Mother Theresa gave Freely!

   How much is to much?   How much time and energy do you put into a giving of yourself?.  Do you run yourself ragged and give your family the leftovers?  What lines do you draw to make sure your life is balanced?  I find that I have no problem saying no and meaning it.  But sometimes I get myself in situations where I want to do for someone and then they take advantage(in my opinion).   Then I'm upset because they took advantage-But did they "take" advantage or did I give it away.  My self inflicted Catholic guilt kicks in and I feel guilty for being upset at the person and when I offer to help it should not come with strings attached.  I'm a dog chasing my tail.  How do I let go of the hurt of being taken advantage of and just give freely?  I'm not certain that there is a pat answer to such a complex feeling.
    I imagine Mother Theresa never felt frustrated giving 100% to the orphans and nuns.  Is this because she didn't have children and a husband she was taking time from?  This might be another reason I feel guilty...I give to others at whose expense?  Do I give 100% to my family?  Or do I, on a regular basis, give away my best self to others?
    In reading what I am writing I see the decisions I make directly effect my domino's(those who I directly impact and bring down with me when I fall).  How can I change my actions so I don't negatively impact those around me?  More importantly, what can I do or change in myself that when I do give my time and energy it's a positive impact on those around me?  I think I have a list to guide me and possibly change how I view the giving of myself.

1. does it take away from my domino's? 
2. Can my domino's be involved and make a difference?
3. do i love what I am doing, does it make a difference, it is important?  
4. can I fit it into my schedule without causing stress or conflict?
5. Am I the best version of myself when doing this?

How'd that Gratitude work out for you?

   Haha.   I'm not sure I made it past the first month of my Gratitude year.  Lets be honest....I get caught up in day to day tasks and schedules and gratitude focus took a back seat.  I am thankful every day, for what the good Lord has given me, but to put a focus on something singular in this house..it's not gonna happen.  
    I did start 2014 off with a memory jar.  I picked up a large jar at TJMaxx and set index cards by it.  We've added several so far but like anything lets see if we keep it up.   My ADD kicks in and I walk away and never look back from so many projects.  I need to focus on today and one thing at a time.  So today, just today, I'm writing in my blog.  Lets see if tomorrow I can add a little something something to it as well.

   I'm working on cleaning out the cesspool we call a refrigerator, washing bedding, and cleaning bathrooms.  Being a stay at home Mom has yet to be all I thought it would be.  The part I love is no schedule but it's also my down fall.  The dogs are happy to have me here and for today I'll appreciate that!
 Speaking of thankful-I am thankful for my baby boy...the one who dreams of being an actor and can rock that tutu and wig like no one else!

Gratitude 2013

GRATITUDE 

2013

    Seeing so many people wisely pick a "word" of the year to focus on inspired me to choose my own. I have chosen gratitude.  I get so busy in my days that I don't appreciate all that I have and focus on the small things instead of the big picture.  Each day I will try to "blog" what I am thankful for.  

    I am thankful for my Faith...Sunday's are a time to recharge my faith tank and to refocus for the week.  I am grateful for finding my way to the Church and my husband for keeping me on that path.  Not growing up in a church, sometimes I just want to lay around and do nothing on Sunday and Prince Charming will get up and get ready for church as if to say lets get going.  

    I am grateful for my children and today as #1 son goes back to college I really am appreciative of the time we had at home together.   

    I found this article and it is says quite a bit about Gratitude.  Till tomorrow~

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201111/the-seven-best-gratitude-quotes

I thought yoga looked easy

For years I wanted to try yoga. It looked relatively easy and I'm not in awful shape. I try to walk 3-4 miles no less than 3 days a week. A friend of mine asked me to join her at yoga and I acquiesced. It seemed harmless and stretching as exercise is my kind of exertion. Anyone with any experience with yoga is now laughing and quite possibly has tears running down their face. I get to my yoga experience with the token yoga garb-Yoga pants, fitted longer shirt, and feet scrubbed and ready for exposure. I even went out and bought myself a cute yoga mat to finish off the gear list. I throw down my mat, check out the people around me to see who I was up against, and sit there and wait. The instructor shows up and starts handing out blocks and straps and puts on zen music to get us in the mood for the upcoming "stretching" we will be doing. As class starts we begin with stretching and I actually believe that this will be a piece of cake. Down-ward dog not bad....then she has us planking, lowering into cobra something, and all kinds of new terms I'm not familiar with. As my arms shake, my abs scream, and my ankles wonder where I am, I soon realize that Yoga is NOT easy. Far from it! The lady next to me and her retired husband are going through the positions as I retire to child's pose to catch my breath and re-evaluate the situation. I know I am in over my head and don't want to be a quivering pile of jello at the end of class. I was attempting to do every pose like I'd been doing yoga for years...I needed to slow down and not compete with my fellow yogis. The day after my first class my shoulders hurt, my abs, my very tiny biceps, and muscles in my back that I'm pretty sure I never knew existed. I now have a dozen classes under my belt and feel stronger each time I go. I'm glad I began this journey and never would have thought yoga was the work out that it is.

