šŸ‚ Have a Happy Thanksgiving šŸ¦ƒ

ThanksgivingHappy Thanksgiving, friends!! It seems like it was just last year and I was sharing my plans for the long holiday weekend with you! Where, oh where, have those 365 days gone?

What are you doing today? Maybe hitting up some good Black Friday sales? We’re sticking close to home, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier about that! I’m not sure if it’s the cold winter, but I’ve just been feeling the need to hibernate indoors lately. Plus, of course Ms. Bear will be making us her famous Thanksgiving feast, complete with pumpkin pie. We’ll also be playing Yahtzee, which I plan on winning — but don’t tell her that! Anyway, I just really want to spend some quality time with my mom and Janelle. I’m so grateful for them each and every day, and with everything that’s happened over the last year, my family means everything to me!

On a serious note, though, I’ve always thought of Thanksgiving week as the official start of the holiday season. From now until New Year’s Day, an emphasis on family and cheer will be everywhere. But it’s also important to remember that the holidays are hard for many people. Loss is especially poignant this time of year, and sometimes, grief shows up instead of cheer. As you celebrate, keep those people in your heart. The people who don’t have family to go home to. The people who are struggling. The people who are hurting. The people who are grieving.

ThanksgivingI’ll be taking the rest of the week off, so I’ll see you all back here on Monday, November 26th for more fun and merriment — think the Holiday Gift Guide 2018 the first week of December as well as a few of my recently published pieces!

In the meantime,Ā be sure to follow me onĀ Twitter, FacebookĀ andĀ Instagram! You know I’ll be chronicling my long-weekend adventures!! See you there, friends! xoxo

[Photos via Unsplash]

The Tale of Ms. Bear After Her Medical Adventures

Medical AdventuresOne year ago today, my mom received those abnormal mammogram results that sent us on quite the roller coaster of medical adventures for several months. I just wanted to say how proud I am of “Ms. Bear” for getting through it like a true champion!! She’s a fighter and one awesome lady!! So happy she’s doing so well this year!!!

And let’s not forget her terrible tumble at the end of the summer! Needless to say, she’s been through a lot this year. It’s always so hard to see our loved ones suffering, and it’s a special swirl of emotions when it comes to our parents, don’t you think? My mom is such a powerful force, and she’s the type who just wants to keep going. So when something sidelines her, it’s hard for her to slow down. Trust me, this is something I’ve been encouraging her to do more often. I’d tell her every day…

“Slow down.”

“It’s OK to rest.”

“You don’t have to do it ALL now.”

“Some things can wait until tomorrow.”

I mean, not even her surgery last January got her down for long. Apparently, a few atypical cells are no match for her strength! She takes them out with a one-two punch and doesn’t even break a sweat!

Medical AdventuresMaybe that’s why I love the above photo so much. Here’s Ms. Bear sitting and actually relaxing (I know…alert the presses!) a couple months ago after we got a new couch. Granted, it was right after that terrible tumble, but it was so nice to see her NOT running around trying to save the world like she’s always doing. So, over the long Thanksgiving break coming up, I’m going to have this photo at the ready. To show her that it’s OK to take some time for you. Of all the people in the world, I’d say my mom deserves it, doesn’t she? After all, she’s had quite her share of medical adventures in the last 12 months!

What are you doing these days to practice self-care, friends? What does self-care look like for you? Any tips you’d like to share with my mom? And, please, encourage her to slow down. Together, we can help her relax… xoxo

What to Remember on National Grief Awareness Day

National Grief Awareness DayDo you ever get the feeling that the universe is playing some cruel joke on you? Today is National Grief Awareness Day and I’m just a giant puddle of mixed emotions about the whole thing…

Part of me is raising my hand in solidarity and shouting “YES, AWARENESS!” because, honestly, awareness is such an important and valuable thing. Yet on the other hand, my cynical side is just sitting here saying “Well, I’m aware of my grief every day, so…”

When I say that I’m aware of my grief every day, I’m not saying that I’m grief-stricken to the point of being unable to get out of bed or crying all the time. And I’m not saying that I’m unhappy or that I’m unable to enjoy life.

Nope, I’m not saying any of that. At all.

