Wait4theNews

2010-06-20T22:01:00.001-04:00

Sunrise at Boothbay

2010-06-01T21:02:00.001-04:00

One

2010-05-30T09:15:00.001-04:00

About those fortunes ..

2010-04-13T21:14:00.002-04:00

A couple of nights ago we choose Chinese food .. of course we have to do fortune cookies .. here was mine. I have always believed that for every moment of unhappiness, you will receive twice the happiness .. so I think this fortune must be correct.. because, baby, I am due!!
This will be the last post for Wait4thenews. To stay with the theme of new beginnings, I think it is apropos to start a new blog.
Wait4thenews was encouraged by Tommie while we were all living in Texas .. it has been so much fun to write and participate with the meme’s, that I would like to do much of the same in my new blog, but with a new name. Also, this time around, I would like to have more honest conversation .. while still having lots of fun.
Thank you for visiting. I hope you have enjoyed this blog as much as I have enjoyed creating it. Hope to see you at my next posting at my new home! (bring some wine!)

In the words of Kermit the Frog .. “moving right along …”

2010-03-31T21:57:00.000-04:00

I was running over the railroad tracks, and out of habit, looked left and right before crossing .. and just saw this. Kind of symbolic, the tracks are quiet, the train has departed, and now, it is time to move on.

… I’m moved into my new house .. I’m on week 3 of my new job … and, finally, getting clarity for me … the new house is exciting, the new job is challenging, having lost a relationship was heart breaking.

Here is a dose of reality .. my best friend yelled at me a couple of weeks ago. She told me that I had no self respect at all. She told me that I didn’t care enough about myself because I allowed men to disrespect me by their selfish behavior towards me… that I allowed them to fulfill their emotional needs before my own emotional needs were met. Well, we all know the saying (and I’m sure I have referred to it several times) about being so deep in the woods, that you don’t see the trees (or something like that..) .. I hope I’m coming out of the woods and getting back on the right track to proper self respect.

March showers …

2010-03-25T19:48:00.001-04:00

Spring! It’s just around the corner!! So we were teased on Saturday with sun and 60’s .. Sunday it snowed (!!) .. and the last couple of days it’s been cold, damp, rain .. and tomorrow.. snow!! I think it’s all in Mother Nature’s grand plan for a colorful spring… after all, March showers bring May flowers …yes… that’s it!

Thursday 13 - Random Thoughts ..

2010-03-25T00:50:00.000-04:00

So this weekend we are moving out of a great transition house. When I realized we were really moving out of Texas, I had about two weeks to find a house that would fit the three of us, plus a dog and a cat. This house fell on us .. the couple that own the house were going to Florida for the winter, and needed to leave a furnished house for five months .. it was perfect for what we needed. Now it’s time to move on .. and I am ready. It is just another one of my forward moving pieces. I am ready to make this next house a home for at least two years. In two years Noah will graduate, and Alet will have one more year left. It’s hard to imagine two years from now .. It’s hard to imagine my son will be graduating!! Then Alet …. ahh! and then??

Whoa .. let’s back up and enjoy the next coming months! So .. here is my Thursday 13 list of the things I am going to enjoy with the thoughts of this new house .. another step to the new beginnings …

Thirteen Random thoughts on the traditional T13 .. if you want to play, click here ..

better start packing! It shouldn’t be too difficult, I tried to leave my boxes alone …. It will be like Christmas again ..!
Some of those boxes were packed in October 2008, and just followed me from Texas to Maine to Texas to Maine …
Bigger house = more rooms = more privacy!!
My landlord is already scoring the big points .. new washer and dryer, new dishwasher, new fridge .. new laminate floor .. new kitchen …….
April will be busy .. May …summer in sight!
Oh… I found out today that the teenagers are going to Texas for the summer ….. I’m single for the summer!
This summer I’m planning a couple of kayak excursions .. (that’s cause I can!! I’m single for the summer … oh, did I mention that already?!)
I can’t wait to decorate this house .. not that I have a lot of furniture … lol .. one oversized chair! I wouldn’t have been able to fit anymore into my 6 X 12 trailer .. (new beginnings = new furniture!)
Janine can’t complain anymore that I live soooo far out of the way! (it was only four miles extra ..)
I can now step outside and be a stone’s throw from a Chinese restaurant, pizza place, breakfast bakery, the gas station, my hairdresser, the high school, 1/2 mile walk from the grocery store .. hardware store .. hmmm, we’re missing the local martini and wine bar ..
i wish there was an IKEA store around here …Pier One will work as well …I think I am going to add Asian flavor to this house … we always had several statues of Buddha in our house .. my dad was a collector of many things ..
I’m ready .. the teenagers are ready …
I think it’ll be a good Spring and Summer …

If you find yourself in town .. drop by, bring a bottle of wine .. you’re always welcome ..

A great day!

2010-03-21T22:50:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday to me! … Another day older .. and maybe wiser? Nooo.. that wouldn’t be any fun!

What a fabulous day today .. I dare say today will go down as one of my favorite birthdays .. this morning I had my weekly breakfast with best friend Cyn. She and I have known each for 10 years .. (I never realized it was that long!) .. I love our friendship, complete honesty and truth. With Cyn, you will ALWAYS know where you stand! Then this afternoon I went for a two hour walk with my friend, who is a boy (!) … we try and get our Sunday walks in, when we can .. I completely love our walks … not only do we get a good pace going, but we cover a lot of topics .. and just being able to talk with someone, and not realize you’ve walked 8 miles ~ I think it is safe to say that I would give up a dinner to have this walk! (dinner with no wine of course … because giving up a few glasses of wine for exercise …. that would be difficult .. hmmm I’ll ponder on that one) After my walk, with my friend that is a boy, I took my kids and went to the local Mexican restaurant. On the way, I decided that the coupon I had for my favorite clothing store was expiring today, on my birthday, you know, (and at band camp ….) and that even though the mall was closing in 15 minutes … I needed to get the black, pinstripe jacket now(since the online store didn’t have it) …long story short, I went in and came out with three items .. do the math: the original price on the jacket was $69.95, I walked out spending $74.95 … it was timing, coupon and a sales associate who wanted to do something nice, BECAUSE IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY! (**side note: I looove sales prices; the day just kept getting better!**) So, at the Mexican restaurant, there spur of the moment, another best friend , Janine joined us. It’s always an interesting event when Janine joins the teenagers and I! They like to egg her on .. and the conversations can get interesting! Janine and I always have dessert when we go out .. and what joy was bestowed upon us when our waiter said that since it was MY birthday, the dessert was on the house!! Their deep friend ice cream is literally the best ever! (and .. I have tried many, many kinds .. okay, so maybe the one that I make is slightly better; but for clean up purposes …I’ll gladly eat theirs!) During dinner I got a phone call from an old friend residing in Singapore … HUGE surprise …. icing on the second dessert cake (so to speak) was a call from my high school best friend Julie (see here for a picture and a short story).. she called and sang to me, a tradition she has done for (OMG >>) 24 years!! I hadn’t talked to her in almost a year …so to hear her was just absolutely magnificent.

The one voice I will always miss is my dad’s. Every birthday (and I mean EVERY birthday) he would call me and ALWAYS tell the story of when I was born .. and how the doctors told him I was a boy. Since I was born in Iran, on their New Year’s ..doctors who deliver boys on that day would receive bonus money .. he was proud because he insisted he see me first before paying them. What can I say?! I’ll do almost anything to save a buck!!

What a great day today!

It's an uphill battle ..

2010-03-20T18:18:00.001-04:00

So whoever said 'what goes up must come down' certainly didn't run in Maine. Today was a glorious day .. 60 degrees by noon on March 20 ... I think in all the years I have lived here .. 60 degrees is unheard of! (the record high for today was 54 degrees.. so there's truth in the unheard of!)
Okay .. so I digress .. so today being Saturday meant a long run .. except my body at 7:30 wasn't willing to rise to the occasion ..so I choose to run at 12:45 instead ..
I set out - not sure how far, how long .. what route .. it was going to be one of those days .. like Dora the Explora .. (ha-ha .. not that my kids ever watched her ..) I decided to turn off the main road and run what I thought would be a decent loop. First hill ... okay, a little level, next hill ... within the first mile I hit three big hills!! The little voice in my head reminded me 'what goes up, must come down..' .. running and waiting .. up yonder, another hill .. .. I won't divulge the conversation that was going on between that little voice and the screaming thighs by mile 3 of hills... the "down" just never came ..
Those stories of " in my day, I walked 5 miles to school, in a snow storm, up hill, both ways ..." seem to have some truth to them ... or is it that I'm getting older now, and soon I'll be telling those stories .."at my peak, I ran up hill both ways ... in a snow storm .... on March 20 ..."
Thank goodness for good songs on the shuffle .. thank goodness it was a beautiful day .. reasons why I love being back in Maine.

Thursday 13 … Thirteen things in March

2010-03-18T21:55:00.001-04:00

It's Thursday and it's time for Thursday Thirteen .. click here to play....

1. Picture of: A red barn

2. Current Scent: I’m not into heavy scents .. (although nothing compares to a Kouros smelling man) .. I enjoy cherry blossom right now ..

3. What I am reading: all I have is Cooking Light .. I'm on a quest for new recipes for my new house!

4. Newest music I added to my playlist: My newest jam for running on my shuffle is "Sex On Fire" by Kings of Leon ... very cool song!

5. Movie I saw: I have a steady movie date, and our last movie was Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief .. not at all a movie I would pick .. but I agreed to "expand my horizons" .. AND go to the late night show ..(quite the feat, since I crash by 9:00 pm!) It was actually enjoyable!

6. Something yummy: My latest crave is baked sweet potatoes ... I bake them and then have them when I want a snack .... melted butter and brown sugar ....MMMM! I feel like I'm being bad, when I'm not!! (well, sort of....>> story of my life!)

7. The Last Place I ate at: My steady date and I went to Apple Bee's before we saw the movie ..pomegranate martini's ... mm (oh, we ate .. quesadillas)

8. Something that made me cry: March has been a great month of NOT crying too much .. but I had a moment a couple of weeks ago during a conversation when I recognized that someone just cared for ME .. (imagine that!)

9. Something that made me laugh: My crazy teenagers .. last night they walked around the house talking in heavy Chinese accents .. it was hilarious

10. Something that I look forward to in April: Photo class with Cyn and Dory! YEAH!! and moving into a new house!!!!

11. Something I am thankful for: (only one?) ..for the ad in the paper, advertising a house for rent, which lead to a new job, a great house ...... and I think the start of my new beginnings!!!

13. A photo I took this month:

I took this picture because I thought it was rather symbolic … I have tried to grow Christmas Cactus for about five years, and I have never been able to get them to bloom. For some reason these two blooms started, just at the same time I thought my 2010 was in a hole .. they were big buds like this right when my new job and new house all fell into place .. new buds … new beginnings … Spring .. finally buds on my Christmas cactus!!!

Another moment ..

2010-03-14T21:49:00.001-04:00

While driving Ms Daisy (aka Alet), I couldn’t resist stopping for a picture. (One thing I have learnt with my Rebel: When the moment presents itself, take it .. you never know if you’ll get that moment again)

The Rant ..