What I have learned about my front load washing machine..

I was one of those people that drooled over the front load washers and dryers...in my mind I thought they must be much better than top loaders...they were prettier, sleeker, everything about them was superior. Wow and use less water I could be eco friendly too! 15 pairs of jeans in a load..amazing! If only I had a set I would elevate my position in life!!
When we came back from Okinawa they were my dream item! So, my Prince Charming took his hard earned money and bought me a set-I was in awe of the items...the price was crazy and to add the pedestals with the fancy drawers was another $200 per item! But I wasn't focused on the price...I NEEDED the drawers! I was out of my mind with glee(ahh yeah..that's it)!
He brought them home and I loved them, told everyone about how wonderful they were, stuffed odd socks in the drawer, and junk in the other. I was in washing machine heaven! It was a happy marriage - Now, if you do as much laundry as I do a week it is a big deal to have a great set. Especially a set with a huge capacity. The front loader we purchased(I use *we* lightly...I lamented over internet pictures, Tracy went and bought) It washed 15 pairs of adult jeans in one load, towels galore, it almost washed clothes all by itself.
Slowly, the reality set in...Factoid #1: those fancy, expensive drawers...well..not so useful when your laundry room is the size of a closet...you never see what's inside them as the clothes basket in front of the machine keeps me from ever opening them! What they are truly useful for is giving your washer and dryer the height they need so you don't have to bend over and kill your back every time you do laundry..a little something you don't realize until you get them home if you don't buy the drawers..notice in all stores those babies are all on drawers! Also, speaking of height...with the drawers they are VERY tall..some people can't fit them due to this fact. catch 22
Factoid #2: Something at first you don't know about is the smell...Because they are airtight if you don't switch your laundry after you wash and you leave it over night there is an odor that you can't quite place...and getting it out of your clothes takes about 1 cup of vinegar and a rewash! Note to self...leave door open if you plan on leaving clothes longer than a couple hours. **a side note-they now sell all kinds of "stuff" to get the odor of your washing machine...a true tell tale sign that this is a huge problem!
Factoid #3: NEVER-EVER-EVER wash more than a couple of pairs of jeans at a time and always include other items..The jean-leg-untangle dance is not fun! And the wrinkles from that mess are NOT coming out in the dryer. Lets just say that it's not a good idea
Factoid #4: If you put a pair of folded socks in the washer when you switch them to the dryer they are still folded...Which leads me to this question...are our clothes even getting clean??? I wash and iron church linens every once and a while...and if I don't unfold them all some will come out still folded...How the heck can that be? Is ANYTHING getting clean in that stinky front loader?
Factoid #5: The dryer rocks...but then all dryers are front loaders! I will say with my dryer on a pedestal I don't have to bend over to pull out my clothes so this is a HUGE benefit on that end!
Recently I was at the store drooling over the top loaders...I wonder what the life expectancy of the front loader is....

Pioneer Woman Book Signing

Met my blog hero yesterday...Ree Drummond- The Pioneer Woman! We waited 4 hours for her to sign 7 cookbooks at Borders in Fairfax, VA. My friend Giap and I had fun waiting in line chatting with other groupies, entertaining in and of itself. We arrived at about 5:50 pm and left at 10:00 pm. An experience I will never forget and I recommend doing at least once.

Thanks Ree for being such a good sport...well, you did make a killing last night! Borders sold out of your cookbook;)

Prince Charming is a stock character who appears in a number of fairy tales. He is the prince who comes to rescue of the damsel in distress, and stereotypically, must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell. The name has been given to the heroes of a number of traditional folk tales, including Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella.

These characters are often handsome and romantic, a foil to the heroine, and are seldom deeply characterized, or even distinguishable from other such men who marry the heroine. Prince Charming is also the name given to a handsome man of great attractiveness.

In many variants, they can be viewed more as rewards for the heroine rather than characters.^[1]

"Prince Charming" is also used as a term to refer to the idealized man some women dream of as a future significant spouse^[2]. from: wikepedia