31 Days in pictures: The beginning

Composed by Cat
I found this on a friends Facebook. 30 days in pictures. I started thinking that this would make an interest blog idea. I tend not to blog for my audience but for myself. I figure it's therapeutic for me to write and if you like it that's great but the minute I start blogging for readers I lose myself. So I'm going to run with this idea. Since January has 31 days I suppose I'll add a day and make 31 days in pictures. I'll start January 1st. Hopefully we will all learn a little something about me. I know I could really use it. Here's a list of the things to come:


Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts. 
Day 02 - A picture of you and someone you used to be close with. 
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show. 
Day 04 - A picture of your favorite night. 
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory. 
Day 06 - A picture of a person you would like to trade places with for a day. 
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh. 
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most. 
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the silliest things with. 
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate. 
Day 12 - A picture of something you love. 
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist. 
Day 14 - A picture of someone you cant live without. 
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die. 
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently. 
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity. Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little. 
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel. 
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget. 
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at. 
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book. 
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change. 
Day 25 - A picture of your favorite day. 
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you. 
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member. 
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of. 
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile. 
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.
Day 31 - A picture of ????? ( any suggestions:?)


Feel free to join in. If you do decide to join in would you be so kind as to comment and provide a link so I can follow your picture parade as well? Thanks. May you have a blessed new year!




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Last day of the year

Composed by Cat
Happy New Year's Eve to everyone!

Today is the day many get ready to ring in the New Year. Some take stock in the year that's been and plan the year to come. I'm not a big party person. New Year's has not been traditionally a pleasant one for me. I find it much safer and much more enjoyable to make a party spread for my family and stay inside watching movies and playing board. As for taking stock in my life over the last 364 days, well, I could learn a lot from it. Hopefully, I have. I could dwell on it but that would only cause a mental lashing that would warrant more meds and with prescription coverage going down and costs going up, I'll just avoid that if you don't mind.

I am looking forward though. I'm not a resolution person. I don't believe in resoluting to be a better person. (I know that's not a word but just go with it). I am a goal person though. I am a list maker. If I make a list and accomplish something on the list I get to cross it off, put a check by it, erase it, something. If I can do that then I feel like I've worked towards something and I've accomplished it. A check mark can do the soul so good. That being said, I've make about ten goals to work towards over the next 364 days...then I'll take stock in my life.

Here's what made the list:

  1. Grow closer to God...including reading my bible more than just at church.
  2. Get financially fit. Work up a budget and stick to it...for real.
  3. Get the house decluttered and organized. 
  4. Get physically and nutritionally fit. (I have a 5k to run next December)
  5. Learn to be more self sufficient. Garden more, learn to do some things without modern conveniences. That kind of thing.
  6. Help others more. Do community service, work at the food bank, RAK, pay it forward. 
  7. List three positive things daily.
  8. Write more...journaling & creative writing. (I miss it. I really do)
  9. Learn something new every month.
  10. Finish my degree.

Those are my top 10. I'm sure I could list another 10 or more but I don't want to get in over my head. This list is a hand full but they are things I really want to address over the next 12 months. I won't get them all but hopefully I can make a dent big enough to cause some change in my life and promote some growth in my life.

For everyone browsing by here today...I hope you have a wonderful and safe New Year's Even and an amazing 2011!

                                                                                                  
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Wanting more of Christmas Spirit - RAK (Random Act of Kindness)

Composed by Cat
Christmas has come and gone...for the most part. I still have some Christmas to share with Little Bit who has been at his Dad's through Christmas. Overall, it's done. I had quite a good Christmas although there's some funny stories and not so funny stories I'll share later. Now is reflection time. Time to look at the upcoming year, the last year, and all the things we think we'll accomplish over the next 12 months. I didn't make any resolutions last year so I'm good. I have been giving it serious thought this year though. I've decided I like goals better than resolutions. I'm setting ten simple, common sense goals to pursue over the next year. Hopefully I can accomplish them. This got me to thinking though. All through Christmas everyone dashes out to help the less fortunate, the downtrodden, those in need. Why only Christmas? And why only those financial in distress? This year I noticed quite a few in need of spirit assistance rather than financial assistance. I'm not saying that those in financial need don't need our attention. Not in the least. I wish I could do more to help those but since I'm not in a financial place to help them I have to look at what I can do. I ran into two great site this morning that caused the light bulb effect. You know that one, right? The one where you have the cartoon light bulb go flashy over your head with a bright idea? Yep, that one. 

One of site is called Gift a Stranger. I'm not sure about this one but I like the idea. You sign in and get a random address of someone in the world and send them a gift. Most of the address are international though. I like the concept though. Just randomly send someone a gift. For no reason at all. I like this. Maybe not this site for me but the thought of randomly sending someone a gift or a card just to say Thank you for being here on earth. I like this idea.  This led me to site number two: Random Acts of Kindness Again, how great does it feel to get something you weren't expecting for no reason at all? I love the ideas on this site. Between the two sites, I've decided I want to do something like this in my own neck of the woods. I can't afford to go buy fancy do dads but I can make things or even pick up a card to randomly drop off to someone without their knowledge to say Thank you for being you. I hope it'll make someone's day brighter. My plan is to work my local mail room. At work that is. I work for a community college with 8 sites. I can slip little things into campus mail and no one will be the wiser for it. I can even slip things into people's shopping carts, tables, car windshields, or just random places.

First, let me tell you that I love making people smile and laugh. Second, I cry easily at happy and kind gestures. Luckily, computer screens don't show tear drops. I say this because if you knew me you'd understand that I'll be liquefied in no time if I follow through with this.  Which I plan to.

