Clean Slate: Pondering the New Year

As we've rounded the corner into 2014, I've been thinking about what I want to do with the New Year. What changes do I want to make? What things to I want to keep the same? How to I want to approach the blank canvas of the next 365 days? How will I make the most of this 'clean slate' that we've come upon?

While we were driving to meet with friends on New Year's Day, I joked with Lennie that Matthew's goals were pretty clear:

1. Widen his vocabulary -- soaking in all of the new words, sounds, and communication skills that lay before him -- and help us to better get to know his personality, wants, and needs.
2. Widen his food palette -- experience new foods and tastes, and broaden the list of 'acceptable' foods that we can put on the menu in a regular rotation. (This mom can only make so many chicken nugget dinners without feeling guilty!) 

My goals don't seem as cut-and-dried. I'm still pondering what I want to do with this clean slate, but the old standards are echoing in my brain: 

1. Move more; get more active, get out and about, see more of the beautiful area that we live in!
2. Drink more water. Water's good for you, so why not be mindful of what I take in and how hydrated I am? Added bonus: this is the first step to making better nutritional choices, etc.

We'll see what comes of this "clean slate" that's before us in 2014. So far, I have a feeling that this is going to be a great year, full of potential and exciting opportunities. 

What are your plans for your "clean slate" in 2014?

Things to be Thankful For

Another Thanksgiving is upon us, and I am reminded once again of the many blessings in my life. From feeling the first stirrings of our impending arrival to spending precious moments with my family, I am very thankful for the abundance in my life.

The weather has turned blustery, wet, and cold around here. Fall (and soon Winter) has arrived here in the great Northwest. For the past few mornings, I have found myself waking up to the pitter-patter of rain and a feeling of continued amazement at the world around me. God's creation is so intricately woven, and we are all threads in the fabric of the world. I am ever reminded of what a wonderful world we live in, and I am grateful.

For all of the friends, family, and others who have blessed my life this year, thank you. I am thankful for each of you and hope that this Thanksgiving you are surrounded by love and laughter.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Jessica...

Dear Jessica in South Carolina,
Please, please, please learn your e-mail address. It turns out that your e-mail address is not the same as mine. Yet, you seem to insist on continuing to give out my e-mail address as your address at every turn. Over the last 6+ months, I have consistently turned down birthday parties for your son's friends, declined to participate in your neighborhood's yard sale, and I really, really don't want to work as a classroom volunteer. In fact, I would like to say thank you for having my e-mail address published in your school's phone book as yours. It was delightful deleting 45 e-mails (do people really need to reply all?!) the other day.

Jessica, if you should choose to not learn your e-mail address, I will be forced to continue to reply to these e-mails stating that you did not receive the message, I will continue declining party invitations, and I will also continue deleting any accounts that you create (you didn't actually want to get a job from that job site, did you?). How you succeed at continually opening accounts with the wrong address (where you have to double enter your e-mail address) is beyond me....

Please Jessica, learn your e-mail address and stop giving mine out.

Sincerely,

Kermit Fan

Happy 70th Birthday Dad!

Today, my father celebrates his 70th birthday. Friends and family will gather to celebrate this wonderful man's life and to wish him well for many years to come. I'm excited to spend time with everyone, and proud to have you as my father.

Happy 70th birthday dad!

(And to my nephew Andrew: happy birthday to you too!)  :-)

One Amazing Woman

Recently, I had the opportunity to go through some old letters and photos from my family. While I was reading through World War II era letters between my grandmother and my great grandmother, I began to fully understand and appreciate what an amazing woman my grandmother was. She was strong, an adventurer, and a trailblazer for her time.

When she was alive, I didn't realize what my grandmother had gone through -- raising two fine boys as a widower/single mother in the 40's and 50's. Grandma Margaret traveled around the US at a time that it wasn't convenient to 'hop on a plane' for a weekend trip to the other coast; she adventured to life in New York, North Carolina, and Minneapolis.

She struggled, and yet she succeeded. I just wish that I had understood how amazing she was while she was still around. Instead, I will have to be content with sitting back and appreciating my family history, and the contribution that my grandmother made to our family. Thank you for who you are and all that you did, Grandma!

