Thankful heart.

In the month of November, so many Facebookers take to their statuses to document what they are thankful for. (Truth: I started, then slacked off and haven't kept up with it on paper/in type....but I have in my head and heart.)

As I've seen so many "thankful for" statuses and it's such a friendly reminder of what we have in this life.... It (really!!) bothers me to see some that post disrespectful events or items to be thankful for as well as those that post something along the lines of "I don't need to do the 'Thankful For' statuses because I'm thankful for everything-- my friends, my family, my career, blah blah blah." Well duh. We know that.....but how often do we take those things for granted and FORGET about those things??? Most of the time! Yes, of course we know that you are thankful that you have them.... and Yes, my newsfeed is occasionally overwhelming with all of them, but honestly... It's the month of thanksfulness. Thanksgiving. Giving Thanks.  It's a reminder to myself of what I so often take for granted, and how easily some things could be stripped away.

Robert Louis Stevenson once said---
Keep your eyes open to your mercies. The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.

Oh, how true is that! We go through MOST of the year complaining about work, chores, errands, bills, events we must attend, stuff we have to buy, home repairs, obligations, yada yada yada.... so WHY NOT spend ONE MONTH taking a moment each day to really think about what you are thankful for that day?!?!


I encourage you to spend some time this month thinking of what you are really thankful for, outside of just family, friends, health and happiness.


I'll leave you with this:
Be thankful for the bad things in life. For they open your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before.

Until Next Time.
Krista

Excuse the Mess....

I'm sure you've all seen these signs for the home about excusing the mess because the children are making memories or because we actually live in our home.... Well, I would definitely need the latter of the two.... but wouldn't it be a great idea if you could put one on your front door (or maybe even in the front yard! haha) that says:

OR

 

 

 

 

OR

 

 

I'm not the graphic designer in the family... my sister is, so please don't look too closely at my design. I didn't measure anything ;)

 

I've really been thinking about this more and more as the trick-or-treat time got closer and closer and my not-at-all-completed-but-too-far-into-it-to-quit board and batten wall in my front room still stands as a jumbled mess, right where trick or treaters will look when we open the door....it just stares me down every day, taunting and whispering, "you've not finished me... and I'm the first thing people see at your house...." I just want to print one of my new creations up there and hang on the wall like caution tape, warning of the mess and excusing my tardiness in completion...

 Restaurants and stores can do it when they are remodeling, why can't I???  

 

I think your Pinterest membership should come with some stickers or wall hangings (as if we PAY for membership! ha) that can be placed throughout your property and belongings because chances are..... you ARE going to (at some point) say or think... "Well, I saw on Pinterest where someone took a (insert any item) and made a (insert the name of something that you are just going to have to try to make)." And then you're going to pick up said items and attempt said project.... and chances are, it's not going to go well and you're going to ditch the project halfway through, unsure of how to fix it.... 

 

OR.... you're going to buy lumber to make/hang/fix/create/enhance said project and it's going to sit against a wall in your living room for weeks while you try to decide whether to continue with the project....

I am not speaking from experience at all ;) haha

 

So... don't be surprised if you see this sign at my house sometime! I really wish this was socially acceptable as an excuse for the disaster that I call home :) I still have four rooms that have unfinished projects!

Until Next Time...
Krista

When did Black Friday become Black Thursday??

As the Black Friday ads start popping up here and there, I cannot help but be angry at some of these companies... Kohl's, Macy's and JCPenney are three leading companies that are now opening on Thanksgiving Day.... I just think that's awful. 

Thanksgiving is to be a day for reflecting on what we are thankful for... not for elbowing others in the face to save some money on a TV or laptop.... on top of that--- those poor workers that are being taken away from their families on Thanksgiving to help those crazies... I just think this bologna has gotten out of hand. I would respect these large companies tremendously if they stepped in and admitted that were being greedy and will no longer be opening until FRIDAY....  I'm not a big Black Friday shopper.. I already explained it HERE.... and I think these whole idea of BLACK FRIDAY has been blown out of proportion. The media is glamorizing the chaos and now the huge companies are taking advantage of the situation and cashing in on the greed... and sadly, so many greedy shoppers that have lost sight of the true meaning of the holidays won't be the ones to stand up and make a point, boycotting the early sales that take away from the true meaning of being thankful.... It's sad to think what another 5-10 years will do to the holiday.

*Stepping Down*

Until Next Time...
Krista

One Week Until the Marathon

By this time next week, I hope to be marathon runner..... Today, I basically completed my training.... we just have two teeny tiny runs left.... and after a week off from running due to pleurisy and touch of pneumonia followed by a sinus infection, these two runs 'post-sickness' wore me out and I'm starting to get nervous for the race.... On top of my illness, we had a huge temperature change in our part of the state this week and the race day forecast is looking to be chilly as well. That makes me nervous after being sick.... I went into this training with the mind-set that I don't care if I walk, crawl, run, skip, hop, gallop or slither across the finish line.... I just want to finish. Now after being sick, that is even more of a realistic goal.... I  just want to finish, and not do any permanent damage to my foot/ankle.


