Seasons

Finally winter has hit Iowa for a few days at least.  We have snow and below freezing temperatures.  This winter has been mild and a fantastic surprise after the past few years where we have had snow fall after snow fall.  However, it hasn't felt right.  I love the change in seasons.  The cold and the snow get old after awhile but I live in Iowa and I expect it to come and as always it passes.

I guess this could be an example of life.  We go through seasons. It is a comfort to always know that everything will pass and there will be a new phase or season right behind to follow.  Life is unpredictable. Life is full of change, embrace it or get left behind.  A person can decide to grow with the changes, whether the change is expected or unexpected.  Or a person can allow the change to choke them out, it is a decision.

Kitties

Today's post is dedicated to the cats in my life.  I have one cat: Gus.  He is truly the best cat anyone could ever want.  He knows what no means and he stays off of the counters and tables.  He is a bit of a scardey cat in that he hates loud noises and little kids.  ( I think it is because little kids are loud and want to force him to play with his feathers).  He is the best snuggler and loves "the dude" as much (maybe more??) than I do.

Gus doing what he does best, snuggling and purring.

The dude has two cats, yes dos.  Ripley is sweet and about 15 years old, but oh-so-annoying.  He never stops meowing.  He will sometimes just sit and cuddle and stop meowing, but then there is the drool factor.  He is so sweet though it is hard to get too mad at him.  Dude inherited the cat from his long-time friends.  The other cat, Gabe, is a lap kitty but don't touch him too much or he will hiss and growl.  However, he will only move off of your lap if you make him.   It is rather confusing at times pet him or don't....it's a crap shoot for how he will respond.  I also call him moo-kitty as he is a rather large cat and looks like a Holstein.  I also gave Ripley and Gabe rapper names.  It is Rippy-D and Gabe-a-licious.  (Dude sometimes calls Gabe by his rapper name, it's really fun to say).  Gabe was given to the Dude by some students of his about 10 years ago or so, the students thought the Dude was lonely and needed a pet.  

Ripley taking a nap on the Dude's trumpet case.

Moo-cow Gabe a.k.a.Gabe-a-licious

So that's the pet story.  I will always be partial to Gus, he is my first baby and we have been through a lot together   He is 7 years old, which doesn't seem possible.  There is nothing like a pet greeting you home at  night or snuggling with you on the couch after a long day.  

Forgiveness

I kind of let myself get carried away in some drama this weekend and am regretting it like you would not believe.  So today's theme is Forgiveness.  Forgiving others can be healing and a growing point in one's life.  Forgiving oneself sometimes is even harder than forgiving another person.  I find that if someone asks me for forgiveness, I'm going to happily give it to them, but sometimes I fail.  And I have to figure out how to get back to the forgiveness cycle which means not only accepting an I'm sorry but also letting it go.  Sometimes it even means never getting an I'm sorry but in your heart offering forgiveness and living the forgiveness.  So I need to remember this and plan on coming back to this blog entry when I need to for a reminder.  I copied an article from the mayo clinic that I thought really outlined forgiveness and how it is a healthier option than holding a grudge or bitterness.  So, I will figure out how to ask for forgiveness to those I have wronged and hurt so that they can heal and so my heart can be filled with peace.  I have learned sometimes this means eating some crow so-to-speak.  It won't be the first time I have to nor the last, but hopefully these situations are few and far between.


I like this part: " By embracing forgiveness, you can also embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy".


I also like the idea of becoming a more compassionate and understanding person, how can that be bad?  


http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/forgiveness/MH00131

Forgiveness: Letting go of grudges and bitterness

When someone you care about hurts you, you can hold on to anger, resentment and thoughts of revenge — or embrace forgiveness and move forward.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Nearly everyone has been hurt by the actions or words of another. Perhaps your mother criticized your parenting skills, your colleague sabotaged a project or your partner had an affair. These wounds can leave you with lasting feelings of anger, bitterness or even vengeance — but if you don't practice forgiveness, you might be the one who pays most dearly. By embracing forgiveness, you can also embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy. Consider how forgiveness can lead you down the path of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

What is forgiveness?

Generally, forgiveness is a decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge. The act that hurt or offended you might always remain a part of your life, but forgiveness can lessen its grip on you and help you focus on other, positive parts of your life. Forgiveness can even lead to feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for the one who hurt you.

Forgiveness doesn't mean that you deny the other person's responsibility for hurting you, and it doesn't minimize or justify the wrong. You can forgive the person without excusing the act. Forgiveness brings a kind of peace that helps you go on with life.

What are the benefits of forgiving someone?

Letting go of grudges and bitterness can make way for compassion, kindness and peace. Forgiveness can lead to:

• Healthier relationships
• Greater spiritual and psychological well-being
• Less anxiety, stress and hostility
• Lower blood pressure
• Fewer symptoms of depression
• Lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse

Why is it so easy to hold a grudge?

