13 going on 40

Finally... 40.

2011-09-26T13:02:00.000-04:00

It has been the most wonderful weekend, filled with simple celebrations and surrounded by friends. I am grateful to have several other luncheons and special things this week. I feel wrapped in love by all the messages, Facebook posts, cards, and gifts I received. But the best part, what has set upon me most heavy - is that time is truly the greatest gift you can give someone. Time to spend with them, time you've thought of them - it is by far the best gift of all.

I could update again from my list of goals for the year, but it feels more important to round this milestone with just THANKS. Thanks for walking these months with me. It isn't the end of something, but a great new adventure up ahead. I am thankful for every day I'm alive and sharing life with those friends and family I am so blessed to have.

My cup runneth over.

Last days of 39 -

2011-09-21T17:01:00.002-04:00

Just a few more days of 39 to go! Here is the final list update, and then I have a few more things to write about around my birthday.

31. Ride a roller coaster.

Okay, I have ridden some roller coasters this year. The biggest ones for me were on the October trip to Disney with Taylor. I hate them, but I rode some good ones that didn't make me want to cry, and that was a big step forward I think. I have to admit even feeling a little embarrassed when riding Space Mountain, at how beneath all the terror I actually *might* have even liked it. A little bit. Only a little bit. When I was 13 and rode with my sister I cried getting on it and off of it, so I think I've made strides since then. I'll leave it at that.

But one of the main reasons I really wanted to ride a coaster this year was to get a photo of me doing so. I love this song by David Wilcox and have long hoped to have a picture to represent it and my birthday. Maybe we'll get there in the next few months, where John and I are actually together and he can get the photo I'm wanting. I don't completely trust anyone else with a camera on a coaster! :) Anyway, here are the David Wilcox lyrics I love - the song is called "Top of the Roller Coaster." Pretend it says "40" not "30."

Say good-bye to your twenties
Tomorrow is the "Big 3-0"
For my birthday present
I've got a place where we can go
It's a lesson in motion
To ride the wildest ride
We're gonna climb to the top of the roller coaster
And look down the other side

So let me ride in the front car
And you ride right behind
And I'll click my snapshot camera
At exactly the right time
Shoot back over my shoulder
Catch the fear no one can hide
When we tip the top of the roller coaster
And look down the other side
Over the hill

So when the prints come back
We can look at that unmistakable birthday fear
Like your younger days are over now
And its all down hill from here

It was a happy birthday
You surprised us all
So take a look at this glossy picture
I framed it for your wall
It's the moment of truth
It's the top of your youth
The camera don't lie
You might be screaming
But there's a meaning
In the laughter in your eyes
It seems to be saying
"Of coarse there will be fear"
But this is why we stand in line
Spend that time
Make that climb
To finally feel the other side
And it's all down hill from here

We're gonna climb to the top of the roller coaster
And look down the other side

32. Ask for letters. Write some letters.

I didn't fully explore this as I was hoping to do - but I will continue to be conscious of letting people know I love them in writing - I don't do it near enough.

33. Be content.

Every day this is something to keep in perspective. Perspective - that is a very, very big word with me. I find that I need a fresh one very often. Being content and being thankful go hand in hand for me. When I start to feel resentful - I know I need a big dose of perspective.

34. Plan a big 40th celebration!

After basically a year and a half of thinking I was going to come up with some enormous not to be missed event - I think I failed. I have a couple of small things going on, though, and turns out that is probably just what I wanted in the first place. A few things are a little further out on the horizon, but I am really looking forward to spending time with friends and family over the next week or so. I have plans to hike Stone Mt. with Larry my best college friend. I have dinner plans with my family. I have a tea with my mom, aunt, sister, nieces, and kiddos. I have a painting party with a few close friends. Some other close friends are taking me for a surprise luncheon. How blessed am I? So, while there is no killer event planned after all, there is more than enough of happy to go around for me. I'm so grateful, and very excited about my big day!

35. Stop interrupting.

This may not be possible. But I'll keep trying.

36. Be grateful every day.

See #33. :)

Was 13 months... now less than 13 days!

2011-09-14T13:49:00.003-04:00

The days are ticking to the end of 39...

A few more updates:

26. Read 50 books or more.

So, I completed this goal a few months back, and I haven't updated it lately, so I'm not posting all the regular links and information, but here are a few other books I've had my nose in lately.

Bossypants by Tina Fey - Laughed and laughed and laughed on the plane to Boston. Laughed so hard the poor woman beside me asked me what I was reading so she could get it. Later, other parts weren't as funny, some even lagged, but since I don't laugh nearly hard enough or often enough, I completely enjoyed giggling with Tina Fey.

Sisterhood Everlasting by Anne Brashares - Loved all of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, so I was excited about a new release with these characters. All I am going to say is, this was the opposite of Bossypants. I cried and cried and cried. And, it was very satisfying and lovely.

Baby Proof by Emily Giffin - I wish I hadn't read this. While the different storylines of the female characters were interesting, I finished the book and felt really disgusted with the main character, her choices, and her outcomes. Ugh!

27. Get our finances in order with a setbudget.

Good for us. We can always do things to improve, but I'm proud of our work.

28. Complete my gratitude project.

Elizabeth and I had wonderful ideas in mind while considering writing a photojournalism type book on gratitude. But then our notes were accidentally throw away by someone else, not us, who didn't know what they were. And then - life happened, and we have both been busy. Hope we are both at least 'practicing' gratitude, which I am thinking is the case! :) Hope we get to work on something else together or that there is still hope for this project. Check out Elizabeth's beautiful photography at www.libbiewicket.com.

29. Have a physical.

Check! Did it last November! I sure hope it doesn't mean I need to do it again...?

30. Face my fear of water.

My friend Sarah doesn't call me Elphaba for nothing. I hate water, at least if it requires putting my face in it. Love to drink it, be near it, listen to it, shower in it - but who am I kidding? Despite how easy others make it look to dive into it, I'm out.

Only a few more updates to go... before the big day!

Getting close!

2011-09-02T15:44:00.002-04:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year! September has begun, which means the clock is ticking pretty quickly to my birthday on the 24th. I've gone from 13 months when this blog started to just 22 days left. Wow. Time for a few more updates.

21. Say YES. But only to what is right to say YES to…

I have done really well with this over the past year - and, I have to say, there have been some pretty big things to say NO to, which has been a struggle. I'm proud of the decisions I've made. No regrets yet. And, after a very busy year last year of volunteering, I've cut back dramatically and appropriately this year. With children now in two different schools again, it was necessary. Good efforts here. Check!

22. Make a regular practice of prayer andmeditation.

I have had several great resources this year that I have used - although not regularly. One of my favorites has been the latest book by Jan L. Richardson called Sanctuary of Women. I bet I have bought 10 copies of it to share with friends. If you don't know about Jan or her work yet, you must check out her website: http://www.janrichardson.com/ She is one of my favorite spiritual writers.

I must admit that prayer and meditation are not my strongest gifts, so this area continues to be a work in progress. And, perhaps, that is the way it is meant to be throughout your life.

23. Stop using bad language.

Damn it – I forgot about this one!

24. Drive with full attention.

I think we all have moments where we catch ourselves not fully engaged, but driving needs to *not* be one of those places. Having this as a goal this year has reached into my reminder mode when I catch myself zoning. It is easy to get on auto-pilot - which is a scary realization of how many OTHER people ARE on auto-pilot while I am out driving, running, walking with my family... Makes me hyper-sensitive these days!

25. Spend time with people I love.

What a beautiful year of opportunities to spend time with people I love! I could recount so many great times over the past year, new friendships, and fun with my family. Hooray for all those gifts!

Thanks to Sarah and Temple, who last October (during a particularly tender conversation) gave me "permission" to stop playing life hostess. My efforts at focusing on *some* friendships, in particular those who were not being returned, had become very taxing. While letting some of these efforts go has caused me to also stay less regular even with other relationships, it has also been freeing. I'm grateful for that conversation last year. It has allowed me time to spend with other people who WANT to spend time with me, and has helped me see more clearly where I was wrongly investing. Thanks Temple and Sarah - you are two people I definitely DO want to see.

More updates coming soon...

Feet on Concrete

2011-08-12T19:10:00.000-04:00

16. Exercise for a total of 500 miles.

Okay, I haven't updated this since March! In April I went 35.5 miles. In May, I put in only about 20. In June, I averaged right at 30. In July, I put in 41. So, in the last four months when I haven't logged, I gained 126.5 miles! Which puts me roughly at Columbus, Indiana. Indianapolis, here I come! That puts me at a grand total of 484.9 miles - I'm almost to my 500 mile goal!! That still leaves me with 256.1 to go to Anneliese in Chicago, and it will likely take me past my birthday, but I'm going to make it! Just bought some new shoes from West Stride, and for the first time ever, I can document that my shoes have taken me an awfully long way.

17. Forgive someone… and then move on.

Check. Got that one covered. Moving on.

18. Explore cooking. Then, throw a dinner party.

I've tried a lot of yummy new recipes lately, and had pretty good luck. The most recent was borrowed from my friend Melissa - Bailey spent the night with Melissa's daughter and they made Chicken Divan. Bailey couldn't stop raving about it so Melissa was kind enough to share. She helped me cook and we had fun serving the family. Yum!

We threw a dinner party recently, but it was burgers. Does that count? I never said it had to be fancy, right? :) Love having friends over.

19. Do something incredibly romantic.

Coming up this weekend! I got tickets for John's 40th birthday to go see Big Bad Voodoo Daddy with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at Verizon Amphitheatre. http://www.atlantasymphony.org/Calendar/2011summer/Big-Bad-Voodoo-Daddy.aspx I set up a romantic dinner basket for us, and got our friend Hannah set up to kid-sit for us. We're all set up for a fun night out tomorrow, and I'm really looking forward to it!

20. Get all my photo albums caught up.

Can you hear me laughing? This is just bigger than I have had a chunk of time for, but I haven't given up yet. I'm holding out hope that I can get to this - I do want to do it and it would be a huge organizational hoorah!

More to come.

Steady as She Goes...

2011-08-09T12:39:00.001-04:00

11. Paint a canvas. Draw and frame a picture.

12. Enjoy what I eat.

13. Go to a few movies all by myself.

14. Listen to my children.

15. Date my husband.

All five of these things I have done. And then I have not done. You've already seen my not so fancy painting in a previous post; but I haven't yet taken time to draw again. I have savored many meals; and also slammed down many others with no consciousness. I have gone to one movie alone - Morning Glory. LOVED it and tried several more times - but ended up with friends, which of course turns out to be even more enjoyable. I've sat patiently and listened to my kids; but other times I've muttered lots of "mmms" and "oh reallys." I've dated my husband, and we've had some fun outings; but they have been more chance or scheduled by demand than enjoyed and softly planned. In other words - "Here is somewhere we have to go, wanna get a sitter and go together?" rather than, "Hey, good looking, what are you up to Friday night?" I'm not sure there is much of an alternative right now, where we find ourselves in life, but I'm still trying.

So many good things going on. Kids are back in school now, we're back to some sort of developing schedule, and the clock is tick tocking toward Sept. 24. More updates to come - steady as she goes!

More updates!

2011-07-26T17:28:00.000-04:00

More updates!

6. Participate in a 5K/10K… and a 1/2 marathon.

The only race I participated in this summer was the Peachtree Road Race, the hottest 10K - literally and figuratively. I had my slowest time ever, but hey, who is couting? I hadn't been training and I was just glad to finish. But now I'm aiming for a possible 2nd half marathon... considering the Disney Princess Half in February next year. Anyone else on board for that one? In the meantime, I'm starting over with some basic training. AND - I'm gearing up for my first 5K back on training - the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Run for Your Heart on 9/17. http://www.choa.org/Support-Childrens/Events/Run-For-Your-Heart-Fun-Run Please consider running with me, or making a donation in honor of my 40th birthday!

7. Lose 10—15 lbs. Again.

Who am I kidding? I gained 15 pounds this year. But, I'm back on track and hopefully whittling back down with my new training plan and kids going back to school in less than 2 weeks...!

8. Earn a bikini.

I wrote about this one before - and the more the summer has gone on, the more afraid I am. There are very few people in the world who need to be wearing a bikini. And, most of those are airbrushed. After some of the near losses of swimsuits I saw at the beach and waterpark this summer, I am even more convinced. There are too many great swimsuit options out there these days to be focused on an unnecessary bikini.

9. Do something that really scares me.

Waterslides and roller coasters. That has been a big thing for me - I hate both of them and I've tried out several this year, so hooray for me. I also have had to deal with some pretty difficult things over the past year, so I feel I can really check this one off with gusto.

10. Go camping in our new tent.

Check! Went camping with the Herdens back in June and had a blast. Also LOVED our new tent, a gift from the Joys. Really spacious and room for all four of us. Next stop - I'd love to camp overnight at Stone Mountain. Considering it sometime in the next few months or the upcoming year.

Lots more updates to come!

A whole lot of catching up to do!

2011-07-14T15:01:00.000-04:00

I'm not kidding. I have a lot of updates, so get ready. First, as I find myself in month 11 of 13 going on 40, I feel the need to take a good hard look at my list and see where I am. So, here we go.

1. WRITE.

If anything in the last few months, I have stopped writing. I think about writing - does that count for anything? The reality is - it isn't going to happen in the next three weeks until school starts. Maybe not even then.

