Day 28

Light.

There's this corner inside my house. And in the morning, after the kids have already started school, I love this corner. Light pours in and it dances on our walls with the wind that flows through the trees at the back of the house. Sometimes I'm caught by the dance and I watch the little show. It's simple, it's beautiful.


"Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher."
-William Wordsworth

Day 27

Your favorite...

I love where I live, because they embrace uniqueness, the past, and keeping things local. I love it when I can sip my coffee and meander through our local vintage shops...right next door to the record store and local brewery. Makes my heart smile.


"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."
-Buddha

Day 26

There's something odd about the picture...

October in the south isn't usually this cold...and 40 mph winds are unheard of. Time to stay inside! Keep safe out there...Sandy's a comin'


"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
-Harriet Tubman

Day 25

Color.

"I have dreamed in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind."
-Emily Bronte

Day 24

Shadow.

Peace.

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."
-Mother Teresa

Day 23

Movement.
(At the end of the day...changing from nurse shoes to running shoes)

"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man."
-Heraclitus

Day 22

Highlight of the day.

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."
-Henry David Thoreau

Petit Le Mans and Day 21

Saturday we did something cool.

And yes, I was a little crazy...tired...whatever...coming off of a shift at work and heading out to the race track with the family may have been a little optimistic...but that's what coffee is for, right? Oh well, it doesn't matter. It was totally worth it!

We went to the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta and watched my sister's race team compete the 1,000 mile race (or 10 hours...whichever comes first). That's hard core, folks.

It was better than cool...it was seriously the most awesome thing. We got VIP access with all the bells and whistles...now that's a way to watch a race!

And my sister? She fits right in.

I don't think I've seen her happier :)

Jess's team had two cars in the race...
#91

and #93

The kids had a great time, and were exceptionally good the entire time!

watch out Caleb! 

An added bonus: seeing Patrick Dempsey. This was before he got upset when he wrecked his car a couple of times. Oh well, that's how it goes!

That's him racing...

It was fun being so close to the pits, drivers and excitement!

A full day of fun! We really enjoyed it :)

We got to hang out with the owners of these SRT Vipers...a very memorable day.

So, photo challenge Day 21 is "sweet".
I look forward to going to bed at night to have coffee with this amazing creamer. So sad, but oh so good. One of my guilty pleasures...oh, the little things...

"Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things."

-Frank Howard Clark

Day 20

Stranger.

A lot of strangers at the race yesterday...
(and the back of Dempsey)

"Because our entire universe is made up of consciousness, we never really experience the universe directly we just experience our consciousness of the universe, our perception of it, so right, our only universe is perception."
-Alan Moore

Day 19

Time.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but at this time I've been up for almost 29 hours and counting...okay, I deserve it...start calling me crazy!

Even though I deserve it, it was for a good reason...good cause...

We had a great day at the Petit Le Mans watching my sister's team race like there was no tomorrow! 

More pictures to come. When I log in some much needed sleep. 

But just a teaser...and yes, 100 points for the person who guessed...this is Patrick Dempsey :)

Sleep well, my friends...because I surely will.

"Lose not yourself in a far off time, seize the moment that is thine."
-Friedrich Schiller

Ps....keep voting y'all!
http://pinkgloveathens.com

Day 18

Backlighting.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us."
-Marianne Williamson

pink glove dance

I'm interrupting my photo-a-day challenge to bring you this awesome video that my hospital made for breast cancer awareness!

Please watch, enjoy, share and vote! 

If we win, the proceeds go to our local cancer organization to help our patients and their families whose lives have changed because of cancer. 

Together, we can make a difference.

Thank you for watching!

Please vote here: 

Athens Regional Pink Glove Dance

Day 17

Close up.

17 close-up random facts:

1) I married my best friend, and we had our first baby when I was 20

2) had our second baby when I was 24

3) we're happily married, I'm still crazy about him 

4) and I still get butterflies...

5) I'm ambidextrous...and I'm revisiting that now

6) if I could drink chai tea like water I would

7) I played soccer for 13 years, and I miss it

8) meditation is my happy place

9) my family is my happier place

10) someday I want to go to New York...and buy shoes...I don't know, it just makes sense

11) when they ask: "do you want fries with that?" I still hesitate

12) I have a novel in me somewhere...possibly four

13) I'm ashamed to say this...but I check my email and facebook way too many times a day

14) someday I want to be an active humanitarian

15) I still color...between the lines

16) my childhood was the greatest...thanks mom and dad

17) despite actions, I believe everyone has a common hum beating in their heart: fundamental good

That's all for now...happy Wednesday!

Day 16

Picture of a picture.
Still one of my favorites :)

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."
Lao Tzu

Day 15

Freestyle.

