January 23rd to January 29th

Week of Jan 15th

I was not looking forward to this theme.

Fast forward to Sunday afternoon. Paul went to play guitar w some guys, kids were with their mom, 5 loads of laundry were almost done, and all my other craft projects stalled out. I had already Skyped with Elli, Michael and the Cutest Girls in the Universe (why can’t THAT be a theme!?) so I got out the quilt project. Excuse me…The Quilt Project.

And it occurred to me as I laid out 64 square feet of fabric of my life…

This is my self-portrait.

I have filled in the 2 gaps, but did not retake the pic. Used the T shirt that was our coaching "uniform" when Paul and I coached Tyler's basketball team this season.

Of course I got behind quickly (very similar to my athletic races these days), but am not caught up, have a custom template that I love and am ready to share! Some things will overlap, some will be new (like you probably don’t need a play by play of Maggie and I making a car trip to the store to get me a Diet Pepsi on my work-at-home Tuesdays), and some are too big to share in the photo-a-day/page-a-week project (of course I am talking about my grandmother-in-law shanking my tire story).

Would love any suggestions for photo ops, questions you have about our daily do-ings and requests.

January 1-7, 2012

This week’s theme was “I Dreamed a Dream” in honor of the MLK holiday. Welp, on Monday Paul was at work, kids were at Robin’s and I had the whole day to make my dream come true. I went to the Natural Science Center with a plan to work on aperture and shutter speed. It was pretty chilly, but the tigers did not disappoint. I set up “camp” near their enclosure and went to work taking photos and notes as I clicked. After awhile a little girl came up asking me what I was doing. I told her I was taking pictures of the tigers.

Then she asked me, “For a book?”

I smiled to myself and said, “Someday, kiddo. Someday.”

The four of us (Mom, Dad and twelve-year-old twin boys) are bicycling from Alaska to Argentina. When we reach the southernmost tip of South America, Davy and Daryl will become the new Guinness World Record holders as the youngest people to cycle the Pan-American Highway!

Wow. It makes me think about long bike rides that Paul and I have gone on. Let’s just say that Paul now carries some cheese to go with my whine. Now add 2 kids, whoa. Then doing school on the road–they call it roadschooling, like homeschooling–get it!? HA! Again, I think about nights at the table with Anna and/or Tyler with their homework. Tears flow, voices are raised, frustration abounds. Then add on prep with no supplies except that which you find on the road or carry on your bike?!

Lastly, eating. Paul is a frickin’ saint. Anna won’t even eat turkey on her sandwich anymore. Mayo and an American slice of cheese on bread, with the crusts cut off of course. Tyler can change his mind 3-4 times about liking something within the span on the same dinner. Can you imagine traveling to other countries on a bike (talk about a Very Hungry Caterpillar!) then get off and there is no Harris Teeter to go get skim milk, hormone free chicken or ingredients to even make tortillas (not that they have a kitchen to make stuff in anyhow). Don’t even think about access to McDonald’s, Domino’s, etc.

Surfer Laird Hamilton says he lives his life well by doing something to scare himself every day. Whether you prefer scaring, inspiring, motivating yourself, I think it is a good message. This family is a good example of this.

Picture for our bedroom

Goal update…hmmmmm…Kind of average on everything. Things at work are getting worse, which basically only means we are catching up with the poor economy in the rest of the state. On the homefront, we need to replace our HVAC. The irony is that the HVAC in the Elon house (i.e. with no one living in it b/c we can’t sell it) has a brand new one. Well, only 1 1/2 years old. Irony sucks. We have 1 estimate and plan to get the others when we are home this week. I guess we are on a home improvement roll–we took down a light fixture that Paul and I both hit our heads on repeatedly b/c it hangs low. It is ugly too. We also ordered a poster print (already have the glass and frame) to hang in our bedroom (that was painted last year). It is a scene from our trip to Bryce.

In other news, Elli and Michael are expecting a GIRL! I keep lobbying to name her Olivia (they shot down Susan very quickly), but we will see. She is feeling pretty good, taking prenatal yoga and even took a trip to Seattle for a week for work. She has only gained 7.5 pounds and is half way to the finish line–WOW! She is very tough–she was a Diet Coke addict (rivaling you, Stephanie!) and went COLD TURKEY when she found out she was pregnant. Each day I decide to give up Pepsi, but I usually give in about the time I turn on my computer at work. I guess I did not get that gene.

