I Finally Wore Myself Out

... and it was just what I needed!!!

I had a fabulous day yesterday. I got a fair amount of stuff accomplished including making a nice meal for my family. It felt really good. I also accomplished several meaningless... errr productive tasks that made me feel like I'm actually living again instead of just existing. That means a lot to me and I'm really looking forward to seeing things start fitting back into place.

I will admit that I think I both mentally and physically exhausted myself yesterday but I knew when 8:30 rolled around and I was tired, that it was just what my body had ordered. (For those that maybe don't know... pre-surgery I usually went to bed between 8 and 9 PM every night. I'm just one of those people that need that 8-10 hours of good quality sleep to be in prime working order and I've done it my entire life.) Anyway, I slept about 9 hours solid and it really was the best sleep I've had since surgery. I was just out and I've awaken this morning feeling truly rejuvenated.

It's still very early in the day but my mind in clearer this morning than it has been in weeks. I like being able to sit here at my laptop and words just flow to my fingers. I have struggled with this fog enough the past few that it just feels good to be feeling normal.

I think I will have to take it relatively easy today because I don't want to go reverse by overdoing it too often in a row but if this is any indication, I have a feeling things are starting to look even more up in the days to come.

Well, just a short and sweet blog post. Who knows, maybe today will be another good day and I'll get some more of my surgery blogs written.

*huggles and God bless*

Stop and Watch the Leaves

Ok, so it's usually "Stop and Smell the Roses" but this isn't exactly the time of year to do that. So instead, I will send you a challenge and then tell you my story. I want you to take some time this week to stop and look at all the trees and their changing colors. I want you to watch the leaves fall to the ground and not dread having to rake them. I want you to watch as each little leaf makes its journey through the air to the ground. Finally, if you do have leaves to rake, I want you to rake them up into a pile and toss some into the air letting them fall onto you like you did as a child. So tell me, are you going to take my challenge? If you did, tell me about it.

Today I was waiting patiently for someone and I noticed the rapid speed at which the leaves were falling from the trees. I quickly became lost as I watched them. Some leaves fell quickly to the ground like lead weights but others floated through the air, gently fluttering as they fell to their destination.

After watching them for a good 10 minutes, I got out of my car and stood under the tree and laughed as the leaves fell down around me. Some would land in my hair, others would find their way to the top of my car, and one had the audacity to thunk me in the head. I'm still trying to figure out what hit me that hurt so much but luckily it didn't give me a bruise... yet.

It was so surreal standing there watching the leaves and it made me feel good about being alive. Even though I've been enjoying things like the full moon, a gentle spring rain, and the power of lightening all my life, I've never really stopped to watch the normal, subtle things in life. The leaves falling are just one of many of these.

Sometimes, in our busy lives, we need to remind ourselves of the small miracles of nature that occur around us all the time. I also realized, standing there under the catalpa tree, that even the small things in life have a lesson attached to them. The leaves looked so beautiful and free as they fell to the ground to return to the earth in which gave them life. There was no fear, no remorse, just beauty. I told myself, as I stood there in the slowly piling leaves, that I wish for my own end to be as beautiful and free. Most importantly, I know that if I continue to look at the positives in everything tossed my way, I will accomplish this goal when the time comes.

Remember, we all will have a time in which we will have to face death. Will you be able to face it with no regrets, no fear, and accept the beauty of eternity?

I've Been in Picture Mode

Ok, I've added a few pics around my blog and in particular on the entries for October 5th. However, in doing some poking around I found some more pics that are definitely my paradise.

The Sunrise on the left was taken on our property overlooking our land.




The flowers is from my old house and is one of my favorite landscaping set-ups that I've had.






This is my son, carving his first pumpkin. I don't think he's working hard on it do you?Last but not least. With the man himself... Phil Vassar.

A symbol of My Paradise

Well, paradise can be many things to many people. The picture to the right is a small token of my paradise. The picture is taken from my front porch on the night of the harvest moon this year. John came home that night saying that it was beautiful and he was absolutely correct. You can see that the clouds are moving towards it and gives a perfect October eeriness about it.

October is perhaps my favorite month because of the beautiful colors of the trees, the cool yet not cold air, and the beautiful scenes such as the picture above. Not only that, October is the month of Halloween and it is my favorite holiday. I will probably attach more pictures of "my paradise" throughout the next few years.

I'll leave you with one final picture of my paradise, my loving family.

Don't Sweat the Small Things

My son and I were sitting at the table talking last night and he asked me what my favorite song is. As we talked about it I realized this question really isn't all that simple. I'm not afraid to say that my current all-time favorite song is "Just Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Vassar. Why? Because it reminds you not to sweat the small things in life. You see, little things in life happen and you just have to make the most of it and move on. Who cares if the milk went bad on you? (Don't think about the $3 a gallon price tag when answering this.) So you are late... big deal we can still make it special. It's the little things, both good and bad, that sometimes make the special memories.

Whenever I feel myself getting extremely stressed and just want to throw in the towel, I think of this song. It reminds me that nothing else matters because you are here, you are alive, and you have your family beside you. No one is perfect, things don't always go your way, and some day you really will look back and laugh. Take the time out each day to make something special of a "small thing". Laugh just because, give a hug, call a friend you haven't talked to for a while, or give a stranger a smile. Most of all remember that "it is just another day in paradise."

So now my challenge to you... What song seems to speak to you when you hear it? I'm anxious to hear what songs mean the most.

Again credit is given where it is due. "Just Another Day in Paradise" is a song written by Phil Vassar. You can hear it on his web page at: http://www.philvassar.com/