Saturday 6

1. What is more important to you: your relationship with yourself or your relationship with those who are close to you?

Wow, that is a good one. It should probably be my relationship with myself because we need to accept ourselves the way we are before we can have a truly good relationship with someone else. But for me my relationship with those close to me is more important. Why? Well, I think because I want those close to me to be happy and it is important to me that our relationship stay close and happy.

2. Which of the above do you tend to have the least problem cultivating?

I believe I have the least problem cultivating my relationships with those close to me. I get along well with just about everyone and I am a giver, not a taker and that seems to be what works for me in relationships.

3. Something goes wrong in your life. Of the people you are most likely to turn to, are they the same gender as you or the opposite?

Most of the people I would turn to are the same gender. I only have one really good male friend outside of my husband.

4. Something goes wrong in a close friend’s life and you’re the person that friend chooses to call first. Is that person likely to be the same gender as you or the opposite?

Considering most of my friends are women then it would be the same gender.

5. Take the quiz: What Makes You a Good Friend?

You Are a Good Friend Because You're Supportive

You are almost like a life coach for your best friends. You give them help when they need it... but you also know when to give them a push. People tend to rely on you for moral support and advice. You've probably always been mature for your age, so this is a role that's you're comfortable with. A friend like you is one of the rarest kinds. You are both a good mentor and companion. Your friends need you most when: They are confused or worried You really can't be friends with: Someone who only wants to complain Your friendship quote: "The only way to have a friend is to be one."

What Makes You a Good Friend?

6. What single trait listed in the response to question #5 would your closest friend most agree with?

People tend to rely on you for moral support and advice.

Weekly Wrap Up

Well, I am so glad to be home. Not that being in Dallas was bad, I just hate to be away from home without hubby. We love to travel together and that is as it should be in my mind.

At the Dallas VA Medical Center you have to do a lot of walking to get any where so my feet were pretty sore by the end of the week. Then yesterday I just picked the wrong shoes for our outing of shopping and all. So, my feet were pretty tired by noon and I was wore out from it. But we had a good day together.

I left the person that will be in charge of payroll at the VAMC in Dallas with a little more knowledge than she had when I got there, but we went over so much I am just not sure what she will remember and what she will not. Of course I am always available by phone, I just hope some of what we spent time going over will be helpful. That office is a mess and it was very sad to see what has happened there in the year since I left.

My husband and I have talked about it and we are 99% sure that if an offer is made, as it is supposed to be than we will accept it. When I left they had the position at the resource committee for approval. I believe the position already exists in some format so we shall see. The VA nationwide is having budget issues this year so only certain jobs are being hired for across the country. Being with the VA for 18 years I know how it all works and know if it does not happen now it can in the new FY, so we'll just wait and see.

When I got home hubby had cleaned the bed linens, vacuumed and dusted and straightened the kitchen. He is such a good man. He had even come all the way home from work to make sure the linens were done and change before picking me up and coming home was a little out of the way. You just have to love him, you know?

So, that is my week. This week I go to D.C. for a couple of days and get to see an old friend the last evening I am there. So, yeah, dear hubby will be by himself again this week, but it is only two nights compared to four. I don't usually do all of this traveling for work, but stuff just hit like that this time.

I hope you all have a good week ahead...and take some time for yourself...it is so important.

Quick Note

Hi Bloggers...I am kind of out of pocket so I have not had time to blog. I have a couple of minutes before I head out to dinner with some friends so I wanted to do a post real quick.

I am in Dallas this week helping out a payroll office I used to supervise. Having dinner with old friends while I am here, getting to the hotel late and then doing work from my real job at night so I have not been much up to posting something after that.

They want me to come back here and it looks like I just might. I should know something more official in the next week.

So, don't give up on me. I'll be back full swing soon. If I can do a meme tonight I will.

Hugs to all!!

