Stream of Consciousness Sunday: Journey

January 20, 2013 By 16 Comments

Emerson said, quite famously, that “life is a journey, not a destination.”

I ran across this quote this week looking for another one, and remembered how much I love the sentiment.

Today’s (totally optional) prompt: Journey

stream of consciousness sunday

The journey of life is divided into smaller journeys. Some can last for hours. Some for years.

In an ever-changing world, our journeys aren’t always determined by us. They’re dictated by changing technologies, changing habits, changing rules.

Right now I’m on a journey, or many journeys. The training and learning and practicing for a half marathon is a journey I never imagined myself on.

It’s been painfully amazing and positively humbling. I’ve learned so much about myself.

Learning my limits, pushing my limits, realizing my strengths, realizing my weaknesses, and finding my groove has been hard.

I normally would have given up by now, but the end is near. There are only 32 (holy crap) days left. I’ve still got money to raise and miles to log. (If you donate, I’ll love you forever)

But at the end of my journey, I will win. I will finish and THAT, my friends, makes me win. At least according to my son!

What kind of journey are you on? Are you taking a trip or making life changes? What do you think your journey represents?

(PS: I swear I’ll stop talking about running after Disney. Maybe. If I don’t die.)

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This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

  • Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
  • Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
  • Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
  • Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post (in the sidebar). .
  • Link up your post below.
  • Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Filed Under: Running, SOC Sunday Tagged With: , , ,

The Key To Grace

January 15, 2013 By 9 Comments

The other day, I stopped at the mailbox to grab the mail. That’s a task I dread most days. It’s never anything fun. Bills, sale flyers, notices that are for people who may or may not have lived here previously (there are like 12 different names on mail that comes here — strange).

There was an envelope in there with an unfamiliar handwriting. It was “bulky.”

I opened it and was left breathless.

grace giving keys

This is a Giving Key.

If you’re unfamiliar with The Giving Keys, take a minute and head to their site. It’s an amazing story of how a musician simply made a few keys with words of encouragement on them and turned it into a movement that employs people who are down on their luck, on the streets, or in transition. Each key is stamped with love and carries with it, love, hope, and possibility.

My friend Dawn sent me this key with a note that made me cry the ugly cry. I wish I could share it here, but really, I want to keep it between my heart and Dawn’s.

My word for the year is Grace.

This key is being worn around my neck, close to my heart, to remind me to Be Grace, to Share Grace, and to Learn Grace.

And when I’ve gotten all the Grace and Love out of this Giving Key, I will pass it to someone who needs to feel it close to their heart.

 

Filed Under: Serious Stuff Tagged With: , , ,

Hello there, 2013!

January 1, 2013 By 16 Comments

Hey y’all! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My Facebook feed and Twitter feed are filled with resolutions, revolutions, and promises to change for the new year. People are planning to lose weight, be more assertive, be healthier, save more money… all the usual suspects.

Then I’m seeing a “one word for 2013″ trend. This I like. A lot, actually.

The three of us sat down last night and have chosen our words. I won’t tell you who chose which word, but you can probably figure it out!

2013 words

Today begins a fresh year, brimming with possibility. New calendars and new files in the drawer at work. The tree is down and the fridge is cleaned out at home. All the laundry is clean and the toilets will be cleaned this afternoon.

2012

2012 was exciting. There were amazing things that happened to me and my family.

January: I decided on a new motto.

February: Henry went on a date.

March: I wrote this post that took about 5 minutes to put together as part of my friend Erin’s series, “Show Me Your Roots.”

April: We camped in the rain.

May: I earned a place in the Mother Hall of Fame when I carved a watermelon like the Death Star.

June: We went to St. Simons, I stalked Jim Cantore, I was chosen as a BlogHer Voices of the Year honoree. I also decided to start running and got talked into running a half marathon.

July: Fadra handed over Stream of Consciousness Sunday to me.

August: I danced with The Rockettes. I also went back to work for the first time in 8 years.

September: Henry got to go to DragonCon (even though he passed out and totally didn’t see the whole part we went for) and he got a dog.

October: NonCon. Enough said.

November: I took a picture. And it haunts me still (in a good way).

December: My boys (especially the small one) make me smile almost daily. Especially when they buy me finger monkeys!

2013

2013 is going to be a good year. If it absolutely kills me, it will be amazing! I’m not making resolutions (as such) but there are things I plan to do this year. Most aren’t any different than things I strive to do on a daily basis, though.