2. Help people who really need it.

I am almost to the point of reaching my goal for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. I was hoping to raise $1000 before my 40th birthday. If you care to donate, you can follow this easy link: http://www.kintera.org/siteapps/personalpage/ShowPage.aspx?c=7qLHK0MJLlI0F&b=6029541&sid=bpLIIUOEKkLJLMMtEoH As of this moment, I am just $155 from making this goal. Any amount would help! Thanks for considering it. I think CHOA is an amazing organization - one you never hope you need, but are so grateful for when you do need it.

Also, as part of my continued commitment to CHOA, and as a way to help celebrate my birthday, I've invited my running/walking friends to join me for a "celebration" the week before my birthday. I'm asking friends to sign up as my "team" for the Dunwoody Friends First Annual Run for your Heart. http://www.choa.org/Support-Childrens/Events/Run-For-Your-Heart-Fun-Run If I missed you on that invite, please plan to join me!! Let me know if you want to come so I know who is on my "team" that day. You can also "run" as a "phantom runner" if you just want to donate. Please consider this great event!

3. Have a massage.

Thanks to my amazing Girl Scout families, my incredible co-leader Lizzie and I were given a gift card at the end of the school year to Jolie Day Spa. Something seems to always be wrong with their website or I would post that, sorry. Anyway, back in June I went for my favorite - a hot stone massage. Thanks Brownie moms and dads!

Also, thanks to my amazing 5th grade committee that I chaired with my beautiful friend Justine this past year, we were both given a gift card to Natural Body Spa in Buckhead. http://www.naturalbody.com/ I went the day after participating in the Peachtree Road Race (notice I said "participating" rather than "running"). They also ran a special that if you brought in your PTRR number you got 25% off! So, I was able to stretch my gift card a bit, and I had a very rare mani/pedi too. NBS is the best - love that place. Thanks 5th Grade Committee!! I loved every minute!

4. Go on a *big* trip to a place I’ve never gone.

John and I just got back from Boston and Salem, MA. We have always wanted to go there! It was really fun and I got to see a lot of sights. Here is a photo or two!

It was a nice trip and we enjoyed seeing a new place that has long been on our must do/bucket list!

5. Take my kids out of town by myself.

As you might recall, I did this in October with our big Orlando trip. Since then, we haven't had any other big adventures without John, but I do feel accomplished on this one and can definitely check that one off!

Okay - look for more updates - coming soon!

Campout!

2011-06-26T20:49:00.000-04:00

10. Go camping in our new tent.

We had the best weekend! We went camping with our friends the Herdens at Amicalola Falls in North Ga. Thanks to the Joys, we received a new tent like two Christmases ago, a bigger tent that we have really wanted to try. But, when we have gone camping and needed a tent in the time since, it has been a combination that just needed our smaller tent. So, this was one of my goals this year, to go camping and use that great new tent!

I am attaching a picture below. It is not very flattering of me, as I am too close to the camera and look like The Attack of the Giant Woman woman, but it was still a very fun moment and a great memory. We enjoyed walking/hiking/climbing the area around the falls, then went tubing in Blue Ridge. It was really a fun time and Jen said we needed to make it an annual tradition. The best part was just sitting around the fire eating hot dogs and s'mores and having fun with everyone.

Also, happy 17th anniversary to Jen and Ralph! Who knew that they'd be spending that special day with 5 kids and 2 extra grownups on a campout? Glad they chose to share that time with us! Thanks for a great weekend!

So behind...!

2011-06-06T18:25:00.000-04:00

Hello, and welcome to my blog. At least, that is how I am feeling - like I need to reintroduce myself. The last few weeks have been nuts. Chalk it up to the month of Mayhem. So, I realize I have not updated my books or miles since APRIL! So, this post is on the books I've read in April and May - there are a lot!

26. Read 50 books or more.

APRIL:

39. The Blessing of a B Minus by Wendy Mogel

http://www.amazon.com/Blessing-Minus-Teachings-Resilient-Teenagers/dp/1416542035/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1307396065&sr=8-1
I loved Mogel's previous book, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee. It is one of my two most favorite parenting books, along with Hal Runkel's ScreamFree Parenting. As the mom of a rising middle schooler, I felt this new one geared toward parenting teens put me ahead of the curve. I also bought it for my sister in law Kelly for Hanukkah, another reason I felt excited about reading it. But, I found very little new in these pages. I found myself skipping forward and internally saying, "yeah, yeah, I got it." Maybe my kids are too young yet and it didn't feel applicable, but my gut feeling is that this just wasn't as good as the first book. I do heartily recommend Skinned Knee, though. Go get that one instead!

40. Love Wins by Rob Bell

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Wins-About-Heaven-Person/dp/006204964X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307396304&sr=8-1-fkmr0
Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. This book was not even on the shelf yet and causing tremendous controversy. I have found that anything that gets traditional church blood boiling is worth looking into. Rob Bell made the cover of Time and about 10 other magazines, and I saw him on several mainline talk shows and news channels. But best yet, I saw him in person with my friends Lisa, Alison, and Patty. We heard him speak at a small church in Atlanta. Also, got to witness the protestors outside, etc. etc. This book is very logical, and in that regard varies a little from his past books that feel more heart centered - but that is what I love about Bell. He makes good solid tradition, research, and language into relevant material. I am grateful - despite what many might say to the contrary.

41. Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine

http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Magic-Creating-Stories-that/dp/0060519614/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1307396561&sr=8-1
I thought this book, written by the author of Ella Enchanted and other great books, would be geared to adult writers. But wonderful news - it was geared toward children who write. I loved it, and passed on this treasure to both my children. Great, fast read. Love the way it is written and could go back to it again and again for inspiration.

42. The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

http://www.amazon.com/Red-Queen-Novel-Cousins-War/dp/1416563733/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307396674&sr=8-1-fkmr1
Great chaser to her book The White Queen from the year before. I got this one from my sister for my birthday but just had a chance to get to it. Always enjoy Gregory's work, and these two do work from before Henry VIII and the time of the Tudors - instead, exploring the royal beginnings of the Tudors. Fascinating, as usual. May I recommend getting a genealogy chart before diving in?

43. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

http://www.amazon.com/Mockingbird-Kathryn-Erskine/dp/0142417750/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307396859&sr=8-1
My daughter bought this at the book fair this year and then asked me to read it. It came on recommendation of our media specialist Lindsay Waddell. All I can say is WOW. A tough read, but inspiring. But - wanna see something weird? Just saw this book written up for review -

http://www.amazon.com/Long-Drive-Home-Will-Allison/dp/1416543031/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307397239&sr=8-1
I have NEVER ever, ever seen a book with the exact same cover image. Isn't that weird?

MAY:

44. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

http://www.amazon.com/Discovery-Witches-Novel-Deborah-Harkness/dp/0670022411/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307397629&sr=8-1-fkmr0
I CANNOT BELIEVE how good the reviews are on this book. I suggested it for our book club, and I feel ashamed by that. So weird, so weird, and the author takes this subject matter WAY to seriously. Despite my love of Harry Potter and Twilight - listen up folks, vampires are not actually real.

45. Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton

http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Surfer-Tie-Family-Fighting/dp/1439165793/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1307397915&sr=8-1
Bailey and I enjoyed the movie so much - we are big fans of Anna Sophia Robb. Bailey then asked to have the book for her birthday, which my mom bought for her. I loved getting more insight into the story, and also the photographs in the book, as well as some updated information on the family's experience with the movie. But - as many of these kind of books are, it is not incredibly well written. Still, I find Bethany Hamilton very inspiring. Her story is amazing, even if her book isn't.

46. gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson

http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Alabama-Joshilyn-Jackson/dp/0446524190/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1307398669&sr=8-1
I tried, I really did. But I just could. not. choke. this. down. I can't take one more book with a Southern character that is all whacked out. Ugh. Awful.

47. The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

http://www.amazon.com/Name-this-Book-Secret/dp/0316113697/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307398764&sr=8-1-fkmr0
Okay, I also can't take one more book that has a review on it that compares it to Harry Potter. Double ugh. This one is no where close. The kids and I read it together, and it is okay, but I was glad to be done with it. It took us forever to read - and I think it was mainly due to it just not being that interesting. Sheesh.

48. Ape House by Sara Gruen

http://www.amazon.com/Ape-House-Novel-Sara-Gruen/dp/038552322X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1307398879&sr=8-1
Water for Elephants it is not - but interesting on a very different scale. Worth a look - unpacks a fascinating subject, and brings some creative characters along - including the apes.

49. Matched by Ally Condie

http://www.amazon.com/Matched-Paperback-Trilogy-Ally-Condie/dp/014241977X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1307398986&sr=8-2-fkmr0
Listen up Hunger Games fans everywhere - this is a fun, fast read with a flair of Katniss Everdeen. I read it in about 16 hours at the beach and couldn't put it down. It isn't life changing for the reader per se - but is life changing for the characters, and has some great lines and insights to boot. Not sure I like the ending, but it was engaging enough for me to look heartily forward to the next one.

Lots of pages down and only 1 book until I meet my goal - so I'm almost there with time to spare! Be back soon with April and May miles.

Summer is coming...

2011-05-15T09:30:00.001-04:00

6. Participate in a 5K/10K… and a 1/2 marathon.

Wow, I'm so behind during this month of May-hem that I haven't even hardly posted on April yet. Late in April I participated with my friend Lisa in the Girls on the Run 5K. It was really fun. Except for the part that I looked like a pale ghost pig and Lisa looked tanned and stunningly gorgeous as usual. I can't stand with her in pictures any more, even though I absolutely love her. :)

7. Lose 10—15 lbs. Again.

Can you hear me screaming from here? I am a great mystery. I exercise 3-6 times a week, I'm very active, I count my calories, and... ta dah - I've gained weight. My surgeon says it is because I am about to turn 40. My wellness consultants think 1) I'm not getting enough sleep and 2) I am not eating ENOUGH. I think the whole thing is insane. Makes me want to lay down and eat bon bons and see what happens, but that is way to scary seeing as how all this effort is going in the wrong direction. Oh well. I guess the bottom line is just to love yourself, and keep on keeping on. And you know what, I do. I have some great assests. No pun intended.

8. Earn a bikini.

On that note, I so wish I could report that I was bikini ready for the summer, but that seems to be increasingly not the plan. ;) For one thing, I was at a recent poolside party for a friend, and realized pretty much all my friends are wearing cute, yet age appropriate (read Mom) swimsuits. And this is not a bad thing. I am a mom, and as my friend Alison says, "no one wants to see all that at the pool." My friend Elizabeth gave her nanny money to buy a "family friendly" swimsuit before taking her kids to the pool this summer. Love it. Even the PYTs are relegated to wearing something appropriate. AND - there is nothing like people watching around any pool to realize that honestly, the percentage of people who truly look good in a swimsuit is in about the 1% range, and even most of those are airbrushed. So, I'll take this off the list of wants for this year. I'm good. And I really like my swimsuit. :)

Happy almost summer!

The Unagreeable Fish

2011-05-10T12:52:00.000-04:00

18. Explore cooking. Then, throw a dinner party.

OMG, thank goodness no one came for a dinner party a few weeks ago when I tried to make fish. I've had some successful runs with fish in the last year, despite the fact that I don't really care for it. But - my kids love it, especially Taylor, so I'm trying. (Thanks "alot" WinShape Camps http://www.winshape.org/camps/welcome/#/welcome/ - while some kids whine about camp food, my kids want me to duplicate it!)

Here's what happened. I tried to make a real trout. And by real, I do not mean the fancy boneless kind the man at Publix wraps in paper for me. I do mean the kind that comes with its head chopped off and its tail woefully left behind. I called my dad, a former butcher, for advice. He gave me some tips, particularly that it was okay to hack off that tail if it was bothering me. So, after rinsing the trout thoroughly - YUCK, I'll just leave it at that - I decided I just could not take looking at the tail. I decided to take steps to remove it, at which point, all I can tell you is my rinsing was obviously not complete enough. And then the dry heaves began. I dry heaved into my sleep that night - I literally woke up at 2 am, dry heaving and thinking about real trout. Julia Child, forgive me. GUH - ross.

Suffice to say, we had magnificent hushpuppies and frozen french fries for dinner that night.

By the way - I need to make one redeeming note here. I'm actually a decent cook. I've made a lot of successful meals that I haven't written about - just sayin.' :)

Painting

2011-05-02T08:10:00.000-04:00

11. Paint a canvas. Draw and frame a picture.

I must admit, I bought the supplies for this many months ago, and they have sat in the floor of my office. But a week or two ago, Bailey and I sat down and she shared some painting time with me. She took one of the two canvases and we had a really great hour or so together just free painting. I didn't do anything too artistic or involved, but, I also accomplished this one:

14. Listen to my children.

Bailey is a very good artist, and she has learned a lot under the instruction of The Art Chicks, Holly and Lannie. http://www.theartchicks.net/ As we painted, Bailey taught me some of the tips she has learned from Holly and Lannie. Turns out my daughter has really been listening! She taught me about wet paint and cleaning brushes, how to use a hairdryer as a painting tool, and about a hundred other things. She was beaming as she shared her art skills. We had a blast, and I learned a lot myself!

Neither of us did our best work, but we had a great time and enjoyed playing around. Here they are! Can you guess whose is whose? ;)

March Miles

2011-04-11T08:28:00.000-04:00

16. Exercise for a total of 500 miles.

The miles from my half marathon came in handy this month. It looks like I put in around 50 miles in March, which took me metaphorically from Bowling Green, Kentucky to, well... somewhere between Upton and Sonora, Kentucky. I don't know anything about either one of these towns, but that is where I am for now. Looks like I have MANY more miles on good old I-65 before I get to Anneliese. But - let's put this in perspective at this point.