2010-03-14T18:53:00.001-04:00

Today I am going to stand on my soap box and rant about FB. There is such a love-hate relationship with it, that I think I am finally deciding to call it quits. The relationship started about a little over a year ago, and like all new relationships it was fun and exciting. I got to "see" friends I hadn't seen in over 20 years .. catch up with a few .. keeping things very surface with some. I even had the ability to connect with my first "real" love! We talked about the last 25 years .. compared our married lives, and yes we even talked on the phone .. it was nice to catch up and move on.
At times, the updates can get a little much .. not sure if all that information is pertinent .. but, okay .. it's FB chatter. About six months ago someone misused my FB, and actually went through me to get to someone else .. which left me feeling almost violated .. so, I "deactivated" my account.
Last month I decided to start a new account .. new name, new person .. this time I would take more control and not allow too many in. HAH!! What a joke! >>Here comes my rant:
Those little magic 'security' buttons .. aren't much for security .. if someone wants to find you, they can! If it's not through your page, they can search through others and still find you (see above).. and then make requests to be friends .. what if you don't EVER want to be friends?
Then add insult to the injury.. the blocking thing!
I'm not one for small talk .. surface stuff .. if we are going to be friends .. let's be friends. But to pick and choose how to be friends.. why bother .. if you can't be real, don't be my friend.
I suppose I can delete the friendship ..and keep my other "friends" .. but what does that say in real life?
"Good morning world, today I choose to 'delete' Friend X because ... just because .."
I think I'll leave FB to my kids .. let it be their arena for social networking.... with all the technological accessibility, the common courtesy of a basic friendship has reached a level that is too simplistic for me.
For them it means nothing to delete and start over .. for me it means too much.
... end of rant<<

Changes ...

2010-03-12T13:36:00.000-05:00

So, I'm one third excited, one third nervous and one third sad today. Today is my last day as "work from home" day .. Monday I start a big girl job ... where I actually have to show up at a workplace promptly at 8:00 am completely dressed in my skirt, blouse, pantyhose and high heels ... ( I say this with a grin since the dresscode is skirt/dress AND pantyhose - I don't like pantyhose ..ugh! ...) .. I need to look put together after a morning of gym time, and teenagers to school all by 7:20 AM! I remember those days from a couple of years ago ..
No more sneaking off after dropping the kids to get some picture taking in, .. no last minute coffee plans with Cyn, no long phone conversations with my sister, and no more spicy soup luncheons at the house ... no more picking up the kids from school at 2, and listening to their stories in the living room while I work
.... Nope, just a regular working woman, going to work... the first step to a new career .. in two and three years both teenagers will fly from this little nest .. it's time to start thinking ahead .. Monday, a new day, a new beginning, a new adventure .... how exciting!!

Run to Eat, Eat to Run ..

2010-03-10T19:54:00.004-05:00

Ever had one of those days .... today has been an eating day .. I literally have not stopped eating ALL DAY! (Okay, okay .. I brushed my teeth 20 minutes ago in a feeble attempt to stop for the day at 7:30 pm)
Here is the list:
starting at 7:00am ..
peanut butter and crackers(with a cup of coffee),
a bowl of yoghurt and granola,
a dark chocolate almond fiber one bar
a whole wheat tortilla with stir fry vegetables, cilantro and cheese,
a slice of vegetable pizza,
a sweet potato,
hand full of M&M's (several times)..
then I discovered if you put 3 M&M's on a cracker it's like chocolate covered crackers .. so several of those ..
McD's select chicken, 3 pieces ..
did I mention M&M's?
then grilled chicken with another sweet potato ..
more hand ful of M&M's .. (I opened a second bag!!!!)
then a bowl of Oreo cookie ice cream.
end 7:30 pm (Oh my, that's one item every 50 minutes .. wow!)
Okay, I'm mildly embarrassed .. I tried counting the calories to see where I stood, but I decided to stop when I realized it was going to depress me leading me to eat more .... a terrible vicious circle!
This isn't out of depression or self-pity .. this is just one of those days that I want to eat ..
today was eat to run .... tomorrow will be run because I ate!
What a day ... I'm exhausted!

Looking forward ..

2010-02-28T16:31:00.002-05:00

Sooooooon we’ll be seeing these everywhere … I can’t wait! Today is such a dreary February day .. Tomorrow is March! YEAH!!!! March means Spring! flowers, sunshine … end of winter, and the start of new beginnings!!
It’s a great sign when you’re driving at 6:15am and it is light out!!! Hmm.. maybe I shouldn’t rush summer on too quick .. I need time to sculpt a bikini body!!

the trust ..

2010-02-21T22:10:00.069-05:00

So, a couple of months ago I wrote about keeping it real … I don’t do a good job with keeping it real .. I try and put humor in my posts, and try to ignore the things that make me angry or hurt me; but lately things have been boiling over .. (hence the lack of blogging .. ) ..
One of my things on my 2010 list was to keep a real blog now .. so, let’s talk .. I recently moved back home after ending my almost 20 year marriage. We married young .. we grew and matured at different rates .. and after 15 years I started to realize that the marriage wasn’t balanced. The biggest problem in our marriage was being respected, and the lack there of. Don’t get me wrong .. he was a ‘good man’ and a good dad .. just when it came to us and me, my voice didn’t count. Unfortunately, I waited too long and by the time we tried the counseling routine, I was too far removed, and the emotional trust I had with him was gone. We separated, and after eight months, I thought perhaps one more try .. but it became evident too quickly that, for me, emotionally, it was not going to come back, and the trust was forever gone. Five days before our 20th the divorce was final.
Obviously I have condensed the story, and skipped the sordid details .. the bottom line became the emotional trust factor .. when I realized I wasn’t ever good enough to be heard, I started building my walls to keep him out, thus allowing myself to grow strong and independent. As I grew more confident, I became less flexible to his wants and needs … and hence we stopped being a couple. Now that I am here with my two teenagers, single and strong, I wonder if my walls will ever come down. After having been in that relationship for so long, where I felt I wasn’t valued and respected, will I ever be able to allow anyone in close enough to show me that a true relationship is a partnership, which can exist; where respect flows mutually, and where I am valued for who I am.
Even though I have been divorced a few months, I feel like I have been physically and emotionally alone for a long time.. I think I have adapted well. I have learned that I don’t need someone in my life, rather, I can choose to want that someone in my life.
I did meet someone, I let him in a little .. enough of a little, to take my breath away .. enough of a little to start listening to his words, enough of a little to raise my fears and heighten my senses … I let him in a little too much, and now I am questioning if I have betrayed myself … again.

Is it time .... ?

2010-02-19T07:19:00.004-05:00

Occasionally I will "blog surf" and just read how others write. I love what this writer wrote:

"A leaf, pale gold and curled, lifts from a branch and rises in the updraft of an easy, cold breeze. It’s the middle of February, near the end of a rough winter, and somehow that leaf had been holding tight to its branch for all these months, through several feet of snow and the hard bite of blizzard winds. Then, on a sunny morning in a halfhearted breeze, it finally lets go.

I watch it twist and roll on an invisible current, never losing altitude, until it disappears around the corner of the house.

That, I think. I want to feel like that." A direct quote from Thursday Drive

That's where I am. I went into 2010 with a new attitude, this was going to be my year. A firm believer of "things happen for a reason" .. but OMG ... can someone please shed some light??
(I know it's been only seven weeks into 2010 .. truly, I am a positive thinker ... REALLY! I AM!)

Am I that much of a control freak that I thought I could make it all happen? Now that life is taking it's twists and turns, am I finally recognizing that I don't control it all? Do I need to consider letting go..
Is it time for me to 'go with the flow' and be like that leaf, let the wind carry me around the corner ...

More changes are coming .. some expected and some not .. where is that crystal ball .. oh, wait that wouldn't account for the "go with the flow" .. I guess it's back to the drawing board with goals and lists .. add a little faith and keep the vision...

River of Dreams ..

2010-02-18T13:36:00.000-05:00

For once I am feeling like I don't want to have a positive, can-do attitude. I had hoped for a break of sorts, and it didn't happen .. so today I am going to just feel like ugh.
Tomorrow will be a new day .. new adventure .. blah, blah, blah ...
I like this song ... completely forgot how happy it can make me feel (... see the negative doesn't stay long..)
The words are great .. enjoy!

In the middle of the night
I go walking in my sleep
From the mountains of faith
To the river so deep
I must be lookin' for something
Something sacred I lost
But the river is wide
And it's too hard to cross
even though I know the river is wide
I walk down every evening and stand on the shore
I try to cross to the opposite side
So I can finally find what I've been looking for
In the middle of the night
I go walking in my sleep
Through the valley of fear
To a river so deep
I've been searching for something
Taken out of my soul
Something I'd never lose
Something somebody stole
I don't know why I go walking at night
But now I'm tired and I don't want to walk anymore
I hope it doesn't take the rest of my life
Until I find what it is I've been looking for
(Three beat Pause)
In the middle of the night
I go walking in my sleep
Through the jungle of doubt
To the river so deep
I know I'm searching for something
Something so undefined
That it can only be seen
By the eyes of the blind
In the middle of the night (break)
I’m not sure about a life after this
God knows I've never been a spiritual man
Baptized by the fire, I wade into the river
That is runnin' through the promised land (Long Five beat Pause)
In the middle of the night
I go walking in my sleep
Through the desert of truth
To the river so deep
We all end in the ocean
We all start in the streams
We're all carried along
By the river of dreams
In the middle of the night

Oh .. those moments ..

2010-01-27T20:40:00.002-05:00

So another day with the teenagers .. another moment for the blog …setting the scene: 7:20 am .. school day, daughter is anxious and yelling, wants to leave ‘NOW’ .. son is gathering his stuff .. mom (me) doing finishing touches .. I tend to be the last out the door .. I want to make sure everything is off, nothing forgotten .. etc. So at the door, I grab my water bottle, two phones and my camera, and my coffee cup ..
Get in the truck .. daughter..”I don’t know why you need to be all dressed up, you’re just taking us to school …” me: “no, I have to go grocery shopping ..” son: “so .. you bring the camera?” me: “i always bring the camera, you never know what moments you can capture ..” son: “that’s ridiculous.. “ me: “hey, it’s not about how many breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away …” son: “oh, too many breaths taken away, and you die … ” daughter: “yea, you’re going to stop breathing” … son: “that’s it mom, we’re putting you on a suicide watch …” the CD player has Michael Buble playing in the background “tell me when will you be mine….tell me Quando, quando, quando …”
The bantering continues “SEE this is why we need to leave earlier .. we’re stuck in traffic, now I’m going to miss my midterm .. then it will be your fault that I failed …” “Can’t you just go around ..?!?” …their voices are loud .. the four mile drive seems like forty miles .. just a couple more minutes, I can tell them I love them and “have a good day” .. and then I can turn up my music, sip my coffee and drive with Michael crooning loudly ….” Let me show you the way, to a joy beyond compare …I can’t wait a moment more, tell me quando, quando, quando …just say it’s me that you adore … oh my love, please tell me when …”

That’s right ….!

2010-01-24T19:26:00.002-05:00

The Colts won!
Had a nice Sunday .. slept in (sort of..), made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins, did some work, walked briskly for two hours and had some defining conversation .. and then I got to watch my Peyton play!

Another Day at the Gym …

2010-01-23T17:11:00.000-05:00

Okay .. so I think I am ready to blog again … Tomorrow will have been three weeks of a silent blog brain. The last couple of days things were forming again .. I almost picture it as little voices talking in my head .. OH MY .. is that a sign of schizophrenia?? Maybe I’m going crazy .. that could very well be .. 2010 so far has been a crazy ride.

There have only been a few constants that I can depend on in 2010 .. my teenagers are still teenagers, and running is still keeping me half sane … (okay, and Peyton Manning is still the best, Bruce drives me crazy and I am grateful I am living in Maine!)

