Future Crazy Cat Lady....

.....because a wise Christian woman lives by faith, but always has a plan for the future in mind....

Collecting & winning over neighborhood cats serves a purpose...
Haha. ;)

Trust His Heart

....that moment (or those moments) when clarity is shed on something that didn't work out despite your best efforts and you've been kind of wondering WHY NOT ever since....

And you say, "WOAH, nellie. Thank you, Lord"....

He knows best. Yes, He does.

Do you ever wonder just how many bullets we dodge, thanks to Him not working out the things we thought we wanted??? 

Kickboxing....My Kind of a Girl's Night Out

3 friends....since we were about 12 years old.  Reuniting for a kickboxing adventure/girls' night out...
Old friends, refusing to grow old.

So fun.  So awesome.  Even if I'm such an uncoordinated dork. And, apparently, I hit like a girl.  ;)
But...hey.  It was only the first class of 5 that we signed up for.  You can't learn new things
if you're not willing to look likea dork sometimes.  And I am totally willing,  haha ;)

And.....my kids. One day....they will look back and be thankful for the woman that took care of them.....& kickboxed across the living room & into their bedrooms as she warmed up, did less than supersonic Wonder Woman spins, and basically acted like a fool sometimes. They will laugh and say, "I'm glad my mom was a li'l bit crazy". Right now, however, I think they're thankful that very few see the things that they do.... 
wink emoticon
Their eyes roll. Their mouths say, "MOM. You're weird". But....those lips. They turn upward, even though they fight it....and they smile. 

Haha. ;)smile emoticon

Some Days, I Need a Little Bit of the Diva...

...because. Some days, ya need a li'l sass to get 'er done... 

Bunny Walkin'....

Just because.  Our bunny is super cute.  Our bunny on a leash is super cuter.  ;)

.......and THIS is how you take a bunny for a walk!!!! Pausing once in a while for snack breaks...

Just in case you wondered.  Haha.

.....and my girl with her bunny.  Ahhhh.....makes a mama's heart melt.  <3
These are the kind of days for which I've prayed.
Bunny walking is so much better than chemo, radiation, &
all that goes with it!!!!

Sometimes, music just hits you right where you are, ya know???

She Always Gets Back Up.

Just because.  Life is hard.  Being a mom is hard.  Single mom-ness is hard.  REALLY hard.....and we never feel like we're doing enough, being enough, etc, etc, etc.

This.

Never Underestimate the Impact of Surprise Encouragement

Kinda cool when you open a surprise pkg like this on a Monday following a week that left you feeling like you can't win for losing in a cpl areas...my sweet friends.  They have a way of  making  my day.  <3

The View by Erin Hansen

The Poetic Underground

Baked Avocado Egg Rolls by Tip Hero

Because.  YUM!!!

Throw Back Thursday....I Got My Kicks On Route 66

Confession::  I've been whining about shivering on a "cold" Florida day today....and I MIGHT have been whining about cold Florida days every day before today. :( I'm not a whiner, but the cold seems to find that part of me and brings it out of hiding.  I was NOT bred for it!!!  I hate it!!! It's awful and horrible and miserable....you get the idea.  BUT... there's always an upside if ya look for it. I mean, hey. I get to wear this hot li'l number because of it...😉 

My first marathon, Nov. 2015!!!   I once said, "I would never.  I could never".  Now, I say...."Never, ever, EVER say never"!!!  

Super cool.  Super fun.  

Cute & fun photo opps at the expo!!

I had to alter my attack plan due to several weeks of sickness prior...and an injury.  Jeff Galloway method.  I highly approve....got me through it, I finished faster than I expected to (I threw out my original pace goals & was seriously just wanting to cross the finish line!!  I can alter my plan, but giving up is not something I do well.   Now, I have a time to beat for my next one. ;)

This is the way a Fl runner meets 25 degrees at the race start time ;)

10 Facts Every Woman Should Know

10 Facts Every Woman Should Know:

1. Everyone has rolls when they bend over.
2. When someone tells you that you're beautiful, believe them. They aren't lying.
3. Sometimes we all wake up with breath that could kill a goat.
4. For every woman unhappy with her stretch marks is another woman who wishes she had them.
5. You should definitely have more confidence. And if you saw yourself the way others see you, you would.
6. Don't look for a man to save you. Be able to save yourself.
7. It's okay to not love every part of your body....but you should.
8. We all have that one friend who seems to have it all together. That woman with the seemingly perfect life. Well, you might be that woman to someone else.
9. You should be a priority. Not an option, a last resort, or a backup plan.
10. You're a woman. That alone makes you pretty damn remarkable. 
- Austin Blood

On Reserve....

