It’s My Turn to be a Proud Mommy

Her comments are decadent…delicious sweetness in a paper wrapper.
   
She infuses social media with her sweetness and infinite kindness.  
She describes her blog as, “… my comfortable place where I write about my true loves: My husband, my Twin sons, Writing Fiction, Shoes and Cupcakes. When you add celebrating other proud mommies, bringing a voice to infertility and battling fibromyalgia while enjoying too much television, shopping, books and traveling you have a comfy space where I’m always happy to invite friends in to visit.” 
Today I am taking a road trip to go hang out at Kir’s Corner.  I am sharing my Proud Mommy Moment.  So come on over and road trip with me.  It’s always more fun when you are there too. Maybe she’ll let us borrow some of her shoes and there are certainly going to be cupcakes! 




Kelly and What She Doesn’t Know

They were strangers the first time I “met” them. Today I find my adventures enriched, inspired and filled with laughter because of them…  

It started with Amy and Her #Sixthings.  

Then it was Kir and Her Cupcakes

Minky {Moo}’s took her turn with her Instagram and
Rubber Chicken Madness’s  has shared with her nuggets 
Today it is Kelly from Mom Got Blog’s turn and I’m telling her what she doesn’t know…
I’ve been talking to strangers and what do you know I’ve made some friends!  
. . . . . .

Three posts… three posts in one week (a lot for me and I was pretty proud of myself), two days in bed with a terrible head cold and a husband also sick has left me feeling really uninspired, not very motivated and a bit lost for more ideas.  Then I remembered Kelly!
For three years I have bought and worn the same style of running shoe. What can I say, when I like something I stick with it.  Three weeks ago I decided to finally run in my new, different style and design shoes (huge deal for me).

 

I did my warm up and began my run like I always do.  It was the weekend so my plan was to go for a long run (Laverne’s definition of long run- running for 40-50 minutes and running 3+miles if I’m lucky…it is what it is people).  I watched some action adventures sci-fi movie while I ran.  My pace felt so good I picked it up.  My running started to feel effortless.  My mind began to wander.  Ideas began to flow and dance in my head.
This was also the week Kelly had been struggling with her writing.  The holidays were over, everyone was settling into their routines and Kelly was stuck.  She had nothing.  I could tell her writing was feeling forced to her.  Her struggles pained me.  Her struggles, her feelings of being stuck became part of the dance of ideas that flowed in my head. 

You see Kelly has this thing and she doesn’t even know it.  It really isn’t about her writing (well she is a totally dinamo at that but to me she is so much more).  To me it is about the things she doesn’t write.  

Last Thanksgiving her family ran in a 5k Turkey trot…. so cool!  
Kelly getting sassy with her picture taking.  

Kelly ate her way through Washington DC. 
 I think I gained 5lbs just following all the pictures of the food she ate.
 Kelly can cook.  She has some serious chief skills.  
I want to come over to Kelly’s house every night so she can cook for me!


 See what I mean!  YUMMY!!!


And then there is Kelly just being Kelly!  

You see Kelly, sometimes it is not the words that inspire, make an impact or get peoples attention…. it is YOU!  Your unending kindness toward me from the small act of including me in an Instagram tag to a response to a tweet, Facebook response or comment your actions are what make a difference to me and what I notice.  Your actions are what inspire and you didn’t even know it! 

This day…the day I ran in my new shoes was the best run I had ever had.  It was the first time running had ever felt effortless to me and smooth.  The only day I have ever felt like a runner. The day running changed for me.  And the first person I thought of sharing this news with as when I got off the treadmill was Kelly. She was true to form… supportive and encouraging! 

All pictures used were used with Kelly’s permission

I Hate You

You take away everything beautiful their life.  You blind them to the glow their life has.  You numb them to the warmth, love and joy their life floods them with.  Trapped in the darkness you make them immobile unable to move.  You trap them while you fill their heads with lies and fear.

I hate you.  I hate what you do to friends.  I hate what you did to my mother. I hate what you steal from them.  I hate the place you take them.  I hate how you make them feel.  

I hate that I feel helpless against you.  I hate that there is nothing I can do to stop you.  I hate that I do not know how to help my friends.  I hate that that makes me feel useless and helpless.  I hate that I my heart aches for them, that I worry for them.  

I’ve decided I have spent enough years hating you.  Hating what you did to my mother and now hating what you do to friends.  I will not hate you anymore.  You are a disease.  I will do what we do with all diseases, fight!

A note written to a friend.
It was sent to her so she never forgets

I will listen when they need me.  I will lend a hand when they need it.  Most of all I will remind them of their awesomeness.  I will remind them of life, its light and its greatness.  I will remind them they are strong.  I will remind them they are not the disease.  I will remind them it can be beat!

I wrote this post after talking to a friend on the phone.  I was so moved and inspired after this conversation with this friend, a friend who fights depression, that I had to write.  She inspired this post.  The note is written for her. The words are for all of the other men and woman who fight mental illness everyday.


I Have a Complaint

Dear Head Ninja in Charge,
 
Last month, I interacted with Leila. She delivered her usual quick wit, sass, did something silly, odd, strange or not normal thing and posted it on Facebook.  I commented on it calling her a dork.

I found the interaction that followed unacceptable and damaging. The usual confident exterior, sarcastic, sailor mouth and quick wit sprinkled with a humble and thoughtful Don’t Speak Whinese failed to perform what it promised because Leila is a smart ass. I am disappointed.  Leila has forever destroyed my use of the word dork as a sassy response to Leila’s and any other friends insane, silly, dumb, thoughtless, laughable actions. Additionally, she has forever stole my perfect kind version of your a dumb-ass word.  He smart ass act has also caused permanent scaring to my brain. The very thought of the word dork sends pictures to my brain of a whales…. ak! No! Bad! (Leila so kindly educated me on the fact that one definition word dork is: blue whales penis). My precious word is forever tainted and damaged.

