Melonius Thunk

My Word of the Year - 2012 Edition

At church Sunday we were instructed to pull a card containing a word.  The word would be our personal word for 2012.  We were instructed to not look at the cards before drawing - no picking or choosing your word - this was God's word for you.

I was excited to draw a word randomly.  What a concept to allow the word to choose me (or be given to me) instead of me conjuring a focus for the year.  Fun!  I anticipated drawing a word like Create or Gratitude or even Patience, something rather concrete that I'd know right off the bat what it meant and how I could incorporate it into my life.

Alas, Forgiveness is the word I drew.  Hmm.  I know what Forgiveness means, but what does it mean to me personally?  There's the obvious answer:  seek forgiveness for myself, forgive others, or even forgive myself.  But I've never thought I had a problem with forgiveness.  I don't harbor a bunch of ill will or anger and I couldn't think off of the top of my head of anything for which I needed forgiveness.  Hmm....  I was stumped!  It was just a random word right?  And I quickly brushed it away.

Then came time to stand and sing a hymn.  I stood up, grabbed a hymnal from amongst the ones before me and flipped to the specified page.  Just guess what I found.  Did you guess?  Alright, I'll tell you:  another card for Forgiveness!  Whoever sat in this same seat at the early service had also drawn the word Forgiveness.  And left it behind.  For me to find.  Again.  Hello!  I get the message.  Well, sort of anyway.  I'm still not sure exactly what God intends for me when it comes to Forgiveness, but I look forward to finding out!

Do you have a word for 2012?  I'd love to hear about it!

PS - Last night we had a potluck church followed by some music.  Folks were again offered the opportunity to draw a word.  I declined - I already got my word loud and clear.  Interestingly enough, most all of my family drew the word Patience.  Now THAT is a word I KNOW I could use this year!  I hope collectively my family has enough Patience for ME, too!  : )

2012 - Week 1 in Review

Week 1 of my new-and-improved eating habits is complete -- and successful!  As I focus on what is Good and Right in 2012, here's a recap of some of the Good and Right in this 1st week of January 2012:

• Flossed every day
• Kept a daily food journal
• Diet soda consumption = 2
• 2 servings of fish (FYI - Bronte Cafe at JosephBeth in Lexington, KY has the most incredible grilled salmon! I added it to the Pear and Blue Cheese Salad - delicious!!)
• Tried 2 new veggie recipes:
  • Roasted Beets
  • Mashed Cauliflower
• Focused on portion control, which allowed me to have some of my favorites without the guilt!
• No desserts!!

It's all about progress people, not perfection. 

I started to fret a little Wednesday evening when we went to Cracker Barrel and I had the oh-so-delicious Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Bake.  It's one of my all time favorites.  But instead of fretting, I focused on really enjoying the meal.  I ate slowly, savoring every bite.  And I only ate 1 of the 2 biscuits they served me.  That may not sound like a big deal, but it apparently saved me about 133 calories.  Progress!
 

Then on Friday my uncle invited us to join the family at the local Mexican restaurant.  I'd been dreading this one because I LOVE Mexican food and I have no interest in the so-called healthy options.  (I can have grilled chicken and vegetables any time, any where.  When I have Mexican, I want traditional Mexican.)  Before we went to dinner, I spent some time thinking about how I could truly enjoy the evening - I didn't want to spend the whole time thinking about what I *should* or *shouldn't* be doing.  So I enjoyed the chips and salsa and ordered my favorite menu item:  the Fajita Quesadilla Rellena with Chicken.  It is soooo good!  But what I did do differently is that I only ate half of my meal.  I was completely satisfied!  (I took the other half home, enjoyed half of that (1/4) with a nice green salad for lunch the next day, and tossed the final 1/4.)  Progress!

Would I be lying by omission if I didn't mention the two Margaritas I had Friday night?  Just to be safe I'll mention them here.  Did I enjoy them?  Oh yeah!  Were they empty calories?  You betcha.  Was it worth it?  In this case, I think so.  I had a very fun evening with my family.  And the belly laughs?  Priceless!!!

 

Week 1 Results:

When I stepped on the scale this morning, I learned that I lost 5.5 pounds in the 1st 8 days of January.  Woo Hoo!

 

QUERY:    I've always heard that exercising would give me more energy.  However, it seems that whenever I go to the gym and exercise, I leaving feeling very tired and sleepy.  What's up with that???

Happy New Year 2012!

