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Showing posts from February, 2013

Lingering Frost - Wordless Wednesday

Just when I think the increasing Pacific Northwest sunshine and the droves of robins in my backyard signal the start of a warm Spring, I awake to frost on my van's windshield and icy web's decorating my arbor. I'm grateful that we're not in a blizzard.  I'm thankful for breaks in the rain.  I just can't wait for Spring to get here. (I'm participating in Sincerely, Paula's Wordless Wednesday. - I'm not so wordless ;-> - Click the button to join the fun!)

I Need To Keep This Up!

I'm starting my third week of my latest exercise regime and I'm tired.  But I've got to push through.  The fact that I even stopped 3 months ago was a mistake.  If I had just kept it up then I wouldn't be hurting so much now! This isn't so much a vanity thing, it's a mental issue as well.  Yes, I do want my body to not be so saggy and jiggly, there is that.  But my mood is so-o-o-o much more positive when I've exercised.  I need to remind myself that exercising is my anti-depressant, and that is very necessary. So on I go, ignoring my brain's first message of  'I don't wanna' and, making my body move.  Have you found ways to encourage yourself to keep up with something, even though you kind of don't want to?  Please share, I need all the motivation I can find!

Was It The Spaghetti Sauce?

Writing Prompt:   Tell the story of trying to learn a new talent or hobby that you only pursued briefly Perhaps it was from reading "A Year In Provence" by Peter Mayle.  It could have been from watching "Under The Tuscan Sun" starring Diane Lane.  Or, maybe I was inspired by some excellent spaghetti sauce I made but, whatever it was that inspired me to learn Italian, it hit me hard and I wanted to learn it immediately. I had taken two different foreign language classes in high school so I had some guidance in how to train my brain to understand a different language.  (The first language class I took was Russian.  Then, after dealing with those words for two years I took Spanish. So much easier!)  I was ready to get my mind warmed up to learn something new and I was excited! After a visit to the Library I came home with "Learning To Speak Italian" dvd's.  I told my husband Rob that I was going to immerse myself in the language and speak it wh

Thank Goodness I Had My Camera

Benny and Maddy in the sun The sunshine creates interesting friendships.  (We'll do anything to grab some rays in the Pacific Northwest!) I'm taking part in Sincerely, Paula's Wordless Wednesday.  If you are participating, or plan to, let me know!

First School Dance And Drama Begins

Well, well, Lily had her first school dance yesterday.  It was a Valentine's Day Dance for grades 6 - 8 but, it seemed, mostly the 6th graders showed up. (And that's just fine with me!)  It's amazing the difference those two years can make in behavior and attitude.  In 6th grade their still cute and laughing at everything and having fun together.  What I've seen of 7th and 8th grade are the hormones really kickin' in and kids tend to think they're more mature than they really are and think they can take on adult actions.  I remember, I remember.  Oh the drama!   (I wouldn't go back if you paid me.)  There are no crushes, no jealousies, not yet.  I have a few precious months before that begins.  However, I am hearing the rumblings of "Best Friends Forever" starting to not be connected at the hip and other girls becoming replacements.  That's tough.  Lily asked me what it was like for me to have two best friends when I was her age and I was hon

If You Have Good Thoughts...

I will do my best to keep good thoughts.   (I want to look lovely! :-> )

Addition To My Healthy Eating Plan

After staying away from my exercise routine for far too long, I am back to taking better care of my physical health by dedicating time every day to moving my body.  I've maintained a healthy eating plan, it's just that exercise fell out of my favor when the cold, wet weather started.  I really wish I hadn't stopped because it's so frustrating doing movements, that used to be a struggle but doable, now they make me wonder if one more rep is physically possible? Ack! I'm huffing and puffing and doing all I can just to keep up!  I know that I'll get back to my previous level again, I just wish I hadn't stopped. While I honor my exercise time I'm also looking for ways to give my healthy eating style a boost.  It has been proven time and time again that there are no quick fixes, but there are supplements that can help your body work better and that can include burning more calories.  I'm all for that!  Months ago Dr. Oz supported the findings that  Gre

Disney's "Paperman" - Video

Happy Valentine's Day (*shared with permission )

Hearts And Hugs

Happy Valentine's Day dear blog pals.    I hope you give, and receive, many hugs today and enjoy a special sweet treat. Any plans for the day?

Beginning To Not Care

I think I'm getting to that stage of life I've been hearing about that is a bonus of aging. I'm beginning, just beginning, to not care what other people think. I don't belong to a gym because I don't feel comfortable exercising with a group of people, so I workout at home.  I must have a sensitive system of some kind because any time I do cardio my face gets beet red and stays that way for hours!  Oh, maybe not hours, but it feels that way.  I can be feeling perfectly fine and calm but my face looks like I'm still Zumba-ing my way across the floor.  Eeesh. Normally, if someone knocks at the door while I'm exercising I won't open it.  1) I want to keep my stamina and 2) I don't want them to see me in my exercise gear with my sweaty, beet red face.  But today, that changed.  Here I was, moving and lunging and swearing - oh, I mean, sweating - when I heard a knock.  I let  it go by, then I heard the door knocker.  Now, this would mean I have a pack