I am contemplating a road race on Super Bowl Sunday .. a ten miler, the first since 1991 .. the only thing stopping me to fully committing is the weather. The race will be on the coast, and this is Maine .. it may be very, very cold! I’m spoiled now, running in the gym is always hot .. nothing was hotter than today … i think this is why my blog brain is back!

If you have followed my older posts, you’ll know that I do a lot of my blog thinking while I run … running for me is therapeutic. Lately my runs have been the best .. literally! I have been running faster and longer .. it is absolutely fabulous! (So really, what does that mean? Lots of therapy?)But today was just plain funny .. I wish soulsistah R would have been there .. she would have appreciated this run. (Soulsistah R was my coworker last year, we decided we were sisters from different mothers.. although our mothers sounded identical. She too loves to run)

Running on a treadmill is not the most exciting thing .. in fact, anything beyond 30 minutes and it gets quite boring. That’s why it’s important to have good music and at times an accomplice like R to keep it all entertaining. Last year we used to scope the male athletes and name them if they were worthy of a third look!! There is ‘Legs’ , ‘Rebel’, ‘Air Force Guy’. .. and then our favorite ‘Marathon Man’.

So, today .. 8:00am at the gym, the treadmills are almost all taken .. except for two. (For a Saturday morning, 8:00am .. that’s pretty amazing) .. So, I hop on, get myself situated, when I look to my right, and realize it’s runner “Legs” .. “hmm,” I thought, “not too shabby” ..look to my left, and it’s runner “Nice guy” ..”I can do this ..” the treadmill begins for the arduous 10 miles.

Miles 1, 2 and 3 .. easy and slow .. I skip through some songs ..nothing seems to zing me .. mile 4, I’m realizing I’m not even half way .. that little voice started talking .. “maybe we don’t need to do 10 miles .. if we do 8, that’ll be 25 miles for the week .. that’s respectable ….” Then it happened .. .. Marathon Man hopped on the elliptical in front of me. Yes, in front …! (Normally I dread having anyone getting on a machine in front .. I don’t like the view) SOULSISTAH! Where are you??!! So .. re-energized, mile 4 turns into mile 5 .. enjoying my run … suddenly a thought ran through my mind .. to my right Legs, to my left, Nice Guy .. front right Marathon Man and front left empty .. ~~Damn~~, Darn .. Rebel needs to be on the left front … then I could be Madame President with my four body guards … out for my morning 10 mile jaunt … “c’mon boys, try to keep up…”

Hey, it was a thought … blog worthy!

(I got off after mile 7, even the body guards couldn’t keep me motivated! .. 20 minutes of weights, and I decided to finish the last 3 miles to music … it was safer that way!)

A Frosty Morning

2010-01-22T19:51:00.000-05:00

I love frosty mornings .. it drives the teenagers crazy because every morning when we walk out the door to go to school, I will have my camera in hand .. and every morning my teenage daughter will yell .. “why do you need to bring that ..” . Ah… they just don’t understand .. maybe one day they will.

This was a fun frosty Friday morning .. rushing out the door, not once but twice .. even us adults can act like teenagers sometimes!

A quiet corner ..

2010-01-20T13:03:00.001-05:00

It’s been very, very quiet in my corner… but I can feel my blog brain starting to stir..

2010 - the NEW YEAR! ~ and the new decade!

2010-01-03T17:00:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! I had planned on a "list" for my first blog of the year ..not the resolutions kind, but just a 2010 list. I was very excited to bring in the New Year .. glad to have 2009 behind me, and happily looking to 2010 as the year for new beginnings.
Once I have my list out of my head and on ~~paper~~ blog, I'll be sure to post it. For now, I am actually going to start the New Year differently, and am going to take a break from blogging.
My blog brain feels like the picture .. always peddling, but never moving forward! It's time to move forward...

A Foggy Day ..

2009-12-16T18:49:00.001-05:00

It’s kind of like a mood .. or a moment. Foggy. This morning I took a moment to catch up with some of my favorite bloggers, and read one that wrote about ‘being real’. It struck a chord .. being real… what is being real? (Foggy and being real .. where is the tie, you ask! Bear with me!) We all have our stories, our hardships, sadness and joys .. we choose to share some, bury others and explore the rest. In trying to be real, do we choose to be real for ourselves or for others .. or both?

To me, being real means being honest with yourself. Being (self)honest is one of the single most difficult tasks. Being honest can uncover raw emotions, and soul conflict which can cause tremendous turmoil …. for what? The ever longing quest to be happy?

(so .. here is the tie in>>) I think we walk around in a fog .. sometimes a recognizable fog and other times a self preservation-self protection fog. Sometimes its easier to bury the emotions deep inside as not to deal with the realities of what makes us angry, sad or even happy. Often times we pacify others to make them happy, and in result neglect what we feel inside.

Unfortunately, we can only stay in that fog for a limited amount of time. Our soul will force us to “be real” .. buckle up, enjoy the ride ..and make sure you turn on your fog lights, because the road ahead is foggy!

Photo Hunt - Undesirable

2009-12-12T07:13:00.000-05:00

As much as I labeled this “undesirable”, I thought it was beautiful in its own right.

To play click here..

Friday fill in ..

2009-12-11T06:49:00.003-05:00

To play click here.

1. Good times: _friends, wine and laughter_.
2. _Decorate_ my home.
3. Sleigh bells ring _are you listening?_.
4. _dream a_ little.
5. Once more _we are here again_.
6. __The__ end?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _making pizza and finish watching North and South_, tomorrow my plans include _a long run and a Christmas open house__ and Sunday, I want to _maybe decorate the house, watch football_!

Snow Anticipation

2009-12-09T07:12:00.001-05:00

Lonely One

2009-12-07T21:41:00.001-05:00

Manic Monday

2009-12-07T21:08:00.004-05:00

To play, click here!
If you could bring one character to life from your favorite book, who would it be?
This is really tough .. because like movies .. I just don't remember books once I have read them. I know Noah would be completely disappointed in me if he knew ... I would have to ponder .. do children's book count? I loved Ferdinand the Bull ..
Which cartoon character do you resemble the most?
oh... too much fun .. I used to love Garfield when I was a teenager; Tigger prior to being married .... and now? I don't know! Maybe Lucy from Charlie Brown ... haha!!
What vegetable do you resemble the most?
A sweet potato .. sweet, versatile, and tough, fiberous skin!

Sunday fun ..

2009-12-06T14:23:00.000-05:00

Nothing like a warm cookies, kids and a snowy Sunday!

It's Here ....

2009-12-05T13:06:00.000-05:00

It's official! The holidays are here!

Friday fill in ..

2009-12-04T18:00:00.001-05:00

To play along, click here!

You get _what you give__ .
__It's only__ right to _be honest__.
It's __that___ time.
_you are being__ ridiculous!
I feel more _determined_ .
_I love you _ ... goodnight!
As for the weekend, tonight I am looking forward to_an evening with my kids watching Leverage (what a cool show!)_, tomorrow my plans include _looking for semi-formal wear for both kids (hah! the dance is tonight!!)_ and Sunday, I want to_have my breakfast with Cyn, hopefully take some snow pictures, and some football _!

A New Day ..

2009-12-04T07:25:00.000-05:00

The moon before the sunrise, signs of a beautiful sunny day! My dad always said in his Dutch way that the sun will shine again tomorrow. (and yes, I got my run in!)

Rainy Day ..

2009-12-03T08:43:00.001-05:00

I’m trying to go running today .. this is the view from the inside of my truck … I want to run today! Melting is something that will happen if I run in the driving, cold rain! (hmm, perhaps cuddling under the blanket?!)

Friday fill in ..a little late

2009-11-28T12:12:00.003-05:00

Wait! wait, don't forget the _wine___ .
_Anger_ followed at once by _resentment_ .
The trouble is _proscrastination takes more energy than the actual deed__ .
_My sisters and my mom live too__ many miles away.
With a faint pop _the wine bottle was open .
_I love when the moon looks__ shadowy and ominous.
And as for the weekend, tonight I am looking forward to _ Chinese take out with my man_, tomorrow my plans include _working and moving my body to make up for the Thanksgiving feast_, and Sunday, I want to _relax, and perhaps a long walk__ !

Click here to play along!

Manic Monday

2009-11-23T21:46:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Fleur de Lisa for Manic Monday

What is the first thing you notice about people?
Their body language ... and the eyes .. eyes don't lie!

What song always makes you happy when you hear it?
ohhh .. so many songs! Right now it's Colbie Caillat's Fallin' For You

What fashion trend do you just not get?
oh, J would have way to much fun with this question! I am not the fashion guru ..
so trends ... I think I was just recently told that I was dressed in 70's style ...
Jeans, white t-shirt and jean jacket .. 70's??
I think I don't get the show-the-dental floss-jeans .. or too tight hip huggers and the muffin tops show... are those fashion trends? Probably not!

Happy Monday!

One

2009-11-19T10:22:00.001-05:00

This flower/weed/plant (I'm not sure what this is) calls me every morning when I walk to the truck to take the kids to school .. I love frosty mornings in Maine.

Manic Monday

2009-11-16T18:52:00.005-05:00

So .. I didn't like this week's Manic Monday, so I chose to take an older one, since I skipped so many opportunities this summer. Thanks to Fleur de Lisa for Manic Monday!

When and with whom was your first kiss?

I was 15.. with Paul. He was Irish. I couldn't have asked for a more gentleman first boyfriend.

Do you believe everything happens for a reason?

ohhhh YES! Not only do I believe things happen for a reason, but it happens to prepare you for what is to come. I would like to sometimes know WHY things happen, though!

What would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

You done good, come on in! Grab a chair and your wine glass .... let's review, see what you could have done differently and then let's celebrate!

For the weekend update: Great Sunday evening ..Colts won! Even if the Pats had won .. it would have still been a good evening ..

Sunday morning on the way to Breakfast with Cyn

Love Note ..

2009-11-14T12:54:00.001-05:00

My sisters and I met again in Amsterdam in September. We are trying to have an “annual sister reunion” .. this was reunion #2.

While walking with sister, Saskia, I saw this note on the ground. I don’t think it needs translation .. but just in case: “hey lovey .. or Hey Love” . The note just struck me .. it says so much without much written.

Hey Lieffie, Ik hou van jou!

Friday Fill In ..

2009-11-13T10:21:00.001-05:00

1. The last band I saw live was _Parachute Express (1997!!)_.
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is _watching Noah and Alet be around the Bond cousins!_(my sister’s grown up kids)_.

3. My Christmas shopping is _going to be replaced with volunteering__.
4. Thoughts of _”oh-i-should-be-running-not eating those chocolate chip-cookies”_ fill my head.
5. I wish I could wear _ohh.. there is so much! __.
6. Bagpipes _make me cry___.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _Fresh Maine lobsters in November __, tomorrow my plans include _moving some furniture, a little work, perhaps a run?____ and Sunday, I want to _watch the Colts and Pats … my two favorite teams, but only one QB .. Peyton_(sorry honey!)!

Thanksgiving '09

A New House in Maine

2009-11-08T18:43:00.001-05:00

We have moved back to Maine .. son, daughter, dog, cat and me! I’m excited, nervous, scared and finding peace.

Life in a Box

2009-11-06T08:32:00.000-05:00

A different story ..

2009-10-18T23:25:00.001-04:00

Last week I had the honor of attending a soldier’s funeral. It was my first military funeral. I didn’t know the soldier; all I know was that he was 27 and lost his life in Afghanistan. He was married for 5 months, and had a son from a previous relationship who was very young.

