Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting a bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian. ~~Dennis Wholey
***
A dear friend of mine once said something along the lines of..... "If you are going to ask for something, don't have any expectations. That way if you don't get what you are asking for, you won't be disappointed. However, if you do get what you ask for, you will be pleasantly surprised".
I think about that all the time. One of the best pieces of advise I think I have gotten, yet its the hardest to follow. When you ask for something, its difficult not to have some sort of expectation and possible disappointment to follow. Its like asking your mum for a cookie as a child, right before dinner. You know she is going to say no, but you ask anyway with the slightest hope that just this once, she will say yes. Then she gives you that look and gently says "no" and you feel the disappointment flow through you as the possibility washes away. Then imagine how'd you feel if she said yes. Absolutely delighted!
Granted, asking for a cookie is such a simple thing, but using that as an example and applying it to your everyday life, kind of makes you think. I know its something that I have to work on and its not going to apply to every situation, but I have a feeling that if I could follow those words of advice, I'd live a happier life.
Life is divided into three terms - that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present to live better in the future. by William Wordsworth
I remember when I was just a little girl, (I believe I was nine, maybe eight) sitting in my room, doodling in a notebook and listening to music when I heard a knock on my door. I welcomed them in, and it was my mom. She asked me to come to the table as she had something important to tell me. I was never in trouble as a kid so I wasn't worried about that, but anytime your parents want to tell you something "important" it makes you wonder.
I made my way to the table where my mom was sitting with her boyfriend, if you will. (That sounds so incredibly weird for me to say now.) Anyways, I sat down looking at my mom thinking she was the one that was going to do the talking. My dad says, "Karrie, I asked your mom something really important and we wanted to share that with you"...or something of the like. It was then that he continued to tell me that he had asked my mom to marry him and she had said yes.
I remember being so excited, which was a relief to my dad...lol. My biological father left when I was two, completely disappearing from my life, and I hadn't had a real father figure until my dad came along. He's really my step dad but it doesn't feel that way and I don't call him that. It just doesn't feel right to do so. He has been the only father I have ever known. He took my mother and I in and cared for us both, and loved us. For this, I am and will be forever thankful!
Butterfly Kisses is a song by Bob Carlisle and it always affects my dad when he hears it, so I shall dedicate and play this for my dad. Happy Father's Day Dad! Love you!
Oh, where to start, where to start? Hmmm. So much has happened since I last posted about cycling. I was doing so well, gradually increasing my mileage and had gotten up to 20 miles, which, for me, was huge! After that ride, I hadn't been able to ride as much due to work and such but I thought that because I was getting up there in the miles, I wanted to increase my efficiency. To do this, I changed out my pedals to the clip-less, which I still don't really understand why they call them that as you have to clip your shoe into the pedal. Anyway...for those of you who don't know how these work: you have a cycling shoe that has a special cleat on the bottom that "clips in" to the pedal and locks in your feet. So, to get out of these pedals, you just have to swing your heel outwards. Simple enough, right? Right! Just after you re-train your brain the order of events that must happen for your feet to touch the ground! Can you see where this is going? This is so embarrassing...five days after I hit my high mile mark, I fell off my bike...three times. Not once...but THREE friggen times! All of which were really stupid falls that really could have been prevented. First: I was taking a drink and didn't un clip my right foot and bike started to tilt right. Toast. Down I went, just standing there! So'kay, you can laugh! Second: I tried to start off going up hill. Don't do that. I didn't have enough ummpf to get going. Over I went. Third: I was trying to do a U turn on the trail and mis-judged how much room I had. This was a hard fall, directly on my left hand causing an injury that still is yet to be determined, not to mention multiple bruises on my upper right thigh. Right now it is diagnosed as a sprain, but I had an MRI on it yesterday and I will get the results tomorrow to know if its broken.
Needless to say, I haven't been riding 20 miles lately. However, I have still been riding, against better judgment all the while my wrist was screaming at me. I couldn't just stop riding. That is just craziness! So I have been taking short, sweet rides to keep me content until I heal completely and can get back in the saddle for longer periods of time.
Which brings me to a bit of excitement from tonights ride!!! I remember the first time I went out for a "real ride" (more than just around the block a few times) and going 8 miles. Do you know how long it took me to go 8 miles? It took me an hour and fifteen minutes! Gah...thats horrible! Tonight....I knew that I couldn't go far, so I decided to try and keep a steady pace and increase my speed to get a good workout. I did that 8 miles in 42.5 minutes!!! W00T!! I know that is probably still slow, but I know that I am getting better each time I go out and that makes me happy! I am proving to progress....
Until next time....Pedal Hard!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking."
So I have "sort of" been following along with American Idol this season, but this year just wasn't as good. At least not good enough to keep my attention week after week. Maybe I am just getting tired of it, or tired of the repetitiveness. It's the same thing every year, just different contestants.
Even the judges are the same. Not just their person, but their comments sometimes seem so redundant. Randy is pretty true and up front with everyone and if you're bad, he will tell you, but in a nice way and if you're great, he will give you awesome props! Paula makes me cringe. She is so sweet she is sickening. I am not sure how she benefits the contestants if she sugar coats everything. Constructive criticism is a must, I feel. Then there is Simon. I like Simon, even though he can be a bit brash sometimes. He states the truth, difficult as it may be to hear, and if the contestants are wise, they will take his advice as he is usually right.
