Ten years and counting...

I have been cancer free for 10 years today. I'm not sure if I have ever shared my story but the long and short of it was that I had a tumor in my lung a little over 10 years ago, they took it out on this day 10 years ago, it was cancerous. It had not spread to my lymph nodes. I survived. I'm a lucky, lucky girl, for so many reasons but this one is kind of remarkable.

In general, only 14 percent of patients with lung cancer survive for more than five years after diagnosis. If the lung cancer is detected before it has had a chance to spread to other organs, and if it is treated appropriately, at least 49% of patients can survive five years or longer after the initial diagnosis. Only 15% of lung cancers, however, are found at this early stage. About 10 per cent of patients can expect to be 'cured' - that is alive five years after diagnosis with no evidence of the cancer having returned.
http://cancer.health-cares.net/lung-cancer-survival-rate.php

This is better than winning the lottery. And you would think that I would quit buying tickets but when it gets over $100 million, I just can't help myself. ;-)

What Cancer Cannot Do Author: Unknown
Cancer is so limited...It cannot cripple love. It cannot shatter hope. It cannot corrode faith. It cannot eat away peace. It cannot destroy confidence. It cannot kill friendship. It cannot shut out memories. It cannot silence courage. It cannot reduce eternal life. It cannot quench the Spirit.

Best Christmas I can remember...

I don't know why for sure. It just was. It was just so wonderful to be together. I love having one whole day with the kids. No obligations, no interruptions. It was honestly the best. Just being together with my husband and my kids is enough for me. Not much else to say beyond that.

Quotation: What do I want for Christmas? I want to know again the memories of Christmases gone by with some of the hope born of the season erasing the sadness that must come come with such memories. I want to see again the Christmas tree at home and the faces of those who looked up at its star and tinsel...to know some of the childish gladness that was mine on those Christmas days. ~William S. Reilly

Twas the night before the night before Christmas...

I'm happy to say that I'm kind of ready for Christmas this year. This is big news due to the fact that I spent a week in Mexico and lost a precious 8 days of shopping time. I do have one more gift to buy that needs to be shipped but it may have to wait. I just could not go to the big mall today. People are crazed. Drivers are crazed. I did the bare minimum and got my arse home. I have even baked this year so for some reason I'm way ahead of anything that I have done in the recent past.

There are lots of changes going on in my life in the next few weeks. I'm going to grad school beginning in early January. I met with my advisor yesterday and we mapped out all my classes. I think this is going to work just fine. I'm going to take two classes to begin with. We'll see how this goes. My advisor thinks this is doable so I'm going to go for it. I don't want to go to school forever so I should do as much as I can, when I can.

I need to get this house in tip-top shape. I need to get it ready to show...again. I do good for awhile and then it gets quiet and I don't do much. Anyway, I need to prepare like we might have to move when I'm in school. I have 2 1/2 weeks to get it all together so that I can buckle down and study. We'll see how this goes.

I'm going to do an experiment for the next year as well. I'm going to try to go from January 1, 2011 until January 1, 2012 and not spend any money for new clothes, shoes or jewelry. In anticipation of this little exercise, I'm going to load up on underwear next week. I simply cannot go a whole year without buying underwear. Only necessities for one year to see how much I can save. This should be very interesting. I'll keep you updated on this little exercise. I'm pretty motivated though...

I'm very excited about Christmas and what I got for the kids this year. I think they will really like it. Can't wait to see their reaction. :) That's all I can say for now.

Quote for the day: Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. ~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby

What happened to the season of Thanksgiving?

After careful thought as to what I would write about for my guest column, my article appeared in the News-Gazette on Thanksgiving Day 2010. Thank you to everyone for your kind words. Writing this column was an honor.

What happened to the season of Thanksgiving?

Remember the days when we had approximately one month of Halloween, one month of Thanksgiving and little over a month to enjoy the Christmas season? The whole process was transitional and we eased into the holiday season. Something must have happened when I wasn’t paying attention. This year Christmas decorations were out before Halloween in some stores. Two weeks ago I was in a store that was decorated in Christmas decor and they were playing Christmas songs. I turned to another shopper and said, “Is that what I think it is?” “Are they playing Christmas songs?” That is exactly what it was. Has Thanksgiving been pared down to 24 hours?

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s never exactly the same but the feelings generated are. No matter what is going on, I remember to focus on those things I’m thankful for.
How do you spend Thanksgiving Day?

Do you start your day by attending services or getting out for the Turkey trot? Do you watch parades and football?

For me, as the cook, the day begins with, centers around, and ends with food. Depending on our Thanksgiving plans, I love preparing the same traditional fare every year; turkey, 2-3 types of stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, green jello, crescent rolls, cranberries and pumpkin pie. It was Erma Bombeck that said “Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.”

Thanksgiving can be a time to connect with the people that you love most. Sometimes, however, that is not possible. Some years we have pushed Thanksgiving to the day after so that we could all be together. I have often told my children that it’s just a day and even if we can’t be all together on that day, we can recreate the essence of Thanksgiving and together we can make it special.

We mix it up by trying different things. I remember sometimes in the past when we have dressed up for our meal. Maybe it’s time to add a new recipe to the mix this year. I love decorating the table with art projects that the kids made when they were growing up.
After our meal we stay engaged by playing games together, of course in front of the TV so we can catch some football. Sometimes we have even watched a family favorite movie.