What I am saying is that a piece of my grief and a piece of my loss is always with me. It’s not overpowering and overwhelming all the time, but it’s always there. Like a paper cut. There are times that you feel it more acutely than others — you know, like when you get salt in said paper cut and it stings like no other? Yes, that sort of acute.

That’s something I never truly understood about grief until I lost my father — how two diametrically opposing emotions like happiness and grief can — and do — exist simultaneously. But they do, and this is something I’ve talked about in therapy in recent years. It doesn’t have to be one or the other and you aren’t forced to choose one over the other, either.

And, honestly, I sort of appreciate that ever-present grief too. Because I feel like it keeps me tied to my father just as much as my happy childhood memories do. It’s an interesting dichotomy, for sure, and one I’m sure I’ll continue to explore in the future.

National Grief Awareness DayHere is a really great article on how grief never really goes away and it’s so important to recognize this in other people’s grief and be empathetic and compassionate in where they are in their journey. It might not be where you are and that’s OK. No two people walk the same grief path and it’s a very individual journey. Be a love and light for them on their journey, just as you’d expect the same from them while on your journey. And, here are some tips on grief that people on Twitter had to share — such amazing and helpful advice!

If you’re grieving, friends, I hope you know that I see you and I love you. What do you wish people understood about grief? What ways do you think people can help those who are grieving?? Here’s to getting through National Grief Awareness Day together…Ā xoxo

[Photos via We Heart It]

Ms. Bear on Lessons of the Summer and a Fall…

Lessons of the SummerWell, here it is, friends!! As promised…Ms. Bear has returned to the blog in all her glory! Today, she shares her lessons of the summer and how a nasty fall on one of the first days of school put everything into perspective! As always, she’s bringing the wisdom once again and I always appreciate when she shares that wisdom with us! xoxo

It is so interesting to me that during the summer, I feel like I get more in touch with myself. That’s not always as pleasant as it sounds, however! LOL.

During the school year, life is just like a whirlwind — getting from one day to the next and enjoying the weekends in between. Time just flies by. But, during the summer, there is a bit more downtime. With this extra time comes a certain quietness to the days, even when I am still working summer school. There is time for leisurely lunches, plenty of time to go exercise at the Y, lots of staying up late and sleeping in…well, you get the picture.

However, this extra time also brings with it two challenges. The first is the fact that I really don’t have any hobbies besides exercising! That’s all well and good, but you can’t (and shouldn’t) exercise all the time! I used to be a voracious reader, but now I only read in the evenings. I also used to play my piano, but that has gone by the wayside with the fast pace of life, not to mention the temptation of checking things out online. I also used to spend hours at the public library, but, again, the allure of the computers always ropes me in! This is the first thing I need to work on before I retire! I need to get my hobbies back! I think I need some brand-spanking new hobbies to spice up my life a bit!

The second challenge downtime brings me is that it gives me time to think about Brian, which is a nice thing to do, but brings its own set of issues with it. During the summer, there is more time for me to notice other couples out together. Sometimes I just stop, as I think of what could have been. It also makes me think about what our lives would be like right now if Brian were still here. The most challenging thing this extra time brings is the flashbacks of Brian’s suicide, something I can push out of my mind when I am super busy during the school year. While the initial pain and shock are nowhere near what they were the first few years after his death, sometimes I am still brought to a standstill for a few minutes, as I continue the processing that I think will go on for the rest of my life.

Lessons of the SummerSo, in trying to tie both parts of the title of this post together, what does all this have to do with my recent fall??? I learned a very valuable lesson this month from my fall. A bit of catch-up for you: On August 13th, I was out in my yard, all happy and hyped up about coming home from one of the first days back to work. I went out into the yard to place my union yard sign (another story…) and the ground was so hard that I literally tripped right over the sign and landed ON MY HEAD, right on the sidewalk! You know how head wounds bleed, so I ran in the house, screaming for the girls. Janelle, the newly minted CNA, told me in no uncertain terms that I needed to go to the ER right then. Nine hours, 7 stitches, one CAT scan and a boatload of aggravation, dizziness and tears later, Janelle got me home. It’s been quite the recovery and has proven to me that if I don’t slow down, bad things are bound to happen. But, if I do slow down, then I have all the above issues to deal with. I’m sure you can see the irony in this.

