Sibling Photo Shoot

I am participating in a short 3 session

Photography class

This week we were encouraged to attempt a Sibling Photo Shoot

This evening was rather impromptu

And I didn't get any good 'together' shots

But here are my

Most Favorite Girlies of All Time

 K~Bug

K~Bel

I just Love These Girls

I wonder what we will have next?????????????

Lunch Wars Review

Who remembers those lovely green rectangle lunch trays?  You know, the ones that were filled with small compartments for each of the food groups.   Meatloaf in the large one, potatoes, green beans and a square of cake or Jell-o with the hard dollop of cream topping, and then of course the spot just for your milk or if you were really lucky chocolate milk.


Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to travel back in time a bit while reading  Lunch Wars by Amy Kalafa.  What an eye opener. 


Working in the medical field (pediatrics) I consistently see overweight and undernourished children. My thought process has been, why do parents give their children so much junk food, fast food and soda? Well, this book written by the producer/director of ‘Two angry Moms’ has given me more to think about than to just look at the parents/family.

The rise of weight issues, ADD/ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, Behavioral Disorders, and the like in our children is alarming. While reading Lunch Wars I was forced to look beyond circumstances and delve deep into pesticides, chemicals, hormones, and additives. It is no wonder we are a society with so much illness.

Amy has put much thought and research into this project and I commend her for doing so. It is imperative that we begin to truly look into what is being consumed by our young people. If you care at all about the health of the young people in your life, reading Lunch Wars will not only bring back memories, it will also help you to create a healthy environment around you.

Unfortunately, habits begun at an early age are difficult to break, as I am full aware due to my own upbringing. After reviewing Lunch Wars I am going to commit to work on changes in my own eating habits, by reading more labels and eating at home more often, as well as paying attention to what is given to the children in my life and how we communicate healthy choices to the patients we see daily.

You can join the discussion here
 
"This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own."

This Place

So much I'd like to say

So much I'd like to share about this place

This quiet emptiness

This hollow

But tonight 

My words are few

My thoughts, too numerous to count

This place~I am waiting

9 Months but Moving Along

Today marks the 9 month point

Since my hubby met Jesus face to face

I was going to stay in bed and wallow in pity

But it was just too boring

So I got up and starting taking some action

A couple of weeks ago I posted

Some not so flattering photos of my house

And tonight I get to post a couple

That are a bit more, 'clean' shall we say

Remember this

Well,

After today it looks more like this

Not quite finished but almost

Remember these shots

Yes, I was really sleeping in my bed

With clothes and stuff all over it

And my bathroom was a frightening mess

AND....

It's possible I may go to jail

After posting this but...

 Yup, I did a little cutting :)

And a LOT of cleaning

Now my room/bathroom look like this

 I think I will sleep well tonight

I miss my Mark

And I don't know that I will EVER get over losing him

But God is doing a work in my heart

And little by little

Giving me Hope for A New Tomorrow

Considering Clean~A Good Thing,

Cindy

Another First

In my attempts to get out of the 'PIT'

I find myself making first time choices

Since I am not lovin' the new Facebook

I thought I'd post here :)

Today, I hired a personal lifestyle and health coach

Who will help me get my life back on track

Many sacrifices will have to be made

But it's time to put money and action

To my 'wants'

So, here we go

Time to get healthy

Considering A Challenge Before Me,

Cindy

Tackling The List

I am so blessed to have my sister live nearby

She came over Saturday and helped me clean

One of the lingering projects I had on my list

Was to clean the fan I use in by bathroom

It has been neglected for sososo long

I'm not sure the photo does the dirt justice

But at least I got it clean and now

I can use it without sneezing :)

Another

Very simple project I needed to do

Was to get rid of this

 Friends

This heart wreath has been on my front door since February

I look at it nearly everyday

And say to myself

I need to take that down and put up something new

Holidays have past

Yet is still resides on its weathered post

Until today that is

I stopped by Tilly's Attic

And found this for less than $7

Now my front door has caught up to the 'season'

Now if the weather would just cooperate :)

And, no photos included

But my bathrooms were cleaned from top to bottom (hehe)

So now I can forge ahead with some more

Tackling in the next few days

Considering Even The Smallest of Tasks Completed

With Great Joy,

Cindy

Where There Is A Glimpse

With the passing of time

She sets foot outside the doors

Only to find death surrounding her

 She wonders if life will ever hold meaning again

Or if her broken heart can ever be repaired

There are just some things which cannot be fixed

Sometimes it is too late for hope to be restored

Walking through the yard

Though searching with all of her strength

There are no signs of life to be found 

 Lawn, trees, & plants

Have all been left to die in the summer's heat

Without water or care they cannot survive

Perhaps it is time to 'dig' up and walk away

Yet with one more turn

Something catches her eye, a glimpse

There in the center

Just a small bit

Yes, can you see it

Green

Somehow there is life in the midst of death

And upon further inspection

She finds one more glimpse

Of what lies ahead

In the midst of death

She finds life, beautiful life

Bathed in sunshine and light

With the passing of time

God is returning what the enemy stole

Hope for a new tomorrow

Considering Life Again,

Cindy

PS: Yes, unfortunately all of these photos were taken in my yard on 09/17/2011

There is MUCH work to do

But at least there is hope

A Few Shots from the Week

 Story Time with K~Bug

 K~Bel choosing her book

 My mom and Kitty (it doesn't really have a name)

My nephew S

'Timothy'

From 1948 when my dad was 13

 My mom and her 'baby' youngest son

 I think my son #1 really IS a HillyBilly

A sad case of Photo Phat

But I had my hair cut and I colored it for the first time in nearly 20 years

 My son #2 Rides Again

And he can still jump as well

That's it

I have several posts planned for this week

So check on back:)

Considering A Week of Photos, PHUN!!!

