Ho ho ho, crossed that finish line

Wow…I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve posted anything here. December has been crazy busy, as usual. But somehow I managed to make it to Christmas. Not sure how…I’m exhausted, in more than a little bit of pain, and getting sick. I’ve been fighting a cold (or something) for the past several days. I’m going to have to give my doctor a call Thursday and see if we can get me on some good drugs to nip this in the bud…haha…always think of good old Barney when I say that…nip it in the bud…

I just wanted to quickly check in here and wish you all a happy holiday season…however you choose to celebrate, I hope you find joy and peace.

Snow? On day 12 of NaNo?

WHITE CHRISTMAS (Photo credit: Zellaby)

Indeed, we did have snow this morning…for a while.  Nothing major and nothing that stuck around, but still…it was so funny, “White Christmas” had just come on the music in the store when I walked to the front of the store and saw that it was snowing…strange!! By the time I left, the sun was shining, but the temp was rapidly falling…brr…

Day 12 of NaNoWriMo wasn’t all that successful…I did write…a little over 1400 words, enough to get me past that halfway mark.  But the story wasn’t unfolding the way I wanted it to.  I couldn’t get the words to come tonight.  Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

I’ll be going in to work extra early tomorrow…lots of work to do, always.  And I’m hoping to take Wednesday off, maybe sleep half the day…sounds like a plan to me.  I guess it kind of depends on whether or not the zone vice president decides to visit our district this week…whew!!  Seems like I’m pretty popular with all of these important folks coming to visit, doesn’t it?

Related articles

• NaNoWriMo: 20,000 words! (ainewarren.wordpress.com)
• NaNoWriMo Day # 12: With NaNoWriMo Comes a Sense of Discipline (write-2-be.com)

Aww…Valentine’s Day…

 Do you celebrate this holiday?  Do you even care?  It’s nice to receive flowers and candy…even nicer to receive expensive jewelry…but is this really what this day should be about?

Wouldn’t it be nice if we did something special for someone who totally doesn’t expect it?  Like give a little box of candy to the elderly lady down the road who has outlived her husband and doesn’t have anyone else in her life.  Or give flowers to the struggling single mother. Or homemade cookies to the overworked teacher in your kid’s classroom.

And then I think, do we really need a holiday to do these nice things for people?  Maybe we do, but I don’t think it should be that way.  I think we would all be happier, and our world would be a better place, if we consistently did things to brighten the days of others.  Can you imagine how so many things would change if we all did that?  If, instead of focusing on what I want, we focused on how to make someone else’s day better?

So…Valentine’s Day?  How did you celebrate?  I took a cute little knick knack to the elderly lady down the street, left it anonymously…maybe she’ll think Cupid paid her a visit!!

(Image: http://wordplay.hubpages.com/hub/valentine-hearts )

Related articles

• Valentine’s Day: Telling Our Loved Ones How Much we Care, Everyday (celticsouldotorg.wordpress.com)
• Crazy Valentine (laughonline.wordpress.com)

Do I need a Kindle?

Cover via Amazon

Sheesh..I know I don’t NEED a Kindle, but I sure do want one.  I’m an avid reader, have been my entire life.  But now I’m trying to declutter my life…trying to get rid of things I don’t use or enjoy…trying to really think things through before I make a purchase.  I guess that’s kind of what I’m doing here…trying to make sure this is something I would truly use.

I have several friends who have Kindles (or other e-readers).  They all talk about how much they love them.  Would I love one?  I pretty much think I would, but do I need one?  I don’t need it, I know I don’t, but I believe I would get a lot of use and enjoyment out of one. I’ve been researching them, seems like there are quite a few options now that weren’t available just a couple of years ago.  So not only do I need to decide whether or not to buy a Kindle, but which one…decisions, decisions…

I have to admit, the thought of buying one for myself for Christmas (don’t tell me I’m the only person who buys Christmas presents for herself?  Come on, at least you know you’re getting something you want that way) has been in my mind frequently of late.

What do you think?  Do you have a Kindle or other e-reader?  Do you get a lot of use out of it?  Are you happy you got one or is it sitting there collecting dust?

