Today's (final) NaBloMoPo prompt: What has been the hardest part about blogging daily?
My desire to blog goes in fits and starts, depending on my mood and on what's going on in my life and in my head, so the hardest part about blogging daily is thinking of something I'd like to write about every day. (The second hardest part: finding the TIME to blog daily, particularly on the weekends; on weekdays, I always have my lunch hour.)
I have also found it challenging at times to think of something for which I am grateful each day to post about. I feel as though I do often pause to be grateful for the many, many good things in my life, and yet, when pressed to find just one to post about, at times I have struggled. Once I get beyond the obvious--my sons, my husband, my family, my friends, my healthy, my job--I have to really think to come up with things.
Two things I have not yet posted about being grateful for are two things that have been really important to me for as long as I can remember: books and music. I literally cannot recall the time in my life before I learned to read--I was reading on my own before kindergarten--and I have been an avid reader my entire life. I remember my parents getting special permission in elementary school for me to take home more than the two-books-per-week maximum our school library allowed because I could easily read both books the first day I brought them home. I couldn't even begin to list all the books and authors I've read (and enjoyed) over the course of my life. Having limited time (and mental energy) to read has been one of the hard things for me about my transition into parenthood.
As for music, I can remember my parents playing various kinds for us even as a small child. My mom taught me to play the accordion when I was 6, and I later learned to play the clarinet (my main instrument), the saxophone, the oboe, the xylophone, the guitar and (most recently) the piano. I sang in the church choir throughout my childhood. I love many kinds of music.
When someone poses the hypothetical question of whether I would rather lose my sight or my hearing, I am never able to choose because both would be such a huge loss. (Although I suppose if I went blind, I could learn to read in Braille eventually.)
I am grateful to have the eyesight and ability to read, even if I don't always have the time to do it as much as I'd like, and I am grateful for music and the ability to hear and enjoy it.
One last note for my "Buy Nothing New" month. . . I posted about slipping and buying a rubber ducky a few weeks ago. I also slipped on Thanksgiving and bought some items from both Gap and Gymb.oree online. (The sale prices were so good, they lured me in!) Apart from those purchases, though, I actually got through the entire month without buying anything new except food, medicine, gas and the Christmas gifts I had already planned to buy, and I did cut back on lunches out during the week. I must say that, after the first couple of weeks, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.
My next challenge for myself is to buy no clothing for my sons. . . not even used. Between my MOMs consignment sale and a few other sources of gently used (adorable!) clothing, they now have more than enough clothes to last through their third birthday, apart from shoes, socks and maybe pajamas. It is so fun to shop for them, and really hard for me to resist when I see a bargain (like a new Janie & Jack shirt that is now 10% of its original price, for example). . . but I don't want to go to excess. (MM would say that's already happened, LOL.)
Happy last day of November!
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Day 29 NaBloPoMo
Today's NaBloPoMo prompt: Tell us about three new blogs you found this year.
What does it say about me that all my new blogs are infertility related? Hmmm.
My favoritest(?) blog I've found recently is written by Stupid Stork (http://stupidstork.blogspot.com/). If you want to laugh, this blog is the one for you. Many of her posts are not, strictly speaking, infertility related, but she is infertile and childless, still in the trenches.
I also discovered Scrambled Eggs (http://scrambled-eggs.org/) through Lost and Found and Connections Abound. I first visited Belle's blog to give input to a question she asked about whether to transfer one or two embryos during her IVF cycle, and I have continued to read. She is currently 9 1/2 weeks pregnant after having a miscarriage earlier this year.
I started reading ANDMom (http://andmom.wordpress.com/) after visiting her blog to read a popular post about her thoughts on breastfeeding. The post gave me comfort in the face of my own failure to nurse my twins successfully, and I have continued to follow her blog. (Warning: she is parenting three children, so only visit if you are OK with reading a parent's blog.)
Today I am grateful for getting some new cases assigned to me this week. I think that I may *finally* be at a point where I have sufficient work assigned to me to get my productivity up to where it's supposed to be. (It's only taken me eight months since returning from my 12-week leave.)
What does it say about me that all my new blogs are infertility related? Hmmm.
My favoritest(?) blog I've found recently is written by Stupid Stork (http://stupidstork.blogspot.com/). If you want to laugh, this blog is the one for you. Many of her posts are not, strictly speaking, infertility related, but she is infertile and childless, still in the trenches.
I also discovered Scrambled Eggs (http://scrambled-eggs.org/) through Lost and Found and Connections Abound. I first visited Belle's blog to give input to a question she asked about whether to transfer one or two embryos during her IVF cycle, and I have continued to read. She is currently 9 1/2 weeks pregnant after having a miscarriage earlier this year.
I started reading ANDMom (http://andmom.wordpress.com/) after visiting her blog to read a popular post about her thoughts on breastfeeding. The post gave me comfort in the face of my own failure to nurse my twins successfully, and I have continued to follow her blog. (Warning: she is parenting three children, so only visit if you are OK with reading a parent's blog.)
Today I am grateful for getting some new cases assigned to me this week. I think that I may *finally* be at a point where I have sufficient work assigned to me to get my productivity up to where it's supposed to be. (It's only taken me eight months since returning from my 12-week leave.)
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Day 28 NaBloPoMo
Today's NaBloPoMo prompt: Tell us about the worst trip you ever took.
Truth be told, I really cannot remember ever taking a bad trip. Is that unusual? I do really enjoy traveling, and I have been fortunate in that I've never had any major mishaps away from home (apart from the usual delayed/canceled flights and the like). Even times when I've gotten sick while away from home, they've all been minor illnesses and I had family/friends along to help me out.
