Misc Musings on a Monday

 I've got nothing - no graphic, no link-up, just the desire to sit down and write.  My favorite bloggers inspire me to do this. . .I just spent the last hour catching up on my faves (all in the drop-down menu in the upper-right corner) - I could spend the next hour highlighting each one and what they have taught me over the years but then wouldn't have time for the reason I started and continue to come back to this space - to record my season of life!  I have always enjoyed journaling, but have never had a consistency about it.  Here's proof of what happens a lot:

I just took this screenshot - this is how far I got on my Friday blog (I think I started it early Friday morning, but had been thinking about it for 24 hours).  My day got away from me, then my weekend - not that I didn't have downtime, but that I didn't choose to open my computer back up.  So. . .that will go along with many, many other "drafts" among the published posts and that will be that :)

But yes, last Friday was my birthday - since we had celebrated it the weekend before (with one single picture) I didn't really have any plans to celebrate again.  The firm I work for is excellent at celebrating birthdays and always do a treat (we have 42 people who work there, so it's a lot of treats throughout the year!).  I asked for a fruit-and-yogurt bar and that's what I got :)

Someone else had brought in donuts so it was a great day to be in the office!  One of the partners had scheduled our quarterly "lunch out" randomly on that day also so we headed to Firebirds for a birthday lunch!  The girls and Tom wanted to do something after work  also but I begged off until Saturday - we got to go out to lunch together with my in-laws between all the pickleball and tennis I got in that day (5+ hours of PB and a tennis match!!) so it was kind of a perfect weekend for me :)

We had an awesome (random) spread last night for the Super Bowl - nothing planned b/c we didn't really care who won the game or anything - just decided to use up some food that had been hanging around in the fridge and freezer - chili, sauté onions and mushrooms (that were supposed to be cooked for my birthday but those putting the dinner together forgot them!), some leftover asparagus, some lobster ravioli that had been in the freezer for awhile, some alfredo sauce, and then Tommy & Barbara contributed the always-favorite mini-potato skins.  

I was in the mood to start another something to work on while listening to my audio books and was tired of re-doing puzzles I had previously done.  We ran into Michael's yesterday and found this and with a 30% off coupon it only ended up being $10 or so.  The quality isn't as great as some others, but if all the pieces are there that really matters more!!

I am IN LOVE with this book:  

There is nothing about it that I don't like - I am devouring it.

I listened to a podcast a year or so where Will Guidara was a guest and I really don't know why it took me so long to get his book.  Last year about this time it was Tyler Merritt's book, I Take My Coffee Black, that I couldn't stop talking about.  This year, it's this.  Here is just a snippet of my notes:

I wish I could find someone who dreamed like me in real life :). 

These two competed at their gym this weekend and sent me some pictures - I love them so much!

I sent out my Gatlinburg menu to the kiddos this weekend for approval - I've since added "salads" to the Saturday night dinner menu and they want the option of pizzas too.  We can just order those if the need comes up.  The nice thing is we've stayed in this place before so know what to expect as far as kitchen space and sleeping areas.  Laura is hard at work planning all the hikes - fingers crossed that we dodge the predicted raindrops on Saturday.

This is the last picture I took today - Erin had brought birthday flowers to work for me and I wanted to show her my favorite - the lilies - are opening and still one to open.  As I look at this picture, though, it shows so much. . .the coffee mug that was a secret Santa gift from our Christmas party this year, a couple of tumblers I've collected over the years (and use every week), just the edge of one of my favorite family pictures from a lake weekend two years ago and lined up on stickies, sayings and/or thoughts that inspire OR things I don't want to forget.  The next one I will add is, "what makes it easy?"  One of the front desk people and I have been trying to brainstorm solutions for "little" things around the office and that is the phrase that I keep coming back to.  I shared it with her today - she liked it!  So now, when we try to think of solutions, I'm going to keep saying, "what will make it easy?"  Maybe that's something I can follow up on.

Last picture:

My one-and-only birthday picture :)

Barbara and I celebrate together every year - I didn't make/shop/buy anything for the celebration but she made a cheesecake for us - we all decided, in the dozens she's made over the years, that this one was the BEST.  

Oh, and noticing my footwear here - I also got to go get a pedicure with Erin and Ellie.  What a great day it was.

As I've been typing this post, I realize that what I miss about Facebook (I'm rarely on it anymore) is this. . .my Picture of the Day, where it was just a glimpse of every day, something I could look back on through the seasons, to remember where we were and inevitably, the choices we made then - big or small - probably has an impact in who we are today.

Just for fun - here are some memories I just pulled from FB:

Ah, looks like I DID get a picture with all my kiddos on my birthday two years ago (that was my 50th):

I forgot about this - this car was nothing but a pain.  Great price (bought it from someone we knew, knowing work had to be done on it). . .put as much into it as we spent to purchase it, then 3-ish months later it ended up in a ditch and hauled off.  Ugh.

All kinds of optimism on this day though :)

And, wow, these last two - 10 and 8 years ago, two different locations but same climate and the reason moving from the north to Eastern TN was hard. . .that first picture was a for real "snow day", sincerely.  We got those over and over when we lived in Overton County - it was ridiculous.  Then we moved east and the amount of snow you see also makes it a "real" snow day.  I've gotten used to it over the years (and understand that we have no way to clear the roads, although most times the roads are as clear as you see in this picture) but know my northern friends and family just don't get it.  Ha!

My archives aren't organized enough for me to browse those. . .so although I always tried to do POTD on Facebook, obviously I only had 4 on 2/12 out of the last 14 years there.  Still glad I have these memories and seasons of life to reflect on.  Someday, maybe, I'll come back to this "misc" post and be happy that I recorded these days - one of my favorite sayings is 

I believe this with my whole heart.  Every day, every moment, every conversation matters.  You can't live intensely, that would wear anyone out (and not be genuine) but live authentically.  I try :)

Love,

Jenni