With that said, I usually choose a few of my favorites once they narrow the group down to the top 24 hoping they make it to the top 12, and follow them when I can to the end. I found that this year, the two that made it to the very end, were the two that I have been following.
David Archuleta has got to be one of the sweetest kids alive. He is a 17 year old America's Sweetheart with a golden voice, as he once again, proved tonight. He caught my ear from very early on. There is just something soothing about listening to him that makes me want to hear more. Tonight, as he performed his last three songs before the competition is considered "over", he still won my heart over. He is so true and genuine and that shows in his music. He will go far in this industry as long as he wants it bad enough. I can only hope that he continues to stay sincere. He is so young and has so much to learn.
David Cook is another kind soul. He won over America in the very early stages as well. Not only because he has an amazing vocal, but he took chances and leaps of faith to progress him further into the competition that others just couldn't do. One of my favorite things about David Cook was that he changed it up, he tried to be different and stand out and he wasn't afraid to do it. He has a very unique voice and I cannot wait to see what he comes up with after this is all over. Even if he doesn't win, he will go far and have a faithful listener in me!
I have always preferred David Cook over David Archuleta, but after tonights performance, I think Archuleta has it hands down. Either way, America chose wisely this season and we have found two more amazing artists. I will leave you with a video from each....
David Cook - Billy Jean (Michael Jackson) - Top 10 Week---> I really love this song! The video is a bit choppy but it shows an interview with him at the beginning to give you a taste of his personality and the end where the judges tell him he could win it!!
David Archuleta - Stand By Me (Ben E. King) - Top 4 Week ---> When I see this and his interview before the song, I just wanna grab him up and hug him! He is just adorable! A true insight into him and again the judges critique, basically telling him he could win it too!
Tomorrow will tell....there is not a loser in this competition, in my opinion!
This is only a quick post. I had...no I HAD to share this photo as it tickled me pink!! LOL!! I hope it will at least get you to laugh, or maybe bring a smile to your face!! Is important to smile, remember that!
My kids came home from school on Friday and each of them had a bag in their hands and a huge smile on their face. The bags were decorated ever so sweetly and you could see the anxiousness in their eyes as they handed them over to me. I told them that it wasn't Mother's Day yet but they said I HAD to open them now because one of them was "alive". OK. So side with me here. A six year old boy tells you that his gift is "alive", what comes to your mind? Is it a snake, a toad, a worm, a spider? Granted he did bring it home from school but you just never know. I carefully opened the bag, sneaking in a peek as the corner hole previewed what was inside. I saw pink and felt a TON better (who ever saw a pink snake or spider, right?)! In the bag was a clay pot that he had decorated with puffy paint and inside of that was planted a sweet pink (one of my favorite colors) flower. Along with that was a coupon book. This was a fill in the blank book where the children had to finish the sentence: "Redeem this coupon and I'll......" His coupons said this: vacuum, do dishes, do laundry, dust, pick up sticks (remember his fascination with sticks now...lol), and the one that made me laugh so hard....15 minutes of peace and quiet!! What a kid! Thank you Bug! Love you so much!! Click HERE to see Bug's Gift!
My daughter then hands over a pretty bag that she also decorated her self that said "Don't touch until Mother's Day!!" So I teased her for a bit saying, "Nope, I have to do what the bag says." and she retorts, "I meant to write, Don't touch until Mother's Day unless I say otherwise"...funny girl. The bag really was adorable, besides the writing she took her time to draw flowers and butterflies and say I love you many times. She loves to draw and when she draws something for me, its special! Inside she had made a flower pot and a flower. The pot was a Styrofoam cup that she painted and decorated and a hand made flower she made out of pipe cleaners and tissue paper. Absolutely adorable! Then she wrote a poem on a Post It Note and stuck it to the inside of the flower. It read: "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, I haven't met a mom as sweet as you! Love you!" She also told me she is taking me out to dinner! LOL. Thank you Freckles!! Love you so much! Click HERE to see Freckle's gift.
I also received a nice surprise yesterday. A flower delivery! They were from my dad. Thanks Dad....it means a lot to me! Aren't they pretty? Click HERE to see.
There is so much joy in today, being a mom to my kids. Today also brings sadness though. It makes me think of my mom and how I wish I could call her and hear her voice, tell her to have a great day and that I love her. I miss that. I miss her voice. I miss her.
It broke my heart earlier today when Bug came up to me and just gave me a hug. No reason, per say, he just hugged me and when we broke apart he had tears in his eyes. I asked him what was the matter and he said, "I miss grandma and I love you". Even writing this brings tears to my eyes. He has such a tender heart. He understands what I am missing today and he shouldn't have to. I pulled him up in my lap and hugged him close and we cried together for a while. The thing about kids is that they recover from things much faster than we do. What I mean by that is, he pulled away from the hug and asked for a kleenex, blew his nose and started laughing. I knew better, but I asked why he was laughing and he replies, "When you cry it makes lots of snot!!". Boys!! Gotta love 'em!
Happy Mother's Day, and even if you are not a mother, Have a fantabulous day anyway!!
Just a small town girl trying to make it in a big, big world. I have a love for quilting and all things turtle!! Sometimes happy, sometimes sad. Just me.:)
Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now, Thus much let me avow: You are not wrong who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream. by Edgar Allan Poe
