Friends – Sentinel2Sentinel

Little side trips

Well, I shed a few tears today as the photographer came to shoot the house and when we signed the realtor agreement. It seems the last eleven years have simply flown by in a home filled with peace and joy and laughter and great food and friends and family.

Which reminds me. My friend, Connie, came by today. It was great to catch up on the things happening in her life with her family.

It was fun to pop by my other friend’s place. It was just my luck that I caught up with Nancy for a minute chat.

I have a play date with another friend, Michel, this weekend. I am so looking forward to meeting her Mini-me.

363/365

Time for Teething!

Little Charlie R.

My poor, little Charlie R. is truly suffering through the teething process today. His little rosy red cheeks, his teary eyes. It is just so terribly sad to see him feel badly.

He did not want to play. He did not want to be put down to walk around. He simply wanted to be held until it was lunchtime.

He managed to sit in his highchair nibbling on a couple of pita crackers while I fixed him some lunch. Must have felt good on those gums. He did well eating chopped up chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans with carrots, and a cup of milk. But the moment he was full, he immediately wanted to be held.

Like a little monkey, clinging around my neck, that is all he wanted to be. To be held.

So I cleaned him up and we went back to his room. I grabbed his blankey and held him while he figured out what he wanted to have happen next.

He was not necessarily cranky. He just sat on my lap chatting in his Charlie R. language about whatever it was he was talking about until twenty minutes passed and he fell asleep, clinging to me like the cheeky little monkey he is.

Gosh I love this little guy. Even on days like today.

318/365

A remembrance: Little Carolers

Just saw a post on my Facebook page about a little gift I had given to my friend for her family. It made me smile because I had forgotten about doing that but what a little happy thought, a kindly gesture of gratitude to #LightTheWorld that I live in.

I have the exact same thing only I have not put out my Christmas decorations this year. Just have not gotten around to it.

Thanks my friend. You made my day.

316/365

Singing in Church next Sunday

My friend, Tina, is a really great musician. She’s one in a million as far as talent goes so it is fortunate for me that we are members of the same congregation. She has agreed to accompany me while I sing in Chuch next Sunday.

We met together for a short run through after church services and to share ideas on the musical intro, interlude, and ending today. She had some fabulous ideas as she ran her fingers across the keys, ever so thoughtfully.

I am thankful to have the opportunity to sing Press Forward Saints. It is such a joyful hymn. It lifts my soul beyond measure.

Thanks Tina! You are wonderful, you are!

154/365

Zabars! Yep. Zabars!

My friend is on business in New York. Long Island to be specific. I asked if she was going to have an opportunity to go into Manhattan and as you can see she took my advice to check out Zabars on 80th and Broadway!

You can imagine my shock, my confusion when her husband handed me a bag from Zabars saying, “I have something to give you.”

Yep. Those photos are of my delectable gifts. And now you can imagine my absolute delight.

Thanks my dear, sweet Lindsay! That was an amazing, wholly unexpected surprise!

72/365

Whenever I hear the song of a bird…

When I came home from Church today there was a little Cardinal that flew across my path. He came out a bush, shooting upward to the crepe myrtle next to the driveway.

He made me smile.

My friend, Marva, if she was here, would have blown him a kiss and make a wish. And that thought of my friend made me smile too.

Then one of my favorite songs began to roll through my head. Yes, I know My Heavenly Father Loves Me.

57/365

The Spirit of Guns Out CrossFit

My teammates, all of them younger than me and way more involved in competitions than I am, had a friendly back and forth guessing game as to when and what this year’s CrossFit Games repeat WoD would be.

…And as competitive teammates sometimes are there was a little friendly WoD wager regarding what the winner would choose as a WoD for the loser to do.

…And of course there was an upping of the WoD ante as the final results played out in the process last week.

Then today was the day of reckoning. (dun-dun-dun!)

In exemplary fashion, Johnny-The Winner worked out with Keith-The Loser in an unquestionable show of Esprit de Corps.

I love my teammates.

49/365

CrossWriting: Forging Elite Cerebrations

Erin and Joe Walker 2017 — Erin & Joe Walker

It was great to see my friend Joe Walker at Guns Out CrossFit today. It has been a while because his schedule has changed so he works out at a different time now. In case you missed it, Joe is the guy who inspired me with the 365 daily render challenge he did and I just modified it to meet my skill set. We had a a moment to exchange thoughts and appreciations about 365 challenges even though his medium differs from mine.

