Georgia Adventures

I went to stay with my dad and step mother Penny for a full month in June.  I took my son Riley with me to help if needed while travelling.  I know I wouldn’t have been able to make it through all those flights with my carry on bag if I didn’t have any help.  Riley carried his bag and mine too.  We had a pretty good visit but it did get boring at times and my poor Riley was unplugged.  I feel so bad for teenagers these days that don’t appreciate the outdoors as much as kids used to.  I was always outside when I was a kid and loved it.  I loved my bike!  So I think it was good for Riley to get outside and see things like frogs, snakes, snapping turtles and all kinds of bugs and birds he doesn’t see in Fairbanks, Alaska.

I did a lot of genealogy research while I was there.  Mainly we went to grave yards and took photos so I’d have the dates. I listened to story after story my dad told and tried to steer him to talk about things besides hunting.  It was interesting to learn about the girl my dad was engaged to before my mom.

We went to this one graveyard and my dad saw a frog and caught it.  He handed it to me and it got away.  I caught it again and it got away three times and finally I walked over and handed it to Riley.  He is an inside boy so was a little freaked out.  He finally took it though and it jumped away.  Of course he didn’t know how to catch a frog so I caught it again  for him.  He really enjoyed checking it out.  Later when I was finished taking pictures of the graves I asked him about the frog and he said he let it go.  He was worried about the frog’s well-being though because it went under grandpa’s car.  I am sure it moved on before we needed to drive away.

I told my dad that I wanted to see a snake since I’d never seen one in person before.  My dad is one of those wild, crazy people that sees something dangerous and goes and catches it and sometimes eats it.  He has caught snakes and alligators and of course numerous bears.  When I got there I looked everywhere I went for snakes and it seemed like there was none.  Finally, I was woke up rather abruptly one morning by Penny telling me my dad had a snake to show me.  It was a very small white oak snake.  I am sure it wasn’t even 18 inches long and no thicker than a quarter in the middle.  He showed me how to hold it by the head to keep it from biting me.  I know I’m a tom-boy but I thought it was pretty.  Its head was light grey and I just loved the colors of its body – grey, tan and white.  He found a huge one later though and I think it was too strong for me to even think of holding it.  My super cool nephew, Wyatt, that I FINALLY got to meet now that he is 12, held that snake and I just felt it up and posed for pictures with them.  Later I saw what my dad says was a king snake.  It was black with thin white lines and when I turned my head for just a second to say something to my dad it was gone when I looked back.  My dad said king snakes are very fast and don’t like people. Penny doesn’t like them either and started yelling at my dad to kill it…and make SURE it’s dead.  It was a good thing it was long gone.  Penny doesn’t like frogs either.  We found out just how much when one jumped on her hehe

While my brother Emmett was there (with his wife and two kids Chloe and Wyatt) we saw a snapping turtle.  Chloe and I tormented the poor thing with a stick in front of its nose to get it to snap while the other’s took pictures of us.  We were nice though and put it on the other side of the road since my brother said it was headed that way to a pond.  We saved it some lumbering time.

When Penny heard that neither Riley or I had ever been to a beach she called her daughter who has a house in Carrabelle, Florida.  She drove us to St. George Island.  We had a great time and I have a pile of sea shells and some great pictures from the trip.  It rained all that night and the next day and so we didn’t get to go again.  I would have been content to stay there on the beach for the rest of my life.  I thought it was really neat to think that I was born not far from there in Newport Richey Florida.  I went into this neat little store and bought a shirt for for Riley and I and some other neat stuff made with shells.  Of course I got a trinket box for my box collection.  I also bought a cute choker necklace that would actually choke me if I tried to put it on.  I need to put my neck on a diet.  I also bought myself one of those cute little license plates with my name on it because I WAS ACTUALLY BORN IN FLORIDA!  Isn’t that cool?

Anyway I will post some pictures later.

It was so so so good to get back home and I’ve been crocheting dishcloths.  I’ve already made several.

I also started a blog that is dedicated to crafting.  So that is where I will post the free patterns I find and want to share.  It is called Creative Aspirations after my etsy store.  I usually use free patterns and sometimes make changes to them but I don’t like to be stingy.  I like crafters who share and are good to other crafters.  So if you see something in my store and you could make it yourself, you can just check my blog and see if I’ve posted the pattern.  That will also help me to keep this blog for the topics I planned it for.  I’ll still post pictures of things I make occasionally though.  These are the dishcloths I’ve been making.

Ringing in the New Year: 2013

This is kinda written in response to the wordpress writing challenge although most of it was already pondered upon and pressed….

Writing Challenge: New Year’s Resolutions (Doompocalypse Redux)

Feel free to join us. click the link above to read about the challenge.

