Favorite Places

I think we all have them...those little places in the world that just resonate with us. Sometimes they are public, sometimes private and sometimes...well a little in between. I was thinking about this yesterday as I was walking out to one of my very own favorite places I found myself getting excited in anticipation for spending a few brief moments there. So here they are, in no particular order, some of my favorite places!

The MSJC Track (local community college that also happens to be where I work) - I'm kind of reluctant to tell others that this is one of my favorite places because I like that it feels like "mine". I wouldn't just take any old person out to the track with me...only the most special of friends! Silly, I know. And it's not necessarily the track that gets me all warm and fuzzy, because, well...it's a pretty jacked up track! It's sand and not that nice squishy stuff that many places have now...and it doesn't drain properly so after a little rain it is covered in puddles and deceptively squishy mud. But it's really the very top of the bleachers sheltered by the announcer's booth. It's the view of North Mountain sitting all majestically forming the top of our valley. It's the way the sky can look so perfectly blue. It's the view of the other mountains that surround us in their various hues of blue looking like a picture perfect watercolor.

Disneyland - I don't think it's any surprise to people that know me that I absolutely LOVE Disneyland. You might even call me a little bit of a fanatic...and you see, the thing is that it is in my genes. I can't help it! My parents (even though the marriage didn't last) honeymooned there. My grandparents took us each summer. My oldest son honeymooned there. My Dad still practically lives there. I practically live there. My kids practically live there. You see...it's not my fault! And I recognize that it doesn't extend to everyone...many people even say how they - GASP! - can't stand it. I don't get it, but to each their own. It's now, and forever will be, one of my favorite places. Just the smell of musty water or diesel exhaust and it takes me there! The sights and sounds...I still get excited like a little kid when I catch a glimpse of Mickey! There are so many memories there when I go, it feels like home.

Paradise Point Resort & Spa at Mission Bay, San Diego - We found this place sort of by accident. A coworker/friend of my husbands was vacationing down in Mission Bay and said we should come down. We checked out the hotel he was staying at, but it was a 3-day minimum and we were only going for two, so we had to find another place. And BOY was I glad!!! This place was amazing and we were transported on one of the most magically spontaneous vacations we have ever had. I have the most amazing memories of watching my hubby sit on an Adirondack in the grass under the shade of a tree with a cold bucket of Corona by his side and a line of brightly colored beach chairs that looked like sunshine, and hibiscus flowers that didn't look like they could possibly be real and the most amazing sunset I have every seen. It was, honestly, probably the most relaxed I have ever seen my husband away from home. We have gone back several times and each time harbors more and more special memories. I definitely have not spent my last time there...I see many more special trips in the future. (I seriously had so many great pictures, I had a hard time deciding which one to use!

Idyllwild, CA - I live in the town just below the mountain and Idyllwild is the main "town" on the "hill" (our little valley way of saying mountain LOL). My memories here go back to probably as long as I can remember. As a child we camped there with family and extended family...groups of cousins and siblings and second cousins and people that were considered family without being blood related. I think of Idyllwild and I think of gazillions of stars, the smell of campfires, the sound of kids playing kick the can, UNO!, the insane ruckus of "one, one, three, four, four, one" that is Pit (one of the funnest card games ever!! and also happens to be the game that gets us a warning to be quiet from the rangers almost every.single.time. No fail), hiking, smells of pine needles and fresh air (what?!? no smog???). Over the years it has become even more special as I have added in anniversary dinners on Christmas Eve with my hubby at Gastrognome, cabin rentals with unexpected snowfalls (two out of three times!), hikes on the Ernie Maxwell and the challenge of getting to Tahquitz Peak via Devil's Slide. Whether it is a snow trip, a hiking trip, a camping trip, or an anniversary dinner - Idyllwild can't be beat for mountain charm.

Home - They don't have the saying "home is where the heart is" for nothing. It may also mean mundane chores like dishes and laundry or it may even have some less than happy memories within the walls of arguments past and the missing sounds of pitter patter of footsteps as the kids leave the nest over time. But it also has a fireplace that burns bright on cold nights and a TV resonating with the sounds of football games and an oven that has cooked more awesome meals than I can count (even the ones that tasted less than stellar but had the best company anyone could ask for!) and candles welcoming in visitors and all the new sounds of baby's crying and a little 15 month old tearing Tupperware and Ziploc bags out of cupboards. You can travel the world and go to so many exotic locales, but nowhere is like home.

