Mindless Drivel...

This week's post is really hard for me. Not because the topic itself is difficult, but because the vast expanse of possibilities for topics is hard for me. I'm not typically a decision maker and so for me to have a Free Write week is the hardest week. I want to say something profound, but I want to be witty and funny too. I want to talk about something totally meaningful and explain why it's meaningful, but I can't come to any conclusion as to what I should say. Isn't that terrible?

The whole purpose for forcing myself to blog once a week was to get myself writing again. I am a writer. Most people don't know that about me. Someday, I may finish a novel, but probably not. But, because I became so overwhelmed a while ago with writing my novel, I put it aside and virtually stopped writing all together. And what do we know about talents we have or would like to acquire? If you don't use them, you lose them, right?

So, in an effort to keep the juices flowing and thereby keep myself from getting rusty, I am forcing myself to write. Yes, this post is proving to be sort of mindless babbling to others, but for me, it is good practice.

I have a quote that hangs in a frame in my room, right by my desk that says:

"If you write, you're a writer. To a certain degree, being published is a matter of luck, so don't let that get you down. Call yourself a writer and respect yourself." ~Bob Mayer

I write because I want to be a writer. And because I can't force myself to get back to my novel, I have no other choice but to force myself elsewhere. Make sense?

I hope that this monthly Free Write section won't turn into mindless drivel every month, but become the outlet for me to be less structured and therefore practice in other ways and to demonstrate to myself that I can write still without having to work on a specific end goal.

We'll see how it goes.

The next couple weeks will be devoid of posts, I'm warning of that now. My family and I are going on a Southern Caribbean cruise and will be out of town for a little while. Thank goodness for house sitters who are going to stay with the dogs so we can do this. It's going to be a much needed vacation from the mundanes of everyday living.... Oh... and I'm taking my novel, some paper and a pencil. Let's hope the turquoise water, white sand and warm sun provide some inspiration!

My Favorite Things: B

Well, I tried to do it again. I'm not feeling well today and therefore slept all afternoon. I'm on my way to bed just a moment ago and BAM! I realized that I need to blog. :^S.

My Bed:
Sorry folks, no picture of this one. I don't want to make it just to climb into it in a moment. But, let me just state for the record, my bed is the most amazingly comfortable place on this planet. And no, you cannot come over and lay down. I have a phobia of other people in my bed. But, just to give you a little insight... my mattress is sort of squishy, though not incredibly so. And then... dum da da dum.... it has a 4 in Temperpedic mattress pad on it. You lay down and it literally hugs you. I get to be snuggled all night by my bed. :) It is fabulous. Then, throw on the 400 thread count sheets and my down comforter... and it's heaven. Right there in my bedroom is a little piece of heaven. Straight from Heavenly Father's mansion. lol

Basketball:
I LOVE basketball. LOVE IT. Most sports, I have to be watching in person to enjoy it (ie. football) or I don't really enjoy it at all (ie. hockey), but basketball, I can watch it in person or on TV and I'm happy. I don't really care. It's something that my dad and I used to do together and it's something that Tyson and I used to be able to talk about. My favorite team has always been (even when times have been pretty rough) the Utah Jazz. Especially when Karl Malone and John Stockton played. I was able to go to a game once, a long time ago, against the Bulls and I will never forget the thrill of being a 14 year old little girl, standing on my chair and screaming at the refs. My dad beamed with pride. :)

 

Books:
This one is hard to detail out. Not because I don't have anything to say but because there are no words. I love everything about books. I love the way they look, the way they smell, the way they feel when I hold them in my hands. I love the cracking sound of the book when you open it for the first time. I love the crispness of the pages in new books and I love the delicate, thin, worn feeling of the pages in old ones. Books can take you places you can only dream of going, and sometimes places you could never dream up in a million years! A book is like a beautifully wrapped gift of promised escape and comfort. I have a favorite quote by Erasmus: "When I have a little money, I buy books... If any left over, I buy food and clothes." :)

