Happy Wednesday and belated Merry Christmas!

I hope you had a great holiday. I've been off work since Dec. 20th and wouldn't you know, I've been sick every day since. I've had some kind of cold-flu-like-crud and just since Monday, have felt like I'm getting over it. We had a nice Christmas. Very quiet and I was fine as long as I had my box of tissues handy.

Being sick during this time of year has saved me some calories. I haven't eaten as many of the goodies that are lurking everywhere. I usually make cookies, but not this year. Didn't make spinach dip to eat with sour dough. And guess what? We all survived.

I have been doing my Reverb10 - only mentally. I didn't feel like writing it all down but I like how the prompts have got me thinking. Less about my weight and more about living the life I want to live.

My son moved out this month. His very own first apartment! It's been exciting to get him all set up. I put together some kitchen stuff and bought him some new towels and odds and ends. He's doing it all himself, while still juggling three jobs and school, but it was time. He needed to get his own place. A place of his own. I'm so proud of him. Of course, a lot of his stuff is still here. His time is limited and I'll probably have to get a small storage space for the things that don't fit at his place. It's a very small garage apartment, but it's cute and perfect for him.

My birthday will be here in a couple of weeks. It kind of gets to me sometimes. I thought I'd have done more with my life by now, but we get out of life what we put into it, right? It's time to put more into it! Easy to say. Now I just need the courage to begin.

I hope you have a great rest of the week and a safe, happy new year! Thanks for your friendships. I love this blogging community.

Well, not exactly & Reverb10 Day 9

This week was better than last week. The co-worker with the ill-planned medical procedure is doing better and has returned to pull her load. My other co-worker can't let it go and told the other woman maybe she should take a leave of absence if this is going to be an ongoing thing. This kind of unsportmanship behavior really gets to me. I have a job. I go to work everyday with the intent to do my best - whatever the situation  or case may be. That doesn't mean I might not get pissed if I feel taken advantage of, but I will do my work and be darned cheery about it (while I'm there).


Anyway, on to Reverb10, Day 9 (yes, I'm behind but I'm working on it)

December 9 – Party 


Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. (Author: Shauna Reid)


Well, sad to say, there weren't any parties in 2010 that I had the pleasure of attending. So, I'm stretching the definition of party to "gathering" and going with my trip to Albuquerque in September. The first night we were there, we attended a meet-n-greet with other independent school faculty and staff at El Pinto Restaurant. The purpose of the trip was to see the host school and sit in on a planning meeting for an upcoming arts festival. I was excited just to be in New Mexico and it was fun to be there with a lot of people I knew from Houston and from past arts festivals. Our group was outside and the weather was fantastic. The tables were festive and the Margarita's were perfect. I got my first taste of New Mexican food and it's nothing like TexMex. They use green and red chili's but they are not the same green chili's we have here in Texas. You can learn more about their peppers here - if you're interested. Apparently, chili's are great for your diet, too. All the more reason to spice things up!


There were some pesky mosquitoes at the restuarant and those suckers were big. I thought Texas cornered the market on those blood-suckers but I was wrong. Ouch. 


The rest of the weekend was spent getting to know Albuquerque. I love that place! I think I mostly love seeing the mountains all around. Oh, and the freeway was a lovely terracotta color with turquoise trim. I didn't get a good picture when I was there (it's hard to take pictures when your driving, go figure) but here is a great shot at Getty Images.


Hope you are having a great weekend. Are you getting in the holiday spirit? I'm working on it :)

A day late...

I really do want to start posting in the mornings. By the time I get around to writing a post, it's almost tomorrow. I tried writing my words down on paper during the day yesterday (Wednesday) to get a head start, but it's been so long since I actually wrote with a pen that my thoughts just didn't flow. Then, last night I struggled with my answer to the Dec. 8th prompt (Reverb10). I'm not very comfortable with thinking about myself as "beautiful." It sounds conceited. But this is an exercise to help manifest what's next and I'm ready for that.


December 8 - Beautifully Different


Prompt - Beautifully Different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful. (Author: Karen Walrond)


I thought about this all day. What makes me different? Maybe it's the fact that I have long brown hair with only a smidge of grey. Not very many women my age (a-hem, 53) don't color their hair. (I'm growing mine to donate to Locks of Love and I'm really getting ready for a haircut, lol). But I think the qualities of our character are what makes us different, or beautifully different. These qualities that are a direct result of the lives we've lived and the people we've loved. Some of those qualities are born out of happiness and some are born out of grief. And, our character is constantly evolving which is a good thing.


Now, on to some of the ways that I think I am different:  I'm detailed and observant and see details that many people overlook. I notice the design of things, but not in a critical way. I like to find better ways to get something done and like being efficient. I'm a listener and keeper of private things. When you tell me something is "just between us" it stays that way. I take no pleasure in gossip. I thrive on honesty, but have trouble trusting others. Go figure.


I can't imagine what I might do that "lights up people" but I try always to be gracious. I try to be courteous, thoughtful, and kind. I was raised that way and it pretty much stuck.

I'm excited about participating in Reverb10. I got a late start in this challenge and now I'm another day behind...so I think I'll try and catch up this weekend. I'm feeling a shift in my thinking already. Yesterday I went for a walk and it felt great. Not like someone was holding a gun to my head to get out there. 

If you found my blog from Reverb10, welcome! And thanks for stopping by. I look forward to learning and growing from this awesome event. 

Not the sum total.

I need to take the focus off food and dieting. Lately, I've felt that dieting is the sum total of my life. There is so much more to me than weighing and measuring food and hoping to wear a smaller size by x amount of time. So, I'm signing up for a writing challenge over at Reverb10. 

"Reverb 10 is an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. Use the end of your year as an opportunity to reflect on what's happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead."


I like the daily prompts, like today's prompt is:

December 7 – Community

Prompt: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

I have discovered a wonderful community online of bloggers. They are more than bloggers to me. They are friends. People that genuinely care about others. They take the time to leave a comment of support when they "see" a need. They share their life and sometimes they even share their things (love those giveaways!). I'm glad I joined this community of bloggers and look forward to "meeting" more in 2011.

In the last year, I've drifted away from my church. Not my faith, it never waivers. But I do miss the community of believers, sometimes. My soul seeks the strength that comes from faith shared.

In 2011, I want to be a more active member of my community. In words, in actions, and in efforts.

It goes on.

Some days, I don't want to put on the happy face. No one can make me happy but me, I know that. I simply don't know how to anymore. I think I'm stressed out and tired of my life, or lack of one.

Work has not been ideal. A co-worker has been absent for something she elected to do. Not cosmetic surgery, but something she's known she wanted to have done for awhile now. She's off during the summer and you would think that she would have done it during her time off. But that's when she and her husband choose to travel to exotic places. So, doing her work and mine has me stressed out. I've been angry over it and of course I take my anger out on myself. And I don't dare complain. I need my job and I like MY job. It's just that I always seem to be doing her job and mine.

I tried to get a diet plan in the works. Every time I look at a diet menu, I get pissed off. I used to be really good at getting my mind prepared for eating less, but lately, it just pisses me off. I'm burned out. I'm pissed (have I said that enough times?). I'm afraid I'm giving up on myself. Maybe I need some antidepressants. Or a shot of tequila. The candy I've been eating just isn't doing for me anymore.

Sorry, my posting has been almost non-existent and then I share this. It goes on...life that is.