Pinterest and getting things done!

For those of you who have known me for a while, you may have discovered that I like to plan projects - research, cut out pictures, get pricing for the budget, check out different styles... but rarely do I actually DO the project.  


For example, about a year ago, I decided to paint the kitchenette area yellow.  So I did all the work - got lots of paint swatches from the local Ace Hardware, asked a ton of questions about paint and painting, and even got two small sample jars (free with a Benjamin Moore coupon!) and a 12x12 Sheetrock piece to paint and set up against the wall to see how it looked in different light during the day.  Remember, this was a YEAR ago.  The paint samples are still in my laundry room, I have no idea where the 12x12 Sheetrock piece ended up - somewhere in the garage I think, and the brushes I bought for the job are still in their original packaging.  


Example 2 - I LOVE cookbooks.  I can spend hours looking at the pictures and thinking how fun it would be to make something I see.  I bookmark the pages, plan menus and even sometimes shop for the items.  But most of the time, when I'm busy looking through the cookbooks for what to cook that night... it gets late... and we end up with something simple like stir-fry or pb&j sandwiches.  I have a million recipes I want to try, that I never seem to get done.  


My friend Kathy is amazing - she is always trying something new - especially with recipes.  She really inspires me... mentally, but apparently not to action.  I've been this way as long as I can remember, and really didn't see it changing anytime soon.  


Enter PINTEREST.  I didn't jump on the bandwagon at first.  But after a few months of seeing Facebook posts about it, I went ahead and set up an account.  The first thing I did was remove the connection to Facebook (you can opt out of it after you register through it).  After that I started looking around.  Started following some friends.  Starting loving the ideas I was seeing.  And something strange happened.  I started getting inspired - not just in my mind - but to DO something!


Since I've joined PINTEREST - I've bought and planted more plants.  Re-potted more of my existing plants.  Created hanging baskets.  Bought, hung and filled a flower basket for the fence.  And the biggest thing - found a "tipsy flower pot" idea I wanted to recreate in the dead area in front of my bedroom.  

Before

This is a much bigger project than it sounds.  The tipsy flower pot is a big project in itself - sinking a piece of 8" re-bar two feet into the ground, 5 terracotta pots that need to be weathered, and planting then all with flowers.  But that's not the biggest part of the project.  This "dead" area in front of the bedroom is a 14x14 "flower bed" that has almost nothing in it.  Four Camellia bushes about 3 feet tall against the wall, some monkey grass and a TON of weeds.  After getting it weeded, It still needed about 6-8" of soil to fill in where the foundation had been repaired and the soil cleared by never replaced.  That seemed expensive (I'd been researching this for about 2-1/2 years and based on everything I found it would take about $150 of dirt to fill in), and I didn't allocate the money to do it.  But after searching Pinterest, finding these tipsy pots and so many other great ideas, I began to form a plan for this area.  And I started to get excited.


I knew I couldn't do the whole area at once financially.  This would have to be done in waves.  I measured off an area that I thought we could dump the dirt in to build it up, and I could start there.  I knew we could get a bucket of basic dirt for $10... so I asked SG about the possibility of getting it and shoveling it in ourselves.  After a quick search online, he found we could get a better product for that area with better drainage for $25... and we agreed to do it.


That afternoon, we went out and weeded and raked the bed.  Got it totally clear.  The whole thing (which seemed like a waste to me, but it looked better anyway).  The next morning he got up early, took the truck and got that bucket full of good dirt.  He brought it back and in an hour - we had it out of the truck (GS throwing shovel fulls of dirt) and spread on the ENTIRE area!  I was so shocked!  We started with that 7x7 area I wanted to use, but there was still so much more dirt!  So we kept going.  He told me this would be plenty, but I didn't believe it.  Every time I ran the calculations for an area, it showed we would need much more than it actually needed!  SG was on a roll, and he went back to get a load of mulch, and we put that down too.  I moved some of the monkey grass, too.  And now it looks BEAUTIFUL!  We even had enough mulch to do the rest of the beds.  

