Category Archives: Reflections

Time is Short

Posted on June 9, 2014 | 1 comment

Today I traveled to Brooklyn, New York with my daughter E to visit Pratt University. The flight up was an exercise in patience. We thought we allowed plenty of time to check in bags and go through security. However, once we entered the airport my heart sank when I saw the lines. Who would have thought that the entire city of Houston were boarding planes to start their summer vacations. When we checked our bags we were told that our bags probably would not make our flight.

We arrived at the boarding gate just as the doors closed. We were not alone in this situation either. Travelers were getting upset…flight personnel were trying their best to find alternate flights….the plane was still at the gate but once the door closes it cannot be reopened. You could see the frustration radiating from everyone. I don’t know what happened but just as we were making the decision to get on separate flights the doors were opened and we were able to board. Relief was felt by everyone. Getting our bags late seemed like a small thing when you consider the headache of flying standby to New York.

We checked into the Condor Hotel which is located a couple do blocks from the school. The hotel is very nice. The beds were kind of small….a little bigger than a twin and smaller than a full. I also noticed that on the doorpost do all the rooms is a mesuzah. Then I noticed as we walked in the neighborhood that the hotel is in the heart of the Orthodox Hasidic Jewish community. I felt strange walking around…different…like I did not belong.

We ate lunch at White Castle. My first White Castle burger…interesting indeed. The establishment only had 2 tables outside. The unsettling part was placing and receiving your order through holes made in plexiglass. I did not like all the graffiti on the buildings. It seems like a rough place…not the place I want to leave my sweet, baby girl. I know she is an adult….24…and I’m lucky she allows me to make this trip with her, but I still want to keep her close and protected….being a mom is hard.

We finally found the campus, the area improved. The campus looked like it was well secured. Tomorrow we will find out more when we tour the campus. My fears subsided some…

I realized that time is short for me to enjoy the days remaining that E lives with me….that I need take time, to enjoy each moment fully and to listen so E knows and feels my love.

Everyday take time. Everyday take time to feel the sun and the wind and the rain and feel that you are loved — and then let your life overflow with that love so that a thousand others feel that love. Ever day take time to live loved — and live so others feel loved. Every day take time. Time is there for the taking. For the unwrapping ….Give someone the gift of listening… linger and look into their eyes and really listen and this is free and nobody can buy it and what is better than paying attention to someone with all of you fully present?Ann Voskamp

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Posted in Family, Reflections, Trips/Leisure

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Another Birthday….

Posted on February 6, 2014 | 1 comment

Tomorrow I will be 53 years old. I have lived 19358 days, or 464,592 hours or 27,875,520 minutes or 1,672,531,200 seconds. Where did all this time go? It reminds me of the song lyrics “Time keeps on slipping, slipping into the future.”

Anyway, since I’m half a century old maybe I should come up with a bucket list. One of the things I’m thinking about putting on this list is a mud run. The one I’m considering is one just for women. I hoping the obstacles might be a little easier – yea right! I suppose I’m most afraid that I would find it too difficult for me. I did a google search on mud run training. I came across a really cool website that had a five week training plan with videos. However, the website said that you needed to be able to “run” (not jog) for 3 miles that then the training schedule was not for you and you needed to get out and practice running. Potential problem – I have a running pace – that is if you could call it running – of about a 11-12 minute mile. I pretty sure that would be considered jogging. If I did do this it would be a really good feeling to conquer my fears.

On another note, I ordered two bracelets. Each bracelet has one of my 2014 words on them. I really like them.
Every time I look at these words it brings to me my goal of learning gratitude and pursuing love.

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Posted in From Blogs I read, Holidays, Opinions, Reflections

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The Start of 2014

Posted on January 1, 2014 | 1 comment

I love the feeling I get every new year. The feeling of newness. That feeling that I can start over. That is why I love to make New Year’s Resolutions. Do I keep them? No. But every year I feel the need to make them. This year I have some floating in my head that I might share a little later.

What I did want to write about was the start of this day – January 1, 2014. I felt like staying in bed. I even tried to tell myself it is a holiday and I should take it easy. After arguing with myself, I did get up and lifted weights in my upstairs exercise room for about 40 minutes and then when for a 20 minute run/walk. I call it a run/walk because I ran for 15 minutes and cooled down for 5 minutes. I have also been thinking about an exercise schedule for 2014. I am mad at LA Fitness. They discontinued the 5:45 am spinning class, which was my favorite time to go to the gym. It is not as much fun by myself without an instructor telling me what to do.

This morning I decided to have a green smoothie for breakfast. The only problem my smoothie is not very green.

Green Smoothie????

Green Smoothie????

This is what is in my smoothie:

1 cup water
1 small apple
1/2 cup cucumber
1/2 frozen banana
1 cup mixed fruit – blackberries, blueberries and strawberries
2 cups packed tightly of baby spinach
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Mixed together with my vitamix blender.

