Present Participles for January 2015

Easing back into having just three of us here, again. Much needed phone conversations and texts, now that our oldest daughter is back at school. They have a short winter term at her school that most students don't attend so she has been home from mid-December till this past weekend. It was nice having her here-but I know she is glad to be in her own routine again. That doesn't stop me from wishing we were all in the same house again. 

Watching as our goldendoodle pup, Morgan swirves between being an ornery "teenager" puppy and that sweet, calm dog I can see her growing into. She laid at my feet for a long time today, as I worked, just quietly watching out the door.

Making funeral plans. It is my second/part time job, working for our church as funeral coordinator. We had one on Monday and another tomorrow. It has been so sad-the service yesterday was for a 21 year old and tomorrow is for someone who was 57. What is unusual is that she will be my oldest. Before her, my charges have been for people 56 and under. Tomorrow will be my 8th service. It has been just a little over a year. So blessed to be able to serve people hurting, aching, hollow and in need. But I take them into my heart and love them, pray for them and hurt alongside them. It can be an exhausting process.

Reading-still-Shadow in the Wind. It was good at keeping my attention for a while. The story seems rather good, but with my work for my husband's company, my first business trip and learning as much as I can about marketing, plus funeral coordinator job, the compartments in my brain are full at the moment. And this book required thinking. How do you break down time to read for work/nonfiction and play/fiction?

Loving my new nephew-he was born on the 24th. He is the only baby on either side of the family, now. Most nieces, nephews and our kids are between 3 and 20. My oldest daughter turned 20 on the 23rd. Hardly seems possible...

Posing-Headed back to yoga and loved it! Although, this week's class starts in a few minutes and I'm not going... I am getting there more frequently. And until this latest round of 6 inches of snow + some ice, I was running well. 

Listening-to the dog barking... She has decided to take after our beagle and bark. Ugh. We are working on it. Most people in our neighborhood do not-they let their dogs out into their fenced yards and do not control the barking. I find it frustrating and then I remind myself that I'm moving... But my current neighbors are great people and if the barking is worst problem, I'm lucky!

 Learning- Trying to gather, read and digest so much new information with this marketing job. Feel like I'm learning a lot, but not learning as fast as I used to! :)

Playing- Stupid Trivia Crack game on my phone. Love trivia but hate the constant interaction with it... Which is how I feel about most social media right now, I guess.

Enjoying-where I am in this life right here, right now. Sure, bumps along the way and I dread the big bump/waves coming, but I feel blessed and lucky right here, right now.

What are you doing this month?

Changing Traditions

This year was full of changed traditions, with a sophomore in college  and a sophomore in high school, family members ill, changing jobs... But I felt the changes most acutely during the Christmas season. All my blog friends with adult children can sympathize, I'm sure. Some traditions remained the same, as well.

1. First, I didn't do our thankful feathers this year-I just was too busy to write up the letter, cut up the feathers, address the envelopes and send them out. My oldest daughter was sad.
2. We cut our Christmas tree with all my husband's family, which is our tradition, but we went to a completely different tree farm. We've been to the old one for many years. At least 15, anyway.
3. We put up our Christmas village, but it was my youngest daughter and I who put everything up and took everything down. Was another mix of kept and changed traditions.
4. We did go up to visit my family, but we changed things up by just visiting for the day to fit it into our schedules.
5. Our New Year's will be different as our oldest will be visiting her boyfriend and his family. Strange to have her not here, but not off at school. A whole different set of worries.
6. I didn't watch either of my two favorite movies-It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas-normally I watch them at least once. We did watch several Hallmark Channel Christmas movies which was nice and romantic. ;) 
7. Our oldest daughter had to work, so our Christmas Eve meal was different-it was just three of us and my in laws. Usually the 6 of us eat and then attend church. This year our oldest wasn't out of work until after my in laws had headed home. So, just the four of us headed to church much later than normal.
8. My mother in law continued her themed Christmas dinner, this year was Sesame Street Christmas, and we continued a new tradition we started last year of the adults drawing names, excluding my in laws.
9. Since I was working at the office a lot, I wasn't home to bake (too many) cookies with my girls. They worked together and baked a few kinds without me. 
10. I don't think I'm doing a one little word this year. I have done it at least the last 6 years. I am just not feeling it right now... Never say never, I still have a little time, right? ;)

I think there were a few more, but this was what I remembered. How about you? Changes or keepers in traditions this year? Kids growing older makes things different, for better and worse, doesn't it? Growth and change...

