new coffee mug!

I honestly don’t think my mind is ever completely at rest . . . maybe when I am asleep, but even then I wake up with so many ideas flying through my head . . . and for some reason lately I have been having the most vivid dreams, so maybe my mind isn’t even at rest when I am asleep.   I don’t mind and since I have always been this way I guess I am used to it . . . and they are such “great ideas” that keep me motivated and keep me doing the things that I love to do.  What I don’t like is when I have to pay more attention to the “must do” type of things . . . instead of the more fun “I want to do and make and create and just do whatever I want to do when I want to do it” type of things. 

Being a responsible adult for some time now - I have lived my life keeping all the “stuff” in my head in order, doing the “must dos” because why? . . . because I am a responsible adult and “I must”.  I do find time to do the “fun” stuff . . . when I can.  Let me also add that I am a nurturer and tend to take care of everyone else before myself.  I think this is a good quality and simply part of who I am as a wife and mother, but I do think it got out of balance at one point.  I have taken steps to get the balance back . . . but there seems to be something else stirring in me . . .

If I handled this in an over the top, extreme way like I sometimes feel like doing . . .  I would once again throw everything out of balance. 

I would . . . 

. . . quit my job

. . . pack up and move somewhere I have never lived before – maybe Arizona or San Francisco or maybe Maine (wait it gets cold in Maine).

. . . buy a barn or warehouse and turn it into my home

. . . dye my hair purple (wait . . . I did this last summer) . . . ok - I would add some turquoise and maybe dreads

. . . I would live every day in flip flops, stay up all night, wander whenever I felt like it,  have omelets and beer for breakfast every so often – or maybe cake and champagne,  I would work in a bakery . . . just so I could wear a cute apron and sell pretty cupcakes . . . or maybe a used book store . . .

It isn’t that I don’t love my life . . . I do and I cannot imagine leaving it or the people in it . . . but like I said – something is stirring.  So I am finding a new balance that works for me . . . and as a responsible adult I know this can be done without quitting my job or convincing Richard to turn a barn into our home.  (I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to convince him to have omelets and beer for breakfast once in awhile.)

So . . .  I have some ideas . . .  (lots of ideas!!!)

The only thing is when these moods hit me and I start doing “crazy” things . . . the people I love don’t always like what I do or it inconveniences them  . . . and I am sometimes met with a little attitude and/or judgement.  I guess where the balance comes in is when I don’t let that influence me . . . and do what is good for me. 

I saw a coffee mug on Pinterest awhile back that I liked . . . Jennifer made me one just like it and surprised me with it this morning . . . which is what sort of got me thinking about the idea for this post.  It may seem a little rude . . . but it isn’t meant to be.  It is just a reminder that there are times I just need to do the things I need to do for me . . .  and everyone can just “shut up.”  

March Photo Challenge 3/31 . . . self

Note to self 

Be Clare.

Keep praying.

Never give up.

Do everything with love.

Be Happy!

still crazy after all these years . . .

When I was thinking about what we could do special for our anniversary . . . 

I realized that we are already doing it . . . 

"All you need is LOVE ~ LOVE is all you need."

Sunday Charlotte

Grandma advice . . . always have dress up stuff on hand. 

Wednesday . . .

 

 

 

Metro Hotel and Cafe

Richard found this great Bed & Breakfast online.  It had great reviews . . . not only from guests, but also from Sunset Magazine.  It was described as cute, charming,  unique, and quirky . . . it was all of that. 

A unique French-feeling boutique hotel that was welcoming, warm, and fun. The room had a great ambiance and was so relaxing. It is not your run-of-the-mill chain hotel . . . which we loved.  The funky decor gives the hotel the a unique character which is just the type of thing we like. There is a little cafe/lounge area were you can make your own drip coffee - delicious - and tandem bikes you can take out for a ride.  There are wonderfully quaint gardens to sit and enjoy.  Our only regret is  not staying a day or two longer.  We are definitely going back.  So many wonderful details . . . right down to the key.  I could have spent a good portion of the day just snapping pictures.  Definitely an ooola kind of place.  :)

Love in a grocery store . . .

Today's heart . . . love in a grocery store. 