....gonna leave this right here.

Because if I hear one more well intentioned, well meaning, "you're too pretty to be single", "you're too good of a catch to be single, "you're too.........to be single".....Sigh.

All filed under:: Things not to say to a single mom....or single woman, for that matter.

How 'bout, "Know your worth & don't settle" instead?? 

Perspective....from a Childhood Cancer Mom

Good heavens. At Nemours, for our latest scan results and follow-up.  Packed house today. Little bald heads. Some not as little, but still kids. Masks to help protect weakened immune systems. One child crying and having to be forcefully "encouraged" to go when his name is called. Another, who had been cheerfully chatting and painting, has his name called and he hops right up & goes....but then his pace slows a little, his face completely changes and he looks down and softly says, "but......I don't want them to hurt me..."

Think you're having a bad day?? There are some young ones here having one that might be worse. 

Things I wish I didn't know so well about. But, I do.

Ashlyn has graduated from 3 mos scans to 6 mos scans.  :) smile emoticon smile emoticon smile emoticon

There is a 3mm node showing on her lower left lobe, which her doctors say they would make no notation of for the average person because these can show up from colds, etc....but because of her history, they made a note of it... & said they are not concerned but will follow up on it with the next scheduled scans.

Her mama says...let's pray that node of no concern away and have it not show up when we go back. Yes???? Please???

And....I appreciate and am so thankful for her AMAZING doctors, nurses, medical staff, hospitals, & facilities. I couldn't ask for better care for my girl.....BUT, when I write my autobiography/Lifetime Movie Network story/manuscript....I shall include a very lengthy chapter on things the medical community needs to think twice about before doing. Such as....leaving a message on the mother of a cancer survivor's phone saying, "there's a small spot showing on her left node and we made an appt for you to bring her in on Feb. 5 to go over the results with Dr. _____".

Notice from my last post that we were there today, not Feb. 5. Because mamas like us have been through it...and we don't play and we don't wait 21 days to get things clarified. Nor should we have to. 24 hours of not worrying makes me kinda tired. Just a little bit.

Yes...a little bit of a rant. But also relieved and thankful that they squeezed us in today. Operation Let's Get Back to Living can proceed. 

Woop woop!!!wink emoticon

Just Call Me Ms. Fix-It

Because.  I did this.  And....it's kind of a big deal.  To me.  ;) When I try to do laundry and, my washing machine laughs at me and says, "You silly girl. This is real life"..... After 2 mos. of costly car repairs and other issues I won't go into, I gave myself like 30 seconds of a pity party, then turned to Google and YouTube. For the cost of a week's worth of patience, free research, a trip to the laundromat, and $3.90 for the part I was almost sure I needed & purchased online......my good ole basic, ugly, gets-the-job done machine is now running and sounds like music to my ears (as opposed to the sound of a repairman giving me his bill or the cost of a new machine)!! I had to take the whole bleeping thing apart, fuss at a few screws or two, remove the shell or cabinet, disconnect the pump from the motor, remove the motor to get to the broken part in the transmission....then replace the part in a hard to reach, awkward, tight place....and make it all go back together, and fuss at a couple of parts and clamps in the process to make them fit. And I did it!!!! And it works!!!!!!! And these kids around here are not as excited or as impressed about my accomplishment as I am. I'm all happy dancing and they're just like...."oookkayyyy..." Hmph. I did it!!!! And it works!!!!!!!!! I did it!!!! And it works!!!!!!!!! I did it!!!! And it works!!!!!!!!! Did I mention.....for $3.90?!?!?! Yeah.  I did that.  :)

My Date on Monday Nights...

Y'all can have the Bachelor (gag), the Bachelorette (gag)...and all the rest. The only reality tv show that pulls me in.wink emoticon I like to see people trying to be the best they can be!! And I want to be a contestant. Only...not the losing weight part. And I know that doesn't make sense. And I don't care....haha. ;)  

Maybe I could go on it as an understudy for a future trainer position.  That would be the life!!  And, a girl can dream...

I talk to them like they can hear me, too....."Lady, get off that floor. You can do it....YES, you can!! You go, girl..".  You get the idea.  ;)

And, occasionally, I might snack on some health food while doing so.

For those who give me a hard time & ask if I ever eat unhealthy things, you know..."like normal people"...

I don't always eat junk food. But, when I do....