My goal is 500 miles - but the total trip to Anneliese is 741. That leaves me with 382.6 miles to go to reach her. BUT - with the 500 goal in mind, I've already put in a whopping total of 358.4 miles since I started in the fall! That gives me "just" 141.6 miles left to meet my 13x40 goal. Go me!

So, there is the March update - a few weeks late. And for now - I gotta go walk!

March Pages - 39 down, 11 to go!

2011-04-07T07:27:00.000-04:00

26. Read 50 books or more.

Several great books in March - and a couple of others. ;) Here are my reviews!

35. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

http://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-World-Survival-Resilience-Redemption/dp/1400064163/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302174895&sr=1-1

Awesome, awesome book. I loved her first book, Seabiscuit, and this one stands up to that high expectation as well. It was a difficult book to read because of the subject material - every page just racked me as the story went on. I can't recommend this highly enough - if you don't know why this has been #1 on the NY Times Bestsellers, you need to find out.

36. The Devil in the White City

http://www.amazon.com/Devil-White-City-Madness-Changed/dp/0375725601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302175029&sr=1-1

Um... can you say creepy?! Loved this true story. My friend Anneliese (yes, the same one I am metaphorically walking to see) recommended this when we visited them in Chicago, but I just had not ever gotten around to reading it. Then my friend Georgia picked it for Book Club, and I loved having that excuse. :) Great book, but yes, creepy. Very insightful and a smorgasboard of little known history facts. Put it on your list.

37. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice

http://www.amazon.com/Beekeepers-Apprentice-Segregation-Suspense-Featuring/dp/0312427360/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302175244&sr=1-1

Georgia also picked this one for Book Club. I was really excited about it because I've been intrigued with Sherlock Holmes of late - but it couldn't keep me interested. While her character ideas were fun and fresh, it felt sort of forced, and as if she borrowed a great story in hopes of making one of her own. I think she might have done better just creating a fresh line all together. Elementary, my dear Watson.

38. Toes by Tor Seidler

http://www.amazon.com/Toes-Tor-Seidler/dp/0060541016/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302175410&sr=1-1

Bailey asked me to read this book some time ago and this was the time. A sweet story, but really sad. Sad start, middle okay, sad ending. I liked the book, but on some level thought I might need to call my therapist after reading it. It was like Marley and Me but worse, and for kids. :(

39. Love the One You’re With by Emily Giffin

http://www.amazon.com/Love-One-Youre-Emily-Giffin/dp/0312348665/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302175582&sr=1-1

This is what my sister Crissi and I call an Airport Book. Fast, easy to read, not going to change my life in any way, but fun. A lot like Giffin's other books and worth a look.

SO much to read, so little time! Off we go to April.

6 going on 40

2011-03-29T16:17:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday marked the date. I am just six months out from my 40th. My son and I share "half birthdays" - so I was darn sure on 3/24. 13 going on 40 has now become 6 going on 40. Wow! There is still a lot to do on my list. :)

6. Participate in a 5K/10K… and a 1/2 marathon.

I completed another 5K - the Atlanta Women's 5K - with my friend Lisa. I was slow, as has come to be expected now, but I felt the best I've ever felt after a race and loved running with Lisa. It was really fun! I never really run with friends - too much pressure to talk, or I over run out of anxiety - but we had fun. (I had fun with my friend Temple last year too at the SkirtChaser 5K!)

After my half marathon, I've felt pretty lazy. So, I need to get going again with a fresh sense of dedication to taking care of myself. All I really want to do now is cuddle up in bed (weather NOT helping!) and read a book, or two, or three. :)

Party Planning

2011-03-24T14:45:00.000-04:00

34. Plan a big 40th celebration!

Okay, I've picked a day - but that is about it. If anyone has ideas on place or theme, let me know! I have several ideas in mind, but just can't settle on what we want yet. So... I'd love to hear what others think would be a good idea! Casual at home with a taco bar? Blow it out fancy at a gallery in Hotlanta? Forget playing host/ess and travel instead? So many choices, so little time. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Ready

2011-03-15T10:24:00.001-04:00

17. Forgive someone… and then move on.

I have found this one really difficult to work on, but Lent seemed like the time. I wrote a longer piece for my Apple yesterday and it can be found here: http://www.wisdomem.com/ But I wanted to just include on the blog the letter I wrote to a person I need to forgive. Hope it is helpful to someone. I know writing it has been helpful to me.

Dear _______,
I hope this letter reaches you to find you well and that things in your life are positive. It has been a long time since we’ve talked to one another, but I wanted to reach out to you. I have some things I have been hanging on to for a long time, and I have reached a place in my path where it is important to express a few things. I hope you will be able to listen and hear part of my story.
Due to some circumstances in life, you were put in my path during a time when many big decisions were pressing on me. Some of this was exciting, and some of it very stressful. I sought out your assistance as a person of faith and influence, and it was appropriate that I should have done so. But instead of support or encouragement, rather than even constructive criticism – you sowed difficulty, distrust, and sorrow for me.
I have come to realize that you were probably never aware of how much damage you did to me during this time. I sincerely doubt you lost even one night of sleep, but I did. I sat awake many nights, anxiety and despair filling my head. You had the power to affect my life, and you did so; but you did not do so with kindness. At one point, I even told you I felt threatened by your words and actions. Your response was to say, “Hmm.” Do you remember that? Another time you told me you could find nothing positive to say about me.
Not only did you not help me on my path, I feel it is important to share now that you also road blocked my path. You put effort into causing me harm. For a long time, I felt powerless. I wanted someone or something to step in and realize the things you were doing that were deeply affecting my life. For a long time, and I would say far too long, I allowed that resentment to fester in me. I withdrew from my community, as an act of self-protection. I tried to fly under the radar. I tried to undo your punches. And in doing so, I gave you even more power. Even after you left my life physically, I have felt the impact of your rush through my life mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I am ashamed and embarrassed that I have spent so much energy unpacking those traumas.
I am reaching out now because I have spent my time grieving and need to let your power over me go. I know now that you were a frightened person, trying to hold on to your own world at the risk of damaging others. Before I offer you my forgiveness, I hope to offer you my apologies. I am so sorry. I am sorry that you were so uncomfortable in your own skin that your only answer was to act out in ways that were unhealthy. I wish I had been in a different place at that time, as maybe I could have seen things differently or been able to help you. Or, maybe I would have sought to find more light, instead of being sucked into your darkness. I truly am sorry. You are just a human being, and you make mistakes like everyone else.
I also want to offer my forgiveness – both to you, and to myself. First, I offer true forgiveness to you – hard earned on my end. I intend to let go of the pain you inflicted, because I truly believe you have no idea that you did it. I gave you that ability blessed with my permission. Therefore, I also forgive myself. I tried to find other solutions, but they did not come to fruition, and I felt stuck and suffocated, and I didn’t act at my best. I forgive myself for not finding more strength, and for not having clearer vision or perspective. I forgive myself for letting you lead the way I saw myself.
I’m growing, and I’m changing. It has taken a few years, but I have finally reached a point where I can’t grow any more without releasing you. So, whether you knew all along, or never had any idea – it was important to say out loud that I am letting you go now. I release you and I truly can wish you the best now. I have more perspective now, and I’ll keep praying for more. When I think of you now, I’ll pray for you too. I hope we can both find our way on to a better way. I wish you light.
Brandi

I also saw this timely interview today with Rob Bell - loved it. Though the timing was perfect.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/pastors-book-hell-read-love-wins-rob-bell/story?id=13128710

Just Keep Swimming

2011-03-07T11:54:00.000-05:00

6. Participate in a 5K/10K… and a 1/2 marathon.

I can't even believe I'm writing this - I FINISHED THE BERRY HALF MARATHON!
http://www.berry.edu/academics/education/elementary/berryhalfmarathon.asp

Two days later, it is so surreal. I'd think that perhaps I hadn't actually done it, but every muscle in my body hurts in a pleasant reminder that I REALLY DID IT!

Now that I've reached this milestone, I'd like to share a little bit of my journey to this point. I have never been a runner. When I was a student at Berry, it would never have even crossed my mind to run anywhere. It is a goregous campus, but I can say I never full appreciated it by foot. I dreaded lugging my backpack around campus, and schedules weren't always accomodating to take a leisurely walk during those days. I once went through a program at Berry called Fitness for Life. It was an optional opportunity to help students stay in shape. I was SUPER skinny but not in the least drop athletic, nor did I desire to be. I'd never been challenged with issues with weight or eating at that time. I signed up for Fitness for Life just for fun. When I went through the results, I will never forget what the guy said that interpreted them for me: "You have the body of an endurance athlete, but the insides of a slug."  I didn't take it too hard at the time. Being an endurance athlete wasn't my goal.

But years later, things have been different for me. I have gotten older. I have been pregnant four times - two precious children to show for it - and also a miscarriage, and a later term loss in utero that nearly shattered my world (not in that order). I have dealt with life difficulties and some ongoing professional stress as I've sought a position in ministry. I've suffered from some depression. I've been a busy stay at home mom to my kiddos and trying to keep up with all the demands and gifts of life. I've had to take hormones. I had abdominal surgery.

And somewhere along the way, I gained a lot of weight and it has been a STRUGGLE. Some has been out of bad habits, some has been from hormones, life, depression - there are a lot of boring stories. I have dieted and walked and joined the Y and tried more things than I can count. I could run this post for days and tell you why I have three different sizes of pants I like to keep in my closet. As a guy friend of mine once said, "I'm really a 34 but a 36 feels so good I wear a 38." One year on New Year's Day I told my friends Dede and David that my resolution was for my weight to fluctuate that year. It was tongue in cheek, but that is the pattern I had been seeing. Up and down. Up and down.

One day I was on Facebook when I found my friend Scott. We knew each other from college days through a mutual organization, but I went to Berry and he went to UGA. The last time I had seen Scott had been years before, and I wasn't sure if he'd want to be my "Facebook Friend." But we did reconnect, and started to share some stories. Turns out Scott had become motivated to start running. He inspired me to start a program called Couch to 5K http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml. I have to say, when I started it, I just felt "even this" as a beginner's program was too much for me. I had to supplement "off days" on the program with doing other things. When I started, I literally carried a kitchen timer in my hand. I'd walk for a minute and jog for a minute and I couldn't WAIT for the minute to end. It was not fun. But I just decided, I'm not going to do this to lose weight - I'm going to gain endurance. I'm going to stick with it. I'm going to do a 5K. And the day I started Couch to 5K, I made another decision - I signed up for a 5K THAT DAY. It was several months away, but I wanted to commit myself to the decision.

I worked very hard from May to August to meet my goal. On July 3, my friend Margot hooked me up with a number for the Peachtree Road Race - a 10K - on July 4, the next morning. I NEVER IN MY LIFE thought I'd participate in the PTRR. I wasn't even training for a 10K.  I walked most of it, but it was just thrilling. In August, I went for my first 5K, the Dog Days Run in Marietta. It was a challenging course of steep hills and hot, muggy weather. But I did it.

I was also watching carefully what I ate. I lost 25 lbs, and hard earned every tenth of a pound I lost. A friend saw me at the end of the summer and asked how I'd done it. I said, "It was EVERY choice I made." She asked me if that was the name of a book. I couldn't help but laugh.

Just a few weeks after this, I found out that I had a fibroid tumor the size of a cantalope in my uterus. I was scheduled for a hysterectomy via c-section in November. I was really depressed, dreading surgery, and bummed that "just when I had gotten it together" - I was going to be on a long recovery.

I had already signed up, so I went ahead and ran in the Berry 5K on Alumni Weekend in October, and had my best time ever, a PR (personal record) as they say. Then I ran the Oakland Cemetery Run Like Hell on Halloween morning, in the driving rain. I listed to "Fighter" by Christina Aguilera http://s0.ilike.com/play#Christina+Aguilera:Fighter:15523:s327803.9793201.1096290.0.2.27%2Cstd_ffd2c556186e46d98f9bdbdf133b1e92 and rain poured off my face and I knew I had to complete this run. I just didn't know when I'd be able to run again.

November came and so did my surgery. I had a very long recovery. In January I signed up for Women on the Move/Sisters in Stride at West Stride http://www.weststride.com/ through the Atlanta Track Club http://www.atlantatrackclub.org/. I was intimidated to go out with "real runners" - especially being so weak physically still at that point. I was moving very gingerly. But I felt it would make me feel obligated to return to running, and that I would also benefit from the advice of people who really do understand running. Kudos galore to Genie and Jennie at West Stride - they make EVERYONE feel like they are runners, kind and encouraging every step. I can't rave about them enough.

Since then, I will say things have been slow. I've participated in several more 5Ks and 10Ks. I'm not by any means fast, but I've not been training for fast. I've stuck to training for endurance. I want to keep up with my kids. I want to not get winded easily.

I've had other setbacks. In May after my surgery, I made an incredibly difficult decision to withdraw from a professional process that had gone on for eight years. It had become such a negative experience that I knew something had to change. I started to gain back some weight from post surgery issues and from anxiety and depression on the professional end. Although I knew this particular decision was for the best, I have had issues to deal with and unpack. There has been some grief and some things I needed to say good bye too.

Over the past year I have been fortunate to also have the encouragement of Ginny and Molly at Chick-fil-A Wellness http://www.cfafittolead.com/. My husband works at Chick-fil-A and I am grateful that they also extend these type of great benefits to us as spouses too. Ginny and Molly have helped me stay on track as I decided to focus on the goal of participating in a Half Marathon. I just got to meet them in person in February for a "check up." I had gained back about 10 pounds since I started last year. Depressing! But I had also strengthened in some other areas. So, I keep focusing on keeping on. As Dorie says in "Finding Nemo" - "Just keeping swimming, swimming, swimming..." I have to think that sooner or later my good, or better, choices will catch up with me.

