Make new friends, but keep the old...

...one is silver, and the other gold!

What's better than meeting up a girlfriend of 30+ years who also loves beer? Not a whole heLL (those are hockey sticks) of a lot!

My friend Brenda and I met playing tennis though our south side town's parks and rec department in grade school, and then finally got to spend our days together in junior high.

She was a staple in my life for years: we built a tree house, logged countless hours playing tennis and watching MTV (back when it played music videos), rode the city bus 15 miles to the book store every month or so to buy the new Babysitter's Club books (and then discussed them all at length, long before either of us knew what a book club was), and ate a lot of toast spread with cream cheese, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar!

Those times were great, and so are our recent get-togethers...still talking books and tennis, but now with beer!

Comments

A lot can change in 5 minutes

Perspective, belief, reality...they can change pretty fast. Mine were flipped upside down within 5 minutes today. Here's how: I was at my friend's gym this morning getting my butt kicked, doing 24" box jumps when he walked over and asked "Should I add the 12" on top?" I laughed, because COME ON, I just landed my first 30" jump a few weeks ago. He smirked over his shoulder as he walked away, saying "OK, we'll do it after class." I laughed and continued to jump in my comfort zone. But then, later, as I was working a heavy bag, I thought, "Hmm, Jordan has been pushing me for years in the right direction and because of it I've completed things I originally didn't think possible (pull-ups, a Spartan race, lifting heavier, punching harder...). What if this is one of them?" And so, after class, I stacked the boxes and stepped beside them. A 63" girl next to a 36" box. It was intimidating. I looked at my friend...

About Me

The short and sweet version: I am a 40-some year old communication consultant and homeschooling mother of three (one son, two daughters) who wakes up each morning and does her darndest to make the most of her days, filling it with shared laughter, good food, natural beauty, healthy habits, stylish clothes, and memorable experiences...while attempting to age gracefully and (hopefully) slowly. The "embrace my long-winded, Irish roots" version: I am pretty firmly settled into my 40s. And I've had a fun time getting here; I counted down to my 40th birthday with a random act of kindness each week for the 40 weeks leading up to the big four-oh. I documented the journey on the Kindness Countdown blog to entertain and hopefully inspire others to spread niceties in their own lives. This was especially important for my own family, my children being a formative 10, 8, and 5-years old during the project. It was exceedingly rewarding to bless others alongside...

...and so I go on hikes

Social media is known as life's highlight reel. An accurate assessment, IMO. But I don't think most people are trying to brag or one-up the next guy with their posts. I know I'm not. Most people don't want to bring others down with their heaviness, maybe it's too intimate to share with the world, or perhaps they're looking at photos from last month and reminding themselves of happier, carefree times and posting those as a personal pick-me-up. Lately, I've been climbing my way out of a valley. Yes, I've traveled. Yes, I've eaten good food. Yes, I have an amazing family, husband, and children whom I love more than life. Yes, I have some heavy things going on. Yes, I live my life focusing on the positive while, like a duck, I'm frantically kicking my feet under the surface trying to get my life where it needs to go. And so I go on hikes. To think, to plan, to pray and relax, to breathe deeper, to dream bigger, to remind myself how small I a...

Gilded Living

Search This Blog