Believe it or not, I didn't even have to pose the dog! :-)

What are some of your favorite places and why?

My Smile for Today...

Driving into work and the gradual sunrise peeking over the mountains and hills that form the valley I live in. The sun isn't over the mountains yet, but it is blazing the hills behind me glimpsed in the rear view mirror so that it is shadow in front and fire behind in the colors of soft rosy pink and pumpkin glow orange. Then just before making the final turn the sun peeks above the mountain creating a bright halo of sunshine saying "Good Morning"! The sky changes from a dusk blue to the color of faded flowers in an instant and the world is transformed, for just the briefest moment, before it takes on the look of perfect blue cloudless sky and bright Autumn sun.

My closing shot for today is another M.A.G.raphy from Melissa Grimes. I don't know what she's named it, but I call it "Streets of Gold":

A Quality End to the Day...

So I was reading something the other day...hmmm...can't really remember what exactly but I think it was perhaps the latest issue of Runner's World (which I absolutely DEVOURED by the way...finished it so quick I was sad it was over) and someone mentioned that their afternoon snack was tea and a little indulgence. Basically something to get them over the last hump of the afternoon as they head into dinner. And I kind of realized that I might be missing something like that. A little hump jumper of a snack! So I decided that I would grab a new herbal tea and something that resembled an indulgence, without being ridiculous like a volcano cake or something, and see if it wouldn't be good (mentally/physically/etc).

Well - let's just say - quality found! It's especially important after a long holiday weekend spent doing quality stuff. Today is a hard day to readjust to worky-work. So here's what constitutes quality today:

Good Earth Sunset Red Tea in Vanilla Caramel. And no worries of caffeine overload - it's caffeine free!
Here's what they have to say about it: http://www.goodearth.com/red-teas-2.html
It's just like they describe it - earthy, but soothing with light hints of vanilla and caramel. And even though it is still technically summer, I'm declaring it Autumn and am happy sipping a warm cup of tea at the end of the day ...and it doesn't hurt that it is sub-zero temps in my office thanks to my boss that tends to run warm!

Add to that some dark chocolate covered pretzels from Sprouts Farmer's Market and it is delish! I enjoyed every sip and bite and guess what...I'm relaxed and ready to head home and make a dinner for the family without chowing down on anything and everything I can get my hands on!

Q~U~A~L~I~T~Y

Quality Found

Okay, I am doing this from my phone today so hopefully it is readable. I'm sitting on the shore of the Pacific Ocean in Carlsbad CA and let me tell ya - it is QUALITY. I am in my favorite little green beach chair with Pandora set to classical in one ear and the sound of crashing waves, giggling kids and seagulls in the other. As I sit here staring at the never-ending horizon you can't help but feel so small...all the worries of life shrink away and the majesty of this world we have been given comes into focus as if looking through a fish eye lens. As I watch brightly colored umbrellas pop up around me and watch chubby toddlers waddle through the sand I am simply in awe of how easy it is to forget that there is more to life than the daily grind. Life is just simply amazing and we have so many things to be grateful for if we just take the time to appreciate it. We have brightly colored dragonflies and itty bitty sand crabs. We have blue skies that stretch into eternity and water that does the same right along with it. We have instruments and the composers and players to turn them from a tool into something amazing. Violin strings and soft clarinets combine to make something so much more than music...it is like the feeling of a breeze on a hot summer day.

In other words, today I am not just in the pursuit of a quality life; I am IN a quality life and I plan to keep it with me for as long as possible. But the thing I must remember even when I am no longer sitting on the beach pondering the majesty is that there is quality all around us in our every day.

So what are you finding today that speaks quality? Share away in the comments! :-)

Saying Goodbye...

My father-in-law passed away yesterday afternoon after a brief battle with cancer (after winning the initial fight many years ago with prostate cancer). I take heart in knowing that he was comfortable and not feeling pain in the end and that he didn't have to go down the long, hard road that was in front of him if he had recovered from the initial surgery to remove his bladder.

