We Celebrate!

We have the hilliest neighborhood on earth. At least it seems that way when running it. Where we lived in Greenville had some massive hills, as well. One we called Killer Hill was preceded by Death Valley. This was a long stretch of unshaded road with zero breeze. By the time you reached Killer Hill, you were mentally and physically drained. But you hit that hill with determination. The prize was at the top: the end of a long run, a sense of accomplishment, an air-conditioned YMCA.

There are several ways to attack a monster hill. Some experts say to slightly lower your head, shorten your stride, and before you know it, you will be at the top. My friend, Wendy, triples her speed hoping to get it over quick. Audrey keeps her eye on the crest and perseveres. Once at the top, we don’t beat ourselves up for our slow speed. Our lack of grace does not depress us. We celebrate – throw our arms in the air Rocky Balboa style and shout, “Woo Hoo!”

Sometimes the week before Christmas seems like climbing a gigantic hill. Shopping for the perfect gifts, baking, wrapping, picture taking, card mailing, and then there’s that crazy elf! If you are a procrastinator like me, this week means late nights catching up in hopes of creating a magical day for your family.

Each year I vow to be more prepared; to start my shopping earlier, get cards out on time, put up more decorations and create Hallmark moments baking, craft-making and watching movies with my children. It can get exhausting, mentally and physically. But, of course, I don’t stop. I know the prize at the end, don’t I? Overjoyed children, a happy, smiling husband, smells of snickerdoodles and the warm glow of holiday lights… not exactly. It doesn’t always turn out this way.

Whatever your style for getting through the week before Christmas; lowering your head and steadily working, speeding through it all just to get it done or keeping your eye on the final day, the REAL prize is the same for us all. Once we’ve reached the end, we shouldn’t beat ourselves up because the gifts we chose were not the “perfect” ones. We can’t get depressed because our neighbors’ houses look much more festive than ours. We celebrate – because, on Christmas day, Jesus Christ, our Savior, was born, bringing us Peace, Love, Joy and Life Everlasting. We celebrate!

Facebook makes me feel...

Facebook makes me feel…

Guilty – for the numerous hours spent catching up with… ok, snooping on… old friends (and sometimes an ex-boyfriend or two.) Not to mention eight weeks of playing Scramble (see “Quit Staring at the Pines” http://contributingmyverse.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html)

Depressed – Oh, how greener the grass is on everyone else’s page; cleaner houses, fancier vacations, better behaved children… 

(see “Facebook Depression” http://contributingmyverse.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html)

Scared – How many times have I held my breath after posting something in fear that I may offend someone? Apologies in advance to all of Facebook Land!

Embarrassed – Did I really just post that? Example: “For the love of my friends and family and those poor girls behind me in aerobics class, I really need to stop eating chili!” Hmmm… some things just need to be left unshared.

However, FB has also made me feel…

Motivated – I love the new page “Strong is the New Skinny.” Great site for encouragement on challenging yourself and seeing fitness in a whole new light.

Joyful – Thanks to FB, I am able to see dozens of pictures of sweet, little Evan. My heart was broken for my dear friends, Matt and Heather High, as they yearned for a child of their own for over ten years. They were recently blessed with the adoption of a beautiful baby boy. I am overjoyed to see him grow and be smothered with love by two people who could not be more deserving of this great gift from God!!

Nostalgic – How fun is it to relive so many great times with people from my past whom I miss greatly! Camping trips with Girl Scout Troop 106, so many Swim Team memories (away meets, “redrum!” “burp and eat it,” straw hair and Tommy Parham stories), Trinity Youth Group mission trips to Biloxi, MCHS – Go Tribe (way too many memories to list here), Carson-Newman (Yee Haw!)… I could go on and on. J

Inspired – To do good in the world (please check out The Birthday Project. http://www.thebdayproject.com/ Robyn Bomar is a saint!)

To make super cute treat bags for Alice’s birthday (thank you Mary Kemper!)

To make travel plans for the future (Singapore is on my bucket list.)

Thankful – For everyone I have been able to reconnect with through Facebook. How wonderful it is to remain a part of your lives even though we live far apart. I love you all!

           

Thank you Facebook!!! You make me feel… happy!

