Catching up

Here it is less than a week before Christmas and I have resigned myself to the saying, "It is what it is". This was not the Christmas I planned for this year, not in a million but with or without me, Christmas is going to get here so the thing I need to remember the most is it is NOT about being organized and having everything perfect. In fact, maybe it has meant more to me that God sent this little baby in this world because I am NOT perfect and God needed Him to be perfect for ME.

The last six weeks have been a blur of emotions for our whole family. Taking care of my uncles estate, doing it right and doing it quickly has been my number 1 focus. My second focus has had to be work. My boss retires a week from tomorrow and I still don't know that I really feel ready to take on the other things she did. The deal is, I want to keep MY job and do the things I have always done and so the roles are really changing. To top it off, my assistant and I have committed to making the LIHEAP department work with two people instead of three. Until we get our rhythm down, that may be scary too, I just don't want to miss something I am supposed to be doing. In the midst of this, sometime in the next month, we need to move offices around.

So, most Christmas' I make all my friends homemade gifts, homemade goodies, take homemade goodies to my church kids, send homemade Christmas cards, decorate the outside of our house, decorate the inside of our house and have this grand Christmas. Early in November I had picked my "song of the year" for Christmas--Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and that is exactly what we are having this year. Fact is, I am planning on finishing the estate stuff tomorrow evening which really puts it in to perspective that this IS worth what didn't get done around here this year. Last year, I got sick the day before Christmas eve and ended up spending more time running back and forth to the hospital than I did at home. I am feeling really good this year and part of it is because I have to learn where to draw the line and I may not like it but it is better for me.

Now, that all felt like downer stuff and I am really not down about any of this anymore and I have honestly been more in the "Christmas Spirit" since a week ago last Monday, getting ready for our sisters weekend.

So now, we move on to "the good stuff". I left Friday morning for Fairview Heights, did some final Christmas shopping and went to the hotel at 2 to see if I could check in early because I had a coupon for a free upgrade if it was available at check-in. You are not supposed to check-in until 3, but the Drury Inn down there is always great about early check-ins. So, sure enough, I got us a suite. Just icing on the cake. So, I went and did a bit more shopping then talked to Sis, and figured she would be there around 3:30. We sat and visited for a while, then I drug her to one more store and then to Chili's for dinner. A guy I had sold Junior's cars to had told us to go to Lotawata Creek for dinner but when we pulled in there was no less than 200 cars there. I want to try it sometime but we decided that was not the night. After Chili's we drove to Our Lady of the Snows Shrine to look at the Christmas lights. They are always just simply beautiful. We used to make a road trip every year when Robert was little because they have lots of other activities, especially for kids. They have added a laser light show since we used to go so Sis and I went to see it. We were only going to go to the traditional one but the people coming out convinced us that we had to see them both. Okay, the Christmas story told to the tune of Bohemian Rhapsody and Jack and Diane, I have seen it all......

We then went back to the room and talked until about 11, WAY past my bedtime. Saturday morning we got up, I went to exercise, we ate breakfast, went to the JC Penney outlet, then to the Spaghetti factory for lunch and then the highlight of the weekend--WICKED!!!  The show was great as usual, Sis loved it which tickled me. She had never been to the Fox so that was a new experience for her too.

 

 

 

So, we both made it back to our own houses about 7:30 Saturday night, great weekend, I SO NEEDED THIS!!

 

 

Sunday we did our Christmas Caroling at church, we used to have so many people to go see, this year we went 4 places, so many of our older congregation have passed on. That part seems sad until you realize who they are singing with. We had a very nice after party at Gary and Sharon Jackson's, just made for a really nice weekend.

 

 

Throw a little Weight Watcher's in for good measure, I was down a pound Monday. Still heading for the 35 but back on the right track, I am 8/10th's of a pound from 35. I go weight Monday at 9:30 and yes, I am shooting for the 35.

 

 

Last night was our AWANA program at church, so we are winding down the steps until Christmas. The program was really cute and the kids worked hard. Our boys had the opening which they were very happy about, they were seen but didn't have to do that much. Perfect for them.

 

 

Tonight, we are going to Plainfield's cantata, I love cantatas. I miss our church having a choir but holding out hope for someday.

 

 

Tomorrow is our Christmas play day at work, I also have a phone interview with a guy who is writing his thesis on Poverty and Energy. I was fine with helping him out until I found out he is going to school at Harvard. That's a little intimidating but I am really just enthused that something in his life has made him realize we have a whole population of people who get overlooked on a regular basis. So, looking forward to that too.