2015 Goals and "Resolutions"

I know "they" say don't make resolutions for the new year. You're bound to fail and be depressed-I did look at last year's list with a bit of disdain this weekend. :) But I like a goal for the future. Even if they aren't always reached. I also like to look upon the new year as a fresh, clean slate open for me to write upon. :) I normally pick a "One Little Word", as well, but I haven't done so this year... Not sure whether I will or not.

So, without further ado, my goals for 2015:

1. Reach my weight goal by my birthday, 4/24-my 40th-and sustain it through 12/31.
2. Run a half marathon under 1:45:00.
3. Run a full marathon under 4 hours, if I can work through injuries and losing weight helps them.
4. Run 900-1000 miles this year-to reach the yet unattainable 900 mile mark.
5. Read the entire Bible. I've only tried to do this once and had a lot on my plate at the time.
6. Complete a Bible study-either on my own, with my husband who said he would like to try to do so, or with a class at church.
7. Read 24 books-I read 19 this year and am looking forward to reaching this goal-I enjoy reading and I'm happy to be working towards a goal to give myself permission to read for fun.
8. Take our puppy to another obedience class-this time a "Canine Good Citizen Class" which is a step up from her last puppy obedience class.
9. Purge our home and prepare for our move.
10. Learn/try 3 new things. Possibly: skiing, a new language, a spinning class...

*Extras:

Get house ready for move

Moving

Working on my marketing job full bore to be successful

Continue using MyFitnessPal, which I have started again this week to keep track of calories

Continue working on funeral for church when they come up.

Resolutions Revisited

2014 Resolutions Revisited:

1. Run 900 miles-this was my goal-and I have 26 miles and 2 days left to run this year... I won't make it, but again I will be close.
2. Fall half marathon under 1:45:00-I ran a good half for how I felt, averaging 8:30 per mile, but not under my goal. 
3. No new running injuries-I didn't have new ones, but I didn't fully heal the old, either...
4. Read 24 books-I finished 19 and am in the midst of 20.
5. Reach my goal weight-I continued the tradition of getting down to a better weight over the summer and then rising again. My goal is to be at said goal weight by April since I will be 40 then. 
6. Make 1 craft from Pinterest per month-Not even close.
7. Finish my 2013 Project Life-I did accomplish this and got about 6 months into 2014 before I took another break again.
8. Mini albums-I made one of a fun trip in the summer... 
9. Finish a rag quilt-I did finish the one I had started with my mother, although it isn't pretty-looks more like a bar graph than a tidy lined quilt.
10. Send 1 card or note-I did send several, but I did them in spurts, and did about 110 Christmas cards... ;)
11. Daily Devotionals-Again, spurts...
12. Clean/organize one room or full item of furniture per month-I did make wonderful progress on and off this year! Donated 6 tubs of books to the library this week to cap off a nice purge. Also, cleaned out a tub of Christmas decorations and organized a few pieces of furniture.
13. "This is an open goal. It is something I want to leave unknown and revisit later. It might be writing a book, entering a new profession, taking a sewing or knitting class, taking a college class, mentoring or volunteering, skiing... I don't know. I learned in 2013 that a year is a long time and anything can happen. I never thought I'd change my goals and dreams away from teaching but I did. I never thought I'd be content just... waiting... but I am. I am praying on it and I hope God will guide me." *This was interesting... I am in the midst of building a new home (well, a company is building it for us) and we will be moving in the next year. I completely gave up teaching and am a marketing/sales person in my husband's company... These are very big endeavors I would never have guessed I'd be headed towards at the end of 2013. 

A year is really a long time and many things can change... How did your plans/resolutions go?

