I'll leave you with a few pictures of Joseph during his formal photo session for his Senior Portrait. Love the tux jacket, tie and shorts, don't you?
August 23, 2010
Taking A Break
Time is passing so quickly and I am getting so far behind! I will be taking 2 or 3 weeks break from blogging. Housekeeping, Senioritis, Show Choir, and Work is keeping me too busy to share right now. But, I will be back. Soon!
I'll leave you with a few pictures of Joseph during his formal photo session for his Senior Portrait. Love the tux jacket, tie and shorts, don't you?
I'll leave you with a few pictures of Joseph during his formal photo session for his Senior Portrait. Love the tux jacket, tie and shorts, don't you?
August 15, 2010
Weekly Thought #5
A really companionable and indispensable dog is
an accident of nature.
an accident of nature.
You can't get it by breeding for it
and you can't buy it with money.
and you can't buy it with money.
It just happens along. -- E. B. White
For the dog lovers....
Have a great week!
Judy :)
Linked to Notes from A Cottage Industry.
August 12, 2010
The Last First Day & Update
Note: Okay, everyone. Life has just happened and I have fallen off the Optimum Health wagon. Between getting ready for school to start and being one person short at work, I haven't had time to even cook supper no less eat healthy and exercise. I do hope to get back on Week 3 starting on Sunday, so don't give up on me yet.
Quickly approaching for my husband and me is the eventual leap from the nest by our son, Joseph. Joseph began his senior year of high school on Monday. I find that my tears are coming at the most unexpected times. They catch me quite off guard. A few weeks ago we received the yearly packet from the school with the usual letter, school calendar, optional insurance policy...you know all of the junk you receive at the first of the year. I was looking through the packet and looked at the dates and vacations on the calendar and even looked to see what date graduation would be. Seeing the date of graduation didn't bother me. What bothered me was picking up the elementary letter for the kindergarten and K-4 parents to read from the elementary principal. It was a straight forward letter about visiting the school and meeting their child's new teacher. My mind went back to visiting Joseph's kindergarten classroom and teacher before he started kindergarten. Charlie and I both went together for this and I remember sitting in those little chairs with my knees almost up to my chin. I remember the teacher talking to us about their different routines. The one statement she made that sticks out in my mind the most from that day was "If you don't believe everything your child tells you about me, I promise not to believe every story your child tells me about you!" That is when the tears got me. Where did the years go? It seems only yesterday that we were those new parents sitting in those little seats. How can 12 years have passed so quickly?
I did really well the morning of the first day of school for this year. Really never had an inkling that this should be a particular tearful time for me. After reading Facebook entries that day, I felt really proud of myself for not being so emotional that morning. When I got home from work, Joseph had left me a pile of forms to sign and papers to read. When I started going through them, I read this page sent home by his English teacher:
Her Last, First Day
The day has come. I once prayed, begged, pleaded and even found myself wishing away sleepless nights, the terrible twos, broken rules and teenage rebellion. I now stand dumbfounded, mystified and frankly quite panicked realizing that magically and with tremendous regret, my wish has finally been granted. Today is her last, first day of school.
Although she often argued that I never listened, I heard every word. She claimed that I was old fashioned and didn't have a clue. But I defined the "Bible belt" and went by all the rules. She questioned my intelligence and was annoyed at my forgetfuflness and often reminded me that she was "grown". As her mother, I gave birth to this brilliance, remembered what I wanted to forget and understood that no matter what she said, Aubrey was always my baby.
What she will never know but one day come to appreciate, were my late nights after silly fights, my old clothes, her new shoes. My empty wallet, her fancy purse. My yard sale finds, her name brands at the time. Her last minute needs, just-because wants and everything in between. I hope she will be thankful for her first tears, all of my fears and wondering if I ever got it right So with hesitation my chapter must end so that her book can now begin. It is difficult, almost debilitating for me to address the inevitable.
So today I encourage every mother to hug a little tighter, bake another batch, read another page and play one last time. Freezing the frames to memories is not in vain as today will soon be yesterday, and tomorrow will merely be the last, lasting first for eternity.
M Elaine Shiray
Tuscumbia
from the Times Daily, August 11, 2009
I cried. Everything this mother wrote about was totally our relationship. Of course, we have to substitute Polo Shirts for fancy purses, but the rest fit us to a T. I have forewarned Joseph of my many tears that are yet to come for this year. I told him that I would cry at Show Choir, his last Chorus performance, his last Soccer Game, graduation, and any other time my eyes felt like releasing their emotion. He said, "Yeah, I know". Then I told him that I loved him and he said again, "Yeah, I know."