I had also injured my knee a few weeks before this trip with Chick-fil-A - and I spent most of February not training like I had been. I ran a 5K there on the trip with Chick-fil-A Wellness - it was my PR all right - but on the wrong end. It was the longest time it has ever taken me to run a 5K. My knee wasn't happy. I felt like seeing all those people I "knew" at the end was like running the Run of Shame. They were finished, had had breakfast, heading back to hotels - and I'm still running! BUT - once again, I finished. And that made me faster than anyone still in bed. :)

So - time came for the Berry Half. I had signed up months ago in order to hold myself to it. After several weeks of great weather here in Atlanta, a miserable rain and lower temps were predicted for the race. I wanted to talk myself out of going. I went in to West Stride and said to Genie and Jennie - "I need help!" They helped me make sure I was prepared with my clothing choices for temperature and rain. I came home and packed my bag and my husband and kids and I headed up to Rome. We picked up my number, stayed at my parent's house checking in on the weather - but things just looked nasty. John took me over to Berry in the rain and 40 degree temps on Saturday morning. I have to admit some chattering teeth - both from cold and anxiety. What am I doing here? I thought. All I have to do is stop. I can go home anytime. I couldn't help but feel a little like I did the morning of my surgery! (What a horrible thought!)

But - I got out of the car. I waited for the shuttle. I talked to people on the bus. I found the restroom. I realized suddenly that I had internally made the commitment long ago. I was going in this race after all, despite what my head was telling me to the contrary. Something deep and internal kept me breathing and got me focused. I zipped up my jacket and headed for the start line.

I ran intervals (running for a time, then walking for a time - this has been my best method of training, something I learned from West Stride) and felt really great for the first 7 miles. I kept up with a group of familiar backs - I'd pass them, they'd pass me - for a long time. Then at about mile 7, I realized that I was really toward the back of the pack (I try to never look behind me, but we had a double back place where it was pretty obvious). That was okay. I also knew this was the mark where I'd never gone farther in a race. There was actually a great sign that said, "Last is just the slowest winner." Loved that! I was expecting that I might run down around this point, even though I'd trained at longer distances, but I was still feeling good.

About mile 8, I suddenly thought, with no internal conflict, that I might be done. It wasn't mentally arguing - just an little light went on where I thought, I might want a ride now. Gratefully, at just about that point, we had another double back part in the race - ahead of me on the other side of the road was my friend Margaret, who had seen me at the other double back but I hadn't seen her. She made a point to reach out and give me a five. The timing was perfect and helped me keep going.

Just before mile 9, The Climb by Miley Cyrus came on my headphones http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG2zyeVRcbs. Now, I mostly listen to upbeat songs, but I had put some slower songs on my playlist to make sure I was doing the intervals and not overdoing. "Ain't about how fast I get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side. It's the climb."   I looked around me and saw gorgeous purple hills wrapped in fog, and honestly brought tears to my eyes. I feel cheesy even saying I was this moved by Miley Cyrus - but I was. :)

I made sure to get a gel pack at mile 9, and some Powerade. I also realized as I started the last leg back, about a three mile trail before hitting the last half at main campus, that I wasn't going to be able to run. I was starting to have some leg cramps and I did not want to injure my knee again. I slowed down and walked 9.5-12.5. I stopped a few times to stretch. I can honestly say I considered calling John and asked him to drive up and get me.  I was hurting. Then I saw another great little sign that said, "You have two choices. You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the sweat off your forehead." I decided I'd try to jog in the last .6 or so at a slow steady pace and finish strong. I was too close to quit. And, I also decided that mentally I could cross that line in tears and agony, with a spirit of defeat - or I could come through celebrating a great acheivement. The attitude was up to me.

Just as I started to jog again, so close to finishing, my injured knee buckled with a terrible charlie horse cramp. I felt tears come to my eyes and started walking again to get through it. Not far up ahead, I spotted my friend Scott, who had come to the race with a friend, signing up just a few days prior.  They had waited over an hour for me after his finish. They encouraged me around the corner and Scott asked if I wanted to race. Total negative on that, but made me laugh. Then I could see my two precious precious kids - cheering for me. They started running on the sidewalk with me. Then I could see my amazing husband snapping photos and waving. One last set of photographers called out to me to look their way - I laughed and said to them, "There's no one behind me to block the picture, so you have to get a good one!" At that moment, John captured the photo I posted above.

I crossed the finish line with shouts from my friends Margaret and Mike, who had also waited for me. Margaret hugged me and I broke into tears. Such an emotional journey! But soon I was delighting with these special friends and family who had cheered me in.

I was late enough in the race that they were out of bananas. But I felt bananas after accomplishing something like this. I was tempted to wear my medal to bed. I am still reveling today. How long do you think you can wear a half marathon medal without people thinking you are odd?

And after all, I knew I wasn't going to win THIS race. What is important is that I won MY race.

I still have obstacles ahead. I just think I'll look back on March 5, 2011 every time with a smile on my face.

Slow and steady. Just keep swimming.   Every step counts.

February Books

2011-03-07T10:33:00.000-05:00

26. Read 50 books or more.

So, I'm finally having a chance to post my books from February. I was able to read five, so I'm up to a total of 33 read out of my 50. Plus I just finished one I can't wait to rave about next month in March reads! Here are the books from February.

29.      Three Willows: The Sisterhood Continues by Ann Brashares
http://www.amazon.com/Willows-Sisterhood-Grows-Hardback/dp/0385736762/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299511091&sr=8-1
I can't begin to say how much I enjoyed reading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares, so I thought this looked sort of interesting. But it just didn't have the clever spark I liked in the other series. Not a bad read, but found myself skimming a lot, hoping to move the story along a little faster.

30.      ScreamFree Marriage by Hal Runkel
http://www.amazon.com/ScreamFree-Marriage-Calming-Growing-Getting/dp/0767932773/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299511212&sr=1-1
My friend Hal Runkel wrote this book, as a follow up to his outstanding book ScreamFree Parenting. This one is fresh off the press and definitely one to put on your reading list. Both books by Hal give insight into relationships in general, as well as to parenting and marriage. Also, be sure to check out their website at http://www.screamfree.com/site/PageServer to learn more about their practices and their mission.

31.      Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
http://www.amazon.com/Mockingjay-Final-Book-Hunger-Games/dp/0439023513/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299511455&sr=1-1
I just had to finish The Hunger Games trilogy. It kept calling to me from the book basket - "Read me! Read me!" I have so enjoyed this series, but with a twinge of guilt must say that I felt it ended with exhaustion. It seemed like Collins sort of gave up on tying up the loose ends and went for a deal changer instead. I don't want to say more in case you read it, AND I hope you will. A fun story line, very different and engaging - so worth it. Just have mixed feelings on the end.

32.    Alberic the Wise by Norton Juster and Leonard Baskin
http://www.amazon.com/Alberic-Wise-Norton-Juster/dp/0887082432/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299511649&sr=1-2
This may not even be fair to count, because it is such a short book. But - I am counting it because I think it is something I continue to chew on. I discovered this book just recently - it is written by Norton Juster, who happens to have penned my very favorite book in the whole world, The Phantom Tollbooth. I was thrilled to discover that he had written other things. I had to do some work to get a copy of this book - it is used, with library binding - but I love the stories that conjures up for me too. If you can find it, read it. It really makes you think. Obviously - a very "WISE" tale, just as you'd expect.

33.     The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
http://www.amazon.com/Sweetness-Bottom-Pie-Flavia-Mystery/dp/0385343493/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299511828&sr=1-1
This is one of our book club books this quarter. I read it when we went out to Texas and enjoyed it. A very fun, sort of different little read. It reads like old mystery, and the characters were different and engaging. The only thought I had to the contrary was that everything in the mystery really needed to be unpacked and explained; there weren't enough foreshadowing details to wrestle with it so much as a reader. Just bit by bit things were revealed. But I liked the heroine, a young girl named Flavia, and a few times even laughed out loud.   I'll take that any day of the week.

More posts are coming super fast this week - I have a lot to share!

February ends, March begins

2011-03-01T16:50:00.000-05:00

Wow, what happened to February? I hardly wrote a thing in February, and now the month is over!

6. Participate in a 5K/10K… and a 1/2 marathon.

First - a miles update. It will be brief, as there weren't many! Just 27 miles in February. I injured my knee mid-month, and have been nursing that. I did run the Chick-fil-A Operators Fit to Lead Challenge 5K in San Antonio, TX last week, but I was the slowest I've ever been. Hey, at least I was out there doing it! :) So, 27 more miles put me right outside Bowling Green, KY. At least I have finally walked/run/biked my way out of Georgia and Tennessee. Still heading toward my goal of Chicago! I'm also still a really long way from my friend Drew in Ludlow, KY, but since I'm metaphorically in his state, I'm waving anyway. Also, thinking of my friend Steph who is from Kentucky - even though I met her in Atlanta and she now lives in Louisiana. :)

4. Go on a *big* trip to a place I’ve never gone.

Okay, next - although this wasn't exactly the "big" kind of trip I was thinking about when I wrote this one, I did go to a place I've never been before. Thanks to Chick-fil-A, we got to go to San Antonio for the first time. It was a fun trip and we enjoyed the experience!

Back soon with my book updates - some good ones this month, and I'm readin one right now that is spectacular!

Redefining Romance

2011-02-14T11:01:00.000-05:00

16. Do something incredibly romantic.

Okay, it is Valentine's Day, and it seems like the perfect time to plan something romantic. Only, I have to say, this is about the 5th time this year I have worked on planning something romantic, and turns out I'm not doing too well. Despite several good college tries, I can't say I've succeeded yet. Several things have "gotten in the way" of well laid or well intentioned plans.

Any ideas?

Or, is this just par for the course for the almost-40s-with-young-kids-set? With work, busy schedules, babysitters, and being tired - where is there room for something incredibly romantic?

Maybe the fact that I'm having to plan it just says something in itself. Should romance be more spontaneous? I'm not a spontaneous person, so I'm pretty much ruling that out.

Or, maybe I just need to redefine romance. When my husband cleans the kitchen, which, being a restaurant man, he is very good at - that is romantic. Also, he is the best with a vacuum. And mopping. I know I'm lucky.

Or, maybe all those excuses are just a cop out.

The fact is - I woke up everyone today with a little note of love and some candy. I made lunch sandwiches out of mini heart cookie cutters for my kids. I bought a Groupon for my husband that I'm really excited about - thanks Groupon! http://www.groupon.com/ I also am planning an at home and fancy/fun dinner for all of us.

Fact is - John and I are going out of town this week for business with Chick-fil-A, for which I am so grateful. We get this awesome opportunity every year to get away, thanks to Chick-fil-A, and also thanks to my mom, who is both willing and able to keep our kids. We are also going out a few days early to have some time together and with friends. I think that all sounds more romantic than today, just because it is a random Monday and Valentines Day.

At any rate, I'm still working on it and still feeling hopeful. Send me thoughts and ideas.

January Pages

2011-02-01T16:19:00.000-05:00

26. Read 50 books or more.

Wow, did I ever plow through some books in January. Can't wait to share! 28 down now, 22 to go. Here are the eight books I put on my list in January.

21. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy

http://www.amazon.com/My-Reading-Life-Pat-Conroy/dp/0385533578/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296593594&sr=8-1

Loved, loved, loved this book. I have enjoyed other books by Pat Conroy, and reading this one was special, as it focused on his own experience with influential books and people in his life. I couldn't help but continue thinking how raw the writing was. I so appreciated his stories of being turned down, beaten down, slowed down - and living through it. It was an inspiring reminder of how even the very successful people out there often have stories of others that discouraged them. I loved hearing about his successes and failures. Pat Conroy doesn't disappoint - he shares his gritty writing and eloquent language to tell these stories, and I loved reading his Reading Life.

22. Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

http://www.amazon.com/Have-Little-Faith-True-Story/dp/0786868724/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296593872&sr=1-1

Not my favorite from Mitch Albom; I've enjoyed other writings of his more. But - an interesting paralleled story of two lives. Might be worth a look.

23. Half Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls

http://www.amazon.com/Half-Broke-Horses-True-Life-Novel/dp/1416586296/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296593979&sr=1-1

I really enjoyed reading her previous book, The Glass Castle, so I was excited my sister gave me this one for Christmas. The first half of the book I really enjoyed, but as it carried on, I felt less inclined toward the main character. Only at the end did I read that Walls created a good portion of the story, recounted by her mother, not her grandmother (the main character). I understand this is often the case under the circumstances, but I wish I had realized it at the beginning. Definitely a different kind of read - worth checking out.

24. Socks by Beverly Cleary

http://www.amazon.com/Socks-Beverly-Cleary/dp/0380709260/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296594219&sr=1-1

My daughter, who is allergic to all things animal, is a rabid reader of animal books. She's been asking me to read about Socks for months now. I love Beverly Cleary, so I finally had the chance for this one, which ended up taking me just about an hour (if that) to read. It was a sweet little story, but I have to say, I felt really sorry for Socks through the whole book. I really even still felt sorry for Socks at the end. So, this one tugged my heart strings, but perhaps not in the way Cleary intended. I think children get something totally different out of this book than I did as a parent. An interesting juxtaposition!

25. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

http://www.amazon.com/Catching-Fire-Second-Hunger-Games/dp/0439023491/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296594394&sr=1-1

If you have talked to me at all since December, I've probably mentioned how much I L-O-V-E-D the first in this series, The Hunger Games. I tried to put off reading the second one but couldn't. Loved Catching Fire too. I loaned The Hunger Games to my mom - she returned it very quickly and asked right away if I had the second one! The third one is in my stack and calling my name... These books are different than anything else I've been reading in a long time - which is part of why they are just so much darn fun!