Sleeping with Bread

Last week was very interesting. It made me examine what I really want and what is best for my immediate family, which is my husband and I. I have thought that I wanted to move to Georgia to be closer to my family. I would love to see them at least once a month. This last week however has presented a different path, which we have had to really analyze and determine which is the best. One is much better for us financially and the other is a very uncertain path. As much as I want to live in Georgia, finding a job there seems to be the difficult thing at this time. We only moved to Mississippi to be closer to family; other than that there is nothing else here for us. So, we could stay here, waiting for a job to show up in Georgia and being unhappy here or we can seriously look at this other offer, and make this our last move. So, last week was a good week in that it made me analyze where life is going for me and figure out if I go with the offer that moves me from here, how will I come to terms with that where family is concerned. We would be closer to my sister-in-law, which would be nice and further from my parents, brother and brother-in-law. In the end there is no perfect solution, it is just which one is easier to live with. No decision yet, but it was a week of digging deep and that is always good.

100th Post ~ 100 Things About Me

Okay, so my bffl tells me I have to do this 100 things about me that you may not know…100, geesh…it will take forever and I don’t even know if there are 100 things that people don’t know about me since I am such an open book…But I will give it a try…So, here we go…

1. I love Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches

2. I tried my first cigarette when I was 7. You can blame that on my uncle who was 10 at the time.

3. I used to play softball and basketball.

4. I learned to crochet when I was 10.

5. I was born in Maryland

6. I have an ancestor that was part of the infamous James Gang.

7. I like the color sage green in my bedroom.

8. I have a red couch.

9. I like mustard on cheese pizza. (Really good on those little frozen pizzas that are so bad for you.)

10. I love all types of texmex and traditional Mexican cuisine.

11. Pink has become my favorite color, though I still like purple a whole lot too.

12. I had Scott Baio’s picture on my wall as a teen.

13. I some how have gained patience in the last few years.

14. I am a type A personality according to all of those tests I have taken at leadership seminars.

15. I am what the Department of Veterans Affairs calls a subject matter expert on payroll at the VA.

16. I once visited Dachau.

17. I have been to an opera.

18. I love to go to off-Broadway shows.

19. I am gullible.

20. I love pumpkin pie.

21. I love Peanut Butter and Honey sandwiches

22. I was a girl scout.

23. I had an essay published in Germany in the Department of Defense Seeds and Serendipity book of poems and essays form students in Europe in the 80s.

24. I was able to know both sets of my grandparents

25. I am related to Bob Bondurant the race car driver. (my mom’s side of the family)

26. I love to fish and am more patient at it than my husband.

27. I eat lunch every day with my husband….me at work in my office and him sitting in the car with me on the cell phone.

28. I attended 1^st grade in New Mexico .

29. I have been to the Hoh rainforest.

30. I love Peanut Butter and Nuttella sandwiches (okay, I just love peanut butter)

31. I have seen a whale jump out of the water.

32. I love to scrapbook.

33. I used to be a Creative Memories Consultant.

34. I have a brother.

35. I do not take compliments well.

36. I do not tolerate men who belittle women.

37. I am an outspoken person and have no problem stating what I think.

38. I am learning to love almond butter as much as peanut butter.

39. I was once an Amway Independent Business Owner.

40. I love the Amway Brand products.

41. I love quiche.

42. I hate blue cheese.

43. I am a recovering Catholic.

44. I don’t do well with conflict.

45. I am very empathetic.

46. I have found a home in the Unity Church.

47. I used to sing in a choir (those poor people).

48. I once sold Tupperware.

49. I have 11 nieces and nephews, though sadly one left us to early.

50. I was a tomboy for much of my childhood. (you should see my knees)

51. I built an igloo with my brother and neighborhood friends one winter in Germany . It was there for weeks.

52. I used to run through the farmers corn in Germany .

53. I am allergic to most animals.

54. I have a bird, cat, and dog.

55. I love to wave to people I don’t know when we drive around town.

56. I love to laugh.

57. I love coconut rum.

58. I love Philadelphia pretzels.

59. I went to 4 different high schools.

60. I love to cook.

61. I like all types of crafts.

62. I once sold Avon .

63. I have a piece of the Berlin Wall.

64. I went skiing in the Alps when I was 11.

65. I had my tonsils out when I was 12.

66. I left Germany for the last time when I was 13.

67. I started a real estate course, but never finished.

68. I have a large green Phillie Phanatic.

69. I color my grey/white hair religiously.

70. I have a very good memory.

71. I used to eat onions as if they were apples when I was a kid.

72. I did not know how to pretend when I was little. Mom had to teach me how to have a tea party.

73. One of my most favorite books I read as a kid was Archy and Mehitabel by Don Marquis.

74. I consider myself at the core of Generation X. I was 2 months old when Sesame Street started. I was 7 when the first Star Wars was released and I was 11 when MTV first aired.