Linked with Chatting At The Sky.
 |
| August 9, 2010 The Last First Day of School |
Quickly approaching for my husband and me is the eventual leap from the nest by our son, Joseph. Joseph began his senior year of high school on Monday. I find that my tears are coming at the most unexpected times. They catch me quite off guard. A few weeks ago we received the yearly packet from the school with the usual letter, school calendar, optional insurance policy...you know all of the junk you receive at the first of the year. I was looking through the packet and looked at the dates and vacations on the calendar and even looked to see what date graduation would be. Seeing the date of graduation didn't bother me. What bothered me was picking up the elementary letter for the kindergarten and K-4 parents to read from the elementary principal. It was a straight forward letter about visiting the school and meeting their child's new teacher. My mind went back to visiting Joseph's kindergarten classroom and teacher before he started kindergarten. Charlie and I both went together for this and I remember sitting in those little chairs with my knees almost up to my chin. I remember the teacher talking to us about their different routines. The one statement she made that sticks out in my mind the most from that day was "If you don't believe everything your child tells you about me, I promise not to believe every story your child tells me about you!" That is when the tears got me. Where did the years go? It seems only yesterday that we were those new parents sitting in those little seats. How can 12 years have passed so quickly?
I did really well the morning of the first day of school for this year. Really never had an inkling that this should be a particular tearful time for me. After reading Facebook entries that day, I felt really proud of myself for not being so emotional that morning. When I got home from work, Joseph had left me a pile of forms to sign and papers to read. When I started going through them, I read this page sent home by his English teacher:
Her Last, First Day
The day has come. I once prayed, begged, pleaded and even found myself wishing away sleepless nights, the terrible twos, broken rules and teenage rebellion. I now stand dumbfounded, mystified and frankly quite panicked realizing that magically and with tremendous regret, my wish has finally been granted. Today is her last, first day of school.
Although she often argued that I never listened, I heard every word. She claimed that I was old fashioned and didn't have a clue. But I defined the "Bible belt" and went by all the rules. She questioned my intelligence and was annoyed at my forgetfuflness and often reminded me that she was "grown". As her mother, I gave birth to this brilliance, remembered what I wanted to forget and understood that no matter what she said, Aubrey was always my baby.
What she will never know but one day come to appreciate, were my late nights after silly fights, my old clothes, her new shoes. My empty wallet, her fancy purse. My yard sale finds, her name brands at the time. Her last minute needs, just-because wants and everything in between. I hope she will be thankful for her first tears, all of my fears and wondering if I ever got it right So with hesitation my chapter must end so that her book can now begin. It is difficult, almost debilitating for me to address the inevitable.
So today I encourage every mother to hug a little tighter, bake another batch, read another page and play one last time. Freezing the frames to memories is not in vain as today will soon be yesterday, and tomorrow will merely be the last, lasting first for eternity.
M Elaine Shiray
Tuscumbia
from the Times Daily, August 11, 2009
I cried. Everything this mother wrote about was totally our relationship. Of course, we have to substitute Polo Shirts for fancy purses, but the rest fit us to a T. I have forewarned Joseph of my many tears that are yet to come for this year. I told him that I would cry at Show Choir, his last Chorus performance, his last Soccer Game, graduation, and any other time my eyes felt like releasing their emotion. He said, "Yeah, I know". Then I told him that I loved him and he said again, "Yeah, I know."
Linked with Chatting At The Sky.
August 3, 2010
Adoption Day - 17 years
Seventeen years ago today, my husband and I went to Agape in Nashville with my mother-in-law and niece to bring home a small 4 lb 15 oz baby boy. One of the best days of our life.
We had been through all of the home studies and required adoption courses. We thought we were ready! Little did we know what "real" parenting was. And little did we know that 17 years later we would still be learning as much as he is through this journey. What a joy Joseph has been to our lives! No regrets! I would live those 17 years all over to have him as our son again.
Happy Adoption Day, Joseph! All of our love.
Mom :)
Linked to Tuesdays Unwrapped at Chatting At The Sky.
We had been through all of the home studies and required adoption courses. We thought we were ready! Little did we know what "real" parenting was. And little did we know that 17 years later we would still be learning as much as he is through this journey. What a joy Joseph has been to our lives! No regrets! I would live those 17 years all over to have him as our son again.