The other new experience is consignment–I am stopping at a place in Burlington (where I work) today to drop off some items to consign. We will see how it goes.

Last month one reader was inspired to re-start her running career–what does March have in store for you?

Sunday morning jam session

I wanted to add some pics to our site. Not much to say really. Paul has been playing his guitar a lot lately, which has made Anna want to play too. It makes Tyler sad he destroyed his drum set.

Paul, dogs and Barton (L corner of the couch)

The cats have really relaxed quite a bit in the last few months so there are some cute pictures of that too.

Lizardhead (Tyler's Webkinz) on Paulhead

I love this pic of Anna

Goal update: I am doing well at “active recovery.” Better than we are doing at completing unfinished projects, that is for sure. Taxes are done, Anna and I had some girl time (pic here too),

veggies suck but I learned that you get a TON of spinach for only a few calories so that is what is helping me get that goal checked off. Journaling is sketchy, but I have the rest of the week to get 1 more entry.

Tyler and Bluesy bonding

Still on a book slump, but I started Purpose Driven Life this week so perhaps it will be a hit. Everyone else in the world seems to love it according to the critics. Paul’s mom suggested that perhaps because I am on a slump I should write my own book (see bucket list to the right).

Anyhow—see the tab to the right or click here to read my list. PS. I have not been diagnosed w a terminal illness.

XO,

S

Glass Castle by Jeannette Wells is excellent! It is a memoir so although I found it in the non-fiction section, it may very well fall in the category of Million Little Pieces (autobiographical fiction). It was recommended to me by my boss, Lisa Pennington. It is about her family growing up in various places, although her “formative years” were in WVa. It makes crazy look like Beaver Cleaver’s family. But as you will read on the reviews, you can tell as you read the story that she loves her parents and knows they did their best—even at their worst.

Great theme for me as I work on my step-mother skills, which some days seems like all out of a Cinderella fairy tale. Is there a fairy tale where the step mother is NOT wicked? THAT is the book I need to read.

Now Paul has gotten into the act. He purchased several sheets of peg board and put it up in the garage. Then he hung his bike maintenance tools (there are 4 shelves of a workbench full of them). We did this on Sat afternoon so while the kids played outside and Paul did that, I spent all that time cleaning out and organizing the garage! AWESOME! Here are the lessons we have learned:

1–Home Improvement Formula: (# hours spent on project) x (1.79) = number of trips to the home improvement store. It took us 5 trips.

2–We have found the limitation to the Honda Fit (see Laminate Flooring post). We wanted 8×8 peg boards cut in half, and after waiting 38 minutes (literally, I know I exaggerate, but I am not here) for some guy to have 27 cuts made (I counted, thinking of the entertainment you, the reader, would get out of this) we went to the car only to find out 4×4 sheets will not fit in the car.  So we returned to the store for additional cuts (this still counted as 1 trip in the formula). At least we made the man cutting the wood smile.

3–There are always unexpected surprises when you clean out a garage. Like bike tools you have been looking for, toys you didn’t know you had, and dead squirrels. Yep–I moved the steam cleaner and there it was. I think I wet my pants. Tyler offered to pick it up for us. Paul again saved the say with a Wal-Mart plastic bag and plenty of anti-bacterial soap.

Stay tuned for the building of loft storage for the garage! Whooo hoooo!!!

This is a great representation of what I would like out of my 2009. Physical, mental, environmental health and wellness. This is something I have been thinking about for the last month, anticipating the new year and my resolution(s).  What kind of woman (athlete, employee, friend) do I want to be? Wife (training partner, partner)? Step-mother (role model, fun haver)? How do I do that all? Who do I think I am to think I am the first woman to struggle with these questions?

Most of you who know me know I am very black-and-white, VERY uncomfortable with grey area. But that lesson seems to keep offering itself to me to learn. All of what I want to be (see above) is linked to that grey area. Perhaps that is what my 2009 theme needs to be: Grey and loving it! …ok, how about grey and liking it!