Something Different

2009-10-18T22:43:00.001-04:00

Boredom by Mind

Body by Milk

Manic Monday

2009-09-14T23:33:00.006-04:00

Thanks to Fleur de Lisa .. something I haven't done in a while! If you want to play, click here!

What's one new thing you have done this summer that you have never done before?

This is summer I learned how to rock climb (indoors) .. it was very interesting .. and certainly something if I had more time (and a little more courage) I would want to explore further. I had the best teacher, Richard, .. who was very patient and really knew how to talk me out of my fear of heights.

What is the one thing that you miss the most about summer when it is over?

One thing only?? .. I miss the long days .. I love that the sun comes up early, and goes down late into the evening. In the summer it's always about getting the most out of the sunshine ..

If you could eliminate one source of anger in your life right now, what would it be?

hahaha ... REALLY?? No, okay seriously ... one source of anger .. life is about choices .. so to have a source of anger must mean that you are choosing to stay in a position that would lead you to have a source of anger ... .. .. ... ... ... so, how do you eliminate the source of anger; isn't it just easier to make a decision not to be angry, or not to allow the source to influx the anger?

Okay, so I was a total geek this weekend and took over 700+ pictures of hummingbirds .. never have I seen soo many of this little creatures .. they were almost scary; large mosquitoes!

This last bird was my favorite .. you could only see his red neck if he turned a certain way and the light hit at a certain angle .. it was nice to take pictures .. I hadn't really done it like this since Maine .. too long!
HAPPY MONDAY!

Thursday 13 .. the letter B .. (really late on Sunday)

2009-09-06T14:57:00.001-04:00

So this was supposed to be done two weeks ago .. for Thursday 13

The Letter B

1. My Boy - Noah .. did it again .. he tried a 3ft jump with his bike .. and landed on his shoulder, breaking his collar bone.

2. Boston four weeks ago ..... it was the Best

3. Bar Harbor last weekend .. Beautiful

4. I don't know where I would be without my Best friends

5. Blueberries in my yogurt and granola; daily around 10 am

6. Brandt!

7. I finally have my Red Sox Booties for my truck (okay, so that was a stretch .. I was thinking Baseball)

8. i really should be better about this Blog

9. My Black heels should have been sexier, Janine told me so!

10. My mom had a german shepherd named Beauty

11. Gotta love Barry White's bedroom voice!

12. Bangor, Brewer, Bucksport .... cities in Maine! (hmmm .. a theme???)

13. One of my favorite desserts: warm Brownies, Oreo cookie ice cream, hot fudge and caramel

Thursday 13 .. the letter A

2009-08-13T23:34:00.005-04:00

So .. I unofficially took the summer off, and was not a good blogger. Tommie, my inspiration had purposely taken time off, and has come back to the blog world. Reading her blog gives me the drive to try again ..

Thursday's have always been my favorite .. because it always has to do with Thursday13 .. Tommie started with the alphabet again .. so I think for a change I will too. (I never said I was original!)

So for today's Thursday .. the letter A

Aletta - my favorite daughter

Animal - my favorite muppet

Anchovies - when I was pregnant with Noah, I craved anchovy salad .. the restaurant in Gloucester MA used to make it daily for me!

Asics - my favorite running shoe

American Airlines - frequent flyer miles .. coming up!

Avalanche - my truck .... I looove my truck!

Asymmetric - things need to be .. isn't that what makes life exciting?

Amsterdam - when can we go?

Australia - did I mention frequent flyer miles? ... when can we go?

A - phone (kind of like I-Phone ..) my cell phone is on it's very last legs, and I'm going for the i-phone ..(okay .. so I was reaching!)

Ants - have you been attacked by the red ones?!? The bites itch for days!!
Antonio .. San Antonio .. we're running a half marathon in November!
Augh!!! ..or is it Ahhhhhhhhh!! Guess depends what you are responding to!!!

Photo Hunt

2009-07-18T18:00:00.001-04:00

I haven’t played this meme in a long time .. today’s theme is Rocks ..

These rocks came from Cynthia’s house .. I brought Bruce over for a play date with his buddy Seamus. We had been in Maine for 7 months, and he hadn’t seen Seamus yet. It was a wonderful reunion ..

Bruce is the shaven one, Seamus is laying down, and Molson is the inspiration to why we have Golden's!

Moon over Texas

2009-07-15T00:03:00.001-04:00

Last week the moon was huge as it was coming up .. I couldn’t resist going crazy with the Rebel and just taking pictures. I was once told that no matter how far apart you are from someone, all you have to do is look at the moon; since it is the same moon that they are looking at too.

Thursday 13 .. I will miss Maine

2009-06-25T22:36:00.006-04:00

So, my time is ending in Maine .. and hence on Thursday, it is time for T13 and therefore it is time for Thirteen things I am going to miss about Maine. Of course these are not in any particular order, since I don't play favorites .. also this is quite a consolidated list, since there are so many more things I would miss .. and of course so many more people ..

Growing up my family moved around every three to four years .. I have learnt in the last three years that I really like being stable and in one place .. that is why I have grown to love Maine. I have always felt that my roots finally grew here when we arrived in 1998. The town that we lived in has been the longest place .. and the house that we owned for five years, before we moved, was the longest I had ever lived in! Maine became home.

Maine

Cynthia and Tim, most of all Cynthia!

Janine - see #8 ..

Rachel - and Jonesy? oh no, I meant work.. we worked a lot, and laughed a lot (at work, while we worked)

Being able to drive to Massachusetts on a moments notice to see my sister

Scenic road trips .. for so many reasons

My in laws knowing they are close by

Seadogs (okay .. maybe I should say "places out" since it's really about the wine and good company!)

Luna's (is that too close to number 8?)

Thai lunches

Subway lunches on park benches when the sun shines! (Must take advantage of those precious sunny moments!!)

Running Hills (a good work out after the wine!)

Feeling like I am home

Thanks to Janet and Megan ... if you want to play click here!

Photostory Friday on Sunday ..

2009-06-07T19:15:00.001-04:00

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

What a difference four months make!

Friday Fill In .. on Saturday!

2009-06-06T08:47:00.001-04:00

1. __There is a great big hill, which gets me all the time, when I am running towards_ home.
2. My favorite thing for dinner lately has been _dinner? is that when you cook? oh, going out .. quesadillas__.
3. _____ bark! bark! bark! (That’s what she said)
4. A nice long walk _can clear the mind _.
5. __Summer is virtually here, for Maine, that is _ some good news.
6. When all is said and done, _you will still need to look in the mirror _.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _a night out with the girls_, tomorrow my plans include _a night out with the girls_ and Sunday, I want to _kayak early in the morning_! (out with the girls again?! LOL …. just kidding!)

Click here to play along … happy weekend!

Thursday 13 - 13 Reasons to Run again!

2009-06-05T07:18:00.001-04:00

Happy Thursday …

So .. lately I have been on a non running streak .. kind of like having a blog block .. so for tonight’s Thursday 13 tradition .. pondering on what list needs to be created .. I thought it may be motivating to find 13 reasons to get back on track …. so, here it goes …

New running shoes: nothing feels better than a new pair of shoes
“I eat to run, and run to eat” …… I love to eat … all day long .. no running means no eating??!!
Is that why I am feeling pudgy? …. ya, I’m not too happy about that!
I need to be able to answer “YES” when I get asked “Did you run today?” (…..YES .. I ran today!!)
These are the last few weeks in Maine … go and run those hills .. we all know Texas has none!
I love smelling the lilacs this time of year
Get training for the half marathon ~ ambitious goal: Rock ‘n Roll in San Antonio in November
You just never know who you’ll meet running down the street .. or the sights that you see ..
ahhhh yes … the pain .. in the hips, knees .. I run for the pain …NOT ! (oops, this was a motivational list!)
My music … although I need to change it up again .. some of Noah’s music is getting a little too loud for me ..
That sense of accomplishment after a long run .. I need to feel that again.
Alone time
Nothing is more freeing then to step out of the house, knowing you’re running .. and not knowing where you are going, or how long you’ll run for … just ‘going for a run’

Manic Monday

2009-06-01T20:48:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Fleur de Lisa for Manic Monday .. check her blog … very cool!

Imagine you're packing a picnic lunch. What would be in your basket?

First question .. who am I picnicking with? That would make the difference with what is in my basket!!

Second question .. where will we picnic? the beach? the park? a long hike up the mountain? … all these things would matter to know what will be in my basket!

Third question .. how is the weather? .. warm, sunny? fall crisp day? ….

Oh wait … is this a spontaneous picnic? … I am a “prepared go with the flow“ type of gal!

If your life were a weather vane, which direction would it be pointing right now? Southwest!

What's something that people do in traffic that really annoys you?

It absolutely frustrates me when the sign on the road says “left lane will close in 1/2 mile” and people continue to travel in the left lane, and then try to squeeze in right at the blinking arrow .. they should have gotten in line three quarters of a mile ago.

Sunday Fun ..

2009-05-31T19:45:00.001-04:00

I love this picture .. this was taken last week at Boothbay Harbor. As I am going through my pictures for my fun photography class .. I discovered this program on my lap top that would make my blogging life easier .. who would have known?? So I am posting this picture as a “try out” .. with this new found tool … woohoo! Don’t you just love discovering something new that makes your life easier … AND.. it didn’t cost you anything because you already had it .. !

Fill In Friday … on Saturday

2009-05-30T09:59:00.001-04:00

1. It's cold and _damp and dreary …not a good day for a run (hmm yea, good excuse! Hit the snooze button)__.
2. _My grandmother used to make grilled_ tomatoes, and my sisters and I would choke them down, never admitting that we hated them!
3. My favorite health and beauty product is _anything Lancôme__.
4. _Ensure that the final destination is worth_ a nice long ride.
5. Well, first of all _you can’t always get everything that you want, all the time, you can, however, control one or two things__. (words by photo teacher/guru Bernie)
6. _My old work family_; those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was _weird!__.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _an evening with Janine_, tomorrow my plans include _a run, clean the house, some photo opportunities____ and Sunday, I want to _have more photo opportunities ..and depending on the weather, who knows_!

Play along and join us right here!

Have a great weekend!

Thursday 13 .. Thirteen Things in May

2009-05-28T21:44:00.004-04:00

The last Thursday of the month ..thirteen things in May, stolen in it's original form from Janet at T13 .. here we go:

Picture of: Boothbay Harbor

Aletta took this picture while we were in Boothbay Harbor .. isn't she just awesome?

Current Scent: I'm not a big perfumey person .. (although I love a well scented man!) .. so I rarely wear perfume .. maybe a spritz of China Blossom from Bath and Body ..

What I am reading: Sigh .. reading? a book?

Newest music I added to my playlist: I just added Second Chance by Shinedown

Movies I saw: Star Trek .. thank goodness for Noah .. he had to keep telling me what was going on .. I couldn't get into the past and future thing ...

Something Yummy: ..ahhh .. we specifically bought fudge from a great store in Greenville

The Last Place I ate out at: Noah, Alet and I went to the Black Frog .. in Greenville..

Something that made me cry: ahhh ... really? ..what about the latest recommendation to wear push up bras because the girls were hanging a little low .......? This recommendation came from none other than ..... Aletta. ... I love my daughter!

Something that made me laugh: the sight of the tall grass in the yard .. I need to mow the lawn!

Something that I look forward to in June: oh .. so much to do, to see, to explore .. to take pictures of ... and I still have to set my kayak in ...and then at the end of the month .. Texas

Something I am thankful for: the ability and opportunity of being here these last 7 months.

Something I want to remember this month: This was probably the most defining month in the last 6 months .. lots of up and downs .. laughs and tears .. realizations and recognitions ..

