by Sarah | Mar 31, 2019 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Gratitude, Redefining Perfect
As part of my Oola journey, I’m making an effort to be more grateful. My daily planner has a place specifically labeled for Gratitude. I’d like to spread some of that love here, too.
I am grateful for –
Everything old being new again.
Feeling useful.
26 books complete.
One more section to go.
The new Deadwood movie (it’s about time).
Laughter around my house.
Nice weather for walks.
Zendo.
Teens that tell me things.
4 months smoke free!!
New projects.
Spark.
New understanding.
Clean heart & arteries.
Chance meetings.
Rediscovering memories.
Reconnecting.
New branches of conversation.
Good friends.
Bartering.
Being a safe place.
Having a safe place.
Spring.
Normal elbows.
The handiness of working with doctors.
New friends.
Interesting challenges.
Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur.
Bad jokes.
Feed readers.
by Sarah | Mar 29, 2019 | All About Me, All of Us, Personal, Redefining Perfect, Story of Me
After my girls were born I was out of the work force for quite a while. It just didn’t make financial sense for me to work and pay for 3 daycare spots. I wouldn’t have a paycheck when all was said and done. Then their special needs started making themselves known and it was all said and done for quite a while.
When hubby and I decided that it was time for me to get back into working, I had to work on my resume. Between that, and actually filling out applications, a disturbing pattern began to emerge.
I had missing time in my jobs.
I knew I never went without employment until the girls…but how could I be missing a year?
I sit there over and over running the dates…
“2001-2002 I was with the bank, yes. That’s right. Then in 2002 I did the bookkeeping thing for the shop for…oh, I don’t know. Was it a year? I think so. Okay. That takes me to 2003…but then. What? I didn’t start back with the bank until 2004. What in the world did I do in the interim? Did I work at the shop longer? NO…No. I know I didn’t.”
A full year that I couldn’t not remember for the life of me. I thought maybe I had the dates of the bank and the shop wrong, but I knew I didn’t because I was working at the shop when I got married.
I mean, seriously.
What happened during that year?
To this day this still happens. I don’t have to fill out that far back on resumes and applications, but as I fill them out, I think back to this blank space of time and wonder.
Every once in a while, like right now, it’ll hit me and I’ll remember EXACTLY what I was doing in that time. I’ll be in shock that I could forget such an esteemed position in my career trajectory and then…a few days, or weeks, down the line I’ll forget again.
So now…while I’m remembering, do you want to know?
Well, I’m gonna tell you either way.
For a year I held the esteemed position of Assistant Manager at a Credit Union Service Center. We performed transactions for most of the area credit unions.
ASSISTANT MANAGER in finance/banking. That’s no small potatoes.
And I constantly forget it ever happened.
A year of my career.
Gone.
So I’m glad you know, because maybe next time you can remind me when I forget again.
It’s gonna happen.
Probably before this even posts.
by Sarah | Mar 26, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
Continuing our countdown of my dream family vacations, we hit #2 on the list…
Mackinac Island
No cars. No chain hotels. Transportation by horse & buggy or bike or your own two feet only.
Beautiful scenery.
Simple quiet.
Good restaurants and nightlife.
Honestly, what isn’t there to like about this quiet little island on Lake Huron?
I first heard about it in high school and though I’ve only seen mention here and there since, it stuck with me through moves to other states and back to where Mackinac Island is close enough to drive to (not literally, have to take a boat there, but you know what I mean).
It seems like the idea place to head for a simple, fun-filled vacation.
Have you ever been to Mackinac Island? What was your favorite part?
by Sarah | Mar 25, 2019 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Oola, Pagan Me Happy, Redefining Perfect
Along with my monthly spirit animal, I’ve decided to start researching different Goddesses every month, and to be fair I may throw in a random God or two as the spirit moves me. Back in December when I was doing my 21 Day Ceremony challenge, the Goddess Morrighan made a very distinct visit to me during one of the ceremonies. Thus, I’ve decided that my first monthly study would be on this complicated Goddess.
Morrighan, sometimes called Morrigan, Morrigu, or Macha is a Celtic Goddess.
Often symbolized by a raven, and a shapeshifter, she has appeared in many forms. As a woman with a bird head, a raven, or as a woman either with a raven, or a murder of crows. In some stories she’s also appeared as a cow and a wolf.
In my research I’ve found so many conflicting reports about her history, that I dare not dive too deep into it because I don’t want to get it wrong. So instead I’ll give my impressions of what I’ve learned.
First off, despite my husbands initial reactions when I mentioned her in December, Morrighan is not Morgan le Fay (some studies say she is, but it is not a fact and my instinct says no…so I’m leaning that way).
I was never off-put or disturbed by the call of Morrighan to study her and work her into my practice in some way. Though I’ve read that people fear such a call, because she is so often linked to war and battle, I viewed her more as I’ve been urged to look at Kali. For though she is representative of war and battle, she also symbolizes sovereignty and rightful kingship.
I’ve spent the past week studying on Morrighan’s messages and what they mean to me, specifically in the now. Here’s how I’m taking in her message this month:
- Step into your power. Do not be afraid of what battles you may face, whether internal or external.
- You are the rightful heir to your true self. Own it.
- Adaptability may be necessary to achieve your goals, and that’s okay. There can be power in shapeshifting when it’s for the right purpose.
- Sometimes things have to die in order for you to make it where you’re meant to be. Mourn the dead, but do not let them drag you down with them.
- Morrighan is clearly in command without being threatening. You can be in your power without being angry.