Barnes & Noble:
This goes along with the topic above. Don't get me wrong, book stores (and this includes used bookstores) in any form are like Mecca to me, but there is something about B&N that draws me in and makes me stay. B&N is like a casino to me. I walk through those doors and I'm instantly in sensory overload with the smells, the bright colors and the promise of escape waiting on each shelf. And I'm addicted! I can get lost in B&N for hours. I'm not joking in the least. In fact, Maren and I will go into town to get out of the house and have some girl time and we know instantly that we need to get all of our other running done because by the end of the night, we end up in B&N. We ALWAYS stay until it's closed. We can be looking through the books or just laying on the floor in one of the aisles talking, doesn't matter. It is our home away from home. We are drawn to it like moths to a flame. Or maybe more so. :) I'm not sure. But, we treat it like it were our home and we have yet to be kicked out. Whether it's dancing in the music department, planning all sorts of crazy schemes in the cafe or children's departments or reading the silliest books we can find to pull off the shelves (most recently this was an astrology book! Hahaha), the Noble house of Barnes is where I can go to rejuvenate.



Board Games:
I love to play board games. I love to play with friends or family because we are all gathered together, scheming against each other, laughing at our own follies and having a great time. Games can bring out the crazy silly side of the most extreme introvert and can put the cockiest extrovert in their place! My favorite is Redneck Life. I love this one. If you haven't played it yet, go out and buy it, or come on over to my place and we'll make a night of it. It's hilarious! I have yet to play it, even once, when I haven't had problems with my asthma because I'm laughing so hard. It's so great. And the best part is that because of the style of game, it is never the same game twice. There are too many variables that change each time you play. It's awesome!



Brantley Gilbert:
Oh. My. Goodness. He's a little bit country and a little bit rock. He's Donny & Marie. :) I love the fact that one song you're listening to will be foot stomping, head banging rock with just a hint of country twang in there and the next song will be a sweet country crooning ballad. And he's not bad to look at either! ;) If you haven't had a chance to listen to him, search Youtube for "Country Must Be Countrywide" (the most popular of his songs right now) or take a listen below, the first one is more rock and the second is my favorite of his ballads. He's fabulous!

Bri:
Oh how I love this girl! She was my roommate in college and fellow Psych major class companion. She and I can make each other laugh so stinkin hard! She is beautiful and fun and funny and I'm so grateful for her friendship. I got to see her not long ago after years of being away (she got married and moved to California with her hubs, Eric, who's a kick in the pants!) and it was like we'd never been away from each other. She's the kind of friend you can be away from for extended periods of time, but the second you are back together, you pick right back up where you left off. I sure miss having her around. But, my fingers are crossed that I will get to go down for a visit this upcoming Fall. I hope so. It will be so nice to see her!



Baths:
OOoooo! Particularly the ones of the bubble variety! I love to take long, hot bubble baths that go on for hours. There is nothing quite like coming home after a long day, filling the tub up to the brim, lighting some candles, listening to soft music or reading a good book while you soak so long that all your stress drains away. Nothing like it. My dream house could still be a shack if it has a big, deep soaking tub in it. Honestly.



Broccoli:
Yumminess at its finest! These little trees are so healthy for you but you'd never be able to tell because they taste sooo good they seem like they shouldn't be. Raw, steamed, covered in butter, covered in cheese, dipped in ranch dressing, whatever. These babies are pretty much my favorite vegetable ever. The best way to cook them is to steam them to the point where they are still slightly crunchy, drizzle a little butter over them and throw a pinch of salt on top. MMMmmmm! Straight from heaven into your mouth!



And last, but certainly not least.... BABIES:

Oh how I love babies. I love how soft they are, how good they smell, and how funny they can be. I love that they already love you, no strings attached or head games required. All you have to do is feed them, change them, keep them warm and they provide all the love in the world. Yes, they cry. Yes, they dirty their diapers. Yes, they can be infuriating when they are crying and can't communicate what it is they need. BUUUUUT.... they are so fresh and not screwed up yet! Just think about it. They come into this world as a clean slate. They haven't been marred by the world and all it's terrible things. They only look to you for the necessities and they don't judge you for all your shortcomings. They are pure and sweet and good. And they represent what we should all try to be more like, humble and meek and loving. I have always had a thing for babies. And babies, I feel safe to say, have always had a thing for me. I naturally gravitate to any baby in any room and whenever I get them, they instantly fall asleep. Some say it's a gift, I just say that it's because I must snuggle them too tightly and they pass out. :) I don't care which it is, I just love them. And someday... I'll get to have one of my very own. What a great day that will be!