75. I loved school and still do. (So, we ask why did she never finish and get a degree?)

76. Making a cold call on the phone frightens me more than speaking to a large audience.

77. I have never smoked pot.

78. I love board games.

79. I love to travel, but not for work.

80. I have broken both of my ankles. (not at the same time thank goodness)

81. I love to sleep in a cold room with lots of blankets and my foot sticking out to radiate heat.

82. My favorite vegetable is spinach.

83. I cry at the drop of a hat. (and sometimes this pisses me off as I perceive myself as a strong woman and cry at times when I need others to have that perception of me)

84. My first concert was out door and it was to see Kool and the Gang.

Discover Kool And The Gang!

85. I have seen every episode of Farscape.

86. I have parents that have been married for 41 years, which is rare in this day and age.

87. My favorite music is Golden Oldies and 80s Music.

88. My favorite music group of all time is The Four Seasons.

Discover The Four Seasons!

89. I have only been on a horse once in my life...and I loved it.

90. I dream of writing a fantasy novel some day.

91. I didn't get my drivers license until I was 21.

92. I hate shopping. (my husband loves it)

93. I have few very close friends.

94. I love going on dates with my husband.

95. I support gay marriage.

96. I love hot chocolate.

97. I have never been to a psychic, but would like to.

98. When I was little the family called me Sissy.

99. I love sushi.

100. I like to write snail mail to friends and family still.

Saturday Nine~The First Apartment

1. Where had you moved from?

I moved from my parents house into my first apartment. Though they lived in an apartment in the same complex.

2. Describe your first apartment.

It was a two bedroom townhouse style.

3. How old were you when you had your apartment?

I was 20.

4. Did you have roommates? If yes, tell us more.

I had a roommate. She and I had known each other since we were 13. This should have been a good partnership, but we were both young and immature. We had a rule not to let guys spend the night, but one morning I discovered a man had been in the house while I was walking around without clothes on and called her on the answer machine hollering for her to be out before I got home. Stupid move...but I was young...Thank goodness I matured and she and I are friends again. Actually we picked up within a year or so after that incident.

5. What was your place of employment then?

I worked for the Department of Army as a Military Personnel Clerk at the time.

6. How were you finances at the time?

Well, they were better than most, but still tight. I was young and liked to spend money I did not have. Still trying to stop that, doing much better these days.

7. Tell us about a lover who spent a night there.

I had a guy in my life that I would make out with and a former boyfriend in Korea that I would call all the time...that is where my money went...but I never had a guy stay the night.

8. Tell us about a band you listen to then. (You can cheat. Look it up.)

I listened to Warrant and New Kids on the Block.

Discover Warrant!

9. How long did you live there and why did you move from there?

I think I lived there for about 6 or 7 months. I moved back in with my parents for money reasons. It would allow me to save and help out my parents.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Enough with the _____.

Enough with the Excuses. Everyone has them. Instead of just yeah...it happened...and moving on...there is an excuse...please!!!!!!!!

2. _____ causes me to be conflicted.

Abortion causes me to be conflicted. I personally cannot support killing a child, however, and my mom and I could not come to terms on this...I do believe that if I had a young daughter who is raped and becomes pregnant form that rape and she just could not get past the rape to see the joy of the child she was carrying and just wanted to end the pregnancy I would support her in that decision. I would do everything in my power to educate her on her options and try to help her see the blessing that was created from such a horrible experience, but in the end if she felt she just could not carry the child to term I would support her in ending the pregnancy. I believe that some women/girls just would rather live with knowing they ended a life then having the reminder of the rape.

3. I've been craving _____.

I've been craving a good German dinner.

4. _____ makes me laugh.

My husband makes me laugh. We have the best times together. We can spend the whole evening at home together, doing nothing special and laugh on and off all night long.

