From The Archives - May 2010

** This list was originally posted on my 49th birthday - May 29, 2010. I am reposting today as part of Cate's Blog Every Day in May. Amazingly only one tiny thing has changed on this list

*This birthday list was inspired by Cathy Zielski and Stacy Julian

Today I am 49.  Today is the first day of my last year of being "40 something."  Turning forty was okay - I'm wondering if I'll feel the same way in one year when I am turning 50, entering a new decade of life. Not sure. Ask me next year. :)  In the meantime, here is my list of 49 things that I know, that I believe, that I ponder.  Yes, I'm sharing the wisdom of the ages!  Most links are to prior blog posts where I expand on the idea or thought mentioned in the list.

1. Always wear sunscreen.
2. Be kind to yourself. And others. ALL others, without exception.
3. Brush and floss daily. It is that important.
4. Laughter is indeed the best medicine!
5. I am not a happy camper.
6. Naps are not just for toddlers. In fact, they may be entirely wasted on toddlers!
7. Happiness is a choice, not a destination.
8. Damaged toenails can take a VERY long time to regrow.
9. Silence is golden, but the sound of my childrens' laughter is PRICELESS.
10. LOST was one of the best television shows. Ever. I miss it.
11. Daily application of Cherry Softlips reduces the incidence of cold sores. (* Now it's Peppermint Baby Lips)
12. Exercise is not optional. It is vital.
13. Is my lucky number. Seriously.
14. But in the overall scheme of things, numbers (weight, age, etc.) don't really matter. Attitude does.
15. I love to blog.
16. I believe in life long learning.
17. I never cease to be amazed at how much I learn from other people's blogs. Thank you.
18. Live in the moment. Be present. Be aware.
19. Chocolate is a food group. Make sure to eat some every day.
20. Practice Gratitude.
21. We are all children of the Universe. We are all connected. And we are all in this together.
22. Everything is better in moderation. Even scrapbooking supplies.
23. And yet, you can never have too much toilet paper!
24. Reading is a fantastic way to escape into another world - temporarily. It's like a vacation from your life!
25. "Whether you think you can, or think you can't, either way you are right. " Henry Ford
26. Insomnia, headaches, inability to lose weight - all negative aspects of being perimenopausal. Can someone please tell me what the positive aspects are???
27. Sometimes you just have to see the humor in the absurd.
28. Motherhood is one of the most thankless, yet most gratifying, jobs available.
29. Happiness can be purchased at a garden center.
30. I am addicted to online classes. And sugar. Which reminds me... please join me in Picture Summer. It is sure to be a sweet class!
31. Laundry is one of those chores that is never finished. Accept it. Resistance is futile.
32. Above all else, be yourself.
33. Hard drive failure is inevitable. Back up!
34. I believe in abundance.
35. With all due respect to Kermit, I LOVE being GREEN!
36. Comfort is key when it comes to clothing. I am far too busy to be "designer."
37. Clutter sucks life away.
38. Perfection is highly over-rated.
39. "Because I said so" is an acceptable answer... only if you are a parent. But "if you don't stop crying, I'll give you a reason to cry" is never acceptable and is probably the stupidest thing a parent ever said to me.
40. The media-generated portrayal of beauty is a sham. An unobtainable, air-brushed, digitally enhanced lie. Told only to sucker us into buying products that are supposed to make us feel better about our imperfections. Be sure your daughters know this. I think maybe they should teach this in school, along with the "Just Say No" campaigns.
41. Teaching teenagers to drive is a parental right-of-passage. Thankfully, I have survived.
42. Cameras, once out of auto-mode, are a confusing and complicated piece of technology.
43. Barefoot is best. But maybe not in the snow?
44. I'm still waiting for the aliens to return my sweet daughters to me.
45. Validation is comforting.  Which probably explains why I adore comments on my blog!
46. When life blesses you with abundance, be sure to "pay it forward."

47. If you made it this far, you must really love me!
48. I AM ENOUGH.
49. Life is Good.

Me On Monday

Hello Monday! Today finds me sitting at my desk trying desperately once again to catch up with my life. But it is in the 70's (supposed to hit the 80's today), the window behind me is open, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and Life is Good!

My weekend was a crop attending (Friday night), thrifting (Saturday), more thrifting (Sunday), and project doing kind of weekend. I also managed to squeeze in a few orders of digi goodness with the [inter]National Scrapbooking Day sales. I never made it to the grocery store, nor did I get any laundry done. And I haven't read any blogs in days. Again.  So all that has to be fit into my work day at home over the next few days.