 

 

I haven't heard from my stove yet. Andrew got the new face put on my dishwasher so I know have a black fridge, black dishwasher and a white stove...patience.....I must have patience.  

 

 

I think that is it, I am caught up. At least it feels good to be caught up on "paper" if nothing else :-)

 

 

I have big plans for next year, we will see how hard God laughs at them when the time comes.

 

 

Happy Thursday everyone.

Saying goodbye to a huge part of me

Some people know my "growing up years" were some eventful times. My 7th grade year, my dad had a massive heart-attack, my 8th grade year he died and my Freshman year, my mom ended up in the hospital from October until December, twice we were told she wouldn't live. I had some amazing support staff through family and church during that time, which in a way, is to be expected. I had even more support staff through some of my teachers. One of them being Carolyn Domineck.

I guess  I feel to some extent that your family and even your church family are a little pre-biased to believe in you. But when teachers, who get paid the same whether they go that extra mile for you or not do, you feel like there might be something there worth believing in.

During my freshman year when Mom was in the hospital, Miss D didn't let two days go by that she didn't pull me aside and ask if I was doing okay or if we needed anything. There were days she just let me sit in her office and talk, I learned right then, listening is one of the best gifts you can give someone.

She also taught us though that there is strength in friendships and bonds and that was what we had as a band, we were stronger as a group than we could ever be by ourselves.

I have to tell you my last real memory though happened Robert's freshman year of high school, homecoming day. I had played in the alumni band and Robert had played in the Newton Marching Eagles for his first homecoming. After the parade, Robert and I ran to the grocery store. June Weiscope had brought Miss D in. She was already going through a lot of memory loss because of the Alzheimer's but that day, she walked in the door and saw me and said, "Mindy! wasn't today great?" she went on to talk about how much fun we had in California and just during band. She then asked if Robert was in band and he of course, piped up and told her he played trumpet. She said she knew any kid of mine would have to be musical. It was a great little visit. Around 4:00 that evening Bruce or June one asked her who she saw at the grocery store and she said Mindy Reisner, but by time for the football game that night, it was gone. It will never be gone for me.

Yes, I loved Miss D, we all did and we all have so many things to be thankful to her for. The experiences we had changed our lives forever. I would be amiss though if I didn't mention Sandra Nichols in my band experience. They both believed in me but somehow Sandra knew how to push me. The first day of my freshman year, she handed me a sheet of music, it was the flute part to the Stars and Stripes Forever. She asked me if I could play it, I told her I knew I could by tomorrow. I went home that night and memorized it. To this day, I can still play the first 4 or  5 measures by memory.  One year she handed me a contest piece, it was the hardest thing I had ever seen, it had a name on it that I didn't recognize, come to find out, it had been one of her contest pieces when she was in high school.

I have to tell you that after everything that happened during my high school years, part of me really thought I would aspire to work at a fast food restaurant or be a checker at Walmart the rest of my life. I did both of those and they brought in a paycheck so they are definitely nothing to discount. However, yesterday, as the post were running on fb about Miss D, I was sitting in a meeting in Springfield. I normally don't talk about my job and the specifics because it is really cool and I don't want to sound like I am bragging-- but I am the coordinator for a program to help low-income families and this program is still in its infant stages in the state. The state asked 4 people out of over 50 coordinators to come and sit on a steering committee to help make the decisions as to how this program works. I am one of the four. I have made a name for myself at the state level and I feel much of that is because I had years and years of people telling me I could do more than I thought. Carolyn Domineck and Sandra Nichols were two of the biggest influences.

So, thank you Miss D, may you see this from Heaven, and thank you Sandra, while you are still here, alive and well (and my friend on fb!).

I was telling my AWANA guys last night about one of the scariest times for me in the last few years....I was choir director at our church and Stella Aten passed away. Her kids wanted the choir to sing and they had called Sandra Nichols to be the accompanist. So, I would be directing her. Yes, I shook. Afterwards, she said, "Did you think I would really call you out on something?" Well, yes, I did and she would have and I wouldn't have expected any less.

I had some really rough times though my growing up years. I think it helps me be a better youth group leader to kids the same age because those years are so magnified. I know it helps me be more understanding to people in tough situations.

I know I owe a big part of who I am today to these two ladies, thank you, I truly am forever grateful. Nobody Does It Better.