26. To Bless the Space Between Us by John O'Donahue

http://www.amazon.com/Bless-Space-Between-Us-Blessings/dp/B00394DGRI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296594578&sr=1-1

This book was given to me by my sweet friend Anneliese (yes, the one I'm walking to see in Chicago!). She wrote me a special note inside to say, "Happy birthday Brandi! YOU are a blessing. I just wish there wasn't so much space between us. :) Love, Anneliese" I so treasure that! I love the blessings included in this book, and the intimate life moments they represent. Thanks so much Anneliese! I loved reading this and will open it often for inspiration!

27. Pendragon: The Merchant of Death by D. J. McHale

http://www.amazon.com/Merchant-Death-Pendragon-D-J-MacHale/dp/1416936254/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296594740&sr=1-1

Okay, this series is mighty popular with boys I know right now. Taylor and his best friend Caleb both wanted me to read it. It came highly recommended by these two readers I trust. I love when they get into book conversations with me! So - I'm sorry I say how hard I have found it to get into. Maybe because I am neither a boy, nor am I 10 years old. That normally doesn't stop me, but I think McHale hit his niche - and I'm not in it. Taylor and Caleb love Pendragon - and while I don't share the same enthusiasm for the series - I share a lot of enthusiasm for them. :)

28. Percy Jackson: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Labyrinth-Percy-Jackson-Olympians/dp/1423101499/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296594959&sr=1-1

THIS series - on the other hand - I can't get enough of reading. The kids and I read this one (and the previous three in this series) together, and we have all enjoyed them. Can't wait to read the fifth and final one soon! We've been really spreading these out and taking our time with them. Rick Riordan makes me laugh out loud sometimes. I love Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and the other charcters he has created in these stories. We all enjoy looking up the Greek stories later, and I thank Riordan for bringing these ancient stories to new generations in his unique way.

Happy reading! I'm already plowing into the next reads - can't wait to share them with you as I reach my goal!

January Miles

2011-01-31T14:32:00.000-05:00

6. Participate in a 5K/10K… and a 1/2 marathon.

Okay, is this blog turning into just running? I need to branch out on my list. :) But I did participate in the Tartan Trot 10K http://www.tartantrot.com/ this weekend as I prep for my half marathon coming up in March. (Just one more 5K to go until then!) It was a brutally hilly course I thought, and a lot of the pavement was graded, which made me feel like I was running on cobblestones - not fun. Although I trimmed off a little over 2 minutes off my PR for a 10K, I didn't make my goal of 2 minutes shorter than that - but I was still really happy! That is, until they posted the official results, and stopped listing any results about 6 minutes before I crossed the finish. They are "looking into it" for me. I hope it is just an error, and that no one assumed that anyone as slow as my time would not bother to look at the results! ;)

16. Exercise for a total of 500 miles.

I'm also happy to say that in January I picked up more miles than I've done in a few months, edging back up to the higher numbers. I put in 41 miles this month, and I am heading ever closer to Anneliese in Chicago metaphorically. After hovering around Murfreesboro, TN for two months, I have now flown past Nashville and my friend Cheri, and I am almost to the Kentucky line! As I head into Kentucky in February, I'll be looking for my friend Drew who lives there. Looking forward to waving as I go! Just so you know, this means I've put in 281.4 miles since I started my trek to Chicago, and I have 459.6 to go to get to Anneliese. But - with my goal of 500 miles, I "only" have 218.6 to go. She might have to metaphorically drive to meet me! :)

A Much Needed Break

2011-01-11T13:42:00.000-05:00

3. Have a massage.

How lucky am I? My sweet friend Alison asked me and our friend Lisa to have an overnight at her cabin near Blue Ridge over the weekend. The timing was perfect - we were out and back home before any of this Atlanta snow hit! While we were there, we all treated ourselves to a massage at a spa called Serenity in the Mountains. http://www.serenityinthemountains.com/spa/ I had my favorite - the Hot Stone massage. I rarely have the pleasure of a massage, so when the opportunity arises, I'll opt for hot stones every time.

21. Say YES. But only to what is right to say YES to…

25. Spend time with people I love.

This weekend out of town was also a qualifier for #21 and #25. With busy schedules, it is easy to just go from one thing to another and never do what really matters. I have been concentrating on this so much since October, and making very conscious efforts to not just say yes all the time. It is hard, not because I feel obligated anymore, but because there are just so many good things to say yes to these days! I am finding instead that leaving room allows for the most thrilling of things - peace and quiet.

We loved our time in Blue Ridge. We all commented on how good it is for our kids for us to leave sometimes too - they all loved spending time with dads all on their own. We are fortunate to have great husbands too!

We also spent a lot of time talking about shallow relationships where people invest in you only if they see you as a leg up to someplace else for themselves. It is so very sad. I see people like this all the time, and one day they are going to wake up to the fact that they have missed out on some wonderful relationships.

I'm grateful for Alison and Lisa! I feel so lucky to have so many special friends in my life - real people who like me just as I am. How blessed I am!

December Miles + Pages

2011-01-03T11:12:00.000-05:00

16. Exercise for a total of 500 miles.

Looking back on my slow December, I put in the least amount of miles since I started my metaphorical trip to Chicago to see Anneliese. I'm happy to say, however, that my 30.5 miles this past month did finally put me into Nashville! So, I'm waving at my friend Cheri who lives in that area - wish I could see her in person! And this month I'm getting back on track and expecting many more miles - at least I can hope!

26. Read 50 books or more.

I also got through three books this month. Check them out below. Only 30 more reads to go...

18. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Book-1/dp/0439023521/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294070484&sr=8-1

Cannot begin to tell you how much I loved this book! I kept seeing the buzz about it and wondering what the fuss was about. It sounded like Mad Max or something, and not at all my usual interest. But thanks to my friend Sue at Field Trips with Sue http://www.fieldtripswithsue.com/ I heard about a warehouse sale at Scholastic and went. There I found a lot of great books at super prices, including The Hunger Games. I decided to give it a try. I am so glad I did, because I plowed through this book in just a few days. Yes, it is violent. No, it is not happy. Yes, it is different. No, it is not my usual read. But I'm here to tell ya - I can't wait to read the second one. Coming soon!

19. Harry Potter Film Wizardry by Brian Sibley

http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Wizardry-Brian-Sibley/dp/0061997811/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294070724&sr=1-1

This book was a real indulgence for me. I found it at Barnes & Noble calling my name from a table of Harry merchandise. At first, I thought it was something else, but I so enjoyed flipping through the pages that I knew I'd have to buy it so I could sit down and indulge in the whole thing. I loved reading the behind the scenes details - it brought out the Communication major in me big time - and I read every word. This book was just a fun read that required nothing of me but the time to sit and soak up the pages.

20. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

http://www.amazon.com/19th-Wife-Novel-David-Ebershoff/dp/0812974158/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294070913&sr=1-1

This book was picked for our book club and seemed really interesting. It has gotten amazing reviews and was a NY Times bestseller. But I just couldn't get into it. It sat on my nightstand not beckoning to me at all for more than two weeks. I got lost in the flow and who the narrarator was, why there were "news clips" and what was going on in general. It may be something I have to return to at some point. Maybe my timing was off?

So, some miles and some pages behind me for December, and I'm looking forward to clearing more ground in 2011. No new resolutions for me - just keeping with my 13x40 list. And now that I'm down to 8 going on 40 - I am realizing how fast my 13 months are passing and how much I want to focus on. So - expect more blogs now that the holidays are behind us.

And may your 2011 be off to a great start!

End of Year Finances

2010-12-29T15:05:00.000-05:00

It has been awhile since I have blogged. It seems like the entire month of December flew by in a flash. I have hardly spent a moment writing. So, my kids are away at my mom's for a few days, and I am catching up and doing a lot of planning for 2011. One of our big items that we have been working on since May of 2010 is #27 on my 13x40 list:

27. Get our finances in order with a set budget.

I am feeling so fortunate as I write this, because John and I have made some very good decisions over the years and therefore the work we've had to do has helped support that. I am so grateful for a husband who loves his job and works very hard!

Last year while doing taxes, which we both loathe, we just decided we had to come up with a new system for our spending and saving. While a lot of things had been working, other things hadn't. So, we have taken almost a whole year to get our house in order. It seems to take forever, and the tasks on our lists could easily cure even my worse case of insomnia (and I really have insomnia, so that is saying something!). We've opened this and closed that, refinanced this and investigated that, and basically looked into all things financial.

Finally - we are almost to our end of the year deadline, and I feel we have some great steps in place to help us make future decisions that are smart ones. It hasn't been fun, but I hope the outcomes we see this year WILL be fun, and make the work worthwhile.

May I also say how shocked I am at how few of my friends have wills or health plans in place? Please, please, please - take the time to do this in 2011 if you haven't already! I know it is a huge pain - we just updated ours as part of this process - and it is never fun to have to discuss the sad and dreary topics of a will or health plan. But there is one thing sadder and more dreary than working on these items - NOT having these things in place.

So, as we look forward to ringing in a new year, take some time to look at that boring thing called your finances. Hopefully we can stay on track with the goals we have set and will see a big difference this time next year.

Movie & Popcorn, Round 1

2010-12-06T08:42:00.000-05:00

13. Go to a few movies all by myself.

The kids were at my mom's, the husband was at work, and I decided to do #13 - check out a movie just by myself. I have to say, it felt rather indulgent. I went to my favorite theater (AMC Parkway Pointe http://www.amctheatres.com/ParkwayPointe/), found that you can actually get a small popcorn and drink in a combo for what is cheaper than paying separately (apparently you have to say the magic words "I want a combo" rather than "Small Popcorn and Drink" - go fig), and went to see "Morning Glory."

http://www.morningglorymovie.com/#home

It was a cute film, and a good one for me to see alone. Reminded me a lot of my college days as a Broadcasting/Speech major. My only real complaint is that it is hard for me to see Harrison Ford playing the grumpy old man role. Anyway, light and a little inspiring, it was a great first "movie to myself."

By the way, all of you need to sign up for AMC Movie Watcher Rewards. https://www.amctheatres.com/rewards/ So many of those little card punch thingys end up just being junk in my purse, but I can't say enough good things about this one. It takes a little effort to get it and set it up, but I love the benefits. If you order movie tickets online in advance, you don't pay a convenience charge as a member (about a buck extra a ticket usually). I always get a coupon or two or three when I buy tickets too - and while sometimes these are useless, like "50 cents off a sour patch kid" - I also sometimes get free tickets (you earn these as you go)! This time I somehow got a "Night at the Movies" pass which includes a ticket, popcorn, and a drink. I can even skip my "I want a combo" lesson! Hooray! Apparently they also take expired coupons, which I did not know - been throwing the old ones away - but no more!

AMC is also doing some great holiday promos. Check those out! http://www.amctheatres.com/holidays/

17 down, 33 to go!

2010-12-02T14:51:00.000-05:00

26. Read 50 books or more.

Here is the list of the books I covered in November. A lot of kidlit this month!

12. Lunch Money by Andrew Clements http://www.amazon.com/Lunch-Money-Andrew-Clements/dp/0689866852/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291318389&sr=8-1 I love everything I have read by Andrew Clements. He is a great author for "read aloud" and my whole family enjoyed reading this together - we even got John to read it with us. I can't recommend his books enough, so if you aren't a Clements reader be sure to pick this one up - or may I recommend you start with Frindle? Frindle was so good I sent it to my high school English teacher, Ms. Jones. She loved it too, by the way. :)

13. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender http://www.amazon.com/Particular-Sadness-Lemon-Cake-Novel/dp/0385501129/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291318542&sr=1-1 I have no idea why this book got all the press it did this summer. Every magazine I read had a review on the book. It made it sound so *delicious* - pun intended. It was not. I kept waiting to get to the point, or figure out the point, or be convinced there even was a point - but I was left empty. Next, I passed it over to my mom. We have a deal where we won't say a word on a book until the other one reads it. When she finished, she was speechless, the same as me. Great premise, but that is it. I think Bender was going for Time Travelers Wife meets Julie & Julia. It didn't work, and I am sorry to say that I wish I hadn't wasted the time it took to endure it.

14. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo http://www.amazon.com/Miraculous-Journey-Edward-Tulane/dp/0763647837/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291318738&sr=1-1 Thrill of thrills! Thanks to my children's elementary school, I got to chaperone a field trip to hear Kate DiCamillo speak. I think I was even more excited than the children! She was amazing, and I can honestly say I am even a bigger fan than I was before. Sometimes seeing people in person can be a turn off to their work, but DiCamillo was spectacular with the children. She was humble and insightful and I am grateful I was able to attend. I had just finished Edward Tulane on the insistence of both children. It is a sweet little book with a "Toy Story" edge. I really enjoyed it.

15. The Kingdom Keepers II: Disney before Dawn by Ridley Pearson http://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Keepers-II-Disney-Dawn/dp/142310708X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291318919&sr=1-1 Speaking of seeing authors in person, I took my kids and two of their friends to the Decatur Book Festival this year http://www.decaturbookfestival.com/Community/index.php and we had a chance to hear Ridley Pearson on the children's stage. He was so much fun, and so animated. He was a big hit with the crowd. He talked all about the opportunity he had to work with Disney World in writing these books. He had incredible access to the backstage world of Disney. I read the first one with my kids last year, and after hearing Pearson we wanted to definitely read the second one. Now we're ready for the third. He signed our first book copy, which is always very cool. My son asked him for advice for a young author. His answer? "Read every day. Read a lot!" We started this book before we left on our now famous Disney trip in October. It took us awhile to finish with busy schedules, but we did.