I have the pots now, and will get them painted this weekend and ready to go when we get back in town.  Still need to figure out where I want to put them, which is a big challenge, not knowing what I will actually be able to put in that area in the near future due to finances.  And I have a feeling once that re-bar is in the ground, SG is NOT going to want to move it!  :)  

After

I'm not sure what it is about Pinterest that has made the difference, but something about it inspires me to ACTION.  Which is a HUGE change in my life.... and one I'm really liking! SG, maybe not so much... ;)  I will keep posting as changes are made and projects are done!

2011 in review

Another year is coming to a close, and once again I am reflecting on the overwhelming evidence of God's hand in my life.  2011 has been a year full of change and confusion for those around me, and my heart goes out to all of you who have dealt with unwanted change this year.


We started 2011 with a return trip from Christmas in Alaska.  My dad ended up with two broken arms while we were there, which began a new life for him in assisted living facilities.  He has progressed fabulously, and is now living mostly assistance free at the Pioneer Home in downtown Anchorage, and seems to be enjoying the routine and camaraderie of living in a community situation.  This has left mom with the daunting task of clearing out the house, and figuring out what to do from here.  She has probably had to deal with the most change and uncertainty - so many decisions to be made, stay or go, rent or sell, or do nothing.  She now has an empty house (she is dog sitting my brother's collie though!) to contend with, and mom is such a social person.  My brother has had numerous family issues/changes this year as well, although currently life seems to be a little more consistent at the moment.  


We had some fabulous visitors this year!  My mom came to visit in April for about two weeks, and we rented a convertible and drove around the state visiting friends of hers that live in Texas!   Her friends had a grand time getting to see her again and she did as well!  Lots of great memories were made, and it was a nice break from the uncertainty in Alaska!  I'm hoping that was the 1st Annual Texas trip and that we can do it every April... still trying to convince her of that though...


Grady's co-worker in Brazil, Sergio, brought his family to Houston for a visit in January and we got to spend a little time with them!  Sergio's oldest son Freddie stayed and attended a school here for a few months, and we got to see him a time or two.  His youngest son, Gustavo, is planning to stay with us for a few months in 2012 as an exchange student.  Details are still being worked out, but we are so excited for that possibility!  It was a joy to meet the whole family, and Ivana (Sergio's wife) is an absolute dear!  We had some difficulty speaking to each other, but once we started shopping, we discovered our universal language!  LOL!  


In July, my niece Lisa, came down for an impromptu visit!  She flew to Houston all by herself, at 9 years old, for the first time, and did great!  It was quite scary for her, but now that she's done it and knows what to expect, I think she will be fine to do it again!  We scheduled her flight so we would be on the same plane back to Alaska, since I was headed up there at the end of July anyway!  We had a grand time here in Houston, and she made some new friends too!  I ended up getting to be with her for a full month between her trip to Houston and mine to Alaska - precious time!  She grows so quickly!  


Grady's father spent two weeks with us in the spring, and it was a very special time.  His health was not good, but we enjoyed visiting with him and doing what we could to help him get stronger.  Sadly, he passed away July 26, and we are now grateful for the one on one time we had with him here.  He had a beautiful graveside service with Masonic and Military honors in Burnet, Texas, and is buried next to Grady's mom, who passed almost 20 years to the day previous.  Grady returned to Alaska with me after the funeral to take some time to regroup.  As always, we had a good time in Alaska, and while the pain of losing family will always be there, Grady chooses to focus on the positive times with his dad.  We do miss him though.


In December Grady had his 5 year anniversary with Koch Membrane Systems, and he is still enjoying his work.  He is great at what he does, and even does some speaking engagements throughout the year!  He still gets to travel quite a bit (about 1/2 of the time) and loves to fly!    


We have been keeping busy with our business, and are blessed with a great team here in Houston and all over Texas and the whole United States!  It is so gratifying to be able to help others achieve the goals they've set!   We love the travel we get to do as well - Alaska, Boise, Denver, El Paso, and of course, Dallas and Austin just to name a few!


