Random Writing Thoughts

*Not  my actual home.

Winter in Maine is not for the faint of heart. This winter we have already seen a couple of large snowfalls and today, just to make things even more fun, we are having a nor'easter full of hail and ice. Joy. 

The benefit of a day like today is that everything is cancelled. I'm enjoying a day at home with no obligations to even get dressed (although I am). We still have power (woo-hoo!). I'm sitting at my dining room table with only the hum of my laptop and a candle burning (for ambiance - remember I have power). Why is it so quiet? Because my children are busily working on school. I love days like this.

One of my goals for this year is to start writing more. I have this platform and plan to expand and use it. Why am I telling you this? Because I need the accountability! I know many who read my blog (especially when I share it on Facebook) will now ask me what's next, what am I going to write about, on my blog. ASK! Please!

I also am looking for ideas. I don't feel the need to find a 'niche' for my writing. My only goal is to write and share. That is going to be eclectic - just like me. Some days I may write about homeschooling, after all, it is a large part of my life still. I may also want to share about my fitness journey - again - another large part of my life. I may want to share some wisdom I have gleaned from a marriage of over 20 years (24 years in July!) or having older children (my oldest is now 20!!!) or any myriad of things that cross my mind. 

So, you, dear reader, what are some things you'd like to hear about? Let me know either in the comments on the blog or in the Facebook comments. Share with me ideas. 

And I pray you are all warm and safe today - no matter where you are reading this.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

From This Side of the Pond

1. Do you find yourself influencing your world, or is it more the other way around?

Philosophical question to start off this week's Hodgepodge I see. I honestly have to say I think it's both. I think I influence my small part of the world, but I also think that my small part of the world influences me as well. 

2. July 14th is National Tape Measure Day...the device was patented on this date in 1868. When did you last use a tape measure?

Last week. Body measurements. Helps me stay on track to getting fit. 

Do you always know where to find one in your house?

Yes, in my bathroom. I have a regular one in my bedside table as well. So I will know where to find one when I need it.

Tell us one way in which you feel blessed 'beyond measure'.

With my family. Our home. Our life. Very blessed. 

3.The Plaza Hotel (Eloise), The Land of Oz (The Wizard of Oz), Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia), The Hundred Acre Wood (Winnie the Pooh), Wonderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), or Never Never Land (Peter Pan)...which storybook land (on this list!) would you most like to visit and why?

Narnia. Hands down! I love that whole series of books and if there was a chance to meet Aslan, I would definitely take it. 

4. Where and when do you get your best ideas?

Whenever I can't write them down. While driving, showering, or getting ready to sleep. Those are my best thinking times. 

5. So what have you been watching on TV this summer? Anything good?

My hubby and I are watching How I Met Your Mother via Netflix. We started the series years ago but my hubby finished it without me one day when he was sick. So we started it over and we're now up to where we stopped the first time. I never did get to see who the mom was!

6. 'Don't swim for an hour after you eat', 'Dog days of summer', 'Knee high by the Fourth of July'...choose a summer saying from the list or share one of your own, then tell us what image or memory comes to mind when you hear it spoken.

"Don't swim for an hour after you eat." Reminds me of the summers I spent with my grandparents and my aunt and uncle when I was small. My aunt and uncle had a pool so I remember this being enforced. And my grandparents lived near the water so again, enforced. I have wonderful memories of spending weeks every summer from the time I was very small (about age 2) until about age 9-10 with them. 

7. In a single sentence, sum up one life lesson you've learned.

This too shall pass. 

No matter what is going on in your life at the moment, better days are coming. It may seem like the worse continues on forever, but it doesn't. Things always get better. Maybe not in the way we would hope, but they do.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm finding it very hard to believe that July is here and almost half-over. My middle son went on his first mission trip last month to New York (a work trip to help those in need). My younger son goes to camp in a couple of weeks. And my oldest son leaves for college in just about a month. Life is passing by far too fast for my liking lately. 

Old Mother Hubbard

I do not have the same problem as Old Mother Hubbard. In fact, I have the opposite problem! Today I went to buy groceries. I hadn't been for a couple of weeks - at least nothing more than a quick trip to the local grocery store. Today I headed in to town and planned to stock up and stock up I did!