I did think it was very yummy!!!

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year today.

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Posted in Holidays, Reflections

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Catching Up…

Posted on November 4, 2013 | 1 comment

Tax season was over on October 15. We survived….barely. Three weekends have happened since then. The first weekend was spent relaxing at Garner State Park. I took pictures and hope to one day get them out of my camera. The second weekend was spent cleaning house. Normally cleaning is not my favorite thing but after 8 weeks of doing the chores just to get by…it felt good to clean. Mi just need to get back on track with cleaning, organizing, downsizing the junk in my at home work space. I do feel that all that stuff is stifling my creativity….

This weekend I went to the Pearland Fire Department wet down. A wet down is like a boat christening. In a wet down the fire trucks spray water on the new fire trucks and fire station. I did take pictures but they are still stuck in my camera…..

The last couple of weeks I have slacked off exercising….especially running. This morning I put on the running shoes…or should I say jogging shoes and did an easy thirty minute run/jog. I need to get in shape for the annual Holiday Run the first week in December. I’m practicing on my mental talk to myself when I run. My mind always wants me to slow down and walk. I did it….I ran the entire 30 minutes. I’m proud of myself.

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Posted in Diet/Exercise, Reflections

My Fitness App Dilemma

Posted on January 4, 2013 | 2 comments

Today while I was exercising I was thinking about “toss, restore, organize”, the diet apps on my electronic devices and my Fitbit that I’m using to track my 10,000 steps per day. January 1 it was easy to get on the steps because we went to the new outlet mall in Texas City. It has been harder since I am back at the office all day sitting on my buttocks.

Now for my quandary…I have the Sparkpeople app; the Fitbit app, and the MyFitness Pal app on my electronic devices. They are taking up space and they are also redundant.

I have been using Sparkpeople for a long time. When I first started using Sparkpeople, I thought it was comparable to Weight Watchers online but for free. I was excited when the mobile phone app became available and I could then record my food choices right away. I have many of my meals listed as favorites so it is even easier to record what I eat. I really liked Sparkpeople when I discovered that I could sync my Fitbit. I was disappointed that the food did not sync between the apps.

Many of my family members started using MyFitness Pal. I downloaded the app because I thought it would be nice to get and send encouragement on our fitness goals. I used the app for a few days but I went back to using Sparkpeople, mainly because of the personal food database I had created over the years. The big advantage to using MyFitnessPall is that it does sync both the food and the activity.

These should seem like a “no brainier”. MyFitness Pal does the things that I want to happen with regard to syncing.

So in the effort to “toss, restore, organize” I’m going to remove the Sparkpeople app from my phone and IPad. Somehow, it feels like I’m removing a friend….

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Posted in Diet/Exercise, Opinions, Reflections

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My happiness Project

Posted on January 1, 2013 | Leave a comment

I have now spent fifty-five years in resolving; having,from the earliest time almost that I can remember, been forming schemes so a better life. I have done nothing. The need of doing, therefore, is pressing, since the time of doing is short. O GOD, grant me to resolve aright, and to keep my resolutions. Samuel Johnson

I thought this quote sums up my experience of making resolution and then doing nothing to make any headway on them. This year I have decided to do something a little different…I have decided to have a happiness project.

I just finished reading “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin.


I thought the book was well written. I liked how Gretchen assigned each month with an area to improve upon. She tried new things and ideas. Sometimes they brought about the desired happiness and sometimes they did not.

In the book, Gretchen stated that the key to the success of her experiment was her resolution chart. She also used Benjamin Franklins Chart of 13 Virtues to come up with her resolution chart.

In Gretchen’s experiment, January was the month to work on boosting energy and vitality.

She resolved to:
1. Go to sleep earlier
2. Exercise better
3. Toss, restore, organize
4. Tackle a nagging task
5. Act more energetic

I was wondering about Benjamin Franklin’s Chart. I was able to find a nice PDF file that listed his virtues. The first virtue was temperance. Temperance was to eat not to dullness. Drink not to elation. I thought that this virtue goes well with Gretchen’s list for January.

Here is my list:
1. Go to bed earlier. I have read in many health articles that getting 7-8 hours of sleep is very good for you and can even help with weight loss. Usually, I do go to bed around 11pm and wake up at 5am. I love getting up early so to get at least 7 hours of sleep I will need to be in bed ready to sleep at 10 pm.

2. I exercise pretty regularly. I’m already signed up for a 5k on March 24. I’m not good at strength training. I’m going to try to come up with a consistent exercise program that incorporates more weight training. Also, my eating habits are terrible. I need to come up with some sort of plan to eat healthier.

