Always 11

November 11, 2011 / Sheila / 6 Comments

It’s almost the witching hour…11:11 on 11-11-11. Of course we already had a minute of this time today…this morning, but I was at work, so for me that didn’t count. I’m marking my significant moment as the evening one.

You have to admit it’s a great number. Like wonderful alliteration with words, 11-11-11 is memorable, for oh so many reasons. Easy to remember, primary, and perfect numeric poetry, symbolism and magic, all wrapped up in one. Any way you express it, all wrapped up in 1.

Years ago when our kids were early elementary school ages, Rob played a math quiz game with them at dinner. He’d give different combinations of numbers using addition and subtraction, and they would do the math to give the answer. And the answer was always 11. That became a family slogan (I think the phrase is from a movie too, but I’m sure we had it first!) and we’ve been surprised at how often 11 has been a significant number in our lives. Not that we’re superstitious or anything. I mean, we’re not picking lottery numbers with 11; 11 is not my password. But it turns up often enough that I notice – and wonder.

Today is also Veterans Day, and as the mother of a veteran, a veteran looking for a job, it holds greater significance to me than in the past. I appreciate all veterans, but viewing my son in that role brings the day and the reason for the day into sharp focus. I wonder, do I only value things that touch me somehow? And the answer comes, reassuringly, no, but like anything in life, a personal connection increases awareness and insight. So I see veterans with new gratitude, new appreciation for sacrifices. I see differently because I see through my son.

So, an important day on the calendar: a date that will be easily remembered for the births and marriages that occurred this day…easily remembered for whatever happened. Hope you made a great memory, celebrated, jumped for joy over something in your life.

As for me? I was given a great gift today. Something I thought was arranged for future work fell through. I was disappointed, deflated, dejected. And then I realized: this loss will push me more toward the kind of work I really want to do. The opportunity that evaporated was a safety net, a little bit of a sure thing (so I thought) for my finances as I step away from a “regular” job. But the reality is that I need the push to be out there, to make my own way. So, though it wasn’t what I expected when I got up this morning, 11-11-11 delivered. And it will be memorable for me. The best part? A husband who has my back, who took me to dinner, and toasted with me to our connection, and to 11-11-11.

A normal day

November 9, 2011 / Sheila / 5 Comments

Today was typical. Weather for SE Alaska in November: rain, rain, more rain. Work: standard day. With all the changes on my horizon, still, my days are fairly predictable. (Update on this in January when I’ve turned things upside down by transitioning to a project-based work life and stream of income.) Family is well, relatively speaking; friends are well, as far as I know. Although some things in my life are ever-evolving, a never-ending work in progress, I’m able to recognize a measure of stability. And I’ve experienced enough roller coaster moments in life to appreciate the periods of relative calm.

Thank God for normal days. Not boring, not stressful, just normal.

This quote was in my email this morning:

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are… Let me not
pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. One day I
shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in my pillow, or
stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than
all the world, your return.

~ Mary Jean Iron

On the ferry

November 7, 2011 / Sheila / 5 Comments

Monday, November 7…Rob and I are on the Alaska Marine Highway ferry “Lituya” this morning, traveling back to Ketchikan. He worked in Metlakatla last week and over the weekend, and I came over to hang out with him while he took call for the clinic from Friday through Sunday.

Travel in Alaska can be unpredictable. You never know if weather will impact flying in small planes, especially this time of year, so the ferry is the safe bet. Today is beautiful, clear and no rain. What a great way to start a Monday!

A movie moment from real life

November 2, 2011 / Sheila / 6 Comments

My husband loves the little guy movies, the ones about the underdog who beats the odds, those feel good stories that warm the heart. Sometimes the inspiration is a real person, an everyday guy or girl who reminds us that impossible things do happen. I’m betting this is a story we’ll see on the big screen soon.

Sometimes the hero is hiding right in front of our eyes. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Stephanie!

November 2, 2011 / Sheila / 10 Comments

Today is my daughter’s 28th birthday. She’s juggling a lot at the moment, being a single parent for a stretch while her husband has moved ahead of her to take a new job; teaching full time; packing to move in December. She’s reaching for her strength and finding it in new ways. She’s rising to the challenge. I’m proud of the strong woman who has emerged to take her place among the women of the world.

