Sunday, January 31, 2010

Friendships

Just me and a couple "friends" of mine. They were a little tough to put my arms around, though. I almost got a paper cut. ;) ------------->
Have you ever known someone who you didn't hang out with a lot in your life, but he/she still was considered a friend and not an acquaintance? Well, I'm giving Greg a SHOUTOUT tonight because he's one of those people that I had that kind of friendship with. In my vanity, I would like to think that he thought I was irresistible from afar and was afraid to be more than a friend, blahblahblah, but seriously, he really was one of the nicest guys I knew. He is now happily married, and just by chatting with him, I've never seen him happier.
I have had a few friendship experiences today. The above was one of them via FB, and I also had a great chat with my girl Carol on the phone, my girl Bree via phone, whom I have to apologize for being all defensive and testy for wanting to roll my eyes and bicker with, and my girls LuAnna and Michele. The former and I painted a room together and ran to the mall, and the latter and I went to Target and chatted all the way through there, the pho takeout, and the gas station before I dropped her at home. Just a fun day overall.
I'm so fortunate to have wonderful friends and acquaintances that have impacted me in so many ways. Trying to name them all would take a lot of page, but YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!
What unexpected friendships have you had in your life? How have they impacted or changed you?

"It is better to be in chains with friends , than to be in a garden with strangers."
-Persian Proverb


Saturday, January 30, 2010

I've got the calendar in my hot little hand!



She-Woman------------------------------------------------------>
Hi!
I'm writing on my calendar the days I'm going to be doing my exercises. I miss exercise
so much, but it's so hard to motivate. My friend Linda got me a Twilight calendar for Christmas, so I've decided to write my exercise on there to make sure I do it. I know I'll feel like She-Woman when I do. Keep me in those great thoughts!!

So, my calendar is going to be my motivator. What motivates you?

gh

Friday, January 29, 2010

Digging Deep


Tonight I went to a birthday dinner for my friend Christine. SHOUT OUT!! Anyhoo, I drank two strong drinks, ate nachos, and ended it with bread pudding.
So much for MY LIST!!!
So, back to the list. I am going to follow the advice of my co-worker/personal trainer, and do the exercises she gave me. I even am going to put them on my Twilight calendar that my friend Linda gave me for Christmas. I'm so glad she's enabling my obsession. SHOUT OUT!!
I really want to start taking the exercising seriously again. I'm tired of not doing it but have such a tough time motivating myself to do it.
BIG THANK YOU TO KIRSTEN FOR KICKING ME IN THE BUTT!!
So, the question of the week is, if you had the right motivation, whether it be an outside person, entity, or goal where money or anything else was no object, what would you do or achieve?
Dig deep for that answer. :D
Love ya!!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Ego Trips

Here's what I looked like after my tif w/ my co-worker.------------>


So, today at work I got into a disagreement with a co-worker regarding a procedure that we disagreed with each other on. Funny thing is, is somehow I started feeling egotistical and pissed that she kept arguing with me, even though I knew I was in the right.
I get so tired of arguing that I just throw my hands up and say FINE. I'm mad I did it, though. She said that she had a couple people to back her up, which was fine, but I knew from past information and even our manuscript that I was in the right. WHATEVER! I sometimes wonder why I never stand up for my beliefs and why do I sometimes think that someone's right when they could be wrong?

Have you ever had that happen? How did you stand up for yourself?
SHOUT OUT TO CAROL!! LOVE YOU!!

P.S. After I cooled off, I went to Twitarded and found this fanmade vid! (cut and paste, cuz I'm not that savvy yet.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q-t7HE5sAk&feature=player_embedded

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Pondering

I want to protect you so much that I beg you to do your list. Don't follow me...just do it. (I'd like to think that's what Eddy REALLY said to Belly.)----------------------------->

Hey! So, I'm feeling bi-polar today. Mostly happy, but sadness seeps through about Julie. I think of her wonderful daughters and hope that they, along with their dad, can get through this and remember all the greatness!

Don't have much to say, but just felt like saying something. Tomorrow I'm going to "Bill's off Broadway" to sing and enjoy good music (9pm, if anyone's interested) and possibly have a piece of yummy pizza. How's the List going?
Shoutout to Carol! Hope your metabolism thingy's doing well! If you haven't noticed yet, I can be quite vague. I've said "thingy" ever since I can remember.
My List is not that great. I'm really working on that water, and my belly's telling me to start exercising again so it can firm up. Seriously, working out, even for 20 mins a day like I used to do was awesome (or EMOSEWA) for my upper body!!
SO GET CRACKIN'!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!
Love to all!
Gretchen

Friday, January 22, 2010

Losing a Friend


“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh," he whispered.

"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw, "I just wanted to be sure of you."”