Having only minutes, probably less than five, to chat it was great to quickly cover how we experience the same difficulties and joys with the time, joy, frustration, and discipline that daily postings take up in our respective creative processes.

Like today. For me it is simply about choosing one thing in my brain and then begin write about it.

When I first started, I thought I was going to die. I could not focus. I spent hours some days in front of the screen thinking What am I going to write about. It was like I was a boneless chicken, sliding off the couch. Other times it was begining and scrapping numerous starts to blurbs that ended up being flubs.

Then there was a day I wrote a thought but forgot to press publish. Another day, several days in fact, I forgot to tag pieces and/or categorize articles. The lamest was misnumbering pieces and forgetting to number them at all.

Today I told Joe that I was on article 34 even though I am tracking things on a spreadsheet and in fact, today is Day 44. Hard to believe it let alone remember it.

There are days when a short post is the best I can throw together. There may be days when it is a hurried last minute post or, on rare ocassion as in yesterday, a post may done fairly early. It is just about the discipline of posting something every day.

What has been great about this experience so far is how quickly I am able to put things together in such a short time, but more so the joy in accomplishing the daily challenge.

It is like CrossFit for writing. It is #CrossWriting: Forging Elite Cerebrations.

44/356

If you only knew how many things…

One of my favorite lines from the television production of ANNE OF GREEN GABLES comes from Anne Shirley:

I know I chatter on far too much but if you only knew how many things I want to say and don’t.

That is how I feel as I sit to write on day 43/365. I have a bazillion thoughts just running through my mind so I am simply going to write. Do not worry. I will not think them all out on paper.

That reminds me. You know Jonathan Crombie died. Totally broke my heart, such a young fellow. Colleen Dewhurst, passed away several years ago and so did another favorite in the mini-series, Richard Farnsworth, who’s death was crushing to hear of when it happened.

I totally love that particular cast, having watched that particular series beaucoup times. It was the most absolutely charming production. Just delightful.

Okay, so back to some other thoughts.

I received a wonderful suprise in the form of a book. It is titled A PARTICLE OF FAITH by Jason A. Densley and was told he has a second book coming out. I forgot the title of the next book but it does not matter because first things first. This book must be read first therefore it is on this week’s to do list.

This weekend was, what is called in my Cburch, Stake Conference. The theme, YOUR NEXT STEP. was the same one from the last Stake Conference, held in October. A great theme, the speakers had the opportunity to teach doctrine from many perspectives on how to improve oneself with the continued focus on how to draw nearer to Heavenly Father, feel the healing power of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to recognize, then obey the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

The testimonies that were shared by those who accepted assignments to speak were awe inspiring. And though I am practically perfect in every way (thank you Mary Poppins – no comments from the peanut gallery), the sweetest feelings of encouragement to become a more disciplined follower of Christ filled my heart.

It was a fabulous Sabbath day.

If you want to learn more about the role of the Holy Ghost and how to seek learning by study and faith, just click those links!

And my last thought is from an inspiring sermon titled JOY AND SURVIVAL by President Russell M. Nelson, an internationally renowned surgeon and medical researcher.

“When the focus of our lives is on Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives.”

43/356

17.3 WoD today and only today

I came. I saw. I did the 17.3 Open WoD. Uh, and I do not look anything like this when I did my #LOGHL Scaled version. It is one of those WoD’s that I do not want to do again to better my score. Then again, I could change my mind by Monday. (I can hear my Coach’s ting already in my head.)

That duly noted, thanks to my wonderful Coach Charles for letting me be the last person and for staying to coach me through the process. Special thanks for treating me like like a serious competitor, even when I was rolling my eyes and snark-laughing to myself.

The great news is my Coach/teammate Susan Thomas, was really happy with her WoD results when she saw the btwb press Preliminary Analysis!

Yeah, I am at the other end of her score – the way other end. With only two more WoDs to go I have a chance to come in higher than last place. Well, at least I hope not last!

Susan will keep going, hopefully, to Regionals if she keeps up her great pace! I am truly rooting for her to break into the top 100 for the 2017 finals!

42/365