Mi Madre

I should point out, first and foremost, it is really difficult for me to blog once a week. Good gravy. I was just on my way to bed and realized that I couldn't do so until I blogged. Oy. This is going to be a long year.

This week's post is going to be the beginning of a series dedicated to some important people in my life. The goal was to try to get a photo of me and the important person for the blog, but that is incredibly difficult to do. My mother is not the easiest person to force into taking photos. In fact, the most current photo I have of the two of us that is somewhat reasonably good is from my college graduation in 2007. I think we will have to work on that.

My mom and I

See? Not the best, but seeing as this is the best one SINCE then, this is what we will go with.

My mom, Lisa Ann Brown, was born on October 15th to Lela and Paul Street. She grew up in Shelley, ID and graduated from Shelley High School. (BTW, I'm purposefully not giving years on this because she would KILL me! lol) Many years after this, she married my dad on December 20th and had me 3 years later, almost to the day.

My mom has become a very good friend over the years and is one of the voices in my head whenever I have to make a tough decision. She is always one of the most open minded people I know and she never fails to make sure that I have looked at a situation from the other side of things before I have to commit myself to something or make a decision. My mom is constantly saying, "Well, have you thought about it like this....?" It encourages me to not be so frustrated with others and reminds me to try to see things from the other person's stand point.

My mom has given me one of my greatest gifts. She is an incredible painter. There has always been artwork in our home that she has created. Whether it be oil painting or toll painting or, well, any kind of painting really, she is amazing. She can see something and envision just the right brush stroke to make a picture come to life. While painting various projects of my own, I am constantly asking for her advice, knowing that her gifted eye would see what I was doing wrong or sometimes not doing at all. My patience for this, my very favorite hobby and therapeutic outlet, comes from her. And while I can only endeavour to be as awesome as she is, I hope that she's proud that I have embraced this talent.

One of the other character traits I have that I owe to my mom is her independent will. Yes, sometimes we can be stubborn or prideful when it comes to asking for help, but underneath it all, it is because we just HAVE to prove to ourselves that we really can't do something by ourselves. No one can tell us, we have to know it for ourselves. If it needs built, we will try to do it ourselves. If it needs created, we will stop at nothing to make it. If it needs accomplished, we will make it happen. And all, without asking for help first. We know our weaknesses, yes. But, we know them because we come by them through experience.

I know that I am not good at sewing (thank goodness for Maren!!), and so I am able to ask for help. But, I know this because I have tried it and proven it to myself. My mom is the same way. She will do things herself until she realizes that she really isn't able to and then asks for help. In fact, when she had her washer and dryer put in recently, the delivery boys realized that the water hoses and all that plumbing junk back there had cracked and weren't going to work any longer. Instead of calling a plumber, my mom set out to Home Depot and came back with all the parts to get it fixed.... herself. Well, and me! She instituted my help. Though, it wasn't because she needed it, it was because she knew that I needed to know how to do such things. She's always been like that. She knows how to change her oil, her brake pads, her car tires, install wood flooring, build various things, install new door knobs (using the right tools to cut new holes and everything!), remodel her kitchen, fix leaky pipes, etc. Whenever my younger sister and I would come to her and tell her we needed something done, her response was "Go in and learn how to do it yourself". My sister and I are the people we are today because of this personality trait and I'm grateful every day for it.

What would we do without moms, eh?

My Favorite Things: A

Well, I warned you that I was going to try to blog once a week this year and that I was going to make a fun little list of my favorite things. And I suppose that I thought the best way to do that would be to make it A-Z, you know, sort of a "Heather A-Z" sort of thing? Anyway, I didn't think it was going to be that difficult to do, but have you ever really stopped to think of all your favorite things that start with the same letter? It's hard! I have lots of favorite things, but to come up with a decent list that only starts with the one letter is challenging.