We try to incorporate some mini vacations into our work travels, and this year we had a grand time in California for a few days before a conference.  We went golfing in Palm Springs, drove through the mountains, enjoyed the coast and downtown Los Angeles!  It was my first time to the area to explore, and we are looking forward to doing it again sometime soon! 


Grady continues to be able to play quite a bit of golf, both for fun and work, and I enjoy getting out there with him sometimes too!  Another gal and I started a golf group for ladies who want to hit the ball but don't care about getting better or the rules... we meet twice a month to play a few holes (sometimes 9), then have a snack at the club afterward and visit... it's really a lot of fun and the group is usually anywhere from 6-20 gals.  We call it "Outback golf" - no rules, just right!  :)  Lots of fun!


The holidays were quiet for us this year - by choice.  We stayed in Houston (2 years now in our home!), and enjoyed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years right here in our own backyard with some friends.  Of course we missed being with family, but it was also wonderfully calm and peaceful without the added stress of travel or houseguests.  Grady got a fancy super-safe turkey fryer for Christmas (thank you mom and dad!) and he's been frying turkeys and chickens for all of our friends!  Oh YUM!  Love a fried turkey, but I'm ready for some BEEF!  LOL!  We are excited to get a steamer basket and use the fryer for crawfish and low country boils too!  So many great options - Grady is loving it!  


As we begin 2012, we are refocusing on relationships, and being purposeful in developing them.  If you live close, we will be looking forward to seeing you; and if you don't live close, we look forward to talking to you and catching up on life!  We pray that 2012 will be a year of growth and prosperity for you, spiritually, emotionally and financially!  We look forward to hearing from you!  Happy New Year!

Full Moon craziness!

There is something wonderfully mysterious for me about a full moon. The past few days I've seen it rise above the house across the street during full daylight, and it's just magnificent! On my way home yesterday, I had the full sun shining directly behind me, and the full moon out directly in front of the, and both of them at approximately the same position in the sky! It was such a treat to see!

However, I'm tempted to blame today's event on the gravitational pull of the full moon shifting the balance of life on earth... or maybe it was lack of sleep... nah - I'll got with the moon! :)

It started last night as I was getting somet accounting tasks caught up. Before I knew it, the clock was rounding 3am, and I was realizing I needed to get to bed even if I didn't feel tired! My 8am wake up for today was going to come awfully early... which it did. The upside? I had taken a Restore before bed, and woke up feeling relatively refreshed and ready to go!

I made the coffee, got showered and dressed, and was putting on my makeup, when I took a sip of coffee and dropped my cup... breaking the cup and spilling the coffee onto the counter... which was of course full of my stuff... the upside? The flavored creamer was sugar free - so nothing go too sticky!

As I was about to head out the door (for an appointment about an hour away), I heard my little girl kitty was trying to hack up a hair ball that wasn't coming out. I decided to give her the tuna flavored vasoline stuff to help her get it out. I put some on top of her paws so she'd have to lick it off (as usual), but this time, somehow, she jumped onto the sofa chair and left 2/3 of it in the middle of the seat! The upside? It's a slipcover chair and fully washable!

So now I'm running about 30 minutes behind schedule for my appointment. My GPS says I'll get there 20 minutes late. Ugh. The upside? Traffic was awesome and I got there right on time!

I probably should have guessed today wasn't a good day to get a haircut from a new hairdresser....uh.. yeah. She does a great job with my friend's hair, so I thought I'd give her a try. All was well - looked pretty good! I was so relieved. But those pesky growing out bangs - they just looked funny. Let's cut them into bangs again we decide... and voila! strange looking bangs - short and choppy! :P Like nothing I've had before. The upside? They look better when I got home and fussed with them, and they will GROW!

