One Little Word for 2014

As I lay here on the couch for the second night in a row, watching a marathon of Downton Abbey, I'm full of contentment. So peaceful in my little house, quiet, the Christmas tree lit up, the show on... Snuggled up on the love seat. It's just happiness.

Earlier today we celebrated my Mom's birthday all together at Cracker Barrel. Dad, Mom, Clay, Angela, Katie, Roger, the two sweet nieces and me. The full house, all of the crew! Loved it. So thankful for those moments we are all together. 

Sweet niece #2 knocked out on the way home. She was jut too precious. Adore both of my nieces and their personalities. :). 

Today is Day One of a new year, which means I should have already talked about my One Word for 2014. Maybe I did mention it in a previous post. Regardless, my word is Appreciation. I'm starting over with the first word I chose, the only one I was successful in applying to life. 

I am looking at it a bit differently this go round. Instead of showing appreciation to others, I'm more interested in appreciating my life. My blessings. My God in heaven above who is always here for me. It's so easy to see all the negative, the stressors, those bad things. They take over the joy of life and make me lose focus on all I have to be thankful for every single day. 

Like having my family together at brunch for Mom's birthday celebration!! Quiet nights, peaceful evenings, warm Christmas lights. 

Will you be picking one word this year? Other resolutions?? Fill me in!  And any suggestions on how to enjoy hot tea? I want to "Do theDownton" Sunday night for the return of Season Four. So far, I hate it!  Help!!

Simplify. My One Little Word for 2013.

Love this bracelet... check it out here!

As I mentioned in my Friday's Letter post earlier today, I'm choosing one word to apply to my life for 2013.  This is the third year I've done it and I LOVE this concept.

A bit of history,  I chose "Appreciation" in 2011 and this really impacted my life. I began a Thankful Journal, that I still keep up-to-date today. I showed friends and strangers alike that I valued them and appreciated them through small acts - a smile, a positive comment, a note. I really loved this word and what it did for me.

In 2012, I wanted to choose "Create" but felt I wouldn't have time to apply this in a very busy year. So I chose "Breathe," which I didn't do at all.  2012 was a rough one. And yet, I should have stuck with "Create" because I started my online Etsy store in the midst of the craziness!

This year, I feel really good about my word.  Simplify.  This has been lying heavily on me - the excess and waste, the drama and out-of-whack priorities. I'm disappointed in where my life is and where we are as a society. I can't change but one of those - so it starts with me.  :)  I'm already wanting to clean out my house, have a huge yard sale and find something positive to do with the money raised. I'm tired of buying buying buying all this crap that is so disposable. I want quality, necessary, long-lasting things that are what I NEED, not just what I want.

Simplify, my friends. Focus on the people I love and the time I have with them today. Focus on my needs, my health, my talents and hobbies.  Pray. Lots of praying and asking God to show me what this one little word can do for my life.  I'm ready to push back from materialism and open my heart to things money can't buy.

So this is my one little word for 2013.  If you get into this, I hope you'll share yours and the reason behind it. I love hearing things like that. :)  And hopefully you'll keep me accountable on how my word is going!

Breathe. And again.



Get your reminder here

Sometimes it's hard to remember to breathe. Yes, it should come naturally, but in the whirlwind of life, breathing doesn't always happen without a reminder (or so it seems).

It's been a bit like that in our family.  We've seen some bumpy roads this last few months. Nothing too tragic but enough to make you want a hug and a little time to sit down for a second and process.  I think that's what breathing is about - taking a moment to process.

I'm reminded of the Bible versus, "Be still and know that I am God."  Psalm 46:10  Honestly, how can we give our attention to God, listen to Him or see Him, when we are running 90 miles a minute with no letting up?  Even in the midst of the storms, shouldn't we take a breathe and look to the Lord? This simple word, "Breathe," is so much harder than it seems!

I know this is a problem of mine. I feel like I must occupy every moment of my life, from first waiting up and checking text messages, Facebook and Twitter, until the time I go to bed with phone in hand, checking text messages, Facebook and Twitter. Occasionally I will take a moment to write in my Thankful journal (which I adore doing!) and other times I just crash with no distractions whatsoever. My body just can't take anymore and I sleep.

So, I think this is my word for this year. To stop and breathe, and talk to God. I had chosen positive, but for some reason I just wasn't fitting right. But Breathe feels good. It feels like I'm heading the in right direction. It fits just right. :)

Wowzers, what an ending.

I was reading Susan Branch's blog where she talks about how she LOVES the week between Christmas and New Year's because there is nothing to do but relax and enjoy.

WHATEVER.

It has been a full-blown madhouse in my office.  The stress level is rocketing off the rafters, added to an attempt to create decorations for my mom's 60th birthday party.  Which is my own fault because I have the grand ideas and high expectations, only to fall short and become disappointed in myself. (insert your own image of a sad face here).

I do have pictures of Christmas. I promise, I do. I haven't seen them myself, but they will arrive and I will torture you with them shortly.

I did have a wonderful Christmas, starting with a huge family breakfast that rolled right into piles of presents and lots of laughter and paper ball fights. This was followed by some rest before starting all over when AH arrived at the house. (insert the biggest happy-face smile you can think of here)!

