Heartfelt Award

I want to say a great big thank you to Lee Smith over at Butterfly Blessings blog for bestowing upon me the Heartfelt Award.  I am so honored by such a gift!  I am truly humbled.  Check out Lee's blog at http://leesmithwriting.blogspot.com/ .  Please forgive me, Lee, for being tardy in getting my thank you posted. 

Heartfelt Award

Do you reach for a cup of cocoa or tea when you're relaxing, seeking comfort, or sharing a plate of cookies
with family and friends? You know the feeling you get when you drink a yummy cup of cocoa, tea, or a hot toddy? That is what the Heartfelt Award is all about...feeling warm inside.

I am still rather new yet to blogging.  I'm sure there's some great heartwarming blogs out there that I've yet to discover or those I have and have simply forgotten to mention.  So many of you have warmed my heart in so many beautiful ways.  I sincerely thank you and am grateful for the blessings.

 The Rules for the Heartfelt Award are:
1) Put the logo on your blog/post.
2) Nominate up to 9 blogs which make you feel comfy or warm inside.
3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4) Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog.
5) Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

I am nominating:

1.  Ralene Burke over at http://calltolove.blogspot.com/  
Ralene, you always have such a meaninful message that touches us or makes us think.  Very heartwarming!

2.  Stephanie Morrill over at http://stephaniemorrillbooks.com/
Stephanie, you're just as sweet as you are cute.  I love your sense of humor, how you laugh so easily,  and how you tell it like it is.   I enjoy your website/blog very much.  It warms my heart! 

3.  Delia Laltham.  You'll find her at http://delialatham.net/
Delia, you've got to be one of the sweetest people I've ever e-met.  =)  You're always so helpful and kind and when you look at your picture -- I can tell you give great hugs.  Big e-hug to you,sister!

4.  Judith Miller.  You'll find Judy at http://www.judithmccoymiller.com/ and http://writespassage.blogspot.com/.  Judy, your love for the Lord shines through in everything you do and say.  I am honored and blessed to be your friend.   You and the other authors over at Writes of Passage always touch my heart or brighten my day.  You all definitely fall into the heartfelt category.  I love that you all make me laugh too!

5.  Kathleen L. Maher.  You'll find Kathleen at http://kathleenlmaher.blogspot.com/.  Kathy, saying I appreciate your kindness, friendship, and critiques is an understatement.  You are an amazing woman and writer.  Heartfelt category all the way!

6. Keli Gwyn.  You'll find Keli at three different sites.  http://www.keligwyn.com/, http://keligwyn.blogspot.com/,
http://romancewritersonthejourney.wordpress.com/
Keli, the way you reach out to others and share your heart is amazing.  You're so giving, thoughtful, kind, and helpful to everyone.  The way you've blessed me in my writing journey is hard to put to words -- and I'm supposed to be a writer!  =)  Although it seems hardly adequate, I sincerely thank you! 

7.  Renee Lynn Scott.   You'll find Renee at http://reneelynnscott.blogspot.com/.  Renee, your friendship and encouragement mean SO much to me.  I cannot EVER thank you enough for all you continue to do for me.  Your prayers are much appreciated.  One of the many things I love about you, sister, is that you ALWAYS tell me exactly what you're thinking.  Thank you.  Your friendship is heartfelt! 

Thanks again, Lee, for this wonderful honor!  Please check out her blog and all the others in my nomination list above.  You will find you will be left with warm and fuzzy feelings after visiting them all. 

Blessings,
Susie

A Love-Hate Relationship

No, I'm not talking about a love-hate relationship in a romance novel.  I'm referring to me and my treadmill!    We can indeed benefit or learn a lot when exposed to things over time, but I've discovered that the whole osmosis thing doesn't really apply with exercise equipment.  Bummer!  You actually have to get on it.  And not even that's enough -- you have to turn it on and move!  Okay, so everyone KNOWS that, but I hope I'm not the only one who has trouble getting motivated to actually do it.  (Please?  Someone tell me it "ain't" so -- I'm not the only one, am I?) 

But I'm trying to turn over a new leaf.  I've heard several different theories on how many days it takes to form a new habit.  Anywhere from 21-30 days.  I'm not sure how long it will take me, but my goal is to be EXCITED about getting on my treadmill and going to the gym.  So, I'm trying to get on the treadmill at least 6 days a week.  We go to the YMCA 3 days a week as well, but I want to get the extra cardio in.

 I do have a confession about the YMCA however. On occasion, I do miss when I have to take my dd to an activity that falls on a gym night.  And for the last year or so, up until VERY recently, I had a really bad attitude about going to the gym. For a week or so, I had a valid reason as I'd hurt my ankle/foot.  But before that -- it was pretty much, if I didn't feel like going, I didn't.  It was very hit and miss.    Now with my dh, it is an entirely different matter.  He's very diligent about his daily exercise and RARELY misses -- like when the gym is closed.   Okay, there's been a couple of emergencies or an important event and he's skipped. But 9 times out of ten, he makes it up on another day.   He even walks every day on his lunch hour.  It has to be weather that prohibits walking before he misses.  I admire him for that; I want to have that attitude --  because sometimes, it used to irritate me.  =)  Misery loves company or something like that.   