I am happy to honor Morrighan and her teachings. I feel like she’s going to be with me for a long time as I’m working out redefining myself. I will learn from and honor others, but I think Morrighan is more than my goddess of the month. I think she’s here for the long haul, and I am happy to embrace and honor her as well as I’m able.
by Sarah | Mar 23, 2019 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Crafty Me, Oola, Redefining Perfect, Yarnspiration
I may have mentioned once or twice before that I have some crafting ADHD. In the past year, my yarn-bending has come out full force (along with my pendant making, but that’s another post).
To keep tabs on myself because I’ve had several projects that are YEARS old now (seriously, like 7 years).
We all have those projects.
You know the ones….
They take forever.
You love them.
You hate them.
You wish they’d be done already.
Well, shit, you completely messed up and have to start all the way over again…
This one cardigan is mine.
It’s an exceedingly complex circle sweater that I’m knitting.
To make matters more special, it’s got tons of teeny, tiny cable stitches throughout the whole thing…and the whole thing is pretty much reversible so…
It’s insanely difficult. It was even more so when I first started it as a noob knitter.
I started this sucker YEARS ago. Like 2013.
I worked the entire sleeve and started on the body only to realize I was making the WRONG SIZE.
I’m pretty sure I cried as I started again two years ago…from scratch. I worked the new sleeve directly from the old sleeve, literally using the same yarn as I pulled it free of the sleeve to stitch the new one. I did that two years ago.
I worked on it steadily for a few months until I’d hit the exact same point I’d been at when I’d REstarted it months before.
Then dropped it. Went onto other projects. Easier projects. Crochet projects. Anything but this.
Relegated to a drawer it sat there for a long time.
Then a couple of months ago, I sold everything. Okay, not EVERYTHING, but about 95% of my yarn, even if they had projects attached to them. In bulk.
All gone.
That left me with precisely 3 projects to work on. 2 knitting, 1 crochet.
So, this sweater has been getting attention.
A lot of it.
Which has led to this.
<—
I’m not quite halfway done with it. Probably 40%…but it’s made a huge leap forward. I’ve got about 180 rows until I can start doing the insanely long rows of the back. I’m kind of surprised at how fast it’s been going now that I’ve really dedicated to just a couple of projects.
It’s still not as fast as many yarn weavers…but I’m still very pleased at how it’s coming along. There’s been a few gaffs along the way, but they lend to the character of the outfit. Who knows, I may finish this before my kids graduate high school at this point. I wasn’t sure that would ever happen. It has already been six years, after all. 😉
by Sarah | Mar 21, 2019 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Blogging Life, Disney, Disney Mom, Make-A-Wish, Redefining Perfect, Universal, Universal Studios Mom
Our Make A Wish trips to Disney were full of so much spectacular magic, fun, and family bonding.
It brought us our son back from his moody depths.
It kept ME off my computer/phone/internet/everything for a whole week without any signs of withdrawal.
We arrived home with tale upon tale of the amazing things that happened.
Then there was that one night.
See, at Disney we have a habit that isn’t the best.
We forget about food.
Yeah, I know. Weird, right?
We’re just so busy doing all of the things, that we forget to shove food down our gullets.
So on this one night we were at the Magic Kingdom and someone pointed out that they were hungry. Erik and I realized that the last time we’d eaten had probably been at breakfast back at the Village at about, oh, 8AM. We were staring down 6PM at this point.
Oops.
We were basically in the middle of the park at that point, trying to decide where to head. Two kids were staring at maps to see where we should go, when se spotted Casey’s.
Me? I’m not a big hot dog person. I essentially only like one brand of hot dog, and that’s it.
BUT…it was there. It was easy, and I figured a chili dog wouldn’t be horrible. We WERE dining at Disney, after all…
Right?
So, in we all traipsed, making a quick study of the menu and ordering our dogs and some drinks. We find a table in the bustling restaurant and hunker down to eat.
One bite in I realized that just because we’re at Disney doesn’t mean it’s good.
Slowly as we all ate, I realized I was not the only one wearing a “color me disappointed” face. We were all sort of dissatisfied with the hot dogs. They tasted like those pink dogs you’d get at a gas station. Utterly flavorless and dull. The chili didn’t even liven up mine.
We all just kind of stared at each other, and started chuckling.
Then Denver thought he’d salvage his dinner in some way. He asked for some cash to go get one of those brownies on the menu. Because it’s BROWNIES.
Can’t screw that up.
Right?
Plus, Denver LOVES him some brownies.
We continued chatting as he made his way through the line. Sipped our drinks and waited.
When he returned to the table, he had a sort of shell-shocked wide-eyed look about him.
Confused, I asked him what was wrong. Were they out of his brownies?
He held out his hand to reveal the amazing, spectacular brownie he’d gotten…
A Cosmic Brownie…in the wrapper.
I mean…
WHAT?
We all busted out laughing. I mean, seriously.
He ate his brownie, we went about our fun, still laughing about how horrible our dinner was…but at least our bellies had food in them again.
To this day, nearly 5 years later, all you have to say in this house is “The Worst Meal Ever” and we laugh and go on about it. It’s that familiar joke families bond with.
So while the food was NOT great and I never recommend Casey’s to people that ask for Disney suggestions…
The MEMORY is the greatest. It still bonds us in laughter and love.
That is the magic of Disney, folks.
Truly.
As part of my Oola journey, I’m making an effort to be more grateful. My daily planner has a place specifically labeled for Gratitude. I’d like to spread some of that love here, too.