Plans for this week include laundry, grocery shopping, unpacking my crop gear (nothing else planned until October), photographing a few of my layouts to share, dealing with medical paperwork, catching up with my online classes, keeping up with daily blogging, stretching, walking and trying to find time in between all of that to do some crafting! :)

Waving hello to Sian and all the "Me on Monday" folks and linking up with Cate's Blog Every Day in May.

On Quotes (A Day Late)

As many of you know, I love a good quote. I collect them. I pair them with my photography. Different ones speak to me at different times. Here's one that is a reminder I need a LOT:



I'm sharing this as part of Cate's Blog Every Day in May.

Book Review

My book for April was "Find Your Happy" by Shannon Kaiser.  Rachel had purchased it as a Christmas gift off my Amazon wish list.

http://www.amazon.com/Find-Your-Happy-Inspirational-Fullest/dp/1452555419/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430500502&sr=8-1&keywords=find+your+happy

I'd love to tell you that the book was fantastic, life changing, or really meaningful. Sadly, I can't say that. I rarely meet a book I don't like and I rarely give negative reviews. But this will be the exception. Find Your Happy was tediously repetitive and sorely in need of an editor to correct the poor grammar, mixed metaphors, and occasional lack of citations to references studies. I forced myself to finish it just to be fair about my review. If you have read any other self-help books about positivity or follow any uplifting blogs, you won't find anything new in this book. Not a single original thought. On the positive side - there are a lot of great quotes sprinkled throughout the book.

Us Right Now

I knew April would be a tough month with travel, but I was still shocked to see that I haven't posted anything since April 9th. Wow! Three solid weeks and not a word.  Today I change all that. I'm playing along with Cate's "Blog Every Day in May" meme.

So here is Us Right Now:

Admittedly, the photo is from December - the most recent I had. But dang, Jay & I created some fine looking human beings (not that I'm biased or anything).  I'm sure photos of me will appear later in the month...

Jay - is grateful that his job has taken a turn for the better. His mean boss left and he is now reporting to someone who appreciates him. And he is officially no longer on call, although we still get the random need to fix something on off hours. He's enjoying his new hobby of thrifting and recreating small pieces of furniture that we pick up at thrift stores or flea markets.

Sarah (seated)- is living in Arlington VA, working in D.C. (very close to the Capitol) and amazing us all with how much she accomplishes.  Right now she is planning a trip back to Swaziland (in Africa) for most of June. She is far more well traveled than either of her parents!

Rachel (standing left)- is finishing up her Junior year at Bloomsburg. She is majoring in Business with an emphasis in Marketing and Communications. She is artistic too, although she doesn't often share that side of herself. She has an internship this summer with the Iron Pigs and she will also continue her waitressing gig at the Piper Tavern.

Becca (standing right)- is also finishing up her Junior year at Bloomsburg. She is majoring in Exercise Science. She still loves playing soccer and managed to put together a team for Spring intramurals at Bloomsburg, although she's been a bit miffed that her teammates keep forcing her to play goalie.  Becca will be taking Human Anatomy 2 at Bucks CCC and Physics at Montgomery CCC this summer in quest to stay on track to graduate on time as well as continuing in her job at Telford Home and babysitting.

Me - I'm still working full time and creating every chance I get although a lot of my free time has been turned over to thrifting and reimagining small furniture along with Jay.  I'm in charge of color and fabric choices and the finer finishing points of pieces. I spent the month of April traveling and eating my way through three different states, but got to see friends Krystal and Melissa as well as my Texas family in the process. Now I need to get myself back on track for my goals this year!

How about you? What are you up to right now?

THRIVE - March Review

I'm trying to stay accountable to myself for the things I have set out to do. THRIVE is a big word. This is what thriving looked like in March...