It's odd to have to say good-bye to people that you feel like will be around forever. Just days ago we were debating on whether to send the hubby up now or to wait for him to be better. That's how sudden it turned. Yesterday was a tough day, but I have definitely spent some time remembering the good times spent with Bob (Robert Lynn Grimes - 67 years old at time of death). He was far from being a perfect person (I mean, who is?!?) but he was a GOOD person underneath it all. He was a firm believer in God and a true scholar of the Bible. That was his preferred way of spending free time...in study of the Word. And he truly knew SO much about it. I also can't help but think about the impact he had on others outside of the immediate family. He and my mother-in-law spent many years running a family home-based day care center and together they "raised" a lot of kids. Many of them that they thought of as practically their own and continued to keep in touch with long after through their own marriages and having kids and families.

My hubby is doing okay. He landed in Alaska at midnight their time along with our oldest son, Robert - named so after his grandpa. They are enjoying the time with the family there and I'm sure will spend many hours laughing and crying as they drift through memories of him.

I take heart that he finally got to live his dream in Alaska. He moved there under not the greatest of circumstances but bonded with nature and then his wife followed sometime after and together they bought a piece of land and built a small cabin where they could retire together and spend free time fishing, hunting, reading and just loving each other.

He will be missed by all of us and we will not forget the impact he made on each of us. And I hate that losing someone is the time that we are reminded how important those relationships are. Cherish those around you and tell them - but even more so - SHOW them everyday! We don't know how much time we are given, so live everyday, love everyday, laugh everyday.

Life Interrupted...

My hubby leaves for Alaska tonight and at this point we are just hoping he makes it in time...as in makes it before his Dad loses his fight. Things are not improving and the doctor's put him on dialysis yesterday, but that has now caused his liver to fail. He is septic and has pneumonia. They are taking him off of the dialysis because of the liver failure and they say 24 hours.

I don't really know what else to say about it. There's just too many emotions right now. If you are the praying type, please say a few words for my husband and his family. Thank you.

The Weight of the World

I'm feeling the weight of the world on my back and it's a struggle right now. Yes, I'm striving for quality. Yes, I'm looking for positive. Yes, I'm blogging to work through it all! :-)

1. My father-in-law is really sick. He had prostate cancer many years ago that was removed, but apparently it didn't go all the way away and it came back in his bladder. He had his bladder removed mid-week last week and was doing okay, but this weekend he ran into some complications and had to go in for emergency surgery. They are in Alaska which is a considerable distance from us in California. We are worried about him, and worried about my mother-in-law. They are each other's everything and this has been a tough road; my sister-in-law lives up there with them, but she is completely useless so my MIL really doesn't have anybody close by to support her emotionally. His kidneys are now failing and it's looking more and more like the fight might be gone. We are holding on but may need to fly my hubby up in a hurry depending on what the tests they run today come back with.

2. My hot water heater took a dump this weekend. We *think* it is the temperature control box that is the problem, but until we get the correct part we won't know and we are without hot water. The bright side is thank goodness it is summer and the heat wave is in full force so we are happy to take cold showers right now. If it was dead of winter we would be a group of unhappy people.

3. Dealing with multiple personalities at the home is proving to be quite the challenge. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have the kids around the house, but we are definitely blending a lot of different people and then when you throw in my daughter-in-law from Hawaii and her different cultural background and upbringing, it, like I said, is challenging. We are practicing a whole heck of a lot of patience these days. But when you go to work to get a break, there's something wrong with the picture! LOL I'll be happy when the birds start leaving the nest...again. Maybe this time the migration will stick. :-)

4. Work is really picking up steam right now. There's a large project looming and it is just reaching an overwhelming point. I am flying solo in the office this week so my mission is to crank up the mellow tunes and get some serious work done towards the project.

5. Speaking of work, I have one of my friends/co-workers coming back to the same campus as I am and as much as I love her, she's a difficult person to be around on a constant basis. She tends to be negative and likes to complain A LOT. When she is further away at the other campus, it is a lot easier to contend with. I will give her this - she's been through a lot of challenges and is leaving a position that she was very unhappy in...but there comes a time where a person needs to make the solid decision to find the bright side of things and she just isn't there yet. So when she comes back to campus and I am spending more time with her, I'm really going to have to establish some firm ground rules in order to keep from getting sucked into the negativity. But that takes a lot of energy and my worry is that it will be energy I just don't have. Sigh.

