Rising up to meet the challenge

1-14-10 achy muscle brain

I’ve been surprise at my attitude lately, especially this winter when weather challenges have confronted me. In the past, I would have been whining, PO’ed, feeling sorry for myself, depressed or complaining loudly.

Instead, I have been looking at life like a game and when a challenge comes up, I push ahead and try to rising up to meet the challenge, solve the problem or roll with the punches. I have been thinking of the challenges as a test and see them as a way to strength myself.

I bring this up because I was tested again yesterday. I got stuck in the drive-way as I was backing out to run an errand. I could have blamed the guy who I paid to plow my drive-way this year, but I couldn’t, it was all my fault…. I just can’t seem to back out in a straight path, and thus I got stuck in part of a snow drift.

I worked to dig around the tire for half hour, with several attempts to go forward and backward. Then I walked a few houses down to see if neighbor Steve was home. He was not, but neighbor Kathy was driving by and she stopped and tried to push me with no success.

In the middle of all this I had the thought that I should take a picture for my blog…. But quickly told myself …. “FOCUS!”…. “Don‘t give up!”….

I probably should have given up and called for help, but I stuck with it. Digging, and even putting the back door floor mat under tire for traction…. Still no good. Then I used my Master’s Degree smarts and got buckets of hot water and poured around the tires to help melt the ice. Luckily the temperature was in the mid 30’s today. Once I got things melted down I was able to put the floor mat under the tired and had success driving back.

This was about 80 minutes later, and I was sweating and worn out, so I just gave up on the errand and even left the car out in the drive-way for the night. I don’t want to go through that again over the next few days. I headed inside and soaked in a hot Epsom salt bath and could not move for the rest of the night.

I’m so glad I didn’t have a pity party over being stuck in the snow…. I would have had to slap myself… after seeing the struggles of the people in Haiti digging in the rubble for loved ones…….. digging a little in the snow was a picnic.

"Large" toenail sketch

1-13-10 creative brain
After a year's absence, Monday night I returned to art class. In 2009, I was too wrapped up with possible move to KC, then buying our 2nd house, and I suppose blogging, and so I had decided to forgo formal classes last year.

It was good to take some time off, since I have been taking classes since 1998. With the year off, I was able to discover that I could motivate myself, and I could create art outside of class. Before, art class gave me structure and I had a set time every week to work on a project.

Returning to class Monday was nice and I enjoyed seeing old classmates and especially, seeing my teacher Mary, who I really missed.



I started this large landscape project in pastel. I'll show my progress after each class. Here, of course it doesn't look like much since I only got the first layer down. You maybe can make out the sky above and fields below.



Currently, I'm not feeling so excited about pastels like I use to. I'm still hooked on acrylic paints and I'm enjoying doing abstract crazy stuff like this. Since I had my eye surgery, about a year ago, I just love bold colors and watching the colors mix together fascinates me!

Time Flys

1-12-10 resolution brain
I knew the anniversary was coming up in January.... but there it was on Saturday... and it slipped by me. 1-9-10, Saturday was my one year anniversary of my blog “Split in Two”. I’ve posted 335 blog entries, not quite one every day, put close! Its been a fun, creative, and mostly a positive activity…. But time consuming, which has been the down side.

Since I feel the purpose of my blog has been met, I’ve DECIDED that my one year anniversary will be a good time to transition my blog into something a bit different for 2010. What my blog will become?…. I’m still not sure, but for starters I’m going to take the pressure off of myself and only blog when I feel inspired.

Some weeks who knows, this might be daily, other weeks I’ll at least shoot for once per week. The key here is for me not to look at my blog as one more thing that needs to be completed each day. My “to do list” is already filling up fast for the next few months.

I believe my blog will continue to record the activities of my life, but not every detail needs to be written down each day. I know I've intended to cut back before, but it never seemed to happen. Am I just dedicated or a bit addicted, or more likely- just really self absorbed! ?

But for 2010, I know my attention needs to focus on work, at least for the first three months as I prepare training materials for March.Thus I'm taking up the philosophy of fellow blogger Ruth over at Synch-ro-ni-zing.... and blogging "whenever".....



...... although I do find recently that I have a lot of say and write about. But if I miss a day, don't panic... I will return, and "blog without obligation"!

Molly's stamp of approval

1-11-10 acquisition brain
Saturday morning I escaped the snow-bound house and spent a few hours shopping with Molly. The sun came out and it was a bit warmer, perhaps 15 degrees.

Greg doesn't mind when I go shopping with Molly, although she can be a bad influence on my spending money, Greg knows that Molly is trustworthy at steering me in the right direction. Molly helps dress me well. Molly is a friend who will be honest and tell me what looks good and what is in style.

So Molly and I are out shopping and at our first stop, a cool art shop, I was surprised when she suggested “Judy, this hat looks like you!… I think you need to buy it.” Well, I tried it on, and I had mixed feelings. I felt it was kind of a cool-funky hat, but also a bit “Fargo-ish”. BUT Molly said “yes“ …. she would not be embarrassed to be seen with me wearing it“….. so I bought it and wore it out of the store.

Stop #2, bookstore, Molly went one way and I went the other way. After while she found me and approved of my music and book purchases. Stop #3, a new Chocolate Store…. I splurged and bought some hot chocolate on a spoon, which you then stir into a hot cup of milk..... we both approved of this, and decided this was a place we would have to visit again.