So, here are the A's:

~Architecture: I absolutely LOVE architecture! I love to learn about it, I love to see it and I love to go to the most intricately designed/constructed places I can find and just run my fingers over all the details. For example, the details on the stones of the SLC Temple or The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC. I took a lot of Architecture classes in college and they were some of my very favorite. In fact, if I had it to do over again, I may just have stuck with that instead of bouncing around like I did. I love how architecture tells a story, not of the building itself (though sometimes it can and it's amazing!) but of the people and the culture surrounding it while it was being constructed. I love architecture so much that when I spent a week in NYC several years ago, I came home with hundreds of pictures...and most of them were just buildings that I passed and wanted pictures of. :)

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine

~Adele: She is my newest favorite singer. I love that no one else can even come close to sounding like her. Her music just gets into your soul and makes your feet just bounce. I have yet to come across an Adele song that I don't like. In fact, she does a cover on her album, 19, of a Bob Dylan song called "To Make You Feel My Love" and it's incredible. It is one of my favorite songs EVER. Hands down. If you haven't heard it, take a quick listen here, you won't regret it!



~Amusement Parks: I cannot fully describe the love I have of the adrenaline rush I get from riding on a roller coaster or other really fast ride. But it's not just the thrill rides, it's the entire atmosphere that I love. I love all the bright lights, the smell of the food and the flush of the little kids cheeks as they run around so excited for the next thing they get to see. I love to people watch and amusement parks are so great for this. You get such a diverse grouping of people all in one place for one purpose and it makes me happy to see it.



~Artichokes: MMmmmm. There isn't much more to say. MMMmmmm. My mom first introduced me to these wonderful veggies when I was very young. She would buy one for herself when she was needing a special treat and melt down half of a tub of butter to dip the leaves in. I would beg her for a taste and most of the time she would say No because she didn't think I would like them. Then... the inevitable happened. She caved once and I fell head over heels! I love them! In fact, my mouth is watering right now.



~Almond Flavoring: Oh. My. Goodness. I would put Almond flavoring in just about anything. It's so versatile. I love it most especially in hot cocoa, steamers, ice cream, cookies, cakes, anything also flavored with lemon, muffins, well... pretty much anything. My goodness. It really is a love affair between Almond flavored things and myself. So please excuse me for a moment, I need to run into the kitchen.....



~Asparagus: This is actually a funny one. First off, I must state that I really do love this veggie and it is one of my favorites. Just grill them up or saute them with a little garlicky butter and salt or throw on some lemon in there, cook them until the stalks are mostly cooked but still slightly crisp and you have a full scale treat, my friends! But, the other reason this is one of my favorite things is because my sweet Naters used to call it "Harry Spartacus". He kept saying that he would like Harry Spartacus for dinner one night and Maren and I had no clue what he was saying. Then, when we actually DID have it for dinner, he asked for seconds of it. We kept asking him what it was that he was saying and once we figured out that Harry Spartacus was actually asparagus, we rolled on the floor with laughter. Kids say the craziest things!



~Avocados: Guacamole, cut up in salads, cut up on sandwiches or just sprinkled with salt and scooped right out of the rind, it makes no difference. I LOVE avocados. I love the smooth creamy nuttiness of them. I love how they compliment just about everything they touch. They make regular foods pop with flavor. And they are healthy fat! My favorite way to get my fat! Haha

~Ann: My sweet friend who lives in Post Falls and who saved me on more than one occasion when I lived up there. There are few people in this world as wonderful as Ann is. On the outside and at first meeting her, she seems to be this sweet naive little girl... then you get to know her and she is a spitfire! :) She can make me laugh so hard I can't breath and so frustrated my eye twitches (but only when we are trying to play a game)! She creams me at just about every game we play. And she is one of the best friends that Heavenly Father has given me. I'm grateful for her and her friendship and I wish so badly almost daily that we lived closer than 7 hours away. Love ya Babes!



