Archive for the ‘A to Z Challenge’ Category
Z is for zinnias
Posted on: April 30, 2012
Zinnias come in a variety of colors and make a vibrant choice for the cut-flowers section of a home garden. I am partial to them because they are pretty and also because I planted some seeds last year and not only did they not die, they produced abundantly. If I can grow them, they must be hardy! I’m a casual gardener – if it gets too hot in the summer to water, the foliage is on its own , lol!
Whew, made is through the A to Z challenge!
W, X and Y
Posted on: April 29, 2012
Got a little behind on my A to Z posts while I was traveling. I spent some good times with my family while I was off work for a few days.
W is for walking. Such a good, simple exercise. My gramma has walked 2 miles a day for years. I think she is healthier than any of us. I think it is nice to just walk around the neighborhood for a mile or so, enjoying the sights and sounds. There is a woodsey 2 mile walk around a lake here that I enjoy when I have a little more time.
X is for XOXO. Kisses and Hugs. I gave a bunch of these to my sweet little nephew this weekend!
Y is for yoga. I’m a living-room-with-a-DVD practitioner. I am no expert, and I don’t do yoga as often as I want to because I want to rush and get frustrated with perceived lack of progress. But I know it will always be waiting for me when I want to get back on the mat. And sometimes I am rewarded with a really good, really calm practice.
V is for volunteering
Posted on: April 26, 2012
My V post is late because I was actually volunteering. 
I’ve written about it here before, but I just wanted to share a few quotes on the subject.
“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” – The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” ~Leo Buscaglia
U is for undies
Posted on: April 24, 2012
Yeah, that’s right, I mean underwear. Admit it, you feel good when you get a new (properly fitting) bra or panties. Unless maybe you’re a guy, and then this post isn’t really for you. (But it might be a useful reminder to buy something nice for your significant other or throw out a couple pairs of those holey boxers before your wife has a fit.)
Ladies, as if you need an excuse to go shopping, we’ve all heard what they say, whoever “they” are, that 75-85% of us are wearing the wrong size bra. Face it, our bodies change. We gain weight, we lose weight, we have children, we recover from having children but everything doesn’t go back to the way it was before. But maybe we don’t think about these things and keep buying the same size bra we’ve always worn, or we don’t buy new bras at all and instead are wearing some sad, stretched out garments with straps that are barely even staying on our shoulders.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get an upgrade; just find something that fits and is comfortable. Even something basic will make you feel so much better if the girls are getting their support, there’s no riding up, and nothing is getting pinched or poked! If you aren’t sure what size bra you need, ask for a fitting to get your measurements.
Go now. Get you some new undies. Maybe even a matching set! Whatever makes you feel good. This isn’t about your man. If he likes what you pick out, well, great. But you’re not shopping for him.You’re looking for that little something that makes you smile. And OK, maybe even wink at yourself in the mirror. 
T is for taekwondo
Posted on: April 23, 2012
Taekwondo has been good for me physically and mentally. Physically it feels good to stretch and exercise and mentally it feels good to learn new skills like the forms. Also it gets me out of bed and accomplishing something instead of sleeping in. And it has been a great distraction during our infertility BS.
On Friday night I graduated up to green belt. Wooohooo!
S is for swimming
Posted on: April 21, 2012
I am ready for Memorial Day weekend because that’s when my local outdoor pool will open for the season. I have loved swimming since I was a little girl taking lessons every summer. I still remember getting my card at the end of one session, showing that I promoted to the next level of classes, and there was a note from the instructor that read “her underwater backstroke is as good as my own.”
I also had a lot of fun at church camp when they had swimming races. I could swim the length of the pool underwater without coming up for a breath. Once I got a blue ribbon for it.
Anyway, I still love swimming. It is the one form of exercise I have consistently enjoyed my whole life. I am ready to lather up with sunscreen (I am not one of those bronze tan people; I got voted “egg-whitest” at camp too) and hit the pool for the summer. Just as soon as summer gets here. Hurry, summer! I’ve got laps to swim, strokes to practice, and some flips to do just for the heck of it.
R is for rabbit
Posted on: April 20, 2012
One of my happy things is watching the critters in my yard. Birds, butterflies, squirrels and rabbits. There are several Peter Cottontails that live in our yard and our neighboring yards. I can’t tell them apart, so I call them all Brown Bunny.
Here’s one Brown Bunny:
Q is for quotes
Posted on: April 19, 2012
I love collecting quotes. While we must be authentic and have our own voice, other people’s quotes are a good jumping off point for inspiration, contemplation and commiseration.
“I saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and I could do anything I wanted.”‘ — Jack Kerouac, in The Dharma Bums
“In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. ” — Albert Camus
“What I can do, you cannot. What you can do, I cannot. But together we can do something beautiful for God.” – Mother Teresa
“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.” – Agatha Christie
“We danced too wild, and we sang too long, and we hugged too hard, and we kissed too sweet, and howled just as loud as we wanted to howl, because by now we were all old enough to know that what looks like crazy on an ordinary day looks a lot like love if you catch it in the moonlight.” — Pearl Cleage, in What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day
P is for pedicure
Posted on: April 18, 2012
I just had my first pedicure of the year over the weekend. I don’t see much of a point of paying for a professional pedicure in the winter, but when flipflop and sandal season arrives I enjoy getting my feetsies all fixed up.
A warm foot soak with jets of water massaging your feet. A leg and foot massage. Maybe even some hot towel wraps. Calluses and dry skin removed, cuticles tamed, nails freshly painted. What is there not to love about a pedicure? (OK, maybe foot fungus or toe infection if you go to a skanky place, but let’s not talk of that.)
Not to mention all the fun choices of nail polish. Right now my toes are bright green. Just for the heck of it. The color was called “What a Shock!” My sister went with me, and she picked out a bright purple named “Mrs. Robinson.” haha.
OK, who else likes getting their toes prettied?
O is for owls
Posted on: April 17, 2012
I’m into cute owl stuff lately. I guess I come by this honestly as one of my grandmothers was a collector of all things hoot-owl. I’m more of a fan of the cutesy-type owls than realistic ones though. Harry Potter’s Hedwig would be the exception to that.
2 links to little owls that make me happy:
Pier 1 Imports Owl Salt and Pepper Shakers – I have these on my dining table right now. These are a double LHT for me because I used a gift card to buy them.
Juicy Bits’ felt owl ornament tutorial – I made several of these around Christmas using the template she provides. They are very cute, fun and easy to make. Just be cool, people, and don’t try to profit from her design. It is freely given for personal use.
Know of any cutesy owls I need to know about?