                         

Top 10 Reasons I Love Being Married to Cliff Miller

10.          He does his own laundry (yep, folks, its true!)

9.            He’s pretty darn cute, if you like the Val Kilmer in a uniform look (oh, and I do.)

8.            He doesn’t expect me to make him breakfast every morning. ;0)

7.            It’s much easier to spell my last name now.

6.            He details my car. (I do try to stay clear of him while he does this. It is not a pleasant task.)

5.            He LOVES my football color commentary. “Ooo! They have red eyes!”, “He should cut his hair.”                  “Ha ha, he said ‘the tight end penetrated the hole.’”

4.            He “Ceeps us safe.”

3.            He puts up with my drama.

2.            He’s an incredibly protective, involved, fun-loving daddy to our two little punkin heads.

And the #1 reason I love being married to Cliff Miller is:..

He makes me laugh! 

“Sexiness wears thin after awhile and beauty fades, but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that’s a real treat.” Joanne Woodward

Happy 10th Anniversary Baby!

I love you soooo much!

No Excuses!

There is no arguing. Exercise is good for us. The benefits of an active lifestyle are numerous: Increased energy, blood pressure control, weight maintenance, improved mood…

Do I really need to continue?

We know it’s good for us, yet we make all kinds of excuses. (I’m including myself here.)

Here are some leading excuses and why you can’t use them (because these people didn’t).

“I don’t have time.”

In 2010, my sister, wife and mother of two young, active girls, worked a full-time job teaching and received her Master’s Degree in Special Education from the University of Tennessee with perfect grades! Oh, and she also trained and ran a 5K that March. I’m pretty sure she also volunteered for the Special Olympics, coached her kids in basketball and cooked nutritious dinners every night. Yep, she is Super Woman and my hero!

You can ALWAYS find time to exercise!!

“Gym memberships are too expensive.”

Walking is free. YMCAs have scholarships to help those who are struggling financially. Being healthy cuts back on medical expenses and decreases sick days from work. You can’t afford NOT to exercise!

“I’m too old.”

Meet Dot. She takes water aerobics regularly and walks the track with her husband. She’s 80.

Meet Joe. He beat my half marathon PR of 2:07. He’s 70.

I wish you could have met Francis. He took whatever aerobics class was available in the mornings at the Y. He did what he could in class then went home to tend to his horses and take a dip in his pool. He died at 87 doing what he loved. It was the way he always said he wanted to go. I miss you Francis!

“I have a bad back, arthritis, hip issues, hang nail, etc. etc.”

You would never know this to look at her. You may even miss seeing the left side of her face droop and her eye momentarily close on occasion. You definitely would never expect that this super sweet, upbeat, always smiling, beautiful lady has a… BRAIN TUMOR. Yes, that is what I said, a BRAIN TUMOR! But Sue does not use this excuse to confine herself to the couch (which, honestly, I probably would do… seriously, a brain tumor!!). She is a regular at the Y and an inspiration to everyone who knows her. (Side note: if you have a brain tumor, please check with your doctor before exercising. Sue did.)

Nancy won the battle against lung cancer over 11 years ago. Unfortunately, it left her with one functioning lung. ONE LUNG! Is she sitting on the couch? Nope.

Tonya has MS. Her short-term memory fails her frequently and she is never sure how her body will react from day to day. But on a daily basis, she does what she can.

Heather was born with only three-fourths of her right arm. She takes Yoga. I watch her valiantly attempting each pose and suddenly my worry of how my hiney looks in the Bound Warrior Pose seems petty.

I have changed the names of a few of these courageous people. Not because I need to protect them, just because I’m not sure what some of their names are, to which Tonya (or Tina, or something) says I probably just have MS. LOL! A sense of humor is obviously key to overcoming obstacles!

So what are doing still sitting at this computer? Get up and get moving! No excuses! :0)

You've Got (Real) Mail!

As I drive up to the house, I stop to get the mail in my car. (Just ran six miles at the Y but can’t walk from the garage to the mailbox…) I see an off-white envelope sticking out from the middle and get excited. It’s the kind of mail you know immediately is personal, not advertisements or bills. I flip through and see my name written in the familiar calligraphy-style penmanship of my sweet mother-in-law. I do manage to pull the car into the garage before ripping into the envelope like it was Christmas morning. It’s a card with a beautiful scene of two little girls hugging. But the content is the real treasure. I tear up as I read the heartfelt words she so carefully scripted on both sides of the card. The personally handwritten note is an art this precious lady has perfected.