So yeah - it's kind of feeling like the world is conspiring against me at the moment, but I think I have a good plan figured out to work through it. I just need to keep making sure I'm taking care of me; eating good food, exercising, getting sleep, finding time to take care of me in the midst of it all. I'll get there! I will, I will...(see the positive reinforcement at work...if I keep telling myself it will, then eventually it will come true!)

Hope that life is offering a little more of the quality for everyone else out there in the world!

Today's Picture:

Source: This is another original by Melissa and is the pier in Oceanside, CA taken at night. I should note that my daughter is 17 and has been practicing her craft for the past year. She definitely has natural talent and I can't help bragging about her! I'm sure you can see why... :-)

Now Is The Time...

Reposted from an alternate blog...but the more I thought about it, the more I realized this truly just pertains to life in general, so why not share in another avenue. :-)


I have this little book that my bestie got for us (she got one for herself and one for me at the same time) and it's really cool. It's called Now is the Time...and it has a little thing to focus/grab on to/whatever on each page. Kind of like a little motivation in a book and it is super varied like Now is the time...to let go of anger and then it has a little blurb about it followed up by an appropriate quote. Okay, so anyways earlier this week this is what it said: 

Now is the time... 
...to commit yourself 
Those who succeed set themselves apart by their commitment. 
Most of us make an effort: 
we prepare; we try; but then we hope. 
If you really want to achieve something, 
you must be prepared to stretch yourself. 
You must distill your energy and focus all your efforts. 
You must give of yourself. 

"If you're not actively involved in getting what you want, you don't really want it." (Peter McWilliams) 

Then on the facing page: 
Now is the time... 
...to take control of your life 
We all have restrictions in our lives. 
But, equally, we all have vast areas of untested capacity: 
to make decisions; to plan our future; to follow our paths. 
It's easy to blame others for our inaction. 
It's easy to blame our constraints. 
Take the initiative. 
Take control. 
Decide your own journey. 

"Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others." (Buddha) 

So I challenge you (and ME!) as we look to begin a new month tomorrow - commit yourself! take control of your life! NOW IS THE TIME!!!!! Stop waiting for tomorrow or next month or next year. Stop waiting for the timing to be perfect (it never will be, by the way). Stop waiting for life to live itself - Now is the Time for YOU to decide your journey. It is in your power and your control. Grab it like you want it - Grab it like you need it - Grab LIFE! Either suck it, or leave it on the floor because today is yours and NOW IS THE TIME...

Image Source: This is a self-portrait of my daughter, Melissa Grimes. She is a budding self-taught photographer with a whole heck of a lot of talent. When I visualize the words in the blog, this is the picture I see!

Something I Love...

This song makes me think of cool ocean breezes while drinking the perfect cup of coffee and listening to the faraway squeal of children's giggles and the call of gulls and pelicans. I absolutely LOVE it...I actually love the entire album by James Vincent McMorrow - Early in the Morning. It is 100% original and unexpected. You don't hear music like this on mainstream radio. I highly recommend it! Hope you enjoy it!

How Do You Know...

How do you know the difference between "taking a rest" and "being scared"???? That's what I'm asking myself this morning as I ponder the fact that I haven't run once this entire week! Let me go back just a bit to last Saturday. I had a planned 6 mile run on the schedule and I was flying solo that day since my running buddies were either rehabbing an injury or participating in a mud run. The weather was really perfect for a run, if a bit breezy, but the run just completely and totally STANK from beginning to end. I think I ended up doing just over 2.5 miles in over 30 minutes. That is a horrible time for me! I walked major portions of it and no matter what I just couldn't get in the groove and finally quit the punishment and called it quits to head home with my tail between my legs.

So this week I've managed an excuse every single run day. I can't even remember what the reason on Tuesday was, but Monday was a HORRIBLE, emotional day due to stress with my daughter, so I think I was just spent beyond belief. Thursday I was tired from being at Disneyland the day before and even though sleep-wise I could have done it, physical-wise my body was tired and I really didn't want another bad run. So I can't help but ask myself now, am I finding excuses because I'm scared of having another bad run? Yes, I think I am.

