Celebrate!

I love traditions . . . I think they are one of the things that make "families" families.

Chili soup made by me, vegetable soup and chicken noodle soup made by mom - Christmas tradition for our meal.  And Deb's four-layer dessert.  Yum.

As a child my dad's family had a family potluck meal every month to celebrate all of the birthdays for that month - - - a cake with everyones name was always included.  What a great tradition!

Packing up my two kids and sometimes a friend or girl friend and going to Tami's house for spring break.  Wonderful fun!!!

Rockin' New Years Eve on TV every year - me saying I will be there in Times Square some time and my hubs saying no you won't.

Everyone gets a Christmas stocking in my immediate family - which has gone from two kids to now let's see I believe the count was 14 this year!    It will be filled with goodies - but Grandma gets the stocking back of course for the next year.

At the office, we gather at someone's home for a gift exchange and snacks.  Really nice to spend time together outside the work place.

         "It's true, Christmas can feel like a lot of work, particularly for mothers. But when you look back on all the Christmases in your life, you'll find you've created family traditions and lasting memories. Those memories, good and bad, are really what help to keep a family together over the long haul." -- Caroline Kennedy

“A love for tradition has never weakened a nation,  indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril” -- Winston Churchill.

Yes, I love traditions.  And even now, at age nearly 55, kids grown and out of the house, and separated by some miles . . . I declare I am starting a new one . . . I first heard about this years ago from my sister, Tami.  Her family was given a special celebration plate.   Great way to honor a member of the family - be it a birthday, good report card, great ballgame, good behavior, job change, etc.  The special person got to eat off of the "Celebrate" plate. I did this tradition really without calling it a tradition - but when the kids needed or deserved a little extra attention or special reward - I would announce that I would have "A special dinner".   Don't know that I served anything special or new - maybe it would be the honoree's favorite food - but it was special cuz I said it was!  And we sat together as a family and talked about the special person for that moment!  I would wonder if either of my children even realized we did that?  Have never asked them. So here it is . . . the "Celebrate" plate. I purchased this from Pampered Chef and my friend Rebecca.  And the tradition starts today, January 25, 2014 as I have my dad, mom and in-laws over for my dad's birthday!  Yes even at age 79 you can be part of new traditions!  I plan to use the plate tonight for dad to eat his birthday supper off of, and in the future whenever we have something special to celebrate.  Birthdays and the usuals - but even when you "come home" for a visit - have a new baby - the grandkids achievements - new jobs - success at work - disappointments in life - or for anything I deem "Celebrate plate" worthy!! How do you feel about traditions?  Please share your family traditions! Blessings in celebrating all the special moments in a lifetime.

Work

A huge thanks to BFF sister and fellow blogger, Tami Erwin from Just One More Thing for my updated blog face!!  It's wonderful!!

Recently I shared that I plan to have some fun at work this year!  I say that because all of us at my job would agree the last two years of going through a computer conversion - also known as our trip to hell and back . . . was not fun.

Early last Fall I ran across a promotion by the Arthritis Foundation.  It struck me as something fun we could promote at the first of the new year.   I signed us up.  Stipulations are:  Walk 30 minutes a day for at least 3 days each week.  We all received a very nice book with facts about arthritis, walking, nutrition, etc.  It included a walking journal and a free pedometer and back pack!

I rolled this idea out to the ladies of my department last week with the incentive that I would bring treats of some kind each week for the six week journey. Everyone quickly hooked on their pedometer to see if they could arrive at 10,000 steps per day! 

First week I focused on our bodies need for H20 - the blue stuff - water!!  Our incentive and reward for week #1 was a bottle of happy water and some granola bars! 

This week I am going to reward with some nutrition facts and a fruit tray to share on Friday.  I only know of one co-worker who reads my blog - so Phyllis - spoiler alert - - -

The next week will focus on our need for "greens" in our diet - and Vegies and dip will be served!

I will turn to the exercise promotion for the next two weeks - one week I think everyone will receive a new pair of walking socks!  Gotta have those right??  The next feet - since I know several Avon reps - INCLUDING me - we will be rewarded with Avon's cooling foot cream!!  Just what we need after the miles and miles we will have tread! 