Social media has enabled us to send messages of support and encouragement to loved ones quickly and without the cost of a stamp. I thrive on the daily support of my friends and family through emails, texts and FB messages. (How did I ever survive before my smartphone?)

But there is just something about the handwritten note sent by snail mail. You can hold it, read it over and over and store it away in an old shoebox. Every time I open that dusty old container, I relive the excitement those personal letters of love gave me the day I received them.

Cards from Nana on my birthday, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Groundhog Day… (seriously, she sent a card for everything… and I love them all!)

Nanny and Mama’s letters of concern and support.

Daddy and Papaw’s words of advice and encouragement.

Missi’s hilarious jokes and an occasional five dollar bill. (She knew how much that meant to a poor college student!)

Going through these precious relics makes me thankful that I am a pack rat!

Today, I purchased some old fashioned note cards and a book of stamps.

Keep an eye on your mailbox, friends and family! But don’t be afraid to park in the garage first and get a little exercise. :0)

Just Keep Swimming and Forget the Boogers!

It’s inevitable. You get 30 or 40 snotty kids in a pool swimming laps, and there are bound to be boogers floating around. I distinctly remember dodging the nasty little things during countless hours of swim practice growing up. As disgusting as it was, it didn’t stop me. I loved swimming. It was who I was.

The older I get, the more those floating boogers gross me out. So I stopped swimming. And not just in pools. I don’t swim in oceans because a shark could bite off an appendage. And in the lake, I risk an amoeba entering my nose and eating my brain. That just leaves the bathtub. Flip turns are impossible there, so I’m out of luck.

So far this year, a calf injury, back issues and plantar fasciitis have made it difficult to do anything with impact. Swimming is an excellent exercise, especially for individuals with injuries. So, off to the pool I go to face my fears of those icky balls of snot.

Wearing my new reversible Speedo, I stand at the end of the lane and place goggles over my eyes. I take a deep breath and think of two things.

1.         I have the lane to myself. No snotty kids = less chance of floating boogers. They probably aren’t even there.

2.         If they are there, just keep swimming and forget the boogers. They are harmless (Thanks to chlorine!). The only way they can hurt me is if I think about them.

When I’m finished, I remember all the reasons why I love swimming. How could I have let something so trivial keep me from an activity I love dearly?

What “boogers” are keeping you from doing what you love or know is good for you?

Many people say they want to run or work out in the gym, but they fear people will judge them. They don’t want anyone to see them in their spandex worried people will laugh if they run slow. Or they are afraid someone will make fun of them in the weight room if they happen to use one of the machines wrong (for example, the triceps extension).

1.         People who see you running outside are thinking they should be out there, too. And others in the gym are focused on their own workouts, not you. They probably aren’t laughing or even looking at you.

2.         If someone does laugh, forget about them. The only way the opinions of others can hurt you is if you let them.

So keep swimming, keep running, tackle those weight machines and Forget the Boogers!!

Who Will Keep You Company?

In Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne rebelled against the guards and was thrown into isolation for a whole month. When he emerged from “the hole,” he had a smile on his face. His penitentiary friends were confused. How could he be so happy after spending thirty days by himself with no human interaction?

Andy explained, “I had Mr. Mozart to keep me company.”

I often wonder if I were ever thrown into isolation, who would keep me company?

Would it be:

Candace constantly tattling on Phineus and Ferb?

Those Angry Birds flying all over the room?

Aqua singing “Barbie Girl”?

Snookie… doing whatever it is she does?

Or Negative Chatty Cathy from Bunko complaining about her MIL, the waitress at O’Charley’s and her ingrown toenail?

With that kind of company, I’d surely be crawling around the room trying to melt into that Yellow Wallpaper.

What if my company included:

James Taylor singing “In My Mind I’m Gone to Carolina,”

Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy dancing gracefully around the room,

Hummingbirds happily sipping their red-colored sugar water,

And Jesus sitting by my side engulfing me in his aura of Peace and Love?

Yeah, I could enjoy that kind of isolation.