Three hour tour ...

Blogging by the beach is a new experience...

This week Clay and I got to take a trip sponsored by a specialty company tied with his job.   This morning is our next to last day. Hubs is out on a three hour tour ...  3 hour fishing tour that is but brought to mind ...

I'm spending a couple hours beach side alone in my thoughts.  

My sister says we sit for hours and stare at waves because we can.... 

And we can't in Kansas/Nebraska!!!

It's been fun to have a reason to blog again but it is my goal to keep it up with everyday thoughts and everyday feelings, experiences, with real life.

I'll write again before we leave beautiful Puerto Vallarta!  

Where would you go if someone else paid the bill?

Thanks again Verdesian!

Sugar and spice...

And everything nice.... That's what most people are made of...

Going on vacation always reminds me of this good thing.  In our real worlds we or at least I tend to focus on the negative... The frustrating...the news on TV is usually about the mean, the hurt , and the stupid.    And as I set to travel I prepare myself to get away from these things and ignore people as much as possible.

Waiting to board a ride to downtown Puerto Vallarta, a couple from Nebraska struck up a conversation with us.  It quickly led to our kids we left behind at home and they "got it" how my huge sombrero sun hat and "fit over" shades were embarrassing to them.    Just kidding. Both of our kids understand my fair skinned dilemma.    Nice people.

Made a new friend last year on a trip to the Dominican Republic. We knew common people and so it was easy to spend time with her and her husband. Ran into them later in the year and so good to reconnect!  Traveling gave us a bond.  We are here in Mexico together now.  Nice people.

Here on the resort I have been treated with kindness and respect.  Of course that's the staff's job right?  

This morning on way to the ocean I was invited to play basketball with four nice native young men. I politely declined but they were serious and so kind.   Nice people.

Spent much time at the pool.   It would seem no one can tell how uncomfortable I can be in a swimsuit ...  Very nice man in hot tub asked about where we live and shared good advice for traveling to his home near Myrtle Beach.  A bucket list item for me!!  Nice person.

Is it just me that needs this reminder and affirmation that people are still mostly good?  Is that why we go on vacations?  Does anyone share my sentiments?

Oh the weather outside is frightful ... Let's go to Mexico!

Thank you to hubs' work for a little mid-winter getaway!!  The snow is blowing and filling up the runway here in south Kansas  and it looks like they are clearing a walk way for us to the plane.  Yes I said walk way outside where it feels like 8 degrees to a small plane.  Oh well part of the adventure right!??

Destination Puerto Vallarta.    Just like the Love Boat!!!  I remember one of my favorite TV programs  as a young person and they often docked in Puerto Vallarta.   We will see mountains and beach.    A little different landscape than normal.

Last year the trip was to Punta Cana,  Dominican Republic and we are so thankful to be included in again this year.

As a planning person I am focusing on true rest for myself.   Time alone with God and hubs.  A few nice new friends to hang out with.   Little shopping in the village and chance to meet the locals.   Some good food and great pools. One big "bucket list" item to check off is to swim in an infinity pool!

I'll keep you all posted but right now I had better go help scoop the runway!

Randomness vs. Intentionalism

Ha!  Did I just create two new words?  But I jotted these two terms down today because one is where I am finding myself lately . . . and the other is where I want to go.

Explanation . . . One of my co-workers and I try to cheerfully refer to a certain amount of paper work that ends up on our desks each day as our "randomness" . . . meaning that nobody wanted to take the time to deal with it so they send it to our department and we must dig our way through it . . .

Definition of random:

     Made, done, happening, or chosen without method or conscious decision.

That is how I have been living lately, randomly, certainly not methodical, and with no conscious decision in several areas of life.  I don't feel my best when living this way.

Definition of intentionalism:

     Oops, I see that intentionalism IS a real word, but it has nothing to do with what I thought . . . soooo I change that to intentional . . . and the definition is "having an aim or plan"  BINGO!

Couple these two words with a quote I ran across this week that basically said "anyone can decide to lose weight . . . but you have to then move . . . "  

This made sense to me and it's not a new concept . . . make a good plan, set a goal to aim for,  and then do it!!    Talk is cheap . . .

So . . . tonight I will finish up this blog . . . and go to sleep . . . no bedtime snack . . . tomorrow I am getting up and having coffee and a muffin . . . enjoy my day at work (spent quite a bit of the weekend at work) so the randomness won't frustrate me as much tomorrow . . . and best of all . . . counting down to Tuesday when the hubs and I take off for a little vacation . . .

Puerto Vallarta . . . here we come . . . I have a plan, I "intend" to have a great time!

To blog or not to blog . . . really isn't the question.

I say that because I have not been intending to drop the blog - I have missed it terribly - and so - I'm back on and I'm looking at new ideas to write about!   The original blog began after we made a big life change and moved to Beloit after living a few miles down the road for 25 years.  I had much to write about but found that after a year or so I was just struggling.   I think that as bloggers we might sometimes put too much pressure on ourselves to "entertain" via the posts . . . and so I'm back to using it as I first intended . . . a quiet place to share my blessings.  I'll show you what I mean very soon as I will be writing about some of this and some of that . . . but for the moment . . . CRISIS has arisen and must be dealt with!!!