1. Read A Book:  I read not one, but THREE books in March!  

• Being Mortal by Atul Gawande - I read this on Karen's recommendation and I have to say this should be required reading for anyone at or nearing retirement age and ALL doctors! It's a sobering read, but well written and engaging. Check it out.
• Breathing Room by Lauren Rosenfeld - Essentially this book is a new way of looking at getting rid of the things that are no longer serving you - not just your "stuff" but also your negative thoughts, toxic relationships and other clutter in your life that is holding you back from being your best self. This book took me several months to read. Good information, but not as engaging as I would have liked.
• The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo - another recommendation from Karen. It really goes hand-in-hand with Breathing Room and covers a lot of the same concepts. Kondo's difference is that she recommends you get rid of everything and anything in your home that doesn't "spark joy" - that is her measuring stick. And I know if I got rid of everything that didn't "spark joy" a lot of really useful stuff would be out of the door. Like my treadmill, free weights, and exercise ball. What I really did find useful in Kondo's book was a new way of folding clothes. Things fit much better in my drawers now and I can SEE everything! That alone was worth the price of the book.

2.  Try A New Recipe: I did!   Pork with Squash and Apples. Sorry, no photo. I started with a Betty Crocker Slow Cooker recipe that you can find here. Then I tweaked it. On the second try, I had something quite yummy!  I'll try to share it when I have time. 

3.  Declutter:  While reading the two books mentioned above, I tackled most of my winter clothing. A lot went, even a pair of jeans never worn - impulse purchase, totally not me.  Then I took a shot at the Kitchen Desk.

This is the BEFORE photo. The Kitchen desk tends to be a clutter magnet and I have been one of the worst offenders! So I rethought how it should be used (since no paperwork actually happens here, but it is a convenient repository for receipts until bills get paid.)

And here is AFTER.

Believe it or not, the stapler and tape were on the desk in the before photo!  The one file folder is for receipts which I pull out when I pay bills.  The bin under the phone is for paperwork that needs to be shredded - a job that Jay does.

We have a couple of drawers in the front hallway where we save stuff that is destined for charity.  Between those drawers and what I pulled out of my closet and dresser during March, we now have eight boxes waiting to be taken to Care & Share. 

4.  Complete An Unfinished Project:  I am so proud/happy/relieved to announce that Sarah's Kindergarten through 6th Grade School of Life album is DONE!!!  I actually ending up enrolling in "The Finishing Project" at Simple Scrapper for the extra push and accountability to finish this album. So glad I did!

This puppy is 4" thick and very heavy!

The last page created - the Title page.

One of the internal pages that just needed journaling. Definitely old style - no way would I use that paper today!

5. Improve Flexibility - I'm working on it! As of my April 1 measurements, I am a mere 5" away from being able to touch my toes... I was at 8" on January 1st!  My low back and hamstrings are still pretty tight, but this is truly a baby steps kind of goal.

6. Scrapbooking - My Favorite Five - nope, not a single one of the photos I identified in this post were scrapped during the month of March.  They will remain on my list for April, although with all of the travel I have happening this month, I'm not really sure it'll happen this month either.  And that's okay.

7.  Photography - I've been doing my best to keep up with Kim Klassen's "Be Still" class.  Just today I caught up on reviewing all the weekly material, but I haven't done all the weekly photo shoots. Hoping to do some of them in the next week.

8.  Art Journaling - I hate to admit that the prompts from the Documented Life Project and from Artfully Inspired are just not inspiring me to do any art journaling. Maybe I had an off month. Maybe it is the fact that furniture awaiting refinishing has taken over my creative space making it hard to get to my craft table... in any event... there has been no art journaling lately.  I'm actually considering "letting go" of both of these classes (one is free) and looking for another source of weekly inspiration.

9.  On the Wellness front... my "numbers" have definitely been moving in the wrong direction.  But I AM moving more and making healthier eating choices.  Continuing to experience winter weather in March made it difficult - I tend to really crave comfort food (bread, pasta, potatoes, etc.) when it is cold and snowy. I also experienced a nasty fibro flare in March. Hopefully April will be a bit kinder.  I have been attending Tai Chi - only one class left of this session - but by the time class ends, I should be able to get outside for walks!

And here are the March pages from my One Little Word Planner:

Me On Monday

It was a thrifting, catching-up-on-sleep, ham cooking, cleaning, laundry doing, blog reading, hanging with the family, kind of Easter weekend. Trying to catch up with my life after a four day trip to Baltimore for work.  Amazing how three sleepless nights in a hotel can wreak havoc on your ability to get stuff done.

But at least I had this gorgeous view:


Even though it was a holiday weekend, I spent Friday afternoon traveling home and then early evening (missing out on dinner with the family) on a conference call  working on a contract. So here I am today:

Neck deep in final version to version review of a 17 page contract.  And not at all sure when I'll be able to come up for air. Ugh.