Had a wonderful day

Unexpected Blessings

I love "perfect timing" stories - I personally believe they are the actions of our personal and loving God interacting with us in the most intimate of ways - showing us He's involved in every part of our lives! My relationship with my Sweety is full of these stories - we love sharing them with people and marveling at God's goodness! God is so good - all the time! He takes the crazy things that happen and turns them into something wonderful. He also takes the good times, and makes them even better! :) Speaking of, I had a "perfect timing" story yesterday...

We are getting a new business started locally here, and had a Holiday Shop/Grand Opening for it yesterday. As I was getting ready, I stood in my closet and realized that I have NOTHING that portrays "holiday" or "Christmas" other than some satiny tops that don't really work for a casual business setting. I resorted to a fuchsia button down with dress jeans - festive color was the best I could do.

About 15 minutes before the event was to start, the doorbell rang. It was the postman with a surprise box from a friend - my Atlanta Angel. I opened it with eager anticipation, and quickly realized the perfect timing of the situation! It was a button down overshirt in black and white plaid, with Santas and wreaths embroidered in the squares! :) Can you say "holiday" and "Christmasy?" PERFECT!

It turns out she had purchased the shirt for a dear friend, but her dear friend passed away before the gift was given. It was my size, and when we talked the other day, my Atlanta Angel put it in the mail for me. Knowing it was originally for her dear friend made the shirt even more special to me, as I knew her dear friend as well. :)

I promptly changed clothes with the new shirt over a tank top, put on my jingle bell earrings with red cords, switched to white sandals with my jeans, and I was ready to go - NOW with a holiday theme - perfect for the event!

As I was reflecting on the perfect timing of this gift, I was reminded of how many times I had good intentions of doing something but didn't get it done in a timely manner, if at all. When my friend and I were speaking on the phone last week she asked for my address, not in an email (she had that) but right then and there. She was addressing the box. Right then and there.

If my Atlanta Angel would not have put it in the mail when she did, the perfect timing opportunity would have been missed. Granted, I still would have been blessed when I recieved the package even if it had arrived a week later. The shirt is beautiful, and I love that it was intended for our dear friend who is no longer here on earth with us. But because she acted when prompted, she not only blessed me with the shirt, but the unexpected blessing of perfect timing! :)

When the Holy Spirit nudges you to do something, please do it, then and there. We never know how we may bless not only by our action, but by the unexpected blessing of God's perfect timing!

Blessings to you! And thank you again my Atlanta Angel!

hardship - when the AC is out....

I've discovered in the last week that hardship is a relative thing - our air conditioning has been out since last Tuesday (over a week) and you'd think we were dying! We get crabby with each other, complaining (me mostly) and don't want to touch each other - we do "virtual" hugs! LOL! The funny part is - we were only here 2 1/2 days without the ac, then we left town. Got back yesterday, spent the night at a friends (with working AC) and spent the day in the heat here. The AC guy is now here - at 9:30PM, fixing it. Thank you Jesus! What an awesome AC repair guy! :)

I seriously cannot even imagine how people can live in this weather down here in SE Texas, without air conditioning. But you know - many many people do. They don't have $300-$500 a month to pay for electricity to run their air. Many elderly people actually die in the heat down here because they cannot afford to pay the electirc bill.

While we feel we have been living with a hardship for the last week - we also know we are TRULY blessed - blessed to have the abilty to pay for electricity period, blessed to be able to pay to get the AC fixed when it needs to be, and blessed to have friends and neighbors that will take us in when we are uncomfortable!

I have been made keenly aware of these blessings, and am asking God to share with me opportunities to help those who need it. Whether it is financially, or with time, or whatever way it may be, my prayer is that I will be aware of the need when I see it, and that God would provide a way for me to fill that need. :)

Thank you Father God, for the outpouring of your blessings, so that we can turn around and bless others. Thank you Lord Jesus for the example of how to be a blessing to others. :) Amen!

Dreams

Dreams are peculiar things. I'm talking night dreams - especially the ones that happen in the hours right before I wake up. I seem to be powerless over the content of these dreams, or even if I will have them, but they can profoundly effect my state of mind when I wake and for hours after. My emotions can be stirred so much by a dream, that just thinking about it even days later can bring back those feelings. How can something that never even happened in reality, create such havoc in my emotions?