As I'm coming into the last week before the race, I've reflected a lot on the last six months.... First--- I'm not sure where the six months have gone. They flew by so quickly! I cannot believe training is over.... Overall, I've really enjoyed the process...I have had a GREAT group to run with. They are always there to push mentally and physically.... There were some days that I wasn't sure I would survive (OR--- TMI--- get to a bathroom fast enough! haha), but I pushed forward and I've made it. My feet are callused and my body is tired, but brain has been shown who is BOSS!  I've spent more money on shoes, the chiropractor and running gear than I ever thought I would.... and I'm about to spend more money on a hotel and race than I even dreamed of....  but I don't regret it one bit. Actually, in my mind, I've made it..... I have already accomplished more than I ever thought possible... I ran 20 miles as part of my training! 18 months ago, I could barely run TWO... and now I've done TWENTY! AND now......I'm about to complete a MARATHON at age 25..Not many people can say they've done that!!!  I want to scream it from the mountain tops... I want to tattoo it across my forehead and honestly....... I want to tell every person that I converse with for the rest of my life (friends and family beware :) haha) I feel so accomplished to even be this far.... I want to let everyone know what I've done......

I'm pretty sure I'm not meant to do another full marathon, but I'm glad that I'm doing this..... (Side note--- someone needs to organize a 20 mile race--- like a 3/4 marathon in my area... THAT would be a good idea! I would enjoy that!) If you have any extra time and extra prayers to throw out this week, please say a few for myself and the gals that I run with--- not only for a safe race, but for safe travels there and back. Thank you!

Until Next Time...
Krista

Running. Running. and more Running. 26.2 miles

19 months ago.....running wasn't even a thought.
18 months ago.....running was a struggle.
12 months ago......I was three weeks away from my first half marathon and a nervous wreck.
6 months ago.... I was just getting back into running from taking the winter off (bad idea!!)



About seventeen+ weeks ago, running a marathon was a distant (VERY distant) thought..... I had been running with three women from my town, two of which had decided to train for a marathon in November. (One of them was my high school band director and is training for her 13th marathon.... the other has been running for 15 years but just decided to do her first full.) When they asked if I was going to train for it too, my initial thought was to chuckle and make a million excuses why I couldn't or shouldn't do it...

I don't have the time.
I don't have the money.
I have bad feet.
I don't think my fallen arch could do that many miles.
I don't know if I can commit to that.
I don't know if I'm made to do that many miles...

blah.blah.blah.  
(Can you hear the fear in all of those thoughts?)


They kept asking and suggesting it and then about sixteen weeks ago, something clicked.... I was on Pinterest (what else do I do?!?!) and started pinning 26.2 and marathon inspiration.... and then it was like WHY THE HECK WOULD I NOT DO THIS?!??!!? I was going to be training for a half in September and that fit perfectly with the full training....... Why wouldn't I keep going?? I don't have kiddos at home yet to focus on and I have the group to train with. I would be stupid to not at least TRY! (Remember my post a year ago about why running a half marathon was such a big deal... well, nothing big has happened year in 2013, so a full marathon fit right into my plans.... 26 miles before age 26 became my mantra.)

So.... the training began...
We are running four days a week and have hit mileage as high as 35 miles in a week. Some days have been great and I felt that I could have gone longer and others were awful. Heat, food, hydration, stress--- they all affect your run, and can sometimes ruin it.....but I have survived and kept going. I wasn't about to give up!

Now we are LESS THAN three weeks from Marathon Day and in taper. I did 20 miles on Friday with the other newbie in the group and we survived. Twenty miles in heat, with hills and little motivation due to exhaustion (mentally and physically)......and we still completed and survived! What wasn't even a possibility five months ago is a reality now...

Here are some of my favorite marathon pins from that night....














Now it's time to rest, hydrate, eat right and get my head back in the game. I'm so ready for this to be over but I know it's going to be an amazing experience to remember for a lifetime. I'm just ready to sleep in on Saturdays, not plan my week around my runs and to see my husband a little more often in the evenings :)


You never know what idea tomorrow will bring and how your mind will change. If you would have told me a year ago that I would be in marathon taper now, I would have laughed in your face..... 

A goal without a plan is just a wish....
Until Next Time...
 Krista

Sweet Memento

Wow... It's been a LONG time since I've written a good blog post and I don't even know where to start.... so I'll just leave you with a little sweet memento for the day...