Starting Up The Routine - Again

Ugh. I let too many days go by without exercising and yesterday I started up again.  Oh my, oh my, oh my.  If it were Halloween I would fit right in with my impersonation of Frankenstein.  I'm walking like I have shoes made of bricks! I was doing so well too.  I found a program I liked (Well, it worked better than any exercise regime I'd ever done so that's my interpretation of "liked" - " Brazil Butt Lift Review - Let's Try This Again ") and I stuck to a schedule.  But when the cold, wet weather starts in the lovely ol' Pacific Northwest I kind of go the route of a bear, I just want to get cozy and sleep.  I don't exercise as much, Cheez-Its are my friend and I think by eating Progresso Light soup I'm sticking to a diet.  However, my stomach hanging over my favorite pair of Levi's say something different.  "Get moving!" I'm back on the exercise wagon, or better yet, "treadmill".  And I really shouldn&#

Wisdom Of The Apple

I walked into the kitchen and my 15 year old daughter Katie was grabbing an apple.  She did something that took me back decades . Before biting into the apple she was turning the stem and, while doing this, I overheard her saying,  "...H. I. J. K..."  Oh my gosh!  I used to do that. Do you remember twisting the stem from an apple and the letter that it released on was the first letter of the name of the boy you either liked, loved, or the guy you were going to marry?  (Whatever variation.) Between flower petals and apple stems we were always trying to get some hint at our love. Talk about a Time Machine!  Did you do this too?  What other games were there?

Writers Workshop: Why Did You Call Me That?

Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop  Writing Prompt #5:  " Share how you came up with your kids names" When Rob and I were about to have our first child we didn't find out if it was a boy or a girl.  I didn't want to know and I'm so glad he didn't either.  I was fine not knowing what color clothes to get, or what shade to paint the bedroom.  All of this experience was pretty wild and I was looking forward to seeing if all the Baby Shower games and tricks would be right with their predictions.  (When the time came, and it was a girl, I had a feeling :->). Rob and I had a very small list of names that sounded good to our ears and hearts.  We decided we would need to see our little person and see if our choices were a good fit.  It's really something - finding a name.  Branding this being with a sound that will follow them their entire life.  Gee, no pressure.   My side of the family has a history with the name Katherine.

I Thought I Saw... Me

I thought I saw myself this morning.  I had a vision.  It's was like seeing a glimpse of my life 5 years ago. Now that my oldest Katie is 15, and a Freshman in high school, it hits my heart like a bolt everyday how quickly this time is going by.  My youngest is 12, in sixth grade, and even though I've been through the body changes, the questions that become more mature, the behavior that they think is more mature but isn't , I still catch my breath when I hear from Lily, "Mom, can I ask you a question?"  The answer is always 'Of course' but my mind is going 'Please let her ask me for some ice cream!'  (And most of the time it is.  She's in no hurry to grow up and for that I am incredibly grateful.)  I don't want them to be little ones again, it's just that I  can't believe where we are now. So this morning, during our normal routine of me taking Katie to school, then looping back around to drop off Lily, I caught sight of a very

Today's Housekeeping Tip

Does it count that I wasn't the one sick but my husband was? ;->  What other cards would you put on your mantel?

My Favorite Things Have Changed

If you had asked me in my twenty’s what my favorite things to do were, you would most likely hear; going out to listen to live music, meeting friends for drinks, hanging out at a book store and drinking coffee.  When starting a family took over my life in my thirty’s my favorite things were;  having a “Date Night” with my husband, going to see a movie that wasn't a cartoon, and trying to stay awake to go hear live music.  Now, at this “forty-ish” stage of the game, if you ask me what’s one of my favorite things to do is, I'll probably say, taking a nap. I’m trying to keep up with my girls, take care of our silly pets and keep up with my responsibilities but, some days, a nap sounds so, so nice.  You know that feeling when your head hits the pillow and you think “this is the best place to be”?  It doesn't happen often enough from the reports I read about adults not getting enough sleep.  My husband is one of them and I thought I could help by finding a super cozy pillo

Sitting Through Shakespeare

Rob was terrific as Lepidus in Shakespeare's Antony & Cleopatra.  What a great way for him to spend his birthday - on stage, performing Shakespeare.  Falling in love with an actor is one thing, falling for a guy who loves Shakespeare, and being someone who wants to support him by sitting through the classic works of Shakespeare is another. The stories I get.  There's love, war, misunderstandings and death.  There's always a death, or two, or three, or... But it's the classic use of the English language where I really need to prepare myself.  And once I'm in the rhythm of the words, it's good.  I'm on board and enjoying why he did that to him then turned around and said that to her (which is really a 'him') and everyone drinks or gets into an argument or dies.  (Sometimes all three.) It's Shakespeare.  Rob loves it, I love him and I will do what I can to educate myself to make the next play easier.  I mean hey, if our girls can make

For Rob

Happy Very Special Birthday to my husband - a wonderful man, loving father and terrific friend. How did I get so lucky?