Then dear readers - - - I'm undecided on my final incentive/reward!  Can you help me with some ideas?

Blessings in health and fitness for 2014!  AND - as one of my 7 focuses for the year - - - having stress free days at work! 

                       WEEK #1 REWARD

For more information about arthritis and healthy living - check out www.arthritis.org

Old Things - What's the pull?

Earlier this week I had to travel out of town for training for work.  When I finished up that afternoon I decided I wanted to check out a corner antique store downtown.

The minute I walk in to an antique store - I feel "something".    My sister has recently been finding some really neat treasures at her local antique stops - a pedal-tread sewing machine, vintage materials, and a unique card table.  She has great uses for them and they look great in her home!  Maybe that is what lead me back to this store that I had visited a year ago when I was looking for an old magazine rack for a Pinterest project - remember here.

Yesterday I spent two hours winding through room after room after room of anything you can think of - they had it there.  Three levels of dishes, cook ware, baskets, toys, jewelry, clothes, purses, quilts, tablecloths, books, NO I can't even do it justice by trying to list things here.

I found some really fun things - I purchased a couple of items that I won't reveal here as they are gifts for someone special!  Here are just a couple of the items I loved the most:

Who didn't have one of these in their homes if they grew up in the 60-70's??  Pyrex set of mixing bowls.  My mom had the set.  And if I had 95.00 to spend - I would have had this set!  What good memories though - - - they started to flow - - - the percolator coffee pot that we had, the casserole dishes, the melimac plates, cups, and saucers.  I had to just pick them up and hold the coffee cup in my hand.  I started drinking coffee in those!  

And my favorite find!  Fisher Price Play Farm.  This set belonged to my little sister but I played with it many many hours.  How nice that she shared!  I had the dollhouse - or maybe it actually belonged to my middle sister - but somehow I felt that they were both mine.  LOVE these toys.  I would have purchased this set for 25.00 but no animals and no tractor with wagon and no fences included.  So I passed.  But I plan to search one out for "grandma's toy box".  It's a must have!!!

So now that I have shown you some of my finds - please tell me what the feeling is that I experience when I visit these shops?  I tried all afternoon to put my finger on how I was feeling?  Is this nostalgia I asked??  Am I melancholy??  Am I fighting the aging process?  Am I sad because these days are long gone?  It hit me that my kids and my grandkids would probably feel nothing when looking at these things.  BUT that would be natural correct?  They would feel nostalgic about all different kinds of things.  

There is something sad, sweet, fun, and heart-warming about revisiting these pieces of my history.  I have had the most fun with a Pinterest board - found here - where my sister Tami and I have continued to collect things that were part of our childhood.  

Can you explain the feelings to me?  Did I have such a great childhood that I remember all of the things I used to have?  We didn't have everything we ever wanted as a child I'm sure - but we had things and they meant a lot to me.  Maybe I'm just overwhelmed with thankfulness and gratitude for the childhood I did experience!!   Let me know how you feel when "antiquing"?  Does anyone share the strange emotions?  

Happy Memory Seeking!!

Work

I have a good job.  I like the work that I do and I like working in health care.  I don't normally talk about work on my blog because I don't think it is professional to do that.    Especially not if I were to talk about my stresses at work.

So....I am making an exception this year because "stress free work" is one of my seven focus areas for 2014.  

I work in an office with several other women.  I would rate us rather high on the scale of how we get along.  Recently we have done the unthinkable, the one thing I hope to never do again, and that is a  computer conversion.  Changing our entire life at work.  And nearly two years later, I feel we are now able to take a deep breath and go back to breathing normally.  

We have recently had some staffing changes due to retirement, and have said farewell to some very deserving co-workers.    The new staff seems to be moving forward with ease and it is exciting!

As the supervisor, it's time again for me to have some FUN!  For all of us to have some FUN!  We nearly forgot how during the dark period of the computer conversion . . . 