Today, while Cam and I were cleaning the back patio furniture, the sun was shining beautifully and then the slightest of rains started. A grin came across my face. Not a typical reaction for someone who was trying to finish and get the cushions dry and put away before the rain moved in....but for me--in that moment--- I was happy. I heard Grandma's sweet voice in my head say, "They used to say that when it rains while the sun is shining, it will rain at the same time tomorrow."  Sure enough, the forecast shows rain tomorrow afternoon.... 

I'll leave it that....

I hope this finds you all doing well and enjoying the beautiful summer....

More to come soon.
Krista

National Running Day

I started to blog about Easter and then saw on my Facebook that it is National Running Day... I had to research a bit to verify and sure enough, it is!

Source

While looking around on Google Images for that pictures above, I found these:



This is my favorite... I never thought I could run or that I even liked it........
little did I know that I would be addicted later in life!



So...if you're a runner or a jogger...tell me, why do you run?

Make and claim your badge... Share your reason... Make people aware of the day!

Happy Running Day!

Krista

It's been a month??

How? How on Earth has it already been a month without the amazing woman I got the honor of calling Grandma?? I cannot believe that Friday marked one month.  I think of her every day...many times a day..... .....but I still don't cry much.  I still feel dazed... I still feel like a piece of me is missing, but will return soon. I'm having a hard time accepting that it is for real.... not a dream, not a short break that will be over soon... It's real. It's life.

I've thought of many things that I wish I could ask her.... I think of the tough times she went through, of the parts of my life she won't be there for and how I will explain my grandparents to my own children some day. The toughest part for me is having that overwhelming feeling when I realize she won't be at family get-togethers. Dinners, parties, holiday events, reunions..... That's the toughest. Even in the short month, we've been together and planned a few family things and I immediately start thinking if there are steps leading to the door, how far is it for her to get to a restroom and what will the weather be like.... but it's all irrelevant now. That part of my life is missing.

On Thursday, I gave my students the writing prompt "I love..." One student came up to me and asked if he could write that he loved his grandpa even though he passed away. My eyes filled with tears while I looked at this five year old that understood life so well. It doesn't matter that they're gone.... We still love them. I shook my head and told him, "Absolutely!" We talked a bit more and I said, "Remember when I was gone for a few days last month? My grandma passed away and I had to take a few days off. I miss her every day, but I still love her." He got a grin on his face and said, "And I still love my grandpa." 

As much as my heart aches every day and my brain is trying to grasp the reality of everything, I know that I got 24 years with the most caring and compassionate woman that I will ever meet. I love her : )

Have a good Sunday... I'll be spending the evening at one of my grandma and grandpa's favorite places.... around a dinner table with family, making memories :)
Krista

The result of the last month in our house...

Reader Beware. These images may shock you..... haha

So... after Christmas, I wrote that I got the flu and it kicked my bootie for 5 whole days. While I was sick, Grandma got sicker and ended up back in the hospital with pneumonia, and you know what happened from that point.  Since I had the house all cleaned up for Christmas, I've done nothing else in this house.... a little laundry here and there... and a little cooking.... and that's about it. Cam does the dishes in our house (thank goodness!), so that's been taken care of, but not much else has been done in the last month...  I leave for work very early, drive nearly an hour to get there, work with 5 year olds all day, stay until 4 or later--sometimes 6 or after, run errands (and for days, we were at the nursing home or hospital until past bedtime), drive an hour home, eat some dinner and then I'm pooped. I've been going to bed by 9 every night...and to be completely honest....I just don't feel like doing anything. There's reminders of what's happened in the last month all over my house and I just want to escape it all right now. I'm not ready to accept it.

I've never been a good housekeeper (I like to keep my house 'lived in' hahaha) but it has just gotten crazy. Cam keeps asking if we're taking our Christmas trees down soon and my immediate answer is 'no.' I have no emotional desire to take anything down anytime in the immediate future. When you step into our house, you'd think it was December... my musical carousel is out, Christmas cards are hanging on the wall, mantle is decorated with greenery and lights...... all of which have a nice layer of dust on them.... Christmas tree is fully decorated.....there's a pile of wreaths in our front room that used to be on the front of our house (and are probably only down because they fell down)...... My furniture is rearranged since having a game night after Christmas and it was never put back.... Jars of ornaments are on the shelves and tables, and pine cones and pine slabs decorate all my flat surfaces...  And that's how it's going to stay for a while.


If my tree is still up and my house is still decorated, there's a part of me that feels like the past month HAS been a dream. She's not gone. Christmas is still around the corner and life will go on as normal.....







  So... after some contemplating, I decided to share this disaster with you.... these images may scare you.
  Welcome to the January Christmas Chaos in my home...clutter, Christmas, laziness, heartache.

This is the result of a couple who has had the last month of life like we have....