Today I found out that my friend Julie passed away from breast cancer on Sunday.
Julie and I hadn't spoken to each other for 2 years, making me wonder if I would have been considered her friend anymore.
We had children who were friends, and through them, we would all do things together. Children grew apart, thus, Julie and I didn't do as much together.
I can't revere her and say that she was someone I knew inside and out. I didn't. I know she liked a good Margarita, angels were collectible, and she had a great Minnesota accent!
She's one of those people, though, that I would think of often. Julie was about 10 plus years older than I was, even though our kids were the same age. I liked the way she raised her kids, which made me look up to her. I wanted to be a mom to my daughter like she was to hers. When I felt like a was overbearing and controlling, I remembered a bit of advice she gave me. "Let them know what the limits are and then trust that they respect them."
For the last 3 months, I've thought of her off and on. I told her daughter 2 weeks ago that I would call and see how she was doing. Today, I finally made that phone call.
SO! My question to you this week (for 5 points) is, if you knew that you didn't have much time left with someone, even someone you don't speak to often, what would be something you'd want to do with that person?

Micah 6:8

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

TODAY'S THE DAY!!!


Hi! All Bright-eyed and bushy tailed after a long night at a 100 Monkeys concert! DD was so tired that she didn't want to stick around for autographs!! She even said that THE JONAS BROTHERS wouldn't have made her stay. Oh well. I liked them so much that I'm catching their act in Portland!!
Okay, so this is the day to officially start THE LIST!!! I have decided to drop the one on the other blog because ADD tends to make me paralyzed if I take on too much, and doing my own AND trying to follow someone else makes me freeze.
This week's 5 points iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis........
What drives you to accomplish tough things? This can be a messy room, a goal that is hard to achieve, or even fears that you have.....LET ME KNOW! I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours!!!

Love,
Gretchen

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Procrastination


------------------------------------->This is Lacey, doggy daughter of friend Carol. Isn't she sweet? This is on a fishing boat on Lake Crescent where she and her hubby Mark like to fish. Lake Crescent is beautiful and quiet, and Lacey is so sweet! This is a nice pic to reflect on when the day is tough or tiring. :D


Hello Darlings!!
Because tomorrow is a holiday, we will start the wonderful List (I think that's what I'm going to call it from now on) on Tuesday.
Home from TwiHardLand! Good times! I'll post a pic or two when my darling daughter finds the thingy to upload photos from her camera. AWESOME JOB ON THE PICS!!
SHOUT OUT TO FRANK! aka Daddy Carlisle!!! GET GOING ON YOUR WEBSITE!!!!
Cheers.
Since it's Sunday, and I'm really trying to concentrate on doing more Bible verses, I will leave an inspiring one that my friend Jill sent me in a time of need and high anxiety. ;)

33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:33and 34

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Ready for Monday?


So, I'm sitting at the Westin-Seattle in the lobby after not following my list that I posted. Since I'm trying to follow it on the other blog, I'm feeling confused....not really, but it's a good excuse for not following it, right?
Anyway. I'm at a Twilight get-together with some friends and I'm having a blast. Not too impressed w/ the whole Twilight convention thing, but there are a couple more events to go, and I've gotten to see some great stars, so it's all good! I've been so busy this past few weeks that I'm so glad that this weekend and the first part of this week is going to be over.
Anyway. I think that I'm going to quit collecting Twilight paraphernalia--maybe. You know what? I'm going to quit blogging now because I had a Washington Apply Martini, and I seriously think it's going to my head. I promise to have something more meaningful and inspiring on my next blog. :D
Oh, for Monday-My favorite life quote ever!!!
If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced. -Vincent Van Gogh

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

New Year Resolutions? ICK!!!


This pic shows what I think of New Year's Resolutions------------->
I don't like New Year Resolutions, but I'm doing a cool thing on another blog that I'm going to try here for my friends. This is something that can take such little effort, yet, I'm seeing that there are things in my day that I don't take the time to do. Thanks to emmeloohoo on Letters To Twilight Blog (seriously people, are you REALLY surprised that I found this on a Twilight Blog??), I'm really going to try to take these little details that she gave us and use them. They are so realistic that I'm willing to do this and know that I can succeed in some things. However, I still haven't mastered drinking 64 oz water. My lips get chapped and my 7 hours of required sleep gets interrupted. I'm working on it!
The 10 things to do on a daily basis are:

1) 20 mins physical activity that gets your body going.

2) 20 mins of time OFF computer or TV that's productive (I'm going to do Bible study time, for example--no Twilight for me on this, hehe)

3) Eat 3 fruits or 2 veggies/day.

4) 64 oz water.

5) Give someone an unsolicited affirmation.

6) Eat only up to 2 small treats/day.

7) Don't eat after 10pm.

8) Be ready for the world by 11 am.

9) Sleep 7 hrs/night.

10) Respond once a week to my weekly post, which will count as 5 points for the week.

You do this 5 days a week because the ones who want to do it so far are superbusy people! If you want to stay in the habit, by all means, keep it up. We will count up points on March 17, cuz you need that day off for Green Beer (or Green sparkling apple cider, maybe?) and if you want to continue, we will go from there!
Please remember that this is very realistic and it's okay to start slow! This is meant to get you into a habit that is good for mind, body, and spirit!

Okay, since we're not officially starting until Monday Jan. 18, you get 5 extra points by responding to this blog this week by letting me know who you are and the toughest challenges on this list are going to be for you. HAVE FUN!!!! IT'S REALLY WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!!

CHEERS!!
Gretchen