However, once I brought it all home, I realized that I had no room to put it away! Do you remember the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? My version today might look like this:

If you give a mom a grocery list,

She's going to add to it.

If she adds to it, 

She's not going to have any room to put it away.

Or something like that.

When I arrived home I had my boys haul everything inside and then I set to work. I can't remember the last time my fridge had been cleaned out but I tackled that today - while my groceries waited patiently to be put away.

Let's just say I not only did I tackle the fridge but some cupboards as well. And let's just say that quite a bit of what was in my cupboards and fridge was chucked due to vastly overdue expiration labels.

However, my little pantry cupboard will be taken on tomorrow. Why? I simply ran out of time. I spent the afternoon shopping and then cleaning and purging expired food. By the time I was ready to tackle the pantry so I could put all of what you see above away - because it certainly isn't going to fit in that pantry right now! - I had to leave to take my son to karate. And then teach kickboxing. And the come home to make dinner and spend time with my family. See, just like the story said...if you give a mom a grocery list...

Writing Scripture

My mornings start with this view. Starting last month I began doing a daily scripture writing plan I saw floating around Facebook. I managed to write most days and the days I missed, I made up so I still wrote out 30 scriptures in my little sketch book. 

The blog I found the plan also has a plan for January. You can find it by clicking HERE. She includes scripture for each day of the month and they all take about ten minutes to copy out. 

I like to use a sketch book since it has thicker paper. I use a calligraphy pen to write the reference at the top of the page. Then I use a simple Crayola black marker to write it out. I try to read the whole thing first and then copy it. I end up reading the scripture three to four times as I go through it looking for things to highlight with my crayons and markers. 

Today I was very behind. Due to a busy weekend, I had not copied any scripture yet this year, so I spent time today getting caught up. 

Sometimes the scripture is a bit longer and I can't fit it on one page. That also means I end up with white space. I will then look back over the verses and see if I can find something that will tie it all together that I can easily draw. 

I like to think I'm a fabulous artist and, perhaps with lots of practice, I could be. Right now I keep things pretty simple. I can envision amazing drawings in my mind. I just can't get my fingers to cooperate. 

I am enjoying this practice daily as part of my quiet time. In fact, I'm liking it so much, I'm going to be adding it to my boy's school day. How do you spend time daily in God's word?

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

From This Side of the Pond

1. What's your biggest 'first world' problem? Slow internet. When we moved to our new house three years ago we only had a handful of devices. Now they have multiplied between computers, smartphones, and tablets throughout the house! It's time to bump up the speed I think.

2. Each year Time Magazine names a 'Person of the Year', someone who has 'for better or worse...done the most to influence the events of the year.' It was recently announced they've named Angela Merkel Person of the Year for 2015. You can read more about this year's selection here. Your thoughts? If you were in charge, who would you declare Person of the Year? I skimmed the article and I'm okay with this. Too many times people are chosen for reasons too controversial (Bruce Jenner anyone?). A world leader who has done much to help bring about peace and lead successfully, that works for me. If I were in charge, I would have picked a military hero, someone who gave all to save people like you and me.

3. Do you have a nativity set in your home? If so share it's history and how you display the pieces. I do! I was blessed to be given a set made by my mother. She gifted it to me before she died. What makes it so special is that it's a ceramic set she painted. It was displayed in our home all throughout my years growing up. I typically place it on a bookshelf in my den during the holiday season. However, this year, I haven't decorated as much as I normally do due to an ankle injury. I'm having a hard time getting around to put up all the touches I normally do.

4. Do you make an extra effort to give back in some way during the holiday season? How do you encourage those who need encouragement this time of year? Yes, generally I do. I love to give gifts and help out those I see around me in need. I try to exude a spirit of happiness this time of year. It can go a long way just to be nice to the person in line or the frazzled cashier. It only takes a moment.

5. Who is your favorite person to shop for? Why?  My two younger boys. They have distinct likes so it's super easy to shop for them.

