Continue ...

My timing could not have been more perfect but, as I was muddling through it all, truth be told, I questioned
again
& A LOT

Maybe I'll just blame it on the clouds.
yeah
YEAH
because they were feeling every bit of it too.
They muttered, they stuttered.
They errr-ed, and well ??? and uh, maybe, maybe not.

Not awful.
Not great.
Not grumpy.
Not happy.
A somewhere in between.
Shall we downpour or sunshine today ?

hmmmm

The rumbling thunder far away to my north was taunting "sure ! go ahead ! I promise I'll behave"
& the humidity was thick as a brick and equally stubborn.
So yeah.
I doubted
but,
I began.

It became pretty darn obvious that I had made the wrong choice when I could hear those storm clouds' boisterous bellowing over the very pleasant music in my ears
& I thought 'oh no. NO.'
because at that point in time, I was in the middle of no man's land where shelter was concerned.
Maybe I could shimmy down that little incline and hide under a tree, I contemplated,
or if all else fails I could make a dash to ... to ...
oy
I'm going to get soaked.
SOAKED

& as that intriguing thought made my mood of the day all the more wishy-washy, I pondered ...
Should I ?
Could I ?
What if ?
How will ?
& WHY didn't I grab a flippin umbrella ??!?

ugh

Questions.
Doubts.

It didn't help that I was pretty much THE only one out there too.
My fellow walkers, joggers, the dogs, their BFFs and even those extremely loyal golfers were nowhere to be found.
I guess I must have missed the Breaking News Weather Memo.
DON'T GO WALKING BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO STORM seemed to be the word on the street.

oh boy

but I walked, I pressed on.
I continued
& I kept walking, kept pressing, kept continuing no matter what !! those clouds were brewing,
no matter their menacing noise
no matter the foreboding darkness riding on top of my back
no matter the questions
no matter the doubts

& guess what ?
Guess What ??

I made it to the end of my trail invigorated ! determined ! happy ! and dry !
& as I looked up to the skies with a smile of gratitude ....

WoW.

Um.
Note To Self :

Just.
Keep.
Walking.

Press On

& continue  ...

No. Matter. What.


:)


I Am My Feelings

Jolly

I waited in a Waiting Room yesterday.
I didn't particularly want to be there
& if I had a choice of places I'd rather be, I would definitely be somewhere else.
But, I was
& so,
I waited.

The woman across from me waited too
& the the man to her left.
A few children were also in that Waiting Room
& they patiently waited too.

We all kept ourselves occupied.
There were magazines to be read, a tv to be watched and games to be played.
Everyone waiting in that Waiting Room kept themselves quite content.
It's what people do in Waiting Rooms

& the wait wasn't a terribly long stretch of time.
The friendly staff had things moving at a very snappy rate.
So, considering the fact that no one really wanted to be waiting, life was very ok and somewhat lovely

& then,
She walked in.
I have dubbed her 'Attitude' because that's what she was, that's what she carried.
Attitude made it very obvious, she did not want to be there.
But, instead of dealing the way everyone else in that room was dealing, Attitude wanted to share her misery.
She started with the very kind lady at the desk
& the domino effect of Attitude's miserableness was felt throughout that room.

Awkward.
Cold.
Uncomfortable.
All because of one person.
One grumpy, sour person.

It seemed like forever but finally, thankfully, Attitude decided to sit down.
Her noise fell silent with a big, huffy humph.

Luckily, at that very moment along walked in a UPS man.
I have dubbed him "Jolly" because that's what he was, that's what he carried.
With a "Good Afternoon !" and a gigantic smile, that wonderfully happy man changed the room in an instant.
He lit it up with his awesome light.
We could feel it
& suddenly, that Waiting Room was alive again.

Chatter.
Smiles.
Cheerfulness.
All because of one person.
One bubbly, it's great to be alive !! person.

I'm so thankful I was in the Waiting Room when Jolly arrived.
He was my gentle reminder of how very pleasant life can be when happiness is shared.

ahhhhh.

I'd so rather be jolly.