~Anna: She is the greatest poodle doodle in town and really knows how to throw one heck of a calfbury. But watch out, if you aren't careful, you can end up with your car in a ditch after having spent a wild evening at her house playing Dream Phone. I wish everyone in this world were lucky enough to have a sprite for a friend like I do in Anna. She is the Sprite to my Gigantor and I am a better person for having her in my life. She took quite the chance choosing me to be her 2nd Counselor when she was the Relief Society President, but I sure hope that she is grateful she did. Because everyone needs a friend who will use her talons to bust water balloons over their head; a friend who is willing to spit watermelon seeds into your mouth; a friend who backs you up in your intense devotion to In N Out; a friend who will discuss the proper installment of windows in your stomach and the functionality of such; and a friend who will stay up until 4 am giggling in a hotel room just because you are both so tired that you can't go to sleep. I wish I got to see her more often. This Gigantor sure misses her.

~Amy: She was one of my very first friends who made the efforts to make me feel welcome in the Virlow Branch. She never fails to remember all the little details and it makes other people feel like they are special. She shared her family with me, for which I will be eternally grateful. She is so fun to play games with (especially Redneck Life) and will learn your favorite songs on her guitar so that she can play it for you when you are having a tough day. And she's there for you, whenever you need her. Anytime you call, she's there. And sometimes... even when you don't call. She is that ever ready friend waiting patiently to ease your burdens. Thank you for your friendship, Amer Mamer!

~The Atonement: I am grateful each and ever day for the Savior and His Atonement. It is through His grace that we are saved and succored in our times of need. The best thing about the Atonement is the fact that it has already been taken care of for you, you only just need to apply it in your life. The payment has been made for your salvation, you only need to accept it and take an active part in it. I know that it is because of the Atonement that I will be privileged enough to someday live with my Father in Heaven again.



The End of 2011

This post is basically a retrospective look at my year, so if no one reads on, I'll understand completely. However, I do want to touch on the fact that I have new resolutions for this coming year and not entirely different from past years, I want to write them out so that I can hold myself accountable. However, the main difference this year is that I am only giving myself a couple of resolutions where I normally assign myself at least 10. Each year, I normally attempt to succeed at these resolutions and, unfortunately, having set myself up for failure, I don't always complete everything. I am never disappointed, but I am always looking for ways to better myself. This year, I have made a resolution to not have so many resolutions, thereby promoting an air of success that is within my grasp! See the irony? :)

Here is last year's list:

"~Lose 50 pounds
~Work out 4-5 times a week (Zumba baby! Oh yeah!)
~Try something new/something I haven't done in a really long time once a month (and then try to remember to blog about it. LOL)
~Once a month dinner with 2 important people
~Once a month to the temple
~Bear testimony at least 3 times
~Flowers on someone's grave twice a year (And only limit myself to that. I went way too much this year and it was always just as painful as the last time)
~Read the entire Old Testament
~Stop hanging out and going out so much with people who don't deserve my attention or time
~Be home at least 2 nights a week and follow my schedule better"

How did I do?

Well, I didn't lose any weight, in fact, I may have found a few pounds I saw lying around. They looked so sad and I thought that they might find a good home in my spare tire. :)

I didn't work out 4-5 times a week either because for the first third of the year, I was in so much pain from the wreck that I wasn't doing anything more than being a lump. It got to the point that I couldn't move my left arm, had no feeling in much of the left side of my neck and shoulder blade and tingling on the left side of my head. Trying to work out each week was impossible.

The New and Different each month (then blogging about it) took off like a shot and was, by far, one of the best resolutions that I have ever set for myself! I had such fun and really took this one seriously.

The once a month dinner with my parents went really well the first part of the year, but then I started working for my step mom and birth mom once a week. So, this one went to the wayside due to unforeseen circumstances. However, the alternative has been far better.

Once a month to the temple, sure! It went incredible. In fact, I decided to go on a Temple Run with my YSA ward and thereby knocked out two birds with one stone! It was an amazing trip. And each month I have been to the temple and enjoyed it so much. It has become a permanent fixture in my month. This one will definitely continue in the future.

I am normally so nervous to be in front of other people. Most don't believe me when I say that I don't much like to be the center of attention. The worst for me is when I have to bear my testimony or when I have to speak in church. Somewhere I heard once that if you ever want to be completely honest, you sing. I don't agree. I think that if you ever want to be completely honest, you talk about church related things and what you believe. You can't lie about it. You can't fake it. You have to be completely honest and 100% you. So, to bear my testimony 3 times this year was a very challenging task. However, I can say without any reluctance.... I DID IT! In fact, I did it more than just three times.