Image Source: http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-4236927-danger-radioactive-sign.php

In all reality, I'm pretty overwhelmed right now and I don't think I am really addressing the fact that I have a lot of turmoil (hmmm...maybe not the best word...upheaval? transition? uncertainty? Any of those could work just as well. LOL) in my life and it is spilling over into everything else. I'm shutting down and we all know that isn't the most appropriate way of handling stress. That definitely isn't the quality way of doing it anyways.

So this is what I need to do:

1. Take a good hard look at what is uncertain/causing stress - perhaps write a list of everything that is on my mind (some of these things include: full house, 10k in two weeks, money, work, teaching, family relations between...oh everybody, pending b-day, garden that needs to be planted after I weed the land since it's already been more than 2 weeks since it was prepped, and more!)
2. Start planning solutions to those stressors - this includes creating task-lists because those just work for me...I love the satisfaction of getting things crossed off and prioritizing it
3. Give myself some scheduled "me" time outside of exercise...this one I have a harder time doing because I take about an hour a day for me (usually when I'm not making excuses) and as a mother/wife/everything else extraordinaire, it's always hard to actually take time for me
4. Clarify plans for the 10k...who's camping, when are we leaving, how long are we staying, who's bringing what...in other words, what's the PLAN
5. Get the house in order...when my house is clean and uncluttered, my brain is so much less cluttered too! 
6. Slow down and enjoy my run tomorrow. It may not be great, but I need to just let my mind and body go and enjoy myself. I need a good run and if I push it too hard, it will be everything I don't need it to be. The plan is a virtual 10k and I'm good with that...but it might not (okay, will pretty much NOT be) be at race pace and, you know what? That's OKAY! Really, it is...the actual race isn't until June 4.

What it all boils down to is that I need to not let fear and stress become what decides my life and what my attitude and behavior towards it will be. It's time to grab the horse by the reins and drive it where I need it to go instead of letting it run wild! Because instead of danger signs I need more of this:

Image Source: http://www.azlitho.com/

Just a Quickie...

It's been a realllllly long day and this gal is pretty tired. But thankfully, my work day is finally coming to a close, but this is what I did to de-stress this afternoon:

In case you can't tell that's a flower made out of M&M's with a little sun shining above it...because, well, flowers, sunshine and a little fun size bag of M&M's just make me happy! :-)

Another Shameless Pump...

Another of my favorite blogs that just SCREAMS quality is this one: http://1000awesomethings.com/ (He even has books!)

If you've never checked it out, you really should. It's just fun and it literally takes only a matter of minutes. I have it set as one of my home tabs so that first thing in the morning when I boot up the internet I have a quick moment of AWESOME! to start off my day and I never regret spending a moment living in the land of Awesome.

I promise that next time I post I might actually do something original instead of just shamelessly pumping other blogs...but hey, I figure if I am in the pursuit of a quality life - what's the point if I don't SHARE WHAT I FIND! Right? Right! So enjoy!!

Seriously...CANNOT Get Enough of This Girl...

You know, there are few things in life that just warm your heart every single time...but I seriously cannot say enough good things about this gal's blog: http://www.kellehampton.com/. Every time I visit one of her blogs, I feel like I have stepped outside of the normal, mundane world that I live and work in and have stepped into a magic fairytale where little girls have wings and spread pixie dust, all daddies are Prince Charming, all mommies are the kind that aren't the "Evil Stepmother" and that the sun is always shining.

She is literally like a breath of fresh air. She is literally like a calm in the storm. And she is literally like a ray of sunshine.

If you have time for only a couple blogs...definitely make hers one of them! Especially if you are like me and are looking for quality! Because she is grade-A certified (by ME!) as QUALITY! Enjoy!!!!

Quality Is...

Spending a Saturday afternoon grocery shopping with the little bubbas! He had such a great time sitting up in the carts like a big boy...at Walmart he was just Mister Curious checking everything out. At Target, he mellowed and spent some time snuggied up with his Nana instead of chilling in the cart and by Stater Bros. (the local grocery chain - similar to a Vons or Albertson's) he was sleeping away. Nana tuckered him out! But let me tell ya...it was some of the BEST quality time I could ever ask for!

Happiness Is...

I'm not feeling too wonderful today...just feel off - headache, queasiness. Not fun stuff to say the least. But I'm at work and trying to make the most of my day and what better way to do that than to think for even just a few moments about what happiness is!