16. The Tale of Emily Winsnap by Liz Kessler http://www.amazon.com/Tail-Emily-Windsnap-Liz-Kessler/dp/0763628115/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291319147&sr=1-1#_ Bailey begged me to read this one, as she loves this series. It was cute, sort of a watered down girls' version of the Percy Jackson series. I can see the appeal, but I'm not dying to read the next one, despite my love for kidlit.

17. Hawaii by James Michener http://www.amazon.com/Hawaii-Novel-James-Michener/dp/0375760377/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291319245&sr=1-1 My mom bought this one for me for my birthday back in September. John and I had gone to Hawaii this year for the first time, and I've been very interested in doing some additional reading. This book is an epic, a tome that even in paperback with teensy print is intimidating. I read it for days and felt like I'd only made it to page 15. Despite that I am not yet 40, my eyes are struggling to read small font - a real frustration! Anyway, it took a bit to get into the flow of the story. Moma says anything else you read by Michener is just the same, with only changed names and places. So, I think Hawaii was quite enough for me.

Happy Reading! Can't wait to share what I am going through in December!

November Miles

2010-12-01T10:45:00.000-05:00

16. Exercise for a total of 500 miles.

Well, November showed the fewest miles so far for my metaphorical trip to Chicago. I only booked 39.2 miles this month. While in perspective, this is still a great showing, But I would have liked to get to at least Nashville this time, and I didn't make it. I have arrived solidly in Murfreesboro, with Nashville on the horizon - maybe for December! I started this morning on the treadmill and hope to make better tracks this month. Is that possible with the holidays coming?

I'm off my diet, I'm off my routine, I'm not feeling a success in the exercise realm or otherwise this week. Has my midlife crisis hit before I even turn 40?

Dating

2010-11-28T15:18:00.000-05:00

15. Date my husband.

Okay, it has taken awhile to get to this one. That makes me feel sort of ashamed! I realize how much more often we need to go out together on dates. ALONE. We are fortunate to have friends and activities, but when we go out with others we tend to split up. Dating is about time together alone, but when you have kids and busy lives it is just really easy to throw this kind of time out of the door.

Also - I'm not sure if this counts as a good thing or a bad one, but the reason we made time to go out on a random Tuesday last week is that it wasn't random - it was our 14th wedding anniversary! So, we didn't just date, we went out to celebrate a special occassion. We need to get time out more regularly, so we'll keep working on it. But - we had a GREAT time! We went out to eat at Houstons, one of our favorite restaurants - http://www.hillstone.com/#/restaurants/houstons/ - despite all the great places to eat in Atlanta, we love going here! It is right around the corner from us and we have some favorite menu options, so we often find ourselves there on dates. After dinner, we went to Cirque de Soleil's performance of Ovo at Atlantic Station - http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/ovo/default.aspx . Cirque never fails to leave me speechless. We loved it so much we are going again! We are surprising our kids just before Christmas and taking them. They've never seen a Cirque show (mostly due to the skyhigh ticket prices!) but we found what we considered to be a good option and we are super excited about taking them.

Coming up soon my mom is going to take the kids for the weekend - she was kind enough to have them for our anniversary too, how lucky are we!! - and I've already started lining up some date plans for us. I'll also be working on another item on my list, but not saying what it is yet. I'll get back to you!

If you have any wonderfully fun date ideas, let me know! I'd love to get back in the routine of dating my husband.

Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving! Now into Advent and beyond!

Appointments - check!

2010-11-17T14:51:00.000-05:00

29. Have a physical.

Okay - my appointment finally came. I had my physical yesterday and my doctor seemed almost bored. What a gift!!! I am waiting for blood test results, but so far it seems I am boringly normal, which is my very favorite way to be at the doctor's office. The only scary part as it turns out was having blood drawn, but the nurse was excellent and did a nice job. I can't tell you how grateful I feel that I appear to be healthy. I know what a blessing that is. I also marked last week the one year mark after major surgery - so I especially am thankful to *not* feel like I did this time last year.

After Appt. #1 for the physical, I drove over to my dentist and my friend Kathy - who is also a skilled and kind dental hygienist - cleaned my teeth. Hooray! My dentist also thought I was boringly normal.

After Appt. #2, I headed to my dermatologist for a prescribed facial, which is not nearly as much fun as it might sound.

And after three appointments of my own in less than 5 hours, I also took my daughter for an orthodontic check up. Then today, 24 hours later, I headed to my acupuncturist, who is helping me deal with some post-surgery no fun stuff.

So, check, check, check, kid check, and check. For all the anxiety and heart racing, I am glad I took care of these important things. I am celebrating my Boring Normality today with enthusiasm - and celebrating that yesterday is OVER!

6. Participate in a 5K/10K… and a 1/2 marathon.

I also walked the Girls on the Run 5K (+ 2 miles or so back and forth to our car) on Sunday with my daughter. http://girlsontherunatlanta.org/ I didn't love the location of the run, but I do think this is a great organization. Bailey and I had fun and I think it inspired her to see her Morris Brandon school friends who were on the GOTR team with their very creative Bee Bows, all ready to run! We were also excited to see our friends from West Stride http://www.weststride.com/ there - I do believe they will be hosting the spring GOTR Run if you want to join in for the next one. Thanks Genie for taking our photo at the booth!

The Rest of the List

2010-11-08T11:09:00.000-05:00

In looking back over my posts, it seems I have focused on some items on the list, but perhaps avoiding others. Maybe "avoid" isn't the right word, but more "putting off." Or, maybe the right idea is, "haven't taken time for that." That is probably the most accurate of all - things have been so nutty as I said in October, that I have not taken the time for some of the List items that really matter most.

Last week on Nov. 1, I called a do-over. I declared the day "Start Over Day." But come Nov. 3 I had already had to call "Start Over Start Over Day." And this morning I felt ready to do the same thing, but three start overs seemed sort of pointless. Then again, I am so grateful for each new day, and for each chance to start over. We don't get a lot of clean slates in life, but we can create them sometimes if we just are thoughtful about it. So, I looked back over my list and see the things that are being ignored a bit are the ones I need the most. So, in the Start Over month of November, I'll hope for posts of a different nature and some items to come back into my life that I really want to experience these days.

I have also added two items to the list. #35 is to stop interrupting, which so far I am a complete loser on accomplishing - more on that later (see, I'm even interrupting myself!). And then there is:

36. Be grateful every day.

If I would just focus on being grateful every day, I think it would change my life. Like I said, for every new day (new hour! new minute!) we have the chance to change and make new decisions.

Last week was a weird week. I heard lots of bad news from friends. I know several people in particular that are very sick or suffering this week. It is a perspective call - one in which I am reminded to be grateful, and in which I am reminded of how much hurt there is in the world, and how much friends are needed.

So, #36 goes hand in hand with:
2. Help people who really need it.

I hope I can find ways to help my friends right now. I hope I can change my lousy attitude (that stinkin' thinkin' we all get some times) and be grateful every day - every moment - for the gifts of life and family and friendship that is what gets us through those hard times.

So, I'm thinking on these things today and hoping to bridge that gap in my life during this time. Let me know if you have ideas.

Miles

2010-11-05T12:56:00.001-04:00

16. Exercise for a total of 500 miles.

Okay, so I promised a miles update for October. I got really off my schedule from lots of traveling, a computer crash, and life in general. But somehow I managed to still pull off 56.4 miles in October. This was largely in fact due to three days at Epcot, Disney, and Universal, where - to the best I can tell - the kids and I averaged about 10 miles a day. We were exhausted. I had a huge fun-over after that. And considering I did about 30 miles in 3 days, that tells you something about the rest of the month!
So, where did I get on my way to meet Anneliese? Last month I was sitting pretty in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Well, it appears that I have crossed over Monteagle (beware, Monteagle!) and am seemingly in the middle of nowhere in particular. I'm nearing Manchester, TN. So, my vision right now seems to be landing really close to Arnold Air Force Base. I don't know anyone there, but I'm waving anyway.

Okay, Nashville and my friend Cheri - here I come! I might see you in December on my metaphorical trip! Better put some miles in!

6. Participate in a 5k, 10k... and a Half Marathon.

I just snuck in a 5k on October 30, my only one last month. I ran pretty slow, but I'll attribute that to being off my training schedule, and that the back half of this particular race is a "killer!" Pun intended. This was Run Like Hell through Oakland Cemetery here in Atlanta. http://www.oaklandcemetery.com/run.html It is a really fun run, though, and I enjoyed catching up with my high school friend Amy and her daughter. Also, my kids ran the kids race, Run Like Heck, so that was fun too! Lots of people in costume, but I thought I was scary enough just getting up and getting to the race. I have two races scheduled in November, both 5ks, so I'll keep you posted on those too.

Short Time, Long Book

2010-10-31T13:46:00.000-04:00

Okay, here I am on the last day of the month - (Happy Halloween!) - and realizing I have only had 3 posts in October including this one. It has been a CRAZY month, and I am really just considering tomorrow, 11/1, to be a New Month Celebration. October has laid waste to my schedule and my mental well being. I'm calling a start over tomorrow. Time to take a deep breath and get a fresh start.

26. Read 50 books or more.

I also only got through one book this month. It was a great book but very dense, and you just couldn't skim it. So, a total of 11 down, 39 to go.

11. Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Bible-Journey-Through-Books/dp/0060838639/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1288547002&sr=8-2 I actually just taught a Wisdom course on this book also, and it was really fun to go through this book with friends. So, thank you Sarah, Nan, Martha, and Georgeann for sharing some of the experience with me. I really do recommend this book - it has been a big bestseller in years past - and the DVD series that was shown on PBS is incredible if the book is intimidating or you want some additional sources. He also has a photography book based on the series - and it is totally worth getting. I rarely get multiple copies of the same vein of books, but there is so much to unpack here I really suggest considering it!

I have some miles to post for the month, and I also have a 5K run to tell you about. I'll blog again in the next day or two to get caught up on the month end stuff and about moving forward with a new start in November.

Reschedule

2010-10-22T19:49:00.000-04:00

29. Have a physical.

Okay, so weeks ago I had bitten the proverbial bullet and planned to have a physical. Here's the update - I cancelled in September and rescheduled elsewhere and couldn't get in until November. Something came up with my daughter and I needed to reschedule the November appointment - still a few weeks away. But - they didn't have another opening until January. January? Really? I questioned that physicals take two months to schedule, and the short story is the attendant hung up on me. So... I went back to Dr. #1 and got in a day earlier than I had planned to in November! Which I am now following up immediately with a dental cleaning, which is followed up immediately with a dermatological facial (not nearly as fun as it sounds) - and to top off the end of the day, an orthodontist appointment for my daughter. Yes, all 4 appointments will be in one day. Might as well knock it all out at once and get all the dread over with in one swoop!

Wish me luck. And health.

Fun-Over

2010-10-13T07:57:00.001-04:00

5. Take my kids out of town by myself.

This morning I definitely have a fun-over. I just returned yesterday from a 4 night romp with my kids in Orlando. We had the most amazing time, but we are pretty much knee walking this morning. Who knew fun could be so exhausting?

I learned a lot in being the "single parent" on a big trip. There is no time off. You are ON 24-7. And believe me, we were ON. We opened every park we went to and we closed a few down. We ran it HARD. I never felt overwhelmed (much because of the ages of my kids) - but I did appreciate the way it feels to have another adult to share duties with. Right now as I type this is the first time I have been alone in days.

But - and this is a huge kudos to my kids - they were amazing. Before we left I just laid down the rule that I would be the only parent, and so they would have to chose before we even left home to be flexible. They were. Except for just being worn out, no one was even grumpy. I know you'll think I'm making this up, but honestly I heard very few complaints (mostly about the melting heat, and I felt the same) and get ready for this - I heard A LOT of THANK YOUs!! I have to say, for your kids to give unprompted and heart felt thanks is a wonderful thing. I really, really enjoyed their company.

There is really a ton I could say about this time away. But for now, I'll just say I'm glad I did it. I'm grateful we COULD do it. I'll always remember and cherish this time!

And now, I'll go nurse my fun-over.

Miles, Part 2

2010-09-30T20:37:00.000-04:00

16. Exercise for a total of 500 miles.

As you recall from the end of August, I really need to go 741 miles to metaphorically visit my friend Annelise in Chicago. This month I added up a total of 64.8 miles of walking, running, and just a few on my bike! I'm really excited about that total! Including my previous totals, that puts me just 626.7 miles to go to get to Anneliese! That also means that since the end of July I've clocked 114.3 miles of exercise - not including my crosstraining days!

So, on the map - I have made it out of Georgia and into Tennessee! I've passed my friends in Rome (the Arringtons, the Cregos) and Dalton (the Kleems) and gave them metaphorical waves. Now - can you picture it?! - I'm "resting" this month right in the bend of the Tennessee River in Chattanooga near Lookout Mountain, just before you head back into Georgia for a brief moment.

I'm waving at my friend Connie right now as I metaphorically visit her in Chattanooga!

I'll be enjoying my time on the river until the end of October - when we see what stop I've made it to by Halloween!

10 down, 40 to go!

2010-09-28T17:48:00.001-04:00

Well, first, you should know - I had a birthday! Now I am officially 39. Guess this means it is now "12 going on 40." I'm officially on my way!

We're close to the end of the month, so it is time to update you on my books.