5. I wish I could go to _____ next week.

I wish I could go to Hawaii next week. It is the best place I could think of right now weather wise.

6. _____ has been on my mind lately.

Having children has been on my mind lately. I don't know if it will ever be possible biologically and at 40 I don't know if I want a baby, though it would have been nice to have had a child from my own blood. But I want to get my life in order so that in the next 1-2 years we can adopt an older child.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _____, tomorrow my plans include _____ and Sunday, I want to _____!

And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing, tomorrow my plans include chatting with my bffl and Sunday, I want to watch the Eagles WIN the NFC Championship!

I Want...Wednesdays

I have not done one of these in awhile and even though I currently don't have children and unless we finally adopt we will never have children I still wanted to do this one.

What do you want to teach your (Current, future, or fictional) children.

Never having been a parent there are so many things I have dreamed of that I would have liked to have taught my children. My mom always taught us we could be/do anything that we set our minds to and I would have reiterate that to my children. It upsets me when I see families that hold back their children from improving on previous generations, "because that is how it has always been for this family". I would teach my children never to settle. When I find myself settling then I know it is time to make a change because there is not growth in settling. And I know I deserve what I want and should not have to settle for something. I would teach them that they have total control to create their own reality, that there is no one else that will or should do it for them. And lastly I would teach them to always believe what they know with their heart, whether it be about people or God, to not take what other people say or what is written in books as gospel. I did that for a long time and since I have been following my heart instead of taking what people tell me or what books tell me as law/gospel I have been a much happier and content person. I said lastly, but I am sure if I dwelled on this subject long enough I would come up with more, but these things seem the most important to me at this moment.

Ten on Tuesday

It pained me to do TMI Tuesday last week...sooooo...we are switching to Ten on Tuesday this week...Yeah, playing it safe. Nothing from the peanut gallery on that please...LOL

Okay Ten things I am really good at:

1. Letting a person know that what they have to say is important and taking the time to listen and care.

2. Eatting...

3. Teaching adults in a way that they do not get bored out of their mind.

4. Getting on my husband's nerves...

5. Working on jigsaw puzzles.

6. Making a mess of the house...

7. Figuring out that HTML stuff.

8. Messing up that HTML stuff...(after thinking I had it figured out)

9. Role Playing Games/Turn Based computer games

10. Fixing what I messed up with that HTML stuff...

Blog Award

Well, I have been surprised with a blog award this week.

A beautiful soul named Staci, has decided to award me the Butterfly Award. I am very honored and quite surprised and am excited to be able to pass this on to others that I believe deserved to be honored also. Thank you Staci.

Here are the rules:

This is a 'meme' award, so it gets passed on. The rules for passing it on are:

1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded the blog to you.
3. Award up to ten other blogs.
4. Add links to the blogs you award onto your blog.
5. Leave a message for your awardees on their blogs.

I am honored to be able to pass this on to the following kewl bloggers:

• Barb at Celtic Spirit
• Mel at Mel's Dream
• And last my not least my BFFL, ~c at Everythings Eventual
  

Thanks again Staci, that was awesome of you.

Sleeping With Bread

A day late with this one, but I did not want to miss it this week.

Last week was just great. I am so grateful to be here and have choices. So, last week I made the choice to get back on the band wagon and get rid of this weight. I made some pretty smart choices food wise and I exercised a total of 235 minutes, which I believe is a record for one week of exercise for me. It has made me feel so good and to keep doing it. And I saw results...I went from 333.4 to 325.6 lbs last week. I am grateful for a husband that is willing to change his lifestyle and eat the way I need to eat in order to be healthier.

Other than missing family I feel that my life was in no way lacking in the past week. I have decided not to look at the negatives as they are only a negative if I allow them to be so.

Sunday Stealing

1. What is the bravest thing that you feel you've ever done physically?

Wow, I have been thinking about this for the past 30 minutes or so and cannot think of anything. Pretty darn sad. I used to climb trees and climb very high as a young girl and that could be considered brave, or just naive. Ah, I remember now...was typing my answer to question number two and remembered. I would have to say the bravest thing I ever did was standing up to my father when he had gone off his rocker and had a rifle in his hands and was blocking my husband and I from leaving his property after an altercation and argument inside the house.