This will be a memorable year for her in many ways. This is not a decade milestone or other significant marker, as a birthday number. But as a life marker, it is important. Major moves always shape and rechannel life.

I’m honored to be part of my daughter’s story, to see her joy, feel her struggles, rejoice in her triumphs. I’m honored to be a link in the life chain that binds us together.

Happy Halloween!

October 31, 2011 / Sheila / 5 Comments

This little cartoon is near and dear to my heart. It was the end of a Disney Channel Halloween special that my kids used to watch every year. A friend posted the little song on her blog, set to a video of classic cartoon characters. Made me curious to see if the Disney version was posted on You Tube. Of course it is. Is there anything not on You Tube?! Thanks for the tip, MJ!

Disney magic

October 27, 2011October 29, 2011 / Sheila / 4 Comments

My kids love Disney. They can’t help themselves, they were raised on it. For most of their early childhood, their tv exposure was limited to the Disney Channel and classic Disney movies. That grew into a love of the parks and an ongoing appreciation of the best of Disney music and inspiration.

I admit I shamelessly fostered their interest, fueled by my own youthful exposure to the House of Mouse, and a sense of security that if the tv was tuned to the Disney Channel I could relax and know their little minds were being exposed to wholesome fare. Alright, sometimes corny, but in the 80s and early 90s, Disney served very wholesome fare every day.

What is it about the formula that has worked so well for so long? The best of Disney, the classic animation, is both charming and clever. The art and music are witty, and hold up well. Best of all, the characters and stories are innocent, hopeful, idealistic…all qualities that nurture, especially today, when childhood is threatened by a too-early loss of innocence.

So this week my son, just out of the army, and his wife, still in the army, are at Disney World. It warms my heart that they chose to go there for vacation. Maybe they feel the need of sweetness and light when their daily lives are grounded in a very different reality. Not sure of the draw, but whatever it is, I support it. You can’t have too much innocence in this world, I’m thinking.

Stephanie and Matt went to Disneyland earlier this month and took little Riley for her first visit. She loved the teacup ride and got to sample several others that were just her speed. She got a Minnie doll and another toy or two that will serve as reminders of her first visit. She’s a 4th generation fan.

Not sure when I’ll get another Disney trip in. Rob and I were in Orlando last year for a conference and I had to carve out a day to visit Disney World, the first time we’d been in several years. It was odd to be there, two adults lining up for rides and wandering through the crowds. No kids in tow, no strollers, no small hands to keep hold of. I missed that a bit. And yet it didn’t stop me from enjoying the nostalgia of being in the park, seeing what had changed, being completely charmed by the amazing fireworks display at the end of the day.

As much as I love some things that are current, modern, up-to-date (think phones, computers, internet), I am equally enthralled by the timeless and classic era that Disney represents. Want to see cute and clever? Watch some of the old Disney cartoons. Or for even more fun, look up some of the Disney live action movies from the 50s and 60s. I promise, you’ll be transported to an America far, far away. And it’s a good place to visit now and then.

I’m not one to look backward, believing that everything from an earlier era was perfect, just because things have been whitewashed by the passing of time, or sentiment for the past and frustration with the present. But there are some things that only seem better as they age. Here’s to you, Mickey! May the House of Mouse stand a long time, entertaining and reminding that humor and cleverness can be kid-friendly and still appeal to the adults in the room. Oh, and some of the current stuff works pretty well too. Can you say Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom? “Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate’s life for me!”

One year old today

October 25, 2011 / Sheila / 8 Comments

A year ago I posted my first blog. This little milestone is particularly meaningful to me because this has been the most challenging year of my life. I’d never thought about blogging until October of last year, and within a couple of weeks of deciding to try it, I was up and going.

There are a number of sites that offer free blog hosting, with a variety of support and features built into the programming. I use WordPress.com, but this is only one of many options. The point is, you too could start a blog. You can write about anything, as often as you want. You can spend a lot to add bells and whistles, or pay no money at all and still create a site with a professional appearance.