A photo I took this month: for our photography class I have been taking several ... but I realized our cat rarely makes it in ..

What a great weekend!

2009-05-27T19:55:00.004-04:00

We had a crazy weekend .. now that the move to Texas is a few short weeks away, I have gone into over drive to ensure that I have all the experiences and pictures to last me until the next time we come back for a visit.

Being a long weekend, we would take advantage of that extra day off, and so we decided that going to the coast would be a great place to take pictures .. so off to Boothbay Harbor we went.

We had a great time .. we stopped and had lunch, and then decided to get ice cream. Standing there, waiting in line, I was doing what I love .. people watching, when suddenly I recognized a guy walking by .. I ran out of the ice cream shop .. my kids totally dismayed with the idea that I had just desserted the line we were in (no pun!), and started looking for what I knew would be a beautiful blonde lady.... and there she was! I yelled out "Kris?!?" .. low and behold ... friends of ours that we hadn't seen in 10 years ... They had come up from Massachusetts .. for the day to Boothbay Harbor .. our stars were in alignment ... it was so good to see them. We stood for 15 minutes trying to recapture all that lost time. It was soooo great to see them!

Friday fill in ..a little late

2009-05-23T07:39:00.006-04:00

1. Moving _again, back to Texas, and this time I will enjoy what Texas has to offer. I have learned that Maine will always be "home" to me, and it will always be here... __.
2. _The simple things in life are _ free. (Well ... okay, sometimes an initial investment, like a kayak .. but then the paddling is free!)
3. My best quality is _(augh..struggle, struggle ..) I'm a good listener .....(what did you say?)_.
4. _Pay attention to the little _ details.
5. In nearly 10 years, _I'll be 50! That just seems so unreal .. my sisters are the older ones ... not me!__.
6. _Good motivation to run on a more consistent basis_ is what I need right now!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _Chinese food, and a movie with Noah_, tomorrow my plans include _going to the dump (yippee!), a modified run, and some photo opportunities__ and Sunday, I want to _go on a road trip for more photo opportunities or Kayak?____! ..and holiday Monday ... relax and enjoy Memorial Day (can I squeeze kayak here?).

Have a Happy Memorial Weekend ..... summer is here .... YEAH!!!! (oh wait, that means school vacation .... hmmm!)

Thursday 13 ..

2009-05-21T22:05:00.005-04:00

So today I received an email from Cynthia that had 45 life lessons, which I have broken down to 13 of my favorite life lessons in celebration of another T13. (Yeah .. it's Thursday!)

Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

When in doubt, just take the next small step.

Life is too short to waste time hating anyone ...

Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

Growing old beats the alternative ... dying young.

Time heals almost everything .. Give time.

What other people think of you is none of your business.

No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

Your children get only one childhood.

Over prepare, then go with the flow. (hmm.... no longer am I a "planner" .. I'm a prepared "go with the flow" person!!)

I may have to create another list .. I struggled with limiting 13 .. there were other good ones.

Happy Thursday!

Manic Monday

2009-05-18T20:42:00.003-04:00

If you could completely redecorate any room in your house at no expense to you, what room would you choose? My bedroom

Which hour of the day do you feel goes the slowest? .. depends on the type of day … and what is going on .. sometimes all day goes slow .. or when you have a lunch date, the morning will drag … Doesn’t it seem that when you are anticipating something, the time slows down?

If your birthday could be in a different month of the year, when would you have it? I think I would pick June … summer time

Thursday 13 .. things that irritate me ..

2009-05-14T22:06:00.001-04:00

Okay … so it’s Thursday again .. and thanks to Janet and Megan, join me on T13 …. I have been terrible with keeping up with my blog. Running and blogging must go hand in hand .. I have been terrible with running as well. I’m not sure what this phase is called, and how long it will last … it is certainly scaring me since I am eating a lot, and running NOT! Every morning when that wonderful alarm goes off, I either don’t hear it .. or I just can’t get myself to acknowledge that it is “that time” .. and going to the gym now seems so … ‘ugh’ … with the weather getting warmer, it gets stuffier and stuffier… and now for some reason, people find it necessary to climb on the tread mill beside me instead of using the others that stand lonely and still on the other side. Don’t crowd me! (unless of course we know each other and I like you .. also wouldn’t hurt if you look good when you run!! LOL) In reality I should go run outside .. and hopefully, very shortly I will find the motivation again. (If it isn’t the motivation, maybe it will be my brand sparkling new running shoes! )

So .. Thursday 13, traditionally the favorite day of meme’s .. I asked my loving son what type of list I should create .. and he told me to come up with the 13 things that irritate me .. hmmmm! So here it goes:

Dog hair - or lint on my clothes.
Barking dog .. Bruce has a knack of barking when I am on the phone. Or he barks when he wants to eat. .. he just barks randomly.
Noise … tonight Alet has her girlfriend over .. together they have eaten 10 lbs of sugar .. then combine it with Noah .. the Xbox skateboard game .. a dog all in a small room …. it’s very noisy in my house tonight!
Office politics
People who judge … don’t judge someone unless you have walked in their shoes
Walking into a messy house ~ unfortunately my teenagers haven’t learned to clean up after themselves .. so more often than not I come home to a messy house ….. augh!
Rap music … especially when there is poor grammar and mispronunciation involved …. “AKS” instead of ASK
Can we talk politics??
People who whine and complain ….. … .. oh, wait!
Boy … this is harder than I thought .. Alet pointed out a few things I should write .. but I told her it wouldn’t be appropriate ..
Sunday drivers … not that I am a speedster … just a woman driver with a purpose … move over!
Wet, cold, windy days … not much you can do with those .. (a night like tonight …)(…. well wait! I guess you can start a fire… and warm up the house! ..)
Plugged toilet …. if you plug it up … unplug it! Take ownership, man! (and slow down on the toilet paper! One square is enough … LOL!!!!!!! just kidding!)

Surprise in Maine!

2009-05-03T20:34:00.001-04:00

Last week I was honored and lucky enough to be able to see our neighbor from Texas as he was passing through on his way to Iraq for deployment. Maine has one of the best troop greeters program. See more about them on www.mainetroopgreeters.com . They are volunteers that will come to the airport to greet our troops as they leave the US or as they are coming home. It is so surreal to sit at the airport, and be part of the celebration when our troops enter the terminal .. almost like the commercial from Budweiser. I still got tears when I see that one!

Budweiser Commercial

It was so good to see him, at the same time it was strange to see my Texas neighbor in Maine! Memories are posted in the Oasis . Thank you R and A for your sacrifice, I will be thinking of you.

Something to be passionate about ..

2009-05-02T23:33:00.001-04:00

So, my first homework assignment in my photography class is to take four or five pictures of “something that you feel passionate about” . Relatively easy I thought to myself…

Thursday was a beautiful day, the sun was out .. 70’s ..in April, for Maine ..it’s summer! All I could think about was kayaking .. I wanted to be outside .. my mind wandered about picture taking “something I feel passionate about …” Then it occurred to me .. how do I take four or five pictures of something I am passionate about? Is there such a thing as being passionate about an object? .. Doesn’t passionate go with emotion? Was this a trick assignment? Did he mean to take pictures of an object .. or of a thought …… ?

So, fast forward to today .. during my long run, I went back to the thoughts of my homework assignment, and knowing I would be able to take pictures this afternoon …… but of what? I started questioning the whole idea of “what am I passionate about?”. I made a mental list .. the things I feel passionate for are intangible; I feel passion for being healthy, making sure I eat healthy, (and yes, wine and chocolate equate to healthy eating .. it’s all in the balance!) that I exercise regularly (and have recovery days!!) and that I don’t deprive myself of sleep.

I am passionate about living .. making that bucket list, and crossing things off. Alet once said “if you aren’t living on the edge you’re taking up too much space ..” Obviously there is a time and place for everything, however, life is not a dress rehearsal, live life!

Sooo… meanwhile, I am still running, and notice the scenery .. an island of tulips .. beautiful yellow, orange and red .. right on the Main Road ..note to self: come back and take a picture; and that’s when it hit me. In photo taking, I am passionate about simple, natural beauty. I love to find Mother Nature’s surprises and capture them. Now I just need to get good at it, and make sure the picture does it justice!

Friday fill in ..

2009-04-30T21:08:00.005-04:00

1. The first rule of working in an office and getting along is _ to create "fat friday" and bring lots of food every friday .. preferably the good fattening stuff!____.

2. _Fried _ clams.

3. When I think of carnivals I think of _fried dough ____.

4. _The tulip is_ my favorite spring flower.

5. Things on my desk include _an apprepriation note from my boss__.

6.Hair stuck in the drain of the shower_ makes me wanna _gag____.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _lol, grocery shopping?? i would much rather go out for a drink!____, tomorrow my plans include _a run, and picture taking__ and Sunday, I want to _join the March of Dimes and do more pictures____!

If you want to play .... come and click here!

Thursday 13 .. Thirteen Things in April

2009-04-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

It's the last thursday of the month .. time for Thirteen Things in April... stolen in it's original form from Janet of T13 ...

Picture of: Alet took this picture of herself ... my girl is so talented! She should be taking the photography class .. not me!

Current Scent: I still am not burning candles .. but have had the scented oil with bamboo sticks in a jar ... Fresh Fig from Pier 1

What I am reading: trying to understand photography

Newest music added to my playlist: ahh.. Noah's zune .. Disturbed, Saliva .. Korn?!?

Movies I saw: Duplicity with Bob (was disappointed)

Something yummy I made: I made Arlene's Potato Chowder for Alet.. her favorite

The last place I ate out: Muddy Rudder .. we sat out on the deck!

Something that made me cry: Easter Sunday .. too many truths came out

Something that made me laugh: when I was trying to be stealth-like, and I leaned into the horn of the truck, accidentally!

Something I look forward to in May: K-A-Y-A-K ... sunshine

Something I am thankful for: being healthy.. I finally broke the 10 mile barrier, and ran 12 miles last Saturday!! (the last time I ran this many miles in one day was 1991!)

Something I want to remember this month: How brave Alet was when she had her wisdom teeth removed (and then I made her go to school after 4 days, while her face was still swollen! Is she scarred forever?)

A photo I took this month:

I miss the Texas sunsets .. another quest .. finding the perfect sunset in Maine.

Thursday 13 .. Random thoughts

2009-04-23T21:20:00.005-04:00

I love thursday13 (T13) .. mostly because it is a list 'thing' .. and it is random .. soo, random thoughts tonight!

I need to get to work; the longer I blog, the later I stay up

The Office is on .. another procrastination to work!

Alet is phenomenal at healing .. she had four impacted wisoms removed, and her i-teeth exposed ... this morning! She wanted to go bathing suit shopping tonight!

Run?! I'm not going to the gym tomorrow ... oh wait .. I haven't gone all week! S-L-U-G

However, I did run 12 on Saturday ....(and here I thought it was 11.5~!)

Friday tomorrow!

Kayak this weekend ... they are saying 80's .....in April in Maine !! K-A-Y-A-K!

Note to self: go out back and harvest from the money tree .. that is where the money comes from right?! It's what the kids must think ...

Not sure if I like my haircut .. bangs.. what do I do with them?

The world is our playground ... watched Yes Man today ..

Can I go to sleep .. I am soooo tired ..

Tell Alet to go to bed .. I want to go to bed!

I'm so glad it's Friday tomorrow ... K-A-Y-A-K this weekend

Manic Monday

2009-04-20T23:04:00.003-04:00

Thank you to Lisa for another Manic Monday ...