2. What is the bravest thing that you feel you've ever done emotionally?

Oh, this is a loaded question. I can think of a couple of things. I guess the one that I mention in number 1, standing up to my father when he had a rifle in his hand. It to me was both a physical and emotional bravery. My father had flipped, it was really an unbelievable scene. And it was all over my mom having had my uncle frost her hair, my father making nasty remarks about how it looked. I said something to the fact that to leave her alone, that it was her hair, he told me not to talk to him like that in his house. So, I told my husband we were leaving. Things escalated from there, my mom ending up going to the bathroom, crying and in the end chopped all of her hair off, it was horrific. I was hollering through the door that he was not worth it, that really set him off. And well, my husband got punched defending me and my dad would not let us leave. I don't know how we finally left that night. I do remember it was the night before Easter and some how we found a wig place open the next day on Easter and bought my mom a wig. We never talk about it now of course, but every once in awhile, often times on Easter I think of it.

3. What one talent do you wish you had that you don't?

I wish I were more witty. I love those people that can think of a comeback in seconds. I am so slow at this. I will think of something the next day.

4. If you had that talent what would you be doing with it?

I believe my conversations would just be so much more enjoyable if I was better able to respond to others and have the wittiness to make those conversations more colorful.

5. We all have our reasons for blogging but what would be your ultimate goal for your blog or as a blogger?

Blogging has allowed me to reach deep inside and get the real me to come out. The memes that I answer cause me to delve deep inside and think of things and put them into perspective, to learn who I really am and who I want to be.

6. What advice would you give a new blogger?

I would tell a new blogger to be real and to let what is real to flow out of them as they type. Not to use the blog as something to hide behind, it is a place they can be real.

7. Who are you three favorite blogs to visit (Yes, you can have ties and name more than three.)

1. Well, my bffl...I have seen her grow into a very independent woman through her blogs and it is awesome to see her writing talent also there.
2. I ran across Mel's blog because we both do Sleeping with Bread and I felt we had so much in common I kept reading. She is a funny lady with a lot going on in her life, she stays strong through it all.
3. Third would be Barb's blog. She and I share similar spiritual beliefs which drew me to continue to read her blog. She is an interesting person and I always look forward to what she posts next.
   

8. You can trade lives with any one person for a month. Who would it be and why?

I would not trade lives with anyone. My life is not perfect, but I do not believe that anyone's life is perfect. It would not be worth it to trade lives with someone else and have to deal with their unfamliar problems.


9. There's a fire and your family is safe but you have the chance to save any one item from your house. What would it be and why?

I would grab my laptop as it is full of pictures I have taken for the past 10 years. Anything else can be replaced, but those pictures help with memories, memories that I never want to forget.

10. You have the chance to go back in time and warn yourself before making a bad choice. What choice would it be and what would you tell yourself?

I would go back to January 1998 the night before I left for a return trip to Cleveland, OH. I fell asleep that night while driving and could have killed my husband. I woke up to a semi climbing over the front end of my car. I tried driving a bit after that, but I eventually stopped and have not driven since. I am going to change that this year. I will get my license back and drive again. I miss my freedom to be able to go as I please. It was a stupid thing and we never travel now without being well rested.

Weekly Wrap Up

I feel like an elephant is sitting right between my eyes right now so I am not sure how much I will be able to recall from this week.

My asthma really gave me fits this week. Mostly my fault because I ran out of Advair before refiling, but then from there the pharmacy can take blame as they were not prepared to fill it based on changes Caremark/CVS has made with my insurance company. I do have my medicine now and I am on the mends, but can tell I am not 100% yet. And of course when you can't breathe...well, that just effects your whole life.

So, Monday I stayed home, though I spent two hours at the pharmacy to walk away without my Advair. Hubby made dinner that night. It was so, so good. He has that Cooking Trainer for DS Lite which he used to make something called Bang Bang Chicken, a Chinese dish, and a Bean Sprout dish that is a Korean dish. They were both delicious. We spent the rest of the day watching Charmed. He got me season 1 and 2 for Christmas.