(Imagine there is a space here)

I don’t really do the resolution thing… at least not the way most people do.  I do a couple of different things.  First I have my list of goals to work on throughout the year.  Not a lot of things – just 2 or 3 tops.  I write them in the front of my journal so that I see them every time I open it – which is usually every day or more often.  I keep track of some items in my journal and journal about my progress.  I don’t like to make “resolutions” that are fast forgotten.

I also make a “to do” list for the year.  This list is pretty extensive and more of a wish list sometimes.  Sometimes I just can’t afford to do some of the things on the list or I need help – like with painting a room in the house.  It is okay though.  This is the time of year when I look at what I accomplished,  cross off what I can and add a few more things.  What didn’t get done just stays on the list for the next year.  The idea in this is that when I get to the end of the year I don’t feel like it was all wasted.  When I flip through my journal or look back at my blog I know my time was well spent.  It wasn’t always that way.  Sometimes I would get into this rut of just waking up and going to work, coming home tired and going to bed.  That was because of my health.  I was working so hard I didn’t have any energy to spend time with my family.  Now I enjoy listening to my kids talk about their days or music or whatever.  I can sit at the table and have dinner with them.  Time is precious and needs to be used wisely.

Anyway, my basic goals are always to lose weight and to get organized.  Surprise, surprise huh?  With my health problems I have a hard time exercising.  When I’m in pain I don’t want to move so I gain weight.  My doctor says says that it is important to exercise as much as possible and that it will actually help with pain.  She’s the doctor so I’m doing my best to follow orders.   I cut some things out of my diet and managed to get some health issues under control that way (which is pretty cool I think).  I managed to stop gaining weight but didn’t really sustain any real weight loss.  I’m just grateful that I’m not still gaining.  This year that is my biggest focus because it isn’t just a matter of how I feel about myself anymore.  Being overweight sets me up for all kinds of other health risks, including diabetes which runs in my family.  My mom died of a heart attack and I’m going to do everything I can to avoid that happening to me.  I’m using a website called MyFitnessPal.com  to track what I eat and it really helps a lot.  I’ve made some friends on there that are in the same boat I am.  They are also trying to lose weight while dealing with chronic pain.  It is amazing to have such an amazing support group that will cheer me on but also understands when I’m not feeling well.

I’m about to set a fresh new goal for this year and take new measurements.  I think I’m going to break my “wish”  for my overall weight-loss into smaller attainable goals.  I think if I lost 10 lbs I would feel pretty darn good and that would give me some “FIRE” to keep going.  So I’m going to do that and just keep working on smaller goals.  Of course exercising every day, even a little, is a task on my list.  Sometimes it just isn’t possible but I’ll do what I can.  I got some advice from a friend of mine that I am working on trying too.  He said to eat what I want but only half.  That is a new concept for me since I grew up being told to clean my plate.  I hate to see anything go to waste so I eat it all.  So I’m going to work on that and put half away for another meal.

Last year, one of the things I added to my list was so stop using the “f word” meaning fibromyalgia.  I thought that I should not talk about it and only focus on positive things.  It didn’t take me long to realize that was not the right thing to do.  Sure, I need to focus on positive things but this is part of me and acting like everything is normal is not the answer.  I realized that there are a lot of people out there that don’t understand what fibromyalgia really is.  Many people and sadly even some doctors don’t believe it is a real thing.  Well, what I feel is real and if there was a solution I’d be first in line.  I really think it is more likely that it is a symptom of something they haven’t yet figured out.  They need to do more research to find out and that means more people need to know about it.  That is when I decided to add that blurb about fibromyalgia to the top of my blog.  I also thought maybe if other people with fibromyalgia could see what I accomplish with this than others will be encouraged.

This past year, in working on my to-do list, I was able to get a lot of de-cluttering done.  Now I am going to keep going on that.  I found this website that has a calendar for each month.  Each day there is a task to work on for 15 minutes.  I think I’ll give that a try and see how it fits in with the areas I want to clean.  Mainly I just need to use some of the things I’ve bought for crafts and let some things go. I have a LOT of yarn.  I’m decided to use that yarn to make blankets for Project Linus.  I’m the coordinator for my area and I’ve had a hard time keeping it going.  I have decided to make working on Project Linus my 3rd goal this year.  I’m going to work on getting people to help out and make lots of blankets.

Last year one of my goals was to finish what I started.  I tracked down some unfinished projects and finished them!  That felt really good!  I also concentrated on finishing one thing before starting the next.  Some people call it multitasking but usually I just end up with a bunch of unfinished stuff.  I did get a lot more done this year and knit, crocheted, and tatted several things.  I also read a bunch of books!  And the books I read have been passed on to others or donated.  I’m also not buying new books but getting ebooks instead.  These little things all make a difference.

So I have my new journal – two actually.  One is a journal to write in daily and one is a smash journal.  I like to use smash journals for projects and pictures.  My main goals are already written in the front and I’m ready to get started.