Second, let me just say I'll tell my stories here but I'll deny them in public. I don't want to do this for gratification from others. I want to do this to truly make others have better days. I feel we can make a difference in the world if we can just change attitudes one at a time. It's really all in how we look at the world that we see the world. If we can see the world in a brighter light maybe, just maybe, it'll actually be a little brighter. I know that sounds cheesy but I really want the world to be a better place. If nothing else, maybe someone will have a better day. It may not change the world but maybe it'll change someone's day. With all the negatives coming at us everyday what could it hurt to be kind and for no reason at all brighten someone's day? 

So what would you like to receive as a RAK item? I need ideas....got any? 
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My true gifts this year (long but from the heart)

Composed by Cat
I received the best Christmas presents over the past week or so. They haven’t been wrapped in paper or decorated bags. No, these presents have been wrapped in flesh and bone; in love and kindness. The best part of these presents is that they come from my children. The very fruits of my labors have come back to bless me more times than I can even believe.
The first gift was a realization I had while having a discussion with a friend of mine. First let me say that I have a half-brother but other than maybe 3 years we were raised completely separate in other states and even separated by an ocean at one time so the thought of how siblings are supposed to be has completely evaded my psyche. I’ve basically been an only child.  I just knew that I wanted my boys to look out for each other and to have that closeness I missed out on. I’ve raised my boys with the hope that if anything were to ever happen to me, even when they were adults, they’d be there for one another. My boys are boys. They fight over the bathroom, the remote, who broke what, whose turn it is to do household chores, and who ate the last of the peanut butter. They also rejoice when one of their brothers succeeds in something. They comfort when one of them fails at something. They even push each other to be better at anything they do. They are, for all in all, what I dreamt of for them. They are brothers in the truest since of the word.
So my gift? My friend said I’d done an excellent job raising them on my own. (I really haven’t though. My parents and their taxi services the past 5 years have been a Godsend). It hit me then and there. (Thank you God for those swift kicks to the head by the way) I may not be able to give my boys material things but I have been able to give them the gift of each other. They are well rounded, well-adjusted young men. None of them have been in serious trouble, they don’t do drugs, I know where they are at all times, and they not only look out for one another and me but they are socially aware to look out for others in need. Yes, they even help little old ladies in need. That is the best gift I could ever wish for. My boys have become amazing young men. At 20, 16, and 13, they are more of men than many of my peers and I am so blessed to be there mom.
I said giftssssss didn’t I? Gift number two: We’ve been hit with a snow and ice for over a week, this is the worst December since 1989 and it just keeps coming. School has been out for over a week but on to work I’ve managed (at least a couple of days). I usually tell the boys to do a few chores but on snow days I know that goes in one ear and out the other. After all, they are boys. I work four 10 hour days so I don’t have to drive the 60 miles to work so much. Just before I left work I checked my Facebook app on my phone and all three of my boys posted: “Surprise! Just saying”…. Oh crap! What have they done? I came home walked in and they had cleaned the living room from top to bottom. I could actually see the coffee table. We had a coffee table? Who knew! My middle son was in the process of rehanging the pantry door. (Let’s just say “NOBODY” accidentally broke the bottom hinge several weeks ago). Wow! What a gift. They spent their snow day cleaning up. It was the best.
Next gift:  After wrapping up presents and sticking them under the tree my youngest asked if that was it? I said pretty much so. He proceeded to say nothing he asked for came in any of those shapes. Little does he know I was trained by two before him that are masters and figuring things out so I never wrap anything just as is. My middle son proceeded to tell him, “Don’t you know it isn’t WHAT’s under the tree that matters? (awe) then he continues “It’s HOW MUCH is under the tree! Giggles follow. Then he turned to me and said “Just kidding mom. You way over did it. I only asked for one or two things and none of those look like a car OR an ipod” I told him the car came it parts and he’d get the bolts for his birthday. Ha! Ha! The gift was that no matter what is under the tree my son appreciates that I tried hard and I really WANT to give them a good life. For the record, there’s only 3 or 4 store bought presents under the tree but I made a few handmade things that I wrapped individually just to fill up the tree. Sad I know but it works. They’ve come to expect the handmade things. Which is so funny to me. I can never not make them something from here on out. God has truly blessed me.
The other gift is that during this horrible wintry mix weather, I have food in the house. Usually I’m short on everything but this year God blessed me with the resources to have the house stocked with the things we need to make, bake, and eat our way through the storm. This includes toilet paper.
I’ve been truly blessed over this past year. I transferred departments at work. I truly look forward to going to work every day. I enjoy the people I work with. Sometimes I can’t believe they pay me to have this much fun. I’ve had health children this past year. For the most part, I’ve not injured myself majorly; just the usual injuries. My health is improving as I started eating right and sleeping better. I’ve got a wonderful, warm, and safe home that’s paid for even if it still needs some TLC…don’t we all? I have a safe, reliable 4 wheel drive vehicle that is also paid for. I have a wonderful view every morning. I have my parents and my grandparents nearby and my children get to have a great relationship with them. Most of all I have a loving and caring God who is always there for me even though I am not always there for him. What a blessing that is.
This time of year it is so easy to get caught up in the commercialism and materialism that is thrown at us from all directions. I figured out finally that my true gift is the life I’ve been given. What I make of it is up to me and I have chosen to enjoy the many blessing that God has given me. This is the season to rejoice in the gift God sent us. After all, for those of us who are Christians this is the day that the Lord hath made. The true gift is Jesus. That is what we are celebrating: The birth of our Lord and Savior. Happy Birthday Jesus and thank you Lord for the most precious gift every.
God bless you all and may you have a safe and wonderful Christmas.                                               
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