3. Toss, restore, organize. It is true that chaos can stifle creativity. Here is a picture of my home office. I even have a closet that I call the “dungeon” because ….it is hard to explain.
My office…..


The “dungeon”


There is a lot here that needs to be tossed, restored and organized. This room takes all my energy away.

4. Tackle a nagging task….I’m sure that I have many in my office.

5. Finally, act energetic. Maybe if I act energetic I will be energetic…or at least think I have it.

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Posted in General, Holidays, Reflections

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Pride or Humility

Posted on July 8, 2012 | 1 comment

I have been thinking about the reasons that I blog. I am not consistent in writing.  I have not set any goals or any particular topic to write about.   I even wonder if the things I write about are really worth reading.  I have been told the things I write might be thought of as depressing.  (Yikes!!! I did not see myself as depressed.)  Anyway, I wonder if I have a story to tell or worthwhile thoughts to share…..

I used to think my self-doubt and insecurity about writing were signs of my profound humility. It felt noble and heroic to be this full of agonizing self-doubt…….

But that’s the thing about pride. It hides itself.

The more I go on, the more I realize, it’s entirely the other way round. Our self-doubt and insecurity don’t reveal our humility; they mask our pride.

When you’re doubting whether you can do it, whether you’re a good writer, you’re looking to yourself, what you can do, what resources you have. You’re focused entirely inwardly, on yourself.

It’s pride because it means you think it’s all about you.

But if you realize it’s not about you — that whatever you have is a gift from God — if, in other words, you get out of the way — then you can be fearless. There is no vision too great, nothing too outrageous to dream, nothing too impossible to dare.

If you believe, as Madeleine L’Engle believed, that your writing is not so much about control as it is about trust, you will be bolder, braver, more able to take risks — and your writing will become more like faith.

It’s no longer about you and what you can do. You do the hard work of writing, you practice your craft, you show up. But you become servant to the story. And the story is cleverer and bigger than you are. Your job is to get out of the way and let the story through.   Sally Lloyd-Jones

My job is to “get out of the way”…..Keep on trying and keep on blogging.

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Posted in From Blogs I read, Opinions, Quotes, Reflections

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Am I Resentful?

Posted on June 27, 2012 | Leave a comment
     ……. whether it’s the annoying fly interrupting my needed nap, the thoughtless words spoken by a trusted friend, the new ding in my twelve-year-old car, or the old hurt that generates fresh pain, resentment never helps the situation—never serves a redemptive purpose. Like the devil, it only steals, kills and destroys.  Scotty Smith
Am I a resentful person?  To be honest I would have to answer that question with a “yes”.  Things happen every day that I do not think should be happening to me.  I become resentful and angry.  But the real question is what do I do with that resentment.  Do I let it harbor in my heart taking it out on others?  Do I carry it around with  negative words and thoughts?  It is true all this resentment only leads to killing and destruction….killing and destroying relationship with God and others.
My prayer today is to be kind, compassionate and forgiving of others.  Can I do it?  Yes, I can with God’s help.
The godless in heart harbor resentment.Job 36:13 
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.Eph. 4:31-32

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Posted in Quotes, Reflections, Thought for the Day

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Can We Change Anyone?

Posted on June 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

Relationships sometime seems so difficult.  I do not know why the people I love and care about can not see  and do things the way I do…. No matter how much I try to change them it only brings me anger, resentment and overall unhappiness.  What to do about this….deep in my heart I have known the answer and like always it is hard to put in practice.

We can’t change the person we are married to—even when we want to; we can only work on becoming the person God has called us to become. –Sarah Flashing

I noticed that this is a work in progress. So today and everyday I am going to try to work on “becoming the person God has called me to become…..

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Posted in Opinions, Quotes, Reflections, Spiritual, Thought for the Day

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How Do Others Experience Me?

Posted on June 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

The other day my dear sweet husband asked me to move my daughter’s car.  I will admit that I was a little irritated….I was in the middle of drinking my morning coffee and reading the newspaper.  As I was getting into my daughter’s car, he asked me if I was mad at him.  (I was not really mad….just irritated that I had to leave my morning coffee and paper.)  So, I said, “No, why do you ask?”  Well, his response is that I looked mad.

I hate to think that I wear my emotions and thoughts so easily on my face.  I do not want to be thought of as a grouchy, irritated, mad person.

This morning I came across this prayer.

  Lord Jesus, as someone chosen in you before the world began, holy in you, and dearly loved by you, help me stay aware of how others experience me. Convict me when I come across as a minefield of irritability, a self-righteous porcupine, or a rigid control-meister. I don’t want to be the kind of person who makes others feel the need to tiptoe around or avoid me. Through the resources of the gospel, help me to see, own, and deal with the ways I love poorly. Scotty Smith

Much to think upon today…….

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Posted in From Blogs I read, Quotes, Reflections, Spiritual, Thought for the Day

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