Our big screen TV has died, quit, I was just settling in with my morning cup of coffee when I heard great frustration and agony from the family room downstairs . . . hubs had no TV . . . so I have about ten minutes to shower and we are off to the "city" to buy a new one . . . can't be without ya know!!

Happy Weekend to all of my followers . . . (Tami)

Moving on . . .

Happy New Year to you!  I hope you had a great New Year's Eve and New Year's Day!  We did a very low key celebration - - - meal at home and quiet movies, reading, lots of napping, and a little crafting as well.

Ran across an old favorite of mine - The Oprah Show - dated back to 2007 as she no longer has her syndicated show but shows old reruns on her own network OWN.  Weight loss was of course the theme for January 1 on every show on the TV it seemed and I quickly was reminded that I don't have 150 or 200 or 400 or 500 pounds to lose - I need to lose 50!  Good reminder for me as I finished my first "walk" of the year on the ole' treadmill . . . I challenged my sister Tami to a one mile walk . . . a small challenge for both of us . . . or so I thought it was for me . . . but it has been since 2012 that I exercised faithfully.  In those days I took off 30 pounds (gained back 20) and walked and jogged on the treadmill at a really good clip!  Along with a weight training program at that time, I felt much stronger and was ready to try some hiking in the Colorado Rockies . . .

Today was much different . . . I have some progressive back problems and that alone made walking painful and tiring . . . but I'm happy that I did do a half-mile - - - in 12.2 minutes - - - and I'm off and moving . . .

So this is how I share with you one of the three focuses I have for 2015 - - - Eating the right foods in the right portions and exercising for my health.  I will lose 50 pounds and then I will regroup and learn how to stay at that weight for the rest of my days . . . I'm not looking to put on a bikini and go to the beach - ha!  I'm looking to still be able to go shopping with my sister and be able to stay on my feet, I'm looking to be agile and energetic to help with the new grandbaby coming in May, and to be the best that I can be at my job and in taking care of my home and hubs!    If I continue on like I have been . . . these things will not happen.

I have no fancy quotes to share and no brilliant diet plan . . . it's not a deep dark secret out there that anyone is keeping . . . stop eating so much and get your butt out of the recliner and exercise.  

My health - - - is #1 this year.  Stay tuned and I will share my progress and my discoveries!    I will also share  more on the other two areas that I will focus on this year . . . #2 is my faith walk and my spiritual walk . . . #3 is to find fun!    All three of these "focuses" for me will contain several parts - - - as "health" means eating the right foods and exercising in ways that I will stick with it and enjoy it!  It also involves being better with dental check ups, physical exams, and of course skin and hair care!  And who can be healthy without ridding their lives of unnecessary stress??  So . . . wish me well as I look into all of these areas!

Back later with an introduction to what I am doing for the Lord in 2015!!

What is your #1 for 2015?

New Year's Eve 2015

Just a quick post to wish you all a properous and peaceful Happy New Year 2015!!

As I have posted before, New Year's Eve rivals Christmas Eve for me with anticipation and excitement and a feeling of good will . . . I realized tonight as I got sleepy and napped in the recliner most of the evening that maybe it's the "idea" of New Year's Eve that I love the most . . . the thoughts of a clean slate and a second chance and a clean new page to fill with great memories.   I enjoy "wrapping up" the old year both at home and at work . . . straightening, cleaning, and organizing the home after Christmas and finishing the last projects at work and making a fresh to do list for January 2.

Last year I declared to do no resolutions but to do a list of things to focus on . . . I chose 7 I think it was and really that was too many areas to really zero in on and make big changes.  This year I am sticking with the "focus" idea . . . but my areas are limited to . . .

Awww stayed tuned until tomorrow or the day after possibly as I work on that post :)  Three areas that I need and want to work on . . . can you guess?

How did you celebrate the New Year's eve? and want to share your plans for 2015?

Happy New Year - - - And I'll leave you with these thoughts . . .

Mark Heim | mheim@al.com 

A wise person once said....

OK, so you probably have heard that before. But it does seem appropriate as we move from one year to another to look at some good thoughts and well wishes on this most renewing of holidays. So here you go:

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."

Oprah Winfrey

"Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man."

Benjamin Franklin

"To have the kind of year you want to have, something has to happen that you can't explain why it happened. Something has to happen that you can't coach."

Bobby Bowden

"People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas."

Author Unknown

"The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective."

Gilbert K. Chesterton

"Youth is when you are allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you are forced to."

Bill Vaughn

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Mark Twain

"May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions."

Joey Adams

"Let our New Years resolution be this, we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word." 

Goran Persson

"Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an 

invincible host against difficulties."

Helen Keller