Do you need an idea for a new tradition? Assign someone to say a special thanksgiving reflection or prayer. Ask everyone to share their favorite Thanksgiving memory at the dinner table. For next year, keep a box handy to write down once a month what you are thankful for. Ask family members to participate in this several times over the next year. On Thanksgiving, pull them out and have them share a little more about what they are thankful for.

Even if you have to take a year off from being with the people that you love, do something that you like to do. If you find yourself spending Thanksgiving alone, why not reach out to others who might be alone today? I know of someone who holds a ‘Friendsgiving,’ inviting all their friends over who are unable to travel to see their own families and it has become their Thanksgiving tradition. Another suggestion is to contact an organization or church that provides Thanksgiving meals for seniors, international students, homeless persons and those who are alone at this time of year and volunteer to help make their day brighter.

Thanksgiving traditions can bring families together. One of my friends participates in and spreads the word to the community to provide turkey’s for families who cannot afford turkey and all the trimmings so that families in need are able to have their own traditional meal.
Today is a day of Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for? If you are in good health, if you have had some good news, if things are generally going well for you it will be easy to give thanks for the many benefits of your life. It’s a time to reflect on the past year of everything to be thankful for.

For many, this has been a difficult year. If you have lost your health, your job or a loved one you might be asking yourself what there is to be thankful for. (It’s a fact that this year more people are requesting assistance from human service organizations for the first time ever.) The pain just might be so great that you can’t see clear to offer thanksgiving. If you have faith, know that God never gives us more than we can handle. If you have little faith, remember that tough times don’t last. Hang in there.

Whatever you are doing on this Thanksgiving remember those who are homeless and alone, remember our service men and women who serve our country, remember those who are facing health issues. Last but not least, pick up the phone and call someone and let them know you are thinking about them this day.

Carry the spirit of Thanksgiving with you every day.

Finally I would like to share one of my favorite quotes: Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Reach out and touch someone...

Recently, someone I knew, took their life. This came as a complete shock to those who knew and loved him. In honor of him, I propose that...just for today, reach out to someone and let them know you are thinking about them.

Quote for the day: "Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy." ~Author Unknown.

Just Remember...

Even when life gets tough and if you are feeling despondent, just remember that it will get better. Just hold on another day. Tomorrow will be better. If you need help, don't be afraid to reach out and ask for it. Don't ever forget that so many people really care about you...

Quote for the day: Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. (Christopher Robin to Pooh) Alan Alexander Milne

Thankful that today is over...

for many, many reasons. Don't you just wish that you had spent the day in bed instead of going to work? Me too!

Five more days and I'm going on vacation. I can't wait. For six beautiful days me and Mr. That will be in Florida together. My goal is to have my toes in the water and my a$$ in the sand. It's good to have goals. :)

Grad school is going to be my friend, this I know. :)

Quotation for the day: "This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind...let it be something good." Author Unknown

Hot...cold...hot...cold...hot...cold

I guess I just need to get used to it. I suppose this will help me with patience as well. I don't know exactly when they started because I've been having night sweats for a year or so now...but day time hot flashes suck. My dry cleaning bill has gone up as a result of this. I'm fearful to even put on a turtleneck. ;-) Oh well, only 5 more years by my investigation. It's only been 3 1/2 months, I have a way to go. The hot flashes don't affect me in a bad way and I'm quite sure that no one even knows when I'm having one. Sure I perspire but you won't catch me fanning myself or giving it away by shedding clothes. One thing I have realized is that I have not ever noticed anyone having a hot flash unless they totally give it away. So there it is. Menopause. And I have decided to make it my new best friend. :) I think this is best.

I found out this past week that I only need 3 classes to go to grad school! I'm taking an Internet class next semester (I hope) and then reapply for grad school next fall. I don't know how long this will take but it doesn't matter. This is my path and between us I never thought in a million years this would happen. Okay, technically it hasn't happened yet but I have a goal. I continually amaze myself. Some days I wish I had this opportunity to go to grad school when I was younger. It's not just the opportunity to go to grad school but also the confidence that I can actually do this. Life is very good!

Quote for the Day: There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. ~ Albert Einstein

Thursday again...

Hello! It's Thursday again. It's fast becoming one of my favorite days. :) Things should start to slow down here for us at work. I have so many projects that I want to do.
I actually made dinner tonight. After three nights of eating out I decided that it was time to make dinner. I made a yummy salad that I had tried twice before. I will need to modify it to no onion next time. I only used a little bit and chopped it up finely but it is staying with me. Yuck.
There isn't much new in my life. Just hanging in there.
Quote for the day: Part of being sane, is being a little bit crazy. ~Janet Long

Thursday is sweet

I'm happy that it's almost Friday, but I say that every week, don't I? I'm giving a presentation tomorrow for one of the top 3 companies. This is all good. I'm excited about it and how it will all go.

I've had a great week at work. Lots of good things happening. I'm looking into applying for Leadership Illinois. I was invited to the gathering this week to learn more about it. It looks like a great opportunity. Now I have to figure out if I can juggle it with my other commitments. Good things!

I called about the grad program and no one has called me back. I'm going to compose an email and send it and see what kind of response I get. I might need a few classes up front and actually, that will be better because next year will be kind of crazy.

Life is going very well. Things seem so relaxed. I guess you have to get through the hard times to appreciate when everything is going well.

Quote: Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. ~Hans Christian Anderson

Great weekend!

