The Parents are coming! The Parents are coming!

My parents arrive today and I'm happily anticipating their arrival. It's their annual trip for what I refer to as Senior Spring Break. Since their house in on the market and their future plans are to move here, this may be my last year hosting them for a month. I think we all hope this will be their last "visit" before becoming residents in town.

I am surprisingly calm this year. Normally, I wrap myself up in a flurry of home improvements, spring cleaning and meal preparations that keep me up until the wee hours of the morning just before their flight lands. Working 2 jobs (I was hired on as permanent part time after my seasonal sales associate stint from November to January at Macy's) has left me little time to keep up with my own laundry, let alone multiple "to do" list projects - so perhaps that is the key, not having enough time to think about what you'd like to do before company arrives.

I did carve out some time to pot a few pansies and 2 small rosemary plants with pretty pale blue flowers in my garden, to give my patio a touch of spring color. If the unseasonal rain finally stops, they should be able to enjoy the normally dry and sunny outdoors expected in the Arizona desert.

Growing up, we lived close to our grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins. We saw them often and you simply learn to take seeing family for granted. That is, until you move. Having made the move 6 years ago from a life centered in the Eastern United States, moving to Arizona is like another world. The climate is so different, there is no ocean, and for me - no immediate family. Telephone calls and e-mails help to keep me in touch with family members, but is not the same as seeing them more than once a year. So, I am looking forward to the time when my parents are just around the corner and spending time with them on a Saturday, or popping in for a free home-cooked meal (yes, Mom, that's what I'm most looking forward to!) after work is an experience I cannot wait to enjoy.

So, here's to the parents! May this truly be their last visit as out of towners.

Celebrating Sisters

My sister's birthday is right after the New Year - January 2nd to be precise. Finding the right gift for my sister isn't easy. But this year, I think I hit a home run. My sister is specific about her wants and needs. I searched for a suitable gift for her tastes and my wallet and this year, from the feedback I received from my sister, I think I find the perfect combination.

Of my sisters many traits and talents, she is an avid reader and writer. While shopping on http://www.theliteracysite.com/ store, under the Gifts That Give More section, I found I could make a donation that would send 2 girls to school in Afghanistan for a Year. The ad mentioned the Central Asia Institute, a non-profit organization supporting community-based education program in Central Asia. Wanting more information, I went online to http://www.ikat.org/ to learn more. It was during that process, I learned about Greg Mortenson, the CAI, and a book entitled, Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace, One School At A Time. Satisfied that this was a cause my sister would most certainly support, I made a donation in her name and purchased a copy of the book, which I had shipped to her house.

I was thrilled to hear from my sister when the book arrived. Apparently, the book was already on her "to read" list. I was more excited to learn how touched she was learning about the donation to send the 2 girls to school. As we chatted back and forth online, she wrote to me exactly what I was thinking - we both hope the two girls they send to school with our donation are sisters.

Happy Birthday, Sis!

Farmville Is Taking Over My Life

A few months ago, I reconnected with a college friend through Facebook. I rarely accessed the site, that is until this college friend suggested I join in on this virtual farming game. In just a few short weeks, I now sign on twice daily to visit my Farm, harvest crops, tend to the animals and visit my Farmville neighbors to help out on their farms!

I turn on my laptop before I leave for my morning walk, so I can tend to my farm before work... even my neighbor has gotten into the act, spending a few extra minutes after our walk tending to my farm. My return home after work follows a similar routine. You couldn't PAY me to work this hard on a real farm, but virtual farming takes a few minutes a day and the payoff - rewards and farmville cash to be spent on acquiring more stuff for your farm keeps you coming back for more...

As if Farmville wasn't bad enough - another friend who became a neighbor on Farmville coerced me to try my hand at Cafe World, also through Facebook. I've yet to get the hang of it (in fact, my first "medal" was for ruining several consecutive meals as the cook at my restaurant), but I've managed to do well enough to add a 2nd helper and feed a few customers.

I'm not sure how long it will be before I decided to close the cafe or abandon the farm - but for now, I'm happy to spend a few minutes each day in a place that reminds me being a good neighbor, taking care of the environment and taking pride in my work comes with countless rewards in this life! See you 'round, neighbor.

Gummi Vitamin Fan!

I don't know who created the first vitamin in "gummi" form, but let me tell you - I am their biggest fan. I've struggled with taking any supplements and medications in pill form for my entire life. I've never consistently taken a multi-vitamin, until now. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my gummi vitamins.

New Year's Resolutions

Okay. I'm not a fan of making New Year's resolutions that never seem to take hold - but I have renewed my commitment to continue to work towards meeting and achieving goals I set for myself during the past year.

First on that list is commitment to my health and well-being. For me, this means getting serious about losing some weight by making the following life changes: replacing bad food habits with good ones, exercising more - adding some strength training and increasing overall daily acitivity and learning to control emotions so they do not derail any progress I make.

Another resolve is to finish the much-dreaded office organization project (which has been on hiatus for months) and re-tackle those areas at home where my prior efforts have not been mainained. I do believe conquering the clutter at home will go a long way to helping reduce the stressful feelings and free my focus to healther pursuits (like number my number 1 goal above).
Wish me luck in my endeavors!

Saying Goodbye to 2009

This may be my final post for 2009 and that is a welcoming thought for me. I am ready to put this year to bed and look forward to better things to come in 2010.

2009 started out with a bang - literally. It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since that fateful day when my friend and neighbor chose to end his life. While it's become easier to talk about Eric's decision to leave this world, losing your will to live is something I do not believe I will ever comprehend. I am no longer filled with the anger I initially felt afer his suicide and find it easier to recall happier times associated with Eric. I can only hope Eric found the peace he felt eluded him while living.

A year living in tough economical times has helped me focus more on what truly matters to me. I've spent time letting go of emotional and physical clutter from my life, reconnecting with friends I'd lost contact with over the years, and committing to making "me" - my health and welfare - a top priority in my own life.

I'm learning to set goals and create action plans to acheive my goals, not just wishing things were different. I'm still a work in progress, but find it easier to get back on track when I waiver from the healther life habits I've adopted through the past year. I have made a promise to myself - to continue on my path to becoming the best I can be in 2010 and look forward to sharing my experiences along with way with you.

All the best in the coming year!

Tis The Season For Exhaustion

It's December 1, 2009. WOW. I spent some time on my lunch hour yesterday designing my holiday greeting cards and have just fine-tuned the layout. This year, I'll be addressing envelopes to former classmates for the first time in 30 years, thanks to recent reuinion activities and the Class website. It just felt more personal to be sending a card I've created and not one off the shelves this year. It'll probably take me right up until Christmas to actually assemble and mail, but I think it's worth my effort.

I'm only partially through my holiday gift buying and sticking to a pretty strict budget. It's challenging to find meaningful gifts that have a use or a purpose every year. I've turned to more creative gift-giving the past few years, like making charitable donations in honor of a friend or family member.

This holiday season, I am grateful to have my health, a job, a roof over my head, food in the pantry, and the ability to truly appreciate that in these difficult economic times, they are the gifts in life that truly matter. I've found donating household items has been a great way to simplify my own life - shedding the weight of excess -and hopefully helping someone who has been less fortunate this year.

As 2009 winds down, I realize how blessed I am to have a life filled with loving family & friends and I look forward with hope in my heart for a wonderful 2010.