Better Pics of Homecoming

oops...this was a repeat....here are the better pics....

8th Grade vs. North Cedar

No scores posted here.

Because we win when we don't give up. 
Even if the scoreboard doesn't show it. 

The end.

west liberty

Homecoming Pics...the ones I have

Work, Home, Homework

Work is going well.  I like the job, but it is putting a crunch on my writing work.

Home is suffering a bit more than I would like...cause of the time that I am spending at work and trying to write.  But it isn't like there is anything seriously suffering....Just some dust and laundry waiting for my attention.

Homework...for my class.  Focusing right now on that. 

Still trying to work on the whole idea of balance.

Because Iove love love The Lion King

Hakuna Matata

Full Moon

All I can say is "thank goodness." 

I always feel better when i can put an explaination on why today was a bad day.

Today, that reason is:  A Full Moon.

The End

U of Iowa and Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing

My list of things I am thankful for today:

For Brian taking the day off to take me to the University for a follow-up Dr. appointment. Good news, by the way. Spinal fusion is looking great at 6 months out.

And for this sweet girl....who wanted to take time out of our million-things-to-do-day and read out loud to her mama on the front porch.

Sweetness.

I think I may know why I have such huge issues with issues.

In my writing class I am to a point where I MUST choose a specialty, as in one topic, to focus on for the remainder of the class. And hopefully for several years to come.

One. Topic.

I absolutely was positively sure of what that ONE topic was when I went in to the class.

So, now that I am all wishy-washy about choosing ONE topic, I am trying to analyze exactly why I am having problems with this. This has required some serious soul searching on my part.

Here is what I have come up with:

1. It could be that I have some sort of adult ADD. Where I am physiologically incapable of focus for too long.

2. It could be that I have at least 3 identifiable personalities. They fight alot with each other.

3. It could be that I am not quite mature enough to detach from my emotions at key points.

So I am really glad I did this little soul-searching activity. Sometimes it helps to put a name to the issue at hand....

......Clearly I am a hormonal, crazy woman who has trouble getting along with myself.

Motivate

I'm kinda tired.

Work was good today....but I'm tired.
But truthfully, I was tired before I even went in to work.

I think that I have so much on my mind...
....so many thing that I want to do
....hope to do
topped off with those things that I have to do...

...and I'm sort of mentally exhausted right now.

and I think it is starting to look a little more like physical exhaustion.

darn.

So anyway, as I process these thoughts in writing, I am reminded of something that a very wise person told me once. (Thanks Christine!)

"If it's worth doing, then it's worth doing, even badly. Don't wait for the motivation to come. Just do it first, let the motivation for more action come after."

that was sort of a paraphrase.
but it helps.

So I'm not motivated.
But I am going to just keep on putting one foot in front of the other.

Wildcats vs Beavers

Because I am mom; therefore, I take way too many pictures.

It is my right.

I'm not posting the score of this game. It isn't one of those important points of the night. (yes, that means we lost pretty good...or bad)

But oh how I love to watch the wildcat play some ball!

Girls Sports Review

Brinny and Marz had some sports stuff going on in the last few days.

Brinn in volleyball and Marz in softball.

Both are doing well and seem to be enjoying their fall sports.

And I can't help but to love watching them!

I think

I think I was just offered a sweet writing gig.
A paying one.
A big one.
As in...several articles per week....all assigned.
Oh my.

I responded to the email with 1 or 2 or 12 questions right off the top of my head. Just to make sure I totally understand.

And. wow.
Just....wow.

This is something I totally have been wanting to happen.
And now I think....I think it is.
I just can't believe that it is.

Kenny Chesney - The Boys of Fall

Hot Hair Update

Don't be jealous.

Because you too, can have super hot hair just like me in this picture.

Here is the secret.....

1. Wear a ponytail on....let's just say.....Thursday.

2. Leave it in your hair while you fall asleep Thursday night.

3. Wake up. Drink coffee. Write an article if you want.

4. What I am about to tell you really is a key point in this equation:

Just DO NOT TOUCH THE THURSDAY PONYTAIL THAT YOU FELL ASLEEP WITH.....

5. Forget about the chiro appointment that you made while you were on step 4....show up 15 minutes late....and WHA-LA.....you have the desired "hot hair" that all of the public will be jealous of because you HAD to go out in public and you just had to show off like that.

edited to note: I really do have hot mama hair now. Cuz my sister-in-law who owns and operates her own salon in davenport has a magic wand that she waved over my head. And Wha-la!

Dear Internet,

Tomorrow I am getting my hair done.
And I am getting my brows waxed.
And my mustache.
(the mustache that i do not have cuz i am a girl and girls shouldn't have staches so i don't.....cuz i know people with wax)

So this time tomorrow I will have what I like to call "hot hair" and I will be properly girled up to my liking.