6. What's the last delicious thing you ate? A chocolate brownie with caramel sauce at my hubby's office Christmas party.

7. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is________________.  To show love to those around you.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I injured my ankle three weeks ago. I damaged a tendon in my left ankle. Who knew how much that would slow a person down? I teach four fitness classes a week and I've had to stop teaching since my injury. I'm thankful I have friends who have been able to sub for me though (I own my own business). I'm praying it heals quickly & fast. It's slowly getting better. The key word there is slowly. I see the doctor next week. I'm pretty sure he is not going to give me the all clear. I noticed last night that I already have some muscle atrophy in the injured leg (I am weight bearing on it). It's amazing how quickly things can change.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

From This Side of the Pond

1. It's October so let's get this out there first thing...have you jumped on the all-things-pumpkin bandwagon? How so? Nope. I like pumpkin but I don't feel like I have to wait until the fall to have it. I am planning to make some pumpkin muffins tomorrow though. It's one relatively healthy things all my kids will eat. I'm working on keeping grocery expenses down which means more baking for me. 

2. "We have more power than will; and it is often by way of excuse to ourselves that we fancy things are impossible." Francois Duc De la Rochefoucauld What's something you once thought impossible, but in hindsight see as more a matter of lack of will? Life? Seriously though, I now run my own little fitness business. That is not something I ever would have thought was possible. Ever. I'm not the typical "skinny-fitness-instructor" either. I have quite a bit of weight still to lose, but since February I'm been teaching classes four times a week. I started out with just Cardio Dance (aka Zumba but I'm not Zumba certified - I'm a Group Fitness Instructor so I get to do my own thing there) and now also do Cardio Kickboxing (we beat up heavy bags). 

I'm also now taking a Les Mills Grit class twice a week. It's high-intensity-interval training or HIIT. We do cardio, strength, and plyometrics. Each class focuses on one of those areas and only goes for 30 minutes. I have a cardio class in the morning and this is what we'll be doing. Even though we are now five weeks in to our eight week session, I'm still not looking forward to cardio. Ugh...

3. The rose is America's National Flower, but every state also has its own (click here to see the list). Are you happy with yours? If you were in charge what would you declare your state's flower? If you're outside the U.S. what bloom would you like to see labeled as your country's national flower? Maine is a white pine cone and tassel. It seems like it makes sense except that it's a pine cone and needles. So seeds and "leaves" - not really a flower in the regular sense. Having said that - maybe a lady slipper instead? 

4. What have you lost interest in recently? Not sure on this one.

5. In your opinion, who's the best living musician? Or this one. I like way too may musicians to narrow it down. 

6. S'mores-love 'em or no? Not a favorite but I'll eat one or two every year. Ever make them indoors? No, this is strictly an outdoor treat at our house.  Last time you sat around an outdoor fire? About a month ago. We have a great fire pit but have been too busy this year to use it as much as we like. Are making s'mores and sitting round a fire pit on your autumn bucket list? We do this anytime of the year - not just in the fall. Do you have an autumn bucket list? No, should I? 

7. Your favorite small town? Why? The one I live in right now. I grew up in a small town and always knew I would leave - I just wasn't sure how or when. Even though I spent the first 21 years of my life there, it didn't have the same hold on me. And we've moved a lot in our 22 years of marriage. A Lot! We've lived in cities and small towns. This isn't even the smallest town, but this is where I am right now and I'm happy and pretty content. 

8. Insert your own random thought here. How is it even possible that it's already October? I'm finding it hard to believe just how fast this year has flown by. Blink and welcome 2016 I guess!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

From this Side of the Pond

1. What have you 'fallen for' recently? Tiny houses. I love the idea of tiny house living, but there is absolutely no way I could ever actually live in one. Our family has a camp in the north Maine woods that would definitely qualify as a "tiny house." I just spent four days there with my hubby and two boys. Yeah, I wouldn't survive long term.

2. What's something you're 'squirreling away' for later? Nothing really. I do tend to squirrel away cash for trips but I have nothing upcoming. Or chocolate but I'm trying to eat healthier.

3. How do you like your apples? Sweet? Tart? Crisp? Cooked? Apples are one of the superfoods for fall...how often do you eat an apple either plain or as part of a favorite recipe? What's your favorite variety? Sweet. Definitely sweet. I like my apples raw. I never started eating cooked ones (as in apple pie) until I was an adult. I like apple pie pretty well also, but my favorite way to eat apples is raw. I love Fuji apples. I need to start eating more - just like the old adage "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." 