This has really been a great weekend. Friday night we went to the club after the 'mean 18' and had dinner and danced for hours. There was a great band called 'Spoken four'. They were awesome. 3 hours of dancing! It was awesome.

Yesterday we played in the bags tournament to benefit the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club. Mr. That was totally awesome and he carried our team. :) We went to dinner with friends to V.Picasso, what a great restaurant.

Today we went to breakfast and generally did nothing. I did wash some windows. It was 90 today, yep, on the 10th of October so we opened the pool and I layed out for a bit. We'll really appreciate that fact that we had this nice weather when January hits.

Checking into grad school. I'm excited. My plan is to get my grad degree and then go and teach at a junior college. It looks like I won't need to take the GRE so that could be good. I stink at math. :-(

8 Steps to Success

Ed Scharlau gave a great talk at Executive Club last month. Here is what he shared...

1. Do it now - Nothing can be accomplished until you begin.
2. Organization and appearance - workspace clean and shine your shoes!
3. Be cheerful and optimistic - don't be a 'debbie downer' or a black cloud.
4. Moderation - one of the foundation stones in the life of almost every great person.
5. Say something nice to everyone you meet.
6. Good health and physical fitness - should be as important to you as anything else you do.
7. Enthusiasm - The most important step -
8. Keep Going - Keep this up....keep working on these steps of self-improvement.

This was such an excellent presentation. 8 steps to success.

Quote: Aim for success not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will loose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life. Dr. David M. Burns

What a day...

Everyday I learn something new. Yesterday it was to be appreciative of the job that I have because you just never know...I'm lucky to have such a good job in these days when people around me are losing their job. I think in my business we see this trend so much. Banks downsizing, small businesses, downsizing...massive lay offs...mergers. It's all so scary. Good people are losing their jobs. These are hard working, good people...It sucks. People I care about and respect. I'm sure these is a lesson in all of this but I guess that only time will tell. I really believe that when one door closes that another one opens..and that God never gives us more than we can handle. Sending good thoughts to all those searching for a job! :-)

I know God will not give me anything that I can't handle. I just wish that he didn't trust me so much. ~Mother Teresa

No time to do what I really love...

It shouldn't be that way, but it is. I'm too busy. It just seems that I have so much going on at work and in my personal life that I'm too busy to do some of the things that I really love. I always say that it will change but let's face it, it's not going to. Oh well, I do have fun and I have such a variety that I guess it's all okay. I feel like I'm getting to a good point at work and that's helpful.
I'm looking forward to two trips that we are planning in the next two months or so. Going to Florida and to Mexico. I'm very excited!
I need to find time to write my editorial also. I have it in my head and need to put it on paper.
Not much else is new here. I'll try to be better but we know how that goes.

Favorite Quote:
What is Success?
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciate of honest critics and endue the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;
This is to have succeeded. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Crazy...

I did a very crazy thing tonight. I applied for Grad School. I think I'm ready to take everything to the next level. I hope I can do this while still working full time at my job...even if it takes 2 or so years...

Crazy...I know. :-)

What has happened since we spoke last...

1. We had a wedding in the family.
2. It went beautifully.
3. Finished the Pillar Book
4. Finished the video
5. Coordinated with co-workers a mega successful kickoff.

WOW! Now it's time for me to get back to the art of blogging. I need to get back to my writing. It's time to focus.

Missed ya!

Gone but not forgotten... :-)

I'm a slacker

I have been a bad, bad poster. I've been busy. Busy taking care of everyone and also taking care of myself. I have started an exercise program (p90x) and weight watchers. I've been kind of successful but of course, I have a ways to go.

So that is it in a nut shell. I'm so busy at work that I don't have time for anything else right now. I suppose it keeps me out of trouble though. :-) ttfn

This I know for sure...

You cannot pick your family. Thankfully I have respectful, loving children and a respectful loving husband. :)

HELP!!

I'm working on my editorial for the News-Gazette. Last night between the hours of 1:oo a.m. and 3:30 a.m. it came to me that I should write about 'Second Chances'. I think this opens up a lot of discussion and thought and that it will incorporate my passion which is the community and also day-to-day things that people give a 'Second Chance' to. :-) If you have an suggestions, I'm open to them.

:-)

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...

If that is the case, then this is the end of my post. But we had so much fun in Vegas and I’m dying to share what we did. (In no particular order)

1. Hoover Dam – where we were cautioned to not use the “L” word. I didn’t get it, it was leak. Also, I didn’t get a dam hat. There was only one option and it was not my look.
2. Motion Rides at the Excalibur – where I hope to work when I retire.
3. Freemont Street – Where the Little River Band played a most awesome concert.
4. Draw Poker – One of my newest fun games that I’m going to perfect before my next trip to Vegas.
5. Pooling it – It takes up part of your day when it’s 100 outside.
6. Massage, Mani & Pedi – Enough said.
7. Mon Ami Gabi – Lunch at my favorite restaurant.
8. Outlet Malls – although I didn’t spend much money, they had good options for shopping that weren’t outrageous.
9. Fireworks at Caesers Palace – They were right when they said they would be the best in the world. These were the best I have ever seen.
10. My ability to come home with money in my pocket. .

No, folks, I didn’t win. I know, most people say they did when they didn’t. I was indeed up at times but being honest, I need to factor in the losses. I did my ‘little’ part to help the economy in Vegas.

