It's Harder Than You'd Think

Okay, today's the final day of the #YourTurnChallenge. I have a confession to make: I didn't post on all seven days. I failed the challenge. I remembered that I had forgotten to post first thing this morning when I woke up. And I felt guilty. I had accepted the challenge because I thought, "this doesn't seem that hard. Write a post each day for a week? Anyone can do that!"

Well, I'm here to say, it was harder than you'd think. But in a good way. It caused me to pause for a moment and reflect on what I wanted to write about. I jotted down other ideas for topics. I snapped a few pictures to go along with future posts. I wondered if this was something I could incorporate into my life on a regular basis. I think that it could be.

I missed a day of the challenge. I could have just quit, but I figured I should write another post to explain myself. Sometimes things don't always go how you want them to, and sometimes life gets in the way. But it is worth taking some time to write some notes about a brief moment in your day, or finally put that rant down on paper, or thank someone for the lessons they have taught you or joke about your own mortality. It's a release of sorts. It's valuable. Heck, it's fun.

And if nothing else comes of this, I dusted off my blog after 5 years and spruced it up a bit. Who knows? Maybe this will become a regular place for more of my musings. A creative outlet for the written word. Or more picture a day posts. Or recipes - you know I love to collect them. Or a way to document some of the crazy stuff I like to make. Or my obsession with yarn. Now that I think about it, maybe it's not as hard as I think.

You're Never Too Old, Until You're Too Old

Quick post tonight - I have 15 minutes before I would fail my #YourTurnChallenge by not completing a blog post - so here it goes.

I'm a {gasp} middle-aged woman with three kids. I drive a 2007 Honda Odyssey. I shop at Kohl's. I don't get out often. Tonight my husband and I went out with group from his work. After a lovely dinner and enjoyable conversation, we found ourselves at the local dueling piano bar.

We got there "early" in college-town terms - 9:30 p.m. We had the place to ourselves. We requested all our favorite songs. We danced and sang loudly. Then in the blink of an eye, the college students started pouring in. Suddenly, our group of middle-agers became swallowed up by 20-somethings. We rocked out to a rousing piano version of the song "Jump" by Van Halen (I know - at a piano bar - but it was great!) and then stayed for "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. At the end of that one, we realized we were completely outnumbered and we made our break for it.

Live music makes me feel young and alive. Even if it's two sweaty dudes playing at a piano bar. But sometimes you just have know that you're too old and you have to jet. Someone should go back and tell that to the 50-something dude with the silver hair and the purple tie standing at the bar...

Please, Sweat the Small Stuff

I started the #YourTurnChallenge by following the first daily prompt and then I went off the reservation. That's usually how I do things. I'm sometimes bad at taking suggestions. But then I was looking back at the daily questions and decided to address the concept of "something that I think should be improved." At first I wasn't inspired to go on a rant, but this morning, I changed my mind.

If we can send people to the moon, collect ice samples from Mars and land a freakin' space probe on a comet, why for the love of all that's holy can't someone engineer a deodorant applicator that can actually dispense all of the special "invisible solid" from its clever ergonomic design?!

I'm pretty picky about which brand of deodorant I buy because I'm a person who perspires - a lot. I'm a sweaty Betty. As one can imagine, this could be a source of embarrassment, so after years of searching for the perfect product, finally finding a brand that worked was like a breath of fresh air - literally. I willingly pay a premium for said product and because of that fact, I would like to use as much of the deodorant in the container as possible. So why is it that when I get down to the final "clicks" of the dial at the bottom of the applicator, there is still a good half inch of the product nestled snugly inside the magic dispenser never to be actually applied to an armpit?

I'm probably throwing away at least $.50 of stupid "Ooh, La-La Lavender" or "Shower Fresh Clean" every month or so. Over the years, that really adds up, not to mention it stinks! It may seem like such a small thing, but if masterful feats of science and engineering can't fix this problem, what's a girl to do?

Find Creativity in the Everyday Stuff

Prosciutto-wrapped Mini-Frittata Muffins from Nom Nom Paleo

Ever since I was tall enough to reach the kitchen counter, I have been cooking. My mom started me out with making pigs in blankets, grilled cheese and pancakes. Not long after that, she taught me that with a few pantry items and a pound of ground beef, a person could make a decent homemade spaghetti sauce or some tasty tacos. Before too long, I was making dinner a couple of nights a week once my mom started working full-time. What I didn't know back then was that not only was she was teaching me to be a problem solver, but also to find creativity in even the most mundane tasks.

Flash forward to college where I made strange but edible concoctions with a few simple ingredients and my illegal hot pot in my dorm room. When I had my own apartment and kitchen, I prepared a roasted turkey dinner with all the trimmings for my friends. I had practically no money, but somehow I was able to throw some ingredients together and make it taste good. Or least no one got food poisoning.