Describe to me your favorite lounging clothes.
A big sweatshirt, comfy jeans ... and barefoot .. or if it's chilly: socks/fuzzy slippers

If you promised to never lie again in your lifetime, in what area would it be hardest to uphold the promise?
Just the whole concept of 'never lie' again is a lie ..... we all have degrees of telling lies .. it's in our nature. We do it to survive, to protect others, and to just plain be dishonest to ourselves ... so to answer the question : the area of self preservation!!

Give a one word answer to the question "why is life worth living".
Love

ABC's of me ..

2009-04-20T21:00:00.008-04:00

This came from my sister in law, Chris, from Facebook ... I thought it was kind of fun ...

The ABC’s of me…

A - Age: actual age 43, but when asked .. 39 .. forever!
B - Bed size: Full .... I looooove my bed!
C - Chore you hate: I don't like to clean the litter box .. ugh!
D - Dog's name: Bruce

E - Essential start your day item: my toothbrush

F - Favorite color: i don't have a favorite .. i have many .. all in the autumn family -

G - Gold or Silver: white gold!

H - Height: about 5'4" ... sigh .. I keep shrinking ..

I - Instruments you play(ed): second fiddle, Still do in many ways. (this was my sister in law's answer ... I love it!! hahaha!) I played the piano, many moons ago.

J - Job Title: Assistant Office Manager - i really don't like titles ..

K - Kid(s): 2 - Noah and Aletta

L - Last movie seen: What About Bob in the house, and at the theater Duplicity ... weird

M - Mom's name: June

N - Nicknames: Jule, Jules, .... i'm sure there have been others .. but we are a E rated blog!

O - Overnight hospital stay other than childbirth (if applicable): Last year May, in Temple Texas .. . they thought I had had a heart attack ... so I got to stay overnight while they did all the tests .. no one knew I was there, so I got to spend the majority of the day in deep thought of "what if's ..." It was quite the "here-is-the-light-bulb-over-your-head" moment .. (btw, no heart attack ... phew)

P - Pet Peeve: Dog hair everywhere ...(the solution? Shave the dog!)lol no pun intended
Q - Quote from a movie: "I'm gonna come at you like a spider monkey!"

R - Right or Left Handed: Left

S - Scared of: being surprised

T - Time you wake up: What day is it? On gym days 4:15am, on recovery days .. 6:00am, Saturday 7:00am and Sunday .. who cares! UNLESS of course any of the previous nights have an adult evening ... then we change the rules!

U - Under the water or Up in the air: hmmm ... that's difficult .. under water for how long? .. doing what?

V - Vegetable(s) you dislike: i like most of my vegetables ..

W - Ways you run late: my kids? ... see letter T ...

X - X-rays you've had: During my heart attack hospital stay ...everything having to do with seeing the lungs and heart!

Y - Yummy food you make: Noah loves my Seafood Casserole

not sure where Z went!!

picture by Alet

Friday fill in ..

2009-04-17T20:16:00.004-04:00

1. Join me in _at the next road race_.
2. Put a little _spice_ in your day!
3. Happiness is _a content heart and a satisfied soul__.
4. _Dazed_ and confused.
5. I'm waiting for _the right time_.
6. _ Red wine ___ is hard to resist.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _a quiet night at home_, tomorrow my plans include _a long run, big groceries, and finishing work_ and Sunday, I want to _have breakfast with Cyn__!

This is one of the reasons I love being back in Maine .. breakfast with Cynthia! ...

Friday fill in ..

2009-04-03T05:00:00.001-04:00

1. Angel or not, I will _be_.
2. _(really!?!) ..Take me_ any way you want me.
3. As my mother used to say, you're full of _wrinkles__.
4. _I love to give myself permission to eat whatever I want_ after I'm done working out or doing something strenuous.
5. Even in the most crowded of rooms _loneliness can exist_.
6. _Report card day_ is a day fraught with peril.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to __a quiet night_, tomorrow my plans include dump run .. an outside run if it's sunny .. _ and Sunday, I want to _have breakfast with Cyn and maybe do a short road trip, or not_!

Photo Story Friday .. Sad Day

2009-04-02T21:20:00.004-04:00

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Thursday was a sad, sad day. Truck and I were driving home from the gym at 6:00am when we hit a deer. It was so sad and horrible. First, I hurt a living creature ... aah.. I don't like to kill spiders, so I was quite upset! .. and second ... damage to my truck ... ahh! The last time I had to report a vehicular accident was back in February 1993! It was a rough start to the day... (thank goodness I had a decent run!)

Thursday 13 .. Thirteen Things in March ..

2009-04-02T20:06:00.007-04:00

(Header courtesy of Samulli)

I love Thursday 13 .. today's idea I stole from Janet .. where she wrote about "Snapshots of Thirteen Things in March" .... check her blog .. very cool!

1. Photo of me:

2. Current Candle Scents: I haven't really been burning any candles .. but when the mood strikes, the one I like is by the CandleLady .. another one of those learning's from my "Texas Army best in the world neighbor wives"!

3. What I am currently reading: I switch between Runner's World and Cooking Light. I haven't had a chance to sit long enough to enjoy a good book since New Year's Eve.

4. Newest music added to my play list: Well, since that dreaded moment of losing my hard drive, I have been reconstructing my Itunes Library .. I need better running songs. .. P!nk was the latest edition.

5. Movies I saw: We saw "The Reader" (very ... interesting!) and Gran Turino ...mm Clint still has it.

6. Something yummy I made this month: I made Tommie's Chocolate Chip pumpkin muffins, modified: whole wheat, fat free, and sugar free. (Of course the Chocolate chips and butterscotch chips were real)

7. The last place I ate out: A great place in the coastal town of Boothbay Harbor .. I'm embarrassed to say that I don't remember the name.

8. Something that made me cry: ..... my pending divorce

9. Something that made me laugh: ... the ride home from Boothbay Harbor

10. Something I look forward to this month: Warm weather .. I want to kayak and run outside

11. Something I am thankful for: my job

12. Something I want to remember this month: my 13 year old daughter organized a surprise birthday party for me .. she initiated it, and with help from my girlfriends, we all ate happily at Miguel's! What a thoughtful thing to do!

13. A photo I took this month:

Photo Story Friday .. Happy Box

2009-03-21T23:20:00.005-04:00

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek While at work on Friday, I received a phone call from my son:"Mom, there is an M&M box at the door .. I must open it."me: "Is your name on it?"son: "No.."me: "who's name is on the box?"son: "yours .."me: "ahh, so it is my box ... you can't open it."son: "but mom ... I really must have it .. "me: "son, I am sorry, it is mine! It is for my birthday .. you will have to wait."

*side note: never stand between a mother and her M&M's*

When I opened the door, and saw the box, it just reminded me of a Happy Box!

Who wouldn't be happy to be welcomed home with a box like that on the counter?

AND ... on top of that .. personalized M&M's!!

My sister is so awesome ..

Friday fill in ..

2009-03-19T21:09:00.005-04:00

Thank you to Janet for Friday Fill In..

1. Why do we have to_go grocery shopping so often_?
2. _Early morning gym days_and eating all the time_ are now habits.
3. I have an insatiable urge to go kayaking .. I can't wait for the weather to warm up. I have missed the Maine waterways!__.
4. I had never heard the phrase "_adjudicate" and it _always makes Rachel and me laugh ..but then again we laugh at almost anything lately!_.
5. _The weekend is here, and mentally I create a large, not-enough-time-to-do-list,__ the way I always do.
6. How was I to know _life could take such sharp turns_.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _taking Alet to the mall (taxi mom?), tomorrow my plans include _10 and Chinese food with the inlaws____ and Sunday, I want to _have Breakfast with Cyn, and relax____!

Thursday 13 .. Random thoughts

2009-03-19T18:47:00.006-04:00

Header from samulli

I love Thursday Thirteen .. a meme to share and have fellow bloggers know more about you .. link in at T13 right here!

So, today is Thursday .. end of the week. By now I am usually tired from the week .. and so my brain begins to chatter. I have been thinking about what 13 items I could write about, and I just couldn't settle with all that chatter .. so here are my random thoughts again ..

Augh .. 6:53pm .. I haven't started dinner yet ..I am tired! Noah will be asking pretty soon "what's for dinner" .. how about breakfast for dinner?! I can always pull out the faithful George and his grill.. he makes great burgers!

"I'm safe .. up high ... " the song in my head. Sober by P!nk. It's a great running song. Usually I hope that it shuffles on during the last mile to push me through.

I did 6 today .. felt really good .. I'm sore though. Co-worker R and I have started something different .. we have incorporated weight training .. it's a little scary for me, because I have had to sacrifice a running day to do weights. I'll get withdrawals ...

I read in Runner's World how the "older" we get the harder the recuperating phase is .. they used 35 yrs as the starting point for "old" ... w-t-h? so... does that make me ancient?

Saturday I will be 39 again .. and again, and again! Okay.. not really- 43! I have a picture of my mom at 43.. I was 12 ... I thought she was old then ...Alet is 13 .. she tells me I am getting "old and crippled" AUGH! I don't feel old ... that must count for something!

I'm cold .. the sun felt good today .. it was almost 50 leaving work .. woohoo!

I have to do some work .. and then bed .. I have been averaging 5 hours of sleep at the most ..way too little

Friday tomorrow ... Saturday .. long run

I need to change my music on my shuffle .. oh wait! I lost my I-tunes library .. RAWR! As Alet says, time for new music

So George and his grill won out .. I ate a burger .. that is twice now in a month (last time prior to that must have been close to 8 months, if not longer ..) Noah had his burger with cheese and bacon .. ugh .. good fuel for tomorrow!

Contacts are dry .. I need to go to yellow-smiley-face store and buy another box of CL's ..

Noah needs more jeans .. I think he grew another inch or so ... he was showing me how short his jeans were getting ... they are only 5 months old!!!

Love the number 13 .. (okay .. I like 5 too!)

Happy Thursday!

Photo by Cynthia

Manic Monday ... late!

2009-03-18T22:00:00.000-04:00

Are you a saver or spender?
ohhh most definitely NOT a spender ... don't get me wrong .. I don't mind spending .. but it has to make sense .. or for a good time .. like an exotic vacation ..beach? ..
I don't enjoy aimlessly shopping .. to buy just because you can. .. when I shop,I always shop for the best deal.. it's a fine line .. don't buy it just because it is on sale .. (however .. when it comes to shoes .. none of the above apply .. except for the 'on sale' part ..)
Do you prefer to walk around barefoot in your home? Socks? Shoes?
hmm... During the winter in Maine .. barefoot is just not good! Inside the home, the shoes come off. I think that was a thing my mother taught me. She used to always tell us to take our shoes off because you never knew what dirt lay on the underside of the shoe. I am more comfortable in bare feet .. especially in the summer.
Do you talk to yourself?
hahahaah ... lately it seems more than usual!

A Different way to do it!

2009-03-18T20:45:00.007-04:00

This week I am combining two memes ... I don't know if there are official rules or not ... but here it goes!
Photohunter is brought to you by TNChick .. basically a theme is given for Saturday, post a picture about the theme ... simple! I haven't participated in a loooong time, but I thought this (past) week's theme was easy .."four" ..
The other meme is Zena Musings Sacred Life Sunday .. modified version of what makes my innerself celebrate ...

So when I hear the word four, I can't help but think of my sisters ... I don't know if it is because I always heard "four girls" ... "four daughters" ....