So, indirectly, the Great Fall of 2018 has given me a not-so-gentle nudge from the universe telling me that it is my time to start thinking of some of the things I need to think about to prepare for this next phase of my life which will be coming up in a few years. Kind of a scary prospect for me, but I can see now that there are things in my life that I need to change. And, hard as it may be to slow down and make these changes, I think I’m ready for it. Time will tell and I will keep you posted!

Special thanks to Melissa for letting me spill all this out on the blog. It will certainly help to hold me accountable the next time I become totally complacent with my life and stop moving forward. Here’s to the future! Someday, I am going to have to retire and I want to be ready for the fun and sun — and hopefully some new hobbies!

[Thanks to Janelle for snapping the cute photo of Ms. Bear on the slide]

Family Photos: Birthday Merriment and Ms. Bear’s Meatloaf

Birthday MerrimentSerious question: Do I look older?? I mean, I have been 37 years old for a whole 11 days, after all. Are the ravages of time starting to show yet? Why would I be so worried, you might ask? Oh, because, well, let’s just say that I was quite the party animal during my Birthday Break and the birthday merriment was turned up to 100 ALL THE TIME!!!

What? You don’t believe me? Well, just check out this photographic proof. As the young people say, I’ve got receipts — a whole bunch of them, in fact, and they all have one big thing in common: They tell the story of my debauchery, my undoing, my fondness for getting down with my bad self and watching…musical TV shows of the ’90s. Yup, buckle up! Things are about to get really real — and, of course, really wild…

You might remember my Big City Shenanigans last year, where I got to experience the thrill of dinosaurs up close and take a sunny stroll along Lake Michigan with my two favorite people! While that little getaway was super fun, I just felt like having a quiet birthday this year. We decided to stay close to home, and, honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted to spend it any other way. We played some games, watched some NCIS (how amazing is that show?) and just enjoyed a nice family celebration all the way around.

Birthday Merriment Birthday MerrimentIt’s become somewhat of a tradition to have my mom snap a photo of me opening my birthday merriment gifts. I’m in love with this angel figure that my sister got me; in fact, I even named her Angelique and added her to my collection of angels, but more on my collections in an upcoming blog post!

Birthday MerrimentAlso, see that pan of deliciousness? Janelle asked me what she could make for my special birthday merriment dessert and I was dying for her classic Rice Krispie treats! Her secret ingredients to give them an extra kick of sweet flavor? Almond and sprinkles!! They’re gooey and oh-so-scrumptious! We finished the pan in about a week! And now I’m craving them AGAIN!!

Birthday MerrimentAnd Ms. Bear’s meatloaf?!?!? Where do I even begin??? She makes the very best, most delicious meatloaf in all the universe, so there was no doubt that I wanted that for my birthday dinner. In typical Ms. Bear fashion, she made so much that we still have quite a bit left in the freezer, which is obviously fine by me!!! I’d eat it every day, if you ask me!!!

Birthday MerrimentWondering what I meant when I opened this post with a nod to ’90s musical TV shows??? Two words: KIDS INCORPORATED. I was beyond obsessed with this show as a kid, so when I found all the episodes on YouTube, it was all I could do not to bust out the shoulder pads and leg warmers! I’m almost done with season one and am psyched to relive my childhood for EIGHT more seasons of toe-tapping song and dance!!

Birthday MerrimentBut the very best moment of my Birthday Break this year? Whitney and Stella are finally, at long last, getting a bit more fond of each other. Here they actually sitting next to each other on the bed. That’s HUGE and such a big step for both of them!!! It made us all so happy to see!!

Thanks, too, for all the sweet birthday wishes, friends!! I appreciate you coming on this journey with me and can’t wait to see what my 37th year will bring!!

I closed out my day of birthday merriment by reading all your sweet messages!! Thank you for being such a powerful force in my life!! I hope you know how much I appreciate your love and support. As trying as some moments have been this year, I still feel surrounded by love, light and happiness. No dark clouds can dim that light.

I’m ready for ya, 37. Let’s do this… xoxo