Logging Off

Over the past few weeks, I've felt compelled to log off of the computer... For days and even two weeks at a time, I have not been logging in to Facebook, nor have I been checking my 'personal' e-mail incessantly after work or on weekends. And I've got to tell you: it feels great.

I'm no longer spending hours at a time playing mindless games or obsessing over what people had for lunch or how they feel about politics. Instead, I've been logging off and actually spending face-to-face time with people, or spending time writing letters and making telephone calls. My husband and I have had some great conversations, as we've been spending time with one another instead of near each other.

Perhaps we don't all need to be as connected as we think. When I do log in to Facebook and other online resources, I realize that I haven't really been missing anything. I feel free!

My cell phone, my only phone that is, does only a few things: text messages and telephone calls. We recently went to our cell phone provider to see about upgrading me, but when I realized that the 'free' phone was going to cost us almost $400 in additional fees over the life of the contract, I decided to stick with my current phone. I don't need to be online all the time, nor do I need to be that accessible to e-mail and other communication channels.

And that, my friends, is why I'm logging off more and more often. I am recommitting myself to reaching out to friends and family the 'old fashioned' way -- through classic letter writing and good old fashioned one-on-one time. So far, it feels great!

The Lottery & Dreams

I'm not really a gambling woman, I don't enjoy trips to the casino, and I don't regularly purchase lottery tickets. It seems that I work hard enough for my money that I feel kind of connected to it and want to be wise with my cash. Recently, however, the Mega Millions jackpot hit $330 million, so I parted with some of my cash. I'm sorry to say that I didn't win anything with my ticket, but I feel like my money was well spent...

For a few dollars, I was able to dream about what I would do with the winnings: pay off the house, donate money to charities, travel, dream. One little lottery ticket (and one large jackpot) led me into multiple conversations with friends and family about what we would do if we were suddenly wealthy. Virtually everyone that I spoke with said that they would squirrel money away in a savings or other accounts, and splurge on travel or other luxuries.

In the few days between purchasing my ticket and the lottery drawing, I allowed my mind to wander... It was great! As we drove down the road, I would ask Lennie "what if we..." and I would spin stories and ideas about how we would help others or enjoy the bounty of lottery winnings. My random numbers may not have been drawn, but I certainly enjoyed thinking about what I would do with the winnings!

Garages

Since we've moved to our house in late April, I've been observing our new neighborhood and the surrounding area from a different point of view. Garages have definitely caught my attention, especially since we now have a two-car garage of our own. One of the things that strikes me is how different every one's garage is, and how you use your garage says a lot about what is important to your lifestyle.

For example, one of our neighbors has a two car garage, with one half of the garage dedicated to being used as a home gym, complete with a heavy bag and mats to stretch out on. The other half is used to park their sporty car. I'm definitely envious of their dedication to their health and fitness!

Others in the neighborhood have their garages packed to the gills with boxes and other flotsam and jetsam from their lives. So much so that over 75% of our neighbors can't (or don't?) park their cars in their garages. This leads me to wonder: what is it about our society that tells us that we need "more, more, more" ... so much more that we fill our garages with boxes and other items so full that we can't put our cars in the garage?

For our garage, we're trying to strike a healthy balance -- parking both vehicles inside as well as storing seasonal items like our camping gear or our Christmas decorations. What does our garage say about our lives? Well, I'd say that it says that we've moved in, but there are still a few boxes left to find a home... until then, they're stacked neatly in our garage. It also says that we're working on being good gardeners, starting with the basics and working our way up... slowly! :-)

What does your garage say about you?

Sunny Summer Days

We've been doing our best to keep ourselves busy this summer. A few weeks back, we took in a concert in the park, courtesy of the Duvall Cultural Commission. (Who knew that our little burg had a culture commission!) It was quite fun to enjoy a picnic dinner while listening to Celtic music by the river. We'll definitely put this activity on the "to do" list again. Later that week, we also had the opportunity to enjoy a movie in the park with Crystal and Jonathan. Outdoor movies are one of our favorite summertime activities... not only is the price right, but it's a great way to spend a cool summer night.