Cindy

If Not Now...When???

I've been asking myself this question for a couple of days

It seems lately I have garnered a new habit of

"PROCRASTINATION"

What have I been 'putting off' until tomorrow

Well, just about everything

My home is a mess

My weight in reaching new highs

My garage is over flowing with boxes and piles of 'stuff'

My pool is turning green

My landscape is turning brown

Project after project are left unfinished

My camera sits unused

My blog/365 blog have been neglected

My Bible sits unopened

And my heart closed and in denial

If not for the knowledge that my job (of which I love)

Pays the bills

Some days I just wouldn't even get out of bed

Though it has been nearly 9 months

Since my Mark passed away

The past 2 months have been the worst

I believe the shock has worn off

And the numbness is gone

Reality has settled in

And I have crashed from the weight of it all

So as I have pondered these words

If not now...When

I realize that I need to make some changes

And NOW!!

I won't sit here at my computer and pretend to have the answers

I can't tell you what changes will be made

I can only say that

With prayer (yours and mine)

I believe the changes are on the horizon

I think it's time to start living again

Mark would be disappointed in my (now)

In my choices

And in my thoughts

So, to honor the memory of my Mark

I choose to Live Again

Oh...And if you have any
Suggestions, Tips or Encouraging Words
Yep...I'll treasure them all

If not now...When?



Remembering...

Remembering

Where you were

What you were doing

Being glued to the television

 Remembering

Images which are burned into your heart

Sadness, Shock and Fear

 Remembering

To pray for lives lost that day

And in the years which have followed

As many continue

To fight for our Country

 Remembering

To pray

To Believe

To cling to Hope

For a Brighter Tomorrow

Remembering

With the rest of the World

Meet Sam

This is Sam

When we first got him

In the summer of 2009

 Sam is #2 son's dog

Yet when I am home

He follows me everywhere

Including atop my desk when I'm working

Sam is 3 1/2 years old

A mix of Chihuahua, Terrier and Pomeranian

Sam Loves attention

And treats

Kind of like me :)

This is Sam tonight

Not atop my desk

But right next to me as I type

He's a bit bigger than when we first got him

But he's just as cute (in a doggie kind of way)

And still loves the attention

Thank you Krista

For allowing Sam to become a part of our family

He brings much needed joy

And now,

I'm thinking about going to the

PetCo Adoption Event in the morning

Do you think Sam will mind?

Considering It All Joy,

Cindy

God Cracks Me Up

I'm telling you

God Just Cracks Me Up

Remember my post from yesterday

You know, the one where I can't believe I showed you

Photos of how dirty, messy and wrecked my house has become

Yeah, That one!!!

Well, Guess what came in the mail today

 I laughed so hard when I read the top

And then almost cried when I looked at the photo of 'me'

Haha

You bet...I think I may just enter this contest

Lord knows

I sure could use some help around the old homestead

And Guess What Else

We Have A Walker :)

Yep

Our K~Bel is walking

Come chase me Nana!!

Considering It All Joy,

Cindy

I can't believe she posted that...

Honesty is the Best Policy

Truth is Hard to Process

Reality is Sometimes Ugly

 Though the outside may seem perfect

The inside is falling apart

 The heart is broken

The center lost

The peace is gone

The joy buried

Along with a life once lived to its fullest

 Can you see it there

Amidst the stacks and piles

Pain, grief, loneliness

 Inability to function

Unable to process

 The loss so great

Even the smallest of tasks

Left undone

 Disillusionment and Disappointment

Cover her like

A fog rolling across the oceans

Hope fades

Emptiness prevails

Honesty is the Best Policy

Truth is Hard to Process

Reality is Sometimes Ugly



Tonight we finish off our 4 part series on The Estate

We have focused on our assets during the first 3 parts

So tonight we will focus on our liabilities

It is not just important to protect what you own

It is also important to know what you owe

And be aware that if you do not have a will,

Your estate will go into probate and all liabilities

Need to be paid off

Remember, in some states even if you have a will

The estate will still go into probate

Please check you state laws and regulations

Just like we did with our assets

Make a list of all debts

Whether they are consumer loans, credit cards,

Personal loans, mortgage, or any other balance on an account

You also want to list other debts such as

Utilities, insurance, property taxes, or anything

That you pay on a monthly basis

I have found that keeping this type of list handy

(even if you are not the person who pays the bills)

Will help when the need for transition arises

Additional items to think about

Do you want your estate to make a donation to your church or charity

Will that come off the top after bills

Will that be mandatory for each beneficiary named

If you have young children

Who will care for them and how will the estate manage their care

If you want any specific items to be given to individuals

It is best to have that written down and kept with your will/trust

What do you want your loved ones to do with pets if you have them

As we get older

It is definitely time to sort through our 'stuff' and

Get rid of anything we really don't need

Let me tell you what I've learned

Our kids want Very Little of what we call Treasures

I have found with my boys

That there were precious few items they wanted

After their dad died

Mostly, they wanted the memories of his love for them

And the photos we took

I hope some of this has been of benefit to you

I realize that it is Not a subject we often want to discuss

But I also believe it is important to have these discussions

And make arrangements before something happens

Blessings to you all,

Cindy

Fun with Friends

I just spent some time with good friends

While we made laundry soap

 Sometimes I think I'm a little nuts

And certainly do not take great photos

 But this was actually fun

And NO that is NOT Cheese

 Supposedly each of us now has enough laundry soap for 9 months to a year

And it wasn't very expensive

Find the recipe here

Now go find a couple of friends

And have yourself a little FUN :)