To resolve the problem, I feel very strongly that Don’t Speak Whinese ninjas should supply me with a new replacement word to describe the things that Leila and others like her do. A new polite word I can use to comment with when others engage in foolish, absurd, moronic and senseless acts.

I look forward to your speedy reply and a resolution to my problem.  I am certain that you will resolve this matter and I will not be forced to contact the Better Smart Ass Agency or only be left with sighing and rolling my eyes as a response to Leila’s Facebook status updates.

                                                                                         Sincerely,


Today I am linking up again with the beautiful, amazing,
fabulously indescribable Erica at 
Yeah Write…. 
Come Join Me! 
This writing community is just as fabulously indescribable as she is!



Listicling With Passion

Today I am listicling (not really a word… made it up myself. Just love using it) again.  It’s Jackie’s turn to pick the inspiration.  She choose PASSION… Celebrating a wonderful life of a very special friend Jackie lost after a brief illness.  This is in celebration of her friend’s legacy and love for life!

1. Being a teacher…I have known since I was in the 5th grade that I wanted to be a teacher.  I feel and believe that I was made to do this job. There is nothing like watching a child learn.  

2. My children…I want my children to be the very best they can.  I want them have the skills to choose to be whatever they desire.  I want them to have the values to be an amazing human being.  I want them to dream the unimaginable and have it come true.  This is f****ing hard work this one!

3. Being a good person… This sounds simple, but it is truly important me.  It is important to me to be a person who is kind, caring, compassionate, empathetic, perceptive and thoughtful toward others.

4.My husband… I love the man.  He makes me mad (the crazy mad, well the mad mad too), but bottom line is he is pretty amazing.  One of the most thoughtful men I know, kind, smart loving and a good dad.  The man seriously has a way of making me crazy… oops I said that already.

5. My relationship with my husband… I want my marriage to be a happy one.  A marriage that is full of give and take, good team work, love for each other, wonderful memories and great s… (I can’t type that word in front of all of you).

6. My friendship with Shirley… Being a good friend to Shirley means so much to me.  She makes me a better person.  I could go on but why cause my readers to become nauseous.

7. Sci-Fi… I may not look like it but I LOVE SCI-FI.  Books and movies, the stranger, more unique story the better.  Give me the impossible, the fantasy, the amazing imagination, the how could anyone come up with that and I’ll love it.  The downside… that means I also like a lot of what others would call terrible B movies.  

8. Special Education…I love, to my core, working with some of the most challenging students.  Tuning into each student, knowing their strengths and using those strengths to teach them is what drives me.  Seeing them be successful, exceeding expectations and being an independent person is what I strive for.  

9.My life…I love my life.  It hasn’t always been perfect, neither have I.  I also know it won’t always be perfect.  For now it is good and so I will soak it all in and enjoy it!

10. My sisters… my sisters mean everything to me.  Spending time with them makes me very happy.  They are annoying make my childhood memorable (not always in a good way) who have become spectacular woman.  I love them dearly!






Her Nuggets

They were strangers the first time I “met” them. Today I find my adventures enriched, inspired and filled with laughter because of them…  

It started with Amy and Her #Sixthings.  

Then it was Kir and Her Cupcakes

Minky {Moo}’s took her turn with her Instagram

Now it is Kim from Rubber Chicken Madness’s turn…

I’ve been talking to strangers and what do you know I’ve made some friends!  

. . . . .

I do not remember how I first “met” Kim over at Rubber Chicken Madness.  I know it was when Kindred Adventures first became Kindred Adventures and I know it was on Twitter.  I do remember instantly liking her.  She had sass she was not afraid to dish, she was tough, she was dedicated and I (secretly) adored her.  I continued to get to know her on Twitter.  Mostly we would chat on Saturday mornings.  We would share about our weeks and what was up in our lives.   I learned about her single mother adventures of her two boys she calls “Thing 1” and “Thing 2”.  I learned how she works two jobs to provide for her family.  Then I began to read her blog and that is where her inspiration to me began.  I started to visit her blog as much as I could. I found my self laughing out loud, smiled from ear to ear and had my heart deeply touched.  I do not know if she would ever admit it, but she has a gift, she can dig deep and she can write beautifully moving posts.   

Spread The Madness…
Seriously she wants you to!!


In November 2011 Kim had an idea…. she would post Rubber Chicken Nuggets.  Every Friday she would post mini recaps of the weeks events.   It was genius.  I laughed as I learned what funny things she, her sons and her dog had gotten into.  I was hooked…. I was instantly inspired. I began to look forward to them.  Little glimpses of life beyond the daily posts, woven with funny sarcasm, pieces of nuggets I could eat up!  
     
Thanks to Kim and her nuggets of madness my brain began to go into over drive.  I think the day I was inspired I constantly spewed ideas so frequently that Shirley’s head just began to bob in spontaneous agreement.   I wanted a way to share our weekly adventures with others just like Kim.  Her little nuggets inspired our Rear View Mirror.  One month later we have posted 4 3 2 ? Rear View Mirror posts (I think a weekly schedule will ensure that I will write every Friday….HA!)

Today I look forward to our Friday Rear View Mirror 
(when I get around to writing them).  I find myself taking mental notes of fun tidbits of life that go on all around me.  Tidbits I can share on Friday.  I find myself reflecting on specific moments, remembering them and really remembering details.  Kim’s simple act of serving nuggets has made me want to serve ours too.