So, for those of you locals, if you drive by my house

and see the silohuette of a small Christmas tree in the front window, please don't judge....

We try to keep the curtains closed so people don't know it's still up...

Honest. This is my house right now...

and I've not shown you some of the worst areas (our bedroom and office.)

Have you gone running away from your computer screaming in horror yet?

It's nuts. It's crazy. It's embarrassing. There's areas with just piles of clutter that I haven't felt like messing it.

Gifts from students. Gifts from Christmas. Stuff from school. Misc stuff.

And there it lays...collecting dust...

Oh, and I haven't even gotten started on Thank You notes from the funeral. The only thing I've done is buy them... in lavendar....her favorite color. The cards have not been forgotten....just been pushed off for now.

I'm not crazy. I know she's gone. I'm not living in full denial. I'm not one of those people that won't change a thing after that person passes--- like the people who leave a bedroom the same for 40 years after their child passes away--- but my heart wants to push everything off for a while.... so Christmas will hang around at our house for a little while longer. The clutter can hang around, too. Right now, I'm enjoying the pure laziness. I'll get to it. Some time. Right now, I'm letting my heart and mind take a break.

Until Next Time...
Krista

Am I normal? Have others in my same situation done the same thing?   Or am I just lazy?

Loss

Last week, I suffered a huge loss. I'm trying to figure out what my emotions are right now and get my head back into this crazy thing called life. I don't know which way is up, if I'm coming or going, if I'm at peace with losing her or if there's a major melt down on the way, or if I grieved and mentally (and emotionally) prepared enough for this in the last two years that I'm more OK with all of it than I thought I'd be... Nothing in the last two weeks has affected me in the way I thought it would and I'm not sure what it all means right now. I'm just trying to sort out everything.....


I feel like it is all a dream....as if she's just staying in the nursing home for strength building again and will be home in a few weeks. We knew it was coming at some point in the near future, but it just came on so fast...

I'm at a loss with how to deal with the fact that I've not cried in five days now and have zero emotion with it all..... after crying so much for the first week of everything... the anticipation, the loss and the grief. Her absence was very apparent in the first few days and I cried a lot... but now I feel as though I'm oblivious to it all.

 Am I at peace knowing that she is with the love of her life?? Or am I in denial with the fact that she is gone? Personally, I think it's the latter of the two and that my heart is going to break soon. I'm fearing a total breakdown and it scares me.... How am I supposed to go on without such a huge influence in my life? There was so much more that I wanted to ask her... so much more to write down, document, and listen to...
Just so much more in general.




I've started to open Blogger several times in the last 2 weeks but couldn't make my fingers (or maybe it's my heart...) open a new post and start typing.... The act of doing so makes it more real for me.... She's gone. My grandma is gone. I've thought several times a day for the last week of things I want to ask or tell her...of stopping in to see her after work like I had done for weeks...of calling her to check on how she's doing..... and there's just nothing I can do.

I've talked about her, about losing her, about the funeral ....but I don't cry anymore.....It's like I'm just telling a story. I stand there, realizing that I'm emotionless at the moment...
I'm in a dream. A fog. A haze. I'm just lost. What's wrong?!?
 Even when I have a short moment of reality/pain/loss/missing her and actually cry a tear or two, the dream overcomes me again. I just want to cry about it...understand it... feel it....
This dream I'm living is crazy.
I want to feel the loss.
I want to grieve.

Christmas 2012

 When I can figure everything out, I'll blog again about her...
She was an amazing woman and I give credit to her for helping make me who I am today...
I'm just in robot mode right now....trying to figure life out...

Until Next Time...
Krista

It's who I am...Shy, Awkward, Anxious.

If you've only read my blog and never met me, you might picture me differently than who I really am. I try to portray a person of confidence and courage (not sure if I'm good at pretending or not...)..... But it's kinda a lie...

The real me? Shy......awkward.....anxious....

Some people that know me may call BS on this, but it's true.... The person I portray in public takes so much strength and my insides are in knots at social events.

I absolutely despise meeting new people. Despise it. I would be perfectly fine sitting with the people I know for a whole evening and not having to socialize with anyone new. That would just great! When I have to meet new people or get in a situation that makes me nervous, I start tripping over my words, don't finish my thoughts, and fidget....I sweat, my face turns red, and I can't make eye contact.....  That's the real me. A socially awkward mess. Even around family and close friends, I still find myself awkward.... The more I worry about my awkwardness, the more awkward I get.

I can type and text till the cows come home.... It's a way of hiding behind who I really am...




This is me....to a T...

*****Unfortunately, due to a new format, previous pins will no longer appear*****  These were awkward penguin pins... And they were good ones too :(









 

Help understand who I am??? As I read more and more of these "socially awkward penguin" pins.... I started wondering if I'm awkward because I'm considerate and respectful.