Happy Adoption Day, Joseph! All of our love.
Mom :)
Linked to Tuesdays Unwrapped at Chatting At The Sky.
August 2, 2010
8 Weeks to Optimum Health - Week 3
The "Rules" for Week 3:
- Look into buying organic produce because of unhealthy residues of agrichemicals being found on grocery store produce. Especially be careful of peaches, strawberries, apples, nectarines, pears, cherries, red raspberries, imported grapes, spinach, celery, white potatoes and bell peppers. The least contaminated vegetables are asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwis, mangoes, onions, papayas, pineapples, and peas. Wash everything and peel what you can.
- Be aware of electromagnetic fields. Stop using electric blankets because of their close proximity to your body. Make sure your clock radio is at least one foot away from your bed. Buy a pair of sunglasses that block 99 percent of UV rays.
- Eat an extra serving of fruits and vegetables with at least one meal this week. Eat fish twice this week. Replace at least one serving of meat with a soy food of your choice.
- Add 400-800 IU of natural vitamin E and 200 micrograms of selenium to your supplements this week. Take these with your lunch or largest meal of the day.
- Walk for 20 minutes this week. Begin some simple stretching to improve flexibility.
- Try a new breathing exercise this week. Lie on your back (may want to do this while falling asleep). Close your eyes, let your arms rest alongside your body. Focus attention on your breath without influencing it. Imagine the universe is pushing breath into you as you inhale and withdrawing it from you as you exhale. Let your breath reach every part of your body even to your fingers and toes. Do this for 10 cycles.
- Make a list of friends who make you happy, alive, and optimistic. Spend time with one of those this week.
- Begin reading an inspirational book.
- Abstain from news for one day this week, again.
- Optional - buy more flowers, find out how to grow food even if just in containers on your porch.
Judy :)
Week 2 Finished - 8 Weeks to Optimum Health
Here is how week 2 panned out:
Judy :)
- Check your water. Contact your water company for contaminates or have it sent off to be tested. Do not drink chlorinated water. Drink filtered water or bottled water only. We get a report yearly about our water and it is okay. I don't like the taste of chlorinated water so we have been filtering our drinking water for years. Would love to have a home system, but they are expensive.
- Eat salmon once this week and broccoli twice this week. Choose wholegrain breads or cereals. Try something made with soy. Try to substitute green tea for coffee. I finally found the Wild Alaskan Salmon at Sam's this week. It came marinated (I prefer plain because of sodium). I scraped a good part of the marinate off when I prepared it and it was wonderful...very moist. Broccoli was eaten twice this week. Once as just a side dish and once with tofu in a stir fry. The tofu stir fry did not turn out well. I used a recipe I had made in the past. It called for a non-stick skillet and I found a non-stick skillet is absolutely necessary to prepare tofu in this way. I don't have one anymore and will wait to try that again when I do. Wholegrain breads were not a problem. I had been to the Whole Foods Market the week before and had purchased several of their loaves. They are so good! I do normally have green tea every morning. I am not a coffee drinker.
- Add mixed carotenes to your supplements of Vitamins C & D3. Take 10,000 to 15,000 IU of beta-carotene with related compounds such as alpha-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. The mixture must contain lycopene to give the full benefits. Still waiting for a talk with my doctor on this one.
- Walk - 15 minutes. Add some hills, if possible. I walked 4 times this week instead of the recommended 5. We are having 100 degree temps so I am still walking on the elliptical. 15 minutes is really tough for me...I know, I'm out of shape! The elliptical is like walking in deep sand, so I feel it is a harder workout than just walking for 15 minutes.
- Visit a park. Try a one day news fast - don't watch, listen, or read any news for a period of 24 hours. Continue with the breath observation for 5 minutes each day. For 1 minute, practice beginning your breath cycle with exhalation and ending with inhalation -- concentrate on this while you do the exercise. I did not have time to visit a park this week though I did visit a friend's farm with my husband to load hay. Don't know if that would count! I am not a big news person...generally it makes me nervous. I don't read the paper unless a particular story is pointed out to me and the only news I watch is the weather, so a news fast was easy. I absolutely love the breath observations, but tend to forget to do them until bedtime and then I fall asleep!
- Pay attention to mental imagery. What has strong emotional impact? How can you adopt them for healing visualization? Still thinking on this one!
Judy :)
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