Related articles

• Exciting News for Kindle Users (iamlenise.wordpress.com)
• Hands-On Account of Amazon’s Upcoming Color Kindle (hardware.slashdot.org)
• Why I Bought a Kindle Instead of . . . (web2.sys-con.com)
• Feed your Kindle for free (cubicgarden.com)

Memorial Day…then and now

Image via Wikipedia

Memorial Day was initiated as a day to honor our fallen soldiers, but has long since evolved as a day to remember all of our loved ones who have passed from this life.  I remember, as a young child, going to the cemetaries with my grandparents to place flowers on the graves of relatives I’d never known…the parents of my grandparents, some of their siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins…so many people I’d never met.  That taught me that we pay homage to those who came before us and who had a hand in who we became, whether or not we ever knew them.

Working in a retail environment that provides a vast array of flowers, greenery and the supplies to make remembrance saddles and cemetary cones, I am heartened to see how many people still take the time to decorate the graves of their loved ones.  I think there are a few differences in how it’s done now and how it was done when I was a kid.  Now people are more likely to use artificial flowers…this allows the arrangements to last all summer (providing the cemetary allows you to leave the decorations up that long…many don’t).  People also tend to visit the graves on Saturday or Sunday, leaving Monday (officially Memorial Day) free to be with family and friends, having cookouts and kicking off the summer season.  I don’t think my grandparents ever thought of it like that.

I’m not saying that one way is superior to the other.  After all, everything changes in this life.  The important thing is to remember and honor the past while living the best life we can in the present.  I’ll be working today, but I am remembering those relatives and friends who have departed this life…Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, Kay, Aunt Deon, Uncle Bernie…love you all and miss you every day!

Related articles

• Memorial Day and Memorials (jimf.wordpress.com)

It’s A Wonderful Life

It’s peaceful here in Indiana tonight…the snow is gently falling (really), the shopping and baking are finished, all the gifts are wrapped (well, most of the gifts have been stuffed into gift bags…don’t do a lot of wrapping these days) and It’s A Wonderful Life is on the television…goodness, I still cry at the ending no matter how many times I’ve seen it.  It’s kind of corny but I enjoy the message of the movie…and really, most of the time it really is a wonderful life…a life filled with wonderful friends and family, a decent job with good benefits, good health and dreams for the future.  One of my New Year’s resolutions is to remember to be more thankful for all the blessings in my life.  Somehow, just the act of practicing gratitude daily makes life better…and who doesn’t want that?

I’m thinking about what I need to do to make my life more enjoyable.  One of the things I think I need to do is to just get out and have fun more often…leave work at work…do things that make me laugh with joy…dancing, girls  night out, running…those are just a few of the things that put a smile on my face and I’m going to make the time to do them again. 

In 2011, I intend to dance to the music of my life, laugh like a child, love with all my heart and embrace the joy that comes my way…it truly is a wonderful life!

Long Winter’s Nap

Oh my, I am exhausted…absolutely, utterly exhausted.   For the past 6 weeks I’ve worked 6 days a week, 12-14 hours a day…you’d never guess I work in retail, would you?  But, because I have a great boss, I have the next 3 days off (we’re closed on Christmas), will work a week then take a week’s vacation…ahhh…

Working like this really plays havoc with my fitness routine…while I’m on my feet running around all day, it’s not the same as actually exercising.  And I’ve been going in to work so early in the morning that I haven’t had the energy to get up any earlier to work out before work.  I actually miss my workouts…who would have thought that about me?  Certainly not me!!  Really looking forward to getting out and running again, lifting weights, dancing…and have missed that great feeling I have after a vigorous workout!  I’m also looking forward to getting back to my healthy eating.  I feel so much better when I eat a vegetarian diet, don’t drink diet Pepsi (yes, I’ve gone back to drinking diet Pepsi with the stress of Christmas and working so many hours…could be worse, I guess…could be drinking beer all day!) and get in a good workout every day.

I’ve been giving some serious thought to my New Year’s resolutions (yes, I do make them…don’t always manage to keep them for very long tho)…will do a blog about them soon, once I’ve fully fleshed them out.  And now…ahh…off to bed for that long winter’s nap!

No Soda Challenge, Day 5

Woohoo!!  Made it through a very busy, stressful day at work without giving in to the soda!!  I was on my feet all day, running here and there…just gotta love retail at Christmas time (I know, I know…it’s only Halloween, but have you been in the stores latey?  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas).  I worked out before work (exercise bike, walk and strength training for upper body), then ended up walking miles at work.  I came home hungry, didn’t get fast food, didn’t eat junk…made a delicious pumpkin smoothie..I’ll definitely be making that one again…like tomorrow!!  Yum!!  Now if only I can get enough sleep tonight to do it all again tomorrow…then a glorious day off on Tuesday!!  Ahh…