I will run a 15k in January.

I will run a half marathon (13.1 miles) in February.

I will strive to be graceful and gracious and someone who lives and loves with every ounce of her being. 

I will be proud of surviving for an entire decade without my Charlie and for helping saves lives because he lived (and died).

I will write from my heart. Maybe not every day or even every week, but I will write.

I will teach my son to be a gentleman and continue to allow him to be the amazing little soul he is.

I will strive to be the best wife and mom I can.

I will work hard and try to always “do unto others as I would have them do unto me.”

And in the words of my sweet friend Robin, I will “Be Love and Spread Love.”

belovespreadlove

Have a beautiful 2013, friends. It’s going to be a great one!

Filed Under: Thoughts Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The One Where I Get A Finger Monkey

December 9, 2012 By 11 Comments

A few months back, I mentioned that I really wanted a finger monkey for my birthday.

A what?

A finger monkey. You know, one of these:

ISN’T IT THE MOST ADORABLE AND RIDICULOUS THING EVER?

Well, they can’t get me one because they’re probably illegal and hell, I don’t know if they even exist or not. They’re probably expensive, too. And likely would terrorize our dog and cat and kid.

So I figured I would opt for something else. Maybe a gift certificate for a facial or a tank of gas. Maybe I could sleep in until 7. Something practical.

I woke up this morning to being shuffled off to get a Starbucks Chai, a breakfast at Waffle House, and back home to this.

Look at that beautiful cake! It was tiramisu and to die for! But it didn’t kill me.

I didn’t die until I opened my gift and wondered why the HELL they bought me a monkey charm for my Pandora bracelet.

Then Henry said, “It’s because of your love of the finger monkey. And bananas for the monkey to eat.”

And THEN I DIED!

According to them, this is what went down in the Pandora store:

Pandora girl: Can I help you today?

Henry: Do you have a monkey?

Pandora girl: Sure. Why do you need a monkey?

Henry: Because my mom saw this picture on the internet and it had a pointy finger with a monkey on it. 

Pandora girl: OH! I WANT ONE OF THOSE FINGER MONKEYS!

Henry and Jason: ((dying laughing))

Henry: We’re going to need some bananas, too, because her name is Jana Banana and her finger monkey will get hungry.

After I gathered myself and stopped snorting while laughing, I quickly corrected them and let them know it wasn’t a finger monkey, it would really be a wrist monkey.

Filed Under: Family, Memories Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Stream of Consciousness Sunday: Happy Birthday to ME!

December 9, 2012 By 9 Comments

Hey y’all! Guess what?

IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!!!

In honor of that, I’m going to offer up a free writing day so set those timers and just write. For five minutes.

AND… GO!
stream of consciousness sunday

Thirty seven. 37. XXXVII. <<see I speak Roman. Fancy.

Feels like the beginning of my late 30′s, close to 40, rigth in the middle of “mid-life.”

I can honestly say, though, 37 feels better physically than 36 and maybe even 35. Is it because I’m running? Probably. Is it because I’m working outside the home? Possibly.

Thinking about my life in numbers, though, is scary. (Taking this idea from Erin who got it from GFunkified) (it’ll also take more than my allotted 5 minutes) (it’s my birthday, so I dare you to call me on it).

37 – age I am today

14 – years I’ve been married

18 – years I’ve been out of high school

3 – number of pregnancies

2 – number of births

11 – number of days I had contractions every 15 minutes when pregnant with Henry

1 – number of living children and number of angel babies

4 – number of cars I’ve had (that were “mine”)

2 – number of tattoos I have

6 – number of months ago I decided to start running

3 – number of 5k races I’ve run since then

74 – number of miles my runkeeper app says I’ve run since then, but it’s really more than that

13.1 – number of miles I’ll be running in February with Team RMHC (psst: If you want to give me a $5 birthday gift, feel free to donate to my run in memory of my Charlie, or not)

2500 – my goal to raise for that race

16 – size pants I was wearing 6 months ago

10 – size pants I wear now BOOM!

4773650 – times I feel like I say “stop it” during the week

7 – times I wonder what’s for dinner every week

3199 – age difference in days between Jason and me

4 – number of times I said “between Jason and me” out loud to see if it was right before realizing that I don’t really care and that’s how I’m going to write it (is it right?)

73 – times I’ve been interrupted while writing this

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This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

  • Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
  • Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
  • Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
  • Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post (in the sidebar). .
  • Link up your post below.
  • Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

 

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