Mikki's Posts

It's been a reaaaaally long winter. If you don't live in the midwest you'll just have to take my word on it. Nearly broken snowfall records, dreary days on end and I have gone a bit crazy. Okay I guess 'crazier' is the proper word. Family stuff. Work stuff. Life stuff. I feel like a bear waking up from hibernation; like the woman who's been living my life for the last six months was a different me. And she was in a way. The last six months have been crazy. Good and bad. Exciting and disappointing. High and low.  I have experienced all the rollercoasters of life again and emerge...okay. Certainly not unscathed. Definitely not the same. Three steps forward, two steps back but hopefully still ahead at the end of the day. Back in September my last living grandparent passed away. Harry Patten was 95 and 3/4 years old. Just about three months shy of his 96th birthday. It was hard but no unexpected. But there is no real preparedness for losing a loved one. God ga...

I want to live a life of love like Jesus. That doesn't mean I agree with everything you say, but it does mean I allow you to say it. It doesn't mean I agree with everything you believe but it does mean I don't call you stupid or narrow-minded. It doesn't mean I condone everything you do, but it does mean I accept you are your own person with free will and your own choices to make. So, why do I feel like I'm not allowed to be like this? What happens when all my FB friends find out that I love several people who are homosexuals but that I do believe homosexuality is a sin? What happens when you find out that I do believe abortion is murder? What happens when I "come out" as Christian who believes the only way to God is through Jesus Christ? Why am I concerned that speaking my mind will be viewed as hate filled, bigoted small mindedness? (I hope no one that knows me would think that.) I don't think real Christians are allowed in the public square anymore....

Loving the new year. Trying to keep loving me too. I gotta remember that I'm only human and I will probably   mess up. Manifest: Human

The title is a little misleading. I’m actually starting to get really excited over some of the changes I started or was thinking about this previous fall and am now implementing. The first is my budgeting. I’ve at least gotten it written down and I’m trying to follow it. There are some things I’m surprised to discover I haven’t accounted for in the budget plan. I’m finding I have to adjust. But I am getting better about tracking my spending. Go me! Next, I’m tackling 2 nd shift again. Long story short, several people at work quit and there was a hole in the schedule that I moved to fill. I was all “woe is me” from the moment I agreed to do it. (I could have pushed it off on another coworker but I try to be a team player when I can to set an example. Plus in the past I’ve gotten pretty lucky on not having a crazy schedule too bad. So it’s my turn to take one for the team, right?) As soon as I let some folk know I’d be missing out on evening activities (shift is 4:30pm-2:30am...

And by fine I don't mean the Italian Job version: Freaked Out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional. (I really enjoy that movie but can't get behind the world view and overall message of the movie but that's another discussion.) No, I'm really doing good. It's a daily struggle but I'm holding on and hanging in there. Seasonal depression kicked in a little early this year, but we're heading it off at the pass. (I'll stop with the metaphors. Probably.) Then again, today was a good day. We'll see what tomorrow brings. I say "we" because God has taught me that I don't face anything in this life alone. Sometimes it's just me and Jesus. A lot of times, Jesus gives me friends, family, co-workers, etc. to be there with me. I praise God for all the people he's given me. Proverbs 27:17 " As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."  Light therapy and light therapy have been helping. Big "L" light therapy...

Soooo, I'm trying to figure out how to import the blog posts from my other blogs to this one. I just don't need three. I'd like to just have the one now and everything I think of can go there. I'll figure it out I'm sure...or I might give in and ask for help. :) I'm looking forward to getting back into writing. I think it will be a good way to channel my energy this fall/winter. My mom got me a subscription to Writer's Digest. It's a great magazine and I'm so happy that it's still got a print edition. I just got my first issue yesterday and I'm excited about several articles. Plus there are numerous writing exercises. V. cool. In other news I just found out that Newsweek is going to end printing at the end of the year. Starting 2013, one will find Newsweek online only. I should be more bummed. I used to enjoy getting Newsweek and reading every week in college, and for several years after. But honestly it's been years since I read it...

Before you start laughing, thinking I’ve gone off the deep end and gotten caught up with some pseudo-con artist, hear me out.   At one of my NAPW chapter meetings this summer, we heard from a life coach on reclaiming time and making one’s well-being a priority. Her name is Dana Samardzich and she gave a fantastic presentation (here’s her website http://optimalbalancecoaching.com/). I came away with lots of tips that I knew but it’s not bad to be reminded and many tips I hadn’t thought of.  I got several good websites for getting organized from her. It was a great evening.   She had an evaluation form for us to fill out. There was a space to indicate whether or not we’d like to take her up on a complimentary coaching session. There was a box for “yes” and box for “no”. For people who know me well, the fact that I wrote in “maybe” would probably not surprise them.   It was weeks before we made cont...