When you're hurt by someone you love and trust, you might become angry, sad or confused. If you dwell on hurtful events or situations, grudges filled with resentment, vengeance and hostility can take root. If you allow negative feelings to crowd out positive feelings, you might find yourself swallowed up by your own bitterness or sense of injustice.

What are the effects of holding a grudge?

If you're unforgiving, you might pay the price repeatedly by bringing anger and bitterness into every relationship and new experience. Your life might become so wrapped up in the wrong that you can't enjoy the present. You might become depressed or anxious. You might feel that your life lacks meaning or purpose, or that you're at odds with your spiritual beliefs. You might lose valuable and enriching connectedness with others.

How do I reach a state of forgiveness?

Forgiveness is a commitment to a process of change. To begin, you might:

• Consider the value of forgiveness and its importance in your life at a given time
• Reflect on the facts of the situation, how you've reacted, and how this combination has affected your life, health and well-being
• When you're ready, actively choose to forgive the person who's offended you
• Move away from your role as victim and release the control and power the offending person and situation have had in your life

As you let go of grudges, you'll no longer define your life by how you've been hurt. You might even find compassion and understanding.

Working from home

Last night I worked from home for about an hour or more after an amazing run outside in January with only running pants and two layers, a long sleeve shirt and a fleece, amazing!!

I was writing with my pen that my friends this girl and this girl picked up for me on NYE, best part of my night.  Okay not really the best part but a memorable part, the best part was starting the  year off with great friends and their husbands!

The pen is from my favorite pizza place.  Not only do they have the best pizza, it is also where Dan and I went to eat on the night we met.  We go there every year for our anniversary.  And now we have gone with some of my favorite people, good times all around!

Thankful to have such great friends and a wonderful boyfriend!

Gratitude

Gratitude is the least of the virtues, but ingratitude is the worst of vices.  ~Thomas Fuller

There is not a more pleasing exercise of the mind than gratitude.  It is accompanied with such an inward satisfaction that the duty is sufficiently rewarded by the performance.  ~Joseph Addison

Gratitude is the music of the heart, when its chords are swept by the breeze of kindness.  ~Author Unknown


Today's theme is Gratitude.  How can one be happy if they are not thankful for everything they have?  I know I'm so thankful for so many things, but I forget.  How can one forget?  It is crazy I know.  So every day I'm going to attempt to try to think of one thing I'm thankful for, the funny thing is once I started concentrating on this I can think of a dozen or more things I'm thankful for and that fills my heart.  How blessed am I to have so many things to be thankful for that I can't narrow it down to one thing a day.   What a terrible problem to have :o) and what a great way to start out each and every day.

Positive Attitude

Happiness is an attitude.  We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong.  The amount of work is the same.  ~Francesca Reigler


I like this quote.  It is true.  We can decide to be happy or miserable.  I'm going to actively choose to be happy, every day.  I think it can be similar to working out or any other change we make.  It takes some time to make it a habit but it can be done.  Dan is the best example I have for this. No matter what happens it takes a lot to get that guy down or for him to have a bad day.  Even if he has a bad day one wouldn't always know.  Also surrounding oneself with positive happy people helps.  Eliminate the drama and those that want to create it when it does not need to exist.

Farewell to thee 2011

Hmmm.  Everyone I know is saying farewell to the year.  I think it is appropriate to do so myself.  2011 has been a difficult year.  The theme is CANCER and it is infecting more people than I like to talk about.  From my dad to my cousin's wife who have been hit the hardest.  And whose future's are still being paved.  Thankfully my own brushes have been deemed insignificant in comparison.

I refuse to make resolutions, I believe resolutions are made to be broken.  I prefer to make life long changes knowing that set-backs happen but that if I persevere they are only set-backs.  I would like to improve some things this year that I can carry with me always.

First to let myself be close and stay close to those that I have become the closest to in 2011.  I realized that through all the down times in 2011 that I have really needed people and they have been there.   And if I let them they will continue to be there.

Second to step up things in the exercise department.  Running has been going well, I'm learning to respect it again and actually enjoy it, we have always had a love-hate relationship.  But I am quite a bit of a whiner on the bike at times.  I really need to buck up and accept where I am regarding conditioning and fitness and not complain when those who ride with me are better or stronger, we all have ups and downs, 2011 was a down year in this department for me.  However, I am feeling inspired.  So many people around me are discovering what exercise can do for them and it inspires me to see them figure out what works and how it is going to fit in their lives.

Third to just stop and be appreciative.  I tend to overbook myself and just go from thing to thing without stopping to appreciate the activity or the people or what have you.  And in this one to help those I'm closest to enjoy the good times in their lives, it is a given that we will help each other through the rough times but to really revel with them in the happy times so that the good times can always outshine the shadows.

Fourth to get a little more organized at home.  It is tough living between two places but I use it as an excuse too often for why things don't get put away.

I hope these things become habits that I can take with me beyond 2012.

I'm sure I will come up with more as time goes on, but this is a good start.

So onward and forward.

Have a wonderful NYE, be safe, enjoy the ones you are with!

I know I will be spending it with the people I love.