People watching is always interesting in Vegas. I think it is one of the best places that I have ever been to truly have the diversity of people in one area. And for me it particularly nice because my husband said to me on numerous occasions, ‘Have I told you I’m glad I’m married to you?’ I hear it more in Vegas than anywhere.

Anyway that is our trip in a nutshell. It was great and I can’t wait to go back. I really prefer to go when it’s hot out because there are many more options.

Is Christina home yet?

Jeez...I'm missing talking to her on the phone. It's like she fell off the face of the earth. I hope she had a lovely time in the Bahamas. Now, help me with some ideas for your birthday. :-)

It's only Tuesday. Again, it feels like Friday. I have a lot to do but I'm feeling a lot of support from my co-workers and that helps so much. We had a good meeting this morning and I'm feeling a little optimistic about things in general. Still, I'm going to miss my co-worker who is leaving.... boo.

We have a big CEO breakfast in the morning. I'm looking forward to it. I think I'm ready. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day...but productive. :-)

Two weeks from Thursday, I'm going to VEGAS BABY!! I can't wait!

Hola!

I stink at posting sometimes...might as well get used to it.

I finished my writing class tonight. I'm not sure about my final project but I finally got it down to 500 words and decided to go with it. I have a cert of completion so I guess that means that I passed. It was a fun class. I like the feedback from people who don't know me. It's much easier and I think it gave me confidence. I have subsequently taken a refresher grammar course and I should have waited. I'm a little behind. What it tells me is that I know a lot about grammar, but I still have some problem areas. I'll get it though. I'm glad I'm taking it.

One of my co-workers got a new job today. I'm not surprised. I'm happy for her, sad for us. She really is creative and I have LOVED working with her. :( Not happy about this at all. I understand her need to move on.

Not much else is new...although hubby is taking me to VEGAS BABY!! I cannot wait!! I'm getting all the stuff I need to get done before I leave so that I can have a good time.

No quote...but at least I posted. :-)

No one should be this busy...

But here we are again. I've had a busy week again. I did get some writing done but I'm a little bit behind in my writing class. It's nearly over and I'm having a hard time keeping up because of all my extra curricular activities. Work was kind of harried all week and I worked about a 14 hour day on Thursday. Interesting things are going on at work. Never a dull moment, I'll tell you.

Tomorrow we are having a cookout and I've been busy getting ready for this. All the kids are home now and it was a wonderful day! I think I'm happiest when they are all here. Julia and I have been cooking and preparing all day.

I started back on Weight Watchers last Monday. I have lost nearly 5 pounds since Monday. I'm on a mission here. I kind of let things get out of whack and I'm going to get them back into whack. Oh, and also, I'm probably going through menopause. I'm trying to become friends with it, making fun of it any time I can. I mean what else is there to do?

That's about all I have time for today. I have a few things to do before going to bed. More soon! :-)

Does our bathroom smell like coffee?

I'm in one room watching a very important first episode of the bachelorette. Mr. That sent me a message through FB asking me if the bathroom smelled like coffee...how should I know? I'm in the living room. I did say that I would go and smell the bathroom at commercial. weird. I mean even it if does, what could that possibly mean? There is clearly no coffee in the bathroom. Update: So it was just commercial and I went into the bathroom and I'm sniffing, and sniffing, and sniffing and Mr. That is in the bathroom and I say, Nope, it doesn't smell like coffee and he said that he spilled a cup this a.m. in the bathroom and BOOM all of a sudden, I smelled coffee. So yes, I guess our bathroom does smell like coffee.

I was very successful with weightwatchers today. This might not seem like much of a victory but I've been trying to go back on ww for months. I did go over by one point today but I did get 3 workout points so all is good. I have to loose a whole dress size and I don't think it's going to be easy. The first week is always a mixed bag. It's easiest to loose a few pounds the first week because of water and such. But by day three, I am really feeling the lack of food. It's all good though. I really need to loose some weight. I read in people about Jennifer Hudson who when from a 16 to a 6 and she did it on ww. That really got me motivated. Here I go!!

Very busy at work, beyond busy but I'm really trying not to bring much home. I think I do better if I leave work at work and I've been pretty successful at it.

Not much else is new. Cant' wait for the weekend when the kids come home and we have a big cookout on Sunday. :-)

Quote for the day: Whatever they grow up to be, they are still our children, and the one most important of all the things we can give to them is unconditional love. Not a love that depends on anything at all except that they are our children. Rosaleen Dickson

It's Sunday...

Why do the weekends go by so quickly? It was a wonderful one at that. We didn't do much of anything. I caught up on everything and it was so great! I do have another question though. How come I have all these early morning meetings all week and I have to get up so early, then on Saturday, I can sleep in until noon and I get up at 5:45? It's okay though, the back yard looks fabulous, The house is really shaping up. Almost makes me want to stay. I think we just might end up staying here for awhile. No one has looked lately, although to be truthful we haven't exactly made it easy for people to look. We have been out of town lately when we have received calls and haven't been able to show the house. I do have an observation about some Realtors. Some of them have no understanding about people who work full time and have to get kitties and a pup out of the house. Don't people know that you get more with sugar than with vinegar? Actually, this could be said of all professions, it's just that lately, I've been dealing with Realtors.

Life is going pretty good. Tomorrow I'm going to get back on Weight Watchers. I know, I know, I say this most Sunday's but I'm really going to try to get back on this wagon. I need to drop a dress size this summer and it's not happening the way we ate all this weekend. So tomorrow is the day.