Limiting myself to only twice a year to Ty's grave went well. In fact, I appreciated those two times more than I had all the other times I'd gone last year. I went WAY too many times last year and I recognized that I felt so much better going to the temple to pay tribute to him instead. So, I went on Memorial Day and on his birthday. Then, I turned around on his birthday and immediately went to the temple. Much better.

I didn't get to read the entire Old Testament. We were reading scriptures together as a family in the mornings so that my younger sister could complete a Personal Progress goal and she had to read the Book of Mormon. So, we read out of that. Then, I've been really studying and re-reading the Conference talks. It's gone well.

I am doing so much better not hanging out with people who don't deserve my attention! This was a great goal. However, I didn't actually complete it until mid October when I left my old Single's Ward and went to a new branch. It's been an incredible change and I LOVE it!!

I wasn't home 2 nights a week each week like I wanted. This one is something that I'm ashamed of myself for. I wish so much that I could be home more often. I just have a hard time telling people that I can't go out when I really want to go with them, you know? However, I have a sneaking hunch this one is going to be better this year.

All in all, as far as evaluating goes.... I got 5 out of 5. Better than last year!! Haha

This upcoming year, I'm going to give myself some new resolutions, but I'm also going to carry some over.

New:
~Blog once a week (once a month about an important person, once a month Free Writing, and the other weeks will be a fun list of my favorite things)
~No more soda (I have to cut back. I drink soda too much and I'm addicted to it. Not just for the caffeine, but for the burn. I love the stuff. And I have to be done. I'm so tired of being so tired all the time and I think that part of the problem is my soda consumption.)
~Work out (I'm not going to explain this one because it's going to vary a little because of the ongoing problems with my shoulder and the nerve damage there)
~Take Nate and Em on an Aunt Heather Date each month (Maren helped me realize that I really have the best of both worlds by being the Auntie. I never have to deal with the puke and the whining, but I get to spend as little or as much time with them as I want. Best job in the world!!)
~New J (Not going to explain this one either because I don't know who's going to read this and it's a secret for right now)
~New B (See above)

Carry Overs:
~Bear Testimony 3 times (This was a very good resolution for me and I think I need it again this year)
~Flower for Ty only 2 times (Also a good one for me. It keeps things in check for me)
~Temple Once a Month (Umm... see above)

So, here we are again. I sure hope I can accomplish most of them. The are all good for me in different ways and I hope that I will be successful. Guess we'll see.

Things That Keep Me Preoccupied...

I'm not blogging as often as I would like to these days. However, I really do have a good excuse. Also, I'm going to admit it straight out that I will most likely NOT have a new and different activity to share this month. I'd rather not lie to myself anymore. Do you realize that it's almost the middle of December already? Every time I start to contemplate on what I should do for my N&D for this month, my mind quickly fills with all of the other things I am quickly running out of time to do. For example, Christmas presents.

This month, in my frantic attempt at making the majority of Christmas gifts, I am exceptionally preoccupied with crafting. And while some of the gifts are turning out beautifully, I must admit that some are more of a pain than they are worth. Oh, and here's an aside for you, if I NEVER use Mod Podge again for the REST of my life, it will be lifetimes too soon! Grr!

So, in honor of not having a blog post for my N&D (and as a good argument for why I don't have time this month for attempting a N&D), here is a list of things keeping me preoccupied this month:

