TMI Tuesday

I just landed on a blog called TMI Tuesday  https://tmituesdayblog.wordpress.com/

The writer leaves a couple of questions to answer and I think it might be fun ... at least once!  If you want to play along, copy the questions and leave me a reply with your answers.  All for fun and for free!

1. Who has been the biggest influence in your life?  Oh, this one is easy.  My Grandma W, most definitely.  She was the kindest person I've ever known and I want to be just like her.

2. What kinds of things really make you laugh?  Honestly, I love the things that come from kids' mouths.  My husband. Goofy animals.  Stupid people (although, I really don't like calling people stupid ... but there are some in the world.) My grandma (mentioned above) would not be proud of me calling people stupid. I have a dark side and my humor sometimes comes from that place. My husband gets it. 

3. What’s your favorite place in the entire world?  Oh, shoot, um, I can't name just one. It wouldn't be fair to all the other places.

4. Who is your best friend? What do you like about him/her?  Oh, I have more than one best friend so I can't say.  What I love about my best friends is each has their own strengths (usually ones that I don't have).

5. What’s your biggest goal in life right now? Creating. Writing. Photography. Journaling. I just want to wake up in the morning and create. Oh, and long-term goal is that I want to retire.

6. What was your family like growing up? First word to come to mind is poor. We didn't have a lot but I'm not saying that is a bad thing. 

Bonus: What is one thing about you that would surprise us?  Well, I don't really think you need to be surprised by me.  Really, you don't. 

Your turn!

1. Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
2. What kinds of things really make you laugh?
3. What’s your favorite place in the entire world?
4. Who is your best friend? What do you like about him/her?
5. What’s your biggest goal in life right now?
6. What was your family like growing up?

Bonus: What is one thing about you that would surprise us?

Ten Things I Don't Mind About Monday

  



One.   I have meaningful work to do.
Two.  A renewed chance to get it right regarding my diet.
Three.  I feel rested.
Four.  I love the  structure of work.
Five.  I like my co-workers.
Six.  I can think about what I'm doing next weekend.
Seven.  On gray days, why not be at work?
Eight.  Lunch time at my desk.
Nine.  I'm grateful to be alive.
Ten.  I start receiving texts from friends about making plans to get together.

How about you?  Do you like Mondays?

love, susan


 

Rest and Relaxation

I'm returning to work today after having 5 days off (including last weekend). Boy howdy, I needed that break.

 

I'm feeling rested and back to my cheerful self.

 

I am super grateful that I know my limits and can go off the grid when I need to and get my energy back.

 

Nothing makes me feel better than when I am creating, whether it is writing in my journal, making a greeting card, drawing a little Zentangle, baking up something special in the kitchen, making a to-do list or reading a great book. When I am tapped out of energy, I rest. When I'm rested, I get grateful.

 

Looking Ahead:

 

Getting geared up for the A to Z Blog Challenge 2015. My theme this year is "Create".  I'll be choosing words from a to z and writing every day except Sunday.

 

My first post is done and scheduled to for April 1st.  I created a list of ideas and will go from there. This will be my 2nd year participating in the challenge and I'm jazzed about it.  The best part is that we are encouraged to read 5 new blogs from the list every day.  Last year I picked up quite a few new blogs to follow that I have really enjoyed. 

 

Until then, I hope you have the best day ever!

 

love, susan

Spring Break With Blake ~ 2015

He woke up this morning and announced today is the final full day at our house.   As I was washing up the breakfast dishes, I was transported back in time to my own grandmother's warm kitchen. My grandpa used to get up at 4:30am (I think?) and start the side pork for breakfast. As I was thinking back, I wonder if I got that right? Was he cooking or was it grandma? She always had an apron on. The picture in my mind seems right but often it isn't.

 

Nonetheless, I remember just feeling so special and as if my sister and me were the only two people in the whole world to our grandparents. Their sole existence, in my mind, was to make sure we had that wonderful, thick bacon and hot coffee with cream and sugar and always something fun to do. I remember it fondly.

I hope he feels the same way.

 

Yesterday, we got up early to watch the movie Divergent. We had to because we had a date to go see the 2nd part of the story, Insurgent, at the  theater. He said, "it just won't make sense if you don't watch the first one." He was right.

 

Today, now that we've had what he wanted for breakfast, we're heading over to Walla Walla to hit a couple of thrift stores and maybe get a milkshake in Milton Freewater. It's a walk down memory lane for him as we took him and his sister there once and it holds fond memories for him.

 

His sister didn't come over for spring break this year. She is 13 going on 25 and you know what that means. This too shall pass.  We miss her.  :-(

I've got a couple of photos sent in to Costco for printing. I worry that someday these kids are gonna wonder where are all their memories are stored. There is nothing quite like having an old photo to take you back to a place and time.

 

Did you go anywhere for spring break?  Got memories of spending time with a favorite relative?  Do you print photos these days?  

 

love, susan 

Time Well Spent ....

 

Easy Rider

Getting stuck or lost isn't always fun.

 

My former sister-in-law got stuck in Anchorage last night on her flight home from a Hawaiian vacation. The weather in Fairbanks last night was pretty awful and the plane turned around mid-flight. I've been there, done that. It's never in the "plan" and can be super stressful.

 

We recently road tripped to Salt Lake City with a friend and her 7 month old baby. Eleven hours in the car each way. So much could have gone wrong. I thought about that a lot bit before we left. If we had a flat tire, it would have been an all-out cussing, gnashing-of-the-teeth, throwing-all-our-stuff-on-the-side-of-the-road kind of wrong. With a 7 month old baby on board. I really didn't give it much more than a fleeting thought as I was asking my friend if she wanted to go. Later, I thought .... oh dear, what if that baby doesn't like sitting in one spot for 600+ miles? It was just another  thought I dismissed as quickly as it came. We'll be fine.  And, we were more than fine.  That baby now has the nickname Easy Rider.

 

Last fall, I took a planned road trip with a friend from high school and I never gave it much thought until about a week before we took off. The day of travel arrived and I was a bit of  wreck inside.  I was going to travel without my knight in shining armor and although I can change a flat tire if I have to, it's been a long time since I've had to. I refuse to let those thoughts remain as I would never go anywhere if fear stopped me.

 

Which brings me back to my sister-in-law.

 

Her being stuck in Anchorage last night reminded me of a trip she and I took together many moons ago. We had traveled to Portland to visit family and friends. One night we decided to drive to the outskirts to have dinner at a friend's place. I was driving and got us lost in the dark, industrial part of Portland. It was long before Google maps or GPS, and even longer before I learned how to read a map (when you live in Alaska, maps are not necessary) or follow instructions. I chuckle every time I think about it. She was really pissed off at me and I was clueless as to why.

 

I know now that some of us are wound a little tighter than others. It's not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, it's a complimentary thing. The voice of reason is always good to have along for the ride. We obviously lived to tell about it.

 

Have you ever had a trip go wrong? What happened? How do you deal with the stress of it? Does it keep you from going again?

 

love, susan