4. According to Fodor's the ten best fall foliage trips in the US of A are - Aspen, Colorado; The Catskills, New York; The Berkshires, Massachusetts; Columbia River Gorge, Oregon; Green Mountain Byway, Vermont; Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, New Mexico; Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina and Tennessee; Upper Peninsula, Michigan; Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri; and Glacier National Park, Montana. Which would you most like to visit this fall and why? I would love to go to Montana. My husband and I have talked often about going out west at some point. In fact, when we first were married we talked for a while about moving to Montana. 

5. The topic of legalizing marijuana was raised in the most recent televised political debate so let's wade in too. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form. Four states have legalize marijuana for recreational use. Your thoughts? I'm not keen on it being legal for "recreational use." I do believe there are some medical benefits but it's such a slippery slope. (How's that for a political answer?)

6. Are you okay to watch a movie already in progress or do you need to always see it from the beginning? How about jumping into a TV series somewhere in the middle? Is that okay? Hate it. I like to see all movies from the beginning. And I binge watch on Netflix constantly starting always with episode one. (I'm currently on Season 4 of Hawaii 5-0 and mid-way through Season 1 of NCIS.)

7. Thursday (September 24) is National Punctuation Day. What rule of punctuation trips you up most often? What rule of punctuation, when broken by someone else, bugs you the most? Commas get me most often. Quotation marks inside of end marks. I'm not much of a punctuation Nazi though.

8. Insert your own random thought here. I'm having a hard time believing that today is the first day of Fall. I am loving the cooler temps! Fall is one of my favorite seasons. However, I'm not so thrilled with it getting darker earlier and earlier. And it also means winter is not that far off - my least favorite season of all. 

A New Year Begins

I'm on the fast track to being the shortest person in my house. 

Only one boy left to reach that milestone!

I have to tell you that it has been one busy but fun summer around here. I'm a bit sad to see it end. We started back to our homeschooling last week. It's hard to believe that this is the start of my 13th year! I've been blessed to educate all my boys from the start right here at home. These are the only two I have left. My oldest graduated last year. 

My oldest is still home, however, He's finishing up a few things and working on taking CLEP tests this year to earn some college credit. He is looking at creative writing programs. That was a huge shift so he is taking a gap year to regroup and figure things out. 

I have to admit, I'd be happy if he got a hair cut. 

We've done so many things that I just simply haven't had time to record them here. Watch out though! I'm working on a new schedule that will allow me some set blogging time. Yeah!

I want to share photos of the day I spent in Rockland with some of my best friends. 

I need to share about our vacation to Massachusetts. We spent a whole week with my aunt and uncle on the beach. It was glorious!

I was only home for about 48 hours before I turned around and headed back out to enjoy SoulFest. It's a three day Christian musical festival held in New Hampshire on Gunstock Mountain. I've enjoyed it so much I thought this was my fifth or sixth year attending. It was only my fourth. 

We checked out a lighthouse and a museum (school field trip!)...

So there is a lot to catch up on amongst all the getting started hoopla. So please be patient. I promise to get some details up soon!

Flowering Decorations

Every year I buy hanging flower pots for my front porch. I love how they look. However, I am awful at remembering to water them. I typically buy them the week I am hosting my homeschool open house and water them a couple of times before I start to forget and they start to die. 

However, this year we graduated our oldest son from homeschooling. This happened two weeks before my open house so I bought the plants early and was determined to keep them alive until the open house...at least.

Well, here we are in mid-July - almost a full month since the open house and six weeks since graduation - and they are all still alive! It's amazing what a little water once a day can do.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

From This Side of the Pond

1. July 15th is National Give Something Away Day. What can you give away? Will you? I've been busily cleaning out my basement. I've been weeding clothes from the boys closets as well as my own and hubby has even joined in. Just a couple of weeks ago I filled the back of my truck with bags of clothing and even four boxes of books. I gave them to Goodwill. I will admit to getting a tax donation receipt because of the shear volume of what I gave away! And I have another truckload of miscellanous stuff I'm planning to drop off there tomorrow. 