Onward and Upward

Rough week in the WW world, I was up 1.2 lbs last night, that is nothing compared to the SIX pounds that showed up on the scale Wednesday morning. I really didn't know what I had done but it took me the rest of the week and getting through our company Christmas party to get back to the 1.2 up. Ironically, and as normal, I am down over 2 lbs this morning. So, work harder this week, stay focused and head toward the goal. I originally wanted to have 40 lbs off by the New Year. I thought this coming Monday would be my last regular weigh-in so I had resigned myself to trying to stay between 30 and 35 and just get through the next three weeks. Last night, I asked how we were supposed to handle weigh-ins over the holiday and found out they are going to be there at the 10 o'clock meetings on Christmas eve and New Year's eve. That put a whole new perspective on things I have a chance to hit the 40 lb mark, especially with the weight loss this morning. So, we are going to work HARD for the next 4 weeks. I CAN do this!  I am laying out my detailed plan because I still have the trip with my sister this weekend, a Christmas party Sunday night, a Christmas program with finger foods on the 19th, and of course Christmas on the following week as well as my boss' retirement party on the 27th. .

I started week 1 of the C25K again yesterday, I am going to do week 1 all through December, every other day. I am going to either do Leslie Sansone or walk on the treadmill the days I don't do the C25K. I also committed last night to doing 10 minutes of exercise in my office over my lunch hour. I downloaded some 10 minutes Leslie videos to make that happen. Every time I get to week 4 or 5 of the C25K, I start having problems with the UC, I thought maybe the combination of taking it slower and the weight coming off might help that, we will see.

So, that's the plan, gotta get off of here to get it all done!

It's gonna be an exciting week so will probably be blogging for other reasons this week.

Happy Tuesday!

The Weekly Weigh In

Down another 1.8 lbs. I was really wanting to be down 2.6 but of course I won't turn my nose up at the 1.8. I am 6/10th of a pound from 35 lbs. I am wanting 40 by Christmas but our last weigh-in before Christmas will be the 17th of December. That means I need to lose 5.6 lbs by then. Not sure if that is going to happen because I don't want to get in that trap of feeling like I am on a diet. That would honestly probably sabotage my goals because when I feel deprived, then when something goes wrong, my first thought is to not mess with this anymore and eat what I want. So, I guess I will focus on hitting the 35 next week and then readjusting from there. I might not hit 40 officially by Christmas but I bet I hit it by Christmas eve here at home and we will take what we can get.

Tossing the bucket list

I am NOT a quitter but I know when I have to concede that I have too much on my plate. That time has come so to relieve undo stress on myself I am tossing out my fall bucket list. When I made it, I wasn't expecting some of the events in my life that has happened over the past few weeks to happen. A LOT has changed and I don't want a repeat of last Christmas where I was sick and probably mostly due to stress. So, it's gone, we aren't going to worry about it anymore.

I still have several goals to reach, number 1 is to get the Estate stuff for my uncle all finished up before Christmas. That is the main reason I am scrapping "the list". It seems every time I turn around there is something else to think of, remember, take care of. Yesterday it was cancelling the car insurance. I am kicking myself because I should have done that two weeks ago and didn't even think about it until I had two of the cars sold. Hopefully Monday or Tuesday an auto auction company will come and pick up the two cars which means I have to meet them, give them the titles, a copy of the will showing I really have authority to do this and the keys. I will be glad when this is over. Robert and Mom are loading up MOST of the rest of the hogs this morning. We will be down to three sows and 10 babies after today.

I am also downsizing Christmas again this year. I have the mantle done and hope to have the tree up by the end of the day. I will go upstairs and get my Christmas floral arrangement for the coffee table in the living room as well as the baskets of pine cones, sticks and the poinsettia tree for in front of the fireplace. I will change the table cloth because Mom bought herself one at Goodwill and it was way too big for her table and it is beautiful and I plan to put my garland on my porch outside and I think I will call it done. I am just not in the mood this year and the fact is, nobody is coming until Christmas eve around 10 and then they will be leaving around 10 the next morning. My guys couldn't care less and so I believe I just think I have to do what I have to do to keep up with what a person is supposed to do. Anyway, hopefully by the day's end, my decorating will be done.

Honestly, I feel like I am depressed, I'm not really excited about anything right now. I think just getting through the rest of this year and getting on with a new start will be a good thing.