So for fun in 2014 at work we are going to focus on making each day "amazingly awesome".  I took the idea from my new calendar "Wacky Up Your Life" Ridiculously Simple Ways to Change Your Life.    For instance - who knew that January 8th was National Bubble Bath Day??  We are soooo celebrating that!!  Even though just a few days late - we will all be getting just a little sample of bubble bath for a relaxing soak!  

Each new month will bring to light a little known holiday that we have been missing!  But not in 2014!

Part II of my plan for adding some fun touches to work this year will be announced here on my blog at a later time . . .

Do you like your job?  What would make it better?  When was the last time someone thanked you for the work you do?  Do you feel like a valued part of your team?  I would love to hear from some of you out there in the work force!

But excuse me . . . gotta go . . . I'm taking a bubble bath . . .

Reading

Just coming off of a weekend readathon high . . . If you have ever joined one you know what I mean. Kinda disappointing when it's over.  My sister/reader Tami is trying a Vintage Mystery Bingo Challenge this year and it looked interesting so I did some research and found one I would like to join myself, only on a smaller scale.

Reading being one of my focuses for 2014 I set a goal for myself of 25 books in the year.  Not an astounding goal by a true reader's measure but for me - it is doable and still a challenge.

To add a twist I will be signing up for the What's In a Name reading challenge sponsored by The Worm Hole - check it out here.

The details include:

The challenge runs from January to December. During this time you choose a book to read from each of the following categories (examples of books you could choose are in brackets):

• A reference to time (Eleven Minutes, Before Ever After)
• A position of royalty (The People’s Queen, The Last Empress, The Curse Of The Pharaoh)
• A number written in letters (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, A Tale Of Two Cities)
• A forename or names (Rebecca, Eleanor & Park, The Unfinished Work Of Elizabeth D.)
• A type or element of weather (Gone With The Wind, Red Earth Pouring Rain)

Sounds like fun to me!!

Here's to a good year of reading!!

Sister Readathon Final Chapter

Finishing a good book is like leaving a good friend.

William Feather

That's exactly how I felt when I wrapped up my first book for 2014.  Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg was a tender story about two best friends and their journey through breast cancer.  I'm used to watching Hallmark movies where many times the main character survives and beats the odds.  Not to be in this story.  You always wonder how you would deal with a life threatening disease and I tend to avoid thinking about it.  I think that is what intrigued me about the book.  Every day common folk dealing with death - when you are facing it you can't just ignore it - and the two friends and their circle of friends lived it.  I found on paper all of the questions a person like me would wonder about but dare not ask.  Ruth asked many times, "how will I know when it's time?", will it be painful, will I be aware?"  Sometimes just getting it out there and talking about it takes away the fear. That is what I believe anyway.    Five stars for the book.  Well written.  The author went back and forth with past and present times - letting you see how the best friends met and became "bests".  

It's Sunday and Tami and I have decided to end the readathon, declaring it a successful run!

Meanwhile I went through the books in my "library."   Book #2 will be the third in a series of Detective Dido Kent stories.  I normally don't want to read books out of order :) but since this was a free book that I won as a prize in an earlier readathon - I will force my OCD tendencies out of the way and read what I have.  A Woman of Consequence looks like a little stretch for me - it's a mystery - and hopefully I can see it through to the end.  Anna Dean is the author and the other books in the series are A Gentleman of Fortune and Bellfield Hall - The Dido Kent Series.

Hope you enjoyed following along with us this weekend.  Maybe you even picked up a book and read with us!  Let me know what you are reading and why?  Where is your favorite corner to go and read? What are your reading goals for 2014?

Blessed with a weekend to spend with books!

Side note:  Reading more as you know is one of my focuses for the New Year!  Feels great to have accomplished one step in that plan already!

Weekend Read - Readathon Day #3 - A Quotable Quote

I love quotes!  I can spend hours reading books of quotes!

So naturally it came to me to offer a challenge on what is your favorite quote about books and reading?

Tami has some great ones - check them out right here!

Here are my top five quotes on reading and books!

When you read a book as a child, it becomes part of your identity, in a way that no other reading in your life does. - - - Meg Ryan's line in You've Got Mail.  One of my favorite movies because the main character owns her own little book store!!  My dream job!!