Here we are again, a mere 363 days since my last post.  Once again we meet here at the intersection of old and new, the past and the future, closing the books on one year and planning for the new.  I always have been quite the sucker for a fresh start -- filled with possibility and promise.  And so here I find myself, once again, pondering the new year and what I will make of the days ahead.

As I sat down to reconnect with Melonius Thunk, I re-read my 2011-The Year of Good and Right post.  My immediate thoughts were: (1) my goal to focus on "Good and Right" hasn't changed, and (2) I wasn't so successful at that in 2011.  Hmmmm....

But then I started thinking about it and doing a quick mental inventory of 2011.  Guess what I discovered?  I may not have lost X pounds, totally eliminated clutter from my life, cured cancer, or mediated world peace, but I did, in fact, do a lot of the types of things toward which I aimed.  It's not an exhaustive list, but here's a sampling of what was Good and Right for me in 2011:

* Prepared more meals at home
* Tried new fruits and veggies
* I drink more water today than I did a year ago
* Stopped adding artificial sweeteners to my iced tea, cereal, etc. -- although I DO still enjoy the occassional diet cola, just not as many as I used to!
* Learning to sew
* Crocheting
* Took a cruise to Alaska with NaNa
* And I've had some pretty awesome laugh-fests!

Good and Right.  I like it.  I really like it.  I still really like it! 

I do want to shape some of my goals into a more concrete, measurable form for 2012.  I'm working on that and will share more details later.  In the meantime, check out this video clip by Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project explaining why measurable goals are important.  [Sidebar: I've always been of the opinion (fear?) that "concrete & measurable" only helped in identifying when you failed, rather than to support success.  But why not try something different, right?]

So what about you?  Have you made any resolutions for this sparkly new year?  Care to share your goals? I'd love to support you in that which is Good and Right in your life!

Hello 2012!  I hope you're ready for a good dose of Good and Right, because I'm bringing it!

2011 - The Year of Good and Right

One of the things I miss most about school is the fresh start each new semester would bring.  A new schedule, new classes, new teachers, new notebooks, fresh paper . . . all organized and full of promise.  So you can imagine the weight I put on the start of a new year.

Every year late in December I start thinking about the upcoming New Year.  I intend to spend some time reflecting on the year about to pass and planning for the new.  For example, I intended to take an inventory of what went well in 2010 -- my many blessings, things I accomplished -- and what I'd like to focus on in 2011.  

Thus, I did *think* about these things over the last few weeks.  But only in an esoteric way.  That sort of way in which I say to myself "I should really think about such and so" or "Wouldn't it be neat to have a word / phrase / symbol to represent my goals and intentions for the new year?" There was no heavy mental lifting in this *thinking*, I assure you!

I also have a thing for Resolutions.  I mean, if "tomorrow is a new day", then a new year must be all that and a bag of chips.  Right?  Like most Americans, each year I intend to lose X pounds, banish clutter from my life, cure cancer, and single-handedly mediate world peace.  But I'm also a realist and I know that some extremely high percentage of Resolutions are broken within like 5 minutes.  And, frankly, I don't want to burden my dreams with such an obvious death sentence as to make Resolutions around them.  I need my dreams, damn it!

So what's a girl who's giddy about the promise of a fresh start yet too jaded to really buy into it to do?  I don't know!  But here's what I did: 

I did make a resolution.  I'll call it a *soft* resolution.  One that has the potential to help me progress toward most any goal I may have for myself in the 364 days remaining in 2011.  Are you ready for this?  Drum-roll please . . . . . . .

In 2011, I resolve to do that which is good and right.

What's right for my physical health?  Preparing fresh, healthy meals.  Trying new fruits and vegetables.  Drinking water.  Taking Riley for a walk.  Practicing yoga.  Turning up the volume and shakin' it like a Polaroid!

What's right for my home environment?  Hosting a yard sale for things I no longer use or enjoy.  Donating excess items to charity.  Doing *right now* those tasks that can be completed in just a short time.  Hiring cleaning help!

What's right for me in general?  Laughing.  Loving.  Enjoying quality time with my friends and family.  Painting.  Sewing.  Crafting.  Traveling.  Volunteering.  Helping others.  Practicing gratitude.  Seeking joy and being happy.

Do you see a theme here?  Instead of trying to eliminate the bad, I'm adding good.  And that, my friends, appears to be a win-win resolution!

Wishing each of you a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2011!

Name That Tune

There's an African Proverb that goes something like this: "When the music changes, so does the dance".  And isn't that true of our moods, too?  There are certain songs that brighten my mood without fail. 