Today I am grateful for MM. He has never read this blog (he thinks blogging is "weird"), so there is no chance he will see this post.
Today is our fourth wedding anniversary. In many ways, the last four years have not been at all what I had expected, but MM has been everything I expected when I married him: my close friend, my partner in the truest sense of the word, and an excellent father.
If I were able to choose again, I would still choose him.
Truth be told, I really cannot remember ever taking a bad trip. Is that unusual? I do really enjoy traveling, and I have been fortunate in that I've never had any major mishaps away from home (apart from the usual delayed/canceled flights and the like). Even times when I've gotten sick while away from home, they've all been minor illnesses and I had family/friends along to help me out.
Today I am grateful for MM. He has never read this blog (he thinks blogging is "weird"), so there is no chance he will see this post.
Today is our fourth wedding anniversary. In many ways, the last four years have not been at all what I had expected, but MM has been everything I expected when I married him: my close friend, my partner in the truest sense of the word, and an excellent father.
If I were able to choose again, I would still choose him.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Day 27 NaBloPoMo
Today's NaBloPoMo prompt: If you could instantly know any language in the world, which one would it be?
I've always thought it would be really cool to know Mandarin Chinese. But doing what I do for a living and living where I do, being fluent in Spanish would be a smarter choice.
Today I am grateful that I will be spending my work day doing the things I like most about my job: taking a deposition and meeting with a client. When I have stretches of days spent in my office writing or reviewing documents, I sometimes long for personal interaction, and today I'll be getting lots of it.
(I'm also grateful for the Powerball. Bought my ticket today, as the jackpot is a record $425 million. I know the chances of winning are infinitesimal, but you can't win if you don't buy a ticket!)
I've always thought it would be really cool to know Mandarin Chinese. But doing what I do for a living and living where I do, being fluent in Spanish would be a smarter choice.
Today I am grateful that I will be spending my work day doing the things I like most about my job: taking a deposition and meeting with a client. When I have stretches of days spent in my office writing or reviewing documents, I sometimes long for personal interaction, and today I'll be getting lots of it.
(I'm also grateful for the Powerball. Bought my ticket today, as the jackpot is a record $425 million. I know the chances of winning are infinitesimal, but you can't win if you don't buy a ticket!)
Monday, November 26, 2012
Day 26 NaBloMoPo
Today's NaBloMoPo prompt: Do you speak more than one language? How did you learn the additional languages?
I speak some Spanish (I understand more than I can actually speak) and a few words and phrases in Navajo. I learned Spanish by taking four semesters of it in college (actually, it's sad that I'm not proficient, given that fact) and practicing occasionally with Spanish-speaking friends. I learned the little bit of Navajo I know from an ex-boyfriend who grew up speaking it in the home. At the time, it was useful to me because I was a nurse who often cared for patients with only spoke Navajo.
Today I am grateful for decongestant. It doesn't completely take away my cold symptoms but it helps.
I speak some Spanish (I understand more than I can actually speak) and a few words and phrases in Navajo. I learned Spanish by taking four semesters of it in college (actually, it's sad that I'm not proficient, given that fact) and practicing occasionally with Spanish-speaking friends. I learned the little bit of Navajo I know from an ex-boyfriend who grew up speaking it in the home. At the time, it was useful to me because I was a nurse who often cared for patients with only spoke Navajo.
Today I am grateful for decongestant. It doesn't completely take away my cold symptoms but it helps.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Day 25 NaBloPoMo
I'm fresh out of ideas for a post today. Sorry about that. Going to get out and enjoy this gorgeous weather we're having: it's been in the upper 70s/low 80s every day this weekend.
Today I am grateful for my stepfather and stepmother. Although neither of them ever acted as an actual parent to me--my father didn't marry my stepmother until I was in college, and though my stepfather married my mother when I was 10, I never lived with them during my childhood--I do feel fortunate to have good relationships with both of them.
My stepfather passed away in March 2007. Today would've been his 73rd birthday. He was funny (in an inappropriate, irreverent way), loved animals and liked doing nice things for people on the sly (example: when I was in college, he would change the oil in my car and hide a $20 bill in the ashtray). I know my mother was much happier during the almost-26 years that they were married than she was during the years she was married to my father.
Today I am grateful for my stepfather and stepmother. Although neither of them ever acted as an actual parent to me--my father didn't marry my stepmother until I was in college, and though my stepfather married my mother when I was 10, I never lived with them during my childhood--I do feel fortunate to have good relationships with both of them.
My stepfather passed away in March 2007. Today would've been his 73rd birthday. He was funny (in an inappropriate, irreverent way), loved animals and liked doing nice things for people on the sly (example: when I was in college, he would change the oil in my car and hide a $20 bill in the ashtray). I know my mother was much happier during the almost-26 years that they were married than she was during the years she was married to my father.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Day 24 NaBloPoMo
Almost missed a day! Not much to tell today. . . I once again violated my "Buy Nothing New" rule and went along with MM's desire to buy the boys two superhero shirts at Gap. Ah well.
Today I am grateful for having a four-day weekend! I am still trying to get over this head cold, so it's been nice having some extra time off to do so. (Oh, forgot to mention: my trip to my father's got canceled because he is sick, too, and didn't want the boys to catch whatever he has. So I'm at home this weekend.)
Today I am grateful for having a four-day weekend! I am still trying to get over this head cold, so it's been nice having some extra time off to do so. (Oh, forgot to mention: my trip to my father's got canceled because he is sick, too, and didn't want the boys to catch whatever he has. So I'm at home this weekend.)
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