:)

I Am My Feelings

Of Thee I Sing

Well, weee.
I don't know about you but, dang, I sure had fun !

Family, friends, festivals and fireworks.
Parades and parks and sunshine and glee.
You gotta admit, life seriously does not get much better than that !

& yeah, it's a Wednesday that feels like a Monday
& uh huh, I'm awfully tired too
& no, I don't want to get back to  my "normal" just yet
nope
not yet

So, wait.
Before we pick up the pieces of America's awesome birthday bash and step into the grind of our every day,
I need to ask just one, little bitty, teeny tiny, favor.

Remember.

Remember it, remember this
&
while you're at it, bottle it up.
Pass it around.

That pride, the joy.
That I'm so darn enthusiastic to be an American revelry.
The red white and blue burst of happy.
That life is sweet and I'm so darn fortunate.

Yeah.
That.

Can we all hang onto THAT, please ?
please.

Because the noise machine will be revving up again
& those ugly chatter gurus will turn it on and persist.
They will pester, they will insist, we are a nation divided
& we're really not supposed to like each other
& see the guy over there ?!?
He's your enemy
so don't you dare be decent
or kind
or nice.

ugh.

UGH.

Please, let's please !!  hold on and remember every single one of the one for all, all for one moments.
The God Bless America
&
oh beautiful for spacious skies
&
my country 'tis of thee
and and and
THAT

Cause you love this land
& I love this land
& the guy down the street and the gal on the train truly love this land too
&
you know you felt it and I know I feel it.
That love of country.
That precious proud.

!! America !!

Yeah.

AMERICA.

Let's remember.
Let's try.
Let's do, let's please, let's BE a little bit more of THAT. 

:)


I Am My Feelings

Happy Birthday

It's your birthday America !!

!! YaY !!

& before I get yet another day of food, fireworks and happiness into gear, I just need to take this moment to STOP and shhhhhh.
To remember.
To remind.
To say.

YOU are AWESOME !! America !!

Thank You for THIS.
ALL of THIS.
For the freedom, the pride, the love, the opportunity.

Because of YOU, I can do anything.
Any. Thing.
You offer me the chance to know, to grow, to say, to be
& I'm so darn proud of you.
Of US.
Together, we are absolutely amazing.

Happy, Happy Birthday, America.
I'm so very fortunate to call you my country, my home, my friend.
I love you.
I applaud you.
I celebrate YOU.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

:)

I Am My Feelings

Eves

I love Eves.
I  love love love love love Eves.
The day before the Big Day.

I love the excitement in the air.
I love the anticipation of it all.
I love the jolly, neighborly, it's great to be alive, enjoyable moods of my fellow human beings.
In fact, I would be so bold to say I love Eve even more than Holiday.
I do.
Because it's all so pre-party happy !

What's even better is that today is the 3rd of July
& tomorrow is my favorite celebration of all.
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Which makes this day the EVE of my Very Favorite Day.
! weeeeee !
Watch out.
I am thisclose to an explosion of gleeeeeeee.

You know why I love this holiday so much ?
Parades.
Fireworks.
Fun
 &
America.

AMERICA.

YaY.

! Today !
It all begins today.

Happy 4th of July Eve, my friends.

! Enjoy !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

:)

I Am My Feelings

Beers and Ears

As most towns do in this good ol U S of A, there is a 4th of July Festival in mine each year. 
Filled with rides to be ridden, games to be played, food to be eaten, crafts to be envied
& 
always the fan favorite
A Beer Tent.

Just the sound of those combined words sounds oh so pleasant.
Beer. Tent.
A tent full of beer

& friends
& music
& Summer night happy.

YaY.

There was a time in my life when the beer tent was THE best part of the fest.
Woooo weeeee.
The fun that was had, the gallons consumed.
But, somewhere down the line, a thing called responsibility crept into my life
& the 4th of July Festival became all about my children.
Goodbye, beer tent.
sniffle. sniffle. 
Helloooooo rides and games and enviable crafts.

There's no need for overwhelming sadness though.
Oh no, it's all good.
Because the responsible years escorted a tasty delight called Elephant Ears into my life.
And suddenly, everything changed.

