period of time since I moved into his house. He's gone away before, but it was only for a weekend for Reserves.

Now I have to think about what I'm going to do to keep myself busy whilst he's gone. I know one of the things I'm going to do is try to find somewhere to put all the things that are in boxes here in the house. We've been living with boxes stacked up against the wall for a couple weeks now, and it's about time that that were either unpacked or stored.

Of course, I've gone back to work for the Census Bureau in the Muskegon office, so I'll be working there during the day. It will be the evenings that will drag a bit. I've gotten used to him being around. I mean we're not joined at the him or anything, but even when he's in his office, there's something comforting about him being somewhere in the house.

I find it somewhat surprising that before I met Jim, I spent a lot of time alone. It's not like I haven't spent time alone before. It's just now I prefer to spend time with Jim.

I think it's wonderful that I have someone in my life to miss when he's gone.

You've heard that saying before... "You just know when it's right." I'll admit I always thought I understood what that meant, especially when it came to relationships. I thought I knew when a guy was right for me. But I got it wrong a lot...so I'm not too proud to admit--as evidenced by all my previous relationships--that I did not have a clue what it meant.

It's true. With every one of my past relationship, I said, "This one is different," "I'm really in love this time," and let's not forget the infamous "He's the one." Yes...I'm saying the same things this time, but this time it really is different!

So what makes this time different?

To tell you the truth...I don't know how to explain what makes this time different, but I can tell you it is...

In the past when I said those things, there was always this nagging little voice in the back of my mind, which I chose to ignore, telling me that I could do better, that something wasn't right. I was always having to talk myself into the idea that I was happy, even though I always felt off center or insecure or even uninterested. There was always something that told me whoever I was with wasn't perfect.

To say that isn't the case this time would be an understatement. This time there is no little voice putting doubts into my head. I feel secure and very, very loved.

Now, that's not to say I haven't had moments of foolish insecurity, because I have. I remember one time--I was hormonal. That's my excuse, and anyone who tells you hormones don't make you go a little nuts is stupid. Anyway, I had a major moment of insecurity. I called my friends to cry and vent, and expressed real fear. Although this time, instead of the voice saying "yes, this relationship is a mistake," the voice was saying "trust him, he'll never betray you." And...everything that voice was saying about trusting him was confirmed the moment I saw the love in his eyes.

So yes, this time is different. I can trust Jim with my life. I know that without a doubt. He may not be perfect, but he is perfect for me. You just know when it's right... and this time it IS right!

This week I did something that I had vowed I wouldn't do, but it seems that it is impossible to get around if you want to promote yourself, your writing and your art. I joined Twitter. If you want to follow me, which I hope you do, I'm ElbieSwan on Twitter.

It is a huge difference from Facebook and MySpace. It's going to take some getting used to. But, I guess one has to move with the times.

I already have a couple of followers, and I'm looking for my friends so I can follow them. If you have a Twitter account and would like me to follow you, please let me know...We can follow each other.

Since Jim and I started dating, the amount of time that we've spent together has increased steadily. Moving in together has made it even more difficult to have time to ourselves. Because we live in the same house, when he's not working, we're together. We go grocery shopping together. We go out for adult beverages together.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear--I am NOT complaining. I love spending time with Jim. But when I think about it, I get a lot of "Loribeth" time when Jim is working, but Jim doesn't have that luxury. When Jim comes home, he is immediately thrust into "Jim and Loribeth" time. He's never ever complained though.

I know that he loves me and being together is a priority for him. However, he does need "Jim" time, and he got that today. There was a meeting this morning at the club we belong to, and since he is an insured member, he felt should attend. Well after the meeting, he stayed and watched the Lions game. So he was able to yell at the tv screen, lament about the bad plays. I knew the outcome of the game, because I got a text from him that said 'the Lions suck.'

I spent the day in Grand Rapids picking up some things from my apartment and returning some accessories for my new mobile phone. Then after doing some shopping (no buying) I came home, put some things away, and cooked dinner for Jim.

Here's the thing, I could tell that having some "Jim" time did Jim a world of good. He was smiling and affectionate. He seemed so relaxed, more relaxed than I've seen him in a long time. I think he also liked the idea that we could do our own thing and yet end up together at the end of the day.

It was really nice... and I think today improved our relationship. We now know we can spend time apart and still be together. We don't have to be together constantly for our relationship to flourish.

I've officially been unemployed for three months now. I'm thinking about starting a cleaning business. I've been researching it, and I've found out that it is a business that is pretty much recession proof. I have a lot more research to do before I would actually be able to get started and I would also have to talk to Jim about it, but I'm really thinking this might be a way to ease the pinch of being unemployed.

I've actually been enjoying my time since I lost my job. I've been creating a new home for myself with Jim. You know...decorating, organizing, cleaning... those kinds of things. I've also really enjoyed being able to cook dinner for Jim every night and have it ready for him when he gets home. And I know he likes having dinner ready for him when he gets home. Who knew I would enjoy being so traditional????

The lady who lives next to us runs a daycare, so that would not be an option for me. Not only that, but I don't think I would have the patience to take care of children in my home. I'm far too picky about how things look, where things are put away, and the overall atmosphere of our home.

Then a friend of mine said she needed to get a house cleaner... It was as though a light bulb went on... I could do that and make some money at it.

So that's what I'm going to look into. If anyone has any suggestions or has used a house cleaner and can give me some tips or ideas, I'd really appreciate it.

Since I cannot make money decorating our house, I've turned to writing articles to help. Right now I'm only making a few cents here and there, but as I submit more, I'm certain that I'll make more. If you're interested in writing and making money, you might want to check it out. Here's the link to the site I've found that pays out the most: Factoidz