Today, cooking is one of the most enjoyable things I do in my life. My favorite challenge of the day is to open up the pantry or vegetable crisper and think, "What can I throw together tonight." Even after a long day at work, as soon as I pull out of the parking lot, I'm already thinking about what I can create in the kitchen. The worries melt away as I'm chopping ingredients and stirring things together. I'm in the zone.

I collect cook books and recipes like a boss, but rarely do I follow them exactly. I have never stopped in mid-prep to run to the store to get a special kind of cheese or a bunch of scallions just because the recipe said I had to have it. More times than not, I'm winging it with a big smile on my face. And, no one has died yet because I didn't use the special cheese.

It's not all sunshine and rainbows - there have been some epic failures, but thankfully, they are few and far between. I almost always walk away from that experience having learned something new to try again in a different way (or I learned to NEVER try that again). I wish I had more time to experiment, but I mostly have to feed my family of five before they start gnawing on each other for sustenance. But there is joy in that preparation and nothing pleases me more than when the family says, "Make it again, Mom."

I'm trying to teach my kids to cook in the same way my mother taught me. To learn to solve problems. To learn from the mistakes. To try new things. To find creativity in the everyday stuff. I believe this is a skill that transcends the kitchen. And most of the time, the results are delicious.

It's the Little Things

The #YourTurnChallenge is already working.

I'm seeing the details again like how the paint is cracking and curling on the corner of the old building downtown. Like the intricate pattern carved into the old wooden door of the tavern I used to frequent in college. Like the old-fashioned barbershop pole. Like the mysterious stickers for local bands which are slapped onto a Do Not Enter sign at the opening of the alley way off 8th Street.

Walking briskly to my lunch date location in the crisp winter air, I am listening to new music I have never heard before. I hear each note individually and how they work together make up the whole song. I find myself humming out loud as I walk, a smile creeping across my face. This is intermingled with the sounds of traffic, a young man playing guitar in front of the bank and a jack hammer busting up some concrete in front of the pool hall.

I notice the nuances of the font on the sign of new apartment building. I see a discarded cup from a local bar tucked safely into a storefront corner. I smell fresh bread baking at the sandwich shop and sawdust from the construction site. I hear snippets of conversations as I pass people on the sidewalk. I inhale some second-hand clove cigarette smoke as I pass two women chatting.

I see the latest fashions in the windows. A forgotten Christmas wreath still adorning the top of the Strollway Centre. I see hand-lettered signs offering lunch specials and happy hour prices. I hear children laughing and playing in the corner church's preschool playground. I see someone sleeping off one too many on a park bench.

When I gave myself permission to let go of the pressure and the deadlines and responsibilities - even if just for a ten-minute walk - the flood gates opened and all the little things came tumbling into my perception. The images, the songs, the smells, the feel of the uneven pavement beneath my sensible work shoes. This is where the stories live. It's all about the little things...

Keep Moving Forward

Today I began the #YourTurnChallenge - to write a blog post a day for seven days in a row. Why do I begin this challenge? I recently had a birthday, and when that happens, I usually reflect back on the previous year and contemplate how it all went. Did I accomplish anything notable? Did I stay focused on what's important? Did my family get what they need? Did I?

The last question got me thinking that what I needed was a way to return back to a point in my life when I did not feel limited by kids' schedules, work schedules, budgets and time. When I felt free to grasp onto a crazy idea and just see how far it could take me. To create, to write, to ship. Somewhere long the line through marriage, parenting, career building, life - I forgot what it was like to take a risk or try something new or sometimes just to get started. This challenge seemed like a great way to throw myself into it and see what happens.

So, I begin this challenge with a quote that I saw many times today as many people reflected on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy:

"If you can't fly, then run,
if you can't run, then walk,
if you can't walk, then crawl,
but whatever you do,
you have to keep moving forward."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

This quote resonated with me as I realize that that's what I need to do to get started - just keep moving forward. I've gained momentum with cultivating a more healthy lifestyle. I've committed to moving my body more, and now I'm committed to let my mind keep moving forward.

For the first time in a long time, I am excited about the possibilities that this exercise will bring. It may only be seven days, but I hope it starts those rusty gears turning in my brain and help me crawl, then walk, then run and finally fly again.

I'm ready to keep moving forward.

Life's a Bowl of Cherries (July 13)

Look what we found at the grocery store tonight - YUMMO! Marty and Max and I ate them all for dessert. They were delish! There are few things better than fresh cherries. I loves me some summer fruit!

He's Back! (July 12)

Max is finally home from his whirlwind summer vacation tour with the grandparents. He spent 3 weeks in Texas (and one weekend in Arizona) with my parents and then got to spend a week camping with Marty's parents and his sister and her family at Table Rock Lake. They went to Silver Dollar City and White Water, too. I barely recognized my grown up boy when we picked him up on Sunday! My little travelin' man.

