New Exercise

I have traded in my exercise equipment for other activities. Okay, let’s be honest. I didn’t every use my exercise equipment. I guess I have started a whole new exercise regime. I have been doing more “natural” things for exercise. I have been doing things like hanging clothes on the line (have you ever fought sheets in the wind? Yeah, that is SOME exercise!), painting, cleaning out closets, walking around the yard to see what has come through the ground and all sorts of non-traditional forms of exercise. It feels good to move around somewhere besides these four walls! And maybe my shorts will fit better!

What Am I Supposed To Be Doing?

I have floundered through life never quite knowing what it is that I am supposed to be doing. Oh, sure there are things that I know for certain I shouldn’t be doing. Things like insurance marketing or sales or research. I thought for most of my growing up years that I would be a vet. And then freshman year in college hit. I realized that while I was smart I wasn’t smart enough or dedicated to studying enough to be a vet. So I let that dream slip away. I got my degree in Animal Science and had not a clue what I would do with it. I went through the interview process during my senior year but nothing was what I really wanted to do.

So I went back home and worked a few odd jobs. I finally landed a job working on a hog farm. Hogs were something I knew and it was an easy enough job. Physically demanding but it was work I knew. I piddled around in that for 3 years and then I got married. I worked in the animal health department of Farm & Fleet for a few months before we moved across the state. I found a job working for a vet supply company and stayed there for 3.5 years. I have been out of the workforce since then. This August will mark my 13th year as a stay-at-home-mom.

And still, I wonder what am I supposed to be doing. Obviously being a mom is an extremely important job. But I am pretty sure that God has more planned for me than that. I have dabbled in this and in that and nothing seems to fit. I have prayed and I have dabbled and still nothing. Just recently I opened myself up to helping to restore our high school library. I love books and I love teens. I could be around both with this opportunity. And this may or may not be what God wants from me. I can see some great potential in being around our communities youth. But if it is not where God wants me, it will be clear. I just hope it is! I am ready to land somewhere!

Spring Projects

Our thoughts are turning to outdoor endeavors at long last! Tom has spent the last 3 weekends in the barn working on projects that require warmer weather. We have bought our broiler birds and they are happily eating and growing. I am itching to get out in the garden but it has been too wet. I will soon have to sort through the garage for my outdoor décor that I put in my flower beds every year. Oh, my flower beds! All of he perennials that I put in last summer are all popping through the soil again! I am just thrilled that they are all still alive. Soon, we will be able to spend our weekends outside just doing. That has got to be one of the best feelings there is.

Why Can’t I?

Okay, so my conclusion is this…There is no way to lose weight fast when you are over the age of 35. Alright, so I already knew that. I was holding out hope that I was just really wrong about it though. I’m not. I am right. There is no quick, easy way. At this point, I have resigned myself to having to eat right and exercise. I have all of the tools in my head. I know what needs to be done. And, yet, getting started has been pretty darn hard to accomplish! My treadmill is buried but I still have my pilates DVD and I can still eat better. And I can start walking outside now that the weather is getting better. So, why is it I cannot seem to get started? Its something I need to contemplate.

Change

I think I might be entering another stage of life. My cycles have been pretty erratic for the last 6 months or so. I have also notice some night sweats and sometimes feeling the need for sleep aids. I have been to the doctor and there is nothing amiss. It is just a part of getting older. But let me tell you, this is a welcome change! It is actually something I have been praying for. So I am just going with it. And enjoying it. I think that 42 years of a monthly cycle is plenty! I know that some women dread this change and the things that come with it. I am not one of those women. I am done having children. There is no need for me to continue to cycle and I am ready to move on. Are any of you with me on this?

Spring

I think that spring has finally arrived. Or at least spring-like weather has arrived. It seems that the big KVM switch in the sky has been dialed over to Spring. I am soooo thankful for that! I had been feeling very unmotivated the last month or so. I know it was directly related to the weather and the longing for sunshine and warm weather.

And so, with my motivation at a low, my house has become a wreck. Now I get to start the arduous task of reclaiming my house. I have already started in the girls room. We plan on painting it next week so a good cleaning and decluttering was in order! I sorted through their closet and put clothes in one pile and toys in another. I didn’t sort anything any further than that. The toys and stuffed animals will be gone through by the girls this weekend. The clothes will be done after the room is painted.

Part of the problem I am having is I look around and see that this needs sorting through or that cupboard is completely disorganized or that room needs straightening. There is soooo much to do that I am having a hard time finding my focus. This is not a new problem. Its one that I find myself in often. My solution is usually a day by day list of jobs. It gives me something to focus on. I can also look ahead when something catches my eye that needs doing and see what day I am scheduled to work on it. It is so true that us humans like structure!

Today I will be working on writing that list along with some other daily sort of tasks (dishes, laundry). Hopefully I will find myself with a van full of items to take to the resale shop and a house that is less cluttered in a few weeks. I suppose I should probably make a call to the resale shop and get things figured out there before I show up with that van load though!

Windows

I painted Clint’s room in January and it looks fantastic! At the end of this month, my sister and I are going to paint the girls’ room. Once that is all done, I need to order window treatments for both rooms. I thought about going with faux wood blinds. I rethought that when I remembered that the girls do not like to see lightning when it storms. So I decided I would order some room darkening, thermal drapes for both bedrooms. We don’t have heat upstairs so the thermal part will help keep their rooms warmer. I found some at JCPenney that are on sale. But even with the sale price and an additional 10% off it will still cost about $200 for both rooms. Isn’t it crazy how expensive window treatments are?

Hang Out

It has been a weekend of teens. Saturday we had 4 extras here. Yesterday we had 3 extras. Today we will have 4 extras again. (Yes, we have today off from school because of Casimir Pulaski Day. Its a silly Illinois holiday thought up by Chicago politicians.) I am not sure if the extra hormones will spill over and give me adult acne but I hope not! I have really enjoyed having all of the teens here this weekend. I have said it before but I really enjoy my teens and their friends! I love hearing their points of view and watching their unbridled silliness. My kids have some fantastic people for friends, too. I always wondered way back when the kids were little if our house would be the place to hang out. I guess it is turning into that place and I love it!