I will also say I tried to give that truckload to a local thrift store and they refused it. They said it was "too much" and they couldn't take it all. I opted to make it easier on myself and just give it to Goodwill. It took all of 10 minutes to unload all of it and get the form I needed to claim it on my taxes. For a busy mom - that was awesome.

That also doesn't include the two trips to the dump just today to get rid of not only trash and recyclables but also a few items I dropped in the "Share Shack" (free for the taking). I'm hoping to make things way easier to find and get to in the basement catch-all space.

2. Do you have a mantra? Please share with the class if you feel comfortable doing so. Not really.

3. Who does the grocery shopping in your house? How many times a week do you shop? Do you make a list or pray for inspiration in the produce aisle? I do all the grocery shopping. I usually go weekly. I will sometimes do a quick mid-week run for milk and water (I drink SoBe LifeWater and often run out in between trips.) And yes, I usually have a list. I actually use a neat app on my Kindle for this. I can even "cross off" the items when I buy them. Then I just "uncross" them for the next week and I can add and delete as needed. The app is called "Simple List Lite." It's free.

4. Is there a TV show you're embarrassed to say you watch? You're going to tell us what it is, right? I like a lot of reality shows, but there is nothing I'm really embarrassed to say that I watch.

5. A recent article listed fifteen words we should eliminate from our (written) vocabulary in order to sound smarter- that, went, honestly, absolutely, very, really, amazing, always, never, literally, just, maybe, stuff, things, and irregardless 

Of the fifteen, which word is your most overused? Most of them? I probably tend to overuse absolutely, amazing, and literally the most though. And irregardless is overused? That's a great word!

6. So apparently dying your hair gray (in your youth!) is a thing right now. It's called 'The Granny Hair' trend. Your thoughts? Interesting. We were just discussing this with friends the other night. I have great genes and even at my, ahem, advanced age (early 40s), I have no gray hair and I don't color it. My grandmother was in her 80s before she started to turn gray. My mom died when she was 65 and still had no gray hair. 

I think the trend is silly. Gray hair is earned. You shouldn't be able to buy it out of a bottle.

7. A while back Buzz Feed asked members to share the most beautiful sentence they've read in a piece of literature. A hard thing to narrow down, at least for me, but let's try. What's one of the most beautiful sentences you've ever read in a piece of literature? I read a lot and I oftentimes am just reading for pleasure so I don't notice the words per se. And I don't keep a book of quotes (although I should!). I did, however, just finish reading The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken. (It's fantastic by-the-way and I highly recommend it!). This quote struck me and continues to stick with me....is it a beautifully constructed sentence? Probably not, but it's definitely thought provoking.

"Don't ever give up in freedom what we would never have given up in persecution! 

That is our witness to the 

power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!" 

(quoted by a man named Stoyen in Eastern Europe who 

suffered much in order to proclaim the power of Christ).

8. Insert your own random thought here. I saw this bug the other day while I was pulling weeds from my garden....

I posted it to Facebook and some friends identified it as a milkweed tortoise beetle. They feed on vines such as morning glories. I just thought it was so pretty. I had never seen anything like it before.  

Wednesday Hodgepodge

From This Side of the Pond

1. When did you last 'swim against the tide'? Explain. I'm pretty sure my entire life might be able to be summed up in that little phrase. As a believer in Jesus, I'm committed to "swim against the tide" in order to follow Him. 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.
~Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

2. What's the last self-help or self-improvement book you read? No idea. I don't read a lot of this type of book.

3. "Tolerance is a tremendous virtue, but the immediate neighbors of tolerance are apathy and weakness." (Sir James Goldsmith) Agree or disagree? Discuss. With civility please, because I think we have a good thing going in our very diverse (in geography, age, religion, political persuasion, ethnicity, marital status, upbringing, and cooking abilities) neighborhood here on This Side of the Pond.

The problem with this word - "tolerance" - is that the meaning has been lost. It's too much of a catchphrase these days which I find highly annoying. 

Here is how dictionary.com defines it: a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those who opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic origins, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry. 

My issue is that while everyone seems to be crying out for "tolerance," few seem willing and able to give it back! 