I fear saying the wrong thing.

I fear offending someone.

I fear making a fool of myself and changing someone's perception of me....

So... is it fear? OR is it the result of an amazing upbringing my two great parents that taught us to respect ourselves and others???

I'll leave that for you to decide but I'm going to believe it's the last one... either way.... Now you know me... I'm not a social butterfly... I'm a socially awkward wallflower...

Until next time...

Krista

Thoughts... Arrogance?

I pinned this the other day...

I pinned it with the tagline "Guilty.. I've talked about my half a lot" or something like that...

And I couldn't help but wonder... (I love that line from Carrie Bradshaw)... Why are athletes/runners seen as arrogant when telling about their achievements?? People tell when they're pregnant or when their child has a milestone, graduates tell when they have finished college and approached the job market, we all share new jobs or promotions, couples announce engagements... HECK! Fishers tell when they've caught the big one!...And these achievements are embraced with love and encouragement... excitement and questions.....so why on earth do runners seem arrogant for sharing an achievement like running 13 or 26 miles?!? We train for it. It's a part of our lives for a great amount of time....and it's a huge milestone, so why are we not allowed to talk about it just as other people talk about things going on in their lives?? I don't understand this stigma we get. Running is a part of life, just as is someone's job, parenthood or education.

Hey guess what.... I'm Krista and I ran a half-marathon. There. Ha.

Wor(ry).. What is it good for?

Ok... that's a corny title... and besides that, it's a stretch of the phonetics of the word anyway..... moving on.

I can't believe I'm sharing this. I've only shared this with one other person, but I find it necessary for me and anyone else that worries....Here's a peak into my every day brain...

I wake up and immediately think of what is it that I've been worrying about lately. All day, as soon as I realize I've quit worrying... it starts again. It's as if I don't want a minute to pass without worrying about whatever it is I'm worrying about incase it sneaks up on me and catches me off guard.... This is an all day thing... It might be something small or something huge... I'm just always worrying..

In the car, I worry about a car crossing the center line and hitting me head on.
In a public place, I worry about someone coming in and robbing the place or taking hostages.
While running, I worry about being kidnapped.
When eating something that I'm leary of, I worry about getting food poisoning or E.coli.
I worry about losing loved ones without getting to say good-bye.
I worry about my house burning down every time I start the dryer.
I worry about going broke.
I worry about never getting a classroom to teach in.
I worry about never having a baby of my own.
I worry about the impression I made on someone I encountered that day.
I worry about a tire blowing and me driving off the side of the road.
I worry about being stranded without cell reception.
I worry about breaking a tooth while I'm eating.

I worry all day, every day. I'm always worrying about something...anything.


*****Unfortunately, due to a new format, previous pins will no longer appear*****
I've pinned all the things about worry...











And I've read a ton of things about worry.....

It creates a huge shadow out of a tiny thing....
It's like praying for something that you don't want to happen....
It is the darkroom where negatives develop....


All of these things are great, but the worry continues.... I fear things that are not in my control. I fear powerlessness. I feel the worry increasing with age, as I understand more and more about life, and worry about how bad my worrying will be once I have children to worry about. I don't want to teach my children to worry like I do. I have to get this under control before I raise a family. I want to be in control of my life.

This week, I read about the connection of worry to anxiety. I don't know why, but the two never linked in my head before. I knew I was anxious a lot and had anxiety about many things, but realizing that I have anxiety nearly every awake moment of my day was something that shocked me. I have anxiety.

Dealing with anxiety has many approaches.... medicine is not an option at this point for me. I don't feel that my worry affects my every day life. I can go on through the worry. I just plan and think about what I would do in situations that may or may not every happen. Speaking of which-- one of the huge ways to overcome anxiety is to stop playing out situations in your head. Hello! That's me. I do it all day! Another is to accept the worry and let it go.... I'm not sure how to go about this one, but I'll try. Another way is to allow a certain amount of time per day to worry, and to write down your worries... I can try these too.

While reading about worry and its link to anxiety, I came across this:   Worry is the opposite of trusting God. It is simply a lack of faith. Worry replaced by Prayer equals Trust.

These words were crushing to me... I don't want to think of myself as someone who is against God. I was raised in a family that had a love for God and attended church. As a teenager, I attended a bible study a few evenings a week, read my bible, praised the Lord, and so on...... But the more I think... the more I realize that my worry did begin when my faith began to fall....

As more and more unfair things were thrown my way in life and I began to question life itself, my faith began to take a rocky path.... The unfair things led to circumstances that make my life difficult. Not having a teaching job leads to very little money in the bank which leads to worrying that I will go broke... See how the connections are made from my life to my worry?  Do I think that 'happiness' in all aspects of life would relieve the worry? No... there would always be something to worry about, but the drastic circumstances almost always seem to relate back to money... The worry about health/car accidents/not having a family/etc lead back to money because we couldn't afford many more doctors bills right now. I hope and wish that getting hired as a classroom teacher someday will help ease the worry.... easing the pain in my heart has to ease the worry...