Blogging can be a digital diary, but it can also be much more. I’d be willing to bet that there’s no subject you could name that doesn’t have at least one blog devoted to it. There are photo blogs, list blogs, aggregate blogs. Endless variety!

My goal this next year is to migrate my blog to WordPress.org, the sibling of WordPress.com. The .org platform requires more user knowledge, and you pay a fee for a web hosting service. But the .org platform offers other possibilities, and I’m ready to explore the next steps.

I also want to attend a blog trade show. I know, I know, there’s a lot of noise and chatter at these types of events. But I don’t know what I don’t know, and I think it would be entertaining, at least, and possibly instructive, to see what exists in the blogosphere that I haven’t stumbled across yet. I’m pretty sure there’s enough to fill a convention hall or two. My usual method of discovery, accidentally tripping over something online, typically while looking for something totally unrelated to my real find, is just not efficient.

I don’t have a clear plan in mind for “next.” Mostly, I’m just curious about what I can do. The reality is that this little blog has played an important role in my life, giving me a positive and energizing outlet during a time that has otherwise felt more than a little daunting. I think I’ve rounded the corner on that, moving from fear to excitement. Oh, it’s good to reinvent myself in some ways at this stage of life!

But this is not about celebrating me. This is about celebrating new. Celebrating learning and joy.

I’ve known for a long time that I’m not a pioneer at heart in a physical sense. I would never have made it crossing the plains on a wagon train. I have no interest in going to the moon, or exploring the ocean depths. But the digital world?! Yes! See you out there!

Number 200!

October 21, 2011October 21, 2011 / Sheila / 13 Comments

I realized when I was looking at the dashboard for my blog that this will be post two hundred I’ve published since last October. I don’t post every day…only about 165 short of that mark! But still, two hundred posts…that’s a lot of words.

I want this blog to be a lens for viewing the positive and uplifting moments in life. I also celebrate humor, comfort, joy…all things wise and wonderful. The best things that have come from blogging in the past year?

Exercising my creativity
Finding the discipline to work on this project
Learning new skills and technology
Meeting new friends via WordPress and reconnecting with others
Finding all sorts of resources for whatever I’m writing about – the Internet never ceases to surprise me!
Being inspired, amused, touched, challenged, amazed by others – there are so many wise, clever, and incredibly funny people in the blogosphere.

So for this little milestone I’m sharing some of my favorite new quotes…oh, there’s a never-ending supply! These are a nice sampling of wisdom, humor, and cleverness. (All images from Pinterest.)

Enjoy!

Catching up

October 17, 2011October 18, 2011 / Sheila / 2 Comments

Well, it’s back to basics after two weeks of Rob being home. He’s working OOT this week (love that acronym, brings a smile to my face!). And by basics I mean I’m home alone, catching up on a few things I largely allowed to slide, blogging being one of them. Along with much of the laundry, errands, and most of my to do list. While he’s home trading (stock market), I’m at work. By the time dinner is made and we share some evening time, it’s bed time.

In our past life, we lived together; in this lifestyle we’re sometimes together. Although we’re working to change our formula, it isn’t done yet. So when we’re together, pretty much everything else gets to wait. That’s by choice, not demand.

I felt a little guilty about this at first. I mean, letting chores pile up?! I’m no Martha Stewart, but I’m no slouch either. I like my lists to get done, thank you very much!

Then I realized: everyone recognizes that it’s important to make time for little ones; they grow so fast, if you’re not really tuned in, you can miss a lot in a hurry. How is it any different with the adults in our lives? I’ve been guilty in the past of seeing Rob as another adult who could occupy himself if I needed (or chose) to be busy. And of course he can occupy himself, and does, very nicely, when I’m at work. But especially since he’s not with me every day, when he’s home, I want to enjoy that to the fullest. I can run my errands or paint the laundry room at other times.

Just a word of reality…I don’t completely abandon my routine…some things must go on. I find we do need food, and we do the grocery or other errands as required. I just don’t want our time to be defined by all the second shift commitments.

So, I’ll catch up a bit this week, looking forward to Saturday when he’s home, and I have my dinner partner, my movie buddy, my heart back in my home. Till then, just the basics.