Only the hot hair does not have any particular appearances to make, so; therefore, by the time I wake up on Saturday morning and have things to do and people to see....the "hot hair" look will be gone. And nobody will really know it existed.

But my eyebrows will still look great. So I think I will focus on this.

What is wrong with this picture?

It's twinkies.

It's cheetos.

It's cheese and crackers.

It's an after-school-snack fit for a crew.

A crew of elementary and Jr. High-age-kids.

And it is enough. As in- a lot.

So what is the problem?

2 phone calls from kids + 1 glance at the calendar =

only 1 kid coming home after school today.

By the way: If you were gonna say that the "twinkies" don't fit this equation next to the cheese, crackers and "all-natural-no-msg-cheetos"....I would have to say you are right. Except the twinkies were a part of a science project for school to illustrate parts of a cell. So I had to buy them.

This veers from my normal don't-buy-food-that-has-the-shelf-life-that-could-outlast-a-nuclear-anything-policy.

love love love

I love my new job.
I love it that I am getting more chances to write for publication....
....and an income.
And I love love.

It's the whole balance thing that is tripping me up.

School

I start my class this week. The one I was awarded a scholarship for.

And I am SOOOOO excited.


I had to write a "class intro" letter and turn it in here pretty soon. I am sitting on it right now. For a couple of reasons.

One....the obvious. Proof it a few (thousand) times so that I can make sure I sound WAY more inteligent than I really am. Because it is, in fact, a writing class. I gotta make sure I come off sounding all writer-like. And not some poser. puh-lease.

and

Two....it's important to me. And while I may or may not come off sounding all writer-like-worthy-of-this-scholarship...the essence of the class topic, itself, is meaningful. The class is called "Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform." The "specialty" is a topic that I wouldn't necessarily choose, but seems to have chosen me. The subject matter keeps me up at night. It makes me want to be a better person. It makes me want to speak up, to become an expert, to help out.

To make a difference.

Here's my intro letter:

My name is Robin **** and I’m from **,**. I’m coming to this class as a former student of WPSS (Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff.) It was this class that helped me get back on my feet and on the road to writing for publications again. It was also during this class that I started taking an honest look at what my passions are and wondering about how to build a writing platform on this.
Several years ago, I worked as a writer, reporter and columnist for a Midwestern newspaper. I took a few years off from writing for publication in order to take care of some major issues at home. About a year ago, I pulled up the proverbial bootstraps, took the WPSS class and began to pursue writing for publication again. Since that class, I have had a couple of articles published in newspapers, three in regional parenting publications and a handful of articles published on the web. This is a far cry from where I was years ago as a newspaper writer—but I am appreciating each step as a step in the right direction.
I suppose you could say that I have been thinking about a “platform” since the first week of the WPSS class when all participants were asked the question, “If you had to choose one topic, and one topic only, to write about for one year, what would that topic be?” I knew then, in my heart, that the topic I would choose to research, write about and become an expert on isn’t fun, and isn’t one that I would necessarily choose. But the topic, you could say, has chosen me. It keeps me up at night and drives me to be a better person during the day. My platform: Domestic violence awareness and prevention.
I have since been spending time reading and educating myself on the issue of domestic violence, and just how widespread this really is. I have become a volunteer with GROW Ministries (Godly Restoration and Outreach to Women) as their domestic violence liaison. I have also begun to assist in the start up of a domestic violence ministry in my home church. I haven’t done any official platform-building as far as writing or public speaking on this topic, but believe this should be my next step.
I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to take this class. I understand that I am the first scholarship recipient for Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform, and I intend to use this chance to really learn the ins and outs from the class instruction and from fellow classmates. Like all of the steps I have taken during and since the WPSS class, I believe wholeheartedly that this, too, is a step in the right direction for me both personally and professionally.

What do you think?

Today's Distractions

So. Had the day off work today. The plan was to go to a meeting at the newspaper, land an assignment or maybe two, then come home and work on this........the article that I was going to rough, type and submit....today.

See the notebook paper?

That's about as far as I got with that.

There's just too many distractions.

Like letting Brian's dogs out.

And luandry.

And I just had to make some brownies.....

Then, with all of this Non-Work-work I was doing....I was distracted by my bed. Which was just begging me to take a little nap.

Other totally worthy distractions of the day include answering the phone, visiting with neighbors, taking a drive and learning the words to a new favorite song.

It's been a productive day.

Hard Stuff...

It's hard to post stuff that is hard.

And it's not because I'm all above ranting and raving about stuff that I do not like....I totally do that here all the time.

But sometimes....
...sometimes....
.....stuff is just really hard.

And I'm not trying to deny that there is any garbage going on right now.

Just not ready to mention it here.

But let's just say that you are here now, reading this. Could you say a prayer for me and my family?

'Cause there is some hard stuff going on right now.