As for New Year's, we'll be celebrating my Mom.  An amazing wonderful woman who still has "it."  She is so pretty, so funny, creative, and a great mom-figure. Most people I know learn to appreciate the mom-ness of my mother.  Not a frumpy mom-ness, but a person who remembers to send cards, to say thank you, to let you know she's thinking of you ... a supportive mom. :)

Anyway, I will provide you with more entertainment in 2012, I hope.  I haven't tired of this yet. Just need to wrangle life back into order so I can come back here and enjoy your company some more. If I don't post before Saturday - ya'll have a GREAT NEW YEAR and I'll see you in 2012!

Progress Report

My Thankful Journal, with pen attached for easy writing!

I'm updating myself, more than anything, on how I'm keeping up with the goals and life additions I had made at the beginning of the year.  One of the most important, I believe, being appreciative or thankful.

I wanted to keep an active Thankful Journal this year, as opposed to last year when I may have written 12 entries all year. So how am I doing this year?

• January: 10
• February: 4 (bad Bethie)
• March (so far): 7

I'm noticing I'm wanting to write more than just one page, they are becoming longer with more details. Maybe that's a good thing? Regardless, it is AMAZING to look back at the prayers that have been answered and at all the blessings I've received this year alone. Awesome stuff.

One of the other things I rated of high importance was to take more pictures of life. Enjoy looking through the lens and finding the beauty around me. I think I've taken the time to stop and take pictures of the roses, so to speak. I'm looking forward to heading back out - maybe this weekend - and snapping some more pics of the life in bloom all around me.

So, I'm not doing perfect, but I am improving. And by taking a moment to review where I am in the life additions I believe I'll continue to improve. :) 

Weekend Wants.

Yes, happy campers, the Bethie is a little tired after last night's events.  So instead of wasting my energy thinking, I have used it productively to come up with ideas of things I want. :)  I figure you'd want to see my "Weekend Wants" each weekend. I'm just kicking this one off a little early.

This weekend, I'd like to present... ADDRESS STAMPS! I love these things and I will get one eventually.  I visited ETSY, because Esty ROCKS, and found these examples, all of which will take you to their online store. 

 

Aren't these just COOL! I'm a letter writing freak, so I'd use the hound out of it.  I will own one, just wait and see!  Maybe I'm thinking of stamps so much because my fingers are currently covered in black ink from stamping my co-worker's name on 1.225 million Voter Registration cards as our Authorized Election Official.. :)

Looking forward to a slightly warmer weekend to melt this horrible ice and hopefully return life to normal. Tonight I MUST write in my Thankful Journal because I"m already becoming pretty slack about that, but it's something I believe is important. So I got to get back at it. 

Someone drop me a line and give me suggestions for things to do this weekend. I need some inspiration!

Hello 2011. Let's Be Friends.

Holy cow. It's already 2011. Can you believe it? It's just amazing to think I was frantically shopping for everyone on my list a month ago, now that's all behind me and it's a new year. Although, I do get baffled at how the NEW YEAR is blown into such insane proportions. You can't just swipe the slate clean when you get up on January first and pretend like everything that happened in 2010 is no longer of relevance. And although we have these good intentions with New Year Resolutions, I don't actually know anyone who has managed to complete them.

So I make Life Additions (like the photography and the Thankful Journal). Things that will make me happier and are much more likely to actually happen.  Another addition is to use coupons and take the money saved to help restock the pantry at my church.  All three of these are more likely to happen than me getting my booty on the treadmill.  Especially since it's still at my sister's house and hasn't made the move here yet.

So regardless of all this, here are my two New Year's photos:

The first is my very naked tree. I finally undecorated for Christmas today - 5 or so tubs of Christmas all packed up for another year. The second is Muffin and her idea of helping me pack up.  At least she wasn't underfoot or scratching the chair... something we are working on. I wish she would make NOT DESTROYING MY FURNITURE part of her New Year's Resolutions. But then we'd be back to breaking those resolutions...

Anyway, I am looking forward to a new year. I know it's a mentally a new beginning. I packed up, cleaned up, washed clothes, had my best friend come over for dinner with the family, and in general had a great first day to what I hope will be a GREAT new year.  :) 

My first...

I'm a talker, a writer and nosy as all get-out. So why haven't I started one of these before? I'm not overly concerned with people reading it. I just find it fascinating to have access to my thoughts at random points in the day or across the time of my life. Mainly because I can (hopefully) see how a prayer was answered or how I've grown.

So you are welcome to join me in the ride. Share me with friends. Or just be a quiet lurker in the background thinking I'm crazy and being glad this isn't your life. (ha ha).  Either way, I welcome you into my life.

I usually try to think of something I want to do in the new year, but I rarely accomplish it. Not weight loss or to stop biting my nails but something more specific to me.  One year I wanted to visit more local towns within a day's driving distance. That one, I sorta accomplished. I shopped in all kinds of random towns across SC/NC... some great, some slightly sketchy.  Last year I wanted to start writing in a Thankful Journal each night.  I might have 12 entries.  Not so successful at that one.

Which is why I'm starting a blog for this coming year's resolution, for lack of a better description. I at first wanted to be part of the 365 project, where people take a picture every day.  (See info here) But let's get real, even with the camera phone, that ain't happening. So my goal is to do AT LEAST one picture a week, that will be shared here. (365 pictures, 52 pictures... yeah, it's close enough.) So bear with me, my imaginary friends. I'll see what I can do.

And hopefully I'll lose some weight and stop biting my nails along the way. But don't hold your breath.