"I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas has topped my list of upbeat feel-good songs for a while now.  Recently I added Macy Gray's "Beauty in the World" to the list along with "The Sound of Sunshine" by Michael Franti and Spearhead.  And I'll never forget the way I wiggled in my seat the first time I heard Nina Simone's "Funkier than a Mosquito's Tweeter"!

Here are a few other songs that would go on my feel-good playlist (in no particular order):

Tom Petty - "Running Down a Dream"
B-52s - "Love Shack"
ABBA - "Take a Chance on Me"
Sheryl Crow - "Soak up the Sun" and "All I Wanna Do"
Simon & Garfunkel - "Feelin' Groovy
Don McLean - "American Pie"
Katrina and the Waves - "Walking on Sunshine"
Weather Girls - "It's Raining Men"
Bonnie Rait - "Something to Talk about"
Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Sweet Home Alabama"
Paul Simon - "You Can Call Me Al"
Outkast - "Hey Ya!"
Kool and the Gang - "Celebration" and "Ladies Night"
Bee Gees - "You Should be Dancing"
Midnight Star - "No Parking on the Dance Floor"
R.E.M. - "Stand"
KC & The Sunshine Band - "Keep It Comin' Love", "Get Down Tonight", and "Boogie Shoes"

This is by no means a comprehensive list.  What's missing?  What songs makes you smile?  I'm talking about the ones that start your foot tapping as you instinctively reach to turn up the volume.  The ones you'll sing at the top of your lungs as you drum on the steering wheel....  What tops your list of feel good tunes?

Productive Procrastination - Magazine & Tear-Out Storage

[This post is actually from yesterday, May 11, 2010, but I had technical difficulty publishing it then.]

I'm procrastinating today.  Big Time.  And loving every non-productive minute of it!

Today my procrastination is showing itself in browsing others' blogs and reading about organizing and productivity.  The irony does not escape me!  : )

All is not lost on this procrastination effort today!  You already know that some of my major clutter issues revolve around magazines.  I LOVE magazines.  And they pile up quickly....  Check out this post at Chez Larsson about how she organizes her magazines and tear outs.  The photos are gorgeous!  What a nice, tidy, clean, and visually RELAXING space.  I like it!

 

Benita's post inspires me!  It's not necessarily anything new or novel.  I've "planned" to put my tear sheets in binders for a long (very long!) time.  But seeing seeing Benita's tear sheet binders so nice and tidy makes me want to work on mine, too.

Now, to find the *perfect* binders . . . .

May 5x5 - May 9

I was out of town for a few days and had to take a break from my daily elimination exercises (although I did get rid of a stack of magazines at my grandmother's house yesterday).  However, I continue to be one grateful gal!

A few of the things I've been grateful for over the last few days:

• Sunny skies & crisp temperatures.  Sunny & 65 is perfection in my book!
• Having a front-row seat for the Transylvania Boys A Capella concert Wednesday night.  What an awesome concert!  I met several of these TBA members on the European tour last year.  Makes it that much more fun to see their talented performance!
• Receiving a free copy of TBA's CD after the concert.
• Watching NaNa laugh and have fun as she enjoyed the TBA concert.
• Lunch and shopping with my mother.
• Shopping the fabulously unique Artique in Lexington Green (my go-to place for gifts!).
• God's love reflected in the beauty of the flowers in bloom.  The peonies this year are beyond gorgeous!
• Celebrating my cousin Katie's college graduation with family and friends.
• Laughing with America as Betty White hosts SNL.

And today's most important gratitutes: 

A mother who loves me unconditionally and a grandmother who not only has been an incredibly positive influence in my life but also a best friend.  I am blessed beyond measure!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers of the world!

May 5x5 - May 5 (and more!)

I haven't really taken a break from my 5x5 goals the last few days, I just haven't managed to blog about it.  So I'll do a little catch-up today....

Eliminations:

Today I said Good Riddance! to a number of little creatures that have been lurking around and hiding out in my house.  Dust bunnies!  RIP dust bunnies.  You will not be missed!  [Out of self respect, I am declining to post photos of said dust bunnies.  Use your imagination!]

I stumbled across a birthday gift I have not yet delivered.  I'm moving that up the list and it'll be outta here shortly.  Just in case said friend decides to read this blog post, I am omitting the photo....