I am fortunate that rarely do I need to wake to an alarm, so my dreams are allowed to play out until my body wakes up. Usually my dreams end with some sort of conflict that wakes me up. This morning it was the act of opening my wallet to pay for my groceries, and realizing that ALL of the cards were gone except my identification card that I wrote my name/phone number on. All debit/credit cards. My insurance cards. Even the loyalty cards from Office Depot, etc. I was startled, then tried to think when this could have happened and when I was in my wallet last. Then I woke up.

My friend asked me this morning, "did you check your wallet when you got up?" Nope. I've learned that, while dreams make perfect sense while you are dreaming them, they make very little sense when you try to reconstruct them in the light of consciousness. Things that happen in dreams, should stay in dreams!

I was also taught many years ago to NEVER trust your emotions/feelings. I'm not talking about your "gut" feeling - which I believe is actually intuition, or spirit guiding. I'm talking about trusting your feelings. Emotions are fickle - they change frequently and often for no reason. Dreams are a perfect example of this. Ever woke up mad as heck with your spouse/significant other/friend, for something they did in your dream? I know I have! And you know what - it takes hours to get over it sometimes. My poor sweety - he tells me he gets in enough trouble on his own, he doesn't need my dreams helping him out! LOL! But there you go - emotions, strong emotions, founded on absolutely nothing concrete. How crazy is that?

I dream often and love it. Sometimes I come up with great ideas in my dreams - although usually they don't hold up to the scrutiny of reality. But they can be fun, funny, strange, crazy, and even sad. Enjoy them for the "movies" they are, don't put too much stock in them, and please, don't hold a grudge based on something that never happened! :)

The Ocean of Relationships

As I was thinking of my friendships this morning - I couldn't help but be reminded of the sea, with it's ever changing and evolving waters, shoreline and beauty.

The ocean is incredibly powerful, as we have witnessed many times with hurricanes and floods. Relationships are the same way - the people we let in our lives will highly influence who we become. I've been told that the person we will be 5 years from now, depends on the books we read and the people we associate with NOW. And I truly believe it.

Some friendships are moved by circumstances - they seem to ebb and flow like the tides, in and out. These friends are your best buds for a time, and you see them constantly. Then, as the tide retreats, that time becomes fewer and farther between. Sometimes it's a gradual tide pull, and other times it happens as an undertow - one minute they are with you and the next they are out to sea. The interesting thing about these relationships, is that they may very well return to your life once the tides of circumstance turns.

Imagine the tide rolling in and out - can you see the sand near the shallow water being churned up and "muddying" the water? This occurs in these relationships as well. When we have periods of time where we are not invovled in each others lives, things happen and people change in ways we might not expect. When the tide comes back in - our lives collide and can "muddy" the relationship waters, as we expect things to be status quo as before. With these relationships, we must expect to work harder to clear the waters as the tides return, so we can enjoy the occasional unique shells of this friendship brought in with the tide. Usually you will have to work to find them, and it will take effort and patience, but once in a while, you will be rewarded with a whole sand dollar, or a beautiful complete sprial shell.

Like a small tidal pool in a reef - some friendships are always there, at an essentially constant level. That is not to say that you see them daily, but you will find you usually have some sort of consistant contact.
There are times when the water is higher, and times when the level dips, but for the most part, these are the friendships that are closest to your heart. You can count on them to be there when you need a place to go and just be. A place where you will be accepted for who you are, and the waters are calm and peaceful.

If you get your snorkel and look just below the surface, you will find many treasures in these friendships. The brilliant and beautiful colors of honesty, kindness and caring will thrill you! Encouragement and grace are abundant and provide the safety of the reef. This type of relationship will withstand the test of time, and will become your one of your favorite spots to stop and reflect.

