Who's Your Competition?

When I was a kid working in my dad's pizza shop, I had two main duties:

1. Bus the tables
2. Bag the breadsticks

Busing the tables .... ick. If the tables were a mess, my dad would press a button in the front of the shop three times and it would make a noise in the back. It was really annoying:
BZZZZ BZZZZ BZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Bus .... The .... Front!

In the back room, my job was to take the crispy breadsticks out of the huge paper bag, and place them two at a time in the small glassine bags, fold the little bags, staple them, and put the breadsticks in a container so they'd be ready to go out with the "to go" spaghetti, ravioli and lasagna orders.

The job could be a bore, so I made a game out of it. I'd keep tabs on how long it took me to finish bagging one huge bag of breadsticks. I'd just try to get faster and faster and faster.

Later, when I worked in the Children's Room of our public library, we had a check-out system where we'd take a photo of each book label along with a card showing a check-out number and the due date. One of my jobs was to stamp the due date on the big stacks of cards. Tedious work.

Again, I made a game out of it and became one of the fastest stampers on the staff.

In general, I'm not a gal that enjoys competition. When I stack myself up against others, I lose too often. But I love being in competition with myself. Then I can see when I get better and better.

An example now is in my weight loss program. I weigh myself each morning so that the number on the scale is just that — a number — a score. Each time it's lower than the day before, I do a happy dance, call my husband at work and cry, "I got a new low score!"

It's a lot like golf. You really are playing against yourself, knowing your own handicap.

Day 520: Another View

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section, Columbia Gorge [2]

To the southwest, the Cascade Range towers over the mighty evergreens. The mists of the Columbia rise to meet the streaming clouds. The storm pushes east to the desert.

Day 519: A Birthday View

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section, Columbia Gorge [1]

My husband took me on a wonderful trip to the Columbia Gorge to celebrate my birthday a few weeks back. This lovely, lovely view was out our window.

We arrived in the rain. The snow fell overnight and draped the golf course. The clouds floated up river.

Little Changes

My oldest daughter gave me this quotation. She's been trying to fit exercise into her daily routine so that it becomes easy to do — a no brainer. She lives in a cold and icy place where it's not easy to get out for a walk. But walking around her apartment complex seemed like something she could do most of the time.

So I challenged her to just go out for a few minutes every morning, walking around the apartments. After a day or two, she decided to do two or three easy laps.

The third day, she noticed that there was an awful lot of trash on her walk. So she popped into her apartment, grabbed a trash bag, and on the next lap, she just picked up trash as she went along and dropped it in the trash can before heading back inside.

She wrote to me:

I was just SO TIRED of seeing all the garbage. So, I helped out our community and I helped out the earth by not procrastinating and just DOING IT. I kept reminding myself, I didn't need to get EVERYTHING. ANYTHING was better than nothing.

:: Proud Mommy Look ::

Day 518: Happy New Year

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section, Party Animals

Oh, yeah, Baby!

Dale and I really whooped it up on New Year's Eve. Can you tell?

I particularly like the bit o' confetti sticking to my sweater.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

The Still Small Voice

Those inner urges whisper to me ... lead me on to ... where?

Unknown.

Yet I listen to the still small voice. I write. I stitch. I sew. I sing. I capture images and share them. I care for my family and my home. I try to remember to pay it forward. I long for these things.

I'm 50 years old ... and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I know what I don't want to be.

I am learning who I am.

Sunday Secrets: Jan 13, 2008

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. I find it to be an amazing sociological experiment. Here's the one secret from today that resonates with me:

This is exactly how I felt after George W. Bush was elected president for the 2nd time. My stomach dropped to my knees. I set my jaw. I held my breath, and let it out v-e-r-y slowly. Then I bowed my head and shook it.

Come ON people! WHAT are you thinking?!

Now we're in a new presidential election cycle. Being married to a political scientist has its merits. My wonderful husband is not only politically savvy, but he is an excellent teacher and a great person to spar with verbally. We enjoy the whole thing.

Last week's primary in New Hampshire brought out the best in me. After being so full of chagrin for so long, it was great to go to sleep with a heart full of hope. I want a leader with a positive vision. I want to listen to a president who is a gifted orator. I want to follow a centrist leader.