4. What is one of your most vivid memories of the kitchen from your childhood? My mom making bread. She had an old hand crank mixer she used. When the bread was rising, she would set it on the side of the wood cookstove that sat front in center of our kitchen. I have so many memories tied up in both of those things.

My Mom's actual bread mixer. 

There are holes in the bottom of it so I don't use it but sits in a place of honor on my kitchen counter.

5. How did/do your own children's summers compare with your summers as a child? If you're not a parent, answer as it relates to what you've observed about the current generation of children vs. your own childhood.

From the time I was about two years old until I was about eight years old I would spend my summers with relatives. My mom had five children in ten years - she stayed home. By the time summer rolled around, she was tired! Her sister (my wonderful aunt) was a schoolteacher so she had summers off and only one child. She would take me and my three older siblings for most of the summer. I loved it. I still spend time in the summer with her as often as I can.

My children have never been away from me that long. I usually take them to visit my aunt in the summer though! We are looking forward to spending a week with her soon.

I spent a few summers going to sleep-away camp as well. This year will be the first year any of my children have done this. The camp is only about twenty minutes away and many of the families we attend church with go here as well so my kiddo will have some friends there. 

Overall though summer just seems to busy.

6. Tell us what body of water you would most like to be on or near today, and why? The Atlantic Ocean! I love the ocean - the waves. I'm not a huge fan of swimming in it (or swimming at all actually), but I do love walking on the beach and watching my kids play in it!

7. Share a favorite song about water, or a favorite song with the word water in it's title, or a favorite song to listen to as you sit beside the water.

8. Insert your own random thought here. I'm glad I'm making time to blog again. That's all.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

From This Side of the Pond

1. On Saturday July 4th America celebrates her Independence. (If you're not American, feel free to answer in terms of a national holiday in your own country) What is your favorite thing about the day?
I love Independence Day because it reminds me of just that - our freedom.
Your favorite food on the 4th? Watermelon! Yum!
Do you fly a flag at your house? Sure do! We just put it up this year and I love it.

Fireworks-yay or nay? I love watching them. We don't shoot them off though. 
Any special plans this year?  We're going to watch some fireworks and then enjoy some time visiting family.

2. What's something you recently got for free? I can't remember anything recently. 

3. The Statue of Liberty, The Liberty Bell, The Washington Monument, or Mount Rushmore...how many on the list have you seen? What is your favorite historical American monument, and why? I've only seen the Washington Monument and that was years ago. I would love to see all of these someday!

4. When it comes to the news are you more ostrich (stick my head in the sand) or hog (they have room to take a whole lot in)? I'm somewhere in the middle. I don't want to overdose on it, but I don't want to not know what's going on either.

How much attention have you given the recent news reports regarding ISIS and the acts of terror they've perpetrated against those who do not share their beliefs or support their cause? I'm aware of what is going on, but I don't search out the news on it. 

5. We're talking plain ice cream...vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry? Choose one. Vanilla because you can add kinds of stuff to it. Yummy stuff.

6. Share a song you love containing the word 'stars' in the lyrics or title. TobyMac "Beyond Me"

7. Describe and/or say goodbye to June with an acrostic.

Just fleeting days

Until next year.

Nice days will come again.

Enjoy them while they last.

8. Insert your own random thought here. My poor neglected blog. I'm praying this summer will allow me the time to get back in the habit again. 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

From This Side of the Pond

1. American Idol is back for a 14th season. Are you watching? Have you ever watched? If you were to audition for the show (or were made to audition), what song would you sing? I didn't watch the first few seasons but then watched a few in the middle. I'm not watching this year. I have been cutting way back on my television watching - not that I watch a ton actually. If I were to audition, I would either sing "God Gave Me You" or "Amazing Grace."

2. Mark Twain is quoted as saying, "If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first." So when did you last have to 'eat a frog'? Or two? How'd that work out? I know I've had to tackle lots of things I don't particular care for, but right now I can't think of one. Although, I do still need to finish my oldest son's high school transcript and course descriptions in order for him to apply to college. I think at this point we have put off the frog eating a bit and we're aiming for January 2016 college entrance rather than September 2015.

3. If you were going on safari, what is the number one animal you'd want to see? An elephant. I've seen them up close and personal, but I'd love to see one in its natural habitat.