Any way... back to my faith. I'll admit. It's shaky right now. Awful, I know. I don't want to be the person I am... I don't want to have the hard feelings on the inside that I have.... I want to be a person of faith. A person that others look to for the words they feel on the inside. Even though I'm dealing with a shaky faith, I still go to my study bible during difficult times... Here are some scriptures I found that had me in tears...

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.


Proverbs 12:25
Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.



Please join me on my journey of overcoming the anxiety and regaining my faith in Him and life.....




 

James 1:19

I believe in a higher power, pray and have faith.... at the same time, I'm trying to come to terms with where my life is and I'm struggling with the things coming my way. I'm trying to remember that good things come to those who wait and the Lord doesn't give us more than we can handle, but remembering all that gets very diffcult for me at times.... I feel as though I've paid my dues in life and played by the rules, but I'm not getting the things I 'deserve'. Probably a horrible way to think.... and I'm working on it...

In the last year, I feel my stress level raising higher and higher from all of this, and at the same time, my amount of worry increases. The stress and worry have lead to many bad moods and much edginess with my loved ones...mostly my husband. I'm quick to snap, judge, and fight back to some things he says lately.... After some down time, I remember that we are in this together and I say my apologies, but it seems to happen more and more often as time goes on... as life seems to get more difficult and unfair. (Again, I know... horrible way to think and I'm working on it.)

While scrolling through Pinterest (like I always seem to be doing!) this pin almost seemed to stop right in front of me. I read it and chills ran through my body.




Those are some words to live by.

Instead of being snappy and short with everyone, I need to remember this passage. Think things through with any open mind, and an open heart. Let go of the worry and stress and open my heart to allow more love to flow through me.

I grabbed a pad of post-its, wrote this down and stuck it on my bathroom mirror to read often throughout the day. This is my new way of thinking...

Until Next Time....
Krista

Thoughts from a runner...

Training for a half-marathon allows lots of thinking time... Many people see it as a mental therapy session since long train days can offer two plus consecutive hours of nothing but thinking... (It's free therapy!) In one run, my brain will bounce through so many ideas and subjects... but I solve the world's problems, mostly! haha


These are some things that I've noticed as a runner....

-- Active people are much more friendly.
-- I am more aware of my surroundings when I'm running--- the landscaping, the trees, the architecture, the people.
-- I fear dogs just as much as I thought I did. Being chased by them makes me feel like a scared kid!
-- I appreciate well kept sidewalks, yards and trees more than I ever imagined.
-- I'm grateful for people who allow me to cross the street in front of them at stop signs and such.
-- My body is stronger than my mind ever thought it was.


Until Next Time..
Krista

13.1 miles of thoughts...

For 13.1 miles, I thought...For me, that was 2 hours and 19 minutes of thoughts... That's a lot of thoughts....Mostly, I thought about what a first time runner should know before a race like this... things I read and asked before I started, and things I learned along the way.   Am I a professional?? Not in any way. These are only my thoughts and opinions.


To start....
Train, Train, Train. Do not go into a race such as half marathon lightly. It's a huge stress on your body.

Get the right gear. Runners spend money on good clothes and shoes for a reason!

Stay healthy. Eat and drink properly, take your medications/vitamins and listen to your body. An illness or injury can be a huge set back.




Pre-Race...
Practice what you are going to use, do, wear, eat, run on, etc... You shouldn't do anything new on race day.

Rest for the days leading up to the race.

Cardo Load and get lots of fluids the day before. (Your urine should not be yellow, but clearish.)

Organize--- make lists of what you want to remember to take for the race and lay things out the night before. You want to make sure that you have everything.



The Race...
Stretch before going into the corrals and lining up. You will more than likely pack in like sardines and not have any room to do so then.

Stay warm with extra layers that you can strip off, but put your bib on a layer that you know you will keep on. Once you're packed like sardines, you will stay warm!

When you strip down before the race starts, get your clothes/trash bags off of the street. People slower than you behind you (like me!) shouldn't have to leap over your trash bag that is blowing across the street. It's dangerous.

At drink stations, grab a cup and keep going. If you want to stop to drink, move out of the way. When you're done get your cup in the trash can or close to it. One extra second to aim a little better won't kill you. Save the volunteers extra time. Also, don't just throw your cup down anywhere you please. Again, those people behind you don't want to dodge cups in the street and definitely don't want water/Gatorade splashed on them. (yes, it happened to me!)  AND--- don't expect a volunteer to try and pour a cup of water in your little hydro bottle as you run by. It's rude and unreasonable--- and people behind you have to dodge you.

