Being in the moment

Right now, sitting in front of my computer at 11:21 a.m., my to-do list is swallowing me up and choking the life out of me. 

I often feel like I could get it all done if I had just ONE day alone. ONE day of utter concentration, no distractions, no kid, no phone, no husband, just me and this mess of a house and life. 

Would that really happen though? Chances are, I'd probably waste the day away blogging, catching up on Facebook or the like. Or I'd get busy "trying" to be productive and get lost in the stack of year-old magazines flipping through and cutting out recipes or things to make/do. 

I need to face it. I'm probably NEVER going to have ONE day of utter un-busyness. Life is not that way. I've got to work with what I have, realize my strengths, curb my weaknesses, and move on. 

Procrastination is one of my major weaknesses, as is overcomplicating things. My brain gets going one-hundred miles a minute, and I can't even start to keep up. The irony of procrastination is that I think I'm putting things off to enjoy the time I have at the moment, but the procrastination just creates more to do in the long run and the things I haven't done eat at me during the time I'm enjoying "the moment," so I'm not really enjoying it at all. 

My very wise and uber-productive husband has diagnosed me with a condition termed "paralysis by analysis." It basically means I'm not getting anything done because I spend too much time analyzing how to get something done (e.g., trying to look at all the brands of a food to see which one's cheapest, planning to redecorate a whole room when all it really needs is a good vacuuming, etc.). I spend SO much time thinking about things I want to do and very little "real" time doing them. The plans in my mind are grand, I tell ya. 

My Superman of a husband just gave me this wonderful advice via email:  "Focus on checking off your to-do list as you accomplish tasks, but don't think about the next tasks while you're completing the current one.  STAY in the moment." I asked him for prayer because I am lacking motivation, but have tons to do. What a wise man. He knows the lazy, procrastinating me and loves me anyway. 

So, with that grand advice, I'm off to start my day. Yep, at noon. Hey, it ain't pretty, but it's honest. That's life. 

Anyone have any tips/tools/tricks for getting more done during the day? Mantras you live by? Scheduling musts? I'm in dire need of anything I can get my hands on as motivation and structure for my day. I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants gal, and that doesn't jive with being a stay-at-home mom. Reason numero uno why I cannot homeschool. Our days would look like a Jackson Pollock painting. 

Send help, please. And a dozen donuts. OK, just kidding about the donuts. Not really. 

I'd like to thank the Academy ...

Oh, sorry. Just practicing my acceptance speech for when I win the award for Most Inconsistent Blogger on Earth. It's been a month since I blogged. Really? No wonder I've been so uptight. All these thoughts balled up in my head and no pounding on a keyboard to let them all out. 

Every time I come to my blog, it makes me think of this:

Now I want to go watch Billy Madison. I L-O-V-E that movie. Shampoo good. Conditioner better ... Stop looking at me, swan! 

Anyway, just dropping by to say how lame I am in all aspects of life lately. I totally fell off the wagon on my eating plan. OK, I didn't just fall off, the wagon darn near killed me by running me over after I fell off. It really is that bad. I've got the few extra pounds to show it. 

I'm not feeling well, not eating well, and not working out. I feel like Chet in Weird Science. You remember? This guy:

Alas, tomorrow's a new day and I am more determined than ever to morph out of my Chet-ness into more of a Kelly LeBrock-ness (circa 1985, of course). 

I'm hoping to awaken tomorrow feeling well, refreshed, and ready to attack my "spare tire" with a vengeance. I've discovered a new mantra that I am going to put on a loop in my brain, as well as print out and post on every surface I come in contact with (especially those involving the finding and consumption of food): 

"Don't trade what you want most for what you want at this moment." 

Done. I'm over trading feeling good in a sleeveless shirt for a doughnut or being able to fit in my ballet skirt for an enchilada. Seriously. 

