Mid-Year Review

Wow - Seems like January was yesterday and here it is July. I am fast approaching my next birthday. As another year ticks away - let me tell you where I am.

My goals for 2009 include:

1.Become more organized- 2. Eat Healthier 3. Count my blessing 4. Live each day with less stress.

Well - let's see - I am more organized. I live by my calendar. I am scheduling healthy activities. More than that I have read a couple of books on organization. I am cleaning out closets and desk drawers - I am simplifying my life.

I am eating healthier - no fried food - and I have given up sodas.

I do count my blessing everyday - I thank God everyday for my life even on the days my life is not perfect.

Living each day with less stress has been the most difficult. I tend to create my own stress by trying to take on to many task at one time. I have also recently come to the realization that my dream job was really a nightmare. It took a lot of courage but I have chosen a new path in my career with less stress.

My running goals are on track - I continue to enjoy running, my overall fitness level is improving, I have made new running friends and I am training for a half marathon in November......

Life in Blytheville Arkansas is GOOD!!!!

We can do no great things

Mother Teresa said "We can do no great things only small things with great love."

I have been wrestling with my career choices over the last few weeks. There are some issues at work that have me considering changing careers ~ A friend told me that God puts certain people in our life as emotional sandpaper - they rub us the wrong way to smooth out our rough spots. Well, God has put my emotional sandpaper in the form of my boss.

Today a coworker stopped by my office and shared her view of the current conflict in our department. The few minutes she spent was a small thing - but it meant touched my heart more than she will ever know - so I created a Thank You note for her using Mary Sunday Sketch Challenge.

My prayer to night is: Father, help me to be sensitive to the goodness in others and to be less critical of those whose priorities differ from mine ~ Amen.

Simply Life

Woo Hoo!!! I did it - I have hit the road running again. It felt difficult at first but then I found my stride and everything started to feel comfortable. The sweat was great...

Next day the legs were sore but a good sore...

Monday is a few hours away and I have a plan. Running three days - yoga one day - maybe some step aerobics one day and a couple of short bike rides.

I am also reading a couple of books - it is refreshing to read for pleasure.

I am dealing with a personal issue that has me considering my involvement with a volunteer group. The overall group is great, the mission of the project focuses on very basic principles of Christianity. The issue is one person - who is always negative and wants to be confrontational all the time.
So - do I allow conforntation to limit my ability to help others???

I guess I could look at this person like a marathon - keep pushing, plan for the unexpected and do not look back...stay on course.

My kids sent me flowers this week the card read "the race is not always to the swift...but to those who keep on running."

I think I will keep on running!!!

Being Ture to My Dream

OK - it has been 25 days since I last posted and very very little running for me. I could name the million other taska I have completed and issues I have fixed - but that list does not change the fact - I have not been true to me.

I did buy a new book on running - the Complete Book of Women's Running. Tomorrow I start the beginner's schedule training for a marathon at 6 AM. Tommorrow afternoon - Yoga at 5 PM.

When I complete my run in the morning - I will spend sometime tomorrow finding a 5K to participate in. Me first - that is my new motto.

Take It and Run Thursday - Findng Time

Carrying over a conversation started in the Runner's Lounge - finding time to run. I do not think about finding time to run - I think about finding time for me.
As a wife, mother (six adults and seven four-legged babies), a nurse, nursing program director, volunteer charitable clinic director, avid scrapbooker, and doctoral student - I have a full calendar.

Since January when we fell victim to an ice storm that resulted in the city being without electricity for a week - I have lost my dedication to me. That week was chaos - and I am just now starting to fell like the chaos is slowing down.

So - around mid-April I decided to focus on me - I am the most important person in my life - without a healthy me I can not accomplish all that I want to do.

I have gone back to using my calendar - setting alarms on my phone - telling others my plans. All of these activities keeps me focused and honest.

Finding time is about being honest - we have to be honest with ourselves - what is important to us? Is being healthy important? Do we like to feel stressed - is that why we do not find time to run? Not me - I am going to be stress free - I am going to make time / balance my life - I am going to run!!!!

Four Months Into 2009

Four months into 2009 and I am no more in control than I was at the beginning of the year. Well maybe that is not true. I am in control - but I am making bad choices.

Do I have time to run - if I wanted to run I would find time to run. Prioritizing what is important in my life is an area that needs work. Instead of getting up to run - I sleep in.
My Dad has always said - you can sleep when you are dead - so why do I sleep in????

Sunday morning is only two hours away - I am going to get up early and run...no excuses.

Scrapbooking - is like running - I enjoy the process but I do not make it a priority. Tomorrow I will clean my scrapbookroom and set out my next project.

No one else is going to put me first - I owe to me!

2009 Goals - Who Is In Control

It has been six months since I blogged - so what have I been doing that is more important than journaling. Running occassionally - life is busy so I have been putting running, scrapbooking, and journaling off. It is easy to make excuses for not running or scrapbooking. To much to do - papers to grade, lectures to develop, dissertation to write, charitable clinic work to do --- see I have real excuses.

Real excuses do not nullify the fact that I have not put me first or even second. I realized recently I am getting older - My husband is getting older. I do not like the path aging is forcing us down - so - who is in control - Me or Life??? Can I control my life?? Can I age gracefully?

I do not believe in New Year Resolutions - I do believe in goals. With life and the aging process pushing me down a path I do not want to go down - I have set a few goals for 2009.

1. Become more organized-

2. Eat Healthier

4. Live each day with less stress.


So how am I going to accomplish my goals. I bought a new calendar today - I will schedule healthy activities among the many other task, meetings, and deadlines. I will journal what I eat.


Eating healthier - I am going to work the Weight Watchers program


Counting my blessing - I am going to journal (here and in paper journal)


Live each day with less stress - I am going to choose my battles carefully. Take on projects that make me happy and ask for help when my plate is full.


I really want to run a 1/2 marathon - can I - I am the one in control!