I'm excited to be with all my children next weekend! I cannot wait! :)

Quote for the day: To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special. Jim Valvano

The weekend!!

I was so happy last night that it was finally Friday. It has been such a long week with early mornings and many meetings. The first round of our campaign meetings began this week. I guess it's official, campaign 2010 is in high gear.

Things have changed. I used to find any reason to go out and socialize, I loved every minute of it. I know that certain things have led to me being very content just to stay at home. I hope this doesn't mean I'm getting old. I just want to pursue writing. I have goals and I want to get some of them attained. You know, when you get to the halfway mark, you have to take control and decide what is really important. I want to write. We'll see how much writing I can get done.

Next weekend is Memorial weekend. I'm very excited about all the kids being home. I think that Bobby's girlfriend, Kristen and her parents are coming for the weekend as well. Christina and Mike are coming home too!

Worked outside a lot today. I bought new cushions for the patio furniture and just a few touches for the back yard.

I've been taking care of Mr. That this weekend as he had some minor surgery yesterday. It's been nice doting on him. I'm the boss of him for 48 hours and so far, he's been the model patient.

Quote for the day: Writing gives you the illusion of control, and then you realize it's just an illusion, that people are going to bring their own stuff into it. David Sedaris

Joy Behar

Holy Cow, Jen Lancaster was on Joy Behar tonight! WOW! I only got to see a bit of it but kudos to Jen.

I'm working on my Twittering. I don't completely have the hang on it but Bobby said he would help me. I'll just bet Julia would help me too if I asked her. I try to tweet at least once a day. Sometimes it's difficult to think of something exciting to say.

Not much else for today. I'll post pictures from the party last night. I'll keep up by the weekend. My dogs are really tired tonight.

Quote for the day: “If someone is too tired to give you a smile, leave one of your own, because no one needs a smile as much as those who have none to give” don't know the author.

Jen Lancaster - My Fair Lazy

Who knew that someday I would want to go into a book store more than going into a clothing store?

Enter Borders Bookstore.

We got to the city a little later than we thought but set out on foot to find a place for dinner. We had a wonderful dinner last night at Bistro110. Leaving the restaurant I spotted a Barnes and Noble. I looked up to Peter and said, “Can we go in?” Now that I’m an official writer I love libraries and book stores.  There was a rack of books right inside the front door. ‘My Fair Lazy’ by Jen Lancaster was on display, it was an attractive book with an attractive cover. That’s all I needed. Mr. That asked if I knew about the book. No. Then he asked if I knew the author. No, but I’m a writer and I could get close to a successful writer and that’s all I really wanted to do. To be close to someone that is living my dream. I wanted to do it and I had never been to a book signing before. Mr. That shook his head and chuckled of course indulging me, like most times. My needs are simpler as I get older.

There was a sign that said to buy your book, get a wristband and move to the third floor. It was getting late and the girl said that she wasn’t sure if Ms. Lancaster was still upstairs but that I could try. I paid for my book, collected it and head to the third floor. Holy Cow! There was a line of nearly 100 people. I, of course, was the last person. No one else even had my color (yellow) band. I’ve never done this so I wasn’t sure how this worked but here is the drill. You put your wrist band on and they call you by colors. Well I’m from the school that if you are in line, you are in line. Well, that isn’t how it works. I didn’t need to worry about losing my place in line to go to the restroom. I was the last person with a yellow band. I didn’t care. I was just happy to be here among all the other people in line waiting for an autograph. People are always interesting. I’ve learned to listen and my life has gotten more interesting because of it. There were three girls in front of me talking to a nice looking gent who had a boat load of books. Seems his gf was working last night and she really liked the author, had read her books but couldn’t make it to the signing. He bought them all for her and stood in line for Jen to autograph them. The girls were so touched that a guy would do that for his gal. It was very sweet. They decided that since he had five of Jen’s books that he should have her sign them – Will You Marry Me? Ashida… well this gent wasn’t having any of it. He kind of blushed and laughed and said maybe in a year. These girls almost had this guy married off last night. I think he even hesitated thinking that it actually was a good idea. He did point out that his gf was probably ready for him to pop the question, the girls gushed that it was a girl thing that normally the girl was always ready by the time the guy got around to asking the question. Anyway it was a very cute thing that this gentleman did for his gf. Very sweet.

When I got up there, I wanted to blurt out that I’m a writer too. I imagined all sorts of interactions that might happen, none of them exciting. I could imagine her asking what I had written and I would reply, nothing, yet! I’m an optimist like that. But I did have my camera and so I got a photo taken with her. She thanked me for waiting and I said it was my pleasure. I was hoping she would put from one writer to another but of course I didn’t tell her I was a writer. It wasn’t that I was even embarrassed or anything. I just didn’t know what to say. She seemed like a lovely girl though and I thought about the life that she was living. And wouldn’t that be a great dream? Well, you never know…

Happy Birthday Bobby!

To my wonderful son who I think about everyday and miss so much. I can't wait to see you in two weeks. I feel like it's been too long. I'm glad you had a fabulous weekend! :-)
Love, Momma

Top ten memories of Bobby to date.

10. When he was seven months and I left the living room to answer the phone and he rolled himself under the dining room table and I freaked out at first because he was gone.

9. When Bobby was riding his smurf down the street, he hit a crack in the sidewalk, tumbled head over heels, got back up and continued to ride his smurf.