 

I have been up since 3:30 this morning.  We are having a potluck at work today - and I didn't feel like making my salad last night . . . (because . . . I had to watch another episode of "The Walking Dead" - I'm hopelessly hooked on that show for some reason.)  Anyway . . . I just decided to get up way early and make the salad before I came to work.  It was easy to get up so early - since I couldn't seem to sleep after a certain point anyway.  My head is so full of ideas and thoughts and I was just laying there with everything running through my head.  I love and hate when I get in this mood - if that makes sense.  I have all these ideas of things I want to make and do, and I have been having all these Ahh - Ha moments . . . very good ones, that help me make sense of a few things in my life.  It is all very positive stuff - but when I get like this I tend to get frustrated that I don't have more time to do all the stuff in my head.  So, I just have to make the most of the time that I have . . . I am looking forward to a weekend doing just that.  Rambling now . . . another thing that goes along with this mood of mine.

I had hoped to post pictures of my little red headed zombie doll -that I was finally able to finish, but I left my camera at home -  those pictures will have to wait until later today. So for now it is just today's heart and a little February ooola for a Happy Friday! 

 

“Laugh as much as you breathe

    and love as long as you live.”  ~ Brandi Snyder

             

Daily Choice

I just read the quote on the header of my blog . . . I've been living my life in a storm the last couple a weeks and let myself forget all about enjoying the rain and dancing away.  We all probably have reason to do that sometimes - dwell on the stuff that makes life hectic or difficult.  But shame on me for letting it get in the way.  I seem to have found my balance again - for now anyway. 

My dear cousin Amy posted this on Facebook this morning . . .

it's exactly what I needed to remind me . . . and get my ooola back!

Life can change in a matter of seconds, so live your life worthy while you are here, because we are only here temporarily...you have a CHOICE daily to choose positive, smiling, laughing and living life to its fullest...do what you desire and take good care of the people you love, your parents, siblings, friends because you may not get that chance again. So, draw a line and jump over it and Love deeply, forgive quickly, take chances, give everything with no regrets and forget the past with exception of what you have learned and remember everything happens for a reason.

Ooola

So many people I know are going through things right now - some more serious than others, but everyone needs some prayers, kindness, and friendship. Ooola going out - to all those that need it!
"Be kind, for everyone you know is fighting a hard battle." ~ Plato

Friday Night

A quiet Friday night - without much planned. I'm simply happy to have a nice relaxing weekend ahead of me. I was looking at pictures tonight and realized that I have gotten out of the habit of taking them. This I will change - starting this weekend.

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result

of getting something we don't have,

but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."

~ Frederick Keonig

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!
This is such a fun holiday - but then I think every holiday is fun. I do believe in romance - I am a hopeless romantic. But Valentine's Day isn't really about romance to me. (Oh - he has to remember - it isn't like I would let him off the hook on such a holiday). I have been married for 27 years - through ups and downs, good times and bad - I don't really need a holiday to know that I am loved and don't really like to make too big of a deal out of it in that aspect. I probably did more when I was younger, but not so much these days. I get much more excited when I get some silly little surprise from him on a random day - just because he feels like it. Valentine's Day for me is a great day to make heart shaped pancakes, watch silly romantic movies that make me cry, give my kids a little something to remind them that I love them, and if romance finds it way into the picture - I'll take that too. ~ It is a holiday made for "Ooola"

I mentioned something that was inside my Ooola coffee mug the other day - this bracelet. I love it!
"Love is what you've been through with somebody." ~James Thurber, quoted in Life magazine, 1960

Ooola

This was on my desk when I got to work this morning - a birthday gift from the wonderful girls I work with. There was also something special inside - but I haven't taken a picture of that yet.
"Ooola" started as sort of joke with some friends at work. Marcia had a cold and I made a comment that I hoped I didn't catch it - she sort of waved her hands around me and made a joke that I was protected. I thought it was funny and we repeated the gesture for a couple of days with others for whatever reason. A few days later I started calling it "Ooola" - but it has since come to mean a lot of different things. If someone is upset or sad - we comment they need some ooola.. If someone is in a great mood and being silly - they are full of ooola. A fun flashy ring or rhinestone t-shirt for example would be considered to have ooola. - Just a fun word I made up to cover all the kind . . . caring . . . happy . . . fun . . . silly . . . thoughtful things we all share. It even caught on with the my boss. He has a beautiful salt water aquarium in his office - the day he added some purple fish - he referred to them as ooola fish. We have a lot of fun with it. Just a silly word - but it has a lot of meaning to me. So this wonderful mug from my dear friends means the world to me.

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things." ~Author Unknown