I have also continued my quest to rid my life of excess paper.  This, of course, is an on-going quest.  Just when I think I have the problem licked, I find myself in the middle of piles and piles of paper.  That tells me something isn't working with my system.  Or lack of a system.  In a game of Rock - Paper - Scissors, I'm apparently the Rock.  So I've got to put more thought into this one.  Figure out WHY the paper seems to have the upper hand.  And what I can do to conquer the paper once and for all.

Alas, I do have a couple of photos to share.  Below is a recent day's 5 elimination items:

Wondering what that is in the bottom right-hand corner?  Well, it's a bear's head.  That's right . . . a bear's head.  Here's a closer look:

Dusty's "found treasure" from the yard.  He brought it in hidden inside his jowl.  It's amazing what these dogs can find in the yard!  He was tickled pink.  Me?  Not so much....  [Sorry Dusty, but this little guy is going out with the trash.]

In addition to the bear head, there are 3 hats and a small string bag that (I think) once contained a hat.  Now I'm not necessarily a hat person, but I have managed to accumulate a number of winter hats.  I don't think I've ever worn either of the Lands End winter hats in this photo.  So I'll add them to the yard sale pile.  They're nice hats, they're just more than I need.

As for the baseball-style cap . . . it was a give-a-way from a local non-profit organization, Women-4-Women.  W4W is a fantastic organization!  But I look particularly bad in baseball caps.  Which means this cap is just gathering dust.  It's going into the donations pile so that someone else can actually use it AND spread the word about W4W at the same time.

And now, on to....

Gratitudes!

Although I have been much more aware of my blessings, I have not done such a good job of writing them down.  But here's a sampling of the things for which I have been grateful since the last time I posted:

• Waking up to the SUNSHINE Monday morning.
• Crawling into fresh sheets on the bed Monday night.
• How quickly the upcoming Bourbon and Bow-ties event tickets sold out.  B&B is a fundraiser for the local children's hospital.  It is a new event honoring the memory of the child of some good friends of mine who died very unexpectedly last year.  The tickets sold out within an hour or so of going on sale.  Unfortunately, I was not one of the lucky recipients.  So I'll make a monetary donation and volunteer my time to the cause.  I cannot think of a better way to spend my time!!!
• A refreshing drink of ice cold H2O.  Nothing quenches thirst nearly as well!
• Options!  Although sometimes it can be overwhelming to have options, I am so blessed to have many options.  I just have to open my eyes and my heart to recognize them.
• Riley waking me up with the nudge of a cold nose and a waggedy tail.

Okay folks, I think I've babbled on long enough for one post.  I'll let you get back to living your blessed lives now.  Have a great day!

May 5x5 - May 2

What a soggy Sunday!  I'm sending love and good vibes to those of you dealing with flooding!!!

Today's Project Elimination was all about paper -- and finding the surface of the coffee table!

Things I eliminated today:

1.  Paper

2.  Paper

3.  Paper

4.  Catalogs

5.  Paper

I'm testing the shredder's longevity and feeding the recycling bin.  Yahoo!

May 2 Gratitudes:

Today I am grateful for:

1.  The scent of my lilac shrub that's in full bloom.  It grounds me to the present each time I catch an unexpected waft of the delicious scent.

2.  The peace and quiet of an out-of-order landline telephone!

3.  Remaining powered through the storms.

4.  A relaxed yet productive day.

5.  Catching up with old friends over facebook chat.  It's good for the heart!

Wishing you a happy Monday and some dry weather for the week!

May 5x5 - May 1

I've decided my May needs a theme.  It's the 5th month, Cinco de Mayo, . . . I'm running with the number 5 theme. 

My plan is (1) to divest myself of 5 things a day that are no longer of practical use to me and/or no longer contributing to my best life and (2) recognize 5 things for which I am grateful each day.

Today I eliminated:

1 stack of papers that went into the shredder,

2 vases now in the yard sale pile,

1 basket, also in the yard sale pile, and

1 old, ink-stained coin purse that is not in the yard sale pile. :o)

May 1 Gratitudes:

1.  I'm grateful my grandmother got to go to the Derby and that she had a winningly fabulous time!

2.  I'm grateful I did not have to go to the Derby and got to watch it from the comfort of my den - nice and dry!

3.  I'm grateful for my puppy dogs:  Riley, who turned 6 this week, and my foster dog Dusty, who will always have a place in my heart.  These guys bring me such joy!

4.  I'm grateful for an impromptu visit with a friend I don't get to see often enough.

5.  I'm grateful for a quiet, relaxing day.

Anyone else going to pick a #5 theme for May?  I'd love to hear about it!