I’ve been writing furiously these past few weeks.
Sadly those thoughts haven’t made their way from the scraps of paper or my note journal to this blog.
I’ve felt some anxiety.
Why aren’t you writing, Annah?
Why are you putting other things before your passion?
All the research says that if you don’t write on a regular basis, people aren’t going to come back to read, and if you don’t pen words consistently—as in every day or every Tuesday and Thursday and Sunday, then publishers will deem you unworthy.
That’s where I draw the line (kind of), Journeyers.
You see, I refuse to succumb to that sort of pressure, for the LAST thing I want is to begin to resent what I am so passionate about.
I’ve found myself fighting this negative barrage all week.
Ultimately, here’s where I end up: Though our musings don’t always materialize like we envision them, I’m penning thoughts and ideas.
I’m still writing (complete paragraphs and stories) my (desired) two times per week but using a little resource called Scheduleto create the appearance of a routine I’ve been following for over a year now…
Yep, it’s a brilliant little helper…
I’ve also realized that expecting myself to write three times per week as I do when school is out, might have to be adjusted during this time when I’m juggling so many different things, including the vacancy of one of our rental units, the work needed to sell another house, the return to a cleaning routine since my house-helper had to quit, the ongoing sports schedules, and the extra work I’ve undertaken trying to get my healing workshops and seminars off the ground.
Flexibility, Friends, is not only a part of The Five Steps of Healing, it’s one of our greatest assets.
So, for those of you who are loyal readers (bless every hair on your heads I am so grateful for you!), please know that if you don’t see me on the exact same days I’ve been showing up for the past year, I haven’t gone anywhere, I’m just a little spread out everywhere. 😉
You know how that goes, I’m sure!
So, here’s a recap of some of this week’s Happy highlights.
My week began with my third BlogTalkRadio show with Pia Louise of Tiny Whale Media (she’s looking for guests, if you have ideas to share!)
This segment was the unveiling of The Five Steps of Healing and was discussed with relation to healing through the holidays.
Don’t worry if you missed it ‘cause we’re going to do another show on November 11 at 7 PM.
If you are grieving and are anxious about the upcoming festivities, or know someone else who is, please join us for ideas and strategies on healing through the holidays.
If you’ve missed any or all of the previous shows on loss and healing, you can catch up hereand hereand here.
Guys, I am so blessed to have someone like Pia who not only believes in The Five Facets, she’s referring to me as a regular on her show!
The next day, Big Guy passed his road test!
You know what that means, right?
Let freedom ring!
For him and for me and for Warren.
No longer does our boy have to fret that he’s going to be late because Mom or Dad is just trying to accomplish one more thingbefore we go and so fewer are the times we are going to have to stop in the middle of something to run him to and fro.
It not only signifies one more step toward his independence, it signals one more step toward a life outside of day-to-day parenting, one where Warren and I can focus more on our own fun and allocating more time to our own dreams…
I am near to bursting with excitement for all of us!
His brother and sister before him have done a beautiful job of taking what we taught them and incorporating those teachings into their own lives as they see fit, all the while experiencing and managing their own versions of life, loss, and learning…
That same evening my youngest boy earned another badge of independence, we soccer family spectators were graced with this glorious view!
This week, Warren and I hit new milestones on our journey to living healthier lives; he has lost twenty-eight pounds and I’ve lost twenty-one!
I’ve spent most of my life inhaling food whenever I was happy or sad or stressed or celebrating.
Food wasn’t fuel, it was a bit like Mastercard’s slogan, and for everything else…there’s something to eat.
We can’t appreciate the taste and textures when we barely chew one bite before chasing it with another.
Yesterday, I had a hankering for something different than what I’ve been eating, something with a robust flavor.
This Savory Kitchen sausage packs a delicious blend of spice and cheese, yet isn’t high in calories or fat.
I’d forgotten that the acorn squash, which has been sitting with two others in a large decorative vase I keep on my counter for seasonal decorations, was actually edible.
I cut it in half, sprayed it with some I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray, sprinkled it with cinnamon, wrapped it in cellophane and microwaved it for four minutes.
It was like a little bit of healthy melt-in-your-mouth-goodness.
You know how much I love doing things for others, and how much pleasure I derive from picking out and/or preparing little treats and surprises for others.
I also happen to love all things that help make my activities easier.
Beauty and her teammates loved the homemade fall mini loaves I made for them last year and I wanted to do the same for them again this year, but I’ve too many things I want to choose to fill my time with.
I had decided that I wasn’t going to have to do something else, something smaller for them this year, as I wanted to spend the time I’d have invested in making the batter from scratch and baking twenty-four loaves on The Five Facets.
Ya’ll, I was almost overjoyed when I spotted this product on my Sam’s Club grocery excursion!
I’ll let you in on a little secret I discovered…
Krusteaz not only does most of the prep work, their product is as good as homemade…
Add eggs and water and oil, stir, bake, and Presto! Pure deliciousness!
The hardest part was swirling in drops of cream cheese.
Go ahead, share this secretive sensation with the rest of your tired and hungry and overworked mamas and papas!
I also not only baked five dozen of these pumpkin spice/cream cheese muffins (quite quickly in a 2-dozen pan) for Beauty’s soccer team, I was content to eat just one…
The girls were just as thrilled with the snack baggies of three treats as they’d been over the mini loaves I gave them last year…
And to cap off the week, I spent two hours doing what my house-helper would have done: sweeping all of our floors and cleaning two bathrooms. I also swept and organized our laundry room.
Housework often makes me irritable and sometimes downright bitchy, but I found if I limited myself to that two hours, it wasn’t quite so painful.
When I carted the loads of laundry upstairs, I happened to knock my unmated sock pile (they breed on my bedside table) onto the floor.
Not only did I match twenty pairs of footwear, I threw out another fourteen pieces of fabric that have been sitting there for months (which means probably a year). Surely the dryer ghost gobbled them up.
And when Warren happened to pop in to work on packing his suitcase for a trip he’s taking, I decided to enlist his help in changing our king-sized bed coverings over to the winter set.
I love my comfy bed that makes me feel so pampered, and now when I turn in for the night, the clutter-free nightstand makes me smile, too…
Often, it’s the littlest things in life that assemble to create joy…
How about you? What Happy Moment(s) helped bring a sense of delight or pleasure to your week? Share your happenings and honor your joy here!
Soon…