4. January 21st is National Granola Bar Day. I know. Do you like granola bars? Chewy or crunchy? Your favorite flavor? How about regular granola? Let's exhaust this topic in honor of the holiday okay? I actually do, but typically only one brand and flavor. I like the Sunbelt Chewy Chocolate Chip ones. I keep them on hand as they work great for raising my blood sugar when I'm having a low. I usually pair it with a small glass of milk and I'm good to go. As for regular granola, I do like it, but I like it best in yogurt.

5. If only__________________________________________. Life had a rewind button...

6. You can add one item to your bedroom. What will it be? Keep it family friendly please. A dual heated blanket. I could turn up the heat on my side and hubby could keep his side of the bed cooler.

7. What is one thing you've enjoyed about winter thus far? If it's not winter in your corner of the globe, what season is it, and what is something you've enjoyed about whatever season it happens to be? I'm pretty sure "enjoy" and "winter" do not go together. This winter has just been weird here in Maine. We've had super cold weather (as in -20 one morning) and warmer than normal (as in 40 degrees yesterday - hello mud!). We haven't had a lot of snow yet either. However, thankfully the freezing rain hasn't been as much this year either, although any is too much. Oh wait, I was suppose to share something I've enjoyed. Um....well...I'll just leave it as I'm not much of a fan of winter. Period.

8. Insert your own random thought here. I've been super busy studying for my group fitness instructor certification. I take the test at the end of the month. However, I'm offering free classes starting next week! Yikes! January has certainly gone by fast.

Just Do It and Other Random Thoughts

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Nike pretty much nailed it with that little saying. Here it is, January 15th of 2015 and I haven't put up a blog post in over a week and that was an overdue book review.

I've been participating in a Titus 2 Bible study at my church. It's been fantastic. We are currently studying "Busy At Home." This doesn't mean spending your day cleaning house, but it does mean making those at home your priority - family first may be an easier way to say it.

Our homework assignment was to write down how much time we spend on activities - in and out of the home. Assuming one gets eight hours of sleep at night and uses Sunday as a day of rest, that means one has 96 hours in a week to get everything done. I have to admit I was a little worried about what I would come up with on this assignment. I already feel like I'm always on the go, but it showed that I had a few extra hours in my week. Or else I underestimated the time I actually do spend on things. I'm going to go with the former and just be thankful I have seven hours in my week unaccounted for at the moment.

I posted this photo over on Facebook earlier in the week. Four years ago I discovered Zumba and I love it. Seriously. It's the only workout I've ever stuck with as long as I have. Over the last couple of years I've thought about getting certified to teach it. 

Recently an opportunity came up for me to rent space to teach exercise classes. Affordable. In the same building that my boys take karate classes. It would help me redeem the time I spend sitting and waiting for them to get out of class.

However, instead of becoming certified to just teach Zumba, I'm opting to become a certified group fitness instructor instead. This will allow me to do all kinds of things. I've taken to calling it the "Z" word instead so the "Zumba Police" don't get mad at me. I'll be teaching Cardio Dance Fitness. I'll have freedom to use all kinds of music (like TobyMac!). My goal is to use "clean lyrics" - even in Spanish.

I'm looking forward to starting at the end of the month, but I do have to admit to being a tad nervous as well. I'm doing this all on a tight timeline. Saturday I'll be taking a CPR class (required for the ACE certification). Immediately after I'll be applying to take my test (there has to be a ten day lead before you can take the test). Then I'll have two weeks to finish studying before taking the test at the end of the month. Phew!

2nd birthday

Lastly, this guy pictured above just turned 11 years old today. I feel like I blinked and we went from the above photo to this in about five seconds...

Orange stripe test in karate - September 2014

I can no longer tuck him under my chin when we stand. I certainly can't hold him in my arms on my hip anymore! Time is flying far too fast for my liking. We had a very low key celebration here at home for him tonight since his birthday is mid-week. We are picking up a friend tomorrow afternoon and he'll spend the weekend with the birthday boy. We have friends and family coming on Saturday evening for pizza, cake, and ice-cream and, of course, presents. I'm still in denial that my baby is 11.