I went to work on Tuesday after going to an appointment with my hubby. He made dinner again and it was again, delicious. He made pizza dough from that cooking program. And we put ricotta, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, onions, ham, mushrooms, spinach, basil, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. It was so, so good...LOL Wondering how I am ever going to lose this weight?? LOL Well, it was within my calorie range and with all the fresh ingredients and the healthier flours it was good for me also.

Work was okay this week. The gentleman I hired to fill the payroll supervisor spot in Dallas December 2007 is leaving, which is a good thing. He really has hurt that office more than he has helped, but since I left my position in Texas I have not had authority to do anything about it. So, Dallas has asked my bosses to let me come help out and get the place back to where it should be while they work on hiring someone else. I am kinda looking forward to it. I don't care to fly or be away from hubby, but other than that it will give me an opportunity to get my hands into the dirt, which I love. I live and breathe payroll. I sometimes miss being down in the trenches. This office was in horrible shape when I took over in 2005 and from what I hear they are almost in the same position again. When I left no one took over in a leadership role and they knew the man I hired needed to be taught how to be a supervisor as he had never been in that role before. I hired him for knowledge, or so I thought. I learned over this past year that he did not know as much as he claimed. Oh, well, we'll see where we go from here, but it does look like I will be going to Dallas a bit in February and maybe in two weeks.

I did get my Advair last night...feeling much better...and we finished season 2 of Charmed which has got me itching to go get season 3. Not sure what we will do today...I believe I am going to make some French Onion soup and hubby is going to make some sort of healthy oriental dumplings from that program. They must be Korean. They have kimchi in them.

Oh, and I mailed my application to Atlanta on Monday!!!

Oh, I did not get to the Y to sign up yet, but I have been exercising at home...even with the breathing problems. I feel real good about things this week. I am using sparkpeople.com to track what I eat and my activity and up to yesterday I have 215 minutes of exercise this week, which for me is great. I hope to get in 30 mins of cardio today and need to do two exercise videos from the New YOU Bootcamp on Sparkpeople that I am doing this month.

So, that wraps up my week. Not a whole lot exciting, but that is my life. It is not the fairy tale we dream of as children, but it is a good life I can't complain much about.

Now, for your viewing pleasure are some scenes from my favorite movie...Ever After

TMI Tuesday - 'Would you rather...' edition

1. Would you rather be stranded on an island alone or with someone you dislike/don't get along with?

I think I would rather be with someone I don't like. I just could not stand being alone that whole time. And I believe I would be safer with someone else there, or at least feel safer.


2. Would you rather accidentally walk in on your parents having sex or have them walk in on you?

OMG, neither...LOL I think I would rather be walked in on...I just don't want the picture of my parents like that in my head.

3. Would you rather be snapped by paparazzi during a nipple slip or while exiting a car with out any underwear?

A nipple slip....I don't even like when a gyn has to go down there...that is just to private to me.


4. Would you rather not have sex for two years or not be able to use the Internet for two years?

I should let my BFFL answer this for me...I am sure she would answer it right on the head where I am concerned....PLEASE DO NOT TAKE AWAY MY INTERNET...LOL


5. Would you rather find true love or 1 million dollars?

True love....the money would be worthless without it. Who would I have to enjoy it with?


Bonus (as in optional): If you had to choose *one* sexual position for the rest of your life, what would it be? Why?

I have no freaking clue....I am going to have to skip this one...

Sleeping with Bread

All in all last week was a good week. I have enjoyed blogging more than I realized I would. The people I have come in contact with have helped me continue growing in knowledge and spirit. This internet is just an amazing thing, how it has brought us all together from all over the world.

I am quite grateful for all of my new relationships and always excited to see what new thing I will learn each day from the people I have come in contact with on-line.

For some reason I did not blog last Monday and not sure why. I don't like to miss my Sleeping with Bread blog so I will work harder to make sure I get that done each week.

New Years Eve was uneventful for us. Probably one the first time in 18 years that we have known each other that we went to bed before midnight on a New Years Eve. We had both gotten up early and worked that day and were pretty darn tired. Next year we'll have to do something special. I prefer a nice dinner somewhere special that has a whole evening planned for the celebration.

I hope your new year is starting out well. So, what does the Sleeping with Bread examen mean for you? I look forward to reading your blogs to learn.