Concord Grapes and Veteran's Day

I saw this post on the Food Network's Healthy Eats blog about Concord Grape Smoothies and it made me think of my grandpa. I've spoken about my small, spunky Grandma Polly. Her deceased husband, my Grandpa Red (yes, Red and Polly, adorable, hm? :)) once grew concord grapes in their backyard. They had a nice, big wooden arbor and grew the dark purple grapes in the summers. They would turn them into delicious, fresh juice. My brother and I stayed with them in the summers for many years while my parents were at work and we were out of school. I remember walking into their home and smelling coffee, hearing news radio and I still find those smells and sounds comforting. If I close my eyes, I can picture their home and feel that same feeling. They haven't lived in that house for 20+ years, but I can still picture it like I was there yesterday. I am not overly fond of grape juice, but sometimes, in the summer, it sounds so good, refreshing. I'm sure it is because of those summer days I had fresh juice at Grandpa's.

I've talked about Grandma before, but not as much about Grandpa. He's been gone since our youngest daughter was a baby. His name was Kenneth, but he was called "Red" because of his hair. He had the typical "red-head temper". Firey-was road rage before it had a name. I remember slumping down in the back seat as he gestured for drivers to pull over a time or two! He was a carpenter by trade, an excellent one. Could make things just by looking at them. I have a hope chest and a bread box he made. Both wonderful works of wood. He made toys, wall cabinets in lawyers' offices, tray tables-he had quite a gift. He had just finished a baby doll cradle for my youngest daughter the day before he died. He would challenge me to debates and switch sides halfway through... say things like, "just think." He liked to get me going on emotion and then cause me to think halfway through. I take pride in that he didn't do that with very many of his grandkids.

He was in WWII. He was in the Navy, the SeaBees. They were a construction battalion that would go in and get things set for the navy to come in behind them.  His stories were amazing and frightening. He went into the military before he was of legal age to, lying about his age. He told us stories of hiding under tankers as Japanese fighter planes flew over, shooting at them. I think of him even more acutely on Veteran's day.

He, like Gram Polly, had such a spunk, a fight in them. He wasn't a saint, he was ornery, thought boys could do things better than girls and wow, was his temper short, but he loved us and we knew it. He loved to play cards and the marble game aggravation. He and Gram were quite the pair.

Did you know your grandparents, Readers? I know many people who didn't get to. I was lucky enough to know all four of mine very well.

"What's on Your Home Screen", via TNW

I saw this interesting article on TNW (The Next Web) about "What's on Your Home Screen?" It caused me to think about my homescreen with several folders, each with several items inside them. I am trying something new, only having 15 items, no folders, on the home screen. I have:

1. The App Store
2. Calendar
3. Settings
4. The Weather Channel
5. Clock
6. Google Maps
7. Music
8. Podcasts
9. Photos
10. Pinterest
11. Chrome
12. Reminders
13. Twitter
14. Instagram
15. LinkedIn

With Phone, Email, Messages and Camera down along the bottom. 

I have moved folders to the second screen.

What does your home screen look like, Reader? Any things you can't live without? What is the first item you open when you pick up your phone?

Doodles, Balloons and Great Photos!

Just wanted to send a shout out to fellow blogger, Thimbleanna. She took some wonderful photos of dogs and balloons in a recent post. Just excellent photos! Since the dogs are doodles like my goldendoodle, I got an extra big smile out of them. :) Enjoy!

What I'm Reading Wednesday

I'm currently reading Silkworm by Robert Galbraith/JK Rowling. It is the second in the Cormoran Strike mystery series, the first being The Cuckoo's Calling. I read the first and thought it was a 3/5 star book. My mother-in-law had this book, and I love mysteries, so I picked it up to read, as well. The first book was kind of dark, nothing like the Tea Shop Mysteries I like so well. :) I enjoy Agatha Christie mysteries quite well, too. This Strike book is much more so-graphic and gory in spots. I  like to read books at bedtime and the last two nights I have found myself not wanting to. I am halfway and eager to finish it, to find out "whodunnit" and be done with it.

On the nonfiction side I am reading Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking by Andy Sernovitz Just started it and hoping it is a great resource for my new job(s).

What are you reading, Reader? Any suggestions on books you have loved, lately?

Change

It's funny. Sometimes I don't blog because I don't have anything new to say. In other instances, I don't blog because I struggle with the quality of my writing. In some cases, I am an absentee blogger because I am mired in the posts of social media. This is not a time like those.

