Focus on Now
Today, I caught myself writing the date as 2015. They say take it one day at a time, but maybe I need to take it one year at a time.
Read more...
Greetings, human!
10 hours ago
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Big Little Moments
I hope my godchildren always share with me when something major happens in their lives.
This morning, 2-year-old Josie called me at work to say she just went "potty in the potty" for the first time.
I shut my office door in order to properly cheer. It was great.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Tell Someone
What we all need is someone whispering in our ear, "You are good. You are loved." Maybe we can't do this for ourselves, but we can do it for each other. The world would be a different place.
Read more...Saturday, July 28, 2012
Be Cheerful, Always Cheerful
“A piece of advice I have insisted on repeatedly: be cheerful, always
cheerful. Sadness is for those who do not consider themselves to be
children of God.” ~ St. Josemaria Escriva
I don't remember exactly when it was, but at some point I knew I wanted to be a person of joy (verses one of sorrow).
It seems like an easy choice, and I happen to believe that most of the time it is a choice.
Lately, though, it's been harder to choose joy.
It's been harder to keep the quiet promise I made to myself to live a happy life regardless of my circumstances.
The result has not been pretty. Most of the time, I feel like a two-year-old on the verge of a tantrum.
It's an internal struggle, and I'm trying to find my way back to myself.
Today, I read the above quote from St. Josemaria Escriva. It felt like a road sign pointing in the right direction.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Olympic Spirit
I'm not a huge sports fan. But I love the every-four-year reminder of what humans can do. We really are amazing.
Read more...Thursday, July 26, 2012
Scheduling
I thought we were 10 minutes early. Instead, we were 50 minutes late.
This is a metaphor for my life.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Thankful
I'm not totally sure how prayer and positive thoughts and good intentions and blessings work. But I believe they do.
Read more...Monday, July 23, 2012
No Grown Ups Allowed
Our goddaughter, Lucy, was baptized yesterday. Her parents' home was overflowing with relatives and friends. A few of us actually ended up on the front lawn.
Lucy's cousin, Katie, came outside to voice a request.
"We're going to play a game, and we need the big kids to go away from the little kids," the 4-year-old said.
"Are you a big kid or a little kid?" David asked.
Katie looked confused, like she was surprised she had to explain this to us.
She pointed her tiny finger at me, then Libby, then David.
"You're the big kids," she said.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Food Groups
My brother Jimmy was explaining the Paleo diet to my dad.
"It's mostly meat, vegetables, fruit and nuts," my brother said.
"What else is there?" my dad asked.
"Wheat," Jimmy answered.
"Wheat? That's a vegetable. It grows in the ground. Isn't that the definition of a vegetable?"
This pretty much explains my inherent resistant to low carb diets.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Tiny Bites
Today I made a smoked salmon appetizer. I'm so sorry I failed to take a picture because they really did turn out beautifully.
I used a biscuit cutter to cut out small rounds of whole wheat bread. (Right there, that is more work than I would usually put into an appetizer.)
On top of the bread, I spread a mixture of cream cheese, goat cheese, dill and fresh chopped chives. I topped that with a slice of English cucumber and a piece of smoked salmon.
I garnished it with a dusting of dill, and John said they tasted "Carla Lucarotti worthy," which means my mother's genes haven't been entirely lost on me.
Read more...
Friday, July 20, 2012
Beautiful Day
I stopped believing in fairy tales in college.
Then I met John, and I changed my mind.
Maybe happily ever afters weren't so crazy. Maybe they were for real.
Of course, life is hard and it's constantly challenging this belief.
But days like today are encouraging.
Today I watched two people, who waited a long time to find each other, begin their new life together.
It was a beautiful day.
Read more...
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Because I Heart You
In my head, I know how to respond to an emergency. In reality, I'm not totally sure. The HeartRescue Project is a great reminder of what to do if someone is having a heart attack. Please watch the video.
Read more...Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Unexpected
You know when you try to make things work and they don't.
Big things. Small things. Every thing.
Yesterday I cancelled a lunch date with Josie and Josie's Mama. I had a meeting that I couldn't move. Of course, today, 15 minutes before what would have been my lunch date, the meeting was unexpectedly cancelled.
I was so bummed that I was going to miss lunch with my dear ones for no reason whatsoever.
Then, like a miracle, they showed up. They never got my message. They always thought lunch was on, and, as it turns out, it was because I didn't have a meeting anyway.