I would appreciate any and all encouragement I can get in this endeavor. I like food. A little too much. But, you see, me and food, we're on the outs. I can't hang with grease, processed, or fried vittles like I used to. I gotta spend some well-deserved time with some fruits and veggies to make me lean and clean again. 

If you happen to have the pleasure of being around me when I experience an episode of weakened self-control (which are sure to be many), please do me a favor. First off, make sure you're not within arm's or leg's distance 'cause I might want to hurt you. Once your outside the boundary, kindly remind me of my mantra and what I'm working toward. Just be sure to say please. 

Eating plan update and ramblings

I'm right about halfway through my 30-day trial of the new eating plan. As most things go with me, I can feel that I'm losing steam. I was very dedicated and disciplined the first week. That was until we went camping that weekend and ended up eating pizza twice. Yes, twice! Ugh! Just call me Fatty Arbuckle. I learned a valuable lesson from that indulgence though. 

I had a couple of days of withdrawal at the beginning of the eating plan. My body was adjusting to missing out on all the carbs and sugar it was used to. I'm not going to lie. It was rough! By Wednesday afternoon though, I was feeling better than usual and the week continued on a high note. I felt a marked improvement in my energy and didn't have to take even one single Tum (which I typically live on most nights of the week). Then I had pizza. When the carbs came back, so did the indigestion, restless sleep, and lethargic mornings. 

I have since been fairly strict, only waffling here and there to accommodate cravings or eating out with friends and family. I'm happy to say that, even after I indulge in one of my "forbidden" foods, it's typically not satisfying me the way it used to and I'm craving something natural to almost cleanse my palate (typically fruit). I am finding much satisfaction in the convenience foods God gave us instead of in the convenience foods Little Debbie gives us. 

I'm pressing onward despite the fact that I haven't adhered totally to the plan as required, which is a huge step for me. Typically, I would feel as if I had failed and just quit. Instead, I am trying to make this a lifestyle change. It's just not feasible to say I'll never eat out again, or I'll never have cheese again. But, it is feasible to say that I will only do those things and the others that contribute to my PCOS sparingly. 

I will pass on a yummy recipe I made this last week in my search for a "dessert" that wasn't dairy, didn't have too much sugar, and was practically natural and clean as possible. Enter Watermelon Granita by the lovely Pioneer Woman. If PW doesn't ring a bell, please do yourself a favor and check out her site. Great recipes, funny posts, and awesome giveaways! 

I've wanted to make watermelon granita for a couple of years now, but thought it seemed like too much work. Until I saw PW's post. I made haste and got that granita going in about 20 minutes, which is saying something 'cause I'm slow as molasses in the kitchen. My little monster helped me make it, all the while saying, "I will NOT eat that!" 

Fast-forward five hours and he was sitting cheerily in front of the tele with a big bowl of watermelon granita. He forgot all about those silly watermelons; this was just a cool popsicle of sorts. Feed it to your fruit-challenged kids, I promise they'll like it if my kid did. 

Two more things to add to this long post (I'll be brief): 

If you like cherries, get yourself one of these. It's called the Cherry Chomper, and you can get one via various websites for between $8 and $10. It's super fun to use, kid friendly, and encourages gorging on mass quantities of cherries, which I'm all for! 

Are you still praying for our buddy Tripp? Please remember him in your prayers each day. He's not doing any better. Still about the same, heavily sedated and in pain when he's awake. It breaks my heart to see that he hasn't turned a corner yet, but I know God can and does work miracles. Tripp is a fighter and is more of an inspiration than I can ever hope to be. Please pray for God's will in his life and for strength and peace for his parents as they live out God's will for their precious little boy. 

That's all. Gosh, writing about Tripp at the end here kind of makes all the stuff above it seem like fluff, just not important. I feel so useless not doing anything but praying. However, prayer is precisely what God wants from us in times like these. I'm grateful to Tripp for keeping me in closer communion with my Lord. 