This past week, I took a business trip to Phoenix, AZ. Of course, I was down there during the hottest time of year, with highs hovering around 110 degrees. I was blown away by the Phoenix natives... as I was sweating away in my shorts or breezy summer dresses, the locals were walking around in jeans and long sleeved t-shirts. In my book, if it's over 70 degrees, long sleeve t-shirts should stay in the closet! :-) Nonetheless, it was fun to zip around Phoenix and to meet my new work team. Can't wait to get back later this year (maybe then I'll appreciate the sun and heat!).

I returned home to a weekend filled with Seattle rain. However, I can't say that I'm very upset by the rain... it's a nice change of pace, really. (And I don't have to pay to water my lawn this weekend -- bonus!) Yesterday, I got to have lunch and get pedicures with two of my favorite women. Today, we get to celebrate the marriage of Dwight and Melissa. It's always fun to spend time with good friends!

Weekend Wanderings

We've been enjoying our new house, and feel like we're finally settled in. Over Memorial Day weekend, we got most of our pictures hung on the walls, just in time to share meals with good friends and family. It was great fun to have people over to our place -- and actually have enough room to host them for a meal! :-)

This past weekend, we took advantage of the Saturday sunshine and did some work around the yard. Saturday afternoon, we meandered down to "Duvall Days" to take in the street fair and enjoy a late lunch. While at the street fair, we stopped by the Lake Washington Technical College campus, where I received a free mini-facial and learned that I can make spa appointments on a budget... I will definitely be back there! After walking around for a while, we stopped in to the Duvall Grill for lunch. The food was amazing, and the waitstaff was outstanding. I have never enjoyed such a fresh salad, and Lennie ranked the bacon & blue burger amongst his top 10 burgers. We will definitely be back there -- and if you're ever in Duvall, I recommend that you drop by for a great meal!

Sunday brought grey skies and rain, which we escaped by going to a friend's dance recital. It was interesting seeing all of the kids dancing... made me wish that I had a little more rhythm, and a lot more coordination. Guess those tap and ballet lessons that I took when I was in kindergarten only go so far though... heh.

Sold! Closed! Happy Birthday to ME!

Wow, what a ride. For those of you following along with this blog, you may remember that we put our condo up for sale on February 1st. Well, as of today it is sold and closed. Done deal. Finito. On the books; recorded with the county and all that jazz. Happy birthday to me! :-)

Nobody prepared me for what an emotional ride this would be, but I'm very happy to have this leg completed. Lessons learned:

• If you're selling your home, you should definitely have a real estate agent show it. No homeowner should have to endure hearing people's commentary on the small nit-picky points that they don't like about your home.


• It's not personal, it's business -- but sometimes it's still frustrating and hard to take yourself out of the equation.


• If you're going to call the power company to cancel your account, be sure you write the number down correctly... there's a big difference between 1-888... and 1-800... trust me on this one!

There were a few other lessons learned, but for now, I'll leave it at that... and you'll definitely want to trust me on that last point!

Closing today was quite the birthday gift, that's for sure. Over the past three years, great things have happened on my birthday, and I sure hope the trend continues -- here's to another great year!

How Un-Seattle of Me!

Fall is in full swing here in the Seattle area. Orange leaves are swirling in the wind, trees are getting thinner by the day. The colors have left me continually in awe of the beauty of our area.

The grey skies have been a little depressing lately, but I think that I'm starting to get used to it. What I'm not ready for, however, is the downpour and constant drizzle. It's not cold out, so I can't justify my heavy jacket yet, which means that the umbrella seems more appropriate. Usually, it's the tourists and non-natives who are using umbrellas around here. However, I've come to rely upon my umbrella... How un-Seattle of me.

Hey, at least I'm dry with my umbrella! :-)

It's Time For Good News!

This week, I've really been struggling with the news. It's been bright and sunny outside, so the Seattle area has generally had a sunny disposition, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the local news outlets.

