January Recap

I can’t think of a catchy title for this blog… and since it will be a smorgasbord, I figured that “recap” is fine.  Okay, disclaimer over with it! Let’s get started!

One of my SMART goals this years, under “Personal Betterment” is

I welcome January 2017 in as a sharp-dressed woman, as I have made an effort to be more presentable, and accountable in my attire and stepped outside the house always dressed for success.

Honestly, I really thought this was a good idea.

And I’m not ready to abandon it yet… but…

Yeah, that happened.

This month, we celebrated my mom’s birthday with a family gathering.  Mr. T had to work, so he spent time with her and dad earlier in the day and had a pleasant lunch with his grandparents, but since I was busy, I wasn’t there and don’t have any pictures – so we’ll start with a picture I snapped of the two of them a few days prior!

They were having an intense discussion! Cassius, Lee’s boxer, came over for a visit, and if you look closely, even Shorty was taking part!

It was a fun gathering, and at the end of the night, it was time to take some pictures!

The best part was when Grammy wanted some pictures with her grand-kids.  This is what we posted:

This is the behind the scenes of what all we have to go through in order to get just a few good shots! I am sure this is something most of y’all can relate to!!

Notice how we were all jumping in to help.

Yeah.  Not so much.  We are more of a sit-back-and-laugh family!!

Remember that I mentioned being busy that morning so I couldn’t join Mr. T during his visit with his grandparents?

Boom! First 5k of the year done! *happy dance* Heroes for Hope run benefiting St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

BA ran with me, and after we had cooled down, grabbed some food and water, I checked, and they didn’t have a computer set up for us to check our official times, but they gave me the site I could log onto later – and then pointed me in the direction of the guy that had the print out!

I did not medal.

Well, if I’m not getting a medal, then we could go.  Not going to lie, there were 30 more minutes to go until the ceremony, and I couldn’t hang!

The next day I got on and checked the official time.

I did not medal, BUT…

I knocked 3 minutes off my race time!! 3 minutes y’all!!  It was insane!  I did start way too fast, and it came up and bit me in the butt at the 2.5ish mark, but again, I’m just amazed at the love of runners, I was struggling, and another runner came up beside me and slowed down, told me I could do it – and then stayed to run with me for a bit!  She and I kept together for a good bit, and it felt good.  I love the sense of community that has come with running, I really do!

As long as I was checking my time, I pulled up BA’s time.

And then I called him and asked “When I was checking the time sheet for me – did you happen to check it for you?  I think you medaled.”

No, he hadn’t checked the sheet, so I contacted the race coordinator, and sure enough, BA came in 3rd place in his group!  They are mailing his medal – it took several hours for it to really sink in with him, but all of the sudden, I think I can convince him to run with me again!

 

 

 

 

#Unprocessed October

Have I told you that we are in the Last 100 Days of the year? It’s totally my time of the year!  

My house is decorated for Halloween – and still safe from Zombies.

And it’s pumpkin time!  I love pumpkin time!

I have reevaluated my life, my balance and I have redefined my goals for the Last 100 Days, and if you like that kinda thing, you need to be following OrtsofSorts with me! You know how I love a good challenge, and well, I’m LOVING this one!

You know what else I’m doing? #Unprocessed October! Yes, you heard that right.  I am in a challenge to only eat unprocessed foods. During the month of October.  The best month of the year.  Halloween Candy.  Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

And I can’t eat any of it.

But hey, you should do this with me! If you want to join, there is a badge on the right side you can click through and sign the pledge! Come join, seriously, it’ll be fun!

I survived Day 1, as part of my Living in the Now, I’m taking that as a win; however, I did keep a food diary to share with you to help keep me on track.

#unprocessed

Day 1:

Breakfast: Coffee is unprocessed.  I should probably read the instructions for this, but I’m sure coffee is unprocessed.  I’m brewing a cup.

Coffee is NOT the same without my Pumpkin Spice Creamer.  Or my Peppermint Mocha Creamer.  Unsweeted almond milk is not the same.  I bet that is processed.  Probably should have read the ingredient list.

I may not survive until the end of the month.

I have four homemade Lara bars left.  All hope is not lost.

Why are there left over fried pickles still here? I told Mr. T they were here, and he knows the reps send the left overs home for him.  Why would today be the day he doesn’t eat them?!?  Technically I could make those at home… so that doesn’t count, right? Crap.  I’m sure it counts.

I want extra points for walking away.

There should be a point system for this.

I should read the instructions; there might be a point system.

Morning Snack:

Maybe I could live on smoothies.  Fruit, spinach, technically you can make yogurt at home – I have a friend that did it, and I know all of the ingredients – flax seed… it says “seed”, that counts.  Almond milk.  Man, I have got to read that ingredient list!!!

Read through the instructions.  There is not a point system.

Lunch:

This looks like a normal meal for me, I can do this.  Massive salad time.  Romaine, carrots, zucchini, almond slivers, capers.

Note to self:  Research how to make salad dressing.  Like now.

 

Afternoon snack:

I am seriously hungry.  Pear.  Grapes.  Homemade Lara bar.

I have to go run an errand.  I drive right by fast food row.

How processed can a Taco Bell burrito really be? It’s vegetarian.  There has to be points for that.

Maybe we need a sliding scale…

Dinner:

Maybe I should make my own points scale, I drove right past Taco Bell.  And I drove past every other restaurant along the way.

Hello smoothie, my old friend.

Hello left over fried pickles, how did you get in my tummy?

Sometimes Dreams Do Have to Die

Follow your dreams.

Find your bliss.

Follow your heart and your dreams will come true.

When you wish upon a star, well, you get my drift.

We’ve all heard them, heck, I bet most of us have said them.  Those wonderful platitudes.

Platitudes:

a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.

I love platitudes, because despite what the definition says, obviously at some point they have been true, and repeated often enough as true, to become annoyances in our lives.  So, they were and are true, and I shall continue to utilize them!

But what happens where there isn’t an easy answer, where there isn’t a platitude you can pull out?

What happens when you realized that sometimes, dreams do have to die?

What happens at that moment when you realize that you’ve given it all you have and there just isn’t anything left to give?

How do you cope with the overwhelming loss of your dream? How do you even begin to move forward after investing years and years of time and energy? What happens in that moment when you realize that the dream isn’t going to come true?

Where is the platitude for that?

Oh look, there’s the platitude for that.

But does it cover the loss?

Probably not.

I have a dream that I realized, I have to let die.  You probably guessed this by now!

And, I’m not going to lie, when the proverbial light bulb went off over my head as the realization struck me like lightening, it was a shot to my heart.

I wanted to double over and cry.  I didn’t want it to be true.  I stood there, in front of the dryer folding laundry, because naturally, that’s where the epiphany had to hit, and I was floundering. What was I supposed to do? What do you do when dreams die? Have I really given it all I’ve got? Do I have to let it die? Maybe it’s not dead yet.  Maybe there is more I can do.

And as I stood there matching up socks, it also hit me.

Sometimes there isn’t more you can do.  Sometimes, dreams really do have to die.

And, it’s okay.

It’s okay to realize that the dream you had so many years ago isn’t the right dream for you today.  That, by letting this dream die, you are making room for a new dream to enter your life.

And just like in a sitcom, the crises is had and averted in about the time it takes to fold a load of laundry.  It’s okay to let go.  Sometimes dreams do have to die; however, it could just be making room for something bigger and better.

Or, it could just be leaving.

There isn’t always a bigger and better waiting for you.

Just FYI.

In this moment, I’m okay with that, too.