8. Bobby toting his ‘blankie’ around everywhere with him, and now trying to take it home with him every time he comes home.

7. When Bobby broke his ankle at the beginning of one summer and listening him tell one of his teachers at registration that he had a great summer. I looked at him and said, ‘Are you kidding, it was a crappy summer, you were injured most of the summer, couldn't play ball, or swim.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Yeah, but Mom, we got to spend a lot of time together.’ (I’ll never forget this)

6. When Bobby thought that all Christina’s Christmas presents were his.

5. At Senior day in high school, I went down to the gymnasium floor to see him and he gave me a hug, and I said. ‘Bobby, your friends might see’ and he said. ‘I don’t care.’ He was always like this.

4. Every time he calls me to ‘chat’.

3. Because he is all about family.

2. Because he is a great role model for the children that he mentors.

1. Because he is my one and only son and he is such a wonderful gift from God.

Love...

Tell me why?

Does it take a week to recover from a week's vacation and a weekend to recover from your weekend? I'm still getting back into the swing from being in Florida (which was wonderful, by the way) and now we're in Chicago three days later. I've been so busy catching up with my writing class and work that I haven't had time to blog at all. Same old thing but of course you know that I'll hang in there. I know that in order to have a successful blog, that one must write.

This is going to be an action packed weekend and I cannot absolutely wait to tell you what I've been up to this weekend. I promise exciting blogs ahead. :-)

Next weekend we will be home. Lots of catch up will go on next weekend and honestly, I can't wait.

Quote for the day: There aren't enough days in the weekend. ~Rod Schmidt

It's Saturday...

We left for Florida on Thursday. (Marco) I think it took us two days to fully relax. It's been a great two days. We haven't done much really but Mr. That and I do nothing pretty well. :-) We know how to be lazy.

We walked and ran this morning. I didn't know that I got sunburned while I was out this a.m. I've been so good about wearing sunscreen. My face has not seen the sun but my neck got nailed today.

We hung out at the beach today....oh and to the girl sitting next to me under her umbrella - the whole beach doesn't want to listen to your music. Just because you think it's good doesn't mean that it is. Yesterday it was a couple smoking next to me, today it was music...geez.

Recovery

I'm having a difficult time recovering from this half marathon. I know that there are reasons for it. Last week was tough at work, I wore heals too many days, I didn't get enough rest, I was exhausted by race day, I didn't get enough fluids. I'll have to be better next year. Today is Monday and I went to work today but I am just so exhausted that I came home early. I layed around all day. I'm sure I'll get stronger and there wasn't much I could do about it but I'm paying for not taking care of myself the week before the marathon. Here is a good article that you should read about taking care of yourself when training.

Endurance Planet Marathon & Beyond Monday: The Infection Connection www.enduranceplanet.com
You’ve probably heard it said that exercise can strengthen the immune system. You’ve also probably heard it said that exercise can dampen the immune system. So what are we to make of the seemingly conflicting ...

It's only eight o'clock but I'm in bed writing this post. I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow.

Writing class is going good. I can't wait to have a few days to do some writing on vacation. I love these exercises but I would like a little more time to go over them. I'll share some more on vaca.

Quote for the day: The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. ~ Allan K. Chalmers ~

Illinois Marathon debriefing

Well folks, here is what went down on Saturday, May 1, 2010. Race morning the temperature was 62 degrees upon arising. In my opinion we got to the race course a little too late. I'll have to remember that for next year. I was thinking that it might be a little too late for me. The line to the potty house was long...seriously at least 15 minutes. I don't even know if I had to go but I just felt like I should. I woke up thirsty and before the race began, I had drank a whole bottle of water. I think I was just so busy at work last week that I didn't pay any attention to hydrating at all. I was very tired the night before the race also but I did sleep very well so that was good. I think it took approximately 8 minutes to get to the starting line. Clearly, my times reflect a difference in training. Being out of town did not afford me my long runs some weekends. I think if I had more under my belt, my time would have reflected that. Last year, I ran the half in 2:58, this year it was 3:01:51. I know that it's only a matter of about 4 minutes but I truly thought I could do better than last year. I really will consider doing this again next year. I know I have said that I don't think I will but I'm going to change some things up and continue to run. We'll see how it goes. The humidity during the race was noticeable. I noticed more people needing help along the way this year. We ran 10 miles of the course last Saturday and it was humid so it didn't bother me that much. Here are some photos from yesterday that I thought I would share with you. :-)

Anyway, I'm taking about a week off from running. We head to Florida next week for a few days of R & R.

I need to get back to the task of writing now. Class is going pretty well and I'm really enjoying it.

Here is a quote that Bobby sent me last year that I carried with me again this year. Thanks Bobby! It really did help me. "The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep." Robert Frost

It's Thursday...

Wow it went fast. Work is so busy and action packed. It's all good but it's all busy too. I'm feeling better today about things. Met with a board member today who really gets the mission of our organization. He's got the time to help us focus and get where we need to be. He's a peach!

Day and a half until the Illinois Marathon. I'm so exhausted that I didn't run tonight and I'm going to have to cut this short so that I can get a good night sleep tonight. I think it will be a great day and I can't wait.

Writing class is going very well. I really am 'nsync' and having a great time writing. I could do more writing but I'm pretty busy at work. I'm doing good keeping up here which helps. I try to be faithful to my blog.