My sisters make my innerself celebrate! They are magnificent women ... what makes it difficult is that we literally live world's apart .. one sister in Massachusetts, one in Amsterdam and one in Manila ..... *sigh*

I have a different relationship with each one, as each one is so different from the other, yet when you put us all together we blend like oreos and ice cream! (You have no idea how long it took me to think of that!)

We were able to get together last year in Amsterdam. It was probably one of the best trips I have ever had ... it was something we needed to do .. and hope to do every year.

Friday fill in ..

2009-03-13T21:55:00.003-04:00

Thank you Janet for Friday Fill-Ins

1. When I look to the left, I see_a ribbon pillow I had bought at Pier One in Texas__.
2. _The little walkway upstairs____ is the room that has the best view in my home.
3. Let it work , oh please let it work! That was a thought I had when I was turning the key to start my car .. I had walked out on my boss after a big blow up fight, and he was swearing and cursing as he was following me in the parking lot ..... normal? I say not!_.
4. _Whining_ done dirt cheap!
5. _Getting a honest education so that you can make informed decisions when it comes to voting_ is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.
6. If you have any _thoughts____ feel free _to voice them right here!____.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to an evening with Noah, and taxi mom for Alet_, tomorrow my plans include _10 miles and (ugh!) groceries and possible a night with Clint Eastwood_ and Sunday, I want to _do some work from home and relax_!

The view from the walk way windows

So Happy Friday .. this week seemed to fly by.. Actually let me change that: During the week, the time seemed to be slow and painful. On Wednesday I remember wishing it were Friday .. and next thing you know .. it's Friday!

It's been a week full of emotional adventure .. another major step, Thursday night was transition into high school night. My baby girl is getting ready to go in high school ... gulp!

Best friend C signed me up for photography classes ... I am sooooo excited .. we are going to take this class together .... one of the homework assignments is to bring pictures into the class .. *sigh* .... if only I could recup my harddrive .. I had tons of them!

I'm hoping this will be a productive weekend .. ... happy weekend everyone!

Manic Monday

2009-03-09T20:30:00.004-04:00

What would you do with an extra hour each day?

Hmmm .. I love these trick questions .... it depends what I am doing at that moment ..! When I am at work, I can easily use the extra hour; a woman's work is never done! .... when I am at play .. well.. there is never enough time in a day!!

Do you wear a watch? If so, tell us about it. If not, how do you keep track of time?

I do wear a watch .. actually I love my watch .. I am my father's daughter, and like him, I love nice watches (and clocks) .. my first watch was the love of my watch-loves.. a Bulova with a mother of pearl face ..something I picked out myself, and gifted it with my dad's AmEx card for Christmas, and then told him after the fact. I wasn't able to go home for Christmas that year .. so feeling pretty self-pity-ish, I bought myself a nice gift. He was awesome about it .. because after all, he had good taste! Then after that one broke .. (about 9 years later!), I settled for other watches .. they were nice .. but never what I loved. Then three years ago my cheapie watch finally broke as we were heading to Texas .. while there I never really bothered until I crossed paths with my Movado ... and time stood still! So on Mother's day ..

If it was possible, would you want to know how many days you had left to live?

No ... Live now .. would you change your life if you knew your days were numbered?

Sacred Life Sunday #4

2009-03-08T18:50:00.001-04:00

It's Sunday again .. and thanks to Carla's Sacred Life Sunday
and her blog about what connects her to her Spirit .. in my modification, I will post weekly for the next 30 weeks (well.. this is my fourth post .. so 26 more weeks), pictures of what makes my inner self celebrate ..

I did skip a few weeks, but that is because I had a valid excuse ..but just because I didn't put fingers to keyboard, didn't mean that my mind stopped thinking about the stuffs that make my inner self celebrate.

Music is another connector to what makes my inner self celebrate .. how do I post it in picture form? Nevertheless, music has always been a huge influence .. from the time my parents gave me my first tape recorder on my 12th birthday .. to the Ipod Shuffle given to me on Mother's day three years ago (..how technology has changed even in the three years!) .. my first cassette tape was Donny and Marie Osmond .. favorite song "When the deep purple falls ....." (ouch!) .. ahh yes, I blame my oldest sister for the Osmond influence .. she was a HUGE Osmond fan.

Because music strikes such a deep chord (....!), it is always fun to play "name that tune and what year?" .. Major events are marked with song ... It's amazing how I could be driving and a song can just bring me right back to that place.

Music helps me out of those not-so-nice mood(Everything - Michael Buble) ... and it certainly puts a bounce in my step when I run to (Mr Blue Sky - ELO).. the kids make fun of me most of the time.. I can’t wait for the day when they will reminisce …!

When my laptop died, all of my I-tunes died with it.. so now I am trying to recoup my lost songs … *sigh!* Guess it’s like cleaning out the closet .. some songs had to go .. make room for new ones.

Friday fill in ..on Sunday

2009-03-07T22:26:00.007-05:00

1. _Keeping calm and not reacting in a negative fashion, when a female driver pulled into the parking spot I WAS BACKING UP IN__ was my last random act of kindness.
2. Another place I am thinking about is a sunny warm sandy beach_.
3. _Speak softly__ in matters of the heart.
4. Coffee, tea or _wine .. let's cut to the chase!_.
5. _I'd like to get off these_ separate paths.
6. Our sunny 50 degrees_ reminds me that there is _sun, warmth and kayaking on the way!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _chips and salsa with co-worker R__, tomorrow my plans include _10?__ and Sunday, I want to _clean, work and relax .. is that too much for a Sunday??____!

Manic Monday

2009-03-02T18:13:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Fleur de Lisa for another Manic Monday ...

If I was a car, I'd be: a Jaguar E-type .. sleek, sexy and fast! (okay, this was really tough .. it said car, and not truck .. I am a truck person more than a sports car .. for right now .. give me a few more years and then I'll settle for a sports car ..! )

If I was a drink, I'd be: a glass of red wine .. wine is always savored

If I was emotion, I'd be: determined .... (is that an emotion? I didn't want to be boring and say "happy" ..)

Friday fill in ..

2009-02-27T02:00:00.000-05:00

It's Friday again .. time to do Friday fill in...

1. I'm _always hungry_, I'm _always looking for something sweet_, I _need to create the ultimate fat free, low carb, high protein, low calorie, healthy, non fattening, keep your belly full type of muffin or cookie ____.
2. Why do I have _only one bottle of red____ and not _a wine cellar?____.
3. How does this _Vista____ work, anyway?
4. Every morning, I put _four shades of eyeshadow___ on my _eyelids... does that make me high maintenance?_ ___.
5. I consider myself lucky because _I have great kids, a job I enjoy, fabulous friends, good health and strength .
6. One day we’ll see _the reason for this chaos!____.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to playing taxi for skier son_, tomorrow my plans include _9 miles..and we'll see how energized I feel! _ and Sunday, I want to restart my book .. and just enjoy the sunday_!

Thursday 13 ..a change

2009-02-26T23:15:00.000-05:00

For Thursday 13 .. something a little different ..

SCATTEGORIES Rules:

Once again, I copied Tommie's blog .. thought it would be fun and different! Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real places, names, things. Nothing made up.

1. What is your name? Juliette

2. A 4 Letter Word: junk

3. A Boys Name: Jack

4. A Girls Name: Jane

5. An Occupation: judge

6. A Color: jade

7. Something you wear: jog bra

8. A Beverage: Jose Cuervo

9. A Food: jam

10. Something found in the bathroom: jacuzzi tub!

11. A place: Jakarta (lived there for four years

12. A Reason for being late: just couldn't get up early enough!

13. Something you shout: JUMP!

Manic Monday

2009-02-23T18:09:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Fleur de Lisa for this Monday's questions ..

What's one of the simple pleasures in your life?

Hmm.. simple pleasure .. when I think of that, I picture sitting on a large rock overlooking the ocean, or paddling on a lake .. So, I think solitude is a simple pleasure ~

What do you like to snack on when you watch a movie?

When we go to the movies I usually like to do something that could be "good for you" (is there such a thing?) .. so a bag of cashews or trail mix .. I have been known to eat Good 'n Plenty .. but they leave a horrible after taste!

If you were a Survivor contestant, what would be your luxury item?

LOL .. my first immediate answer was "laptop" but then realized I wouldn't be able to plug in ... duhhh .. (lately I have had many blonde moments..) .. so luxury item .. a pillow.

So this morning we woke up to 22 inches of fresh snow! It was absolutely beautiful .. I almost didn't want to shovel it. Well, reality kicked in ... and once again muscles in tact ..the shoveling began!

HURRAY! I have a laptop!

2009-02-22T12:01:00.001-05:00

I finally was able to pick up my new laptop yesterday. Last night I turned it on for the first time ..

Friday Fill In

2009-02-20T21:52:00.003-05:00

Thank you Janet for Friday Fill In

1. Give me _too much wine_ and I'll _talk too much____.
2. Whenever _I drive to the gym at 4:50am, I crank up my music in the truck to get into the mood (or is it to wake up?)_.
3. I wish _it wasn't so complicated!____.
4. _Cashew Chicken_ was the last thing I ate that was utterly delicious.
5. To live in this world _you need a good sense of humor, a positive out look, lots of sun ..okay, and a big glass of wine!____.
6. Other than this one, _Tommie's Tuesday Update___ is the last blog I commented on.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _playing driver for skier son__, tomorrow my plans include _gym, dump run, pick up forgotten dog at the groomers and maybe a movie__ and Sunday, I want to _continue reading while we wait for the big snow storm_!

Here is another picture that was saved because it was downloaded on to the desktop. This moose picture was taken while we were in Maine for the summer. I had lived in Maine for 8 years and never saw a moose .. then we came up for a couple of weeks .. and low and behold! Good news on the lap top ... a new one is on the horizon .. woo hoo!

Manic Monday

2009-02-16T15:47:00.003-05:00

Of all your favorite foods, which one would you find the most difficult to give up for the rest of your life?
Does red wine count as food?? Okay, what if we said red wine and chocolate?? I had the perfect glass of red wine this weekend .. .. .. so yes, wine would be a "food" that I would miss.

Which month of the year do you thing best describes your personality?
What is my personality?? I would probably go with March ~ Spring ... everything is happy ..

If you could be a contestant on any game show, past or present, which show would you pick?
lol .. probably the Price is Right ... I am sooooo OCD when it comes to grocery shopping and lists and prices .. don't I hate it when a box of Oreos is $2.95 when the week before it was 2 for $5.00 .. or my daily wine is $9.84, but in the other store it's $11.85

So .. here is the update on my laptop ... NONE .. *sigh* .. I am still using the kid's desktop .. I'm hoping in two weeks I will be back on with my laptop. :(

Thursday 13 ... 13 thoughts while I miss my laptop

2009-02-12T22:47:00.006-05:00

It's time for T13 or Thursday 13 ..
Today is Day 7 of when it happened .... last Thursday I came home from work and was greeted by my girlie teenager and her best friend. They were laughing, having a good time and IN PASSING my lovely daughter said "oh, by the way, I tried to use your laptop, but it won't turn on ... blah, blah, and she kept talking ..." ..."WHAT?!" I said ... "what .. my laptop won't turn on?!?" "yeah, whatever, I tried it ... anyways .." and on she went with her story. Be still my heart .. I couldn't focus anymore .. immediately I went and tried to turn on my baby, my lifeline .. and all I got was a flicker of the three little green lights .. and nothing. ..NOTHING! Did I mention NOTHING?! So I took a deep breath, and tried with my little bit of computer knowledge to troubleshoot. Last year it did this .. and for $89.98 for a new memory card the problem was solved .. perhaps?? Maybe??

