Week #28

#188

I told you that Hobby Lobby can magically transform any space into a better place.  I am much happier with this arrangement than the previous I posted last week.

#189

Those of you who know me are aware of my love for everything Christmas.  I will admit that as much as I love the predictable nature of each Hallmark show, it is not quite the same in the middle of summer.  I noticed that I can walk away and actually get something done around the house, whereas in the winter, I just want to cuddle up on the couch and watch for hours.  There is something to be said about the cool days in December baking holiday goodies and watching endless Christmas movies.  

#190

Aiden so generously offered to help me work on another project.  Greg has been asking for a shaded space since we built our new deck two years ago, so I decided to try one of my hundreds of pinned projects from Pinterest.  I love the way the planter turned out; however, with the first light wind, this lovely planter tipped over and spread dirt and flowers all over the deck.  It might not be super practical with the ND wind, but it is pretty to look at!  

#191

When I used to hear the words SELF-CARE, the first vision that came to mind was me laying on a massage table in a quiet space with soft music playing not wanting the hour to ever end.  I have learned that self-care is so much more than a day at the spa.  When I was working on my counseling degree, the importance of self-care was drilled into my head from the first class to the last class.  

I truly wished all careers would stress the importance of self-care.  How can we possibly care for others, when we cannot cope with our own personal emotions and feelings?

Self-care may come in several different forms:  

• exercising
• taking naps (one of my favorites)
• listening to music
• meditating
• doing something special for yourself
• watching TV
• journaling
• reading
• crocheting 
• coffee with friends (another one of my favs)
• cooking (this is NOT self-care for me)
• spending time with animals
• church activities
• play a game
• look at old photos 
• THIS LIST COULD GO ON AND ON......

DO WHATEVER RECHARGES YOUR SPIRIT, BODY, AND MIND, SO THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE TO BE THE BEST YOU!

#192

Having to edit senior photos forces me to set aside my denial that his kid (actually man) is entering his final year of high school soon.  Time will not stand still because I am struggling with the finality of everything.  Isn't it interesting that when challenged with a hardship with our children, we wish away the time as quickly as possible because we do not like the feeling.  Yet, when all is good, we beg for time to slow down.  Life does not work that way....... time is endless!  Each day has the same amount of seconds, minutes and hours.  I should not waste the precious time I have fighting against the inevitable.  

Why not rejoice all of the wonderful moments we have had and those that that are yet to come? 

 It is all about MINDSET!

#193

DISCLAIMER:   I did not ask these lovely ladies' permission prior to posting this photo, so I hope they do not sue me for unlawful use of their photo.  

As I stated above, looking at old photos can be a form of self-care.  In this case, self-care came in the form of laughing and reminiscing about my senior year prom.  

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PLEASE EVERYONE - take a moment and adore the hair.  

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Those 1991 hairstyles could not be achieved without a lot of teasing, flipping one's head up and down, a blowdryer, and ridiculous amounts of AquaNet hairspray.  

Pictured from left to right.

Friends from South Heart High School

Kristine Stevens (Binstock), Tanya Weisgram (Rambousek), me, and Diane Schutts (Heidt)

💗you ladies!

#194

Morning walks are my favorite!  Greg and I decided to head out to the lake and walk the path for some different scenery.  It is so relaxing to just walk and talk about life.  We have some of the most mundane talks, and at the same time, we have some of our most in-depth conversations.  

This is time to leave behind our cell phones (most of the time) and just experience nature without an agenda, which has a way of making me think of the world a bit differently.  I find that my perspective on life seems much more positive when I am viewing the beauty of nature.