I've decided to share an assignment from Lesson 2. Assignment: Find a candle, set it in a safe place near your computer, and light it. Write a one-paragraph only description of the lighted candle.

The light from the candle is constant. Vanilla fills the air. The lights are low and the light from the candle shines brightly competing for my attention. There is something soothing and peaceful in gazing into the light. I am mesmerized by the light flickering on the wick. Hours could pass and I would be lost in my thoughts sitting here focusing on the candle. I’m lost in the beauty and simplicity of the light. Reflecting on my day, slowing down, I focus on my breathing and how peaceful the room has become. This candle gives me an ambiance that I long for, calmness settles in.

Quote for the day: Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else. Gloria Steinem

I'm all over the place today...

I swear...I feel like my emotions are all over the place today. No comment on why that is. It was a good day at work. I am so busy and I'm pretty much at the point that I will not bring my work home anymore unless it's critical. I used to go into work on the weekends but I really try to keep all my working during the work week. I find that I really need the weekend to recharge.

Writing class is going pretty good. I wish I had more time to write but I've done pretty good so far. It's nice to get back into it. Anyway..I might share some stuff as we go along. We'll have to see.

I'm very tired tonight....I played my first night of golf league and we won! This is the second time I have played and I have done pretty well. Maybe I'm not over analyzing yet. :-) I'm looking forward to playing more golf this summer.

But I'm really, really tired...just like bellz who is sitting next to me...I'm going to bed. Night night!

Quote for the day: Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe." ~Gail Devers quotes

Holy Cow, It's only Monday...

Today I seriously turned to someone and asked, "Is today Monday?" It was a whirlwind day. A meeting that lasted all morning and then some serious planning for the fall campaign. I have a lot to do. Materials need to be designed. Today we cleaned the work area upstairs. It was awesome. What a mess and to tell you the truth, I'm sure it has not been cleaned for three years. So today, we cleaned. It was kind of a good team building exercise.

I can't wait to go to Florida!! Six beautiful days in the sun with my husband. I can't wait! I hope to get a massage, work out and do some writing.

Quote for the day: You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you. John Wooden

If I can do 10, I can do 13.1

Yes, we ran today. Conditions were not ideal. It was very humid out. The elevation on the course was quite surprising. All will be fine next week but I'll be glad when it's over. I don't even care if I better my time or not. I just want to finish. I'm pretty sure this will be my last half. I like the running thing but I think shorter distances are my thing. I'm glad that I will be able to run without pain this year. That won't translate to a faster time but like I said...I don't really care about that anymore. This has been a tough training period. More later...

I'm in trouble...

I'm running the half marathon in nine days and I'm probably not ready. Traveling has wreaked havoc on my long runs. I can't remember the last time I ran a long distance. I'm guessing it was nine miles. Oh well, It won't be a pretty running day but it will be what it will be. Pretty profound, huh? I've continued to run consistently though and I could be in much worse shape. I'll be glad when this one is over. I love the idea but I think that next year we'll run the relay with another couple. :-) That would be an exciting next step. I'll never run a marathon but I'm thinking of walking one next June.

This morning I was up here checking my email and looking at posts from my class. The sun was shining just right and my little Bella was so adorable that I just had to grab my camera and take her picture. She is a little bit nervous but she is also blind. Anyway, I called her name and she looked at me and I want to share her with you. I love, love, love her...

A more precious cat there has never been. She's only 4 lbs. but I love all 4 lbs. of her.

Writing class was good last night. I'm going to do the next exercises that we get at least twice. What I like about our first assignment is that we were given permission to write poorly. I think I can do this assignment with little or no problem. I feel like I have lost some of my skills. I'm excited to keep up with this process.

Quote for the day: Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. ~Joshua J. Marine

Why so busy?

It's late, so this post won't be very long. I started my writing class tonight. I'm so excited. I know that if you don't use it, you lose it when it comes to writing so I'm happy to be back on the bus. It's going to be a wonderful 6 weeks.

My nephew had a baseball game tonight and I took pictures. I posted so many...about 50, which seems like a lot. Oh well. It gives me great pleasure to take these pictures. I'm so glad that I have three more years after this to take pictures. Here is one from tonight.

He had an awesome two base hit! It was jacked right over the second baseman's head. YAY!!

This morning was the Busey Economic Seminar. It's always an eye opener, I enjoy it every year. It's a great tradition that they have at Busey. Ed does a great job with it. My goal: to be the Economist of the Year! ...Right....

Ten more days until the Illinois Marathon. I can't wait. It will be an interesting day. I have not trained like I could or should have. Being out of town on the weekends has really hurt me. Oh well, It will be fine and I'll finish and that's really my goal.

Quote for the day: “I write down everything I want to remember. That way, instead of spending a lot of time trying to remember what it is I wrote down, I spend the time looking for the paper I wrote it down on.” Beryl Pfizer

It's all about golf today!

It's all about golf today. Hubby and I played golf tonight. I was a bit unnerved because I thought I was going to hit balls and I haven't hit a ball in a long time so I was excited. I was somewhat annoyed when I found out we were just going to play regular golf. Apparently, hitting balls=playing golf. Going to the range=going to the range. Oh well...It was awesome. I played pretty good actually.

Back at the club, I got asked to play with the 18 holers group. Of course you don't have to be special to play, I'm sure they ask anyone but I think I would like to play. I thought it might not be possible but I'm going to think about negotiating playing golf on Tuesday mornings. Besides if fundraising is all about relationships, then I can work on some relationships on the golf course. Brilliant!!