26. Read 50 books or more.

I read 2 last month, and 8 this month, so 10 down and 40 to go. Here are the books I've been plowing through in the last few weeks!

3. Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper: Gifting the World with Your Words and Stories, and Creating the Time and Energy to Actually Do It by Sark
http://www.amazon.com/Juicy-Pens-Thirsty-Paper-Creating/dp/0307341704/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285709146&sr=8-1
I picked this book up at Barnes and Noble on a date night with my husband. It seemed like perfect timing, with the blog and my writing projects. It was fun, another enjoyable and encouraging read from Sark. But, I must say, I think I was not so much in need of the exercises and ideas she set forth at this point. Some of it was helpful, but I didn't feel too indulged. All in all, a light read about writing. Fun!

4. Something Blue by Emily Giffin
http://www.amazon.com/Something-Blue-Emily-Giffin/dp/0312323867/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285709300&sr=8-1
This was another book I got from paperbackswap.com. You should really check it out if you haven't yet. I had read the first Emily Giffin book, so I read this one also. Light, a little sleazy, nothing that will make a huge difference in my life - but a fun read, especially if you read the context of the first book. A happy ending - everyone needs one of those!

5. The Time Thief (#2 in The Gideon Trilogy) by Linda Buckley-Archer
http://www.amazon.com/Time-Thief-Gideon-Trilogy/dp/1416915281/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285709463&sr=8-1
The children and I read this - we liked the first one. A great idea for a story, but incredibly tedious. Honestly, I had to start skimming and summarizing in the last few chapters just so they could figure out what was going on. We all want to know what happens in the end, but I don't think I can swallow another book that is so thick and marshy.

6. Fever 1793 by Louise Halse Anderson
http://www.amazon.com/Fever-1793-Laurie-Halse-Anderson/dp/0689848919/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285709779&sr=8-1
Taylor's 4th grade teacher assigned him this book last year and he's been asking me to read it ever since. A fast read, and very good historical fiction for kids. The story is about a yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia. I love this line on the cover - the New York Times Book Review quotes, "The plot rages like the epidemic itself." Seriously, who wouldn't want to read THAT? Very educational and well written, but feels like a good story hidden!

7. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
http://www.amazon.com/Bel-Canto-Ann-Patchett/dp/0060838728/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285709944&sr=8-1
I've wanted to read this book for years, and I'd heard many good reviews. It has a great premise - a widely varied group of people are celebrating a birthday in a third world and unnamed country, when terrorists decide to take over. But that is where the good plot ends. The book never really goes anywhere, and has a really bad ending. I don't think the author knew where to go with the story, and finally just ran out of steam. Ugh.

8. The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
http://www.amazon.com/Princess-Academy-Shannon-Hale/dp/1599900734/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285710138&sr=8-1
Doesn't that sound like a great and sweet little title? Well, it isn't. This book was nothing like what I expected. Let me just say, terrorists again. And a mean old teacher. And all kinds of weird stuff. Bailey wanted me to read this, and I did, so when we talked about it afterward I was surprised at how weird she thought it was too. Why did we wait to so long to discuss this? Bizarro.

9. Being a Feminist in Georgia by Margaret Curtis
This was written by my dear friend Margaret, who kindly sent me a copy. It was fascinating to read about her work in the Equal Rights movement in Georgia, along with other women I have the good fortune to know. The photographs, personal letters, and memorabilia in these pages is a treasure to me. I'm so very grateful to Margaret for her work, and for sharing her book with me! I am so glad there were women like her then to stick up for women like me now!

10. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Racing-Rain-Novel/dp/0061537969/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285710416&sr=1-1
Go out RIGHT NOW AND BUY THIS BOOK! It was beautifully written and I had a very fulfilling and good and hopeful cry at the end. That is all I am saying, because I do not want to spoil a second of the story. I read it in just two days and would read it again right now. Let me know if you check it out! Wonderful!

As you can tell, I love kids books as much as adult ones - so you'll be seeing both in my monthly review posts. Happy reading!

Loser!

2010-09-22T08:56:00.000-04:00

That is my goal right now - to be a LOSER!

That is because I'm working on

7. Lose 10-15 pounds. Again.

I've been writing more about successes than failures for obvious reasons and human nature. But, I believe that it is really more interesting to read failures, so here's some ways I'm failing. I'm not making good eating choices, and I'm already hesitating at writing that, because that isn't completely true! Maybe I should say I should be making *better* eating choices. In general, I actually do pretty well - I love fruits and veggies. I also love carbs. And chocolate. Not candy, so much, but thick, rich chocolate. YUM! I have no other real vices, and maybe I need some. But I crave, crave chocolate. Milk, dark, whatever. I think of it when I'm not with it.

Now, don't get me wrong. You won't find me sprawled out like Comte de Reynaud in the shop window at the end of Chocolat. (But I have thought about it.)

This week I was telling my kids - the three of us are all crazy nerdy over Harry Potter - that I was feeling a little depressed like I was fighting off a dementor or two. Taylor instantly responded, "Mom, you need some chocolate!" You get it if you have read those books. True in Harry Potter, true in my life too. Way to go, Taylor!

I think this eating stuff also taps into

12. Enjoy what I eat.

I get mad and confused about all the different information out there on how to best lose weight. Less carbs, more protein. Less protein, more veggies. Sleep more. Sleep less. Exercise more. Rest between exercise. Eat this, but not that. I get so confused about my health that there are times I just want to throw my hands in the air.

Clark Howard recently reported the obvious - fad diets don't work - their only real success is in how quickly they drain your wallet! http://clarkhoward.com/ The point Howard made was that while there are some good programs out there that have shown some success, the bottom line is exercise more, eat less. That is the key, however you do it.

Kelly Osborne was quoted in People magazine this past week with this:
"Everyone keeps saying to me, 'What's your secret?' The secret is there is no damn secret! Eat healthy, work out. That's it."

Last year before my surgery I had lost a good bit of weight, and I know this all to be true. I told someone when they asked me how I did it that the answer was "every choice I made." This particular friend asked me if that was the title of a book.

Ironic, isn't it?

So, I need to get back to basics. I'm in a good place and don't have much to lose. I just need to battle my dementors with something other than chocolate. :)

A little birthday celebration - but for someone else...

2010-09-19T14:36:00.000-04:00

This is my birthday week. It is the countdown to the big 39. I'm excited. If you'd like to help celebrate my birthday this week, would you help me work on -

2. Help people who really need it.

I would like to raise $1000 for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta between my 39th and 40th birthdays. Would you consider helping by making a donation? If so, please click here: http://click4kids.kintera.org/brandicd40
Thanks so much for considering this - any amount will help! There is such a need and CHOA has deeply affected our family and friends.

I'm lovin' it!

2010-09-17T11:54:00.000-04:00

I'm quoting McDonalds here, but I'm lovin' it! I love the fact that some of my friends are joining in on the 13x40 Challenge or some sort of variation. Just saw my friend Amy has posted her list http://intrepidblog.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/last-3-seasons-of-my-thirties/ and is blogging about some of her experiences. My friend Cathy is busy out in Colorado putting hers together - she is a month younger than me so she is right at the 13 month mark. I can't wait to see what she is working on! My friend Alison is talking about making a list, and I'm looking forward to hers also. Anyone else out there working on their list?

22. Make a regular practice of prayer and meditation.

Okay, I've started with a great book by Eugene Peterson called Solo. http://www.amazon.com/Message-REMIX-Solo-Pink-Awareness/dp/1600068693/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284738572&sr=1-1 I have come to really love Peterson's The Message because it combines good scholarship and ancient languages with a contemporary language and a modern feel. Best of both worlds. I like to use The Message woth a good study Bible - I prefer The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha http://www.amazon.com/Annotated-Apocrypha-Augmented-Revised-Standard/dp/0195288807/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284738716&sr=1-4 that I came to love in seminary.

Solo is really good so far, and I don't feel the pressure to do it every day, but the messages stick with me and have me thinking. It is a slow start with #22, but I'm working on getting in the habit. Which also leads me to the next one -

1. WRITE.

I'm working on several writing projects right now that I am so excited about. Two of them are planned devotional guides - one for adults and one for families. I realize good ones are hard to find, and I'm tired of looking. So, I'm writing. Watch out! More details later on...!

Focus

2010-09-15T12:55:00.000-04:00

I got to have lunch with my friend Larry recently and we were talking about my blog. I told Larry that several friends had expressed concern over what I had chosen to do over the next year, and when was I going to rest. Others had worried that I needed to *not* have a list at all and instead just enjoy the year. Larry said something so important in response. He said when he had reviewed the list he found it to be more personal, more introspective. Larry seemed to feel I was making more choices about slowing down than speeding it. I really liked that idea, and when I looked back over my list, I found that to be true.

Then my friend Marcia looked at my list and she said she felt it reflected something more peaceful happening within myself, rather than "accomplishments."

Marcia also remembered that my family makes a "Summer List" every year as the school year winds down. It is so much fun to sit around and make the list, filled with all sorts of fun plans for how to spend our summer days. It is exciting to read what the kids think is fun, and to mark off our adventures as the hot days fly by. Marcia remarked that my 13x40 list is somewhat of a "summer list" of my very own - adventures I want to have - ways I want to feel more alive.

I think knowing all this helps me work on 33. Be Content. It helps me to think the goals I am setting are more about ways I want to become a better person, rather than a ladder to climb and possibly fail, or something I *must* do. I don't see it that way at all. Larry and Marcia helped me focus what I was already feeling, and I want to keep those thoughts from Marcia and Larry at the forefront of my experience with my list and my year.

So, thank you so much to Larry and Marcia!

The Three Cs

2010-09-13T11:31:00.000-04:00

6. Participate in a 5K/10K… and a 1/2 marathon.

This past Saturday I ran in the Vinings Downhill 5K http://www.viningsdownhill5k.com/ - which surprisingly had a good many UPHILLS. With a name like that, who knew? After running 3.1, I then walked between 2-3 more with my friends Amy and Jill to get back to where t-shirts and cars were to be found. Whew. I basically put in another 10K in the same week as the Labor Day 10K classic, but only got credit for 5K! But it was a fun race and I really enjoyed having two great friends to meet up with after the race! "AFTER" being the key word there, because we started together but immediately they disappeared and I never saw a streak of them again after that! Go Jill and Amy!! It is so much more fun with a friend.

Here is my hard earned wisdom on participating in races. I realized it this week. Let's call these The Three Cs. I totally made this up, but I think it really has a lot of truth to it! All Three of the Cs will affect your time in a race, especially for an amateur like me!

1. COURSE - Believe me, a flat smooth course makes a big difference over downhills and obviously uphills. After running two hilly courses this week, I have never been more sure!
2. CLIMATE - I felt great after the 10K last week - and a lot of this had to do with the weather. It was a wonderful temperature and the day was amazing. But the 5K started with a little warmer temps and a lot of humidity. My friend Amy remarked after the race she felt more drippy wet than at the Peachtree in July! I felt the same. It really made a difference in how I felt!
3. CROWD - This week's race was smaller than the last few I've done, which was so very nice, but people were super serious about running those downhills - and some of them (just some, mind you)weren't running too smart! "Work smarter, not harder" was obviously not on the forefront of some minds. There are basic running manners, let's say, common courtesy - like not running over people with your stroller (or dog), getting to the right if you are slower, not shoving, not cutting and making someone fall - you get the picture. I actually ssssslllllllllooooooooowwwwwwed way down in the beginning to let some people get on out of the way.

So, if you are thinking about running or walking in a race - consider the Course, the Climate, and the Crowd. Be smart and use your good exercise manners, just like you would everywhere else. It makes it more fun and safe for everyone. This was a good race and soooo close to me - I loved doing it! Thanks to all those who organized it and put together a fun event!

The next race I'm scheduled to run in is not until October 30. Anyone want to join me? It is called Run Like Hell and it is held at (and benefits) Historic Oakland Cemetery http://www.oaklandcemetery.com/run.html. I ran this race last year in the POURING RAIN on Halloween morning, and it is a really, really fun one. If you can go too, please let me know!

Yuck

2010-09-09T13:28:00.000-04:00

18. Explore cooking. Then, throw a dinner party.

So, I tried a new recipe last night. I really like Pasta Primavera, so I found a recipe in Southern Living and thought, "sure, why not?" It had A LOT of ingredients, which normally is off-putting for me, but I was determined. Hey, this job is on my list, so I'm trying it!

Let me say first that I cook a lot - I just cook pretty easy meals. So, my focus with #18 is to branch out a bit, try my hand at something more intense in the kitchen. We'll see where it goes.

Well, the quick end of a long story is that my Pasta Primavera was very disgusting. I followed the directions carefully, but it just was like nastiness at the end. I did try it, as did my kids - but major yuck. Somehow John decided it was really good - I should definitely share that part - and he ate a whole bowl. I'm glad he enjoyed it last night, because I won't be making it again. Eeew.

I'm somewhat embarrassed to tell you what the rest of us ate at that point, but suffice to say we all made our own dinner. That alone I think was motivation for John to eat what I'd made (my restauranteur husband was tired of the kitchen when he got home). Bailey thrilled herself by making parmesan cheese toast all by herself, Taylor was very delighted that he could have a bowl of cereal, and I ate a string cheese and some cold pepperoni. I think we all ended up having one of the yeast rolls I had warmed up. So, we all got a little turn in the kitch last night. It just wasn't what was planned.

If you've got a recipe that you recommend I attempt this year, do send it my way!

Oh well. Back to the drawing board. Or, in this case, the grocery store. Off to Publix and Trader Joe's!