My One Little Word for this year is "light". It should probably be "change" or "new".  It seems like I have had a lot of changes lately. This odd phenomena started when I had a mole removed. As silly as it sounds, it was a big change. I've had it all my life, on my right cheek, right up on the cheekbone. My mom once had an identical mole on the opposite side of her face-we had mirror-image moles. She had her mole removed when it got to be quite large. I did the same-bigger than a new pencil's eraser. It wasn't a "cancerous" mole, my dermatologists said. However, it would keep getting bigger, and my face is small, so it was quite noticeable. Once it was removed, it felt like a big change.

I also worked on another aesthetic change-getting my teeth fixed. I had braces from 8-12+ grade. I had them removed before my senior pictures, and replaced for a few months after my freshman year in college, but they didn't do permanent retainers, when they removed braces, then. I had the plastic kind that slipped over your teeth. Once I was expecting my first daughter, and had some morning sickness, I stopped wearing them. My teeth slowly moved out of their perfect places. However, over the last few years, they have moved exponentially faster and got harder and harder to clean due to their proximity to one another. So, I started the Invisalign procedure. I am so excited for the final product.

Sad vs happy changes... My big dog passed away and then we got a puppy-Quite big changes in the pet department. Both big changes to my heart, as well.

Changes in my profession also sailed along. I officially accepted the fact that I was moving away from teaching, cleaning and sorting my supplies. I stayed put in the realm of funeral coordinator. I still have that job, and happily, it's been a slow business lately-knock on wood. With that freed time, I wondered... "what else?" My house is quiet, when I'm not working on teaching Morgan commands, and even then, it is only I who speak. I started researching how to make my husband better at social media for his business posts. I found I really enjoyed the topic, reading and learning about business. Who knew? :) I talked with two women I knew in the business field, who knew me-my first "networking" appointments. They were adamant that I could make the transition. My husband had been saying this for a long time, but he's married to me so he has to say nice things, right? ;) I also set up a meeting with one of his partners, on my own, and spoke with him. He was in agreement. They are meeting about possibilities of me helping out in a more permanent capacity with their company. We will see what changes come from that. In the process, I am reading several books about marketing, mainly in the social media realm, and business analysis. This would be a huge change.

We are making changes in our home, as well. We had some companies look into remodeling, and after pondering the choices, we are building a new home. It won't be done until May or June and it is only about two blocks from where we currently live, but will have such better use of space. I am incredibly delighted. I have no reservations about this or the occupational jump. They both feel like the right steps to make right now. The right changes to make.

One last change that is fairly big for me, and then I will stop for tonight. I have always loved running. Long story short, over the last two summers of half-marathon training, I have battled injuries. I haven't given myself time to heal. This year's half was slower than I'd hoped and was by no means a personal record. However, I finished. Normally the thought of resting from running makes me sad and restless. This year I am going to keep running, but cut down on my milage and begin to try some other things like pilates and barre. I enjoy yoga, definitely, but am ready to try something new. With these as two new possibilities of cross training, running seems like a fun "extra". I'm hoping these will help me change my fitness level, away from the running only plateau I have put my tent up on. Once I feel successful, I know it will help me change some of my bad eating habits, too. That's how it works for me, it's all a cycle.

What changes are you experiencing these days, Reader? I hope they are good changes.

Jan Karon

I have professed my adoration for Jan Karon's Mitford series books many times, here. I have read the most recent book, #10, and continue to love the writing. I love how the books take me away to the small, quaint town of Mitford.  I got misty-eyed as I read, just like always. :) The newest book is Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good.  Here is the synopsis from Barnes and Noble:
After five hectic years of retirement from Lord’s Chapel, Father Tim Kavanagh returns with his wife, Cynthia, from a so-called pleasure trip to the land of his Irish ancestors.
            While glad to be at home in Mitford, something is definitely missing: a pulpit. But when he’s offered one, he decides he doesn’t want it. Maybe he’s lost his passion.
            His adopted son, Dooley, wrestles with his own passion—for the beautiful and gifted Lace Turner, and his vision to become a successful country vet. Dooley’s brother, Sammy, still enraged by his mother’s abandonment, destroys one of Father Tim’s prized possessions. And Hope Murphy, owner of Happy Endings bookstore, struggles with the potential loss of her unborn child and her hard-won business.
            All this as Wanda’s Feel Good Café opens, a romance catches fire through an Internet word game, their former mayor hatches a reelection campaign to throw the bums out, and the weekly Muse poses a probing inquiry: Does Mitford still take care of its own?
            Millions of fans will applaud the chance to spend time, once more, in the often comic and utterly human presence of Jan Karon’s characters. Indeed, they have never been more sympathetic, bighearted, and engaging. 