I've been personally grieving the loss of a friendship, and with it, finding anger and frustration in how much power this relationship seems to have over me. Now I understand that the relationship may or may not be over, only the tides will tell. It's not for me to determine, but for me to find the good in it. Friendships may come and go, some will be deeper than others, but every person we come in contact with can be a blessing in our lives if we look for it. Know what to expect and you will be ready for the loss that comes when the tide heads out with your friends on it. Know that the cycle will come around again, and look for the beauty mark they have left in your life. Then smile at the power of our relationships to shape and grow our lives!

sleepless nights

Well - my goal was to write daily here for 21 days... I guess today counts as day 1 again? :)

Last night was a rough night. It always is when Grady is gone. I have the hardest time getting to sleep! We are late nighters anyway, but it takes me another 2-3 hours to get to sleep when Grady isn't here. Sometimes I just lie in bed tossing and turning, sometimes I get up and do something, and sometimes I do a little of both! Most times I end up reading a book or watching tv trying to unwind. I'm tired, but just can't get to sleep!

Now if I had been married since I was 20, and always had someone around in the evening, this would make sense. But I wasn't. I slept on my own most of my adult life (and ALL of my childhood!). So truely, it's only been the last 3 years that I've gotten used to having someone next to me while I'm sleeping. Grady is gone about 1/2 of the month, which means I should be used to sleeping alone part of the time... ? Very strange.

The only thing I can come up with is our nightly routine of snuggling before sleep. It is my favorite part of the day - wrapped up in his arms feeling safe and secure. We always say that no matter what is going on, when we have our nightly snuggle, all is right with the world. <3 When he's not here, I miss out on that part of our evening, and the "signal" that it's time to sleep. I've tried snuggling with pillows but it's not the same... so I will continue to get to bed late, and thankfully have the ability to nap during the day if I need to! Or I can use an XS Shot in the afternoon. And in a few days, Grady is home, and life is back to normal!

irony

I recently have been enjoying some friends' blogs, and had to ask myself, why have I not kept up with blogging? I love sharing life with others! So why....? No good reason. Laziness? Low priority? Lack of interest? Perhaps all of the above.

So I decided to pull up my blog site and add a new entry. As I was reading the LAST entry - from about 18 months ago, I found it very ironic it was all about consistancy! I had just read the book "The Slight Edge" that discusses how the little things we do (or don't do) consistantly will make the difference is how your life develops! Obviously, I'm still dealing with lack of consistancy... but working on it every day! I'm proud to report that I am getting better at being consistant... slowly but surely!

So here's my new challenge to myself: consistantly blog for the next 21 days. I've read that 21 days makes a habit... can I make this my daily habit? I think I can! Join me on this journey! Love your feedback!
Blessings!

The Slight Edge

Looking back on my entire life (all 39 years of it!), I've come to one conclusion - consistancy is key. Anything worthwhile that we want to accomplish or attain - takes consistant effort. Losing weight, being fit, buying a home - all require a consistant effort - controlling eating habits, exercising the muscles, putting away money for a down payment - these are the things that will bring those goals to fruition.

It has become glaringly evident to me that the only thing I am consistant at is being inconsistant! I have a few routines in my life, which help me immensely - puts those parts of my life on auto-pilot so I can LIVE the rest of it!

Recently I read a book called "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson, and he talks about this exact thing. The slight edge is always at work in our lives - either with a positive or a negative outcome. That 30 minute walk I take today won't give me a fit body - today. But combine it with a 30 minute walk tomorrow, and the next day and the next, and just like compound interest, it starts to add up! And it goes the same for the super greasy bacon cheeseburger I eat today - it won't kill me - today. But if I eat one today, and tomorrow and the next day - perhaps even one this week, one next week and one the week after - it can easily add up to a heart attack down the road.

So my challenge is this - to pick one thing - this week - and be consistant. It takes 21 days of consistancy to make a habit.... so every 3 weeks I will pick a new "one thing." One thing is hard - I want it all and I want it now... then I get overwhelmed and don't do any of it! So, one thing....I'll have to get back to you on what that one thing is! :o)