~Painting Christmas Houses
~Cutting Simon Dewey pictures and Mod Podging them onto 4x4 wood blocks to create a puzzle looking thing
~Hand crafting (and sewing) a church tote bag
~Christmas gift shopping
~Serving Jury Duty
~Attending Maren and Nater's Christmas Choir Concert
~Participating in a Service Auction for church (and then using the accumulated money to purchase and distribute Christmas gifts to needy children and families in the community)
~Jarrica's Birthday
~Dinner at the Branch President's House
~Several nights spent at Buffalo Wild Wings with friends
~Branch Temple Night
~Family Home Evenings
~Robyn's viewing
~Bryan's Funeral
~Going to lunch and catching up with an old roommate from college who I haven't seen since 2007! (yay Bri!!)
~Toddy's Man vs. Wild Party
~Giving a talk in church. Topic: Wise Men Seek Him Still (Oh help! I'm apologizing to everyone I know beforehand. That way I'm covered!)
~Working for Des
~Working for Mom
~Working regular job
~Des' birthday
~Nater's Birthday
~My birthday :)
~Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the 3 houses I have to be present at (no pun intended! Haha)
~Emmie's Birthday
~Tran Siberian Orchestra Concert with Sister and Mr. Dustin
~Trip to Utah for the aforementioned concert and spending time with David, Veancha and the kiddos
~New Year's Eve party
~Psych nights at Brad's
~Smoothie Sunday at Jess'

~And many other activities which have yet to be entered onto the schedule.

The month of December is always a marathon, not a sprint for me. The only thing I can do is keep myself hydrated, try to get sleep and stave off any illnesses that try to creep up because I'm running too much. It's the craziest month of the year and I try so hard to make sure I'm remembering the reason for the Season.

Also, here are pictures of one other thing that has kept me preoccupied, although it's been ongoing for months, but I've just finished it...

The wall before

The wall during

The wall finished

Full wall mural of Mt. Moran and Jackson Lake in Des' home office

So, my opening argument was also my closing. However, I think anyone could see that I shouldn't be held in contempt for not having a N&D for this month. I've barely got time to breathe and am scheduling time to eat and sleep.

Yikes.

I've spent far too long on this post...

"I think there's less air up here!"

For November's New & Different, I decided to challenge myself a little more than I had been in the past few months. I have been taking it sort of easy and I thought to really test my limits this month would be a good idea.

My best friend, Maren, turned 28 yesterday and on her birthday, we were able to get out of the house, go to lunch and go shopping. Oh... and put our 13 year friendship to the test... We decided to go Rock Climbing.

It was decided that we should go together because then she would belay for me and I would for her. Belaying is where you are attached to and holding the rope for the other person to climb up the rock wall. This rope is their lifeline. And while they had automatic stop pulleys set up in the YMCA gym, I also felt incredible pressure not to let her down... or to let her die!

It only costs about $10 to go in and use all the YMCA equipment for as long as you wanted, which I felt was a good deal. I thought this because to my inexperienced mind, I was sure that Maren and I would climb for several hours before we would be ready to be done.

Wow... I was so wrong.

I realized within seconds of pulling myself up onto the wall the very first time that I do not have very good upper body strength. My arms, hands, shoulders and back were screaming and burning in pain right away. But, I was determined to make it to the top. The top, though it doesn't sound very high, was about 25-30 ft in the air.

I could only make it about 8-9 ft up the first time because I hadn't gotten what I'd bargained for. So, I let Maren take a turn on the wall.

She got most of the way up and had to come back down. My sweet friend is slightly vertically challenged in her 5'0 tall state and she couldn't get to the foothold of the very last stretch.

So, she came back down and I gave it another go.

With Maren's help, I refused to give up in the last little stretch and I made it to the top! It was both terrifying and totally exhilarating! I was shaking like a leaf and hyperventilating though. Haha

When I made it back to the bottom, Maren decided that she wanted another go and I helped her navigate when she got up to the tough spot at the top.

She made it!!! Whoo hoo!

When she came back down, we tried to decide what to do because we both had only made it to the top once, but we were both tired and our arms hurt! So, we decided to make one more go of it and that was it. We felt like such lightweights.

So, after both making it to the top twice and as badly as we both hurt 24 hours later... I have made a decision... I'm NEVER doing that again! It was good for me to try once and it was definitely something new and different for this month, but I KNOW now that I'm NOT a rock climber. I am not afraid of heights, but I also don't like to be strapped in with a rope and hauling my big ol body up a stupid wall by some nubby rock looking things.

November's New & Different: FAIL!

Oh, but a side note: Neither Maren, nor I died during this activity and our trust wasn't shaken... or stirred. We are good! ;^)

And side note #2: Happy Birthday Lovie! I'm glad we got to get out and do some fun... and maybe some not so fun things, for your birthday! I love you!!!