If you haven't read the Mitford Series, and then the books between #9 and #10 which are the Father Tim Series, with the same characters, you should. :)

I have also read (I got from the library) the latest Tea Shop Mystery #15 by Laura Childs: Steeped In Evil 

Next I am onto a book that should prove to be interesting, considering that I love mysteries and Agatha Christie. It is called The Monogram Murders. It isn't written by Agatha Christie, but her estate has approved it due to the writing. See a synopsis here:

From Barnes & Noble

When Agatha Christie (1890-1976) published her first Hercule Poirot novel in 1920, she could have not imagined that her mystery series sales would eventually top two billion copies. (Only The Bible and Shakespeare outsell her.) And when she ended the Belgian detective's run in 1975, enthusiasts despaired that the series would never be revived. But now the unbelievable has occurred: After almost forty years, the Christie estate has finally authorized a revival of this classic and they selected respected mystery author Sophie Hannah (The Orphan Choir; Kind of Cruel) to create a Poirot whodunit worthy of its origins. By every evidence, this suspenseful fiction remains true to the letter and spirit of Ms. Christie. Editor's recommendation.

What are you reading, today, Reader? It is currently rainy, dark, windy and gloomy here... in my opinion perfect for reading. :)

Kindness

Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness. ~Seneca

iOS8 Updates

Today I updated my iPhone5 to the latest operating system, iOS8. Visually there are a few changes, but nothing drastic. First, my phone gave me a few tips and tricks such as:

• If I'd like to use the swipe feature, I could just change the settings so it applied to mail, contacts and calendars.
• I can now ask Siri "What song is this?" as opposed to opening Shazam, which will be much more "hands-free" friendly.
• I can double-click the home button and then tap on a favorite or recent contact. 
• I can now share apps, music, and other things with my family-once I have purchased something, I can share it with up to 5 people in my family. I love that! The girls and I like a lot of the same music and it will be nice to share apps/games we enjoy!
• The camera has a self-timer now, and better editing features.

I looked up a few articles to figure out the best features or features I needed to know about on Forbes.com, as well. I found a few great articles with lots of information:

• A Guide to What's Great In iOS8
• Apple iOS8 Top Features

I also found an article about whether or not to upgrade to the iPhone6 on Forbes.com, here. I also found an article about how to use this new OS to help with battery life... maybe. :)

Blogging

         I have been doing some reading about blogging. I found several articles linked in Pinterest and have been going back through reading them. I found a great graphic here, at Fabulous Blogging that has tips to increase blog traffic. I loved the simplicity of the graphic, which separates bits of information like food groups. :) It references marketing more than a simple personal blog, such as this, but I liked the information.

         I have been learning more about social media, as well, but researching to learn more of the business/marketing aspect. It has been a fun journey I look forward to continuing. Any new journeys or detours for you, Reader?

What's Cookin'

This week I am trying a few new recipes! I love to do that, especially when the weather turns cooler like it has, here, this week. Love this fall weather!

• Yesterday we had grilled cheese with this Roasted Tomato Basil Soup - from Steph's Bite-by-Bite.
• Today we are trying {Slow Cooker} Quinoa Tex Mex - from Master Cook/Chelsea's Messy Apron
• Tomorrow we are having Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa - from the Cookie Rookie
• Friday our youngest daughter, our vegetarian will be having her team dinner, so we will have Sliders with Red Onion Marmalade and Blue Cheese - from Tastebook
• Saturday will probably either be leftovers or eating out, since our oldest daughter will be home (Yay! Her first visit since we dropped her off at college! Love having both my girls at home!)
• And to finish off the week, we will be at a birthday party for my nephew and niece at dinner time. 