Rooftop Bar (July 11)

Technically this picture can count for the 7/11 photo because it had just turned 7/11. This was the remarkably clear shot taken from the roof top bar of Hamburger Mary's after many cocktails celebrating my bro-in-law's 30th birthday. I stayed out until 3:30 AM! I haven't deliberately done that in many, many years! Probably since Luke turned 25. Man, it was fun - but I'm glad Luke only turns 30 ONCE!

Luke Turns 30 (July 10)

This is Luke. This is Luke turning 30. This is Luke turning 30 while we all had many cocktails on the roof of a downtown bar in Kansas City. Luke is old now. Yes, Luke is old.

Self Portrait? (July 9)

This is a totally random out of focus picture of yours truly that is also not very flattering, but for some reason, I kind of like it. Maybe it is my weird smirk or the cool low light, but it kinda grew on me. I think I am laughing at something Marty said. Or I'm acting like a kid again while the kids are all at the grandparents' houses. Or, it's really just me. I am random and sometimes out of focus.

Cuppa Joe (July 8)

Doesn't this just make you want to have a cup of coffee?

Waterfall in the Parking Lot (July 7)

I'm thinking I need to start working on building an ark! We've had so much rain in the last couple of days, I'm surprised we haven't floated off. Walking to the car after the second or third major rain shower today, I looked to the east side our our parking lot to see this waterfall coming from the lot above ours. It would be pretty if it was actually supposed to be there. It has carried a bunch of the smaller stones you see in the foreground across our parking lot as the water runs to the storm drain on the other side. When is this rain going to end?!

All Alone! (July 6)

We're kidless this week!! Wa-hoo! Max is at the farm with Marty's folks, the girls are on their way to Texas with my folks - we're all alone! For a whole week! I am using a lot of exclamation points because this is a big deal! Last night we went out for margaritas at our favorite local Mexican place. Tonight we went for sushi and capped that off with frozen custard - and I didn't even have to share mine with ANYONE! I slept in a little bit this morning and I didn't trip over anyone's shoes just inside the door when I got home this evening because - GASP - everything is all put away. I left my office at 5 p.m. and pulled into the driveway at 5:10 instead of 5:45 p.m. I had time to catch up on my blog. Wow. This is amazing. The only thing is...it is awful quiet around here!

Fireworks Farm Style (July 5)

I actually didn't have any pictures from the 5th - I was too distracted by not having any kids around today! But it wouldn't be the 4th of July without some evidence of fireworks, so here is the fireworks setting on the new Nikon. I didn't use a tripod - probably would have gotten a more clear shot - but this isn't too bad for holding it myself on such a slow setting. Pretty cool!

Ella's Birthday Party (July 4)

We celebrated Ella's 4th birthday three days early this year since she was going to be in Texas on her real birthday. I can't believe that she is already four. That doesn't seem possible. She will go to Kindergarten next year! Where has this time gone? It just seems like we found out Ella was coming last year. She is such a bright light in our lives and I thank my lucky stars every day that she's part of our fabulous five! Happy Birthday, little big girl! Enjoy your special day.

My In-Laws (July 3)

I am one of the luckiest people when it comes to in-laws. My husband's parents are the best people you could ever meet. They are honest, kind, generous and have great senses of humor. They are my second set of parents and have become good friends with my folks in the last 13 1/2 years of our marriage - they even drove out to Texas this past February to visit them! They resurrected their traditional 4th of July fish fry this year with a great turn out (despite the rain) and probably the best fried fish I have ever had! I don't know what I would do without them - and if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have Marty! Love you guys!

Rhubarb PIe (July 2)

Marty's mom is the best pie maker EVER! For the Fourth of July fish fry, she made two fresh rhubarb pies from scratch. Here they are hot out of the oven. I wish this picture had scratch and sniff because these babies smelled sooooo good. Sadly, they didn't make it to the party. We ate one pie on Friday night and the other on Saturday before the party! They were awesome!

All Packed (July 1)

This is all of Ella Grace's gear. She's all packed to go to Texas this weekend with my parents for 3 WEEKS! I took a picture of her stuff because this is her first big length of time away from us and her first trip to Camp Grandma - it's a big deal! I hope she has fun and doesn't get too homesick (yeah right!) I am going to miss her!!!

Chamber Chicks (and Don) (June 30)

I work with a pretty amazing group of people. We spent 4 hours in the car together, all day long in a conference room and then tacked on a couple more on the rooftop at Harpo's when we got back. Not too many groups can say that they would be able to stand that much time together, but we are different than most! Here's the whole crew of Chamber Chicks. That's Don, our boss, in the pink (er, raspberry) shirt! I guess working with a bunch of women has worn off on him.