Bad Cop, Good Cop

2010-09-08T13:43:00.002-04:00

29. Have a physical.

Okay, I made my appointment but that doesn't mean I'm happy about it. Ugh. I hate having physicals. I made a decision a few years back to do this every year, but after fasting and getting needle stuck and generally poked and prodded with a near pass out afterward - I just conveniently left that off my schedule. I'm going to do this just before my 39th birthday in a few weeks. Honestly, this is one of the things on my list I just want to GET IT OVER! I'm always filled with dread that they'll find something terribly wrong with me that so far I was missing. I'm also filled with dread that if I don't go they won't find something terribly wrong with me that I am missing. So, give me credit for even scheduling this - and please, no lectures on how good it will be for me. I get it. I just don't want to do it. Can this count for 9. Do something that really scares me also?

So, in order to counter act my worst case scenerio mentality, I am also working on :

3. Have a massage.

This is a rare treat for me, so scheduling #3 after #29 by a few days (notice which one I thought of first, which one is higher on the list!) seems to fit just right. It will be something to look forward to after my doctor dread. It is also a 39th birthday present to myself - Natural Body Spa sent me a coupon - I really think I ought to use it, right?!

Getting off the sofa

2010-09-07T12:15:00.001-04:00

6. Participate in a 5K/10K… and a 1/2 marathon.

Last May I decided I would set a goal for myself to run in a 5K. This sounded like an enormous challenge, and it was. I had never been a runner. It wasn't like I just needed to get my groove back from high school or college. This had never been part of my past. And I don't like to run. So, motivating both body and mind were an enormous challenge, like I said!

When I was in college, I took a Fitness for Life course and when I got the initial results back, the guy who was evaluating my chart said, "Brandi, you have the body of an endurance athlete... and the insides of a slug." That is a quote I never forgot!

So, post college some years now - I decided to pursue my first run. Here is what I learned: SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE. I started training slowly. I used this plan, Couch to 5K - http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml. But I was so out of shape that I still found this really, really challenging. So, I had to add in more days with variation on the plan. I had to stick to a little something every day, every day, every day. Otherwise, it was too easy to make excuses.

Fast forward - I ran a race, another race, another race. Then I had major abdominal surgery last year, and still don't feel quite the same as before. But I've started slowly, slowly back. SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE. I'm training not for speed but for endurance.

West Stride is a great store near me that really helped me by offering training programs and helping me get good shoes and avoid injury - I'd buy toilet paper from them if they sold it there, because they are just so very nice. http://www.weststride.com/ If you are considering starting a program, do go visit the very nice people at West Stride. They couldn't be more encouraging to beginners!

So, this year, I'm gearing back up. I walked/jogged (with the emphasis on walking) the Labor Day Classic 10K yesterday http://www.us10k.org/. It was a fun race, perfect weather, and a good experience. They are already registering for next year, so why not set that as a personal goal? Not into running? Walk it! There are a lot of walkers in this race and it would be a good one to shoot for with plenty of advance timing to prepare.

This Saturday, I'll be participating in a 5K run. It is really my first one in my training program for that 1/2 Marathon I have a goal to do in March. The run this Saturday is the Vinings Downhill 5K http://www.viningsdownhill5k.com/. It is supposed to be a great race and I'm looking forward to it. If you want to join me for this race, or set a similar goal for a future date, let me know. I'd LOVE to have friends join me on this part of my 13x40! Friends make it a lot more fun!

As a side note, and a shout out to my friend Alison, here is another 5K for this weekend, the Hot Lips Hustle. http://www.hotlipshustle5k.com/ I was already committed to the Vinings run when I heard about this one, but it is for a GREAT cause. Think about supporting this special event!

August Reads - 2 down, 48 to go!

2010-08-31T14:32:00.001-04:00

26. Read 50 books or more.

It is the last day of the month, so time to see what I've been reading. I've finished just 2 books this month, but I have a couple I'm working on now. I love reading - so this is going to be one of my favorite parts of the year!

1. The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Summer-You-Me/dp/1594483086/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283278878&sr=8-1
Ann Brashares is the author of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I loved that whole series and really enjoyed it. But this one I had been hesitant to pick up because I had read some not-so-good reviews. It was definitely a different kind of book for her. I had recently read her newest book, My Name is Memory, and thought it was fun too. It is going to be a trilogy and I am anxious to continue that story. So - I picked up The Last Summer (of You and Me) from Paperback Swap http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php . It was a really enjoyable book with some different twists in it. A great book to end the summer and kick off my 50 list.

2. The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me - Bruce Feiler
http://www.amazon.com/Council-Dads-Daughters-Illness-Could/dp/0061778761/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1283279162&sr=1-1
Bruce Feiler really made headlines with his series Walking the Bible. I found it fascinating and I'm planning to teach a course on the series this fall through Wisdom: http://www.wisdomem.com/byol-bring-your-own-lunch-walking-bible - It is not too late to sign up! :) This book tells the story of Feiler preparing to launch a new series on walking when he is given a diagnosis for cancer. He decides to share his journey of wha the calls his "lost year" as he battles cancer. He also decides to invite six men that are important in his life to help father his twin daughters should the cancer win. For a man whose life in recent years has been based on writing and walking, then faced with the real possibility of not walking again, Feiler's book is both realistic and extremely inspiring. Over and over again I found myself marking notes on my Kindle http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=sr_tc_sc_2_0?node=133141011&qid=1283279462&sr=1-2-tc for this one. I am sure I'll read this again at some point very soon in the future - and I'm forcing John to read it now so we can discuss some of the life points in it together.

More books on my list coming soon. If you decide to check either one of these out or have some thoughts of your own, please share.

Miles

2010-08-30T13:10:00.002-04:00

Okay - I want to start today with a word for all my sweet friends who have expressed concern over my health or sanity since reading my blog. Several people have worried that I am making too many goals, not thinking about rest, or have set unrealistic expectations.

So, let's clear that up now.

This list is totally for fun. It is just some things I'd "like" to do. I may do other amazing things! (Gosh, I hope!) Others on the list just might not happen. I'm guessing several are more likely than others to fall off the list for different reasons.

So - right up front - thanks to everyone for the love. I'm just being thoughtful with myself, not a terrible taskmaster - that would definitely defeat the more spiritual purpose of this year!

Having said that, let's go back to the list.

16. Exercise for a total of 500 miles.

This means anything I do as a workout will count toward mileage if that is a natural part of the exercise. In other words, if I do yoga, I'm not going to even attempt to convert that to miles. Just using items on this like walking, running, an elliptical (which I totally stink at doing), or something similar.

Well, my goal, as you can tell is 500 miles. As in, "I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more, just to be the (wo)man who walked 1000 miles and fall down at your door." I think I should also have a figurative door to fall down near. So, I picked my friend Anneliese. I'm going to try to get to her house metaphorically this year. She lives in Chicago, and according to Rand McNally, I really need to pull closer to 741 miles. (Maybe Anneliese can walk 241 miles to metaphorically meet me?) Let's just see how far I go.

So, I find myself today and the almost end of August and it seemed a good time to count up my miles for the month. I'm really excited - I've put in FORTY ONE miles this month!!! I can't believe it. Which, interestingly, puts me on the road following directions to Anneliese - just about in Kingston, GA. This is where my mom and dad live, so I'm waving at her right now and metaphorically visiting. :) After all, it took me a month to get there!

Wish me luck as I head closer to Anneliese every day. I'll keep you posted again at the end of September on my mileage.

Hot Chocolate

2010-08-27T18:00:00.002-04:00

12. Enjoy what I eat.

Oh my gosh - can hot chocolate be any better?

Last Monday I gave myself a total treat. The hot chocolate was only part of it.

I decided to SCHEDULE time for myself. Every week. So, don't even bother trying to reach me on Mondays midday. I have a date with myself, and I'm working. I'm writing. That's #1 on the list, remember?

1. WRITE.

So, this past Monday I was a little late getting started, but I did it. I went to Caribou Coffee. I got wi-fi. I set my headphones on some background stuff from Pandora, thanks to my friends who sent some great ideas. I booted up my slow laptop and while I waited to get my writing going - I had a hot chocolate.

Honestly, I only got one because I felt bad taking up space and not buying anything, and I had a gift card I've been carrying around for 2 years, and no, I'm not kidding. So, I order, I set up, and I wait.

The Caribou Man brings over my hot chocolate with apologies. "I'm so sorry," says the Caribou Man. "I put too much whipped creme on top and the lid won't fit. Is that okay?"

Um, for real? Is that okay? To have too much whipped creme? Is that even possible?

I am talking A LOT of whipped creme. And little teeny chocolate chips. And I had to use a spoon.

And it was divine.

It reminded me of the list, and I have to say I had forgotten how good hot chocolate really is. It was worth every calorie. I never put the lid on, even when there was room. What fun is that?

So, last Monday I enjoyed two big items on the 13x40 list. I thought you should know. :)

Happy weekend!

Eye Opener

2010-08-21T14:58:00.001-04:00

24. Drive with full attention.

I am already behind on this one. I had a very eye opening event yesterday that reminded me of my 13x40 list - #24. Drive with full attention.

I took Bailey along with me to drop off an item to a friend's mailbox. We came back out of her street and I stopped at the red light, ready to turn left. I paused and waited, then made my turn. When I was about 3/4 the way through the turn, I hear horns and tires to my left - in the lane that I just crossed to make my turn. I tried to turn back but was at an odd angle - I couldn't see what happened or why they were horn blowing. But, I did notice that the light that was not mine, the light they were in - was green. I also noticed someone was where I had just been, at a red light.

Then it hit me - did I just totally run a light? Had it not turned green? Honestly, this light isn't that long - so it could have changed quickly. But I was terrified to think I had *maybe* blindly pulled across 2 lanes of traffic trusting a light I thought had changed. I'm embarrased to admit it - but they *might* have been blowing at me. I know I stopped. I know the light was red. And I'm pretty sure it turned green. But there was that tiny, doubting moment of which I am not sure. And that, my friends, is scary. Because I was not on my phone, not impaired in any way, have a great driving history - just *maybe* not paying full attention for that one moment. And that is enough to have an accident.

So, I'm reminded of my Big List for the year. I'm going to focus on driving with my full attention.

As I said, I wasn't using my phone, but there has been a big push lately about not being distracted by a phone call or texting while driving. In fact, my home state of Georgia, just passed a law on the matter, which can be found here: http://www.drivinglaws.org/georgia.php. Also, Oprah has made this a personal mission - information can be found here: http://www.oprah.com/packages/no-phone-zone.html.

Think about signing the No Phone Zone pledge. But whether you do or don't, PAY ATTENTION. I know I was lucky to just have an eye opener... and not an "eye closer."

So, what's on the list?

2010-08-19T14:47:00.002-04:00

So, I wanted to have a good solid list of 40 things I'd like to do before I turn 40. But I've spent a lot of time thinking about it, and I have a few less than that. It still feels right - because I'm open to ideas (send them my way!), or to a growing experience this year that challenges me to things I haven't thought of yet.

Nothing on my list is earth shattering - but again, this is about LIVING WITH INTENTION for 13 months. Some items on the list are light, others are much more deep than they might appear. So... drumroll please - here is my list "so far." :)

13 x 40 - a list of things to do before my 40th Birthday!

1. WRITE.

2. Help people who really need it.

3. Have a massage.

4. Go on a *big* trip to a place I’ve never gone.

5. Take my kids out of town by myself.

6. Participate in a 5K/10K… and a 1/2 marathon.

7. Lose 10—15 lbs. Again.

8. Earn a bikini.

9. Do something that really scares me.

10. Go camping in our new tent.

11. Paint a canvas. Draw and frame a picture.

12. Enjoy what I eat.

13. Go to a few movies all by myself.

14. Listen to my children.

15. Date my husband.

16. Exercise for a total of 500 miles.

17. Forgive someone… and then move on.

18. Explore cooking. Then, throw a dinner party.

19. Do something incredibly romantic.

20. Get all my photo albums caught up.

21. Say YES. But only to what is right to say YES to…

22. Make a regular practice of prayer and meditation.

23. Stop using bad language.

24. Drive with full attention.

25. Spend time with people I love.

26. Read 50 books or more.

27. Get our finances in order with a set budget.

28. Complete my gratitude project.

29. Have a physical.

30. Face my fear of water.

31. Ride a roller coaster. (David Wilcox)

32. Ask for letters. Write some letters.

33. Be content.

34. Plan a big 40th celebration!

What else should I think about doing this year? What are your thoughts about my list?

I've already started my journey - and I can't wait to share it with you! Thanks for following me.

13 going on 40

2010-08-17T13:21:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my new blog! I'm so excited to start this personal extension of Wisdom Educational Ministries for my friends and followers. In 13 short months I am going to turn 40, and I want to be intentional about what this year will hold. I believe that every birthday we can celebrate is a gift - we're here and alive to enjoy it! So, rather than look anxiously toward 40, I plan to look expectantly toward it.
My friend Scott (who has his own blog at http://scottdoes.blogspot.com/) inspired me to start running last year. Now he has inspired me again - Scott is turning 40 this year and put together a list called 40x40. He wanted to accomplish 40 athletic events before he turned 40. (At last update he was at 32!) I decided I'd take on a similar challenge - but it wouldn't be focused on athletics.
Instead, I decided to make a list of things I wanted to accomplish or experience before I turn 40 in September 2011. I'll be posting that list soon, and I'm also open to ideas! I'd also love to challenge any other friends to join me - regardless of whether they are my age or not - in seeing what the next 13 months can bring. Then I look forward to celebrating together!
So, send me your ideas, subscribe to my feed, and join me on my journey of "13 going on 40." I look forward to hearing from you.