We had our photo shoot today at United Way. It was awesome!! Fewer models and more relaxed. It think the pictures are going to be a good fit. I'm looking for a more vertical look this year with the photographs. I'm proud of what we have accomplished with our look and our own photos but we were lacking in individual pictures and simplicity...and we also focused on education, income and health. It's all good.

Not much else is new. I'm kind of tired and I have an early beginning.

Quote for the day: If you are caught on a golf course during a storm and are afraid of lightning, hold up a 1-iron. Not even God can hit a 1-iron. ~Lee Trevino

Is it Friday yet?

Seriously, I need a weekend to recover from my weekend. I did get up and run 5.5 miles this morning. Yes, thank you. I was supposed to run 10 but I only made one loop. It's a great loop though and I look forward to keeping this in my list of routes. It will be an interesting Saturday when I run 11 miles. I'm sure I will be a ball of fire for the rest of the day. Illinois Marathon is in twelve days!

I went in to work late today. We did get some things accomplished. Now that our spring event, Ready. Set. Grow! is over it's time to hit campaign hard. It will be an interesting year as we are working with our board to transition ourselves into more of an impact United Way. Things are going very well though as we have gone past $3 million for the third year in a row. We will in fact, surpass our $3.1 million goal this year. YAY!! What our donors give to this community is phenomenal. This is a great community because of caring donors and volunteers. As a matter of fact, this is National Volunteer Week. I give all United Way volunteers, a 10!

Happy Volunteer Week!!

Quote for the day: I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. ~Edward Everett Hale

Sunday, April 18, 2010

What a great weekend. We headed down to Southern Illinois after the Ready. Set. Grow event yesterday. We have a car that was given to us by a family member that has been having severe mechanical issues so we took it down south to someone who can work with it and sell it for us. So after the event yesterday, I followed hubby down so we could drop it off. We used to have a home down at Lake of Egypt. About 3 years ago, we decided that we weren’t using it as much as we had been and put it on the market. It was a great home and I miss it sometimes but it was time to let it go. We had not been down in 3 years since we sold it so we stayed with some old friends, Jo and Dick, at the lake last night. It was great to be down there again. The new owners have done some wonderful improvements to the house most of which have been on the outside. They gave us a tour and allowed me to take pictures so that I could show the kids. They also invited us back and said we could stay there if we wanted to. How lovely. J Sunshine had a wonderful time. Sometimes I miss the lake life and I wouldn’t change all those wonderful years for anything. I have great family memories of the lake.

Two weeks until the Illinois Marathon. I haven’t trained for this as well as I did last year. I’ve missed some of my long runs and it is very difficult during the week to get my runs in. Tomorrow morning, I’m going for a late start at work so that I can get my 11 mile run in. I’ll be glad when the race is over. I think that next year we might run the Marathon Relay with another couple that we talked into running this year. I think they think this would be a great idea.

Quote for the day - Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others. Rosa Parks

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Today United Way hosted the first ever event- Ready. Set. Grow! providing information and education tools for parents and caregivers birth to six. It was a smashing success. A lot of data was gathered and parents and children participated in interactive activities. It was such a feel good kind of day. I can’t say how many people were there but I would say that nearly 350 families were in attendance. Great job, Beverley, @ United Way for coordinating all the various committees to help make this first year event so successful! We were fortunate to partner with Carle Foundation Hospital and also have such wonderful media partners at WCIA and Illini Radio Group. Special thanks to Champaign County Tent, A & R Mechanical and Lincoln Square.

Quote for the day: If you want your child to improve, let them overhear the nice things you say about them to others. Dr. Haim Ginott.

The freakin' weekend!

TGIF! Wow! What a week. It's been good and busy.

The thing that made me happiest today was having lunch with Julia. We had a very good time and a lot of laughs. I miss her so much.

The second thing that made me happiest today was when my nephew, Charlie, made one of the photos that I took of him, his profile picture. It brings me so much joy to be able to take his pictures. :-)

Tomorrow is our big event for the community - Ready. Set. Grow! I can't wait for this first ever event to offer information and resources to help plant the seeds for healthy child development for ages birth to six. What an exciting thing to bring to our community. There is no manual on how to parent but tomorrow we are going to give parents the tools to help them be good, responsible parents.

Tomorrow night, we will be at Lake of Egypt visiting with some friends that I have missed so much in the past few years.

If I didn't mention it in my first post, I love quotations...and I will try to share one with you every time I post. Have the sweetest of dreams! :-)

Quote for the day: “Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.” Can't find who it's author is....

The beginning...

What better way to start a new blog than with a great day! I only wish I had the time and the umph to share all the wonderful things that happened today.

1. Am the new VP of Executive Club (pending acceptance at the board meeting)
2. Had an awesome speaker during our meeting today that talked about social networking.
3. That same awesome speaker came back and helped us with our Mission Statement.
4. Played Bunco tonight with a wonderful group of women that I had never met before.

It doesn't get much better. I decided to start a new blog today. This one to be more informational than anything. And it's time for new beginnings. I'm feeling that at this time especially. I'm learning some things about myself and am open to trying new things,....new ways of doing things. I might even share them as we go along.

I wish I had time to expound on these points but be sure that I will be back and we will talk and we'll have fun along the way. :-)

Quote for the day: Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. Carl Bard