Stop #4, was Talbots, and by then I had decided that my new hat didn’t match my coat, and this was a good time to buy a new winter coat… good SALES! Molly went one way and I went the other way.

I did pick out the coat on my own, then Molly found me, and put her stamp of approval on my coat purchase and pointed me in the direction of another spring coat…. OK, I really liked that one too, so bought both… since I was in the mood to spend money…. Why stop? … Boy this is not like me…. But then again, I do tend to shop seriously only once or twice a year, I buy in spurts ….. “But I’m helping to stimulate the economy“ …. was my planned justification to Greg.

Somewhere between stop #3 and #4 I had a weird thought… was the real reason Molly had me buy this hat was so she could easily spot me in a crowded store when we got separated? I started to feel like I was sticking out like a sore thumb.

But my fears were put to rest, when Greg met us for lunch, he thanked Molly for helping me make some good purchases. Greg approved of the winter coat, and the hat too!

PS: Greg hasn't seen the spring coat yet.
PPS: Happy Birthday Teresa.
PPPS: Molly and I are already talking about the next girls weekend at the farm for summer 2010! Stay tuned.

North on I-35..... yet again

1-10-10 motoring brain
I’m driving back to DM this afternoon. Greg and I have spent a long span of 20 days together, thanks to the holiday break. First he was in Iowa for 10 days, and I have now been down in KC for 10 days.

My one number marriage advice to anyone reading this blog….
Be sure to marry your BEST friend!
Otherwise what’s the point?

We’ve had a fun time together and I’m already looking forward to seeing him again next weekend.

However, I’m also looking forward to sleeping solo for several nights….. So there won’t be any snoring to interrupt my beauty sleep!

Thanks Greg, for a wonderful Christmas, New Years and start to 2010!
UR...a good rockin daddy

Winter wonderland

1-9-10 frozen brain
I’ve been in the house now pretty much all week due to the snow and minus zero wind chill temperatures. Not sure how much longer I can entertain myself. Sure the gazing at the window art of ice is fascinating, and time snuggling on the couch with Greg is quite a treat….But I also had to resort to time on the Internet.


And maybe this all isn’t a bad way to spend time in the winter.
I have even learned some things….. Like it’s time that I need to get more serious about taking care of myself. I’ve given my sister a hard time lately and now I need to look in the mirror.

I’ve been exploring the Vibrant Nation web site (for vibrant women of the boomer generation)… and I was wondering if I really am all that vibrant?

I loved this video. I think this is useful information for many of us!

If the link doesn't work, try copy/past this:
http://www.vibrantnation.com/live-it-lists/2009/09/21/3-common-boomer-fitness-mistakes---and-how-to-avoid-them/

Which had me wandering to YouTube for awhile to view more from Becky Williamson. I enjoyed some Michael Jackson video’s too while I was there. Next I was bouncing around some blogs and I ended up with a sore right thumb. Good Grief…. Is arthritis setting in from all the computer “clicking” with my thumb? Could be! Time to get out the external mouse.



Molly gave us this new mouse pad for Christmas…. All of a sudden it is very useful, more than just a decoration. And thanks Molly for a peek at some springtime. I’m also enjoying the bulbs you gave us.



PS: if I hear another word about the Christmas “underwear bomber” I think I’m going hurl… guess I’m also listening too much to news radio. …. My bad!

"There's no place like home"

1-8-10 "Oz" brain

Although I’m on one of my planned weekly visits to KC, some how with all this snow and cold blizzard conditions in KC today, I feel like I’m stranded here…… and I long for my home state of Iowa. This is strange, since I know the weather up north in Iowa has the same cabin fever inducing conditions.

I know there are many stereotypes about Iowa, especially for people who have never visited the state full of flowing corn fields and breath taking views of full-horizon sky. I love being able to turn 360 degrees, up on my mother’s northern Iowa farm homestead, and seeing for miles and miles in all directions. This represents openness and freedom for me, and I remind friends, from other more sophisticated states, that Iowa often is more progressive than one would think.

Iowa embraced Obama in our Presidential Caucus, giving him a boost over other candidates. Iowa also somehow has a legal system which now allows for same sex marriage…. And many of us think this is a fair, equal-rights issue and is no indication of the moral decline in society.

Sure there are vocal conservatives in my state of Iowa….. But nothing like I had seen in my south home in KC which straddles the two states of Missouri and Kansas. (OK, so now I'll admit that I AM the one doing the stereotyping!)

AND I’ll admit it, this is one of the reasons I am hesitant to permanently move south here where the politics appeared to be more “Bible thumping“….. But maybe I could have been wrong…..

Yesterday morning I was reading the KC Star newspaper editorials. I detected a shift from what I had been reading in this paper a few years ago….. Surprisingly, there were three letters to the editor telling Dick Cheney to “shut up” about his criticism of the Obama administration. Cleverly written too, I might add.

Then the icing on the cake, which nearly had me falling off of my chair, was an editorial cartoon which dealt with Rush Limbaugh’s “heart” problems….. Basically implying that Rush is “heartless” when it comes to no sympathy for minorities, women, gays, the poor, the sick and the immigrants.

“Toto, I’ve the feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore!”…. Perhaps something is in that cold wind that is blowing down from the north?…. Some progressive ideas perhaps are blowing in the wind, and this is reminding me of my home state.

In pictures below, note flag blowing in the wild KC wind. (Greg's Cleveland Brown's football flag)