Of course I have my new list of Twenty Wishes that I want to work on too.  It is interesting to me how this list seems to incorporate many of the things on my yearly list but it is much shorter.  I got the idea for that list from a book.

Now to start working on my lists instead of making them!  Here’s to a good 2013!

Nay to doomsayers!

Daily Prompt: Faithful

WordPress Prompt: Tell us about the role that faith plays in your life — or doesn’t.

I have a solid faith in Jesus Christ and if not for that I would have had nothing to get me through some of the difficult times in my life.  Knowing that God has a plan for me and is there to help me keeps me going.

I don’t always make it to church because of my health and the cold weather here makes it worse but I can still worship at home.  I know that God is always with me.

Sometimes when I am in a lot of pain (from fibromyalgia) I wonder why this is happening to me and I pray for relief.  It hasn’t gotten better but I do have good days.  I have also had the opportunity to help people in worse situations than I am in.  It certainly has made me more aware and sensitive to the the difficulties of others and helping others helps to take the focus off of myself and the pain.  I figure my suffering is small compared to what Christ did for me.  I can at least do what I can.

I don’t think God causes bad things to happen to people but I know he is there to help us through it.  I just always repeat my favorite verse like a mantra.  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Phil 4:13

That has always been my favorite verse even before I needed it as much as I do now.  It has just always stayed with me.  I even ordered stationary with that verse printed on the front.  One day my sister sent me a box of stationary that was my grandmother’s (Paternal)  and it had that same verse printed on the front the the country blue color she liked so much.  I know that she understood how special that verse was and that she also had strong faith.  I’m glad I learned about God through my family.  Who knows what my life would be like now if I didn’t have that strong faith and family support.

Related articles

• Daily Prompt: Un/Faithful (sanctifiedbrother.wordpress.com)

Weekly Photo Challenge: Surprise

Share a picture which means SURPRISE to you!

I decided to treat myself to a pedicure and manicure just before Christmas.  I had saved up money so I could have a nice relaxing…. peaceful…………blissful………………. time at the spa.  While I’m sitting there with my feet soaking in wonderful smelling water and loving the massage chair these firemen came and said we needed to get out immediately.  ERRRRG  The person doing my pedicure tried to quickly dry off my feet but they still felt wet when I slipped them into my boots to go outside in the 40 below weather.

I was determined to get my nails done though so I sat at the parking lot across the street and read a book until everything was determined safe and then I went back.  Turned out something was too close to a furnace and was melting but there was no actual fire.  Apparently it was big news in Fairbanks though because I watched as Channel 11 news showed up and interviewed people.  A poor soul that I’m assuming worked for the newspaper was out there taking pictures at 40 below too.  I, however, was nice and toasty in my car – thawing out my wet feet.

As soon as the coast was clear I went back and they really gave me the royal treatment since my relaxing pedicure was interrupted.  Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……….

So now my nails (all 20 of them) are smooth and polished a sparkly red!

I had a few more surprises too.  Before I woke up on Christmas Eve a gift was dropped off for me but I don’t know who it was from.  There was this cute little felt bag with snowflakes on it.

Inside the little bag was another present – A pretty necklace with a snowflake inside!  I love the pretty blue stone!

There was also another gift wrapped in tissue paper which turned out to be the cutest platter of flower shaped rice crispy treats with frosting stems on a cute platter.

 

Oh, and last but not least, I received a surprise package from my sister that contained lots of edible goodies and the coolest socks.  There were 4 pair but these are the ones I chose to wear for Christmas Day.

The last of Life, for which the first was made

WordPress Daily Prompt: If there were a real Fountain of Youth, would you drink the water?

Only if there was enough for my Chris too.

I love my husband Chris with all of my heart and want to live just as long as he does and no longer.  My soul will die when his does, whether my body does or not.

When I look in the mirror these days I frown at the blemishes and gray hair.  I have gained a lot of weight and I don’t even feel like myself anymore.  It is hard to exercise with chronic pain but I try.  I wish I could look and feel like I once did BUT my husband is also gray, heavier and…. well he is just as lovable as ever.  He has mellowed with age actually.  He reminds me so much of his dad.  Actually, the more I think about it…..

No.  I am happy with the way things are.  My husband doesn’t seem to mind that I have aged and I love him more every single day.

I am looking forward to living out the rest of my days with my husband.  My kids are mostly grown and at some point I will (hopefully) have some grandchildren to love and spoil.  And when I die, I am looking forward to seeing my mom and all of my other friends and relatives again.  Heaven’s garden is being looked after by my angel mother.

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be,

The last of life, for which the first was made:

Our times are in His hand

Who saith “A whole I planned,

Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!”

                                               — Robert Browning (from the poem Rabbi Ben Ezra)

This was taken many moons ago on our anniversary. Now we have been married for 21 years.

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