Doughy, cinnamon-y, sugary.
mmmmm mm
Just thinking about an Elephant Ear fills me with giddy because there is really no other anything that can even compare.

JOY.

Now, try as I might to stop them, those darn years keep on moving along
& those children of mine are not children anymore.
They too have taken a turn experiencing that beer glee.
weeeee.
Funny thing though...
Somewhere in all those years our beloved beer tent became a 'maybe we'll go...maybe we won't'  debate
& most times, won't wins.

But, Elephant Ears  ...?
Oh, Elephant Ears.
Fourth of July is just not the 4th of July without an oooooo sooooo wonderfully delicious Elephant Ear.

It's all about priorities, my friends
& mine will forever be !! YUM !!

:)

I Am My Feelings

Halfway There

Hello July 1st
& thank you for the wallop of a head's up.
Yes, YES ! I am very much aware that you are the halfway point of the year, so please,
don't flaunt.

One. Half.

oy

OY

So.
As a reminder to me, I am replaying the big ol promise that was made wayyyyy back in brand new, January
& for those who happen to be keeping score,
!! SURPRISE !!
although I have slacked off a time or three,
I'm still in.

The question is ...
Are You ??

c'mon

--------------------

There we were, sitting around the front room Christmas night, our bellies happily filled to the rim
with me, personally, just finishing up my fair share of Lazy Pierogi.

Ooooooh, Lazy Pierogi.

That infamous recipe calls for one pound of butter.
ONE POUND of BUTTER
& yet, it's a family favorite !! I say each year.
I'll make it.
Because, you know, the holidays just wouldn't seem right without Lazy Pierogi.

uh huh.

"This has got to STOP" one of my overstuffed people suggested
& yes, we all agreed.

THIS has got to stop

& somewhere in that simple, ashamed of ourselves and our endless cookie consumption conversation, an idea emerged.

A Challenge.
A New Year, New Me, we can sooooo do this together Challenge.

YaY

Starting on January 2, 2017 our lives CAN change !! we declared.

Five days per week.
30 pushups
100 sit-ups
To be completed in intervals or at once, it's up to the participant
&
ok
Crunches, leg lifts or squats can be substituted for sit-ups
& yes, you can mix it up however you choose.
Yep.
"wall' pushups are perfectly legit.

hmmmm.

We all sat there and pondered.

hmmmm.

"It will be a piece of CAKE !", I exclaimed.
Easy as can beeeeesy.

Five days out of a seven day week ?
Surely, we can handle that !
& intervals ?
There's 24 hours in a day, my peeps !!
C'MON !!

& so, it began.
If you want in, come on in we decided.
If not, that's entirely up to you and your biz
& what started with the privy who happened to be in my house that night has expanded across the states to the whole family.

The Challenge is ON, baby.

& welp.
Today begins Day 3, for me.
I chose to start my quest on the first of the year because I had not partied it up on the eve
& because the Lazy Pierogi I inhaled on Christmas found a nice, cozy place to hunker on my hips.

eek.

So.
Day 3
& every muscle I own hurts.
My stomach, my arms, my legs ...
Yep.
Every single everybody is in on the BIG OUCH.

But, I LOVE IT
& not only because it's the healthy thing to do
I love it because the family and I are in this together.
We all hurt
& we really, REALLY would much rather not be a part of this silly challenge !!
Who's idea was this anyways !??!

grrrrrr.

But ...
we will.
We will because the others are doing it
Because the support is there, the bragging is there.
The high fives and laughs and the NO MORE LAZY P !! is there

& not one of us really cares if the other actually does 500 sit-ups per week.
We've committed to the doing
& that's really all that matters.

So yeah.
Excuse me, now, as I slowly, carefully, ever so easily shuffle this aching body of mine to my morning cup of coffee.

YOUCH.
I'm sore.

But, as long as they remain 'IN', I shall remain 'IN'
Because I love my family, I encourage my family
& I'll be darned if I'm going to be the only one who DIDN'T next Christmas night.
I'll never, ever hear the end of it from the ones that DID.

C'mon.

:)

I Am My Feelings