Make mental notes of all of the clever shirts and signs you see along the way. There will be some cute ones.

Bring your own calories. In the race I did, the table of gummies was empty by the time I got there, but luckily I had my own sport beans.

If you can, check your messages. I got so many encouraging text messages throughout the race. I loved reading them.

Take some pictures... Yes, it got me some funny looks, but I am so glad that I snapped a few quick pics with my phone!

Your brain may try to give out before your body does. Push through. You trained for this... you can do it!

Be appreciative of the volunteers and spectators. They are there to support you. Smile, nod, and thank them!

If you are running through a town or city, there will more than likely be some rough roads. We ran through an area in the midst of being paved, so there were uneven patches. We also ran over some sandy patches (slick!) and over many many many broken roads and pot holes. You have to be watching. A girl near me fell in a pot hole!

Don't worry about getting lost. Police have roads blocked and there will be signs, markings and volunteers to get you where you need to go! (More than likely--- motorists and pedistrians will be grouchy by blocked streets and sidewalks! Ignore them!)

Volunteers on bikes and golf carts will be coming through the area to check if anyone needs medical staff. Don't worry about being stranded with an injury.

Look around.... 13.1 miles is a long time to view the scenery. Take it all in.



Post Race...
Pose for pictures. You'll want them later.

Rest. Rest. Rest.

Ice Up.

Eat quickly after the race. Your body needs fuel.

Get a recovery drink--- they usually provide chocolate milk!

Rest some more.




Again... I am not a professional. These are my opinions and thoughts.


Happy Training!!

Krista

Thoughts....

Last week, I blogged about all the 'stuff' I'm keeping because of the memories it all reminds me of..... Last night, while watching the evening news, the reality of the east's devastation set in...... the pain... the agony... the heartache.


I watched families on the news digging through rubble of Superstorm Sandy trying to find anything they could take with them. Family photos waterlogged and ruined... Heirlooms destroyed.... And for some, all of their belongings, turned to ash.

I got the most emotional when watching a woman that had lived in her home for 34 years before losing it and 110 other homes in her neighborhood due to that devastating fire that broke out. While walking around what is left of her home that now stands about 2 feet tall and is nothing but ash, the search for something to take with her became contagious. When the news anchor found only a portion of a plate in the piles of ash, the homeowner became more than emotional.

A plate. She was thankful and grateful to have a piece of a plate to take with her. A plate she didn't even like.

Watch the Story


I cannot imagine.

Having nothing more than the clothes on my back and only a fraction of a plate.
Unimaginable...... Now, I cannot help but continue to think about why we keep boxes and boxes of momentos....

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow and in the days to come--- my heart goes out to all of those affected.

With a heavy heart...
Krista

Holding On...

This post is more of a ramble than a vent, thought or question......

After only two years since our wedding and me 'moving out,' my parents are excited to see that I'm finally clean out my bedroom at their house. (haha) At this point, I'm not throwing away much, just transferring to boxes to bring to my house and sort through. The goal is to get the bedroom cleaned out, furniture re-arranged, walls painted and the room looking like a guest room instead of someone's bedroom. But as I transferred drawer after drawer and shelf after shelf of 'momentos' I just kept wondering why we keep them.... Momentos. What purpose do they serve??

If you know me in person (not just in blogger world), you know that I am a huge sentimentalist. I am an emotional person and get easily attached to things because of what it reminds me of. I have kept a bunch of my old toys (along with my brother and sister) because it reminds me the innocent childhood fun we had. I have tags from Christmas that a gift from Cameron or my grandma. I have a notebook (ok.... notebooks) from school where all my girlfriends wrote notes on that back. The list goes on and on of all the stuff I've kept and become attached to.

But why?? Why do we keep this stuff? I started thinking about all this stuff and what I could to still preserve it for me later without taking all the room, but that started another problem. As I pulled them from the place that they've sat for years, I found myself touching them to remember how they felt... or smelling them to bring back that memory. Taking pictures of these things wouldn't do them justice, at least not most of them. It just wouldn't be the same.

I read that hanging onto momentos should be broken into four categories:

Would you grab it if your house was on fire?
Does is serve a purpose or have function in your home?
Do you hope to use it someday?
Does it make you happy?

Well... almost all of my stuff fits into one of these four categories and that's where my problem lies.... This stuff does make me happy. It all reminds me of a happy occassion and a simpler time... the beach, playing at my grandparents' house, grade school, and so on. Some of it I plan to use someday for my children and even a few things are so special that I would want to take them if my home was on fire..... Some of this stuff, I just can't part with right now.

So I guess for now, the boxes will be stacked in my basement until a time when newer things or things that belong to our children trump these in my sentimental mind....


Until Next Time..
Krista

Just a thought...