So anyhow, I'm starting a new relationship with my treadmill.  I'm going to cure it's loneliness and visit it -- in person.  I'm going to be a good person about it too.  I'm not going to dwell on the fact that even though I give it a lot more than it gives me back (in burned calories), I'm not going to be bitter about it.  Really, I'm not.   Never mind that I gave it 30 minutes of hard work this morning and it only responded with 163 calories burned!  I'm not saying it's selfish, I'm just saying -- a little more calories burned on the little display window would have been nice.  But. I'm going to trust that as this relationship grows I will be able to give more and hope that it will give me more in return also.   I'd really like to become friends with my treadmill, but I suppose the dirty looks I've given it on ocassion as it called out to me and I completely ignored it didn't help us to bond. That wasn't nice of me.

Anything worth doing is worth doing well. So, I embark upon building a new and wonderful relationship with my treadmill.  I no longer want a love-hate relationship, but a genuine fondness and respect for what I will gain by the mutual participation of our friendship.  Pray for me, dear blogger friends, there's bound to be times when it might prove difficult.  As nice as my treadmill is, it can be a little intimidating.   =) 

Graceful? Not me!

Multi-tasking.  Women are supposed to be good at that.  I've always heard that women are like a river -- always moving, dealing with or at least "thinking about" several things at once.  I've always been pretty good at that....or at least I used to be......or so I've always thought.  As I age, perhaps I need to think again.    

Although, thinking too intensely on a matter has, on ocassion, gotten me into trouble. Aging is a funny process.  You subtly begin to notice changes in your body and the way it works sometimes.  For example, when you could do a task repetitively for hours on end in the days of your youth and have no pains or repercussions from it; now it seems, although not painful at the time of the task, the next day you find pains in muscles that you didn't even know you had.  And when taking off at a dead run to hurry seemed like a good idea at the time -- after about 5 or six steps into it, you wonder what possibly possessed you to come up that less-than-brillant idea.  The body parts didn't function the way the brain told you they would. 

Which brings me to the realization that the way we think must change as well.   I remember thinking it was hilariously funny when my mom looked frantically for her purse while wearing it on her arm the entire time.  Ahem!  Yes, well, it wasn't nearly as funny to me when I searched in a near frenzy for my glasses when they were on my face. I was either completely ferdoodled or I needed my eyes checked. 

Case in point.   I have a bit of a routine each weekday morning and accomplish those particular tasks automatically. I sleepily  move through them mechanically.  And if this morning is any indication, apparently without full attention or comprehension. And I have to say that the whole theory of doing the same thing so many times that you could almost do it in your sleep does not apply to me -- at least not this morning.

I told myself last night when I went to bed that I was going to get back on schedule and get up at 5:30 a.m.  Another oddity about me is that if I say or even think to myself, "I'm going to get up at 5:30 a.m.", that proably at least 95% of the time, I wake up at that time or even as much as 5 minutes before that time.  This morning I woke up, rolled over, looked at my alarm clock.  UGH!  5:28 a.m.  Well, I might as well get up.

 I went downstairs, checked the laundry, started packing my dear hubby's lunch and fixed his breakfast.  I think all is going well.  I look around.  Lunch is packed -- check.  Breakfast is done -- check.  The thermos is sitting by the coffee pot as it gurgles, spits, and brews his coffee for his thermos.  Ch--  Screech!  What?  That is some really weak coffee.  Oh man!  I forgot to put coffee grounds in the basket.  Do over on the coffee!  

Hubby had to, of course, pick on me about it.  You have to watch out for the quiet ones.  They're WAY more onery than people think. But I have to say, he's been a really good sport about a lot of my "stunts" over the years.  One time, he ate a bread sandwich -- I forgot the lunchmeat.  Another time, he had a high protein lunch as I put the lunchmeat in his lunch box -- without the bread!  How on earth could I have done that, you ask?  Well, it was at a time where he liked some little single-serve lunchmeat packages I'd found and he told me to just toss the package in there and put the bread in a container or baggie and he'd assemble the sandwich.  Wasn't that nice of him?  Had he not been so nice, I might have made better sandwiches for him. 
He's eaten yogurt with a fork before.  He's scavenged up an eating utensil at work to eat pudding because I forgot the spoon.   And he almost got hot water with a hint of sugar for his coffee at work today.  But he loves me and I am so grateful for a man that loves a woman with a sense of humor and that he has one so that he can put up with me. 

Growing up, I was always the one at the dinner table to knock over my water glass.  I'm telling you, dinner wasn't dinner if I didn't spill something.  My parents told me numerous times that they should have named me Grace.  Tongue -in-cheek, of course.

I have always hoped that I will age gracefully; because if I do, it'll be the first "graceful" thing I've done in my entire life.  Don't get me wrong -- like all of you, I"ve done some pretty wonderful things in my life with the help and grace of God.  Marrying my wonderful husband and having my beautiful daughter come to mind.  I'm just saying --- being "physically" graceful isn't one of those things.

And the Winner of A MAN OF HIS WORD is ....

.....Renee Lynn Scott!  My dd was the "official" who pulled the name out of the hat.  I hope you enjoy the book, Renee.  E-mail me privately to give me your snail mail address so your book can be on its way very soon.   Happy Reading! 

I'll be having another give-away soon.  Keep checking back!

I do apologize for not posting much lately.  It's been a busy last 3 weeks and time has just gotten away from me.  

Have a great day!