The Magic Number

I love the ring that I won from the Little Green Room! Isn't it great? And, it came in a cute little package, too.

I asked for the number 3 to be stamped on it, to represent my three kiddos. It's the perfect little mother's ring. Three really is the magic number to me.

Oh, and did I tell you that I love it? I really, really love it!

Updates and Favorites

A few weeks ago, when I was taking some time off from here, I discovered Tumblr. There are so many things out there in this big, wide world that are an inspiration, and it's hard to keep track of all of them. I usually 'favorite stuff', or write stuff down on random scraps of paper..either way, those things that inspire me are easily lost, or temporarily forgotten about. Tumblr seems like a great way to keep track of all of those little things in one handy place, so I signed up! (There is a button in my side bar if you want to check it out, although there's not much in there right now. I'm really excited to see what might end up there on a daily basis, maybe some of the things will be inspiring to you too.

I have a Twitter account also. Do you have one of those? I've had it for a while, but I never use it. I'm afraid all of my tweets would sound something like this..."Griffin just dumped a whole bag of garbage on the floor. Griffin just destroyed a precious family heirloom. Griffin just spilled out a giant bag of dog food...) So, yeah, I'm not sure my random happenings would be of any use to anyone really.

There are so many different avenues for social media these days, it kind of reminds me of the record/eight track/cassette tape dilemma. What are your favorite avenues of social media? I'm just nosy curious.

In other news, it's time for the monthly link-up for the 365 Project at over Jennifer's. I have to pick this fence photo as my favorite image for the month of November. I don't know if it's my best shot, but it's the one that speaks to me the most. (If you like, you can see the rest of my 365 photos by clicking the handy little button in my side bar.)

We woke up to a light dusting of snow this morning. I've had a hard time enjoying winter (in my old age), but this year, I'm hoping that through the lens of my camera I will change my perspective.

Griffin doesn't have school on wednesdays, so it's a happy pajama/attempt to clean the house day for us today. I hope you have a happy "whatever your doing" wednesday, too!

Something New

To be vague, but honest, there are times when I feel like I'm beating my head against a brick wall...where I keep moving forward...keep plodding through, but find that my path is leading me nowhere. Isn't that the definition of insanity...to keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?

What I was hoping for didn't happen, or hasn't happened yet, and I'm tired of feeling that somehow that means I'm not good enough. I am good enough. (I will refrain from doing the whole Stewart Smalley routine here.)

I need a change...a new path that feeds my soul. When something isn't working for you, you change it, right? I'm ready. No more path to nowhere. No more pouring myself into something, and coming up empty. I will take my lessons, and the treasures that I have found along the way, and move along, hopefully, to a place where I feel like I am a worthwhile contributor. Life is too short, and time's a-wastin'.

Goodbye, old path. In someways you were good to me, but I have more to do.

Happiness is...

...taking silly pictures with your daughter, after you discover the camera on your netbook.

...frost on the car window that's shaped like a heart...if that's what you want it to look like.

...signs that say HAPPY.

...deer that stop and pose for pictures.

...or deer that calmly walk away, discussing the curiousness of humans with cameras.

...receiving a package in the mail from a new friend, and opening it up to find a necklace that's both beautiful and meaningful. (Thanks again, Friend!)

...or listening to a happy song, like this one, that brings hope for tomorrow.

That's what Happiness is to me today? What's making you happy on this lovely monday?

It's the Journey

I am sitting in my son's room, on a cold, and cloudy saturday afternoon, with my netbook in my lap, watching the Ohio State vs. Michigan game. I'm still in my pajamas, sometimes I get up to do some laundry, solve a kid crisis, or whatever. This is a typical saturday, except today my multitasking includes a football game.

There is a tiny part of me that feels slightly odd about the fact that I am holed up, alone, in this room, screaming my head off like some kind of lunatic (Madison keeps running in to check on me), but the excitement, and intensity of the day drowns all of that out. I know I'm not really alone. I'm sure my neighbors are screaming too, along with many thousands of other Ohio State fans. This is where my life finds me today, so I'll do my cheering from right here.

When I look at the photo of Brutus, the mascot, and I, it makes me smile, and it reminds me, that it's not the destination...it's the journey.

In 1992, I was a student at OSU, and even though it's not the school I eventually graduated from, my heart is still there as a fan. My grandfather went there, and my mother went there, so I guess I could say that being a Buckeye is in my blood.

The day of my first Ohio State/Michigan game was like no other...exciting, intense, almost spiritual. We had kegs and eggs, and went to Hineygate where I bought a (bleep) Michigan t-shirt. It's hard to describe the feeling before, and during, a Big Ten college football game, especially The Game, but I'm sure the energy could sustain a few small villages for quite a while.

There weren't many clouds in the sky that day, except for the one that was hanging over my head, reminding me that I had to leave at half time to go to the restaurant where I worked as a server. I really, really didn't want to cut short this once in a lifetime experience, but I had requested the day off, and didn't get it.

This may have been a no-brainer to some, but my silly work ethic kept getting in the way. I fretted, and discussed my situation with random strangers in the beer lines, until finally, I marched over to the pay phone and called the restaurant. I said, "Hi, this is Kelly. I'm at the game, and I won't be able to make it to work today. Am I fired?"

The following day I had to go in, and have a meeting with the general manager. After we sat down, he drew a straight line on a piece of paper with a circle at one end. He explained that he had heard this at a religious lecture, but that it could be applied to anything. The circle was God, or Heaven, or anything that you are striving for in life. The straight line was the path that it took to get there. He said that, if you keep veering off of the path, it will take you that much longer to get to your destination. I smiled, and I agreed, and I didn't lose my job.

But, I don't agree. I have lived a lot of life outside of that line, with both positive, and negative outcomes. I feel I am richer for each experience...good or bad. I think it's the journey, not the destination.

Ohio State and Michigan ended that game in 1992 in a tie. While the people I went with grumbled a little as we left the stadium, because it wasn't a win, I was still jumping up and down...the excitement was in the game, not the final outcome.

So, today, I will cheer Ohio State on, while I'm holed up in this little room, because this is where I am on the journey. I'll be happy if they win (they will), but if they don't, I'll just be glad I was here to watch the game, 'cause God hasn't fired me yet either. :)