God bless,

Miss K

Spiritual marinade ~ Anger

In the Jonah Bible study I talked about in this post, I have been beyond blessed. Really. That sounds trite, but God has revealed much to me through this study and that I have SO much more to learn.


The final day of our study dealt partly with anger. Jonah is angry at God for changing his course and not demolishing the Ninevites. God gives Jonah (and all of us) a life verse at this point:

"Do you have good reason to be angry?" Jonah 4:4

Wow! I want to put this verse on a loop in my head so I can instantly replay it every single time I get frustrated and/or my ire gets up. Chances are, the resounding answer most times will be "No." 

Priscilla Shirer's teaching on this subject brought me to a very pointed question. Something I like to term a "spiritual marinade" because it truly is something we should ponder, let sink in, and then learn from. You know, let it marinate in you. Here it is:

We get angry at people and stay angry because we expect them to be here tomorrow. We take for granted that they will be around long enough for our grudge to hold out, for them to realize what they did wrong (according to us), or for us to have enough time to finally forgive them. If we are believers, we know that tomorrow is not promised for any man. None of us knows the time we have left on this Earth, only God does. 

So, supposing we knew they wouldn't be here tomorrow (if we could know), would we still hang on to that anger? Would it be THAT important? 

I know what I would do, or rather, what I should do. For I don't know the count of anyone's days; there is always the chance that someone you see today will not be here tomorrow. What would you do? 

Marinate on it. 

God bless,

Miss K

Please pray for Tripp

If you've taken a gander down the right-hand side of my blog page, you've seen the pictures of three sweet ones that need prayer. I know they are a few of many, but they are near to my heart as I have been following their stories for some time. 

One of them, little Tripp, needs your prayers badly right now. Tripp has a skin disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa (or EB, for short). You'll notice little Jonah has EB as well. I'm not sure even how I became acquainted with both of these families' blogs, but I'm grateful to the Lord that I did. I have been able to see true heroism lived out in these toddlers and their parents. 

Tripp is battling fevers and infection right now, and is in immense pain (even moreso than what he's typically dealing with from EB alone). The doctors are trying to put him on pain medicine that will ease his discomfort and allow him to get well. To be honest, I don't know the prognosis. I know that the life expectancy of EB children can be short. Tripp just turned two years old; he has so much life ahead that he should be able to live. But, we do not know God's plan; only God knows and He's in control, so we must trust in Him. 

Would you please add Tripp and his mother Courtney to your prayer list? I have been awestruck at the strength that Tripp has displayed as a child managing a pain that he doesn't even understand and that Courtney has displayed at raising, loving, and nurturing this sweet little guy in the midst of a devastating disease. 

It's strange, but I can safely say that I love Tripp. I've never met him and probably never will, but he has touched my heart in a way that I can't express in words. Take a look at Tripp's website, read his story, look at all his adorable photos, watch this little guy inspire you in his videos, and see if you don't love him, too. I dare you. Then, pray for him. Please.

God bless, 

Miss K

P.S. Grab a button for your blog while you're at it and spread the word. Tripp needs all the prayer warriors he can get! 

Bible in 90 Days ... read with me!

In my life, I've yet to read the Bible in its entirety. I've made it most of the way through the New Testament and part of the way through the Old Testament. I've always desired to read it from cover to cover though, like a book should be read. I've been a believer for 20 years; it's high time I get around to it. 


Thus, I've signed up for a challenge. It's called "The Bible in 90 Days." Yes, you read the entire Bible. Cover to cover. In 90 days. Sounds like quite a challenge, right? 


I have realized things about myself in my time on Earth. One very important one is that I am great with deadlines. Not so great without them. Left to my own devices, I might have the best intentions of reading the entire Bible the rest of my life and never actually get around to it. Give me a deadline, and voila, I can make it happen. At least I hope to. 


A good friend of mine referred me to this, and I am so grateful. It actually started on July 11, so I am a couple of days behind, but I have already almost caught up to today's reading. It's really not that much. Don't quote me, but I think it equates to about 12 chapters a day. It's recommended to allot 45 minutes per day for the reading. Won't you read along with me? 