I will let you know how they turn out. How about you? Trying any new recipes? Or sticking with some old favorites?

Dog Training

We have a puppy. A puppy who is growing like crazy-45 pounds and 8 months old. She is adorable, especially right after a nap. She is very smart. However, she is stubborn and likes to do things her way. We started a puppy obedience class last Wednesday and will be working on it for the next 7 weeks. The first week she seemed to catch onto commands quickly, until she was bored with our treats, spit them out onto the floor and laid down to watch the other puppies. That was fun. ;) However, the instructor had string cheese with her, and when she took Morgan to show her as an example, Morgan was enamored with the cheese. So, I have purchased string cheese, cut it up and have been keeping in my pocket-it has already improved her walking. She still has bad habits-it hasn't been that long... During the class, I was getting frustrated that she wasn't learning and the instructor said, "Remember, class, these are puppies! They aren't going to learn these commands in two minutes. They may, but then they may not follow through with them next week!" That was good for me to hear.

The instructor gave us the link to this video, explaining the method of training we are using. It is an hour long, no dogs are in it, and it is just a person talking... However, it was informative! It is Michael Ellis's Philosophy of Dog Training.

I also have been so lazy in training Morgan on our invisible fence. She is a puppy, so we would still have to keep a close eye on her-she would very likely eat things and get into things without supervision-but to have to keep her on the leash is a pain sometimes. She would really benefit from a good run around the yard! So, I have debated paying the Invisible Fence people to come out and train her (the lazy way to train her, as the harder way is to do it myself...) I also considered the cost and began to search for Invisible Fence Training videos. I found an actual Invisible Fence video online, but it kept saying it was illegal to copy or distribute, so I'm not copying the link here. ;) I did find this one which also seemed like a good resource.

Glad to be blogging again. :)

Do Good, Be Kind

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” ― Desmond Tutu

Summer's End

Here we are again. "Summer" ends tomorrow. Now, I know the calendar says it's not over, the 84 degree, 94% humidity outdoors says it's not over. However, my youngest daughter started school last Wednesday and tomorrow we move our oldest back to college. There will no longer be teenager voices here during the day. No singing, peals of laughter, puppy scolding or puppy calling in their sing-song voices reserved for puppies and babies... No last minute trips out to lunch or for an iced coffee, no one tagging along for a day-time trip to the grocery, bike ride to the farmer's market or daughter along for yoga. No hugs and kisses during the day and "Mama, I will miss you when I go". I didn't think I would feel so sad-our oldest is ready-ready for her friends, her daily routine, her independence... I know that and I want her to be independent... but boy, I will miss her. I miss her sis, and I know I see her in the evenings, but that time is filled with eating and homework. But she will still be home... School year time is different than the summer. And I don't like it. It makes me teary.

Blowing Off The Dust

As you can see, I haven't posted in quite some time. Up until a couple months ago I hadn't even sat down to read the blogs I regularly read, let alone sit down and put forth the energy necessary to string together thoughts for a post that someone might want to read. Not due to excessive accomplishments in my daily life... Just uncertainty-uncertainty of what to post, what would even be interesting enough to readers. Topics appeared in my mind, on and off, but how to piece together a few paragraphs escaped me. I wondered if I should just keep using my blog as a journaling tool, or to share specific information, crafting paragraphs for discussion... I am still unsure, but I am tired of the blog sitting dusty, covered in cobwebs, so I write. Today I start with a catch-up post, updating on those things that have been keeping me busy.