I know this may seem like a small thing, but seeing my friends (and not having a meeting) made my day. Win. Win.
Read more...
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
A Good Monday
I've mention before my trouble with the start of the week. But today I really made great attempts to compensate for the fact that it was Monday.
First of all, I tried kickboxing. (More on this later. I hope I can move tomorrow.)
Secondly, I finished, "Heaven Is Here." I honestly didn't plan on reading Stephanie Nielson's book, mostly because I was pretty sure I had already read everything there was about her story.
I was wrong. Reading her story from her point of view, and not filtered through a reporter (even a very good reporter), was definitely worth it.
I love that when I met her last year she said, "Let's hug," and I burst into tears and said, "I’m so glad you
survived. I’m so glad you share your story and that you are here with us
on this earth."
I'm pretty sure I would do the exact same thing all over again if I saw her tomorrow.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Bigger in My Head
I have been ignoring a tooth on the left side of my mouth, the way it has been sensitive to cold, for at least 6 weeks. It got worse, and the thought of calling the dentist caused me to lose sleep. But this week I called, and today I went. The problem, like always, was a million times worse in my head then in reality. Which reminds me, I need to stop ignoring things I'm afraid of. It's rarely as bad as I imagine.
Read more...Friday, July 13, 2012
The Mighty Macs
Sometimes you need a feel good movie with a positive message and a happy ending. Tonight we watched, "The Mighty Macs." Now, I want a coach like Cathy Rush. She gave her team buttons that said, "We will be #1," and she told them, "As you think, so shall you be." Later, she said, "Our results will not change until our habits change."
Read more...Thursday, July 12, 2012
Cheers!
I'm not sure if I want to throw a cocktail party or just have a cocktail. But while doing important research on the subject, I discovered that Martha Stewart has a lot to say about home bar basics. Thank you, Martha.
Read more...Wednesday, July 11, 2012
My Mood
I'm trying to think up new swear words because sometimes I feel like I don't have the proper vocabulary to deal with life.
Read more...Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Acts of Hope
Frances: This house has three bedrooms. What if there's never anyone to sleep in them? And the kitchen, what if there's never anyone to cook for? I wake up in the night thinking, "You idiot. I mean, you're the stupidest woman in the world. You bought a house for a life you don't even have."
Martini: Why did you do it, then?
Frances: Because I'm sick of being afraid all the time and because I still want things. I want a wedding in this house, and I want a family in this house.
Martini: Signora, between Austria and Italy, there is a section of the Alps called the Semmering. It is an impossibly steep, very high part of the mountains. They built a train track over these Alps to connect Vienna and Venice. They built these tracks before there was a train in existence that could make the trip. They built it because they knew someday the train would come.
~ Under the Tuscan Sun
I kind of doubt grand acts of hope ever hurt anyone, but I've never been daring enough to make them. I don't buy houses for a life I don't have or build tracks for a train that doesn't exist, but I want to change that.
Monday, July 9, 2012
What If ...
What if you're really a bird, but no ever told you that you have wings?
Do you think you would still learn to fly?
I'm hoping the answer is yes --- for birds and for people, too.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Sunkissed
The bathing suit shopping was worth it. It was worth a day at the pool to celebrate my goddaughter turning 2. It was worth playing in the water with her and watching her and her friends play with each other. It was definitely worth watching the kids show off their "kick, kick, kick" and "big breath, eyes in" (in other words, face under water). Despite the reputation of 2-year-olds being terrible, they sure know how to have fun in the sun.
Read more...Saturday, July 7, 2012
Fresh Starts
I want a new chapter, but I need to be very careful about picking the right book.
Read more...Friday, July 6, 2012
Sizing Suits
You know a bathing suit is not going to fit when the incredibly tight spandex won't allow you to wiggle the tankini on past your elbows.
Read more...Thursday, July 5, 2012
Today's Lesson
"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try." ~ Beverly Sills
Read more...Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Q & A
If you happen to be asking yourself, "Do I have what it takes?"
Let me assure you. The answer is, "Yes!"
Monday, July 2, 2012
End of Day
Sometimes a day doesn't seem long enough, but honestly, I'm glad I only have to deal with 24 hours at a time.
Read more...Sunday, July 1, 2012
The Gift of Failure
If you are brave enough to watch the Olympic Trials, you will be reminded of this: Those who give everything for a dream often fail. The literally fall flat on their face. It's heartbreaking. But it would be even more heartbreaking if they didn't give it their all, if they didn't even try.
Read more...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