Keep in mind that this is a reading of the Bible, NOT a study. I have been bookmarking important verses and making small notes as I go for reference/research later, but I am reading it as I would any old novel. This makes the reading go much faster and the stories seem to read more easily and vividly to me. 


I would recommend reading it on a Nook, iPad, or eReader of some sort if you have one. I'm using my iPad, which is totally cool because I can just bookmark and make notes as I go without digging out a pen and paper. And, if you download the Bible app, you can actually sign up for free and begin the 90-day reading plan from your device. The only downside is that the plan can't be made retroactive to July 11, so your plan is a few days longer than the original.


As far as I know, the challenge is still open. Go here to sign up if you're so inclined. I'd love to read along with you and be blessed together. 


God bless,
Miss K 

Wednesday funnies

Howdy y'all,


Remember when we used to get the "funnies" with the newspaper every Sunday? Boy, I sure do. One of my favorite things to do growing up was to read the funnies. If you no comprende what I'm laying down, the "funnies" are the cartoons in the paper. You know, the old greats like Hagar the Horrible, Family Circus, Garfield, and who can forget Luann. I always cut out my favorite ones and kept them. I still love to read the funnies, but don't get to often because we don't get a Sunday paper. (Mental note: get a Sunday paper subscription). 


Well, here's something that should give a good chuckle the way those old funnies did. I've captured the meat of an email message I received yesterday and have it here for you to read and enjoy. Be sure to read the fine print; that's where the real laughs are at. 

Based on your industry status, you're exactly the kind of top-level executive who should be reading every issue of Cleaning & Maintenance Management magazine. The success of even the finest publication depends on getting it into the hands of the audience it was meant to serve. We look forward to keeping you up-to-date on all the latest happenings in the world of commercial cleaning. Simply click the Verify Button below to accept your  FREE* introductory subscription to  Cleaning & Maintenance Management magazine.  PLEASE RESPOND by June 19th, 2011

Ain't that a hoot? I mean, seriously. I wasn't aware the cleaning industry knew of my status. I'm fairly certain that if they knew of my cleaning status, they would be well aware that I am nowhere NEAR a top-level executive in terms of cleaning and maintaining my home. I am functioning somewhere near apprentice or assistant to the secretary at best. 


I love it! It's so laughable it's not even funny. Wait ... is that an oxymoron? Anywho, as I was out trolling the local Big Lots today, I came across something to aid me in furthering my skills as a top-level cleaning executive. 


By the way, am I the only one who loves Big Lots? I mean, yes, there is a lot of junk there and sometimes questionable people, but, at times, there are such good deals. Real diamonds in the rough, so to speak. Like a Z Gallerie-esque picture frame for $5. I like nice, but I like cheap. Those two meet sometimes at Big Lots and when I'm there to witness the meeting, I'm all over it like hen crap on a steel pump handle (props to my buddy Lee for coming up with that jewel). I digress ... 


Wanna know what I got at Big Lots to help me work my way up the corporate cleaning ladder? Here she is:  

Yep, it's a leopard-print mop. Hey, if I've got to mop, I might as well be stylish while I do it, right? This will fit neatly alongside my leopard-print dishwashing brush. I see a trend starting here, and mama likey. I just happened to need a new mop and they just happened  to have this purdy gal, so there we go. I can't resist leopard print. I'm pretty sure I'll be the old lady wearing leopard print in the mall with everyone gawking, saying, "Doesn't she know she's too old to be wearing that?" 

Now mopping can be a *little* more fun (OK, so it doesn't even register on the fun meter), but at least I will enjoy pulling my cute mop out before I groan about using it. Maybe I'll become President & CEO of Cleaning & Maintenance Management magazine before long. It's not a far stretch; I was an editor in my former life. Watch out world, here I come! 

God bless,

Miss K