Image Source: http://www.psfk.com/2010/10/what-aging-can-teach-us-about-happiness.html

Happiness is...warm clothes out of the dryer
Happiness is...a perfect cup of coffee and a good book/magazine
Happiness is...Spring Break vacations
Happiness is...crossing stuff off of the to-do list
Happiness is...kisses
Happiness is...pretty pens in lots of colors
Happiness is...sunshine peeking through clouds
Happiness is...candles
Happiness is...bouncy balls
Happiness is...post-it tabs in all the pretty colors peeking out of a textbook
Happiness is...highlighter pens
Happiness is...friendship
Happiness is...healthy food
Happiness is...a comfy bed
Happiness is...running shoes
Happiness is...reading
Happiness is...wildflowers in bloom


I could really go on all day, but even though my body may be rebelling against me today, I can still find some little things that make me happy! Your turn - what makes YOU happy?

Today's Show Brought to You by the Letter F

Image Source: printfection.com

Friends
Fun
Fitness
Family
Faith
Frisbees
Fluffy Clouds
Feeling like I'm Flying (For me this happens on a really great run!)
Football
Fireplaces
Funny jokes and stories
Face-to-face conversations that are fun and happy
Fabulous - what an awesome word!
Facial Expressions - when I think of this I think of my cute little grandbaby Joshua and how he makes these hilarious faces that just communicate SO much!
Fiction - the book, movie and TV kind!
Fairies - who doesn't love Tinkerbell and those of her kind?
Femininity - I'm a girl and there's just nothing like feeling pretty and feminine sometimes...
Fairs
Fantasy

There you have it - that's a short list of quality all brought to you by the Letter "F". Did I miss any??? Feel free to comment away!

Finding Positive...

I'm a positive girl, living in a negative world. I now expect to have that song "Barbie World" stuck in my head all day! 

Image Source: shwedarling.com


I mean, look at Barbie - she's so happy ALL THE TIME! You never see a sad Barbie...they don't make her that way. You don't see an angry raging Biotch Barbie - now that would be something to see wouldn't it?!? Might be pretty funny...but in reality, she's made to be happy. And so are we if we get down to brass tacks. We have been made to be happy people; yet so often, we aren't.


This is what I said to my friend yesterday - I don't want much...I want to appreciate the sun on my face, a blue sky, love, friendship, a good job, happiness, green grass. So why is it that so often our time and attention is turned from these positive points of lightness to nagging, moaning and groaning. Why are we as a society such negative people??? We are bombarded with it constantly from the news to TV shows that amplify suffering to people saying the most random and hurtful things on social networking feeds because they are "anonymous" or simply because they can.


I have a great job and for the most part I love it...but man, are there are lot of negative vibes in my little corner of the world. It makes it difficult sometimes to just keep your head up.


Have you ever noticed how when you are feeling good and positive you almost feel like a balloon is tied to your head lifting you off of the ground...like it is anchored to your core and you walk taller, step lighter, drift along like some other force is pulling you.

But when you are negative, cranky and irritable it feels like the opposite - like you have a ball and chain tied to your feet and when you walk it is pulling you closer to the ground where you feel like you might have to crawl because the weight is so great and you can no longer drag it around. It is heavy and suffocating. It's not fun and it feels like the weight of the world.

So if one feels light and fluffy and the other feels heavy and suffocating, why do we choose the heavy so much more often than the light????


I'm struggling right now with just staying positive...but that is where I want to be. So when faced with all the negative, what do I do to find some positive???

• I turn off the world. Skip the social networking, news, etc.
• I search out other positive people by reading happy blogs, viewing photo streams of people having fun, being creative, enjoying themselves, etc.
• I walk in the sun, feel fresh air on my skin, enjoy the power of a body in a motion
• I find a creative outlet like photography, reading, journaling, blogging, etc to remind myself that there is more in life than working and negative situations
• And More!

The point is that we are in charge of only ourselves - we can't control the people around us...even if sometimes we think we can or want to! LOL So when faced with things that bring you down, it is up to us to find the things that will bring us back up. So I'm choosing to grab on to that little balloon and float above it all. Others may be getting sucked down by their ball and chain, but I'm grabbing the balloon string. How about you? What are you choosing today?