Not this time .. today I received the news: most probably a power surge .. a new motherboard .. a new memory card .. and a new hard drive is needed. The worst of it is : my hard drive is gone. So .. in memory of my lap top, today's posting will be 13 Thoughts while I will miss my laptop and my hard drive.

AND WHAT ABOUT ALL MY PICTURES??

..ALL MY DISNEY PICTURES??

..ALL MY SISTERS' REUNION PICTURES??

..ALL MY TEXAS PICTURES?

..ALL MY BLOG PICTURES?

..ANTHONY'S IRAQ PICTURES??

..ALL MY OTHER PICTURES THAT DIDN'T GET INTO THE SCRAPBOOKS THAT EVENTUALLY I WAS GOING TO GET TO

ALL MY ITUNES SONGS ...AHHHHH!

.. damn, what was my password to DSW?

it's just not the same when you are sharing a desk top with your teenagers!

.. email address ~ hey, easy clean up, right??

do I get a new one, or just repair my old faithful ...?

maybe I'll get to bed sooner, since it is quite awkward to lug around a desktop and set it on your lap.

The worst part of this story is that I have been telling myself for months get an external hard drive to store my pictures for the "just in case" ..... OKAY .. I GET IT!

Here is a picture of what is on the desktop that I had found .. an oldie. It was taken at my sister's house back in 2005.. It was my mother's 70th birthday, she had come for a visit. Just a little ray of good news: I do have the pictures from the summer I drove up to Maine .. phew!

Happy rest of Thursday!

Something different ...

2009-02-03T21:12:00.003-05:00

So .. a break from Simple Kindness Tuesday .. I was tagged (too many times) on FaceBook for 25 Random Things about me ... so here it is:

1. I am Dutch, but I have never lived in Holland. (okay .. it was for 3 months, but that doesn't count.)
2. I used to speak Farsi ..Bahasa .. some German .. some Spanish .. and now only speak Dutch and English .. (*sigh* getting old really doesn't work!)
3. I have three older sisters, and last year we reunited .. it was our first EVER, just the four of us .. no husbands, kids or parents .. since 1976! We have vowed to do it annually
4. I miss my sisters tremendously
5. I have adopted Maine as my home, it is where I have lived the longest (8 years) ..I left it briefly for 2.5 years.. but have returned .. :)
6. I have monkey toes .. they can grab things ..
7. I thank my mother for my toes .. she has them too!
8. I love red wine
9. I love red wine with dark chocolate more
10. I love red wine, with chocolate, chocolate chip cake even more!
11. I am not a big shopper, spending money stresses me out
12. Stick me in a kayak, and let me paddle the lakes instead
13. Okay .. I also like to run ..
14. I miss authentic Indonesian food
15. Clarence was my stuffed lion that I have had since 1974 .. I just recently brought him out in the world again... (minus an eye, and now a nose, since my dog ate it!)
16. My goal is to run until I am 80
17. I have a "photo-bucket list"
18. I listened to country music while I lived in Texas, and loved it!
19. Now I listen to everything BUT country!
20. I believe things happen for a reason, more often to prepare you for what is to come
21. I believe in always asking, because "no" is the answer if you don't ask
22. I believe that Tomorrow is a new day, with new challenges, new answers and new opportunities .. how exciting!
23. I am grateful to my parents for the opportunity that they gave me growing up, living in the countries and experiencing the cultures, and wished I hadn't taken it for granted!!
24. I would love to, just once, take an all inclusive trip to a beautiful beach .. and just be
25. LIVE, LOVE AND LAUGH!

My sisters and me

Manic Monday ..

2009-02-02T22:26:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Fleur de Lisa, here is another Manic Monday ..

What's the most embarrassing song on your iPod (or music collection)?
Embarrassing? I don't think I have embarrassing .. I have some songs that would be considered explicit and a little loud .. never thought it would be on my iPod .. my kids like to share their songs!

How much time do you spend each day in your commute? (Or if you don't work outside the house, how much time do you spend in your car or other preferred mode of transportation?)
15 minutes during good commutes .. depends if I have a pit stop!

What's your favorite wardrobe item and why?
Do boots count as "wardrobe item"? ... I love boots .. the spikier the better! (Not very practically in Maine weather .. oh well!) IF boots can't count, I would say my favorite wardrobe item is my lime green LL Bean running cold weather zip up ...? coat, sweater? Don't know exactly what it is, it's not a coat, and it is not a sweater .. but it is perfect for the cold weather running ..it's lightweight and best of all warm! If I could, I would wear it all the time .. but alas, it's not dressy enough, and after all, it is lime green! But then again, I went out tonight with a handful of working people .. and was told that first impression, I come across as 'granola' .... ?!?! what the .... ? REALLY .. spikey boots are not Birkenstock with socks!! Sorry .. digression from favorite wardrobe to dressy to granola .. it was a long Monday!!

Sacred Life Sunday #3

2009-02-01T22:00:00.002-05:00

It's Sunday again .. and thanks to Carla's Sacred Life Sunday
and her blog about what connects her to her Spirit .. in my modification, I will post weekly for the next 30 weeks (well.. this is my third post .. so 27 more weeks), pictures what makes my inner self celebrate.

I enjoy picture taking .. I was given my first camera on my 10th birthday. It was an Olympus, with the one man, two man and three man setting. The flashcube slid on top .. have I dated the camera?

This camera is my last 35mm. We bought it when I was pregnant with Noah .. It took wonderful pictures, but the summer when we moved to Texas, it finally just gave up. I currently use a Sony .. which I like a lot .. but am sooooo ready for my Canon Rebel!

My Rebel

So here are a few of my favorites .. actually, this blog came about because of favorite pictures and inner self happiness .. so grab a cup of coffee and go back to the beginning when Tommie first showed me how to get started!

Even though the clarity isn't here, these five buses represent soldiers arriving back from Iraq. Every time I was on post, and saw them, I would just start wailing like a baby. For a great story see Tommie's Tuesday Update and check out her blog dated 12/19/07.

Flowers are fun .. they are unique and have their own beauty ..

Amsterdam ..sooo much character

I love, love, love fall in Maine!

Photo Hunt - Furry

2009-02-01T21:47:00.003-05:00

Thanks to TNChick's Photo Hunt theme .. Furry ..

I was going to post pictures of dog hair everywhere, all the time, in my house! It is one of the pleasures of having a long haired Golden Retriever. Perhaps this style of grooming might help??

Fill In Friday ..

2009-01-30T10:59:00.000-05:00

1. I'd really like _a very big glass of red wine__ right now.
2. _@#*&!!___ is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.
3. Possession is _mine____.
4. _Love_ Captain Jack Sparrow.
5. Marshmallows and fire go together like _passion and kisses__.
6. __shovel snow_ on and on.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _a quiet evening__, tomorrow my plans include _not sure if we are going to NH or just gyming it_ and Sunday, I want to _watch some SuperBowl,(even though my honey is not playing) and recover from Saturday____!

Thursday 13 - Happy

2009-01-29T21:14:00.007-05:00

So it's Thursday again ... time for Thursday 13... this time I am going to take Megan's idea of 13 things that make me happy ... I don't think they will be in the order of what makes me happy ... that, once again, is like picking a favorite child ... I think things make you happy for different reasons .. so they are random 13 happy things! Okay .... GO!

1. An accomplished run (of course I had to put that in there!)

2. warm brownie with Oreo cookie ice-cream topped with caramel and hot fudge sauce (especially after an accomplished run!)

3. hearing Noah and Aletta belly laugh

4. a walk on a crisp fall day ..

5. unloading my kayak off my truck getting ready to paddle in a lake anywhere in Maine! (hmm.. that could count as 4!)

6. being around my sisters

7. a long no-destination-in-mind night time drive

8. red wine (i could really expand on this .. name the wine; name the company; the amount of wine; food complimenting the wine; the list goes on and on ..)

9. a big snow storm on a weekend!

10. the idea of being on a warm beach in Aruba .. (or is it a chalet with a fireplace at SugarLoaf??)

11. shoes .... (and boots ... running shoes .. too many to choose from!)

12. girlfriend time

13. Michael Buble's "Everything"

Simply Kind Tuesday .. ..

2009-01-27T20:10:00.005-05:00

Thanks to On A Limb with Claudia is it Tuesday again .. time for a moment of kindness .. I started a new job at the end of October .. a brand new company, very few employees .. and a big adventure if our boss continues on with his vision. The growth of his company is incredible, and we have been insanely (is that a word??) busy. Today I got into work .. first one in .. walked to my desk, set my bag down .. and went to go turn on my computer when I spotted a yellow post-it note on my screen. It was just a simply hand written "Thank you for all your doing to help our company succeed." wow! ..... Such a small gesture, so simply done .. and so appreciated!

Manic Monday ...

2009-01-26T18:58:00.003-05:00

What gives you hope?
That fact that the sun will shine again tomorrow ..

How often do you get your haircut? Describe your worst haircut.
How often SHOULD I get it cut, and when do I really do it? I should cut it every 6 weeks .. but I go about 8-9 weeks .. i think! It is such a production, it takes me that long to prepare! LOL
Worst haircut?? When I was 14 .. the haircut was really, really short .. my sweet sister kept trying to tell me that it looked really good .. I don't have any pictures .. so I don't know!

What's your most treasured piece of jewelry? Why?
Isn't that funny ... I was thinking about that yesterday .. I don't know if I have a "most" .. I would feel to guilty~it's like picking a favorite child! I am not a big jewelery person ..(not to say I don't like it! ;) .. right now all I wear is my watch, I have a bacio bracelet with two beads.... and sometimes I wear a necklace that my mom used to wear.

Sacred Life Sunday

2009-01-25T20:47:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Zena Musings' Sacred Life Sunday and her postings about what connects her to Spirit... today I have chosen to write about my running, and how it makes my innerself celebrate.
I have been running (maybe it was jogging at first!) off and on since 1985 .. It was first introduced to me in 1983, (when we were living in Hong Kong) by who else .. a runner. He called himself The Lean Mean Running Machine .. I was a spectator (and cheerleader!) then, watching track runs, and road races. It took about a year and a half for me to decide to try it myself. At the time I had a walkman, and a mixed song cassette tape of Huey Lewis and the News and The Cars .. off I went trotting down Peak Road, dodging double decker buses on narrow roads. I kept a running journal and tracked my time and mileage. Fast track (no pun) to 1991 when I decided to run races .. my old boss used to laugh and say that I only ran the races for the t-shirts .. it was that year that I did the most road races; my most accomplished was a half marathon. (I was probably also at my most thinnest ...*sigh*)
Then life took over, and babies were born... and running went on the back burner for a while. After Alet was born, I realized I needed my outlet back .. and to the gym I went .. faithfully started back on a regime .. then injury set in .. and it threw my running off for several years. I joined the gym, lifted weights .. did Kick boxing, stair master ..could do everything else but run!
Finally three years ago, I decided that it was time to try again .. with constant coaching .. the bug bit me hard, except this time my runs have become so much more to me than ever before.
I have run through moves, through deployment, through heartache, through happy times and sad times ... it is my stress reliever, my permission to drink extra wine and eat more chocolate .. running doesn't require much coordination ..(forget Step Class or Spin classes .. elliptical machines?!?) and best of all ... I can listen to my music as loud as I want, and just run ... and run, and run .. I can run at 5:00 am or 8:00 pm ..the pavement is my friend! My running shoes always travel with me .. I have had the opportunity to run in many different places; different countries..I can proclaim that I have run in 90+ degrees and the lowest of 12 degrees! .. Running makes me feel strong ..it is my peace and tranquility ..I love to run!