A Wish For You

This is a simple post.  I stumbled across this quote a few days ago, and it's true.  I hope this for you, for all of us. :0)

“This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Have a wonderful week,

Sarah

Don't Be Ashamed of Hard Times

"Our most significant opportunities will be found in times of greatest difficulty." ~ Thomas S. Monson

and...

"When things go wrong, maybe we aren't failing--maybe we're learning." ~ Wendy Ulrich

Life is crazy.  So many things seem to be going crazy right now.  Emotions here and there.  So many thoughts. Ups and Downs.  Regardless of what's happening outside my control, there's quite a bit inside my control I feel I keep messing up.

Without getting into details, because there's a lot I'm working through, I've been learning a lot.  About myself.  Gained five pounds, but it's not affecting me like it has in the past.  Step by step, and finding confidence and acceptance is getting easier.  I'm on a quest, upwards.  I will get healthy.  I will get better at accomplishing goals.  but change is a process.  It hurts.  It's aggravating.  I want fast solutions, fast improvements, but true change requires patience, repetition, work.

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Don't give up.

A New Change of Mind; Journey for Health

So, back in October I gave myself a Holiday Health Challenge.  The goal was to not gain weight during the Holiday's and develop positive habits.  Walk 3-6 miles a day, strength train 2-3 times a week, go to bed before 11:00 pm, drink lots of water, increase fiber/magnesium, and have one treat day a week.  How successful was I?  Well, it's been an interesting journey.

I didn't accomplish per say what I wanted.  Towards the beginning I gained weight, more than I have in quite awhile, freaked out, got depressed, and then was able to lose that weight.  As of a couple weeks ago I weighed where I did last October.  Then I did something I should have done a long time ago.  I put the scale in the cabinet and haven't weighed myself since.  Around Christmas and these last few days I have had sweets, and I haven't a clue how it affected me.

Maybe this sounds reckless, but honestly it was needed, because I realized how much I was dependent on a number for self worth.  It goes up, I binge on sweets out of frustration.  I lose weight, and I eat sweets out of celebration.  Stupid, I know!  So stupid.  But, dang, it's my addiction, and one I will conquer.  How long will it take?  I don't know, honestly.  I've got ideas.  Plans.  But for now I'll keep those to myself.

Even though I didn't have the results these last few months I wanted, it was still good.  I learned a lot.  Verified that when I don't have sweets my heartburn and sugar swings stabilize.  I don't feel nauseous between meals.  And I've noticed that it's affecting my throat as well, which in turn is affecting my singing.   If I can't give up sugar for my weight, somehow giving it up for my singing is proving crazy motivating.  Sugar is just bad, period.  It's such a vicious cycle.

What it comes down to is this: I want to feel good.  Sugar, though nice in the moment, doesn't make me feel good in the long run.   Around Thanksgiving I gave up sugar for a few weeks, and comparing how that felt verses what I've felt these last few days, focusing on that and not a number on a scale, has been really positive.

What are my goals this year?  They will be ever developing.  I love the symbolism of the whole New Year, New Decade and all that, but in the end the only way to be successful is to start new goals and reevaluate as time goes along.  I complicate.  I try to do way too much right out of the gate.  So I'm letting that go.  I'm changing the way I think about things.  I'm changing the way I feel about myself, which is most important.

"Finish each day and be done with it.  You have done what you could.  Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day.  You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sometimes You Need To Get Yourself Flowers

“The earth laughs in flowers.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

2 things:

1: I watched a Hallmark movie last night.  Yeah, I'm on a Hallmark movie kick. #SorryNotSorry, seriously. :P  But I had taped this one about a girl who's an interior decorator, but her family's tulip farm is in danger, so now she must choose between two careers, and two guys, because it's a Hallmark movie.  That's how it is.

But really, the movie just made me want to get tulips.  So I did.  Not so subliminal messaging works.

2. It's essentially my Mom's birthday, and she wanted flowers and balloons.  So flower and balloons is what she got. :D  And I did order her a couple cute little things, too.   Our Costco has a really good flower selection, so we both got tulips, and she got many other varieties as well.

My Dad gave me extra money to get her a nice selection, so when I then went to the dollar store to get balloons, I felt obliged to get a lot.  A Lot!  I got 26 mylar birthday balloons, with some green and gold mixed in.  I totally felt like a carnival fair balloon worker as I exited the store!  Now I just need to clean and decorate the house.

It's been a pretty good morning.

The Wisdom of Ralph

(After a Summer Storm)

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Beautiful

(Gift shop at the Santa Barbara Marina)

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, 

we must carry it with us or we find it not. "

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

365 Day Photo challenge: Days 45-48

 (Day 45 of the 365 day photo challenge 02-16-2012)

 This quote is found on the side of the Idaho Utah Map store, which, after living here 10 years, I finally checked out!  It's amazing how many gems exist here that I've never even bothered with.  It's such a fun place!  The maps are interesting, and the lower level is nothing but toys and learning material.  Also, I love this quote.  Ralph Waldo Emerson is my 4th cousin, 10 times removed.  The only famous individual I can find any claim to.  I like to think my love of writing poetry stems from my connection to him.

  (Day 46 of the 365 day photo challenge 02-17-2012)

I was practicing my 5k training, which, on this date, I was keeping up quite well . . . currently I have slacked a little.  This was taken underneath the bleachers at a football field.  The angle is interesting, and I love the light and shadows. 

  (Day 47 of the 365 day photo challenge 02-18-2012)

 I attending this event, and it was quite enjoyable.  I'll write about it in a blog post tomorrow, my thoughts on Austenland, and how I feel about book signings in general.

 (Day 48 of the 365 day photo challenge 02-19-2012)

This is a picture of my Great-Great Grandmother's Angeline Dee's autograph book.  I was over at my Grandma's working on genealogy, and decided it was about time I photograph the pages.  Unfortunately the battery died in the middle of this endever, so I need to return and finish the job.  Here are a couple of the pages:

   (Written June 24, 1889)

 (Written June 24, 1892)

I really, really want to know the stories behind what is written on the left side of the second photo.  Whatever it was, those would have been fantastic stories.  What was the "note" that was passed around at a party?  And something about a braw??!!  If pages could unleash their secrets.  

Have a great day!

Sarah