I am just curious.....why does society find it necessary to give 'career-themed' Christmas gifts???? Does a hair dresser really want a blow dryer ornament!?!??! No. Does a teacher want a teacher nutcracker?!?!? NO (And yes-- I saw one at Kohls!) Does a nurse want a nurse wall hanging?!?! NO. (I know, there are exceptions--- and some really do want these things, but most don't...) Useful things are understandble...pads of themed paper for note writing, for example.....but not decorations.We don't decorate based on our careers. I do not want apple baskets, apple paper weights, apple wall hanging, ruler boxes, crayon cups, school supply clocks or a vase wrapped in pencils....it's just goofy in my opinion. We are people too and love the 'normal' gifts just like anyone else does.

I'm not sure if Pinterest is helping with this or hurting it. I see such goofy teacher gift ideas on there and think, "That's just a waste. Not a teacher I know wants that." Maybe I'm rude by thinking this, but really.... Whatever your profession is, do you want your home decorated in it?? No? I didn't think so... and there's only so many places in a classroom to stick all the themed stuff.  I know, a gift is about the thought, but sometimes, don't you just want to say, "Whatever money you spent on this, I would have rather had the cash or that money spent on chocolate!" Ok, that would be really rude, but you get my point. Now don't get me wrong. Because I'm in education, most of the things I've noticed are teacher related...There are some really cute ideas on Pinterest for teachers that are useful--- cups full of pens or markers, candy jars with a giftcard inside, summer kits with a towel and magazine, personalized cups.... but why do people think that a gift for a teacher has to be themed? We like gifts and don't want it to necessarily be something for our classroom. We are people. We like a fun and thoughtful gift just like anyone else. We don't live at school and have plenty of glue sticks and pencils already in our rooms--- we don't need a cake made out of them. A basket full of school supplies is a gift for the room---not a gift thanking the teacher. If you want to do that cutesy basket, that's fine, but just donate it to the classroom.

So much of this stuff labeled as a 'teacher gift' is just not practical....thoughtful maybe, but not practical. Spending time wrapping little pink erasers to look like taffy... come on, are you serious?!? Besides the time you wasted, now an already stressed and tired teacher has to unwrap all of those...meaning that they will get set to the side and unwrapped in about a year when a volunteer parent needs something to do.

Maybe I'm totally out of line for thinking this, but I think most teachers would agree. You don't buy your hairstylist a box of foil and white towels do ya?? Do you buy your nurse some tongue depressers and bandaids? What about your mail man..do you buy a box of envelopes and stamps? Or how about your babysitter... do you get her a pack of hot dogs and a coloring book?? No. We don't buy other professionals a gift to help them do their job the next day....We buy them a gift because they're a person. We buy them a gift that's in their interest, not their career. Why does it make sense to some people to provide a teacher who spends countless hours busting her hump in her classroom, SOMETHING for her classroom??!?!


Ok... stepping down now.
Until Next Time..
Krista

PS: If you're one of the guilty ones who give "teacher gifts" and you want an idea for something else to give that hardworking teacher..... think of what you would give a friend--- purses, chocolate, gift cards, a pretty blanket, Tervis tumblers, a bag... a gift for the person, not the career.

Just a Thought

Can I vent for just a minute?? yes? Ok, thanks.

Around here, some of our McDonald's drive thrus have two lanes... Do ya'll know what I'm talking about? Ok... It's not two lanes all the way around the building, it's one lane that becomes a Y to two menu boards and speakers and then comes back together for one lane of windows. Anyway..... The one that I frequent (happens to be very close to where I work and I'm a sweet tea addict) has it set up like this. It actually has paint on the ground where the two lanes start.... but do people follow these??? no. of course not. Cars are always cutting the line and driving to the other lane before it's their turn to decide "lane 1" or "lane 2".

Side note: You know we all play that little game of trying to stereotype based on what we can see about what kind of order they're going to have and which lane will be faster. It's like that airport scene with George Clooney in "Up in the Air." Soccer mom vans with a couple of car seats mean orders with happy meals (lots of options to specify during the order) and she probably won't have her money ready...that just equals-- time consuming.

Anyway... back to what I was saying... I was once waiting in a VERY long line... I was about the fifth car back from where the line Ys when a car that was two behind me (7th in line!) cut the line and went up to the other side of the y--- therefore blocking the parking lot for people trying to drive around the building. I hope you can picture what I'm saying. It irked my tater and honked me off! If we all did that, what kind of a mess would the parking lot be in all the time?!?!

Ok... Just a thought... Why do people see situations like this as a time for 'special treatment'??!?!? There are rules, guidelines and procedures for a reason!   ugh.... again, am I just old fashioned?!?! I was brought up with respect and good manners... cutting line is not my thing!

Until next time...
Krista