Things were happening in my small corner of the world, keeping me busy on and off. I have had the joy and exhaustion of the goldendoodle puppy-

she is an adorable fluff and definitely an energetic puppy. She is very smart, but doesn't always have the desire to please me. ;) I am excited to train her to be a service dog of sorts. I would love to have her visit elderly or children, people who would just benefit from contact with her. However, I haven't been diligent with her over the summer, so I need to dig in again, even more so as she becomes the dog version of a teenager. ;) She already loves to call the furniture her own, which we never let our other two do... She doesn't chew or dig on them, which is good! :)

Our two teenage daughters are both home for the summer, which has been nice. We have continued running, enjoying spending time together and even gotten ice cream a few times. :) I have been blessed with my daughters' company on yoga nights, ridden bikes with my oldest up to the town farmer's market and ran with each of them. My husband and I have gone on runs together and biked, gone to dinner and enjoyed new seasons of MasterChef and Royal Pains. Family time continues to be my joy. We have also been able to head up to see my family, including grandparents, some who have been ill and in nursing homes. It is sad to see my maternal grandmother not remember my name, but on the occasion she recognizes me, I take that and tuck it away in my heart.

My funeral coordinator job sat silent from December to May. Then I worked on five funerals from May to last week. There were a variety of circumstances surrounding them: two men who died unexpectedly, two people who had been ill for quite some time, but were still fairly young and one woman who had been a beloved member of the greater community. Some were celebratory-based on faith and belief in their life after they left this earth. Some were more somber-such an unexpected loss for them, that even though they relied on their beliefs and faith, their families ached from their loss. In each, I felt my calling to this job as fresh as when I started. I was so glad, I felt so blessed, to be there for the families in their time of need.

I finished my chaplain training, but haven't been on any visits, yet. I feel like the training helped my in my funeral job, though, in teaching me how to respond with grieving families. Both the training and job have been a blessing to me. They aren't where I saw myself a year ago, but I am glad I am in this spot in my journey.

 Where are you, Reader? I hope wherever this post finds you, you are well.

What I'm Reading Wednesday

My reading has changed a bit:

1. I postponed Winter's Tale. So technically this book isn't "what I'm reading", it's "what I will read some other time". :) It was so big and so intimidating, plus I saw my time to read it before the movie was dwindling. Then I saw some reviews that weren't great of the movie. So, I gave myself permission to set it aside and pick it up again later, and rent the movie later. The book was good, it just took more attention than I had to give it these past few weeks. My mind and heart have been elsewhere. And let me say that I don't usually quit or postpone a book. I read it through, sometimes to the bitter end-a book I despise can drag out and make me dread picking it up, but I want to hope it might get better at the end. This year I gave myself permission to stop reading a book I dislike. Thus, two I've quit on and one I have postponed.  I must say it feels good. :) Are you a reader who wants to finish a book? Or a reader who gives themselves permission to set a book aside?
2. I am still reading my devotional: The One Year Wisdom for Women Devotional: 365 Devotions through the Proverbs
3.  I am also reading Jesus Calling. It's another devotional but from a different voice/perspective. I am really enjoying it!
4. I have started a puppy book. I need to refresh my memory and work on being a better puppy owner/teach my dog better than I did the last two. I know looking back that Merlin turned into a wonderful dog, sweet and loving, but I didn't teach him as well as I could have and his first two years were very difficult. This time, I'm trying to prepare ahead of time and am starting with How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond by Cesar Millan It is good, thus far, but I'm only on page 11. :) I have 2 1/2 weeks until Morgan comes home, so time to prepare. I bought two puppy books at the store. My youngest daughter wants to help this time around, so she can read these, as well. :)
5. I am reading Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation on Dying and Caring by Henri J. M. Nouwen for my chaplain training. It is giving me new eyes, as well. I'm only on page 19 in this book.
6. I would also like to start reading The Lost Lake, which is by Sarah Addison Allen, who wrote The Girl Who Chased The Moon and Garden Spells, both of which I really liked. This is her latest book and I am looking forward to reading it. I have it here in my "to read" pile.

I started the year well, tackling and finishing quite a few books, but then I slowed to a crawl and then stopped finishing them/reading. I expect to finish at least two of these books by next Wednesday. What is in your "reading" or "to read" pile these days, Reader?

Social Media Monday

This week I checked out my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram postings. I found a Sesame Street quiz to see what character you are and I was happy, loveable Grover, a local crime tracker which was interesting and scary at the same time, pictures of Morgan and some quotes re-tweeted. Here's one of my favorites for the week. :) Hope you have a great week, Reader!

Inspirational Quotes ‏@Inspire_Us  Feb 12

We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same. -Carlos Castaneda