Sunday's Sunrise Sunset

Well, I went to the meme for this and the blog is no longer up, but I like it so I will still post my Sunday Sunrise Sunset when I have ones to post.

On December 23rd my hubby and I started out at about 6am to go from Mississippi to Georgia to spend Christmas with family. That morning we witnessed a very pretty sunrise. Being in a vehicle I had trouble catching the image. Below are some of the shots I was able to get.

Saturday Nine ~ Dying to Know

These nine questions for today are just what I needed. I am drawing to a close on the book I am reading, Jesus for the Non-Religious, by John Shelby Spong and was having a desire to block out religion so this worked out nicely.

1. What do you believe happens when we die?

I believe that when we die our souls rejoin with the greater spirit we call God and all of the other souls of the universe.

2. Do you consider yourself religious?

No, I consider myself spiritual. I believe there is a distinct difference. I don't follow any set theology, which I believe religious people do. Rather I try to be more in touch with my spiritual side and how things make me feel and hence what I believe.

3. Do you believe in ghosts?

Yes, I believe souls that have left their earthly body come visit us from time to time before they take on a new earthly body, if they plan to take on a new earthly body.

4. Do you believe that people live on other planets?

Well, there is no proof yet, but I guess it is always possible that there is a galaxy that we have not discovered that other beings inhabit.

5. Have you ever seen something abnormal?

I am not sure what is meant by abnormal here. I mean, isn't it all relative?

6. Do you believe in reincarnation?

Yes, I believe our souls come back to earth in a new form to experience something different each time we are here. I believe souls who were together in one life in one way or another, whether just friends, lovers, family, or acquaintances all come together in some way again in another lifetime. I know people in my life today that I feel I must have been close with in another lifetime.


7. Have you ever witnessed a miracle?

My husband putting up with me everyday is a miracle.

8. Is there a person living or dead that influences your philosophies?

Neale Donald Walsch wrote some books that helped me to begin my faith/spiritual journey so he had a lot to do with influencing my desire to learn and not just settle with what had always been taught to me.


9. Is there a work of fiction that closely matches your spiritual beliefs?

Oh, yes, What Dreams May Come, by Richard Matheson. And I have to tell you the book is so much better than the movie. Don't think you know it just from watching the movie. The book detailed so much of how I believe our souls join with the others, accept for us souls that were troubled in someway on Earth. It is a great book.

Happy New Year - Same Old Goals

First I would like to wish you all a very happy, healthy, and prosperous new year. I hope all of your dreams and wishes come true.

I started SparkPeople.com in September with so much energy and a vigor to finally lose this weight that threatens me. Then in October I started not having energy so I stopped exercising, I thought it must be my period coming on and figured I would pick it right back up, but here I am three months later and I have not.

So, on Friday we will go join the YMCA. They have a "Water Walk" every morning that I want to go do and my hubby will work out on the machines. In the evenings I will come home and do exercises at home three nights a week.

We are making a plan to eat healthy and I am going to do a lot of menu planning today. I need to do something that will work for both of us and keep us on track.

I will be 40 in 260 days in which I would like to lose 130 lbs. For someone at my weight I think that is a doable goal in 8.5 months. I won't be at my target weight, but well on my way.

2008 Fat Pic and 1987 175 lbs

Booking Through Thursday

So, this week we are to name at least one thing I am looking forward to reading this year. Well, I can't name just one.

I am always looking forward to reading the new Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb books that come out every year and I am behind on J.D. Robb for 2008, so I look forward to catching up there and reading the Key Series by Nora Roberts that I still have not gotten to in the past few years.

I am really looking forward to reading Brisingr by Christopher Paolini. This young man started writing this series when he was just 15. It is an amazing series and I look forward to finishing it up. I just wish they could have done better with the movie.

I plan to read the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. This is a fantasy series that is right up my alley. Percy Jackson is a 12 year old and an illegitimate child of a god. Proves to be an interesting series.

I have like 58 books on my to read list right now so I'll just list one more series I plan to read.

The Austin Family Chronicles by Madeliene L'Engle also looks to be an interesting series. I love books about real life and people. These look to be heartwarming stories that we all should read once in awhile.