Generally, I watch King 5's news broadcast during the last 15 minutes or so before I leave for work in the morning so that I can be up-to-date on current events and also am aware of the current traffic situation. Then, at lunch, I will peruse our local newspaper's Web site, www.seattletimes.com.

But this week, it's been really bleak on the news front. I opened up the newspaper the other day and tried to find a positive headline to read. Instead, I was greeted by headlines about multiple dead bodies, starving children, financial issues, and all things depressing. I decided to dial down my news habits, but still seem to be presented with bad news as I'm going through my day. When I watched the morning news, I was hoping for some softer stories about school children doing good or maybe even a "Gardening with Ciscoe" segment next to the weather and traffic. Instead I was greeted with stories on suicides and roadside bombings. Ugh!

So, I'm starting to seek out the good news. There's got to be good things happening in the world, and I'm ready to hear about them. Let's put the smiles on our faces and start to look for the good side of life... consider it a challenge from me. What's your good news? Share it here, I'm ready to smile and cheer for everyone! :-)

Sunshine, Sunshine!

The sun has been shining in the Seattle area for a consecutive days now, and I have to say that I have been quite distracted by it. With the temperatures hitting almost 70, I'm definitely not complaining! I've gotten out a few times to enjoy the sun, including a great two hour walk to start of my weekend and to return the smile to my face. There is nothing better than taking in nature and reconnecting with a great friend!

I've also had my nose buried in a few books lately. In the past two weeks, I have finished "The Appeal" by John Grisham (I give it three and a half out of five stars) and "Handle with Care" by Jodi Piccoult (I give that one four out of five stars). Ms. Piccoult's book was definitely a page-turner, and it held my attention... but I was quite disappointed by the ending. (That's all I'm going to say, as I don't want to ruin the book for you.) I guess it just didn't deliver the punch that the rest of the book had for me. Oh well, at least I got to enjoy the journey through the pages.

Not much else to report here, just enjoying the sunshine and getting into the rhythm of life. How are y'all doing?

Easter and the End of Lent

This year I decided that rather than give up something for Lent, I would try to pick up some good habits instead. So, for Lent, I "gave up" being ill in an effort to get healthy. (You may remember that for a few months leading up to Lent, we had something similar to the plague in our household...) So, we started going to the gym regularly, and I got back to walking and enjoying the outdoors. It has felt really good to be in the habit of going to the gym, and I've definitely started to enjoy my time on the elyptical machine. Some say that it takes 3 weeks to make a habit, and I'm really hopeful that this is now a habit of mine that's going to stick around.

For Lent, and actually for 2009, I also decided to pursue happiness. So, every day I tried to find something joyful or happy to reflect on. Sometimes it was the sunrise or a view on the way to work, other times it was seeing a geat quality in someone that I came in contact with. So far, I'd have to say that I have really enjoyed looking for happiness in everything I do. I highly recommend it, in fact! :-)

I hope you all had a great Easter. Here's to continued health and happiness throughout the year!

Busy, Busy, Busy

It's been pretty busy around our house lately. Last week, I turned another year older. Lennie organized a fun night out with friends to celebrate, and I enjoyed spending time with everyone. Man, I have a great husband, and I'm so grateful for all of the work that he did (and does)! Every year, I go through a funny phase just before my birthday... I get in a little bit of a funk, and am just not really sure how put my feelings together. It's not that I don't like getting older, or fear grey hairs or something, I just get funny. As soon as my birthday is here, life is good again. Weird.

This past weekend, I threw a baby shower for a good friend. Thanks to my long-time and great friend for some great ideas, the party was a success. (I'm not really that crafty, so her ideas came in really handy!) We decorated onesies for the baby, had a cupcake decorating contest, and generally had a great afternoon. It's always fun when you get a great group of ladies together! :-)

OH! And I finally downloaded the photos from my camera... so you can now see the shower evolution online. It's coming together nicely, and I'm looking forward to getting the last "odds and ends" completed in our bathrooms soon!