We liberal souls are being offered the stirrings of hope. It's been a long time coming.

Possibly ...

I'm having a hard time believing this tonight.

As I write, one of my friendships has reached a critical juncture. How to hold my ground and not lose the friend at the same time? How to have faith that easing away from this friendship will be the thing that saves it? Or how to believe I'll be OK even if the connection with my friend melts away?

How to have faith that taking the high road is the right road to take ... when right now I'm bruised and want to throw rocks?

I'm having a hard time seeing the possibilities tonight. That's unusual for me. One of my self-proclaimed titles is "A Purveyor of Possibilities."

Tonight, my faith that 'good will out' of this situation is shaky.

Day 517: Frost 'n Rust

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section, You've Got Mail

This is the 3rd image I captured on that frosty morning last month. I love the texture of the rust on metal, the frost on rust.

The way the frost sticks straight up off the metal is the same way the hairs in my nose felt in the dry, crispy air.

Day 516: Shivering in the Park

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section, Frosty Morning [2]

The 2nd in my series taken on the frosty morning last month.

The sunlight was just cresting the hill behind these trees. The frost would last only another 15 min. on the branches.

The grass crackled under my feet.

If at First You Don't Succeed ...

... try, try again.

And consider adding in some elbow grease.

Sometimes grunting helps, too. . . . ;)

---

Oh! Speaking of trying ...

I'd hit a plateau with the weight loss thing over the Holidays, but the plateau is over. When Dale and I went to see Jenny today, I'd lost some more poundage. I'm now ready for another 5lb loss weight treat. Not sure quite how I'll treat myself this time.

There's a cool online program I've been eyeballing. Might do that. Or maybe it's time to be a redhead. Whaddya think?

But my loss was minuscule when looked at side-by-side with Dale. He dropped TEN POUNDS this week! Yowsa! . . . . . =:O

I About Split a Gut!

I saw this on YouTube and laughed so hard my chest ached!

This reminds me of my daughter Julie's cat, Rolly!

Happy Dance: Snowtunes Ornaments

Better late than never?

I did manage to finish these before the end of 2007 and send them off to my daughter.

Stitched on perforated plastic, these are extremely easy to finish.

You can see all the bibliographical info in my Stitcher's Studio.

Day 515: Berry Cold

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section, Frosty Morning [1]

I've been away from posting my photos for so long that I'm feeling a bit rusty! That was one heckuva detour on my Creative Journey, lasting over a month and a half.

I'm still not sure I'll get around to posting a photo each day, but I'll give it a valiant effort. I was considering adding a bunch at once to "catch up" ... but why? I'll just pick up where I left off.

I actually took this photo in December 2007 on a cold and frosty morning. I have a few nice shots to share from that day.

It's up to you

Easier said than done ... so fake it 'til you make it ... Act as if ...
If you can, you'll be a shining example to those around you.

Road to Success

This is one my husband lives by. It scares me. I'm trying to get comfortable trying things with only a 25% failure rate.

Weird thing is, I admire my husband for all his attempts because he ends up with so many successes. I want to watch that, learn from that, then emulate that.

Teach Me, oh god of Experience!

Yeah, well. I've had my fair share of that bad stuff.

Perhaps, today, my experience will lead me to good judgment. I want more of that.

Keep It Moving

One of the biggest challenges I face as I get my brain chemistry back to sound levels is my problem with patience. I want to see results now! I work hard to make the needed changes, and get frustrated that I'm not better and stronger, faster.

(Traces of The Six Million Dollar Man here). :: snicker ::

My husband and counselor both remind me to slow down, to be happy to see progress, and to celebrate my small triumphs. They do!

When in doubt ...

When in doubt, don't.

Just sit tight, don't make a move, wait until that course becomes clear.

At the same time, don't be afraid to take a first step just because you can't see the whole picture if you know that the first step is a reasonable step.

Seems like a balancing act to me.

Sunday Secrets: Jan 06, 2008

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. I find it to be an amazing sociological experiment. Here are today's secrets that resonate with me:

Uh ... yeah. That's how I felt when I was married to my first husband. I never was part of that so-called family. Occasionally, it's how I feel some of my current in-laws see me, too.

Me too. Frank gets secrets every day. We fans have to wait. Hard for us impatient types.
:)