Stupid BOGOs caught me in a "moment"...hey.  Even a Wonder Woman like me has human moments.  ;)

Woman Up

New product in my Etsy shop!! 

 ....because it should go both ways, y'all... 

wink emoticon

Wo-man UP. "She is clothed with strength and dignity, she laughs without fear of the future". Proverbs 31:25

Proud Supporter of the 2nd Amendment

When a bad week ends with a phone call that says...."your order is in & you can come pick it up"....

Exercising my 2nd amendment rights!!! Come to mama, my little pretty....

So excited!!!! Been wanting to do this for about....I don't know. MANY, many years....since my mid-20s....but didn't have the option to.  Now, I do.  I will never be an old dog that can't learn new tricks. wink emoticon

Now, I just have to learn to be good at it!!  Let the fun begin....

Twinkly, Sparkly...Endorphin Therapy

Night running in January. 1st night run in.....a long, long time.

Highlights:: Christmas lights!!! Because most people still have them up, ya know.  Puts a little jolly in my haul-y. tongue emoticon
AND, I got to say "on your left" two times as I came up behind and passed other pedestrians!!! 

Captain America reference....just in case you don't know.  Sigh.  <3 Captain America <3 ....but, I digress....

wink emoticon smile emoticoheart emoticonOther observations:: 

1.) at night, my shadow goes before me and I notice things I've never noticed before...like, my ponytail wags like a happy dog's tail when I'm running.

2.) in the dark places where the street lights' illumination cannot reach.....it is REALLY dark and will test my memory of the twists and turns of a well-traveled path

3.) people coming home from work do not care that I am there. In fact, I think they resent it. They would like to turn me into a Flat Stanley.

Only my running friends will appreciate this post. I'm ok with that.

This post brought to you by endorphins.  ;)

YES.  Yes, I do.

Poetic Underground ~ Erin Hansen

Poetic Underground

I just love this girl's work.....she "gets" me.  ;)  Long, long ago.....I used to write poetry, too.  Similar to this.  Check out her site & books....she's 20 years young & is gonna go far!! :)

Run/Walk/Crawl....My 2015 Wall of Awesomeness ;)

"I always thought of running as just dancing forward" ~ Tom Hiddleston


 BEHOLD. The wall of awesomeness that was my running year, 2015.  Looking ahead to this one. ;)

♫Life's a dance, you learn as you go...sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow♫......I don't think it really matters, as long as you Just. Keep. Going..... & find a way to dance along the way wink emoticon

♫Don't worry 'bout what you don't know, Life's a dance...you learn as you go...♫

A New Year......She's Back, She's Better & Stronger Than Ever

So...yeah.  I had to take some time off.  From the blogging world, and from a lot of other parts of the world that was as I knew it, too.

In the past few years, I went through a horrible divorce, lost my dream home, found out my daughter had stage 4b cancer and fought that fight with her, with everything I had in me.

A year ago, we had just gotten home from what we hoped was the final hospitalization.  I had lived for 2 years in Crisis and Survival Mode, and the storms I walked through were building long before they all got out of control.  When you live like that....when it's "over"....if you're like me, your body, your mind, your heart all say to you...."we've had it....you've gotten your family through all of this and now, we're going to crash".  And that's kind of what happened.  Shrug.  A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.  Which means, listen to that body, mind and heart....keep doing the bare minimum of what it takes to get through life and take care of your kids...but pull back as much as possible to allow all the things you've gone through to hit you.  So that you can properly process and deal with it all....and find your way to healing.

And that's just what I did.  I thought about deleting my blog, thinking "I'll never get back enough mental energy for that", but could never do it.  I thought of deleting it and starting a new one, one that would fit my life now.  But I can't do it.  All the parts of my past are all part of the me I am today....everything I've lived, all the posts I posted, all part of ME.

So.  I'm keeping the old.  And embracing the new.  And am on my way back....with guidance and dependence on the One who made me, as always.  And I'll probably share some of what I've gone through during my time/post gap as I continue this journey.  At the time, I was surviving and had nothing in me to give.  As time heals and hearts get stronger, though, you get distance & healing, and learn to share again in the hopes of helping others.

I made it through multiple catastrophic storms that could have broken me, and in some ways did. They could have destroyed me....but they didn't.  They made me better.  And stronger than ever.

I'm so ready for the new year and the new me that He will shape me into along the way, and the new future that He has for me.  I'll be working and tweaking here & there, to make the old blog fit the new me....you never know what changes you might find, haha.

Ready, Set, Go.  ;)