25 Really Random Things About Me

I was "tagged" on Facebook with providing 25 random things about me, and I thought that it would be fun to share them here too. So, here goes:

1. I once had a dead mouse fall out of a heating duct in my car and hit my leg while I was driving down a street in Spokane. I was horrified, to say the least.

2. When I order at Starbucks, it's a grande non-fat raspberry mocha, extra stirred. Which really means: "please actually put the spoon in my drink and mix it together so that I don't miss out on any of that chocolate-y goodness at the bottom of the cup."

3. Dark chocolate is my favorite of the chocolate food group. Extra bonus if it's dark chocolate with raspberry.

4. I lived across the street from my elementary school, which meant that I was really envious of my friends who got to ride the bus.

5. I am terrified of rodents of all kinds. If I even think that there is a rodent within my vicinity, my skin crawls and I can't sleep or think of anything else... see #1 above.

6. I've always lived in Washington state.

7. Ever since Target came to our area, I've lived within 5 miles of a Target store.

8. I once believed that I would meet my future husband at Target, because you can get anything there.

9. I met my wonderful husband in a corn maze. Our first date was on Halloween.

10. I believe that things happen and people come into your life for a reason, season, or a lifetime.

11. I hated tomatoes until about 6 years ago. Now I can't get enough of them.

12. I own two fantail goldfish. They don't have names because I never really got around to naming them. It's been two years now...

13. I've never owned a brand new car, nor have I ever had a car payment.

14. Kenya, Denmark, France, England, Ireland, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Fiji, the Bahamas, Canada, and the Virgin Islands have all been international travel destinations for me.

15. Reality television is a less-than-secret fascination for me. Real Housewives, Top Chef, Celebrity Rehab, Amazing Race, I'll find a way to catch up on almost all of them.

16. My hair hasn't been it's "natural color" without help since I was 16 or so.

17. Just thinking about my hubby makes me smile.

18. I have friends that go "way back" to elementary school; and I have some of the greatest friends.

19. I'm in denial about the fact that I have been out of high school for almost 14 years.

20. I believe that I have just entered the best years of my life.

21. There are not many things that I could ask for to make my life any "better." I have it all: a great husband, fabulous friends, a kick-butt family, health, home, laughter, and love. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

22. If I could move anywhere and be a beach bum, I would move to Cabo San Lucas, Baja, Mexico.

23. "Say Anything" is one of my all-time favorite movies.

24. "If I had a $1,000,000" by the Barenaked Ladies is one of my favorite songs.

25. Harry Connick Jr. is my "other boyfriend" -- I love his music, love his movies, and think that he's hot. Harry, if you're reading this: call me! :-)

Sklar Brothers & Superbowl

If there were ever two people that would make Lennie and I laugh every time, it's the Sklar Brothers. So, when I came across the following videos from Comedy Central and McDonald's, I couldn't resist sharing:
Halftime Show Commentary / Predictions

McDonalds Dollar Menu Presents

Sklar Brothers - Onside Kicks - The Big Game

More Funny Videos
Comedians on Tour

Get Funny Ringtones
Stand-Up Comedy

Game Commentary

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Tiki Barber

Daily Show Full Episodes
Funny Political Videos

Important Things With Demetri Martin
More Funny Videos

Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Life has been going at a pretty steady pace here... not much to report really. We're still battling the epic colds that have been going around (a gazillion weeks and counting now), but I suspect that we're on the way to healthier days. The shower project is almost done, and it feels good to make progress on the condo.

I'm so happy that it's Thursday today, as it's been a long week, full of ups and downs, and a little "lather, rinse, repeat." All good stuff.

Happiness New Year 2009

Happy New Year! May you be blessed with happiness, health, love, and adventure in the upcoming year.

Space Needle fireworks, January 1, 2007. Photo by me. :)

One of the blogs that I read regularly challenged readers to define 2009 with one word instead of creating new year's resolutions. I have chosen the word happiness. In 2009, I will strive to bring happiness to those around me, to find happiness in everything that I do (to always look for the silver lining in the least), I will seek happiness, and I will find happiness in everything I do, not matter how big or small.

So, what's your word? What will define you in 2009? What can you do to make it happen?