"If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that I regard as being most highly correlated with success, whatever the field, I would pick the trait of persistence. Determination. The will to endure to the end, to get knocked down seventy times and get up off the floor saying. "Here comes number seventy-one!"
-Richard M. Devos

Day 14

On the floor.

"If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older."
-Tom Stoppard

Day 13

Fool perspective.

"People do not wish to appear foolish; to avoid the appearance of foolishness, they are willing to remain actually fools."
-Alice Walker

So, I guess I should explain...

I've been having a week. 

Last week I received the flu shot at work. Since then I've been having some mild chest congestion, nothing to worry about, right? Right.

Then Tuesday the mother of all UTI's started. I did the responsible, and much needed, task of going to the urgent care clinic to get put on an antibiotic.

So, all good.

Then Thursday came and I woke up with a funny feeling in my neck and shoulder area. By Thursday night at work, I realized that I couldn't move my neck-it was awful, stiff and hurt when I tried. And this came on a night that we ended up having one of those crazy full moon kind of nights at work.

Friday came and the mild chest congestion turned into a major croupy, pneumonia-like cough...and with the stiff neck, everything else just kind of snowballed from there. 

So this weekend calls for some major TLC. I know I'll get over it, and I know I sound like a whiny kid. But one needs to vent, right? And more or less explain my motherload of pills, ointments, etc that is steadily accumulating on our kitchen counter. 

Deep breath. 

Tomorrow is a new day :)

Day 12

Reflection.

"Every human has four endowments- self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change."
-Stephen Covey

Day 11 and other things

Beware. Random thoughts headed your way.

So, I've been thinking about personal journeys lately. Mark and I call it "questing". Either way, I've decided quests, journeys, what have you, are so important to all of us.

When I'm in motion...not 100 miles per hour, but actively headed in a direction, I feel useful. Fulfilled in a way that isn't complete, but very close. In my life I have found when I put my mind into something, make goals, set myself up for an achievement, I work harder, live fuller and go to bed at the end of the day feeling accomplishment. Even if I haven't accomplished much, if it's in the general direction that I'm heading, I feel better.

In life we have to decide on our personal quests. It may be intellectual, spiritual, physical. Any type of journey that brings more fulfillment in our lives, whatever we may decide.

I have often made the mistake of starting too many quests at one time. A complete overhaul of all things worth fixing, but perhaps not all at once. This is why I've wrote before on setting smaller goals. I think when you set yourself up for too much, it can often backfire. Then you end up far behind and disappointed with yourself. And that is a common mistake. We are all a work in progress. How fun would your life be if you were stagnant? Moving at a snails pace is better than not getting out there, sitting on the sidelines, and waiting for life to pass you by.

So, I challenge us all to look at areas in our life that we would like to improve. Take a journey. Learn more about yourself. Dedicate time and effort to becoming a better you. It may be taking more trips to the library, praying and meditating, or losing that last 10 pounds. Whatever it is, put yourself out there, take a chance on you. And most of all, believe in yourself. You have all you need inside...it's just waiting for you to say "let's go".

Okay, I'm done. Hey, I warned you...


Day 11.
Love.
It all started with...us.

(favorite recent pic)

Day 10

Gluttony.
Problem. I'm watching what I eat-so this posed a problem. Until I uncovered these: chocolate chex mix...I could eat these all day. Alas, willpower.


"My definition of success is to live your life in a way that causes you to feel a ton of pleasure and very little pain - and because of your lifestyle, have the people around you feel a lot more pleasure than they do pain."
-Tony Robbins

Day 9

A little late, but here all the same...

Out of focus.
Love these shoes...make me feel like the rebel that I am.

"Man's main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is. The most important product of his effort is his own personality."
-Erich Fromm

Day 8

Broken.
This tires me...can't get it in all the way, but I will someday...


"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
-Calvin Coolidge

Day 7

Hello faithful followers!

Are you ready for an actual blog post worth reading? I have been in eat/sleep/work mode the past few days, and have been lucky to get photo challenge photos up within the cycle.


Today's photo challenge is a portrait shot.
I decided, why not take a shot at everyone...

Mark studying...

Okay, so what have we been up to? That's a fun question...school, soccer, scouts, and everything else in between. We've been trying to slow down and catch our breath lately. And this is what we did today, we spent time outdoors-playing, laughing, running (and scraping knees), mostly getting a big push of the "restart" button.

Mostly, craziness and sillyness. It keeps us light when things can weigh us down. And with kids don't you know it's all about letting go of the hard to make way for the easy to all hang out.

I've also been trying to get into the swing of fall, which is all about cozy for me. And getting outside is such a great way to soak it all up. The colors, sights and smells. I love taking it all in.

I was so excited to complete my first crochet project: a cozy fall scarf. Can I just say how proud I am-self taught (with the help of youtube, of course). 

I think I'll end this Day 7 post with a few more portraits. Can never have too much, right?

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

"In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present."
-Lao Tzu